concealed and kept backe Concil Tolet. 1. c. 14. Concil Caesar August c. 3. Liturg. PraesanctificatoruÌ„ Interprete Genebrardo that they were condemned by the Councels The first of Toledo saith If any man do receiue the Eucharist of the Minister and doe not eate it let him be put backe and excommunicate as a Church robber And that of Saragosa If hee doe not eate it in the Church that is in the verie place let him be accursed for euer Whereas Bellarmine alleadgeth the lithurgie of the presanctified amongst the Grecians which was said in Lent pretending that therin they did not consecrate or take any moe then one kind for certaine the lithurgie saith expressly that after that the Minister hath sanctified the bread he powred out the wine and water into the cup pronounced the accustomed words And the praier of the faithfull saith For behold his bodie without spot and his quickning blood c. which are set vpon this table And in the Post-communion they giue thankes vnto God for the receiuing of the one and the other That which is more speciall proper herein is that they consecrate for many in one day whereof they alleadge some one or other tradition But these are their cold and friuolous arguments vpon this point and in deed how can they be otherwise against the expresse word of God But we against these particular deuotions so endles and bottomles doe set this Maxime and generall rule In vaine do you serue me after your owne fancies being properly called in the scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will worship And against that custome Tertul. de virg veland Cypr. ad Quin. ad Iubaâ—â—num August lib. 2. contra Donatist c. 6. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 2. c. 14. that euerie man frameth and fashioneth to himselfe whether new or old as best pleaseth him let vs set the true antiquitie Iesus Christ saith Tertullian and S. Cyprian hath said I am the Truth and not Custome And whereas Custome hath preuailed against the law let vs say with S. Augustine We must waigh and ponder the doctrines in the right balance of the scriptures and not in the false and deceiptfull scales of Custome But let vs draw all vnto a conclusion and let vs not be ashamed with S. Cyprian his saying That what others before vs haue erred in and done amisse let vs correct at the admonition and warning of the Lord and where doth he speake lowder and more clearely then in his word to the end that when he shall come in his glorie and heauenly Maiestie he may find vs holding fast such admonitions as hee hath giuen vs obseruing that which he hath taught vs and doing that which he hath done So be it And now by this time wee haue looked into all the partes thereof A Recapitulation how and by what degrees the holy Supper of our Lord is degenerate and turned into the Masse how of the corrupting of the one the other was first begotten then nourished and afterward brought vp to that state wherein it hath stood for these certaine ages and that so long as vntill it hath vtterly brought the other to nothing in the Church of Rome So straunge an alteration as that in the whole frame and booke of nature there is not the like to bee met withall seeing the Masse now retaineth no more of the holy Supper either in his outward or inward partes seeing that the best sighted hauing considered the one could not obserue or find so much as one step or note of the other because also it is to go against and exceede the lawes of nature to passe from one extremitie to another a thing not credible not possible to be acknowledged if the diligent obseruation of histories did not point out vnto vs both the first proceedings and also the growing of the same till it came at the midst The holy supper was an assemblie a bodie of the faithfull vnited and knit together in one spirite strengthning the faith stirring vp the charity and kindling the zeale one of another in one common manner of celebrating of the seruice of God The Masse what containeth it being said by a priest in some corner of the church shuffled vp by a cleark who vnderstandeth not for the most part of the time one word that he speaketh The holy supper did resound with songs to the praise of God sung indifferently by all the people it taught them by the reading expounding of the holy scriptures it lifted them vp vnto God raised them out of themselues by feruent ardent praier But what impression can the Masse make in the heartes of men being a certaine kind of muttering noise posted ouer by one man alone not vnderstood of those which are present yea hardly vnderstood of himselfe where the scriptures are read of purpose so as they may not be vnderstood the praiers vttered with a low voice in an vnknown tongue that so they may not be heard with attention and lesse followed deuoutly by the people where by consequent they abide fixt vpoÌ„ that which they see not minding any higher matters it hath signes without any signification it hath pretended mysteries without any thing misticall in them except it be the muttered hums artificially affected by him that consecrateth and the carefull regard of a premeditated ignorance to be wrought and effected by such meanes vpon and in the poore silly people In the holy Supper was celebrated the memory of the death and passion of our Lord by a plaine and open rehearsall of the cause manner and benefites of the same and thereby the faithfull were taught to acknowledge and call to minde the greatnesse of their sinnes and to admire and magnifie the great and vnspeakeable mercies of God stirred vp consequently to renounce and forsake themselues to giue themselues vnto God to die vnto their lusts and concupiscences to liue vnto Christ to Christ I say who hauing once deliuered himselfe to the death of the Crosse for to giue them life did yet further vouchsafe to giue himselfe to them in his sacramentes euerie day as meate and drinke vnto their soules to the feeding of them vp vnto eternall life In the Masse I appeale vnto the consciences of all those that eyther say or see the same who of them it is that can say by being at the same euerie daye that hee can learne or carrie away any of all this that the infidell can thence playe the diuine that thence hee can receiue any instruction either of the deadly fall of Adam or of the quickning death of Christ that the Christian can profit therby any thing be it neuer so little in the true acknowledging of the mercies of God or in the knowledge of himselfe or in briefe that he can therein perceiue his transgressions that so he may run to seeke the remedie or this drynes alteration of the soule and mind which our Lord calleth the thirst of righteousnes
Idols which they haue learned of their Fathers That wee must cleaue and sticke to God as hee is manifested vnto vs in his Scriptures August l. 3. de doctrin Christ Idem de locu ad Genes As for that which is obiected of the Cherubins they answere it by S. Augustine That there is a commaundement from God for the making of them and that it is the taking of the signes for the thinges To the annointing of the pillar of stone by Iacob they likewise answere from the said S. Augustine That Iacob did it to signifie a mysterte in the annointing of this stone and not for to honour the pillar of stone Comming in the end to that point as to affirme That when there had neuer been anie Images in the Church that then faith hope and charitie were no whit in worse plight and that when they are in the same for monuments and remembrances simplie that then the same vertues are not thereby embased or made worse But that they may not be forced vpon them who would not haue them nor permitted them in any wise who would haue them to worship them in any maner or sort whether it be by praying vnto them kissing them or gilding them and much lesse in offering vnto them c. Now this booke is sent vnto Pope Eugenius the second by the foresaide Emperours by the hands and mediation of the Bbs. Ieremy and Ionas that they may impart the same vnto him being therewithall inioyned to beseech him in their names that he would examine it throughlie and shew himself willing and forward to satisfie the consciences of the Emperours of the East as also that hee would vouchsafe to send his Legates together with the saide two Bishoppes vnto them with whome they shall also finde for the same purpose at the place of taking shippe Halitgarius and Amalarius in the behalfe of the Synode for the better yeelding of an answere and reason of the resolution and iudgement which they embraced and approued therein And it is to be marked that in the letters which they writ vnto Ieremie and Ionas containing their aduise how to demeane themselues they writte vnto them that they should intreate the Pope kindlie and rather to incline to yeeld and giue place then to dispute and argue the matter for feare say they of incensing the Romish obstinacre pertinaciam Romanam whereby hee might take such an opinion as from which he would neuer be remoued This was in the yeare 825. Anno 825. Of the Crosse As concerning the Crosse we haue seene what the olde Writers haue taught againe it is verie certaine that those ages were far off from that which is practised at this daye For the Synode of Francford speaketh of the Crosse after the maner of S. Paule and of the purer antiquitie vnderstanding by the same the whole mysterie of our redemption accomplished vpon the Crosse as likewise the afflictions which happen continuallie amongst the members of Christ In this sence S. Paule sayeth That he gloryeth in the crosse and woulde haue that Iesus Christ should be crucified daylie before our eyes that is that wee shoulde euerie howre remember the sham full and ignominious death which he hath suffered for vs by dying for our sinnes Chrysost ho. 1. 2 de Cruce Homil. de Cruce latrone de Cruce Dominica and so seeke for our life in him In the same sence Chrysostome sayeth The Cross is vnto vs the cause of all blessednes the hope of the Christians the resurrection of the dead and the ouer throw of the Diuell But of what Crosse doth hee speake assuredlie of the same whereof hee had spoken before To day he did hang vpon the Crosse that is of the death and passion of our Lord That Crosse saieth hee which he hath not left here vpon earth but carried vppe to heauen that is which hee hath ouercome by his resurrection which he hath garnished and cloathed with all manner of glorie that Crosse which wee must beare Not by laying sayeth hee a peece of wood vpon our shoulders but by preparing and making our selues readie to shed our blood at all occasions for his glorie c. And S. Augustine in like manner All the sacraments are perfected by the Crosse S. August For what are the sacraments both of the olde and of the new law but dumbe signes without this Crosse Likewise Honorius Bishoppe of Autun Honor August in Cemma Animae Nowise man worshippeth the Crosse but rather Christ that was crucified thereon c. notwithstanding that he liued in the midst of grosse and palpaple darkenes But what Communion or Fellowshippe is there betwixt the Crosse thus taken and vnderstood and these two crosse peeces of wood wherto Ionas doth applie the former benefits blessings or with this doctrine of Pope Adrian That when we see the Crosse we must say vnto it We worship the Crosse and we worship the Speare c. And therefore the foresaid Claudius Bishoppe of Turin and brought vp from his childhoode vnder Charles the Great Adrian in Ep. ad Constan Iren. reasoned verie well to the purpose and doubtles like vnto himselfe both for his stile and intention saying If we must worship the Crosse because that our Lord sufferd his death and passion vpon such a peece of wood then let vs worship all virgins because hee was borne of a virgin let vs also worship the maunger and swathing cloutes because hee lay therein because he was wrapped therein thornes reedes and speares for such were instruments vsed about him in his passion Asses for Jesus entred into Ierusalem sitting vpon an Asse c. But so the truth is that our Lord hath commaunded vs to beare and not to worshippe the Crosse c. And I doe not as yet see that Ionas hath deuised or found out anie thing to aunswere him withall As for the second Councell of Nice as it was in all mens sight ill begunne so it contented not the consciences of the Grecians in anie respect at all For Constantine as he grew out of his minoritie and came to age and his libertie did repeale difanull the same The Emperour Michaell did set it vppe again and persecuted the gainsayers The Emperour Leo the fourth an Armenian encouraged by the Monkes of Greece which cried out that to worshippe Images was idolatrie did pull them downe againe Michael le Begue and Theophilus his sonne Zona tom 3. did chastise and correct such as did maintaine them Theodore his wife came by his death to the Regencie and being perswaded by other Monkes did reestablish them with great seueritie Her sonne Michael Bardus being come to full age did destroy and ouerturne them againe Likewise Zonara the great patron and maintainer of Images doth tell vs that he made the Pope his Legate to consent and agree thereunto Insomuch as that pope Adrian obtained of Basill the successor of this Bardus that there shoulde a Councell
