Cardinall Cusanus Whereâ—ore Theodores telleth vs clearlie That the mysticall signes after consecration departe not fâ—om their owne nature but remayne in their former substance figure and forme and may bee seene and touched as before Yea their owne Pope Gelaesius wryting agaynst Eutyches sayeth expreslie That tho in the Sacrament wee receaue a divyne thing to wit the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST yet the substance and nature of the bread and wine ceasseth not to remaine sayeth hee And if anie speaches of Fathers would seeme to sound other ways their owne Cassander telleth vs That the late Schoole men doe acknowledge these speaches to bee figuratiue whereby the signe is called by the name of the thing which is signified and is present also in the Sacrament So that justlie sayde the elder Schoolemen as Suarez reporteth of them that the doctrine of Transsubstantiation is not verie ancient This errour then was first broached in the East by Damascene in the time of Gregoriâ— the third Anno 740 and opposed then chiefelie by the Councell of Constantinople consisting of 338 Bishops Anno 754 who declared That the bread in the Eucharist was the true resemblance of Christs naturall bodie and consequentlie not the bodie it selfe About an hundreth yeares there-after in the tyme of Gregorie the fourth the same also began to bee propounded in the West by one Amularius Bishop of Lions who was censured and opposed by the Councell of Carifiacum wherein it was declared by the Bishops of France That it was to bee vnderstood that the bread and wine were the bodie and blood of CHRIST after a spirituall manner onelie Heere-after howsoever sundrie helde this grosse opinion of Transsubstantiation Paschasius Radbertus a Deacon Anno 850 who to that purpose wrote a Booke to Placidus of the bodie and blood of CHRIST yet others stoutlie mayntayned the trueth in the contrarie as Rabinâ—s Mâ—â—rus who at the same tyme opposed Paschasiâ—s and wâ—oâ—e thereof to Abbâ—t Egilo whereby arose great disputes by sundrie vpon both sides wherevpon Carolâ—s Calvus then King of FRANCE willing to haue these differences composed amongst his people and the trueth of the matter cleared singled out one Bertram a Priest and Mâ—nke of Corbey as * a man mâ—st famous in those tymes both for learning and pietie and reqâ—yred him to wryte to him his judgement in that matter which hee accordinglie did in his booke yet extant written Anno 876 wherein hee declareth and proveth That the bread and wine are Christs bodie and blood figuratiuelie onelie or by representation according to the naâ—ure of Sacramentes and sacramentall speaches taking so the name of that which they signifiâ— but for the substance of the creatures or elementes themselues they are the same after consecration as they were before sayeth hee for which cause the Romanisâ—es in the Belgicke expurgatorie Index wish that this Booke had altogether perished the Iesuit Turrian giving the reason thereof Because the citing of it declareth that Calvine's Heresie is not new About which tyme also of Bertrams wryting a famous countrey-man of ours also Iohannes Scotus wrote a * booke of the same matter and to the same sense who for his extraordinarie great learning in those tymes was surnamed Iohn the wyse And in ENGLAND in the dayes of Aeifricke an Abbot Anno 975 there was an auncient Homilie which the sayde Aelfricke at the command of Wâ—lfstane Arch-bishop of Yorke translated out of Latine and Saxâ—n into Englâ—sh synodicallie appoynted to bee read to the people for their instruction at everie Easter before the receaving of the holie Housell as he calleth the Sacrament wherein the verie same doctrine set downe by Bertram and professed now by vs is clearlie set downe as the sayde Homilie at large may bee seene in Master Iohn Foxe his Booke of Martyres Yet at last errour in the times of ignorance and Papall vsurpation so farre prevailed that Anno 1215 it was established as an Article of fayth so that as Scotus affirmeth truelie before the Councell of Laterane it was no doctrine of fayth sayeth hee CHAPTER XIX The Noveltie of halfe Communion or with-holding the Cuppe from the people FOR the cleare detection of the Noveltie of this sacrilegious errour first their owne Canonized Aquinas and with him Lyra and others declare according to the custome of the auncient Church all the people as they did communicate of the bodie of Christ so did they also of His blood sayeth hee And if wee aske at their owne Cassander how long this custome did continue in the Church of Christ hee will tell vs saying It is sufficientlie certayne that the vniversall Church of Christ even vnto this day did celebrate the Sacrament vnder both kyndes and that the Westerne or Romane Church more than a thousand yeares after Christ chiefelie in the solemne and ordinarie celebration of this Sacrament did giue the same in both kyndes both of breade and wine to all the members of the Church of Christ which is manifest sayeth hee out of the innumerable Testimonies both of Greeke and Latine Fathers And if then wee inquyre when this custome of communicating in one kynde began in the Romane Church generallie to