expressely and more clerely betoken than thold For so moch as now in our time there is gretter knowlege of christ and off grace because it is the time of fullnes So our sacraments can more clereli betokē than theires But that thei can satisfie or forgeue sinnes or Iustifie man or geue grace or applie it to the same man Thei can not doo it as neither thold sacraments could doo any of thes things as we haue proued before Concerning forgeuenes of sinnes and Iustification it is plaine that thei do it not because that necessarily both th one and thother must goo before the sacraments iff thei shuld be worthily receiued Thapplication also of Christes satisfaction and redemption is made by faith the which receiueth the whol worke of our saluation by gods grace thorow Christ ād receiue forgeuenes Iustification holimaking and redemption from the mere and pure grace of god thorow Christ and not from any other thing and to it doth attribute and geue all the praise and glory Roman 3. as we haue in the pistle to the romanes And therfor the sauior so offt doth beate in this faith saing that who so euer beleuyth in him hath life euerlasting geuing to ūderstād that bi faith are receiued the benifites of saluaciō bi gods grace thorow Christ ād he that hath it not is not partaker of such benifites Therfor whan we find in the saings of the Euangelistes or of thold doctors that the sacraments forgiue sinnes as that of mark and luke that Iohn preached the baptime of repentans in forgiuenes of sinnes or els in thactes of thapostels that Ananias said vnto paul Rise vp baptise the and wassh thy sinnes And the crede receiued from the church which saith confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum And such like saings the which seme to attribute the forgeuenes of siinnes to baptim I say that thei must be vnderstand safely by that figure which attributeth to the signe that that belongeth to the signified The saing of luke and mark and the article of the faith are vnderstand affter this sort that is to say that the baptime is a signe of the forgeuenes of sinnes The saing of Ananias whan he saith to Paul wassh thy sinnes is as moch to say as take the signe of the wasshing And that saing of Peter in thactes of thapostels Actor 2 whan he saith Be repentant for sinnes and let euery one of yow be baptised for the forgeuenes of your sinnes is thus vnderstand Let euery one of yow be baptised in token of forgeuenes of your sinnes And so of thother saings that attribute the forgeuenes of sinnes to the sacramentes we must giue them the trewe vnderstanding that is to say that thei be tokens of such forgeuenes and thei certifie the byleuers of the same but thei be not the cause And iff any wold axe to what end than be the sacraments geuen iff thei work none of thes effectes that is to say iff thei forgeue not sinnes iff thei Iustifie not satisfie not saue not nor applie not such things to man I answer as before that thoffice of the sacraments is to be witnessing signes of thes said things and thei be as it were certen sealis which assure vs of the forgeuenes of sinnes of gods grace and of saluacion The merciful god and our fauorable father sawe how we are by nature vnbyleuing and weake And ther for for maintenans of our faith and help of our weaknes causeth not only his word that is to sai the holi gospell to be preached vs but cōfirmeth vs in the faith with the sacraments and sheweth vs by certen owtward signes and plaine to our sensis that which is preached by the word Wherfor whā we here said he that beleueth the gospell his sinnes are forgeuen hym and affter we see one baptise with water and knowe that this baptime is ordeined by god to signifie such a thing we be confirmed in faith that is to say we bileue more surely perceiuing that baptime is ordeined to signifie that euen as the water wassheth the spottes or the vnclen̄es of the bodi so is he that byleuyth wasshed with in the sowle The sacraments haue other offices of the which it is not our mind presently to speake It suffiseth that amōg other thei haue this that is to say to bring vs forgeuenes of sinnes gods grace and our saluation not only at that time whan thei be geuen but thorowt all our liffe whan so euer thei come in to our remēberans so that we bileue And thei work not all this effect by their own vertu but by tholy institution and because thei be a ministery of the spirite as gods word is Returning therfor to the purpos I say that it is a gret abuse and supersticion willingly to goo abowt to say that the sacrament of thanksgeuing forgeueth sinnes for it is gods grace that forgeueth sinnes thorow christ whan we bileue with a trewe faith ād not the sacrament of thanksgeuing It is trew in dede that this sacrament doth certifie vs of that thing because it bringeth to our remembrans that christ gaue his body and his blood for our redemption and how his death is cause of our life but it worketh not the forgeuenes nor it can not work it as we haue before proued And iff thos that defend the mass shuld say that thei meane of the forgeuenes of the paine and not of the fawte whan thei say that the masse forgeueth sinnes And that affter this sort also the praier of the mass booke ought to be vnderstand in the which is made mention of such forgeuenes that is to say that thei be vnderstanden of the forgeuenes of the paine and not of the fawt Tho this I say first that the praiers absolutely make mention of the forgeuenes of sinnes and doo not any thing speake of the paine wherby it appeareth that thei meāe of the fawt which is princypall in sinne And the selff same wordes shewe that thei meane of the fawt As for exāple that praier haec nos communio domine purget a crimin It saith not liberet a poena but purget a crimine that is to say from the fawt And that other which saith Sit absolutio scelerū that is to say let it be a discharge of the fawtes ād affter al◅o it saith Sit uiuorū atque mortuorum fidelium remissio omniū delictorum that is to say let it be a forgeuenes of all the sin̄es of the faithfull liuing and deade Thes wordes surely being so generall as thei be of all sin̄nes as well of the liuing as of the deade can not conueniently be vnderstād only of the paine ād not of the fawt Than the Summistis ād scol mē defenders of the masse say that theffect of this sacramēt is to forgeue veniall sinnes ād also mortall wherof man hath no cōsciens that is to say as I thinck whan either he remēbreth not or Iudgeth not thē to be deadli sinnes allthough
the sacrament and not of the hole masse either thei meane of the breade and wine not yet consecrated or els affter that thei be cōsecrated Wich way so euer thei take it it is fals that thei shuld be a sacrifice for sin̄es Although I know that affter both sortis thei wold it shuld be a sacrifice both affter the consecration and before There is no dowt but affter the cōsecration folowing their opinion the bread and the wine be a sacrice For as thei think Christ all hole is there in body and in sowle and that there is no more neither bread nor wine but only Christ the which is the trew sacrifice Also that thei hold that that bread and wine is a sacrifice before the consecratiō how can thei denie it so many praiers secrets and chefely the canon affirming it The which canon in the first part praith god that he wold blesse that bread and wine and calleth them holy vntasted sacrifices in the plural nomber And in the second part that is to say in the memento he calleth them a sacrifice of praise The which is offered for the saluation of sowles And in the fourth part he calleth them an oblacyon And in the fifft he praith god that he wold vouchsafe taccept this oblacion so that it might becōe the body and blood of his best beloued sonn So that than they will that that breade and wine which are not yet cōsecrated shuld be a sacrifice for the ransoming of sowles And they pray that they may becom Christes body ād blood Iff they pray that they may become then be they not yet consecrated For whan they be cōsecrated they are become Christs body ād blood as they think and it nedeth not any more to pray that they shuld become soo becaus they be allready soo becomne That this bread and wine vncōsecrated shuld not be a sacrifice for sinnes it is an easy thing to proue For that according to tholy scripture the sacrifice for sinnes is that that hath redemed vs. For so moch as the redempcion is as moch to say as the forgeuenes of sinnes according to Paul as it is writton to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Eph. 1. Collos 1. But we be not redemed neyther with bread nor wyne but only with the blood of the vnspotted lamb christ as Peter saith in his first pistle 1. Petri 1 Yow knowe that yow were not redemed from yowr vayne conuersacion which yow toke by the tradicion of yowr elders with fadeable things as gold ād siluer but with Christes precios blood as of an hole and vndefyled lamb Is not the bread and wine vncōsecrated things fade able and corruptible How vile doth this masse make Christes redēpcion Of how litle valew his blessed blood God wold not pardon sin̄e but that there was paid so gret a price so gret a passiō so high a blood and so gret a death as that was of his sonn And they will that sinnes shuld be pardoned with bread and wine which yet are no nother but plaine breade ād plaine wine That the bread and the wine whā the consecraciō is made shuld be no sacrifice although there were no more neither bread nor wine but the body and blood of Christ Ihesus as they wold haue it I say that they be no sacrifice They be so moch lesse a sacrifice iff the bread ād the wine remaine And that they shuld be the sacrament as without dowt the Sacramēt is no nother in substās but bread and wyne consecrated that is to say appointed to the vse to which Christ appointed thē that is to sai to bring in to remembrans his body and blood That the sacrament I say is no sacrifice in what so euer sort it be a sacrament I proue it by Paul in his pistle to the hebrews Hebre. 7.8.9.10 The which if the fauorers of the masse had but supperficially vnderstand they wold neuer so boldly haue vttered that the masse or let it be the sacrament shuld be a sacrifice It is writton first in that pistle that there were in the lawe many prystes becaus thei were mortall but Christ who is immortall hath now theuerlasting pristhode and therfor can saue for euer all thos that goo to god by him alweys liuyng to that end that he may intreate god for vs. And he addeth a none affter that thos prestes or els bysshops had nede toffer sacryfyces not only for the sinnes of the peple but for their own also But it behoued that Christ shuld be vndefyled innocent the which shuld not haue nede eueri dai toffer for him selffe and affter for the peple because he dyd this ones whan he offred hym selffe For so moch as that the lawe appointeth men bisshops that haue weakenessys Psal 110. but the word of the oth that is to sai the word of god and of which Dauyd spake in the Psalme appointeth the son for euer consummate that is to say perfite By thes wordes ij things are geuen vs to be vnderstand First that none can offer a sacrifice that may auaile as before god for sinnes except Christ that is pure innocent separated from sinners perfite and euerlasting bishop who hath in such sort offered him selff that the sacrifice is the prest him selff and the priest the sacrifice it selff For that toffer sacrifice for sinnes it behoueth not only that the sacrifice shuld be cleane pure and withowt spott but it is necessary that he that offereth it shuld be him selff also cleane and that he shuld not haue nede toffer for his own sinnes It is knowen off old that among men also whan a thing is presented by the handes of one that is in displeasure of any gret lord allthough that the thing be good yet it shall not be acceptable because that he which presenteth it is not fauored Iff it be so than that he who offereth must be cleane and no sinner the prestes that say masse can not offer sacrifice for sinnes because thei be vncleane and sinners And albeit thei shuld in deede offer Christ ones again that offring could not auaile for sinnes because it is nedefull for the bringing to passe of such an effect that both th one and thother shuld be cleane and withowt spott not only the sacrfice but also the sacrificer a thing that can not be among as many as be but men in the whole world And for this cause it behoued that Christ him selff shuld be he that shuld offer and make sacrifice to god and no nother but him selff because he alone is without sinne and all the rest be sinners Than it geuyth also tunderstand that it nedeth not any more to doo sacrifice for sinnes becaus he that hath done sacrifice Christ hath satisfied hauing done ones for euer because it was perfite being the same Christ theuerlasting bisshop that offred him selff Iff that haue suffised being ones done what nedeth it to make other sacrifices or to make againe the same at other times Surely