Wee shall haue euermore need to say Forgiue vs our trespasses And the Apostle himselfe hath a pricke dwelling still in his flesh for to humble him withall 1. Cor. 12.7 because that The grace of God is sufficient for vs his power is perfected in our weaknesse What is then the priuiledge or what is the prerogatiue of the regenerate Great verily euerie manner of way for sinne dwelleth but raigneth not in them for that the old man liueth yet in them but cannot kill them but himselfe rather is mortified and slaine euerie day for that they haue an assurance against the reward of sinne for their sinnes are forgiuen them in Christ and therefore blessed and assured of eternal life For there is no condemnation to them which are in Iesus Christ which walke not after the flesh Rom. 8.2 but after the spirit in as much as the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed them from the Law sinne death c. Saint Augustine intreating vppon this question of purpose Testimonies out of the Fathers August de peccat merit remiss l. 2. c. 7. hath not said any otherwise Let vs not thinke saith he that presently vpon the baptising of any man that all his old and accustomed infirmities are wasted and vanished seeing his renuing or Regeneration beginneth at the remission of all his sinnes c. Otherwise saith hee the Apostle would not haue said although that the outward man die the inward is renued day by day But it may be that this concupiscence after Baptisme is indifferent either to couet good or euill This is it which Iulianus the Pelagian did so vehemently auouch vnto him Idem l. 6. c. 6. contr Iulian. Nay saith he if I had thought so much I had not said vnto thee that it is euill and wicked but that it had henâ— for thou speakest as those that would say that it should haue beene sanctified in Baptisme But wee say that it is wicked and that it ceaseth not so to continue in those that haue beene baptised But saith Iulian Reatus eius his sinne is absolued and forgiuen Not his sinne saith S. Augustine for it is no person but rather sinne as it made man originally guiltie is remitted and made voide of all such force As when any man is absolued of manslaughter thou saist not that the crime of manslaughter is absolued but the man from the crime But it is not it may be so bad as men report it to be and that there is a heauier punishment laid vppon it then the fault deserueth Idem contr eundem l 6. c. 5 Nay saith he againe This is so great a mischiefe as that it would hold vs in death and draw vs into the last death if the bonds thereof were not vnloosed or broken in the generall pardon of all our sinnes which is sealed and assured in Baptisme And although that sometimes according to the common custome hee call sinne Non ipsum concupiscere sed post concupiscentias ire Not the blossome or bud but the fruite that commeth therof Rom. 7. yet the saying of S. Paul doth alwaies remaine out of all doubt I had not knowne lust to haue beene sinne if the Lawe had not said Thou shalt not lust c. And in deede S. Augustine proueth it to Iulian August contr Iulian. l. 2. by all them which haue gone before By S. Ambrose who calleth it iniquitie Because saith he it is vnrighteous which the flesh lusteth after against the spirit Malitiam per conditionem originis Againe A delight contrarie to the Law of God By S. Hillarie who calleth our bodies the matter of vices and the euils within vs an originall malice inherent euen from our first framing c. Whereupon saith hee we doe not retaine any thing that is cleane vndefiled or harmelesse No not the Apostles themselues in whome saith he after they were washed sanctified by the word there remained as yet a malice Per conditionem communis originis By the condition of the common beginning Which thing our Lord teacheth vs saying Idem contr eundem l 5. c. 4.5 l. 2. If you which yet are euill c. And as consequently following of all that hath gone before S. Augustine teacheth That concupiscence is an euill not such a one as men are to suffer and beare by patience but such a one as those are which men must bridle and suppresse by abstayning from committing of them that is to say an euill of fault and not of punishment that it is a vice that must be fought against by vertue which is remitted and pardoned but not finished not extinguished by Baptisme Idem de pecc merit l. 1. c. 3. tract in Ioh 4. Not in such sort saith he as that it should not be any longer inherent in man for the rest of the time that he liueth but to the end that it should not hurt him after his death that it is an infirmitie that is troden downe by the Lawe of God a griefe and wearing disease that striueth against our saluation In a word That it is both a punishment of sinne as also a cause of sinne a punishment saith he in as much as it is repaid for the merites of disobedience Idem contr eundem l. 5 c. 3 Aut defuncti one consentientis aut contagione nascentis Idem in Iohn 4. Criminibus querela a cause for that man is either polluted with it in his conception or else is drawne to consent to sinne by the default thereof Yea a verie sinne it selfe in as much as it is a disobedience rebelling against the rule and gouernment of the vnderstanding a desire against which the good spirite coueteth and desireth that is to say the spirit of man regenerate by the spirit of God But in one place after many solemne protestations he handleth the whole question The regenerate saith he are deliuered from sinne But how They are deliuered saith hee in as much as they are both without crime and sorrow but this is a libertie onely begun and not accomplished not altogether absolute not as yet pure and vnspotted because that I see an other Law in my members c. Againe All our sinnes and trespasses are blotted out in Baptisme and yet is it said that if iniquitie bee defaced there remaineth no infirmitie Verily if there were no remnants of it behinde we should liue without sinne If therefore thou serue with thy flesh the Lawe of sinne doe that which the Apostle saith Let not sinne raigne in our mortall bodies It is not said let it not be there at all but let it not raigne because that as long as thou liuest there must of necessitie be sinne in thy members but at the least let it haue his kingdome taken awaie that so it may not bee obeyed in that which it commaundeth Yea such a sinne as is hated of God abiding still in the regenerate and
Carth. called the Doctor of trances said vpon the same place In the primitiue church the sacramēt was giuē vnder both kinds to al the faithful afterward the church did forbid the distributing of the kind of wine vnto the people propter periculum effusionis And now wee are come to the notable opposition that Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage made against this abuse about the yeare of our Lord 1400. At the same time I say that the taking away of the cup gained and got entrance in Church after Church throughout Christendome by the practises of the ingrossers amongst the Cleargie And it is to be noted that this Iohn Hus as Pope Pius the 2. Aeneas Syluius hist Bohem. c. 23. maketh mētion in his historie of Bohemia was a mā Lingua potēs mūdioris vitae opinione clarus mighty powerfull in speech as also in being reputed to liue a holy life and which is more one that was called to the function of the ministrie for besides that he was principall of the Colledge erected at Prage by the king Wenceslaus according to the foundation of that of Paris hee was called to preach the worde of God in the vulgare language in the Church of Bethelem as they call it This man then began to preach against the abuses of the Romish Church and namely against the profaning of the holy supper and the taking away of the cup contrarie to the institution of Christ and practise of the Primitiue Church and he was seconded herein by Ierome of Prage and followed of many But whereas the Romish Church should haue reformed what was past and returned into the olde and auncient way repenting her selfe and correcting her by-waies and doctrines by the originall of all wholesome and sound doctrine the holy Scriptures she calleth a generall Councell at Constance at the instant request of the Emperour Sigismund and summoneth or calleth to appeare there before them vpon warrantize of being equally and vprightly heard by the pawning of their faith and faithfull promise thereupon the said Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage they against the publike and sacred oath and promise passed both by the Emperour and Pope did condemne them before they had heard them the one of them forthwith and the other after long imprisonment to be burned quicke leauing in the end a writ for the posteritie succeeding to learn hold that there is no faith or promise to be kept with pretended heretickes to the end that from thence forward all hope of reforming the Church or curing and reconciling of the pretended schismes by that Councell might be cut off Wee haue not any to beleeue or giue credite vnto concerning the matter of their martyrdome saue Pope Pius or his Secretarie Poggius who in their owne persons did sit iudicially vpon them in the same Councell Pertulerunt saith he ambo constanti animo necem quasi ad epulas inuitati ad incendium properarunt nullā emittentes vocem quae miseri animi possit facere indicium Vbi ardere caeperunt hymnum cecinere quem vix flamma fragor ignis intercipere potuit Nemo philosophorum tam forti animo mortem pertulit quà m isti incendium Poggius Florentinus aetatis nostrae nobilis scriptor de morte Hieronymi ad Nicholaum Nicol conciuem suum elegantem scripsit epistolam c. Both of them suffered death very couragiously and went as merrily to the fire as if they had been inuited vnto some great feast or banquet without vttering of any one word that might argue a sorrowfull heart when they began to burne they sung a hymne which could hardly by flame or noise of fire be kept from being heard Neuer did any Philosopher suffer his death so constantly as they indured the fire Poggius in Epist ad Leonard Aretinū Fasciculus rerurn expetendarum Poggius a Florentine a worthie Secretarie of our age hath written an excellent epistle vnto Nicolas Nicol his fellow cittizen of the death of Ierome c. And as for this Poggius alleadged by Pope Pius the second who was Secretarie to the Councell writing to Leonardus Aretinus his Epistle deserueth to be read vpō that place or els to be here set downe at large It is not credible saieth hee how hee defended himselfe by arguments how well he was furnished both with scriptures and Doctours c. He neuer vttered one word misbeseeming a good man If he beleeued as he spake he was so farre from being worthie of death by iust desert as that indeed there was not any cause of offering him the least discourtesie that may be Euery man tooke his case heauilie in bewailing him euery man desired that he might be saued but he desired rather to die than to vnsay any thing that he had deliuered Was there neuer Cate Scaeuola or Stoike that inaured with such courage and patience the losse of one member as he did of his life nor that so went to his death as he to the fire But this saith he deserueth a more large discourse c. But the Councell kicking against the pricke and hardning their hearts of a custome brought in by sufferance made a law and in stead of restoring the communion excommunicated all those which were vrgent and earnest suters for the same The very words are let euery man iudge whether the spirit of Christ or Antichrist did speake in this Councel Seeing we are giuen to vnderstand that in many Churches there is continued the administration of the Sacrament vnder both kinds vnto the laitie wee pronounce and declare that although Iesus Christ hauing supped did institute and minister this reuerend sacrament vnto his disciples vnder both kinds and that since then it hath been receiued a conficientibus by those which haue administred it that is by the Priests vnder both and by the laitie vnder that onely of bread yet notwithstanding all this the laudable authoritie of the holy Canons and the commendable custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that for the avoiding of certaine daungers and scandals this sacrament shall be onely administred vnder one kind Thus then you may see the Pope his Canons opposed to the institution of Christ the onely Canon and rule of all sacraments the Church of this time opposed to the Primitiue howsoeuer it be the patterne by which all others ought to square fashion themselues throughout all ages And therefore he addeth wee commaund vnder paine of excommunication that no Priest doe administer the communion vnto the people vnder both the kinds of bread and of wine contrarie to that hee had reserued and kept in the power of the Church and Pastors to iudge of the discretion of them to whom they were to administer as wee haue alreadie seene out of Thomas Waldensis who writ at this very same time yea and it is a worke of this time which our maister Gerson drew into a treatise against the heresie of the cōmunion vnder both kinds therby condēning of
either his offering vp againe by the handes of the Iewes or els any daily sacrificing of him by any action of the priestes The Apostle saith The law which had a shadow of good things to come That the sacrifice of Christ cannot be reâ—terated Heb. 8.9.10 and not the expresse forme of things by the sacrifices which were offered euery yeare could neuer sanctifie those which approached thereunto c. What doth the Apostle conclude out of this proposition He setteth the law against the Gospell the priestes of the same against our soueraigne priest Iesus Christ their sacrifices repeated and oftentimes renewed against his sacrifice which hath no need to be renewed their weaknes and disabilitie to sanctifie against the holinesse and effectuall sanctifying power which was in his And afterward he concludeth He taketh away the former for to establish the latter the sacrifices of the law for to establish this onely Sacrifice Now how could this conclusion be good if this sacrifice were againe to bee reiterated And that not yearely as vnder the law but daily yea hourely nay which is yet more euery moment and in euerie moment of a thousand thousand times Whereuppon it is said the sacrifices of the lawe are abolished in the sacrifice of Iesus Christ but it is not saide that hee himselfe cannot bee sacrificed againe let vs heare the Apostle Heb. 9. v. 12.24 Christ being come to bee our high priest of good thinges to come c. not by the blood of goates or of calues but by his owne blood is entred once into the holy places hauing obtained an euerlasting redemption Is entred saith hee into the holy places euen into heauen that nowe hee may appeare for vs before the face of God but not to the ende to offer vp himselfe oftentimes in such sorte as the high Priest who entreth into the holy places euerie yeare with other bloode for then it should haue behoued him to haue suffered oftentimes since the foundation of the worlde But nowe in the fulnesse of time hee hath appeared once for the putting away of sinne by the sacrificing of himselfe And as it is appointed for all men to die once and after that followeth iudgement euen so likewise Christ hauing beene offered once for to take away the sins of many will appeare the second time without sinne to those which attende vnto saluation Where wee are to obserue that the Apostle goeth ouer it sundry times That Christ hath offered himselfe once Where is now their pretended reiterating seeing that by his one onely oblation hee hath purchased euerlasting redemption that is hath wholly accomplished and fulfilled the worke of the redemption of the Church and that sufficiently as the schoolemen speake for the whole worlde but effectually for his elect onely And therefore what neede is there of a new propitiation That he did appeare in heauen before the father that is to bestow by his intercession the efficacie of this sacrifice vpon his faithfull ones himselfe making the application of his owne sacrifice That by this onely appearing this onely sacrifice once offered hee hath abolished sinne I say not the sinnes of some fewe