be receaved their owne Gregorte de Valentia in lyke-manner will tell vs That it was but a little before the Councell of Constance which was helde in â—nno 1414. There-after if wee come to the Councell of Constance it selfe where it was first decreed and inquyre of the Noveltie thereof they are forced to confesse that Christ instituted this venerable Sacrament in both kyndes of bread and wine gaue it so to His Disciples say they as also that in the primitiue Church the same was receaved by the faythfull in both kynds and that for eschewing some perills and scandalls this custome was thought fit to bee altered Next after the cleare and confessed Noveltie of this poynt both in altering and mayntayning of Christs institution if wee will examine out of their owne confessions whether it bee best to adheare to Christs institution who gaue it in both kyndes or not Bellarmine will teach vs a generall rule saying It can not bee doubted of but that is best sayth hee and most fit to bee done which Christ Himselfe did But to subsume Christ gaue the Sacrament of His bodie and blood vnder both kyndes therefore inevitablie it followeth that without doubt it is fittest and best to giue it as yet in both kyndes Wherefore in expresse wordes not onelie did Ruardus Tapperus Deane of Lovane say that it were better and more covenient to giue it so as beeing more agreeable to the institution of Christ His example and Fathers of the primitiâ— Church but also their owne Cassander setteth downe the particular and pregnant reasons why it is better to giue it so vnder both kyndes and why the primitiue Church ever so gaue it I. because of the institution and example of
Christ who gaue this Sacrament in both the Elementes vnto His Disciples representing then the persons sayeth hee of the whole faythfull communicants 2. because they did belieue in the Sacrament by the Element of the wine that there was signified a certayne peculiar grace of the blood of Christ to wit according to Christs wordes The remission of sinnes 3. because thereby was represented the full Passion of Christ which did consist in the oblation of His bodie and the shedding of His blood according to that of S. PAVLL As oft as yee shall eate of the bread and drinke of the Cup yee shall show the LORD'S death till His agayne comming 4. because ouâ— perfect feeding or nowâ—ishment is thereby signified which is vsuallie not onelie by meat but by drinke also and 5. because lyke-wyse is signified thereby the perfect redemption of man in His bodie by the oblation of Christs bodie and in his soule the fountayne of lyfe which is sayde to bee in the blood by the shedding of Christs blood So that it is not without cause that one of their owne Popes Gelasius sayde That the divyding of one and the same Sacrament can not bee done without great sacriledge and therefore that hee commanded that eyther the whole Sacrament vnder both kyndes should bee taken or else that these superstitious persons who will not participate of the Cup hee debarred from the Sacrament altogether Lyke-wyse as they haue withdrawne the Cup from the people so they haue also taken away a significant Rite in giving to them â— wafer foâ— bread without fraction which was acted and instituted by CHRIST to signifie the breaking of His Bodie and of the confessed Nâ—veltie whereof let Cardinall Cajetane witnesse saying In the primitiue tymes that the Church did vse fraction of the bread when the Communion was given to the people even the verie Actes of the Apostles doe testifie in imitation of CHRIST as I belieue sayeth hee Who tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and so gaue it to His Disciples But it was afterward that the Church vsed severallie little Hosties which nowayâ—s may bee broken CHAPTER XX The Noveltie of the MASSE where-in the Priest onelie reccaveth FIrst for the clearing of the Noveltie heereof having before spoken of the Noveltie of the name wee see that it hath no warrand in holie Scripture being contrary both to the institution of CHRIST and to that name which it getteth from the holie Apostle Of a Communion for in the institution wee see there was fraction of Bread which fraction was for distribution and this distribution was for common participation everie one with another as wee see I. COR. 10. 17. and as it was sayde of the Cup also Drinke yee all-of this or Divyde it amongst you Next it is agaynst the name of Communion which the Apostle giveth it for therefore is it called a Communion sayeth their Hugo Cardinalis because in the primitiue Church the people did communicate thereof daylie neyther properlie can it bee called a Communion sayeth their Cassander except moe than one participate The same is contrarie also to the alleadged Canons of the Apopostles and wrytings of the Fathers for thus sayeth their owne Cochleus Of olde all both Priests and people did communicate together as appeareth by the Canons of the Apostles and wrytings of the auncient Fathers In lyke-manner the same contradicteth their owne Canon of the Masse directlie their owne Cassander telling vs That therein the Priest prayeth not onelie for himselfe and his owne communicating but also for those