â—â—e Euangelist wryteth speaking of Christ Matt. 1. not â—â—en borne he shall saue his people from there sinÌ„es â—â—e meaneth he shall do it and none other Is it not knowen that in his name onely oure sinnes are foâ—…geueÌ„ vs in whiche we be baptised for baptisme â—…gnifieth the remission of sinnes 1. Cor. 1. It is plaine as S. Paule saieth to the Corinthiâ—â— that we be Christened in Chrsts name and noâ—â— any other saincts Are you saith he Christened 〈◊〉 Pauls name 1. Ioan. 2. as though he wold saye no but 〈◊〉 Christs And IhonÌ„ the Euangelist saith I wryteâ—… yow children that youre sinnes are forgeuen yoâ—… by his name that is to say Christes And whâ—… should we nede to alledge mo saings all the scrâ—…pture both new and olde is full of this And whâ—… els saieth Esaias Esa 53. but that Christ hath suffered foâ—… oure sinnes and Christ himself as we haue said before plainely affirmeth Luc. 24. Rom. 3. Ephes. 1. Coloss 2. Hebre. 1. that in his name is wrought remission of sinnes and Paule in this matteâ—… is plentifull aboue all whose saings if I wold bringâ—… furth I should be to long but for that the matter iâ—… so clere to him that is not altogether ignoraunâ—… of Christ and the scriptures I will passe it ouer Semeth this to you a small blasphemie to take away that honoure and that glory that belongeth to Christ onely and geue them to others to whome they belong not Is not this a dishonouring him a dispysing him and a committing of a great sacriledge This prayer is wicked and a great blasphemy nor ye ought not to excuse it with gloses And who that will defind it shall shew himself an enemy to the honoure and glory of Christe And beâ—â—ds all this also it plainli gainsaieth other parts of â—…he Mosse as those two verses of Gloria in ex celsis deo the which say to Christ Qui tol â—…is peccata mundi miserere nobis Qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe de â—…recationem nostraÌ„ It speaketh against â—…he consecration of the cupp and against the ago nus dei the which saings affirme that Christ onely causeth remission of sinnes and not the â—…aints The second chapter THE EXAMINACION OF THE Kyrie cleeson and of the Gloria in excelsis deo and how that many praiers after the gloria in excelsis be wicked and that the epistle and gospell and generally the whole worde of god in the Masse are vnworthely and euell fauoredly handled VVHen the priest is come to the aultar aÌ„d hâ—… opened the Masse book he beginneth 〈◊〉 entrie which commonly is of the old Testameâ—â— and for the most parte it is certeine verses of 〈◊〉 Psalmes When the entrie is ended the Kyrie â—…leeson is sayd which is as much to saye as dâ—… mine miserere that is lord haue mercye 〈◊〉 Master williame Durant in the fourth parte 〈◊〉 his boke called the Rationale diuinoâ—… that is to say a declaration of the causes whie â—â—ry ceremonie is vsed in the common seruice whâ—… he expoundeth the Masse he teacheth and reheâ—…seth the reasons of the things saide or done in 〈◊〉 same and saith that the Kyrie eleeson hâ—… yet an other signification that is Kyri Christ 〈◊〉 god ei haue mercye son vpon vs so that this Kâ—…rie eleeson shal be foure words the first shalâ—… kyri the second el the third ei and the fourth soâ—… which altogether do make the Kyrie eleisoâ—… which hole is as much to say as Christ god haâ—… mercy vpon vs but whye it is sayd nyne tymes â—…gether with Christeleeson the sayd Masteâ—… william doth theach the cause saing that for certein respects it is sayd nyne tymes The first is thâ—… the tenth order which is of men being now reâ—â— â—…yred might accompanie the nyne orders of Anâ—…ls The second that the churche might come to â—…e company of this nyne orders of Angels The â—â—ird is that it may be against these nyne sortes of â—â—nes that is to say oure birth sinne forgeuable â—â—dlye bye thought word dede by frailtie simpliâ—â—ie and maliciouslye behold the goodly reasons 〈◊〉 this Kyrie eleeson whye it should be sayd â—…ne times and you may see how auctenticall they 〈◊〉 He bringeth in also certein other causes which â—â—r shortnes I leaue but among the rest he saieth that this Kyrieleeson is of great power and that 〈◊〉 Basill crieng this Kyrie eleeson wiht a loud â—…oyce the church dores of Pauia were opened â—â—d that at an other time by the crye of Kyrie â—…leeson fiue kings were put to flight And he â—…ddeth that perhappes this Kyrie eleeson â—…etokeneth some other thing then domine miâ—…erere which we do not knowe But I wold first vnderstand to what purpose â—…monge the latines of which the great parte vnâ—…erstandeth onely there naturall tonge and not the â—…atin to what purpose I say should the greek be spoken seing we vse the latine Except that we woâ—â—d saye that the words in greek ether are better vnderstand then in latin which is false or ells that they haue more vertew then the latin which is superstitious Wherfore then is not lord haue mercy on vs said aÌ„d not Kyrie eleeson th one being as much in signification as the other if there were an English preacher that should preach to English meÌ„ who vnderstand not the dutche tonge and wold speake dutch wold not the hearers think that they were mockt by such a preacher Euen so do they that say Masse who speak greek to the latines and that which is worse to them that nether vnderstand greek nor latine Seing then that this Kyrie eleeson meaneth lord haue mercye whye is it not rather and fitlier said onely thre tymes to betokeÌ„ the trinitie the which is prayed vnto by such words and to which belongeth to shew mercye then nyne times for the nyne orders of Aungels which are nether prayed vnto in this Kyrie eleeson nor to haue mercie on vs belongeth not vnto them sewerly it should more conueniently and more fitlye be said oneli thre times for the thre diuine persons because it beloÌ„geth to theÌ„ to shew mercie theÌ„ nyne times for the nyne orders of Aungels which haue not that power TheÌ„ whi is it said rather nine times for â—…he nyne orders of Aungels then seaueÌ„ times seing â—…hat the nomber of seauen is found oftener in the â—…cripture then the nombre of nyne as the places â—…ight be shewed Or els rather then twelue times â—…or the twelue Apostles for the twelue tribes of Isâ—â—ell for the twelue starres in the Apocalipse for â—â—e twelue articles of the faith and for the twelue â—…ones of which is made meÌ„tioÌ„ in Iosue the fourth â—…o what purpose when we praye vnto god should â—…e multiply oure words according to the nombre â—…f the AuÌ„gels or other things this is as we should â—…tye fyue Pater nosters and fyue Aue Maryes in â—…he worship of the fyue woundes or
declare it It is suer that this praier is wicked as well as that of the offering of the hoste The fourth Chapter HEre is examined that many praiers which they call secreats and are sayd before the preface be damnable and hold much wickednes in them as these That fasting purgeth sin̄es and maketh vs worthye of the grace of god and leadeth vs to the heauenly and euerlasting glory That by the bread and wyne god is apeased and forgeueth vs oure sinnes Then follow certein praiers and they be three which affirme the bread ād wyne to be a sacrifice of which matter because we will treate of it in the end where we will proue that nether the bread nor wyne before the consecration nor the Sacrament after the consecration can be a sacrifice albeit that the Sacrament is a remembraunce of the sacrifice We wil not now talke any farther of it least we should vnproffitably repeat one thinge often But we wil examen that which remaineth of this first parte ād chefely these praiers which they call secreats because they are sayd softly to geue more aucthoritie to the Masse And let them neuertheles alledge as many reasons as they will yet they ought to speak it a loude but this maketh not so much matter as the wicknedesses and blasphemies that are in some of them and among the rest in that of the fourth ferye of the Imber dayes in aduent which saith let oure fastings we beseche the oh lord be acceptable vnto the which by clensing vs maye make vs worthy of thy grace and bring vs to the euerlasting promesses The veri same is said also in the third serie that is to saie the tewesday after pashiō sonday And an other tyme on fryday in the Ember weke after the seauentēth sonday after whit sonday which praier in few words hath much matter that is to say thre great blasphemyes The first is that fastinges do clere purge and clense The seconde is that they make vs worthye of Gods grace The third that they bring vs to the euerlasting promesses These thre cursed wickednesses are in this litle praier who wil denye that these be not thre blasphemies First is not this a blasphemie to geue to the fastings which are oure works the clensinge of sinnes Heb. 1. which is gods worke onely by Christ Iesus thoroughe his blod and death As paule sayth 1. Ioan. 1. That Christ alone is he that purgeth sinnes And Ihon in his first Epistle saith That the blood of Iesus Christe doth clense vs from al sinne And Ihon Baptist sayth Ioan. 1. behold the lamb of god behold him that taketh awaye the sinnes of the world And Esay geueth the forgeuinge of sinnes to Christe onely thorough his passion and death Esa 53. And to be shorte the whole scripture geueth this honoure to Christe and this praier geueth it to oure fastings These be those godly sacrifices that are made beare with me you that yet know it not in this detestable Masse by which the world so long hath bene disceaued and Christ dispysed Besyd yf by oure fastings we were clensed and oure sinnes forgeuen vs Rom. 4. we should be iustified by oure oune works for so much as iustification is forgeuenes of sinnes it self or at the least is not without it and that onely iustifieth vs that forgeueth vs oure sinnes Ro. 3. 