but sinne that is destroyed the kingdome of sinne it selfe in such sorte as that euerie other propitiatorie sacrifice is from hencefoorth vnprofitable euen vnto his seconde appearing that is vnto the end and consummation of the worlde And no man is here to say that in deed hee hath offered himselfe once but that others are to offer him hereafter for in that he hath shewed the sufficiencie of this sacrifice he hath annihilated and disanulled in one word Heb. 10. all others whatsoeuer Others saith he which are not reiterated but because of their imperfectnesse in as much as it is impossible that the blood of Bulles and Goates though they should bee a thousand times reiterated should take away sinnes For which cause saith hee there is a yearely remembrance of sinnes reiterated whereas our Lord by one onely oblation hath consecrated for euer those which are sanctified Whereuppon it followeth that where blood is of sufficient effectualnesse there is no neede of any reiteration Now wee are of iudgement that this effectualnesse is absolute and perfect in the precious blood of our Lord that so wee may stay and content our selues with this onely Sacrifice And as by the sufficiencie thereof being opposed and set against the insufficiencie of all others the reiterating thereof is excluded so by the perfectnesse of the Priest opposed and set against the vnperfectnesse of those before him all others are excluded and we tyed vnto one onely and him resident and sitting in the heauens at the right hand of the father in whose sacrifice as all sacrifices haue an end so in his person euerie priesthood is both fully finished and accomplished One priest according to the order of Melchisedech without father without mother without stocke or kindred without beginning of daies and without end of life that is which hath not had any such like predecessors neither yet shall haue any such like successors in the line and tribe of Leui an euerlasting priest and therefore one onely and therefore also not succeeded of any other sacrificing Priestes and much lesse of any other priestes which should bee imployed in the sacrificing of him For saith hee the cause why there were many priestes was because they were mortall because that death would not let them indure But this priest abideth for euer and God hath witnessed the same of him by an oath and therefore he hath an euerlasting and eternall priesthoode in himselfe and in the Church A priest which is able to be both the Sacrificer and Sacrifice together and at once a holy Priest which hath no neede to offer daily both for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the people and such a one is Iesus Christ the sonne of the eternall God and God himselfe A Sacrifice also perfect and sufficient which thing cannot possiblie be found in the blood of all the creatures that are liuing no not in the offering vp of all men and the whole worlde therewithall and such a one againe is Iesus Christ God and man but man without sinne seperated and set apart from sinners the lambe without spotte Hebr. 7. Who saith the Apostle offered himselfe once for the sinnes of the people ordained by the worde of the oath to bee consecrated for euer alwaies liuing that so hee might alwaies bee our intercessor alwaies mightie and powerfull that so hee might perfectly saue those which draw neere vnto God by him that is to say continually offering vp the prayers of his brethren sanctified and authorised by his owne continually applying the merite of the sacrifice of his obedience by his intercession Hebr. 10. by this sacrifice by this oblation of which it is said That by one onely oblation hee hath perfected for euer them which are sanctified that hee was once offered to abolish the sinnes of many that
thing to stand for pardon and forgiuenesse and an other to come to glorie one thing to bee sent to prison not to come out thence till the vitermost farthing be paid and an other thing to receiue incontinently the reward of faith and vertue one thing to be corrected and purged a long time by fire for sinnes with the induring of great torments and an other to haue all his sinnes purged by one onely passion and suffering c. Which words at the first blush might seeme to make mightily for thē but let vs reade the whole Epistle there he speaketh of such satisfactions as are made in the Church during this life but not a word of any that should be made after the same It was said vnto him If you offer the peace of the Church vnto penitents there will not be any moe confessors there will not be any moe Martyrs for this was the glorie of our fathers But saith hee there will contin ually remaine a great difference betwixt the one and the other Lapsi saith he such as are fallen stand to aske pardon they are as it were in prison vntill such time as they haue exactly satisfied the Church they are as it were refined by fire through the long griefe which they indure by their penance in a word they suffer much before they obtaine the peace of the Church and in this peace peace with God and that which followeth On the contrarie the Martyrs and confessors abiding in peace with God doe not passe through all these sorrowes and griefes they passe speedily into glorie they receiue the reward of their constancie all their sinnes are swallowed vp in their suffering of death c. He addeth likewise that they haue this aduātage in the iudgement of God that they appeare and present themselues in the same assured of the crowne wheras others are in suspence as those that expect and depend vpon the sentence of the iudge And yet they obiect Prayers for the dead you cannot say but that the Church hath belieued Purgatorie seeing it hath praied for the dead Neither doe we denie but that this custome is auncient enough but on the contrarie we say how that the Church neuer praied for the dead vnder the old Testament not Ioseph for Iacob who was notwithstanding verie carefull for the embalming and burying of him 2 Kings 18. nor Dauid for Absalom whose death so much grudged and mooued his tender and fatherly affections nor for the child which he begot of Bersabe but on the contrarie after that hee knew him dead he gaue ouer his fasting and praier And as for Machabeus if any man obiect him vnto vs we answere that hee was the first and the last in that action The Church then before and vnder the Law neere hand for the space of foure thousand yeares knew not any Purgatorie And further wee affirme that our Lord hath not left any thing any word or mention of the same vnto his Apostles but on the contrarie that he hath left the dead to burie the dead Act. 9. 9. S. Paul saith vnto vs Bee not carefull and pensiue for them which are a sleepe Amongst so many arguments to prooue the resurrection that is not once touched amongst them 1. Thes 4. which yet would haue made for the purpose Likewise we see them wash the bodies of the dead and burie them carefully and to comfort one an other in the midst of their mourning in the hope of the resurrection but as for praying for them they say nothing of it Wherefore the Church of Christ from the beginning hath not knowne Purgatorie How came they then into the Church Verily euen through the conduite that brought in Purgatorie the inuention of men and the imitation of the Gentiles who being but slenderly and superficially instructed of the state of the soule after death rent and launced themselues ouer the dead made feasts vppon their graues as though thereby they would haue recouered them and brought them againe to life and sacrificed to the infernall Gods for their shadowes and likenesses this humane affection and carnall loue haunted them so as that it wrought prayers out of them yea euen to the time of death and after also But these courses of afflicting themselues in such extreame manner were forbidden the people of God as being better instructed and taught in the holy word of God and these humane affections also bounded within the limits of his Law And this is the cause that kept them from falling away so lightly to the imitation of the Gentiles From the Gentiles this opinion was slily and smoothly conueighed into the Apocripha books of one Clement Abdias Babilonius Hermas and such like and as it was no straunge thing to those who were drawne from their Paganisme so was it nothing vnplausible to them to retaine the same the Pastors admitting it for indifferent and nothing looking to the consequence and that which might fall out in the end did let it alone by sufferance Whereas if they had seene how farre Sathan hath vndermined thereby the merite of Christ the foundation of saluation they would vndoubtedly haue resisted and gaine-saied the same according to the necessitie of the cause and kept themselues to the rule of the Apostle repeated by S. Augustine who saith Gala. 1. If any man whatsoeuer vpon any thing concerning conuersation or manners doe vtter and offer vnto vs for certaine and necessarie doctrine or for an Article of faith August contr Petil. Tertull. de Coron milit li 2. ad vxor Arnob. l. 2. the thing which goeth beyond the Scriptures of the Law and the Gospell let him be accursed In Tertullian first of all we haue Oblationes pro defunctis and in like manner Oblationem pro sponsa from the same roote this is about two hundred and fiftie yeares after our Lord. The Paganes had accustomed to offer when they were dead as also when their kinsfolkes or friends departed and left them now the Christians seeing the same and being ashamed to bee behind in humanitie and naturall affection doe in like manner offer but so as that they appoint their oblations to bee imployed to better vses as to the feeding of the poore following the counsaile mentioned in Tobiah Set thy bread vpon the Graue c. The Pagans had their yearely birth feasts the Christians celebrated the day of their true second birth or regeneration of the Martyrdome confession and death of their brethren in Christ And Beatus Rhenanus noteth verie well in this place Index expurg p. 82. From hence sprung the originall of the yearely remembrances and feasts Where the Fathers of Trent haue caused Antiquitie to be put in place of the originall Likewise Tertullian saith that this is a doctrine neither grounded in the Scriptures nor yet vpon any Apostolicall tradition but onely growne vp by custome Si legem saith he expostules Scripturarum nulla legis tibi traditio pretendetur
are aliue that so the Church may sing Gaudeamus in Domino c. Let vs reioyce and be glad in the Lord c. In this sence hath the greatest part of the auncient Fathers prayed Dionysi de Ecclesi Hierat c. 7. and that will be the more clearely vnderstood by themselues S. Denis speaketh not of Oblations neither yet of yearely feasts but how that they kisse the dead and poure Oyle vppon his head These diuers fashions taken from the customes of diuers Countries doe shew the indifferencie The prayer followeth That it might please God to pardon him his sinnes and to place him in the light and region of the liuing in the place from which griefe sadnesse and sighing are banished and vtterly excluded c. Was this because he doubted No for on the contrarie hee maketh but two rankes and so consequently but two places of abode after this life one for the prophane who die and depart out of this life desperate and without all hope in as much as they goe hence vnto miserie and an other for the Saints who haue liued well who in their death doe shew themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of good hope and dying doe require of God pardon for their sinnes These men saith hee depart out of this life full of ioy perceiuing themselues now to bee come to the end of all their fights and conflicts and drawing neerer vnto the crowne of glorie They possesse in hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rest conformable to that of Christs Prayers doe call them blessed and offer thankes vnto him who hath giuen them the victorie The high Priest prayseth God who hath ouerthrowne the rule and soueraigntie of death The Ministers read in the assembly in the Scriptures the promises of the resurrection to the end they may serue for an exhortation to stirre vp those that are liuing to the like vertues they recite them in the end amongst the Saints in the commemoration which is made in the Church as those that are alreadie partakers of the same glorie with them c. Is it possible that a man should belieue them that all this is spoken of a Soule in Purgatorie or of any of whom the least doubt that is may be made Origen We doe not celebrate saith he the birth day Orig. l. 3. in Iob. for that it is an entrance into paine and griefe and manifold temptations but the day of death as the day of the laying downe and ending of all griefe c. And this is the cause why we vse the renuing of the memorie of the Saints and of our kins folkes dying in the faith as well to reioyce our selues for their ease as for to become humble sutors for a holy finishing and knitting vp of our end in faith Note well and obserue the end of griefes ease and rest the giuing of thankes for their rest and ease c. Againe Wee celebrate the memorie of the dead feasting Religious persons together with the Priestes the faithfull with the Cleargie feeding the poore the fatherlesse and the widdowes to the end that our feast may be for a memoriall of the rest of the Soules that are deceased whose memorie wee solemnize therein Note here also The distributing of almes the memoriall of their rest c. Then this cannot be a sacrifice to purchase vnto them ease or rest and yet notwithstanding this is that which first brought in Purgatorie but such a one as is not able to stand with these propitiations seeing that it taketh no hold but at the howre of iudgement So vnsound and vnsure it is to reason either from Purgatorie to the making of prayers for the dead or from these to goe about to proue their Purgatorie Greg. Nazian hom 7. Gregorie Nazianzene in his seuenth Homily O thou which art the Lord of life and of death saith he receiue Caesarius for we commit and commend him now vnto that course and order by which thou gouernest the world whereunto likewise we recommend as laid vp with thee both our owne Soules and theirs which haue gone before vs. Now hee had said before That he did alreadie enioy saluation that his soule receiued the fruit c. S. Ambrose commeth in with these words Blessed saith he are you both Ambros de Obitu Valent. he speaketh of the Emperour Valentinian and his brother If my prayers saith he be any thing worth for there shall not one passe from me wherin I will not haue an honorable remembrance of you Omnibus vos oblationibus frequent abo I will make mention of you in all my offerings that is to say in all my seruices Againe speaking of Theodosius Graunt rest O Lord saith he to Theodosious thy seruant let his soule enter into the place Ambros de Obitu Theod. where there is not any sence or feeling of the sting of death I loue this man and will not giue ouer the following of him into the land of the liuing I will not leaue him vntill my teares and my prayers haue brought him into the place whither his merits doe call him Namely into the mountaine of the Lord where there is euerlasting life without any sighing heauinesse or griefe c. And doe you tel vs still that they were in Purgatorie Yea rather saith he of Valentinian in the same place wee belieue and that by the testimonie of Angels that hee is ascended and gone vp into heauen washed from the defilements of sinne that his faith hath washed him c. that hee inioyeth the ioyes of eternall life Yea and this he saith of that Valentinian who was as yet but learning the principles of Religon that is to say as yet vnbaptised in which case Purgatorie was meetest to haue had place And in like manner of Theodosius He is deliuered from this doubtfull fight and warfare he inioyeth an euerlasting light eternall tranquilitie c. Hee is glorified amongst the companie of Saints there he embraceth Gratian he beholdeth in the kingdome of Christ the temple of Christ c. And he speaketh saith he full assuredly and confidently For as much as they are dead in the faith of Christ seeing the Lord was made sinne to the end that he might take away the sinne of the world to the end that wee might be all in him the righteousnesse of God no more saith he the slaues of sinne but sealed vp for the reward of righteousnesse In like manner his prayers could not possibly be vnderstood of his Purgatorie in as much as we haue seene as he gaue it no place vntill the day of iudgement With the same intent and mind S. Augustine praied for his mother saying I pray thee O Lord for her sinnes heare me by the medicine of his wounds which was hanged vpon the Crosse and sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for vs Pardon her and enter not into iudgement with her And I doe verily belieue that thou hast done this which I haue prayed thee