who doe communicate with him saying Bee mercifull to as manie of vs as haue beene partakers of this Altar and chiefelie in his prayer after the Communion hee seemeth to pray onelie sayeth hee for those who haue beene communicants In lyke-manner Odo Cameraceâ—sis wryting on the Canon of the Masse affirmeth That those solitarie Masses were not of olde sayeth hee in vse in the Church seeing that no Masse was without a collect that is some number who did offer and participate of the Sacrament together Their owne Durandus lyke-wyse telleth vs saying In the primitiue Church all whoâ— were present at the celebration of the Masse did everie day communicate because all the Apostles did drinke of the Cup according to the LORD'S command Drinkâ— yee all of this and their oblation was a great loafe sayeth hee which was sufficient for all and which custome the Grecians are sayde to keepe even vnto this day Which thing also their Tolossanus Belethus and sundrie others testifie And to adde the famous testimonie of Pope Innocent the third In the primitiue Church sayeth hee everie day those who were present at the celebration of the Masse were wont to communicate And all the best learned doe acknowledge sayeth their Cassander this to haue beene the ancient custome of the Romane Chuâ—ch in particular which custome how it hath ceassed is to bee marveled sayeth their Hofmeisterus and it is to bee indevoured that this good custome sayeth hee may bee restored to the Church CHAPTER XXI The Conclusion of this Treatise THus having demonstrate the Noveltie of Poperie and detected the same to bee the latter sowne Tares in the LORDS Field wee see that the Antiquitie whereof they so much bragge belongeth nowayes to them more than the living chylde to the false mother and if the Romane Church in these poyntes formerly discovered will needes still clayme Antiquitie at all it is manifest that no other can bee yeelded vnto her than that which was yeelded to Iudah and Israell by the Prophet Ezekiell vnder the names of Aholah and Aholibah to wit That shee is olde in her Adulteries the sometyme faythfull Citie as speaketh I saiah having become an Harlot and as says Lyrinensis in the same place now being a filthy Borthel of wicked and prophane erroures where a sacred store-house was before of chaste and vncorrupted trueth CHRIST'S sheepe-folde beeing pâ—sterd with disguysed Wolues and as it was objected to PAVLL concerning the Greciaâ—s these thinges beeing brought within the Temple which haue defyled the holie place As Elihu then sayde of himselfe That hee was but of yesterday in comparison of Iobs elder friends even so may Poperie justlie in lyke-manner confesse of her selfe that shee is but of yesterday in respect of that eternall Gospell spoken of in the Revelation and the Popish Church beeing the meretricious mother onelie of such bastard births lyke brats of Babell as shee may well father vpon the broodie braine of vaine mans invention puft vp as the Apostle speaketh by his fleshlie mynde but can never say with Iacob of such These are the children which the LORD my GOD hath given mee Let no man therefore marvell that wee haue come out of Babell as the LORD'S obedient people lest wee should partake of her sinâ—es and so receaue of her plagues nor thinke that wee haue forsaken Rome farder than shee hath forsaken the
proper Sacramentes of the Gospell as having Christs institution and beeing visible signes of invisible justifying grace conferred on the receavers in the right vse thereof then their owne Cardinall Bessarion and Bishop of Tusculum will tell vs saying In the Gospell wee reade that â—nelie these two Sacramentes sayeth hee were delyvered to vs plainlie Or if wee will aske at their Paschasius an Abbot who lived about the 800 yeare of CHRIST which are the Sacramentes of CHRIST to bee found in His Church hee will show vs That these are they onelie to wit Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST without mentioning moe which therefore Fulbertus Bishop of Chartres calleth duo vitae Sacramenta or the two Sacramentes of lyfe and salvation Lyke-wyse beside their owne Doctoures if wee ascende higher to inquyre of the ancient Fathers what are the proper Sacraments which the Church then acknowledged Augustine will tell vs That Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper are these saying Haec sum Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta or these are the two Sacramentes of the Church lyke two twinnes In lyke-manner doeth Cyprian speake saying Then at last men may bee sanctified and bee the children of God si vtroque sacramento nascantur that is If they bee borne anew by both the Sacramentes to wit Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper And if wee consult with Bellarmine himselfe hee will showe vs the reason why both the auncient Fathers and manie of their owne Doctoures countenance no other Sacramentes as properlie so called saying The holie thing it selfe which the Sacramentes of the new Law doeth signifie is three-folde 1. justifying grace which is demonstrate as present 2. the suffering of CHRIST as the cause of that grace and which is commemorate as bygone and 3. eternall