4. Gala. 2.3.4 5. Roma 3. But this doctrine is contrary to the Apostle Paule who sayth in all his Epistles and specially to the Romaines and Galath that we be not iustified by works but bye Gods grace through Christs redemption Paule saith to the Romains we be iustified by his grace that is Gods by the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesus In which place appointinge the things that perteine to iustification he alledgeth grace the redemption by Christe and faith which wholly he geueth to the grace of god by Christ and no whit to man yea rather he turneth out all the glory of man and geueth the whole honoure and glory to God Which he wold not haue done if oure works whether they be fastings or other works had pertained to iustification as any cause therof Moreouer how canne fastings purge or clense sinnes seing that we must first be losed and clensed before we can do eny work that may be thankfull to God whether it be fasting or other work How can fastings take away sinnes yf they be not thankfull to God and if they be thankfull to God it is necessary that oure sinnes should first be forgeuē vs and that we should be clensed of them Fastings therfore cannot cause forgeuenes of sinnes nether in whole nor in parte yea let thē think this before hand that yf they should be acceptable vnto god forgeuenes of sinnes must necessarylye goo before them And if it should be sayd that in the end of the praier there is Per Dominum nostrū Iesum Christū etc. Which words confesse that oure sinnes are forgeuen by Christ to this is answerd that ether they will that by Iesus Christe himself onely our sinnes should be forgeuen or els not onely by Christ but by Christ together with the fastings If they will by Christ onely why do they alledge fastings yf they will haue fastings together with Christ this is first against the scriptures which thorowout alledge Christ onely ād none other Further it is plaine that the reason before made resteth stronge that is that forgeuenes of sinnes go before fastings if they shal be thankfull to god then fasting cannot because of forgeuenes of sinnes nether with Christ nor without Christ And if thei wold say we meane not of forgeuenes of sinnes as concerning the faulte but the punishmēt to this I say that when men speak absolutely of the clensing or forgeuinge of sinne it is to be vnderstand of the faulte as of the chefe thinge in that forgeuenes and here the praier speaketh absolutely wherfore it is vnderstand of the fawt and not of the paine only Than if the fawt be forgeuen and taken away we ought not to be any more ponisshed for the cause of that fawt For take away the caus and the effect foloweth This is a generall rule where there is no fawt there ought not to be any ponisshment If god doo thorowly for gyue and take away the fawt he taketh a way also the ponisshment dewe for that fawt And this distinction which is comonly made of the forgeuenes of the paine ād of the fawt hath no maner fowndacyō in holy scriptures but is fownd owt by men And though somtymes god forgiuing the fawt doth some way ponissh as he did Dauyd and certen other yet this is not that the ponisshmēt shuld remayne as the ponisshmēt of that sin̄ but for other respecttys as to humble the man and to exercyse hym or to geue example to other that thei doo not the like and that he also may be ware in tyme to come that he fall not
by the lawe Iff than faith and penance not only may be had withowt the sacramentes but rather necessarily goo before the sacramentes iff thei shuld be worthily receiued it foloweth consequently that the forgeuenes of sinnes or Iustificacion doo not hang nor be not caused by the same sacramentis nor be not applied to man by them Because it is necessary that such things shuld first be applied before the sacramentis shuld be taken The vse also of the church declareth this the which neuer geueth baptim to one of full age except he first confess that he byleueth And so we will say of the supper the which all men doo confesse that none ought to receiue it but he that first hath done paenance We haue thexample of baptim in thact◅s of thapostles of Candache the quene of thethyopes cunuch to whom Philip wold not geue baptime till he first confessed that he byleued Actor 8. Gene. 15. Abraham also was Iustified before the circumcision as the genesis saith that is to say Abraham byleued god and it was imputed to him for Iustice that is to say he was Iustified by faith The which example Paul to the romans bringeth furth meaning to proue that Iustificacion is not by workes nor by sacraments And he saith that Abraham was iustified before circumcision and that the circumcision was to him a token of the Iustice of faith Geuing to vnderstand that the office of sacraments is not to forgiue sinnes or to Iustifie mā but to be a signe of such things And iff thei be signes thei be no causes It is well knowen that there is a gret difference betwene the cause of an effectt and the signe of the same The sacraments be signes and not causis of forgeuenes and therfor thei can not forgiue sinnes Than moreouer iff the sacraments were thos that shuld forgeue sinnes and withowt them forgeuenes could not be wrought it shuld folowe that the grace of Iesus Christ shuld be of lesse strength affter the coming of Christ thā it was before in the lawe It is to plaine that this shuld be inconuenient that is to say that Christes grace shuld be of lesse strenght sins his coming than before What an inconueniens shuld this be that now that Christ hath fullfilled the Prophecies that he hath wrought our redempcion This being called the time of fullnes the acceptable tyme and the time of grace Christes grace shuld be of lesse vertu and strength thā before he came But that this incōueniēce shuld folow iff the sacramēts be necessary for the forgiuenes of sinnes I will shewe it For before the lawe by gods grace and by Christ Abel Enoch Noe yea and the scripture maketh particular mencion of Abraham that all thes and thother sainctes were iustified withowt sacramentes Why now than shall not Christes grace haue the same vertu It is plaine that a thing that can worck his effect with owt anothere helpe is of more efficacie force and strength than that which hath nede of it Iff than now gods grace and Christes vertu haue nede of sacraments to worck this effect of forgeuenes of sinnes and before it hath not nede it is surely of lesse strength now than in that time for by it selff it can not worck that that it could doo than whan Christ yet was not cōe in the flessh So that now it shall be of lesse vertew and powr than it was than which thing is inconuenient How many exāples also haue we in the newe testamēt that the forgeuenes of sin̄es is not caused by the sacramētis The sinfull womā The man palsyed The howsold of Zacheus The these crucified with Christ and Cornelius of whom we haue spoken all thes receiued forgeuenes of sinnes and not by sacramentes but by faith only Than the sacraments doo not forgeue sinnes And if any wold bring forth that comon saing of the doctors that is that the sacraments of the newe lawe worke that it selff that thei betoken and signifie And that also of Augustine in the preface of the 73. Psalme who shewing the difference betwene the sacraments of thold lawe and owrs saith that the sacraments of thold lawe did only promes the sauior but ours doo giue the safetie Which maner of speaking haue a litle excessiuenes To this I answer that men must geue to such saings iff thei shuld be trewe fitt expositions and not leaue them in this largenes or rather hyperbolike than otherwise Hyperbolik is an ouerpassing kind of spech and to giue them that sence which is fitt for them and the which the selffe same auncient fathers geue them The same Austen in many places affirmeth that the sacramētes of Moises lawe haue foretold of Christ but our haue shewed him Against faustus lib. 19. cap 14. Speaking against faustus he saith the lawe and the Prophetes had fortelling sacramentes of the thing to come but thes of our time doo witnes that that is come So that thei are diuers as to the maner of signifieng but as to the thing signified thei agree and are like Against petili l. 2. cap. 37 In his booke against Petilian he saith the Iewes sacramentes were diuers in the signes but in the thing signified al one diuers in visible kind and forme but like in spirituall vertu Also vp on ◅hon he saith In his treatise vpon Iohn 26. ād 45. The selff same saith is in signes that be diuers as it is in wordes that be diuers For the wordes doo change the sowndes by times And surely wordes are no nother than signes The fathers did drinck the selff same spirituall but not the selff same bodily drinck Behold than how that the selff same faith abiding the signes be changed There the stone was Christ To vs Christ is the same that is laid on the aultar And thei by a great sacrament dranck the water that flowed owt of the stone we what we drinck the faithfull knowe it Iff thow lookest vp on the visible forme it is diuers Iff vp on the spirituall vnderstanding thei dranck the selff same spirituall drink And in a nother place he saith Theirs and ours is one selff meate and drinck in a mistery but it is one in meaning and not in forme For the selff same was betokened to them in the stone that was shewed to vs in flessh So than iff we wold that saings aboue leadged shuld be trewe it is necessari so to expownd thē amd to geue them the same meaning as we haue shewed in austen That is to say that the difference betwene their sacraments and ours is in the maner of betokening For theirs dyd betoken the thing to come ours doo exhybite it and make it present that is to say doo betokē that it is not any more to come but that it is present and allredy comne and that it shuld be no more looked for We doo not denie notwithstanding that there is not also for vs a doctrine that is to say that ours doo more
thei be in deede deadly And among thother somnistes the Angelica where it speaketh of theffectis of tke thankes geuing saith the same and the master of the sentēcis in the iiij the xij distinction abowt the end saith that it forgeueth veniall sinnes And thomas of Aquine also in the iiij of the sentēcis the selff same distinctiō saith the same thing ād besides that it forgeueth thes mortal sin̄es wherof mā forgetteth himselff And that saing of the praier the which saith sit absolutio scelerum may be vnderstand affter ij sorth that is to say either so farr as it hurteth him or els it is vnderstād of thos sinnes which mā hath no rememberans off Thes be the fautors of the mass and they meane that the Thāksgeuing forgeueth not only the ponishment but also the fawt Thanks geuing allweis is that which is called Eucharista Although thes ij distinctions that they make th one of the veniall and mortall and thotherof the forgeuenes of the fawt and of the ponisshment be bilded by them selues and not of gods word The first distinction is fals For iff we speake properly euery sinn is deadly in it selff hauing respect to the rigor of the lawe For as moch as sinn is so moch sinn as it is against the lawe And iff it had not bene against the lawe it shuld in no wise haue bene sinn Iff it be against the lawe it curseth according to the saing of the psalm Cursed be they that decline from thy commandements Deut. 27. The which saing Dauid toke owt of moises in the deuteronomy where is writton this sentence Euery one is cursed that abideth not in all the things that be written in this boke that is to say Rom. 3. Gala. 4. of the lawe And ther for Paul to the Romās saith that the lawe worketh wrath And to the galathians that the lawe curseth all men because no man kepeth it And for this cause it is nedefull that Christ shuld deliuer from such a curse thos that bileue in him So that this distinction speaking properly is nothing For the sinne which they call veniall iff it be sinne it is against the lawe Iff it be againgst the lawe it curseth and damneth Iff it curse and damne it is deadly Nor by this that is said that euery sinne is deadly is ment that all sinnis are like as certen haue said Nor it denieth not that one sinne is gretter than another As for example murther gretter than theffe But this only here is affirmed that all sinnes in them selues be deadly hauing respectt to the rigor of the lawe Than that the thanksgeuing shuld forgiue the veniall and not the deadly sinnes is fals For the forgeuenes of sinnes is gods perfight work Nor god forgeueth not a man one sinn but he forgiueth him all For accordingly he that repenteth for one saut must repent him for all at the least generally otherwise no one saw◅ shuld be forgeuen him for as moch as repentans is whan the man is sory that he hath offended god in what so euer sort he shuld offend him And that he bileueth that thorow Christ all his sinnes be pardoned him And that one shuld repent him for one fawt and not for all that were not trewe repentans done in Christes name So the masse that forgeueth not the deadly sinnes can not forgeue the veniall Also that other distinction of the forgeuing the fawt and the ponisshment is not of gods word but against the word of god Iere. 32. who saith in Ieremy that he wold no more remember their sinnes What doth this meane that he wold remember no more It is plaine that he that ponissheth sinne doth remember it Dauid also saith in the Psalme Psal 31. Blessed is he to whom the lord hath not imputed sinne What meaneth this not imputed except pardoned in such sort as iff it had neuer bene done Thus moch doth that word not to impute betoken Than what ells meaneth this to forgeue sinn but not to ponissh it And iff god doth pardon the sinn surely he doth perfitely pardon it So than he requireth no ponisshment and iff he shuld he shuld not perfitely pardon ād so he shuld not be perfitely mercifull to wards his elect Rom. 8. 