emperour yet hath he not thereby gotten auctoritie to depose bishoppes and ordeine newe â–ª which onely bishoppes must doe So strange a thing semed it then good readers in Christes churche which nowe we see so commonly done Long after thiese emperours start vp Leo Isaurus emperour of Constantinople he that made war with images Ageinst him god raised vp also his Azarias one to warn him of his duetie and that was that notable learned man Iohn Damascenus Giue saith he the apostle Paule crieth to euery one his due honor feare pension tribute to eche one that which they ought to haue The charge that kinges haue is to see well to their common weales the ordering of the churches apperteineth to the pastours and teachers This manner of inuading other mennes offices I can terme it no better my brethern then robbery and plaine violence And a little after he hath thiese wordes Tibi ô rex in ijs quae pertinent ad presentis vitae negocia c. As for those thinges ô king which concern onely this presâ—nt life in those we willingly obey the. In ordering thâ— state of the churche we haue shepherdes which haue spoken to vs the worde of god that is to saie taught it vs and haue left vs rites and ordres therefore And in the same place he addeth Non recipio regeÌ„ qui per tyrannidem sibi sacerdotiuÌ„ vsurpat I acknowledge him for no king that vsurpeth by tirany the priestes office And last of all to knit vp the knot in plaine wordes he saith Non assentior vt regum legibus gubernetur ecclesia sed patrum potius traditionibus siue scriptae hae sint siue non scriptae I consent not saith he that the churche of god shalbe gouerned by the lawes of kinges but by the traditions rather of oure fathers be they written or vnwritten And thus much hetherto good readers haue I thought good to reherce that yow may the better vnderstand how the auncient fathers of Christes churche haue not ceased continually from time to time to resist the vnlaufull attempt of such princes as being heretikes or enueigled theretoe by heretikes for of other perdy it was neuer gone about nor of all them neither would contrary to the expresse worde of god the custome of Christes churche from the beginning continued the alowed exaÌ„ples of all ages of all common weales Christian and heathen hetherto practised mingle heauen and earth holie and prophane together by vnlawfull vsurping to them selues the supreme and chief gouernement in causes ecclesiasticall To come nearer home to our owne time and daies if in it any prince haue attempted the like there hath not lacked also stoare of diuerse meÌ„ singuler bothe for their vertuous life and exquisite learning which haue rather chosen to withstand the same with the expence of their bloud and losse of this present life then to the vtter destructioÌ„ of both body and soule and losse of that which must continue for euer to consent thereto But if thiese examples please not the deinty tast of the aduersaries as being ouer stale I shall set before them their owne deare derling the piller while he liued of their religion the very head of their churche if they be not all together headlesse their Idol and their god in earthe whose doctrine and opinions at other times and in other thinges they haue so rauenouslie deuoured Iohn Caluin him self For if kinges and temporall gouernours as our aduersaries affirme ought euerie one of them in their realmes signories and dominions to gouerne in causes ecclesiasticall and matters of religion whie did then that monsterous beaste in his comentaries apon the prophetes Osâ—e and Amos rayl apoÌ„ our late souereigne lorde king Henrie the eight calling him homo belluinus a beastelie maÌ„ and comparing him with Iehû whome he termeth wicked and nought Why termed he theÌ„ blasphemers that first buzzed into his eares that vaine desire to be called chief head of the churche of England for of other yow wot well he neuer attempted to be nor euer was called vnder Christe here in earth If Caluin haue taught the truthe then haue his scholers taught vs and yeat doe feede vs with lies If they wer blasphemers that called king Henrie chief head of the churche of England vnder Christ which is to saie in effect nothing elles but to be chief gouernour in all causes belonging to the same who was yet a man although laie and thereto also of great wisdome and learning in what degree of blasphemie shall we place them that giue this title not to laie men onelie but to women also and children with out respect If Caluin who touching the giuing of this vnlaufull title to our late lord and maister was vtterly innocent coÌ„plained yet that euen his conscience was wounded not a little there withall how much more daungerousely wounded ought they to thinck them selues who of so many horrible and bloudly woundes whereby for the refusall to folow this example in christes churche neuer hard of before so many godly learned and innocent men in this realme haue died some by heading some by hanging some by quartering and tearing peace meale one membre from an other haue by ther false and vntrue suggestions byn the chief and onelie occasion who yet like cruell bloudsuckers and bloudy bourreâ—aus cary about in their murdering aud malicious mouthes the naked knife which wer it laufull for them they would sheathe in the throates of euerie one of vs that thinck not as they doe But if now on the contrarie part their maister Caluin wer deceauid if they be in the right and he in the wrong why steppeth