Let vs approch with boldnes vnto the throne of grace c. And no cause is there why his being lifted vp in Maiestie should either make thee ashamed or cause thee to be cast off and to take the repulse For in that he is exalted it is to draw thee vnto him and after him that he is at the right hand of the Father saith the Apostle Rom. 8. it is to make intercession for thee that he sitteth vpon the throne of Maiestie it is for to make thee to raigne The obiection that new honours vse to make men to bee hardly drawne to easinesse or familiaritie what grosse and friuolous toyes cannot bee alleadged against this partie for to speake properly hee hath not receiued any increase nothing more then his owne is growne due or come vnto him from before all eternitie hee is glorious yea and by that same glorie which he inioyed eternally with the father Father saith he glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I haue had with thee before the world was made And that such a glorie as did not hinder him Ioh. 17.5 Philip. 2. from making him selfe of no reputation nor from taking the shape of a seruant nor from humbling him selfe for our saluation euen to the death of the Crosse a glorie likewise for certaine that cannot hinder him from graunting the things necessarie for our infirmities neither yet from inclining his eares in most bountifull manner vnto our requests that so he may carrie and faithfully report them to the Father For for that cause hath hee humbled himselfe euen to be like vnto vs To the end saith the Apostle that hee might be mercifull and faithfull in that which is to be done with God for vs. CHAP. XIII That the inuocation of Saints was not taught in the Primitiue Church and of the growth and proceeding thereof HOw then did this doctrine enter into the Church of Christ and how came it to be made a law Verily euen as all other humane inuentions by many steps and by tract of time after many ages Day by day errour was increased whiles men pleased themselues in their inuentions whereas knowledge should haue abounded if they had kept themselues to the word of Christ Many ages passed and were expired without any inuocation of Saints seeing it slipt in amongst the multitude of Gentiles in such maner as that no man regarded the same to marke and obserue it in the beginning and it hath caused some to wonder exceedingly how it should already be come to haue a party so throghly wonne vnto it amongst the people by the blunt blind aide of the ouertaken with forestalled embracing of Paganisme seing the most sincere vncorrupted Doctors did their whole indeuor to driue it out But this shal be made to appeare more clearely in the handling of the maner of the growth proceeding thereof howbeit for the better vnderstanding of the same we must here set before our eyes how they practise this article at this day in the Church of Rome in Inuocation Adoration Pilgrimages Temples Altars Sacrifices and in all the rest of the duties seruices honours that belong vnto God and are not to be giuen vnto any other and how they would gladly couer and colour the same vnder the shadow of some Apostrophe or Prosopopie framed and applied vnto some Saint or of some Panegyricke deuised in the honour of some Martyr or from some priuate opinion left free and indifferent not of the Church onely but of euerie Christian As for the holy Scriptures wee haue seene that it hath no foundation in them on the contrarie that part or portion therin which speaketh so honourably of the Saints whether liuing or dead of Angels likewise of their ministerie which they performe for our saluation commeth short Rom. 1. when once we goe beyond our bounds and limits They haue saith S. Paul speaking of the Gentiles honoured and serued the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then the Creator and therefore God hath giuen them ouer to their brutish affections c. And when as men doe goe beyond their compasse bee it neuer so little in that the honour due vnto man for Similitie sake may not proceed by little and little vnto that which is due to God onely the Saints and Angels doe vse to restraine them and plucke them backe yea euen before they be come so farre as they lawfully might S. Act. 10.26 Act. 14.15 Apocal. 19.22 Peter saith to Cornelius who fell downe at his feete Rise vp for I am a man and the Angell vnto S. Iohn too well instructed and taught of the Sonne of God to worship any creature Refraine thy selfe doe not so for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimonie of Iesus And the Disciples of the Apostles and their first successors had not forgot these admonitions It would be too long and tedious a thing here to recite all those places of the first Fathers prouing the inuocation of one onely God by one onely Iesus Christ besides that in the praiers of the Christian Church Clement strom l. 7. Iust Martyr Apol. 2. Tertull. in Apol. whereof we haue the patterns in Clemens Alexandrinus Iustinus Martyr Tertullian c. God is onely called vppon through his Sonne without any mention at al made therein either of Angels or of Saints Againe the ordinarie disputations that these of the first age had with the Gentiles were vpon this point for that they called vpon the Gods and others who for their excellencie in vertue were held for halfe Gods tearming it by the name of Idolatrie Whereas the subiect or matter it selfe did carie thē on rather to say vnto them that it was much better for them to giue this honour vnto Saints and Angels as our patrons and aduocates vnto God in heauen and yet not a word thereof On the contrarie Polycarpus the Disciple of S. Euseb l 4 c. 15 Iohn in his last praier which he made vnto God being now fastned to the stake to be burned aliue calleth vpon God feruently and calleth him The God of Angels the God of all the righteous that liue before his face This was enough and the rather being in that his perplexitie distresse to haue put him in mind of these patrons if he had so reputed them but he remembreth not neither yet maketh mention of any but one Bishop and mediator Iesus Christ Irene l. 2. c. 58. And Ireneus the Disciple of this Polycarpus saith Those which are the true Disciples of Christ receiuing grace from him accomplish and fulfill in his name the benefits which they doe vnto others according as euerie man hath receiued the gift from him From him they haue power ouer diuels from him the knowledge of foretelling things to come as also their visions and prophesies as well as the gifts of healing c. In all this there is not a word of
shall first be called away hence let them continue their amitie and loue without ceasing in the presence of God let their prayers neuer cease for their brethren and sisters crauing in their behalfe the manifolde mercies of the father That is Saynt Cyprian extending and stretching the care that the Saintes deceased should haue not vnto the Church in generall onely but by a continuance of holy affection vnto them whome they had loued in Christ here vppon earth And this although it haue no example in the scripture yet it is far off from our aduersaries their doctrine for he prayeth to the liuing and not to the dead Now the controuersie or question betwixt vs is not if they pray and to what end but if wee ought to pray vnto them at all I know well what they haue to alleadge out of the sermon of the starre and the wisemen of the East As that the infantes slaine by Herode are made Senators in Paradice and obtaine grace for them which doe not merite it c. But they are not ignorant that this sermon hath by themselues beene alwaies numbred amongst the deuised and faigned ones As likewise that which they bring out of the booke of S. Cyprian his penitentnes How that he had beene a Magician and that by the help of the Deuils hee would haue assailed the chastitie of a maide and that she calling vpon Iesus Christ her husband and afterward the virgine Marie was deliuered and thereupon also S. Cyprian conuerted But with what face seeing S. Ierome telleth vs that S. Cyprian was a Rhetorician and wonne vnto Christ Hieronym in epist ad Paul in Comment in Ionam c. 3. Cyp l. 2. ep 2. Gelas D. 15. c. Sancta Rom. partly by the familiaritie he had with Caecilius whereupon he was surnamed the Cecilian and partly by the reading of the Prophete Ionas And seeing that S. Cyprian in setting downe his owne conuersion saith not a worde of all this And as little is that which commeth to light by Pontianus his Deacon who hath written his life But which is more seeing that Pope Gelasius at the verie same time when the inuocation of Saints had rooted it selfe verie deeply did pronounce and affirme vnto them that this booke was Apocrypha And yet they are still abusing the common people with the name of the fathers For as concerning the sermon of Gregorie Nazianzene Marulla hath very well obserued that he hath made Cyprian of Damascus and Cyprian the Carthaginian all one whereas the first suffered in the time of Valerian and the second vnder Dioclesian And it hath beene noted by many others before and after him We are now in this place to bring in Dionysius the pretended Areopagite for hee cannot be so auncient as we haue proued as they would make him Dionvs eccles Hierarch c. 3. and this we say and affirme by the way that we need not doubt that the miracles which God wrought vppon the establishment of the Church at the sepulchers of the Martyrs made many to looke downe and to fixe their eyes vppon the Martyrs whereas they ought to haue lifted them vp and to haue caused them to looke vpon God alone and that so much the more because it was called and accompted to be the honouring of God in his Saintes as also for that it seemed to bee an instigation and pricking of men forward to suffer for the name of Christ Whereunto also you may adde as another cause the want of a Paule or Barnabas at the corner of euerie fielde to represse these disordered and vnruly deuotions of the people Actes 14. and to cause them to leaue the creature to betake themselues to the liuing God But so it is that this Denys rehearsing the causes for which he made mention of the Saintes in the seruice speaketh not but of those that follow To the end saith he that those that liue may learne by these examples to liue and die well in God and that they might bee admonished and taught that those that die in him doe liue out of this life in a better That God hath them in his remembrance according to that which is said God knoweth those that are his The death of the Saintes is precious before God That they are also one with Christ by an indissoluble vnion and bond that can not bee broken which are the causes saith he that this mention or rehearsall is made at the time of the celebrating of the Sacrament the Sacrament of the coniunction and vnion of Christ and his members That is to shew vnto vs that those that bee not the greatest parte in this world that yet they cease not to be a part of the Church The contention raised about the Arrians was a cause that for a certaine time men did speake without fault The Christians reasoned Christ is truely God for we are all agreed to pray vnto him but we pray not vnto neither call vppon any but God This argument had beene of no force if the Church at that time had vsed the inuocation of Saintes for the reply had beene verie readie But tell mee how many Saintes doe you pray vnto Hillar in psal 129. which you know to be no Gods And although S. Hillarie doe playe the Philosopher as others before him vppon the mediation of Angelles the protection of the Patriarkes and Apostles c. yet he reserueth inuocation for Christ alone Idem in Psal 123. Because saith he that he belieueth that he is very God that he is present by his nature when he is faithfully called vpon and for that he is present with him that belieueth in him c. Idem c. 27. in Matth. Athanas orat 2. cont Arrian Idem de incarnat verb. But in regard of the Saintes The virgines saith he doe answere that they cannot giue any oile because it behoueth euerie one to buy for themselues and that none doe expect trust to be helped by the merites and workes of another c. Athanasius in like manner The Saintes saith he doe not craue any helpe of the creatures but they crie and call vnto Christ in their necessities He is not therefore a creature hee is verie God Againe If thou worship saith he Christ as he is man because the word dwelleth in him then worship the Saintes because that God hath a little house or dwelling place in them c. which thing hee proueth to bee absurd What force should such a reason haue had if the sermon intituled of the virgine the mother of God were his wherein he praieth vnto her for succour by the names of Ladie Mistresse Queene c. But the learned know that the greatest part of the third and fourth Tome of Athanasius are suspected of vntruth as Nannius likewise hath confessed being publike professor in the vniuersitie of Louaine and hee that did translate them And this is one speciall marke thereof for that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not