1. cho 1. Further more iff Christes Iustice be so imputed to the trewe bileuers as though it were their own For as moch as god geuing them Christ hath geuen them his Iustice it surely foloweth that the iustified by Christ shuld not be ponisshed affter any maner of sort Nor it shuld not be conuenient that where Christes iustice is there shuld be any maner of ponissment seing he hath plētifuly satisfied And it wold some that he had not takē vp on him and born all that pomisshment the which gods elect deserued for their sinnes The which thing is against gods word who affirmeth in so many places of the scripture that Christ hath laid vpō himselff our iniquities Esai 3. Also it might seme that gods iustice were not by Christ perfitely pacified and reconciled to wardes the childern of god loking for other satisfaction than that of Christ Yea it shuld folow that the death ād so gret a suffering of the son of god had bene insufficient for our redēpcion And to be short seing that all the elect be not ōly the children of god and Christes brethern but his members this wold sownd to Christes dishonor And surely euery ponishement that shuld be putt for this cause on such as haue so gret a cōiunction with Christ Christ wold cownt it to be put vp on himselff And though god somtime affoer the repentans done and the fawt forgeuē hath putt some ponisshement as he did vp on Dauid and vp on certen other This was not because he had not perfitely pardoned and that such ponisshment shuld be a ponissment of the fawt committed but it was an exercyse for them and for other respectis than to ponish the fawt As Austen saith well in his ij boke intitled of the desertis of sinnes and of forgeuenes the 33. and 34. chapters where he saith that the ponisshments with which god chastiseth men ougth diuersly to be considered For to the saintes affter the forgeuenes of sinnes thei be strifes battels and exercises but to the refused thei be with out forgeuenes ponisshments of iniquitie where he bringeth furth thexāple of Dauid and others and as for this we haue spoken of it before THE SECOND CHAPTER That the masse is no sacrifice nor remembrans of sacrifice IT is sureli a gret abuse to vse a thing to any effectt or end with which it agreith not The defenders of the masse will that it shuld be a sacrifice for the liuing and deade The which thing veri mani saings in the same masse doo witnes As for exāple that In spiritu humilitatis And In animo contrito c. that is to say let vs be receiued of the o lord in the spirit of humblēnes and in
it shuld be superfluos yea it shuld lessen the worthines of so gret a sacrifice for it wold seme that it were not sufficient So than the masses sacrament is no sacrifice for sinnes Next affter in the viij chapter he saith Heb. 8. that Christ hath so moch a more excellent presthode than the old bisshops as he is a mediator of a more excellent testament the which is made with more excellent promises And declaring of what sort the newe testament shuld be he allegeth the saing of the scripture Iere. 31. that is to say Ieremy the which saith this is the testament that is to say the newe testament which I will make with the how 's of Israell affter thos daies saith the lord I wil geue them my lawes in their mindes And in their hartis I will write them And I will be their god and thei shal be my peple And affter a fewe wordes he saith I will be pacified concerning their vnrightuosnes and their sinnes and iniquities I will no more remember Thes wordes conclude that there is for vs no nother sacrifice for sinnes but that which Christ ones made God saith who can not lie that geuing the newe testament he wold in such sort be mercifull as he wold no more remember the sinnes of his peple that is to say of the trewe byleuers The which geueth to vnderstand that he shuld be perfitely and perpetually pacified Let vs see now for what cause he shuld be so pacified We must say for no nother cause but for the mediators sake of such a testament that is to say for Christes sake by whom this testament was made Let vs goo on further How is god pacified by Christ except by the sacrifice the which he made offring him selff vnto god for the sinnes of his peple Gods anger and his Iustice is by no nother meanes pacified but becaus affter a maner of spech he hath wreked him selff vpon Christ. Off the which Esay saith I haue beaten him for the wickednes of my peple Than let vs say affter this sort iff god be pacified by Christes sacrifice and forgeuith our sin̄es It foloweth that there nedeth no nother sacrifice for sinnes For iff he wold haue other sacrifice for sinnes he shuld not be I say perfytely pacifyed nor requiring other sacrifyce that might satisfye for them he wold not forget owre iniquities Surely he that seith not this is very bare of vnderstanding In the ninth chapter shewing the differens betwene thold bysshops ād Christ he saith that the leuitical bisshop entred ones in the yeare into that place the which is called sancta sāctorum that is the head holy place not withowt blood the which he offered for him selff and for the sinnes of the peple And he saith that thos gifftes ād sacrifices which were offered could not make man perfite as perteining to the consciens But Christ the bisshop of trewe good things entred onys in to the head holy place with his own blood and gate ther theuerlasting ransō And affter he addeth that forgeuenes is not wrought withowt blood sheding And declaring what shuld be thos head holy placis where into Christ entered he saith that that is heauen and that he is there entered that he may presently appeare in gods sight for vs not to be offten offered as the bisshop that is to say the leuiticall bisshop off◅ times euery yeare entered by strange blood For other wise it shuld haue bene nedefull that he shuld haue offten suffered sins the beginning of the world But now towards th end of the world hath he ones appeared to destroy sinne by the offering of him selff And as it is appointed that all mē ones shall die ād affter that shal iudgement be so Christ is ones offered to take a way the sinnes of man All this talk doth shewe that neyther the masse nor the sacramēt is a sacrifice First it saith that thos gifftes and sacrifices which were offered could not make man perfite as perteining to the cōsciēs as though he wold say that they could not for giue sinnes nor perfitely clense man but Christes gifft ād sacrifice is that wich maketh man perfite as perteining to the cōsciēs It is plaine that Christes sacrifice is made for all thelect in all the world that be past present ād to come As Iohn saith in his first pistle that he is thappeasement of all the world 1. Ioh. 2. and he hath made thē perfite as cōcerning cōsciēs that is to say hath perfitely rāsomed freed halowed wasshed ād clēsed thē And he onli hath done that which thos nōber of sacrifices of the lawe could not doo And by that one ōly he hath satisfied quieted ād pacified their cōsciencis and hath made thē sure of his grace that is to say of forgeuenes of sinnes of recōciliaciō ād attonemēt with god ād of their saluacion To make a man perfite in consciens doth bring with it thes forsaid things Iff it be so than what nedeth it more to make other sacrifices and to goo abowt to seke to make that a newe that Christ hath perfitely made as though he had not ma◅ it that other word that foloweth proueth the v◅ry same that is to say that christ hath fownd ow◅ theuerlasting ransom that is to say the per◅ freing of all thelect in the world from sinne from damnation from death and from all euill for euer and this by the sacrifice that he made ones with his blood and by his passhion and death If he haue with his facrifice ones made gotē theuerlasting ransom that is to say that which shall allwaies be and shall neuer faile but euer cōtinewe wath nedeth there any other sacrifices for sin̄es We haue inough of that which christ ōes made because with that he fownd owt theuerlasting ransom And that other word which saith that withowt blood sheding forgeuēes is not wrought what doth it meane but that it is nedefull in the sacrifice which is made for sinnes and which forgeueth thē that blood shuld be shed ād that it shuld satisfie for sinnes And for this cause was nedefull that christ shuld shed his blood In the masse there is no sheding of blood therfor it is no sacrifice for sin̄es Tho ther word that cometh next affter that is to say that Christ is ētred in to heauē to the intēt that he may appeare in gods fight for vs not to be offten offered for it is as moch to say as one time suffiseth Forels it shuld haue bene nedefull that he shuld offten haue suffered sins the beginning of the world what doo thes wordes meane but that christ cānot be offered for sin̄es more th◅ one time And who so euer seketh toffer him off◅ner than one time there foloweth this inconueniens that it shuld haue bene nedefull that christ shuld offten haue suffered sins the beginning of the world Thei say that christ is offered in the masse for sinnes that is to say thei offer
him them selues to god not only for the liuing but also for the deade Iff christ be offered one only time and that hath fuffised what nedeth it any more to offer affter any maner of sort Iff that only time haue suffised for sinne what nedeth it more to say masse to that end Oh say thei the masse is that which applieth the merite of christes passhion But from whens gather thei that their saing but â—…owt of their own braine I will not say from the spirite of Antichrist It is not ynough to say that it is so but thei must proue it by the scripture The masse auaileth them not to applie the merite of christes Passion Faith sufficeth as before we haue saide For by the testimony of peter and Paul he that bileueth in Christ his sinnes be forgeuen him and he Iustified The other saing is that Christ in th end of the world hath appeared ones by thoffering of hym selff to dryue a way and to destroye synne that is to say all the synnes of the elect Iff he haue destroyed all sinne with his sacryfyce ones made to what purpos shuld we make moo sacryfices It nedeth not any more to doo that that is alredy done And that last saing what doth it meane That is that as it is appoynted and ordeyned that all men shall ones dye and affter Iudgement shall come so Christ is ones offered to take away the synnes of many that is to say of all thelectt The scripture vseth offt this word many for all thelectt as we haue in mathew Math. 20 where Christ sayth that the son of man was come to geue his lyfe for the redempcyon of mani And whan he dyd institute the sacrament he said that his blood shuld be shed for many Math. 26 Roma 5 And Paul to the romans sayth that by chrystes obedyeÌ„s many be made iust This word Many in all thes places importyth as moch as all thelect To our purpos iff it be appointed and ordeyned that Chryst shuld be offered one tyme for the sinnes of many as it is appoynted that all men ones shall dye what nedeth it any more to offer hym will we doo against gods ordynans Here the defenders of the masse answer that Christ is ones offered affter that maner that is to say suffering and dying and affter that sort it nedeth not that he shuld be any more offered because that only time suffised But now he is offered affter a nother sort that is to say sacramentally and affter this sort he may be offten offered for sinne This answer is nothing worth For iff Christ at that only time whan he offerd him selff destroied sinÌ„ to what purpos nedeth it to offer him any more to that effect and to doo that is alredy done The destruction of all sinnes was wrought by that only time that Christ was offered It nedeth not any more to doo it neither affter that nor affter any other sort In the tenth chapter he saith first Hebr. 1â—… that iff the sacrifices