none of them furth to defend and vindicate from perpetuall infamy that prince of famouse memory which by his railing writinges this wretched caytiff goeth about to bring him into why haue they left him so long vndefended who did no other thing then whereof them selues wer the authors and first beginners Or why at the least purge theie not them selues of the horrible crime of blasphemie laied by him to their charges and all such as theie ar for if they wer blasphemers that called king Henrie head of the churche of Englande what priuilege haâ—e thiese that calling not onelie him but his sonne and daughter by the same title in effect they should not incurre the same crime Where is now their spirit of vnitie that they ar wont so much to bragge of which dissent not here in any small poinct or from any meane man but euen from the chiefest caterpiller whyle he liued of their congregatioÌ„ who not onely in thiese places before by me alleaged kepeth as it wer with their proceadings a combat but elles where in his InstitutioÌ„s doeth merueilousâ—y discredit the same And in steede of manie places which might be brought here out of his worckes I shall onely for this time be coÌ„tented to alleage one in such sort as I finde it in the frenche because at the writing hereof
of thiese wordes must nedes be atteined by the conference of one place of scripture with an other and to that ende doe they not fondly alleage S. Paule callyng Chryst a rocke yea Chryst calling hym selfe a vine when he was in dede neither the one nor the other but by a fimilitude As though because th' apostle or Chryst hymself vseth a fygure in one place we must thincke that in all other he neuer spake other wise By which abhominable doctrine what letteth if a man would be so wicked to affirme that Chryst the sonne of god and second parson in trinitie wer not the true and naturall sonne of god but by adoption onelye and for that wycked heresy to bring this texte dedit eis potestatem filios dei fieri he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of god Which wordes we knowe being spoken by vs men must be vnderstand by grace and adoption and frowardly to mainteyne that all the places whych any good man can bryng for the defence of the contrary should be drawen to thys texte alleaged by them and expownded and vnderstand thereby The Anabaptystes who deny the baptesme of infants leane they not thyncke yow to thys grounde of yours yea truely and good reason it is that being all heretykes as you ar although in some poyntes dissentyng yet all ioining and agreing in one cancred hatred against the churche you should all vse the same rules and principles For that I may here passe ouer that reason of the Anabaptistes which belongeth to an other place that therefore infants must not be baptized because it is not expressed in scripture a principle also of your religion but deliuered vnto vs by tradition saye they not also that they haue the scripture playne for them ageinst vs where yt hath Qui erediderit baptizatus fueriâ— saluus erit he that beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued and again in an other place vna fides vnum baptisma one faythe one baptesme By whych places say they it appeareth that say the must goe before and baptisme folowe after And when the catholykes to represse and vtterly ouerthrowe this bruâ—ysh and beastely opinion answer that for infants thus baptized the faithe of the churche is sufficient and accounted for theirs crie they not as yowe doe that in this controuersâ—e one place of scripture must expound an other and that therefore where as the scripture requireth in him that is baptized faith that theie must haue it of their owne according to th'apostles saieng fides ex auditu faithe commeth by hearing which infants can not haue and according to the saieng of the prophete Iustus ex fide sua victurus est the iust man shall liue by his owne faithe I am sory that in answering to this fond reason I haue bin compelled to make anie mencion of such horrible heresies as thiese ar which I had much rather wer with their first authors buried in hel from whence theie cam where neither they nor their name might euer hereafter offend the conscience of any good christian man But as I haue necessarily laied before your eyes thiese that by a part yow may iudge of the whole so haue I willingly staied my self from rehercing whole swarmes of such opinions as being of all men taken for confessed heresies onely depend apon this one false ground that we nede here in earthe no other iudge to decide and determine doubtes arising upon the sâ—ripture then the scripture it self whych being they saye laied and conferred to gether one text with an other will not faile to bring vs to the right vnderstanding thereof If your hartes good readers be moued with thiese heresies in the reading as truely god I take to witnesse mine was in the writing abhorre those that teache them shonne and auoide such principles and groundes as haue byn the foundacion not of thiese onelie but of all that now reigne in the worlde and may be of any other hereafter that any desperate heretyke lysteth to inuent Stick to those by which all heretykes haue byn and thiese shalbe to their vtter confusion vanquished Shrincke not rashelie from that fundacioÌ„ whereon your elders and forfathers fastening them selues haue passed ouer so many hundred yeares in the true confession of one god one faith one truthe to them that hauing yet