was in her integritie saue that in the state of integrity it was repressed by a supernaturall gift of originall righteousnes which did represse keep it vnder which God hath taken away in the first man so from all other men in him as a punishment of his sinne in such sort as that this concupiscence is not sinne in men because it is not against any law of God or if it be that it is the least of all other sinnes in as much as it is onely some small disorder in nature But how can this fancie agree with Saint Paule with this law of the members which maketh vs seruants of sinne Sinne whose wages is no other then eternall death But there is some pleasure in respect of these different opinions to heare what the olde fathers say handling this question against the hereticks of their times as those who are by so much the lesse to be suspected in this cause by how much they haue beene the more renowned testified of for their godlinesse and yet haue not ceased to acknowledge the infirmities of their humane nature Testimonies out of the fathers Ambr. in epist ad Rom c. 5. tom 5. Idem de vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 3. tom 2. Idem in Apol. Dauid c. 11. Notet Pighius S. Ambrose It is most plaine and manifest that all haue sinned in Adam as in the Masse by him therefore we all become sinners euen as we do all come of him He hath lost the benefite and priuiledge by sinne c. Againe Before we be borne we are defiled by contagion before we enioy the light we receiue the losse of our original goodnesse in as much as we be conceiued in sin c. And if the child that is but one day old be not without sin much lesse the daies of the mothers conception We are all therefore conceiued in sin of our fathers and mothers we are borne in their trespasses and euen the very infant beareth about it his pollutions And if thou doubtest from whence this commeth so to passe he maketh it manifest Hence it is saith he that wee are mortall from hence springeth not so much the multitude of our miseries as of our hainous sinnes and crimes our faith to bee lost our hope farre remoued our vnderstanding blinded and our will captiuated And what becommeth then of the power and vertues of the not regenerate of such as continue still and dwell in the corruption of their nature Without the worship of the true God saith he euen that which seemeth vertue is vice without God it is not possible for any man to please God And he that pleaseth not God whom can he please but the Deuill But to come as neere to the quick as may be is there any remainder of goodnesse abiding in man whereby hee may relieue and raise vp himselfe againe Idem Ambros de vocat Gent. l. 1. c. 5. Opere suo opus suum reparat Nay nay but on the contrarie No man saith he is found hauing any thing in himselfe whereby he may recouer his former place and excellencie Man will neuer be able to turne backe againe to God if God himselfe doe not turne and conuert him The grace of our Lord by his worke that is to say by the operation thereof repaireth his worke The will of man hath nothing left of all the powers thereof saue only a power and readie inchnation to destroy it selfe periculi facilitatem c. Gregorius Nyssenus Grâ—â— Nyss l. de oâ—at Man forsooke and reuolted from him who had made him and betooke himselfe to the enemies side that is to say to the Deuil whereupon his freedome and power changed of themselues and his wicked and vngodly will into a grieuous and dangerous seruitude and thraldome vnto sinne Then insued the abolishing of the image and figure of God which was before imprinted euen from our first creation in vs Adde hereto the losse of the groat By which the scripture doth teach vs that there is not of all the men that are so much as one to bee found that liueth one onely daie without spot And this is the cause why wee pray forgiue vs our trespasses although he were a Moises or a Samuel seeing that the same speech of repentance that agreed with Adam is common to all to the end that the Lord may saue vs by grace in graunting vnto vs the blotting out and abolishment of our sinnes And we need not for the finding out of the same enter into the consideration of nature in generall for euerie man entring into his owne censcience may find how needfull a thing it is to craue merciâ— Chrysostome Chrysost in Genel hom 29. tom 1. The first man by the decree of God by his sinne did incurre and draw vpon himselfe the sentence of death and hath past it ouer and conueighed it to his whole posteritie c. The second man is come downe from heauen he alone abiding without sinne and not owing any thing to death that so he might be free amongst the dead and that death might be condemned in his death Againe The nature of this pestilence tooke his beginning from one bodie hath now spread it selfe all ouer into euerie man Idem in Mâ—â—â— â—om 33. tom 2 And if thou demande what manner of plague it is When sinne entred saith he then came the downefall of our libertie for it corrupted the power giuen vs by nature it brought in seruitude and bondage c. Euen such a pestiâ—ence as that such as are infected therewith are not able to doe any thing that is ought worth â—em â—â—â—m 6. 〈…〉 â—â—a 〈◊〉 Fla. 〈…〉 de 〈…〉 Idem l. de natur grat c. 3 de â—id ad Petâ—um c. 23. Idem paâ—sim Iâ—eâ— cp 107. Idem contr Iul. Pelag. l 4. For saith hee in another place The heathen though they wrought good workes yet they wrought them not truely good because they did them not in anie consideration that they had of God but for to be reputed or because that goodnes is good or for the conseruing of hâ—mane societie c. But Saint Augustine against the Pelagians hath handled this matter and ript it vp to the bottome as the thing saith he wherein consisteth the summe of all Christian religion Hold fast saith he that euerie man which is conceiued by the carnall comunction of man woman together is borne in original sinne subiect to wickednes villanic and subiect to death and by this nature the child of wâ—ath c. And therefore this nature of man from the time of his birth hath need of a Phisition because it is nothing sound c. But mortally pestered as is to bee seene in the beadroll of euils which he attributeth vnto it That is the losse of free will thraldome by sinne ignorance and maliciousnesse banishment from the kingdome of heauen and the decree of eternall death Whereupon he saith We â—annot be
yet notwithstanding the same hee loueth them For saith he There is not any one sinne that God iustifieth and aloweth he hateth them all but by his grace he causeth sinne to bee consumed in vs in as much as it is wasted somewhat and diminished in the liues of such men as profit but consumed in the liues of such as haue attained to perfection that is to say after this life And this he maketh plaine in an other place by S. Hillarie There is not saith he in this life any purifying and cleansing away of all sinne Idem l. 2 cont Iulianum and yet hee hopeth to attaine humane perfection that is to say a nature perfectly cleansed in the last resurrection Which thing our Lord if so be that our Aduersaries would haue belieued him hath said in one word vnto his Apostles You are now cleane because of my word And yet hee had said My father cleanseth you and purgeth you euerie day that so you may beare more fruit c. If then sinne do still dwell in the regenerate and that such sinne as begetteth infinite other sinnes in vs and these sinnes death yea so many deathes so many hels doe we purchase vnto our selues as we commit sinnes and therefore farre off from meriting of life for an other seeing we cannot doe it for our selues Neither haue wee any other exception to alleadge against it but this There is iust cause and matter in vs to condemne vs yea and more then inough but praised be the grace of our God That we are in Christ c. That there is no condemnation to such as are in him But if they say to vs that euen as the flesh worketh sinne in vs vnto condemnation if grace doe not preuent euen so the regenerate spirit worketh good workes vnto saluation yea sufficiently yea aboundantly c. We answere That the beginning and originall of good workes is altogether of God whereas the beginning and originall of sinne is of our selues so that in deed damnation doth belong to vs and saluation to God as also that these good workes proceeding from a heart not perfectly regenerate haue alwaies a spice of euill euen of the euill that is in and of vs and that sufficeth to make them displeasing vnto God saue that he beareth with them through his mercies exhibited in his Sonne the goodnesse which we cannot make our accompt and reckoning of before God seeing it is his It is generally therefore said of all men but this word is expresly and properly appointed and directed to the regenerate to the end that in their miserie and misdeeds they may seeke and search for the remedie which God hath prepared for them in Christ Eccles 6. Prou. 10. Iob. 15. Psal 143. that all are sinners There is not a man vpon the earth that doth good No man can say I am cleane from sinne yea euen amongst his Saints God cannot find any that are able to abide the triall And if we say saith the Apostle that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. On the contrarie it standeth vs vpon continually To craue pardon Psal 19. because we are continually euen euerie houre sinning and pardon Ab occultis nostris From the sinnes that we neither see nor perceiue We are so seared in respect of the sence and feeling of sinne And of all this it followeth that as God hath shut vp all vnder sinne so likewise vnder condemnation the same extending and stretching it selfe also vnto vs if he had not shrowded vs vnder the protection of his grace As concerning our good workes Without me saith the sonne of God you can doe nothing no not so much as thinke a good thought Iohn 15.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Acts. 16.14 Psal 119. Philip. 2.13 Iam. 1.17 but in that you are any thing fitted thereto it is of God of God that openeth our heart that inclineth it vnto his lawes and which strengthneth it in his waies that accomplisheth in vs both the will and the worke according to his owne free-will and good pleasure Of God the father of lights from whome euerie good gift commeth c. But principally the gift of faith without which neither we neither any thing of ours can please God Math 16. the faith I say of the Sonne of God Which flesh and bloud do not reueale but the father that is in heauen And what should God be bound and indebted to vs for that which he himselfe worketh in vs of his meere grace for these pretended good workes Osce 13. Nay let vs say rather with the Prophet Israell thy destruction is of thy selfe And thou must impute and lay it to no other but to thine owne selfe But thy saluation is of me Thou hast not any thing then to reproach or accuse But how will the case stand if these verie workes weighed in the balance of iustice bee found to be sinnes And so much the rather and more likely because that thou dost make accompt of them for holy and sanctified deedes as also so much the more cursed and damnable by how much the more thou accomptest of them for meritorious The Sonne of God said vnto his Apostles When you haue done all that is commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 But how farre off are we And next what meaneth this To do that which we ought But to doe it as we ought and to that end that it ought to be done c. And who is he that is able to obserue all that and if it were but in one onely action And that I may not presse them withall how would he bee able to doe it for Gods glorie c. without making some mixture for his owne interest as either for his owne profit or honour c. But as for sinne and that which is euill what is it that wee are not cunning inough in to doe verie well and on the contrarie where is that good thing that fadgeth not and falleth out most ill fauouredly in our hands and that in diuers respects So then we must say with the Propht All our righteous deedes are as a stained cloath Our righteous and best deeds saith he and not our vnrighteousnesse for in all our workes how good so euer they seeme to bee there doe iumpe and meete together something that is of the spirit and something that is of the fleshe as they are more or lesse strong in vs according to the saying of Saint Paul who teacheth vs not to flatter our selues When I would doe the good as if hee said euen when I buckle my selfe about it with all the power within me Rom 7. Philip. 3. Euill is readie with me to will is present but I cannot find the meanes to doe and performe it c. And for the proofe hereof wee neede no other proofe but to consider and looke into our selues and our best actions as into our praiers with what an