the which were offered in the lawe could haue made men perfite that is to say clensed them perfitely thei shuld not haue bene many times done becaus that thei that shuld haue done them being ones clensed shuld not haue had any more coÌ„sciens that is to say gnawing of sinne For that thing that taketh a way sinne taketh a way also the gnawing of the consciens for cause of sinne And this word sinne is put there for all sinnes And he addeth that the blood of bulles aÌ„d of hegootes caÌ„ not take a waâ—… sinnes and therfor he that is to say Christ entering in to the world speaketh the wordeâ—… of the psalme Psal 39. that is to say thow woldiâ—â— not haue sacrifice nor oblacioÌ„ nor thow art not delyted in whole burnt offerings for sinnes Thaâ—… I said lo I come that I may doo oh god thy will And affter he saith By the which wilâ—… we are halowed through the offring of Christes body ones done And affter a fewe wordes aâ—… it were shewing the caus why we be hallowed by the offring of Ihesus Christes body ones done he saith becaus that with one only offring he hath made perfite thos that be halowed Which thing the holy goost doth witnes the which foretold that god wold make a newe testament And amongst other things he saith that he wold nomore remember their sinnes that is to say his peples and his electis sinnes And he addeth that where forgeuenes off sinnes is wrought there nedeth not any more to make other oblacion that is to say to offer other sacrifice for sinne Thes wordes be cannon shot is ynough to beate down the whole bilding of the masse or els thei be swordes ynough to throte cutt hir or vtterly to kill hir First he saith that iff the sacrifices of the lawe had bene able to make meÌ„ perfite the selff same shuld neuer haue bene so offten done again becaus that they that had sacrifised shuld not haue had any more consciens of sinne being allredy ones clensed and purged Here the text saith plainely that it nedeth not to doo again thos sacrifices which take a way sinnes and make meÌ„ perfite the which is all one Iff the masse take a way sinnes why doo they say it so offten It shuld suffise to say one only to satisfie for them for whoÌ„ it shuld be said or that say it and to forgiue their sinnes Here the text saith that therfor thos sacrifices were the more offtened becaus they could not take a way sinnes Iff they had taken them a way it had not nedid to doo the selff same againe The defenders of the masse say that they doo no nother sacrifice in the masse but the selff same that christ did and that they doo offten O goodly ymaginacions They putt than Christ offten vp on the crosse wetingly done and of purpos The Iewes vnderstode not that Christ was Christ nor they knewe him not and therfor they crucified him as Paul to the Chorinthes saith And they knowe that Iesus is Christ and yet they put him so many times vp on the crosse 1. cho 2. and thei be so many times made giltie of his body and bloode as they say masses It is a godly sacrifice What will thei say here to the reason that the text maketh that is to say that if thos sacrifices of the lawe had bene able to take a way sinnes thei shuld not haue be done more than ones Iff the masse take a way sinnes why is it said again so offten Than Further as we haue said Iff that sacrifice which christ hath made one only time that is to say whan he offred him selff did than forgiue sinne and that only time sufficed what nedeth it to make any more sacrifices for sinnes The second saing is that we be halowed by gods will through the oblatioÌ„ that is to say the sacrifice of christes body ones made Iff we be halowed that is to
glasse was lightly broken For this cause it was ordeined that thei shuld minister in siluer or in gold And iff thei could not be gotten at the least in tinne and not in any other metall becaus of the euill sauor of the other metalls Some say that pope Vrbanus the first did institute this And what meaneth it that the Apostles nor the primatiue church did not vse so gret pomp in vessels what superstitions be these How moch were to be said here But it suffiseth me to toch the abuses becaus thei wold axe to many wordes to declare them at length Also thei geue to vnderstand that that day that a man heareth masse there can no misfortutune chance vnto him And yet we doo see many haue euel lucke that day that thei haue hard the masse and die an euill death Pope victor the iij. died of poison by the cōsecrated wine that was poisoned Henry the seuinth Emperor of rome died by the ost that was poisoned and geuen vnto him by a dominicane frire in the castle bonconuento the yere of our lord 1086. A nother is that albeit the masse is mans inuencion as we haue prouid yet thei command it as though it were gods commandment This is against the expresse word of god him selff Who saith in Deutronomy doo to the lord only that that I command the Deut. 12. and thow shalt not add nor minissh And against the saing of Esay Esay 29. which offten times we haue alleged that is to say that god will not be honored with men̄s commandemēts Matth. 15. And Christ in S. Matthew saith the same alledging the Prophet A nother is that thei affirme that he who saith the masse hath greter auctoritie than the angels and also than the blessed virgin And this is becaus thei hold that in the masse is made the transsubstancion of the breade and the wine in to Christes body and blood And bileuing that Christ him selff is present bodily in the host and in the cupp the which things neither the angels nor the blessed virgin haue auctoritie to doo but the prestes only thei conclude that thos prestes haue gretter auctoritie than the angels or the blessed virgin And thei say that the same most blessed mother caused Christ to come in to hir virginlike wombe with 8. wordes that is to say Ecce ancilla domini fiat mihi secundum uerbum tuum And the pristes make him to come in to the host with v. wordes only that is to say Hoc est enim corpus meum I will leaue at this time to examen this their fals spech that the blessed mother shuld make the sonn of god to come with thos wordes as though thei shuld haue had vertew to make him take flessh that being only of gods work I will leaue as I say to speake of this and I will axe them from whens it commith that on th one part thei so moch exalt the blessed virgin that thei abase Christ and god for thei call hir quene of heauen starr of the sea our hope our life mother of mercy And thei geue hir such titles and honor as be only due to god and Christ. And here thei make hir meaner than a plaine prest sometimes as I haue said very wicked Indede I confesse that the ministery of gods word and of the sacraments is not committed to the blessed mother nor to the angels but to men Yet for this caus to goo abowt to make men that bee sinners more worthy than the angels that be withowt sinne or than the mother of god it is vnfit chefly for that the prestes be not trewe ministers of the sacraments for so moch as he that doth not minister the word ought neither to minister the sacraments Further also as we haue said before thei be not called by a trewe vocacion the which is necessary to the ministery A nother abuse is that the corporasses the challises ād the ostis may not be touched by lay mē This thei haue done to make men haue the more reuerens and deuocion to the masse This office of toching the chalises the host the patēts and the corporasses thei say belongeth only to them that be in sacris that is in holy orders and not to other But for what caus may not a thing be toched with the hand iff it be cleane and nett the which may be eaten and dronken But this sacrament is eaten that is to say the host and is dronkē that is to say the wine for what caus thā may it not be touched with the hand seing it is touched with the mowth This supersticion is against Christes ordinans and the custom of the Apostles For Christ whan he reached the bread and the cupp to his Apostlos he said vnto them that thei shuld take and thei toke th one and thother with their handes and surely thei touched them Christ did not than giue it them in their mowthes Shall we say that Christ shuld speake thes wordes that is to say Take yow Eate yow Drink yow only for the Apostles and not for other This is not soo but he spake them for all thos that weare to receiue the sacrament as also S. Paul geuith to vnderstand the which writing to the Corinthes in his first reciteth Christes wordes and teacheth not only the ministers but all the whole church what thei haue to doo Seing than this things is comon to all Christians and not belonging to pristes only why may thei not than be touched by lay men seing thei also ought to communicate and receiue the same sacramēt The old church and the Apostles deliuered the sacrament in to the handes of all them that did receiue it From whens is this newe religion come contrary to Christes Institution and to the Apostles custom Shall it be conuenient that a lay man who with a good and a clere consciens receiuith the sacrament may not touche it And a wicked prest with a blotted and a defiled consciens shall be Counted worthy to handle it A nother abuse is that the masse is said in the honor of sainctes and sainctesses This ought not to be done for so moch as that the sacrament which is the substans of the masse was instituted in rememberans of Christ who only is dead for our ransoming And it was not instituted in the honor of saintes Why than is not the masse said in rememberans of Christ and not of saintes among which no one hath redemed vs nor the sacrament was not instituted for none of them but only in Christes remembrās Christ saith doo this in my remembrans And thei will doo it in remēbrans of saintes Shuld it not be a gret abuse if the gospell shuld be preached in the honor of saints the which is Christes only Euē so is it of the sacramēt Thei handle their masses as poore ignorant men doo their praiers which will say Aue Maria in thonor of S. Christopher and the pater noster in worship of
what profite serue so many trifling things at Christes institucion that is to say at the holy supper It is clere that thei be not necessary for the coÌ„secrating the bread and wine that is to say for thappointing them to an holy vse aÌ„d for the making the sacrament nor for the receiuing it For iff thei had bene necessary Christ wold haue ordeined them and the Apostles wold haue vsed them but neither â—…hone nor thother was done that is to say that neither Christ hath instituted them nor the Apostles vsed them wherfor thei be not necessary Thei will say parauentur that allthough thei be not of necessitie neuertheless thei be for ornameÌ„t and solempnitie of the sacrameÌ„t And for this caus the holy fathers haue ordeined thes so many deedes aÌ„d gestures in the masse But this answer is not good For iff thei be not necessary what is the caus that thei haue commanded thei shuld be done vnder paine of deadly sinne and that menn sinne deadly iff thei be not done This is off necessitie and not only for an ornament whan a thing is commanded vnder paine off deadly sinn Iff the sacrament may be made according to Christes institucion and the vse off the Apostles Withowt so many nouelties Is this conuenient and Iust to bind thos that make it as Christ hath commanded and taught them and that will not stepp owt off his most holy ordinans vnder deadly sinn albeit thei shuld not doe the addicions off men which rather defile than settfurth Christes institucion who wold haue off vs obedieÌ„ce and that we shuld doo as he him selff hath taugth and commaÌ„ded vs Ioan. 15. And he saith in Iohn Yow be my frindes iff yow will doo thos things that I command yow Nor Paul neuer durst be so bold as to add minissh or alter any maner off thing but allegeth Christes plaine and only institucion And so he teacheth the Chorinthes that thei shuld doo saing Ego enim accepi à Domino quod tradidi uobis c. that is to say for I haue receiued off the lord that which I haue deliuered to yow c. as though he wold say I make yow not off my selff any ordinans that which I doo appoint is Christes institucion and not mine What is the fairest ornament of Christes and Gods institucioÌ„ iff not simply and plainly to doo that which thei commaÌ„d vs This is the office of Antichrist to goo abowt to bind vnder deadly sinne that is to say vnder paine of damnacioÌ„ wher God who only can saue and damne Iames 4. as Iames saith doth not bind vs but leaueth vs free This is to sitt in Gods temple that is to say to reigne in consciencis and to gouerne them and to kepe them subiect to the bondage off men contrary to Paul 1. Corint 7. Galat. 