lyfe the effect of that grace and which is prefigured as to come and concerning Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper the matter heerein is most evident but concerning the other siue Sacraments it is not so evident sayeth hee Wherefore justlie did their owne Cassander say as touching the seaven Sacramentes It is certayne that the Schoole-men and Romane doctoures sayeth hee never thought that all of them should bee called alyke properlie Sacramentes Therefore as to confirmation Alexander of Hales showeth That it is no Sacrament of the Gospell properlie because it wanteth CHRIST'S institution and is of no greater Antiquitie than the Councell of Milda Next concerning Marriage as Cassander reporteth Lombard denyeth that grace is thereby conferred and Durand affirmeth that it is nowayes properlie a Sacrament Thirdlie as for pennance and confession Hugo de sancto Victore in expresse tearmes excludeth it from beeing a Sacrament properlie of the new Law Fourthlie touching ORDOVRS Bellarmine himselfe telleth vs That Episcopall Ordination which Durand showeth to bee all one with Presbyteriall is denyed to bee a Sacrament propâ—râ—â—e so called not onelie by sundrie auncient Schoole-men and Doctors of the Romane Church but by these also who are more recent as Dominieus à Soto and others whence hee concludeâ—h saying Wherefore if Episcopall Ordination bee not a Sâ—cramâ—nt wee cannot pâ—oue out of Scripture sayeth hee that Ordination is a Sacrament at all Last as for extreame vnction the lesuit Suarez declareth That Hugo Peter Lombard Bonaventure Aleusis and Altizidorus fiue Famous and learned Doctors in the Romane Church denye playnlie that it was instituted by CHRIST and consequentlie that it is no true Sacrament The peremptorie tyme then and author when this doctrine of seaven sacraments got foot in the Church their owne Cassander specifieth sâ—ying Heerein surelie there is no contraversie that there are two speciall Sacramentes of our salvation wherein speciallie our salvation consisteth and is apprehended by vs as speaketh Robertus Tuitiensis and Hugo de Sancto Victore to wit Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST neyther shall yee finde anie who rashlie before Peter Lombards tyme did set downe anie certayne and definite number of Sacramentes which tyme was about the 1140 yeare of GOD and so the same iâ— but a verie late Noveltie CHAPT. XVIII The Novelty of Transsubstantiation BEfore wee come to the discoverie of the Noveltie of this lurde errour wee will show first how grosse not onelie the Romaniâ—tes of olde haue beene therein but lyke-wyse their verie late lesuits First then to vse the wordes of the Councell of Rome helde by Pope Nicolas Anno 1060 wherevnto they caused Berengarie by way of recantation to subscrybe The Bread and Wine which are set vpon the Altar after consecration say they are not onelie the Sacrament of CHRIST'S Bodie and Blood but are the verie true Bodie and Blood of CHRIST and sensiblie in the verie trueth is handled by the hands of the Priest and kroken and chawed by the teeth of the faythfull A late lesuit lyke-wyse Cornelius à Lapide sayeth vpon these wordes of ISAI Beholde a Virgine shall conceaue and beare a Sonne In this venerable Sacrament this mysterie sayeth hee is truelie performed and daylie in verie deede renewed which heere ISAIAH fore-telleth and which was performed when the Word was incarnate for by the wordes of consecration as the Bread is truelie and reallie transsubstantiate so CHRIST is brought foorth and as it were begotten vpon the Altar as powerfullie and efficaciouslie as if CHRIST were not as yet incarnate yet by these wordes This is my Bodie Hee should bee incarnate and assume an humane bodie as graue Divynes doe teach there-fore sayeth hee the Priest is as the Virgine that bare him the Altar is the Manger the little Emmanuell which hee beareth is Christ brought foorth vnder the little Hostâ—e by vertue of the Highest and over-shadowing of the holie Ghost which made their Postelluâ— to call Transsubstantiation nativitas mâ—diatoris vltima or the last birth of our Mediator CHRIST For detection of the Noveltie of which blasphemous errour if wee first inqâ—yre of the Antiquitie thereof in Scripture a clowde of their owne witnesses will tell vs that it is not expressed in Scripture nor can bee proven thereâ—y aâ— all and that it may bee justlie doubted sayeth Bellarmine himselfe whether these wordes This is my Bodie bee cleare anough to inforce it seeing the most sharpe witted and learned Doctors of the Romane Church such as Scotus wâ—s haue thought the contrarie sayeth hee Next if wee aske for the Antiquitie thereof in the writs of the auncient Fathers or if it was believed in the primitiue Church then one of their schoole-men will tell vs saying In the primitiue Church it was not believed as a poynt of fayth that the substance of bread was converted into the bodie of Christ Next of the Transsubstantiation of the bread into the bodie of CHRIST sayeth Alfonsuâ— Ã Castro in the auncient wryters there is verie seldome mention Yea sundrie auncient Divynes doe aâ—â—irme that the bread is not Transubâ—tantiâ—te sayeth their