infinite number of imaginations they are crossed or into our zeale which if it be according to knowledge yet is it delayed with coldnesse and beeing more feruent then commonly it is without knowledge into our brotherly loue which is more for a shew then in deed and more for that regard wee haue of men rather then for the awe of God into our faith which is either little or else wauering farre lesse then a graine of Mustard seede farre off from remoouing of mountaines Finally into our whole life which being examined according to the summe of the Law of the perfect loue of God and our neighbour will not afford vs so much as one action answerable thereunto but rather such as are contrarie thereunto and that euerie day yea euerie houre And what shall wee find in our wordes nay rather in our thoughts all which are knowne vnto God and must vndergoe the rigour of his iudgement Now we haue heard the old Fathers How far concupiscence worketh in the regenerate according to the old Fathers Tertul. de praescript aduers haeres Probatus aliquis August de fid Orthod c. 49. Idem ad Inno Pap. Ep. 95 vppon the concupiscence that remaineth in the regenerate but it may be that we may thinke that in some it breaketh not out into actuall sinne which they call sinne But let vs heare what they say Tertullian saith Is it such a maruaile that an approued man should come to fall What say you to Saul whome hatred ouerthrew Nay Dauid a man according to Gods owne heart by murther and Adulterie Salomon indued with wisedome from God drawne by women to Idolatrie because it was reserued to the onely Sonne of God to abide without sinne Saint Augustine There is neither Saint nor righteous man that is without sinne and notwithstanding they cease not to bee Saints and righteous because they haue their affections still set vpon holinesse And therefore the Saints are truely declared to be sinners c. Againe O death where is thy victorie where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne And there haue beene some men who haue thought that there might bee some men liuing in this life without sinne though not from their birth yet at the least from the time of their conuersion from sinne vnto righteousnesse and so they would vnderstand that which is said That Zacharâ—e and Elizabeth walked in all the wayes of the Lord Sine querela vnrebukeable But they should haue considered that Zacharie was a Priest and that the Priestes were bound by the Lawe of God to offer sacrifice chiefely for their owne sinnes And secondly are we not all conuinced of sinne in that we are all commaunded to say Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For saith he in an other place It must content vs that there is not so much as any one man found in the Church how excellent righteous or well profited so euer he be that dare say that hee hath not any need to praie and say this prayer Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For this should bee as much as to say that he had no sinne and so by that meanes deceiue himselfe not hauing any truth in him although that hee liued Sine querela without giuing of iust cause to anie to complaine of him Againe Yea seeing all the Saints Ep. 9. if they should be asked together if they had any sinne would aunswere If we should say that wee haue no sinne the truth is not in vs c. But saith he Idem de perfect Iustit in Enchirid. c. 33. Idem Serm. de temp Dominic 4. post Oct. Epiphan Idem in Ep. 54 ad Maced Idem dc Martyr Hieronym aduerf Pelag. Although the Apostle doe openly confesse that both he and all the Saints are tied to this necessitie of sinne yet hee boldly affirmeth that none of them are subiect to condemnation when hee saith There is then no condemnation vnto them that are in Christ c. You will say But behold the one hundred fortie foure thousand in the Apocalips which neuer defiled themselues with women they are vnreproueable there hath not any lie beene found in their mouthes c. And knowest thou wherefore Verily because they haue confessed their sinnes for that they became their owne accusers c. Otherwise the truth had not beene in them and where truth had not beene lying had beene c. And this he said speaking of the Martyrs Saint Ierome The Phylosophers the chiefe begetters and patrons of heretickes defiled the puritie of the Church by a peruerse doctrine raised by their being ignorant how that it was spoken of the frailtie of man Dust and ashes whereof art thou proud Seeing also that the Apostle saith I see an other Law in my members Againe I doe not the good that I would but the euill that I would not that I doe if hee doe that which he would not how can this stand which is said That man if he wil may be without sinne And how can he be that which hee will seeing that the Apostle affirmeth that hee cannot accomplish that which he desireth When as therefore J shall thinke my selfe to haue attained the end of vertues Idem ad Rustic then I am but in the beginning for their is no other perfection in men but to knowe themselues imperfect In an other place There dwelleth no good in our flesh the spirit willeth one thing the flesh is constrained to do an other There is not any man cleane from sin though his life haue bene but a day long The very stars are not pure in Gods sight And if there be sin in the firmament how much more in earth If in theÌ„ that haue no bodily temptatioÌ„ how much more in vs compassed about with this fraile flesh who crie with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this mortall bodie c. Idem ad Pelag Ep. 9. ad Saluian But Saint Paul saith We which are perfect accompt that c. Then there is some perfection in this world Nay rather saith he to the end that thou maiest see that the perfect perfection of the gifts of God is not here he addeth straight after Not because that I haue alreadie receiued or that I am perfect Then he was perfect through the hope that he had of the glorification to come imperfect through the burden of corruption and mortalitie perfect through his wayting for the reward imperfect through his fainting and being wearied in the fight perfect in that he knew that God was able to performe whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto his imperfect in that God had not as yet performed to his all that which he hath promised them In a word imperfect thinking vpon that which he wanted vnto perfection perfect in that he is not ashamed to confesse his imperfection and that he might come thither he traueleth thitherward like a good traueller Prosper Aquit in Psal 105. 142. c. Prosper
of the Law The law leadeth to faith and the iustice of God to his grace cannot possibly faile by consequent to explaine and lay open vnto vs the benefite of grace leading vs from Moyses to Christ from workes to faith and from death wherein wee stand naturally euen from the time of our conception and whereinto also euen after the time of our regeneration we runne and cast our selues continually by our faults and offences vnto our life and righteousnesse which is hid in Christ We cannot liue by the Law for we cannot fulfill it wherefore we must haue recourse vnto his grace His grace that is to say the mercie of God freely exhibited in Iesus Christ who hath fulfilled the Law by his obedience and which hath borne our transgressions vppon the Crosse but for such as to whome God hath giuen by the same grace to feele the sentence of condemnation due in themselues and assuredly to belieue their saluation in him And this is the cause why these two points are ordinarily conioyned and coupled together both in the Scriptures and holy Fathers euen grace and faith opposed to the Law and workes namely that grace that is to say that gift which God hath bestowed vppon vs by the righteousnesse of his onely begotten Sonne yea of his Sonne and all that which hee possesseth for the abolishing of our sinnes that faith that is to say that abilitie and power which hee giueth vs by his holy spirite to receiue in humilitie and yet with all assurednesse and certaintie that incomparable good thing which hee bestoweth vpon vs here below as a pledge and earnest pennie of those which hee will consequently giue vs to possesse with him in the highest heauens Origen expounding these words of the Apostle Orig. in Ep. ad Rom. l 3. c. 3. Where is thy glorying it is shut out c. He saith saith he that the iustification which is of faith onely doth suffice although that the belieuer haue not wrought any worke And for an example wee haue the theefe for whose onely faith Jesus said vnto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice c. And so likewise the woman in the Gospell Luke the seuenth The Pharisie said Jf he were a Prophet he would know what shee is but for her faith onely Iesus said vnto her Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee c. And for this cause the Apostle doth not boast himselfe of his owne righteousnesse chastitie wisedome c. But of the Crosse of Christ in the Lawe of faith which is in Iesus Christ c. Saint Ambrose saith Ambros de Virgin l. 3. Christ hath not redeemed thee with siluer nor gold haue thy siluer readie thou art not arrested euerie day though thou be in debt He hath paid his bloud for thee thou art indebted vnto him this bloud for we lay pawned in the hands of a wicked Creditor We haue beene the cause of the bill of our owne blame and guiltinesse by our sinnes Idem de fide l. 3. c. 3. wee owe for the punishment of the same our bloud the Lord Iesus is come hee hath paid his bloud for vs c. Againe Our redemption is by the bloud of Christ our forgiuenesse and pardon by his power and our life by his grace Idem de bono mort c. 2. Ep. 72.73 Againe Eternall life that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Lord Iesus is come to fasten our sufferings to his Crosse to forgiue vs our sinnes to nayle to the crosse our obligation and to wash all the world in his blood Otherwise Idem de Iacob beat vita l. 1. c. 5. Psalme 118. saith he wherefore should the Prophet haue said Haue mercie on mee if he had trusted vnto his owne righteousness if there be any thing but mercie which deliuereth from sin But hee that hath need of mercie is a sinner and therefore what soeuer good commeth to vs let vs impute it to the righteousnesse of Christ It is the mercie of the Lord that remission of sinnes is freely and liberally giuen vnto vs Let no man glorie or boast himselfe that he hath a chast hart c. Againe Idem de fide l. 3. c. 3. My wisedome that is to saie the crosse of Christ My redemption the death of Christ Again By the disobedience of one man many are made sinners by the obedience of one man many are made righteous Againe God hath taken vpon him our flesh to abolish the curse of our sinfull flesh Idem de fuga saecul c. 7. Iudicato he was made a curse for vs to the end that the blessing might swallow vppe the curse integritie sinne grace the sentence of death and life death it selfe for he likewise hath vndergone death to fulfill the sentence of death and to satisfie the iudge for the curse lying vppon sinfull flesh Faith receiueth and taketh hold of grace Idem de paenit l. 2. Ex Syngrapha Idem in ep ad Rom. c. 3. 4 euen to the death c. And here behold the poole of grace the fountaine of life freely set open who shall put vs into the poole who shall draw for vs out of that fountaine verily verily no other helping hand saith the Apostle but faith yea Onely faith saith Saint Ambrose Let vs hope and looke for saith he the pardoning of sinnes by faith and not as by debt or merite faith will obtaine it for vs as by vertue of couenant vnder writing that is to say of the promises of God by the which he hath bound himselfe vnto vs Praesumptio propior est arroganti quà m roganti c. Presumption that is that ouer high couceipt we haue of our workes is more incident to such as arrogate and challenge for their owne eternall life by their desertes then to such as acknowledging themselues to haue no parte therein as of themselues doe humblie craue the same by praier c. Againe They are iustified freely because they are iustified without doing or working for the same and because they giue not any thing in exchange for the same they are iustified by faith alone by the gift of God c. The wicked man impius is iustified before God by faith alone c. For Idem devocat Gen. l. 2. c. 8. He that dare saith he preach that the grace of God is giuen according to mens merites preacheth against the catholike faith c. Let no man therefore glorie in his workes for no man shall be iustified by them He that is iust he hath it of gift Tertullian calleth it Donatiuum for hee is iustified by being washed It is faith that deliuereth vs by the blood of Christ Idem ep 71. Blessed is he whose sinnes are remitted and hath his pardon granted c. Againe By the sinne of one all haue deserued to bee condemned sinning alike for in the righteousnesse of one all shall be iustified credentes that belieue If hee
beene deriued and drawne Masses for the deade through such an abuse much like to that which is condemned by diuers auncient Councels namely the giuing of the Eucharist vnto the dead Withall wee haue shewed that there is no Purgatorie that the old and new Testament did neuer acknowledge it as neither the first and most auncient antiquitie if so bee they take it not from the heathen as also that those which haue spoken of it did not meane the same which our aduersaries embrace maintaine but rather that this is an opinion which cannot by any meanes stand and agree with that of theirs and how that hereby Masses and Suffrages for the dead swarme vpon the face of the earth From this pretended sacrifice likewise haue proceeded and sprung the Masses said in honour of Saints in which they were both praied vnto and worshipped yea euen to the offering vp in sacrifice in honor of them of the Sonne of God himselfe if one would belieue them Further wee haue shewed that the inuocation and worshipping of Saints is condemned throughout the whole Scripture old and new and by all true antiquitie that the beginning of this doting madnesse was taken vp by the imitating of the heathens in their Paganisme shewing further the manifold contradictions that were maintained against the same for a long time and thus the whole seruice of Saints a great portion of the Papists doctrine falleth downe to the ground And for as much as Inuocation is grounded vppon the merit of Saints and this Merite oftentimes alleadged in the Masse and that euen in their speaking to God for the remission of sinnes wee haue verified and auoucht it that there is not any maner of meriting at Gods hand allowed or taught either in the Scriptures or in the auncient writers neither yet in the purer sort of the new latter writers except such as they themselues are at this day ashamed of In summe that there is neither sacrifice name nor merit which euer saued the dead or which euer was able to preserue the liuing but the onely name merit and sacrifice of one onely Iesus Christ God and man dead for our sinnes and risen for our iustification To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be honour and glorie for the riches of his grace eternally and euerlastingly Amen The end of the third Booke The fourth Booke Wherein the holy Supper of our Lord is handled and intreated of as a Sacrament and consequently of the Masse and it is a treatise of Transubstantiation CHAPTER I. What a Sacrament is and wherein it consisteth And of the difference betwixt the Sacraments of the old and of the new Testament where are set downe certaine rules of the old writers for the vnderstanding of them HItherto wee haue intreated of the Masse as it is a corrupting of the holy Supper of our Lord in the qualitie or vnder the name and nature of a sacrifice it followeth now that we examine it as a counterfeit of the same in the qualitie of a Sacrament a matter intreated of so exactly by many great personages of this time as that it may seeme a verie vnaduised and needlesse thing after them to enter into the same matter not treading the steps wherein they haue gone before Notwithstanding because this worke would