3. who saith that we ought not to be seruantes off men Christ hath made vs free from damnacion the which Gods lawe doth threaten vnto vs and thei will make vs bond to the deuill and damne vs for euer iff we doo not kepe their lawes Surely this is a gret abuse and a deuelish presumptioÌ„ A nother abuse more manifest than the rest that is to say that euery man may more easily see that it is an abuse and it is this that is to say that there is marchandise made of it and such as is to be merueled at And this marchandise off the masse among all the other hath one singular priuilege becaus that in other there is made yet a certen differens off dayes and there is had certen respect to the feastes to the places chefely holy But in this how moch the feast is gretter and more solempne so moch the fayer is made more solempne Yea then thei trafficke and occupie How moch more holy the place is so moch the rather this marchandise is made in it We may see that the Innes do make no holydayes but thei labor alike on all dayes Thei lodge the wayfarers and also other that come thether as well on holy dayes as other nor thei make no differens betwene one daye and a nother but thei make all a like It is trewe but yet thei doo make a certen differens at the least of the places becaus thei occupie not euery where Who if that Innholder or Tauerner that wold make an Inn or a tauerne in any church None surely But the massmarchantes haue not this respect but how moch the holier the place is cownted so moch the willinglier the masse is there bought and sold This excellent priuilege with many other withowt nomber the masse marchants haue obteined off Antichrist who hath all powr ouer such things And long a goo the time was thatt this marchandise was sold very dere but from certen yeares hetherto it is become dogg cheape and a masse is geuen for a dandy prat yea and for lesse according to the places and to the parsons that knowe how to bye This is it that hath made rich the pristes the frires and the monkes that maketh men fownd chapells bilde churches colleges howsis monasteries off friers abbaies commandries and to beshort it is that that hath made rich the state called ecclesiasticall It hath meruelosly liffted it vp in the world The masse is that which geuith so gret reuenewes to the most reuerend Cardinals and which maketh them ride vp on thes faire mulis couered with veluet with thos faier redd hattis the which doo signifie the order off the Seraphins burning in charitie and in godly loue This is the significacion some say off red hattes which the masse I say maketh to ride with so many horses with so gret a company of gentlemen as though thei were Dukes or Princes that whan thei goo to the consistory the shalmes are plaied on to them on the battlemeÌ„ts off the castell sent Angelo and thei ryde with very gret mirth pomp and triumph The masse maketh all thes things to be done for iff it were not surely there shuld want such pomp and gretnes Off the Bisshops oh how many things might I say iff I wold but I must leaue to other to say their part I wil say only this that it made them wholly forget their office and hath made them attend to certen scornworthy baggagis as to Christen the bells to consecrate the stones and the wallis with more indeuor and diligens than iff thei shuld baptise the sonnes off a King and an Emperor and than iff thei shuld minister the thanksgiuing to all the Monarchies off the world and all this to giue credite to the masse I speake not off the preaching off Gods word becaus it is a thing for poore men This Masse is the mother off purgatory the which purgeth the purses the garners the howses the sellers so that there is no brome in the world that swepeth so wel an how 's as this purgatory doth To tell yow at fewe wordes this abuse is so open and so large and geueth
the scripture But the Hebrewes who had the benifice of Gods word cleare and open did sinn more greuosly in their vnbilefe committing Idolatry and blasphemy than the heathen For it was euen as he that seith the ditch and yet of purpos and willingly falleth in to it It is plaine that he doth moch more sinne who hath thexpresse commandment of the lord and knoweth his will and noth withstanding yet doth against such commandement and will than he that knoweth it not Luc. 12. as the Sauior saith in S. Luke That is to say the seruant that knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shall be worthily beaton with many stripes but the seruant that knoweth not the will of his lord and doth it not shall be beaton too but not so moch as he that knoweth it And for this caus the Hebrewes whan thei worsshipped the calff in the desert they did moch more greuosly sinn than the heathen who did honor the Idols for so moch as that not long before thei were cowncelled by God him selff who gaue them the lawe and commanded them that thei shuld not make any ymage to honor and yet thei made it against Gods expresse commandment And so as many other times as thei haue committed Idolatry as we haue in the bookes of the Kings and of the Prophetes thei haue moch more offended God and more greuosly sinned than the heathen And the Idolatry and vnfaithfulnes of his own peple was more abhominable in Gods sight and did more prouoke him to anger than that of the heathen And for this caus also thei were more threatned than the ame heathen And how many scorgis how many ouerthrowes haue thei suffred for the sinn of vnbilefe and Idolatry The 10. tribes of Israell for what caus were thei so offt by God scorgid and at the last berefft of their right 4. Reg. 17. and by Salmanasar King of the Assyrians led in to continuall bondage as it is writton in the boke of the Kings but only for Idolatry The tribe off Iuda how many wayes was it striken as well off their borderers that is off their next neighbors as affter by a peple that came farr off as the Caldees and the Assyrians were why was it sent in to exile to Babylone Why was the temple destroyed and euery thing ouerthrowen but only for their Idolatry Be caus thes things be knowen I doo not labor to recite the stories where thei be writton and therfor I passe them ouer Exod. 32. Deut. 4. 2. Parali 7. Ierem. 43. 44. Esa 65. Ezech. 9. and. 43. Exod. 4. Deut. 7. 3. Reg. 14. Ezech. 8.20 4. Reg. 23. How offten hath God threatned the ouerthrowe to Idolaters Loke in Exodus in Deuteronomy in Paralipomenon in Ieremy in Esay in Ezechiel and in very many other placis of the Prophetes Idolatry in the scripture is called abhominacion becaus God hath it most chefely in hatred Loke in Exodus in Deutronomy in the 3. boke off the Kings where Achias the Prophet foretelleth the exile and sparkeling off the tribe off Israel for Idolatry and also in Ezechiel In all thes places the scripture calleth Idolatry Abhominacion becaus that God as we haue sayd hath it in meruelos hatred This fowndacion being laid that God hath chefly in hatred Idolatry in what so euer sort it be done but moch more in his own peple than he had in the other And this becaus his peple had the knowlege off God and were taught with his word the trew worship off God that is to say how thei ought to worship him and honor him the other peple were not soo the which sinned by ignorans It doth fitly folow also that iff there shall be fownd Idolatry among the Christians who be now Gods peple that that shal be more abhominable before God than any other not only of the heathen but also of the Hebrewes For where as the knowlege off God and off his trewe worship is gretter and the trowth is more manifest in that place Idolatry and vnbilefe be greater sinnes and gretter abhominacions before God than where there is not so moch knowlege nor the truth so open But who dowteth that there shuld not be in the Christian peple a greater knowlege off God and off his trew worship and off Christ who is the truth it selff by the witnes off him selff the which saith in S. Iohn I am the way Iohn 4. the truth and the liffe than in any other peple and nacion doth not he witnes the truth talking with the Samaritane as Iohn writeth that the Christians that is to say the peple gathered to gether of by leuing Iewes and heathē which we be turned to Christ by Gods grace shuld be the trewe worshippers that shuld worshipp the father in spirite and truth Haue not we more knowlege of God hauing greater knowlege of Christ by whom God is truly knowen than the Hebrewes who will dowt this but he that knoweth not what Christ is Also this time is compared to that of the lawe vnder the which the Hebrews were as the day is to the night For thei had the flesshly worship that is to say thos sacrifices and nōber of ceremonies and we haue the spiri◅uall Coloss 2. Thei had the shadows and we haue the body as Paul saith to the Colosseis The knowlege that thei had was dark becaus it was shadowed with figures and certen veales or couerings owrs be clere bare and open wee doo better knowe Gods benifites thorow Christ than thei how sinnes be forgeuen vs how we be Iustified and saued Now we knowe that Christ is deade for our sinnes Rma 4. and is risen again as Paul saith for our rigthuosnes We know that he suteth at the right hand of God and where he is there we shal be Iohn 12. as he witnesseth in Iohn And of this we be sure We byleue certenly as an artikle of our faith that Christ is trewe God and trewe man The comen sort of the Iewes did not clerely knowe thes things as we doo And that it is the truth Iesus Christes Apostles them seluis although thei had hard him a long time and had conuersacion with him yet thei did not think that by death and chefely that death off the crosse he shuld redeme the world and that he shuld be a sacrifice and satisfaccion for our sinnes To him that hath redd the stories of theuangelistes this that I say is plaine Iff it be so than that where the knowlege of God of Christ of the threw worship is greater Idolatry vnbilefe and blasphemy be more greuos sinnes than where there is not so gret and so clere knowlege Surely iff we shall find thes so greuos sinnes in the Christen peple we must of necessitie conclude that thei shall more displease God and shall be more hatefull vnto him than all the Idolatries all the vnbilefes and all the blaspemies off the heathē yea and off the Hebrewissh peple too
fury Banisshment bondage aÌ„d other worldly ponisshments be in comparison of owre desertes of litil weight and smal punisshmentes becaus thei all passe a way and with the present liffe shortly doo end but the spirituall ponisshments and thos of the sowle that allweies continewe that is to say the euerlasting owtcasting the horrible and continuall wailings who can esteme them and worthily consider them Seing it is thus than O Christian peple flee this masse the which many waies kindleth gods wrath Flee it as a deadly and most perellos pestilens of your sowles And yow chefely which were and yet be ministers of so gret abhomynacion Seing now that ye knowe it cease from saing and celebrating it any more and froÌ„ being caus to make the poore peple committ so grett an error And doo yow penans for that which is past and desire yow the most fauorable lord and our heauenly father that he wold deale with yow not according to your sinnes but according to the multitude of his mercies that he wold deliuer yow from all euel through Iesus Christ our sauior THE SIXT CHAPTER That the mass is of such qualitie and crafft and affter such sort abhominable that no man liuing for any maner of pretens respect or occasion that can be may by any maner of meanes with a safe consciens either say it heare it or any waies be present at it MANS nature is of such sort craffty and wittie that it can tell euen how to deceiue it selff There are fownd in the world certen excellent dise Coggars and cardsetters that trapp as it were all men that thei haue to doo with and it behoueth a man to be well ware least thei begyle him neuertheles thei doo only begile other and not them selues But our nature is so shiftfull and ware that it doth not only begile other but it selff also And this it doth chefely in thos things that like them and serue for their commodities And it semith that it hath lerned the art of deceiuing of the suttle serpent tre which with his persuasions and IntisemeÌ„ts brought our first mother Eue to eate of the apple and to doo contrary to gods commandemeÌ„t making hir beleue one thing for a nother Euen so doth also man to wards him selff that can meruelosly color and sett a face on his deceites to make them excusable Not wiâ—…hstonding whan he hath well turned and tossed him selff with as many scusys as he can bring furth it is fownd at â—â—ight that he hath erred And he plainely seith that his crafftes be very folies There be many now a daies in Germany in FraÌ„ce in Spaine in Italy that haue receiued the gospell and haue the knowlege of Christ but finding them selues in the middes of their enemies and fearing persecution chefely whan thei see the poore Christians to be euell handled the which now by this hatefull name to the world be called Lutherans And that some of them be taken and putt in to the gallies Some Imprisoned some other be cruelly tormented vp on the Racke Some hanged Other drowned in the riuers and other burnt thei be affraied And becaus thei wold not be marked and accused for Lutherans thei goo to the masse and doo against their consciens And to proue that this is trewe iff the feare that thei haue had not bene thei wold neuer haue gone to the masse And the caus why thei wold not haue gone is that thei shuld haue thought to haue done euill and against their consciens this is clere Yet as I haue said being affraied either of losing their temporall goodes or rather their skinn thei doo as other doo And to the intent that thei might affter some sort be scused thei alleage certen pretensis with the which thei deceiue them seluis and the reasons that thei bring furth be thes The 1. reason First thei say that iff thei goo not to masse and EueÌ„songe or other vsed ceremonies thei feare to lay a grett Stumbling stock for the simple and weake and to geue them occasion to thinck or els at least suspect that thei be despisers yea scorners of Christian religion or els heretikes and enemies of the church and not going to masse there is geuen them a wicked example seing the poore sowles think such things to be lawfull and christianlike And that for such respectt it is well done to goo to the masse and to their seruice and to dissemble so long till thei may haue goten the trewe knowlege And whan thei goo not to the masse the simple take a very euil example to doo the like against their consciens Than next the Apostle Paul doth teach vs The second reason to applie our selues to all men and to fasshon our selues with other as we haue in the first to the Corinthes where he saith I am made seruant of all men to the Iewes I am made a Iewe 1. chor 9. to winn them To theÌ„ that be vnder the lawe as though I were vnder the lawe to th entent that I might winne them To them that be withowt lawe as though I were withowt lawe allthough that I as to ward god am not withowt lawe but bownd to Christes lawe to th entent that I might winn them I am made to the weake as though I were weake to th ende that I might winn the weake I am become allthings to all that at the least I might winn some Iff thapostle Paul applied him selff to all and did teach that the like also ought to be done by others Why shall not we goo to the masse with other doing as thei doo applieng our selues to them whan we seeke to winne them The third reason Psal 7. Ierem. 17. Apocal. 2. Also the scripture saith that god is the sercher of hartis and he looketh chefely vp on the mindes and considreth to what end a thing is done this is plaine Therfor iff one with a good entent shall goo to the masse not to offend god but only for the foresaid respectis that is to say for to auoide geuing of euil example and occasioÌ„ of slaÌ„der to the weake but rather to drawe theÌ„ by litle aÌ„d litle to the knowlege of Christ he shall not sinne chefely not consenting to the abuses and to thos supersticions that there be committed for so moch as the sinn is in the will and in the consent and not in the owt ward shewe The 4. reason Furthermore by this that we goo to the masse we allowe no nother thing but Christis institution that is to say the sacrament of Iesus Christes body and blood For not withstonding thos addicions that be made there the substaÌ„ce of the same sacrament by this is not taken a waye as by the addicioÌ„s that be made in baptisme that is to say salt spittle creame Tapers Light Coniurings and that the child is axed of the faith And to conclude that euery thing is said in an vnknowen tong thes addicions make not that it shuld not
saith Christ of thos that offend the litle ones Math. 18. Marc. 9. Luc. 17. He that shall offend saith he one off thes litle ones the which bileue in me it were better for him that a mill stone shuld be hanged abowt his neck and that he were drowend in the depth of the sea Thirdly he hurteth the stowt and strong in faith and hurteth the Christian cause it selff becaus he maketh that the wicked men more boldlie do say euell of the trew faith doo wrong it and make it hatefull many maner of wayes Is not this daily sene that how many moo men do opēly enter in to a lye and in to an error that so moch the more falsoode is strengthned and the same lye confirmed and the trewth more downe beaten And the wicked men becom so moch the more fearce and stowt to down beate the good caus and all thos that defend it as thei see it waxe weaker He doth also against his own sowle helth For whā he goth to the Masse against his consciens he sheweth that he loueth better him selff than Christ and God and the tymed liffe more thā the euerlasting and he is condemned by Christes sentens the which saith he that loueth his sowle Iohn 12. that is to say his tēporal liffe shall lose it and he that hateth his sowl in this world shall kepe it in euerlasting liffe And in luke he saith iff any mā come to me ād hate not his father his mother his wife his childern his brethern and sisters yea ād his own life he can not be my disciple Luc. 14. Is not this well knowen that thei that haue the knowlege of the gospell and goo to the Masse goo thether for feare least thei shuld loose their goodes and be affraied least thei shuld be persecuted why folow thei not the cowncell yea the cōmandement of Christ who saith feare not thos that kill the body becaus thei cā not kill the sowle Math. 10. but rather feare him that can send the body and sowle to destructiō in to hell fire So that than thes grownd workes remaining that the going to the Masse is against the honor of God the profite of his neighbor and against his own sowle helth that goth thether It is an easy thing to answer to thos reasons or rather scusis that certen make of the which we haue spoken before Where as first thei say that thei goo to the 1. Masse to auoide the offending of the simple and weake and to th entēt that thei shuld not thinck of them that thei were despisers and mockers of religion or els heretikes and enemyes off the church iff thei goo not to the Masse And that for such respect it is good to dissemble so lōg till that such weakelings might be brought to the trewe knowlege I answer that there be 2. sortis of offences the one is called an offence geuē thother an offence taken The first offence is whan a man doth any euel work by the which he offendeth his neighbor As for example iff one shuld blasp heme or committ some thefft or els otherwise shuld expressly doo against Gods commandement This maner of offence is an offence geuē becaus that he who doth such an euell work doth surely giue occasion of offence the work being of it selff wicked and against God Or els iff the work off it selff were not wicked but might be lefft vndone withowt offendinge God and yet the man not hauing respect to his weake neighbor wold doo it to satisfie his appetite As for example there is one that hath the knowlege of the gospell and of Christ and knoweth that a Christian may at all times with thankes giuing 1. Timo. 4. vse euery meate for his neede ād shall chance somtime into the company of certen simple and ignorāt men the which shall thinck greuosly toffend iff thei shall eate flessh on the friday and he that hath the knowlege to satisfie his appetite will eate of it not hauing respect to thos poore sowles the which be offended with him for that eating This maner of mā sinneth and doith against charitie as Paul saith to the Romains Roma 14. Iff for meate thy brother be trobled thow dost not now walk according to charitie And in the 1. to the Corinthes he saith 1. Corint 8. rather than the meate shuld offend my brother I will neuer eate flessh Thes such like offences be called offencis geuen becaus in dede the man giueth such occasion of offence and sinneth But there is a nother sort of offencis the which as I haue said before are called offences taken shat is to say whan a man is offended for things for the which he ought not to be offended but taketh occasion of offence withowt iust cause as certen doo that be offended at good workes affter the maner of the Phariseis which were offended with Christ becaus he healed certen sick men on the Sabbath day or els be offended iff a man abstayne from wicked workes Now this such kind off offence is no sinne becaus the man properly doth not geue offence but other doo take it for offence the which thei ought not to doo yea thei offend esteming and cownting that to be offence which is well done The faithfull and godly man ought not to passe euen as Christ passed not though other were offended for such workes or things for so moch as that a man must cease frō well doing or els must nedes doo euel that wold auoyde such kind off offencis Euen so it is in this case Iff any will be offended that one goth not to the Masse or els that the Images be not honored a mā ought not to care for it For iff it had neded to care for such offencis it had bene fitt for the martirs that thei shuld haue worshipped the Idols For the Idolaters were offended at them becaus thei worshipped them not Yea I say that the simple and the weake haue more occasion off offence speaking of the trewe offence and be more offended iff one that hath knowlege goo to the Masse than iff he wēt not For as before I haue proued by such going thei be hurt for so moch as that thei be confirmed in their error the which is moch wors for them to be so offended than to be offended for that other offence the which is no trew offence in dede To the saing of thapostle the which saith that he did applie him selff to all men and that we ought to doo the same and to goo to the Masse with them that goo I say that thapostle Paul did applie himselff to all men in thos things that did not offend God as was in certen ceremonies and in his maner off liffe and in certen customs which were no sinne He kept company with the Iewes and liued as thei did keping their ceremonies forbearing thos meates that thei did forbeare He did eate and drinck with the