remaine lame vnperfect if it should want this part I will deale therevpon but so briefely as possibly may bee standing not so much vpon the matter of dispute as the course of the storie to the end that that which seemeth at the least to haue his stay and maintenance from auncient writers may be confessed and acknowledged not to haue any manner of recommendation at all more then that which it reapeth from the verie newest and latest writers that haue sprung vp in the Church of Rome The Lawe was no sooner giuen to man but sinne insued thereupon neither was sinne so soone hatched but that presently thereupon man receiued the writ of condemnation and sencibly felt the punishment thereof whereupon likewise the Gospell was preached vnto him Gene. 3. by Gods owne mouth namely in the promise of the holy seede which should bruise the head of the Serpent and in the incarnation of the Sonne of God for the redemption of mankind for the remission of our sinnes And this Gospell is the reconciliation of God with men by the bloud of our Lord shed effectually before the foundation of the world in as much as from the same he hath wrought the saluation and redemption of the Patriarkes and Prophets and to bee short of al them which haue bene saued either without the Law or vnder the law shed notwithstanding naturally in his appointed and determined time euen when our Sauiour hauing taken our flesh was stretched vpon the tree of the Crosse for vs. Man in the meane time in his blindnesse and peruerse nature became vnable either to see or belieue this excellent mysterie if God had not reuealed it vnto him The necessity of the sacraments but able on the contrarie quickly to forget it according to our ordinarie negligence and carelesnesse in heauenly things if it had not beene represented and set before his eyes continually And afterward what apparance or likely-hood could there be conceiued of sinfull man vnthankfull to God and condemned and cast away in his owne conscience that God would vouchsafe to be his God that hee would reconcile himselfe vnto a vile and vnprofitable creature that hee would make a league with dust giue himselfe to him for a perpetuall inheritance and deliuer his onely Sonne to suffer a shamefull and ignominious death for him All of them beeing workes of a bottomelesse depth of mercie towards a most miserable creature who waited and looked for nothing else in the guiltinesse of his owne conscience but a bottomlesse Sea of wrath and indignation This therefore was the cause why God our Creator the beginning middle and end of our saluation not content to haue promised and giuen his Sonne to our first parents vnto reconciliation and redemption and in their persons vnto their true posteritie which is the Church doth renue from time to time this Gospell vnto his children this glad tidings of the league and couenaunt made with his faithfull ones for their saluation giuing them sometimes Prophetes to preach his Christ that was to come and sometimes Apostles to testifie and beare witnesse vnto him alreadie come in the flesh dead and risen for vs. This is the ministerie of his holy word euermore continued in his Church He furthermore ordaineth for them Sacraments of this couenant made and accomplished earnest pence and palpable pledges of the certaintie of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnes and remedies of their distrust and diffidencie which speake and testifie outwardly both vnto their eares and eyes by the analogie and agreement of their nature and inwardly to their vnderstandings and hearts by the working of the holy Ghost accompanying them namely that this
say in the Sacrament but in the reading of the scriptures for the true meat the true drinke which is receiued of the worde of God is the knowledge of the Scriptures And therefore sayth S. Augustine That Iesus Christ is preached by tongues by Epistles and by the Sacraments of his bodie and blood c. That is to say that the Sacrament is a dumme worde or as hee himselfe calleth it a visible worde the worde a speaking Sacrament a Sacrament receyued by hearing that is to say Christ and life by Christ in them both The third that euerie Sacrament consisteth in three things in the signe A sacrament consisteth of the signe of the thing and of the word in the thing signified and in the worde and institution of God The signe giuen by the Pastor and receiued by the hand of the faithfull which goeth into the stomacke the thing giuen of God and receiued by the faith of the faithful which goeth vnto the soule and that by the mediation of the worde and working of the holy Ghost which accompanieth it which goeth together with the thing signified in the signe and yet not changing it in his nature but rather making it of a bare Element a Sacrament of a common creature a sacred and of an earthly an heauenly one to be short the instrument of our regeneration coniunction and vnion with Christ wherein lieth our life The signe which is visible the thing that is to say grace which is inuisible the operation of the worde and of the spirit incomprehensible And againe the signe which hath properly his analogie and proportionall relation to the outward man Grace that is to say the thing signified to the inward man inasmuch as he is renued nourished and fostered by the spirit in his spirit vnto which the Sacrament is properly offered vnto the soule I meane not vnto the bodie vnto the inward spirit August in serm ad Infant ad alt de sacram Idem de cruit 〈◊〉 10. c. 5. Idem in Quaest super Leuit. q 84. Idem de Corp. Christ Chrysost hom 83. in Mat. Anno 900. Raban l. de Sacr. Euchar. c 9. Pach. de Corp. Sang. Christ Lombard l. 4. d. 1. Bernard in Serm. de Caen. Dom. The signe called of the Fathers by the name of the Sacrament Tertul. cont Marc. l. 4. Hilar de consecr d. 2. Chrysost in Mat. hom 83. August in Ioh tract 26. Idem apud Grat. exsenten Prosper Rom. 2. and not to the outward senses And this thing also we shall be throughly instructed in by the fathers S. Augustine saith A Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace a signe of a sacred thing wherein is seene one thing with the outward sense and an other thing is vnderstood of the spirit Againe The Lord sanctifieth by an inuisible grace by the holie Ghost and there lieth the whole fruit of the visible Sacraments without this what are men able to profit c. Againe A Sacrament is a ceremonie wherein vnder the couert of visible things the diuine power worketh more secretly and priuily our saluation Chrysostome Christ hath giuen vs insensible things insensible ones Rabanus A sacrament is called all that which by the ordinance of God is giuen vnto vs for a pledge of our saluation when the thing visibly done doth inuisibly worke within vs all maner of other things c. And Paschasius Lombard in the verie same tearmes And Saint Bernard intreating vpon this matter giueth vs an example A Sacrament saith he is a sacred signe A Iewell may be giuen onely for a Iewell but it may bee giuen also to inuest and set a man in possession of an inheritance And then we say the Iewell is of small value and that it is the inheritance that we looke and seeke for And thus saith he our Lord drawing neere his death had care to inuest his elect and put them in possession of his grace for which cause this inuisible grace was giuen vnto them by some visible signe c. Where we are to obserue that the worde pledge and the similitude of the Iewell or ring are of antiquitie And this for our definition That which we call the signe the fathers do sometimes call the Sacrament how soeuer ordinarily this whole holy action is so called As wheÌ„ they say That the Sacrament is diuerse and differing from the thing of the Sacrament that is to say that the thing is one and the Sacrament of the same another that is to say again that the signe is one thing and the grace which is the thing signified is an other The figure is one thing saith Tertullian but the thing of the figure another The figure is one thing saith Saint Hillarie and the truth another The figure that which is seene without the truth is that which is belieued within The sensible thing saith Saint Chrysostome is one thing and the intelligible another The Sacrament saith saint Augustine is one thing and the power of the Sacrament another The Sacrament of the thing saith he is that which some take receiue to life others to destruction The thing that is to say grace whereof the Sacrament becommeth a Sacrament that is to say a signe that no man doth communicate to his ruine and destruction but euerie man to life and saluation And hereof we haue examples In Circumcision vnder which many had the signe and not the thing wherupon we see that the Prophets call the Israelites Of vncircumcised hearts And saint Paule saith That Circumcision became to them vncircumcision And in the Manna wherein some saith saint Augustine did eat nothing but Manna alone but others did tast and feed vpon the bodie of Christ In Baptisme which he saith that Simon the Magitian receiued without thâ— iâ—uisible grace the signe without the thing The signe and the thing notwithstanding The neare coÌ„iunction betwixt the sign and the thing for asmuch as they cannot be considered the one without the other being correlatiues and so the one presupposing the other are so conioyned and coupled togither that the one is oftentimes named for the other wherein the fathers do solemnly forewarne vs to take good heed that wee take not the signe for the thing nor the thing for the signe For the signe is the signe of the thing signified for but in regard thereof it cannot be a signe and on the contrarie it cannot be both the signe the thing togither neither in whole nor in part no more then a sonne is not a sonne but in respect of a father and cannot notwithstanding be a sonne and a father at once in one and the same respect so Circumcision the signe of the couenant is called the Couenant and the Passage or Pascal Lambe the Passeouer or Passage the rocke Christ and the water of Baptisme Regeneration c. All of them being but signes or remembrances of the couenant Circumcision of the heart communion with Christ Regeneration of man
neere to his death had care to set vs in possession of his grace to the end that his inuisible grace might be giuen vs by some visible signe And for that are all the Sacraments instituted for that cause also the Eucharist and Baptisme c. What will they here say which blame and are offended with vs for that we call the Sacraments a ring or pledge In an other place he putteth downe this comparatiue speech Idem in Cant. serm 33. Men vse not to take with like chearefulnesse the crust of the Sacrament and the finest of the flower of the Corne faith and riches remembrance and presence eternitie and a stinted time the face and the Glasse the Image of God and the forme of a seruant Againe Idem de S. Martinio ser 21. The true substance of the flesh is exhibited vnto vs in the Sacrament but spiritually not carnally And what is the meaning of this spiritually Verily saith he in an other place expounding these words Noli me tangere This touching from henceforth seeing Christ is gone vp into heauen is done by the affection not with the hand with the desire not with the eye by faith not by feeling Thou shalt touch him with the hand of faith the finger of desire the fierie flames of deuotion and with the eye of the vnderstanding c. To belieue him is to haue found him Hug. erud Theolog. trac 6. c. 7. Summae Senten de sacr l. 2. p. 8. c. 8. 13. The faithfull knowe that Christ dwelleth by faith in their hearts what can there be more neere Hugo of Saint Victor This visible kind is named flesh by the custome of the Scripture which giueth to Sacraments the names of the things whereof they are Sacraments Againe The bread is proposed and set before men that in it may be taken and by it may bee signified the truth of the bodie and bloud of Christ And againe The receiuing of the Eucharist is the Sacrament and image of the participation of Iesus For this his Sacrament which wee take visibly is the signe that we ought to be vnited vnto him spiritually In a word It is better for thee saith he that Christ should enter into thy vnderstanding then into thy belly This meate is for the soule and not for the bodie Which beareth in a word this lessoÌ„ with it as we take it That the bread is the body of Christ Sacramentally in signification and in figure exhibiting notwithstanding vnto our soules the thing in truth spiritually by faith And Berengarius doth interpret it in the same words cited by Lanfrancus Now I am not ignorant that these same Doctors haue in other places spoken altogether as properly but so it is that Barbarisme had not as yet choaked suppressed the old language of the Church notwithstaÌ„ding that persecution was euerie where intended against them that would speake it freely Oppositions Peter de Bruits a famous Doctor at Tholose who taught that the transmutatioÌ„ of the kinds was contrarie to the word of God Petrus Cluniacensis l 2. being followed of a great number of people in the Prouences of Dolphinie Prouence Languedoc and Guien was burned aliue And Henrie his fellow Scholler did not shrinke to take his place vpon him in most couragious sort maner as also diuers others with him An Abbot rose on the other side in Fraunce who preached the verie same doctrine an other in England holding disputation Panem esse Sacramentum non rem Sacramenti That the bread is the Sacrament and not the thing but this man was oppressed by Malachias Bishop of Ireland In Graecia likewise they disputed and reasoned sutably to this doctrine Whether the bodie of Christ Nicetas after it is taken bee corruptible or incorruptible Nicetas taketh the one part and Humbert the Burgonian the other men agreed vpon as contrarie one to the other in all things Thus by these friuolous and fantasticall questions turning into cruell contentions the true body of Christ was rent in peeces and his very bloud contemptuously shed and spoyled whereas it was instituted for the vnion and knitting together of the Church Now come in Gratian and Lombard Friers patrons and protectors the one of the Canonists the other of the Schoolemen the one a compiler of the Decrees the other of the sentences Anno 1200. The Canons the greater part whereof is taken from the Fathers but sometimes not according to their true sence the rather to fit them thereby to their times And hereby we shall still be able to perceiue and see that the truth thereof cannot bee hid or concealed Let vs begin with Gratian The Canon Inquit is verie plaine and manifest Gratian. Câ—nqâ—â—t 80. De Consec d 2 C. Quia passus 3â— â—c Consec c. 2 â— Null◠〈…〉 C. â—um Quid 43 c. oâ—ccrâ— d 2. â—b Gl. C. Non hoc 4â— ibid. That the Fathers of the old Testament did eate the same spirituall meate that wee c. The Canon Quia passus That euerie faithfull person is partaker of the bodie and bloud of Christ of his bread and Cup in Baptisme Maxims altogether contrarie to those of the transubstantiators And as concerning the Eucharist the Canon Prima quidem saith You shall not eate this bodie which you see you shall not drinke the bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me I haue recommended vnto you a certaine Sacrament the same spiritually vnderstood doth quicken you And the Glose You shall not eate this bodie c. that is in this sort and greatnesse but in the Sacrament Which is directly against that which they teach That the same body which was crucified is eaten in the Eucharist Now to the end they may loose themselues out of this snare they patch it vp with these words Ipsum non ipsum That is the same and not the same the same inuisible not the same visibly c. But the Canons C. Dupliciter 2◠〈…〉 est quod 4â— d. ead 〈◊〉 Gloss Aâ—â—ust in psa 98. Tâ—om op 58. c 19 C. de hac quidem 75. d. 2 vbi Hieron C. Hoc Corpus 27. de consecr d. 2. Dupliciter and hoc est quod doth quite breake off whatsoeuer hold they might seeme to haue The flesh and the bloud of Christ are taken two waies either as they are spirituall and diuine of which the Lord saith My flesh is truely meate c. Or for the flesh which was crucified and the bloud which was shed with the speare c. Now Saint Augustine meaneth that it is this that is neither eaten nor drunken Againe by the Canon De hac quidem It is not permitted saith he to any man to eate of the host that Christ hath offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse but rather of that other which is admirably done in remembrance of it Then there is nothing left for vs to eate but the remembraunce and memoriall onely