them selues to be Christes disciples neuertheles thei did not for all that committ any maner of Idolatry nor thei wēt not to such abhominaciōs as the Masse is Further it is no good reason to goo abowt to defend a mans own fawtes with the fawtes of holy men Nor we ought not to folow the saintes in thos things wherein thei haue erred but only in thos things that be worthy of commendacion What a folissh thing were it iff an adulterer wold make his excuse that to committ adultery is not euell becaus that Dauid committed adultery And wold excuse the deniall of Christ to be no sinn becaus that Peter denied him thrise Euen so doo thei that will with Iosephs and Nicodemussis weakenes scuse their error that is to say that it is lawfull to goo to the Masse and dissemble becaus that thos 2. holy men for feare haue dissembled thei being of Christes disciples But let thes maner of men tell me this one point what is the caus why thei doo not rather follow thes holy men in the stowtnes of their doings rather than in their weaknes that is to say that although whilst Christ liued on the earth thei were affraid to be knowen for his disciples neuertheles at the time of his death whan all the other disciples were hiddon except Iohn and the wemen and whan rather than in any other time thei shuld haue bene affrayed than thei waxed stowt Thus thei in time of tribulacion and whan there was cause of feare be came stowt ād did not remaine fearfull Why doo thei not folow them in the stowtnes of the mind which is a vertew ād not in the weaknes of feare which is a vice Who dowteth that Ioseph and Nicodemus whan thei dissembled for feare were weake and vnperfite Christians and erred in that thei did not boldly cōfesse Christ Let vs not I pray yow alleage the holy men in things euel done to folowe thē but in things worthy of prayse and well done only for so moch as that in thos things only we ought to folowe them and not in other To the example of Naaman Syrus I say that thei alleage it herein euell sayng that Heliseus shuld licens him that he might enter in to the Gods temple of the Assyrians called Remmon in cōpany with the king of Assyria and to worship with him and I say that this is not trewe yea it is cleane contrary as it appeareth in the story of the same Naaman writton in the fourth booke of the kings 4. Kings 5. where the text sayth that the same Naamā chefe of the king of Assyriās warr whan he was healed of the leprosy by Heliseus thorow Gods might and being wasshed 7. times in the riuer of Iordan whan he was returned to Helyseus he sayd Surely I knowe that there is no nother God on the whole earth but he of Israel and desyring to gyue him a gifft Helyseus did not accept it Further the text saith that the same Naamā desiered the Prophet that he wold grant him so moch earth of that contry as 2. moyles could cary and sayd becaus thy seruant will not make any more burnt offring or sacrifice to strāge Gods but to the lord By the which words he declared him self to byleue in the trewe God and to professe him And affter he added But there is this one only thing in the which thow shalt pray for thy seruant whan my lord that is to say my king of Siria shall enter in to the temple of Remmon to worshipp and whyle he leanyth on my hād Iff I shall worshipp whan he worshippeth in the same place that the lord wold pardon me thy seruant for this thing And Heliseus said vnto him goo in peace Here we see that Naaman desiered Helyseus that if it chanced him to worship in the temple of Remmon that he wold pardon him that fawt which fawt if he shuld haue done Naaman him selff withowt dowt knewe it to be sinn for if he had not knowen it to be euel and sinn he wold not haue said to Helyseus that he shuld pray God for him to pardon him And Helyseus said vnto him Goo in peace The which words did not signifie that the Prophet Helyseus did grant to Naaman or permitt him that he might enter in to the temple of Remmon and worship there Thes wordes did not meane to signifie this but thei did signifie and giue to vnderstand that if it did happen him to committ such a fawt that he wold pray to God for him to pardon him There is a great differens betwen the sayng to one I will pray to God for the to pardon the if thow shalt do or committ such a fawt and to say I doo grāt the that thow maist doo it And iff any wold say what is the caus that the Prophet reproued not Naaman sayng to him take hede Naaman that yow commit not this great sinn nor doo so great a fawt To this I answer that it neded not to say such wordes vnto him nor to warne him of such a thing becaus that Naaman did well knowe it to be euill done yea he did confesse it to be sinn iff it shuld chance him to doo it And it may be also that Helyseus did warne him that he ought not by any maner off meanes to suffer him selff to be brought to fall in ◅o that error For we must thinck that all the wordes be not writton that hapned betwene the one and thother the story being shortly writton And to geue an example let vs admitt that one shuld come to me that shuld say I goo to the Emperors court and becaus I am nere abowt his Maiestie it may chance me that I shall wayte on him some time to the Masse I knowe wel that to goo thether is sinn and idolatry yet iff it shuld chance me for worldly respect that I shuld at any time goo thether pray vnto God for me that he wold pardon me this sinn And put in case that I shuld say vnto him goo in peace by this my sayng goo in peace I meane not to grant him that he might goo vnto the masse Only I meane to say goo your way and iff any such thing shall happen yow I will pray to God for yow that he wold pardon yow Euen so were Helyseus words with Naaman For he did not grant him that he might enter in to that temple nor that he might worship but only signified vnto him that he wold pray to God for him This example therfor of Naaman doth nothing help thos that will be scused by going to the Masse with a good consciens but rather it accuseth them For iff thei will doo as Naaman did thei shall accuse them selues and confesse to doo euell iff thei goo to the Masse as he did confesse it to be sinn iff he shuld goo in to the temple of Remmon Why doo not thei accuse thēselues ād tell their fawt ād axe pardō of God for
is red in the lyfe of Saint Gregorie that the consecrated bread maruelouslye chaunged into a mans finger It is red that that the brute beastes did knele doune at the presence of the thankes geuinge And somtyme there apered a childe when the host was listed vp What shall be sayde to these great myracles sewerlye if Christ were not in the sacrament god wold neauer haue wrought these great signes This reason is nothinge worth and it is like the reason that they make that defended purgatorie with saing that there was heard certaine lamentable voices of the soules of the dead which desired help of there parents or frends that they wold cause to be sayd masses and chefely those masses that be called Saint Gregories and as sone as they were sayd those voyces were heard no more It is told also in the lyfe of a certeyne seinct but in dede a fryars saincte that he saw ones a valley full of soules the which desired help and that seinct was moued to pytye of those poore soules I leaue to you to thinke how many those soules ought to be that filled that valleye when he had sayd I cannot tell how many masses because I do not well remember the storye he returned to se the vally and he found them no more there because they were delyuered out of purgatorye I do much maruell that all the soules in purgatorye went not thether into that vally that thei all might haue bene deliuered by that sainctes Masses Ergo there is a purgatorye What will the lutheranes that denye purgatorye say here what will they saie Thei that you call lutherans will sai that you be a blynde sorte of superstitious I will not sai ignoraunt Idiots of gods causes and that you haue no faith in Christe thinkinge that the materiall fier can do that to the soules that onely Christ hath done with his pretious bluod that is to saye to purge them and perfectly to satiffie gods iustice for all the sinnes of the beleuers And they will saye that you deserue to be begyled and mocked by the deuell that leadeth you to think that the soules of the dead do lament and desire masses and ye perceaue not that he is the same wicked spirite the which fayneth himself to be the soules of the dead and desireth help and caryeth aboute youre brayne and maketh you beleue that glow wormes be lanternes The soules of the dead go not a solasinge here ād there as Chrisostome vpon S. Mathew saith very well but thei abyde in there places apointed vnto thē those soules of the faithfull and godlye abyde with Christ the other abyde in there place lokinge for there finall condemnation Euen so I saye of these maner myracles thoughe thei weare in dede that thei be none other but illusions and disceyts of sathan for to geue credit to the Masse and to beinge to passe that we should not beleue sewerly in Christe And god by his iust iudgement doth suffer these disceyts because we will not receaue the knowledge of the troth nor beleue the holy gospell And for this most great sinne he will that we shall beleue lyes and be deceaued Nor sewerly we deserue none other but to receaue and allow Antichristes myracles as sainct paule sayth to the Thessalonicenses 2. Thess 2. seing that we will not stand to gods worde The holy scripture and gods worde ought without any doubt to be in much more credit with vs then as many such myracles the which in dede be all lyes yea then as many myracles althoughe they be true as can be wrought in the world The whiche worde of god doth affirme and say that Christ Iesus is in heauen Mar. 16. Luc. 24. and that from thence he shall come to Iudge the lyuing and dead and there he shall abyde Act. 3. as peter sayth in the Acts of the Apostels vntill the tyme of the restitution of all thinges and it maketh vs likewise to vnderstand that the sacramentes be signes and be not the thinges signified let vs take hede and geue credit to these thinges that be clere and plaine If we will not be disceaued and not to the opiniōs and phantasies of mē which be not founde in the scripture but be clerely against them the fourthe reason They make another reason the which I wold haue sayd nothinge of because it is allready answered yet for so much as they bringein with the same certeine examples or similitudes to geue a coloure to their opinion of the which we haue not yet spoken we will saie of them a few words to the greather and more plentifull clerenes of the truthe They saye that god can bringe it to passe that is to saie that whole Christ great ād thick as he was on the Crosse should be in the sacramēt and that he should be whole in euery parte of the same as the soule is whole in the whole bodye and whole in euery parte of the bodye and that he should be as man in many places in heuen on earth vpon all altares and in euery other place where the sacrament of thanks geuinge is He can turne one body into another as shall seme good and lik him because he is almighty then he can make that the bread shal be turned into his bodye and the wyne into his bluod Seing he could create the world of nothinge he can much easelyer chaunge one thinge into another They geue eyample of Moyses rodd the which was turned into a serpent and then the serpent was turned againe into the rod likewise the waters of Egypt were turned into bluod Concerninge the being of whole Christ in the sacrament as great and thick as he is in heauen they geue the similitude of the heauen which we see the which being so great is not withstandinge whole in oure litle eye Likewise oure whole face apereth in a glasse that is much lesse then the face is yea the whole man is seen in a litle glasse Concerning the being of whole Christ in euery parte of the sacrament they gyue the similitude of oure soule as we haue already sayd the which is whole in the whole and whole in euery parte of the body Oure face also is whole in the whole glasse and whole in euery parte of the glasse after this sorte that is to saye that if the glasse should be broken in many partes oure whole face wold apere in euery one of them Concerning Christes bodely beinge in many places that is to say in heauen on the earth and in euery place where the sacrament is they geue the similitude of a man the which should haue about him many glasses in euery one of these glasses the forme of a man will apere Likwise if one speak in the presence of many persons his voice is but one and yet it is whole in dyuers mens eares If nature bringe this to passe that is to saye that one thinge may be in dyuers places much more Christ who