bee that pure righteousnesse when transgression and some default cannot bee shut out from it But it seemeth to vs that the iust and righteous dealing of men may be vpright and honest when it yeeldeth not so farre vnto sinne as to suffer it to raigne in the bodie c. Againe The Lord is hee that iudgeth me Idem de verbo Originis for I cannot auoide his righteous sentence yea and if I were iust yet would I not lift vp my head because that all my righteous actions are as a stained cloth seeing that before God no man can be iustified no not one CHAP. XVIII That the Law was giuen man to conuince him of sinne and to cause him to looke for his saluation in that grace which is by faith in Christ according both to the Scriptures and the fathers FOr what vse then will some say doth the Law of God serue vs The end of the law according to the holy Scriptures if we cannot fulfill the same Verily that by it thou maist know the difference that is betwixt the righteousnesse of God and that pretended righteousnesse of thine owne and that thou maist knowe that thou art not able to doe it As certainely also that thou maiest bee conuinced in thy pride condemned in thy righteousnesse and bound and beholden to his mercies And all the Pedagogie thereof Deut. 9. all the discipline and instruction contained in the same if thou consider it is no other thing Moyses saith Say not in thine heart O Israell This is because of my righteousnesse that God hath brought me into this land it is not by reason of the vprightnesse of thy heart for thou art a stif-necked people c. And then how much lesse into the true land Into the heauenly Chanaan The whole seruice of the Lawe consisteth altogether in washings altogether in bloud and in killing which aunswere fitly to our vncleannesse sinnes crimes accidents and happes yea to our verie ignorances to our faults known and vnknowne vnto vs and they were renued Euening and Morning and were continued perpetually and therefore also both an ordinarie and continuall charge and accusation of our whole liues and of all that which is within vs Psalme or that commeth out of vs. Whereupon Dauid saith If thou markest our iniquities O Lord who shall abide it who shall indure thy stroke And whereas he speaketh of his righteous workes he saith Thou art the Lord my goodnesse reacheth not vnto thee The Prophets likewise doe neuer speake vnto vs but of a circumcised heart of a new heart of a hart of flesh in stead of our vncircumcised and stonie harts to the end that wee may know where the disease holdeth vs euen in our most noble part and that it lyeth not in vs to reforme the same that it hath need to be quite framed anew by the operation of the Creator himself by his holy spirit and in the fountaine or spring head are all the waters issuing from thence condemned in the tree all the fruites thereof In the originall of motion all our motions and in the workman all the workes which he hath wrought Whereupon S. Paul also the true interpreter of the Law leadeth vs continually from workes vnto faith and from the Law to grace The Law saith hee giueth knowledge of sinne Rom. 3. the Law maketh it to abound the Law worketh wrath the Law is the ministerie of death by the workes of the Law no man is iustified for no man can fulfill it And yet in the meane time Cursed are they that abide not in all the words of the same And what shall we doe then But saith he the iust shall liue by faith he shall be iustified by faith without the workes of the Law iustified freely by the grace of God by the redemption made in Iesus Christ Rom. 4 That grace which superaboundeth whereas sinne hath abounded That faith which applieth vnto vs this grace which is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse in as much as we belieue in him that hath raised Christ from the dead slaine for our sinnes and raised for our iustification Rom. 11.5 c. And If it bee of grace saith the Apostle then it is no more by workes otherwise grace were no more grace otherwise workes were no more workes And yet in the meane time faith the gift of God Faith the gift of God and grace that is to say the remission of sinnes the gift also of God and the hand to receiue the bountifull kindnesse and free liberalitie of our God in Christ this free mercy also the gift of God Faith Ephes 2.8 Rom. 5. for you are saued saith the Apostle by grace through faith and that not of your selues it is of God Grace the remission of sinnes in like manner For saith hee also if by the offence of one many die much more the grace of God and the gift by grace c. hath abounded on many Rom. 6. Againe The wages of sinne is death Our aduersaries would say and the wages of good workes is eternall life Nay saith our Apostle But the the gift of God that is to say Rom. 5 the gift of righteousnesse the aboundance of grace is eternall life by Iesus Christ And this gift notwithstanding is called an inheritance the inheritance of Children and not the wages of seruants And yet an inheritance which wee although adopted for children doe loose and forfait euerie day as much as in vs lyeth by our sinnes if God euerie houre in the obedience of his Sonne did not restore it vnto vs againe and that of his free gift Ioh. 1. Rom. 8. For saith Saint Iohn He hath vouchsafed vs the honour to be made the children of God And If saith Saint Paul you bee Sonnes you are also heires yea fellow heires with Christ Such is the paines that the Apostle taketh to weede and destroy out of vs this roote of Pharisaisme of pretended merite sometimes making vs heires sometimes Donatories or rather heires Donatories in as much as it is giuen vnto vs to be children which naturally we were not But what child is hee that can be indured or thought worthie to be maintained if hee say that he deserueth and meriteth at his fathers hands and that of his father of whome hee holdeth and inioyeth but this mortall life and that rather but as the instrument then the author thereof Some in like maner asked the auncient fathers The end and scope of the law according to the olde writers wherefore serueth the law of God if we cannot performe it And behold now what was their answere Saint Ambrose The Law worketh and causeth wrath Adam fell to offend by disobedience and to commit a fault by insolencie But in as much as pride was the cause of the fall and the prerogatiue of innocencie the cause of his pride there was iust cause giuen for the making of a Law which might make him subiect vnto God
For without the Lawe sinne was not knowne whereas now there is no man that can excuse himselfe by ignorance Ambros l. 9. Ep. 71. wherefore it is made First for to take away excuse Secondly to humble euerie man before God by the sight and knowledge of his sinne Sinne did superabound through the Law and began to be offensiue vnto me for to know it as being a thing which by infirmitie I could not auoide for it causeth a man throughly to know that from which no man can keepe himselfe and which cannot but hurt him The Law then is turned vpside downe except that euen by the verie increase of sinne it become profitable vnto me by the meanes of my hauing beene humbled c. In the end transgression increased by the Law and in like manner pride was abated being the originall of transgression and this turned me to profit for as pride deuised and found out transgression euen so transgression hath wrought and brought foorth grace c. Againe Sinne hath shut out the naturall Law yea and almost quite abolished it and therefore this Law succeeded to conuince vs by written testimonies to shut our mouthes and to humble the whole world before God To humble it for as much as by the Law wee are all cast and conuict persons and for that by the workes of the Law there is no man iustified that is to say that by the Law sinne is knowne but the offence is not pardoned It might haue seemed then that the Lawe had brought dammage and hurt with it in that it hath made vs all sinners but the Lord comming hath with vs giuen sentence against the sinne which wee could not auoide and hath cancelled our bill of debt by his bloud c. Ep. 73. The Law therefore saith hee is a Schoolemaster that leadeth vs vnto our Master which master is Christ Saint Augustine The letter of the Law which teacheth that wee ought not to sinne August de spirit liter if the quickning spirit doe not accompanie the same doth kill vs For it hath done more for vs to bring vs to the knowledge of sinne then to the auoiding of the same for euerie way wee stand in need of an absolute righteousnesse when as yet the case so standeth as that there is no man without sinne him onely excepted which is not onely man but God by his nature c. Thus saith hee the righteousnesse of God is manifested but not without the Law for by the Law hee hath shewed vnto man his infirmitie to the end that returning by faith and hauing recourse vnto his mercie he might be healed c. Againe The vnrighteous haue a lawfull vse of the Law as of a Schoolemaster for it is vnto them beeing vnrighteous a iust terrour the iust doe vse it also and yet are not iustified by it but by the Law of faith The Law of workes is in Iudaisme the Lawe of faith in Christianitie c. By the Law of workes God saith Doe this that I commaund you by the Law of faith we say to God Giue and inable vs to doe that which thou commaundest For that which the Law commaundeth is to make vs vnderstand what the Law doth Idem de verb. Apost Ser. 13. What is it then saith he in an other place lawfully and rightly to vse the Law It is to learne what our sicknesse and disease is by the Law The law is a Schoolemaster a guide and gouernour of children the Tutor dooth not giue directions and instructions to the child how to come to him but to his Schoolemaster but to his Master that is to say to Christ In an other place Who is that saith he that can accomplish the Law Idem l. 9. retract so much as in one point besides him who is the author of all the commaundements of God that is to say Christ For likewise in these commaundements we are to pray thus Forgiue vs c. Which the Church is to continue vnto the end of the world But saith he all the commaundements are said to bee fulfilled when that which is not fulfilled is pardoned Thou saiest Idem de perfect Iustit Wherefore then should hee haue commaunded that which could not be fulfilled Nay rather saith he what could he doe more for the good of man then to commaund him to walke vpright to the end that when hee should be brought to confesse and acknowledge that he could not hee might haue recourse vnto the remedie And this is it which hee toucheth in briefe Idem in Iohn c. 3. by way of recapitulation in an other place Seeing that they could not fulfill the Law by their owne power and strength being become guiltie of the Law they haue craued the helpe of the deliuerer To bee conuicted of the Law Reatus legis wrought spite and maliciousnesse in the proude and this spite in the proude brought forth confession in the humble so that now the sicke and diseased doe confesse themselues sicke and diseased Let the Phisition come saie they and heale our diseased and sicke people nowe the Physition is our Lord c. The Demi-pelagians and amongst other of them the Monke Cassianus put foorth this question to Prosper that great Diuine of Fraunce And what is then the vse of the law Prosper Aquit in sentent 42. 44. In Epigram 43. in Psal 118. Verily saith hee that we might seeke for grace euen that grace by the which the Law is fulfilled The law saith he which could not bee fulfilled and that not through it owne default but through ours and our fault was necessarily discouered by the Law that so it might be cured by grace Otherwise the Law doth rather increase sinne then diminish or cut it off in as much as to concupiscence it addeth disobedience And in an other place in one word Chrysost in Ep. ad Rom. hom 5. 17. Idem in 1. Tim. hom 2. Transmittit ernard in Cantic Serm. 50. Jndex peccati lex est c. Saint Chrysostome saith The Law would iustifie man but it cannot for neuer did any man fulfill it and no man can be iustified thereby but in accomplishing of the same a thing which is not possible for any man What doth it then It straineth it selfe it doth his dutie to send vs to him that is able to doe it and the same is Iesus Christ saith he if thou belieue in him And this is the same also that Saint Barnard hath so excellently said God in commaunding vs impossible things hath not properly made men sinners but hath made them humble For in receiuing the commaundement and espying the default we will crie to heauen and God will haue pittie on vs and then also in that day we shall know that it is not by the workes that we shal haue done that we shall be saued but by his mightie power c. Now these which haue so well instructed vs in the office and ministration