scarse fourty on ther backes haue notwithstanding emoÌ„gest theÌ„ creaping all out of the filthy neast of one Martin Luther so manie faythes and yet no faith so many truthes and yet no truthe neuer a one agreing with the other as there be mad frantick heads emongest them Giue no eare to that subtil generation walcking in the darck like blinde battes without a head without a iudge and all to thend ther iuggeling might not be espied Tell them that yow haue sene them thriue so euel apon that presumption of theirs so many heresies so many schismes and lewd opinions brought in thereby that yow ar at a poinct with your selues to leaue them and take that way that S. Hierom in the like case hath doen before yow who although his knowledge in the tongues wer such as by the report of most men it passed anie others in his time yet would not he take apon him in the discussing of doutes to leane to that rule of theirs to lay and confer to gether one texte with an other but referring him self to the see of Rome he alwaies protested that by that seate and faithe praised by th'apostles owne mouth would he be counceled and ruled Beatitudini tuae id est cathedrae Petri communione consocior To your holines saith he writing to Damasus then the bishop of Rome that is to say to Peters chaire am I ioined in communion and he addeth a cause whie Super illam Petram aedificatam ecclesiam scio I knowe that on that rock Peters chaire the churche is builded Say vnto them as S. Hierom said vnto the the heretikes Vitalis and Miletus because they ar aduersaries to this seate that yow knowe them not that they scatter and ar schismatikes alltogether out of the churche that gather not with Peters successor Tell them boldelie with S. Austen that yow will owe neither sute nor seruice to their chaire of pestilence nor be a membre of that bodie that either lacketh a head and is a dead tronck or hath many and is a liue monstre Aske of them with what face they could so many yeares to gether call king Henrie the eight supreame head of the churche of England immediatlie vnder god and nowe our gracious souereigne lady his daughter supreame gouernor in all ecclesiasticall thinges and causes ouer the same which how so euer they please them selues with fine fetches and coloured deuises is with th'other title in effect all one if this reason of theirs wer good Christ is head of the churche therefore there is no other head thereof vnder him And how was king Henrie then if they say that
again And because good Christian readers you shall well perceaue that this is no nowe deuise or fantasie imagined by mâ— I will here lay before your eyes the iudgement of certein notable men whom god gaue to his churche to serue for a wall for the same ageinst the incursions of the wicked Phylistins his enemyes In whom you shal most plainely perceiue this ordre in Christes churche to be so necessarie that the onely breache or lack thâ—râ—of hath byn by them taken to be the highe way and very path that leadeth to all heresies And first to begyn wyth that blessed martyr of god S. Cyprian hath he not coÌ„cerning this matter in an epistle by hym written to Corâ—elius then bishop of Rome thiese wordes Neque enim aliunde obortae sunt haereses aut natâ—â— sunt schismata quà m indé quâ—â—d sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur necvnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos et ad tempus iudex vice Christicogitatur that is neyther yet truely doe heresies aryse or schismes growe of any other cause then thereof that men obey not the priest of god neyther doe thinck that there is in the churche in the steed and place of Christ one prieste and one iudge for the time Hetherto S. Cyprian By the whych wordes good christian readers it is so euident that there must be one priest in the churche whom all other must obey that the same must be taken of vs for iudge here in earthe in the stede of Christe that you see I nothing doubt great cause to condeÌ„ne the grosse ignorance of our late apologie Wher in the authors contrary to thys doctrine of S. Cyprian most impudently pronounce that in hys church Christ our lord vseth not the help of any one man alone to gouern the same in his absence as he that standeth in neede of no such help and that if he did no mortall man could be found hable alone to doe the same and finally wyth the same S. Cyprian who dyed a holy martir and is no dout a saincte in heauen to whome the belief of both these two articles seemed not onely not impossible but also very necessary to lyue and dye in th' obedience of this priest and vnder such a iudge then wyth a sort of lewd losels in whose churche being a certein secret scattred congregation vnknowen to all the world beside and to their own fellowes toe is nother head ordre obedience neyther yet certein rules or groundes where on to stay to runne hedlong ye wot no more then your guides whither But S. Cyprian was he trow yow of this minde alone No verilie for S. Hierom is of the same as by thiese his wordes it is most euident Ecclesiae salus in summi sacerdotis pendet dignitate cui si non exors ab omnibus eminens detur poteâ—tas tot in ecclesâ—a efficientur schismata quot sacerdotes The health sayth he and welfare of the churche dependeth apoÌ„ the estimatioÌ„ of the chief priest who if he haue not auctoritie pearelesâ—e and aboue all other ye shall haue in the churche so many schismes as there be priestes And again in an other place speaking of the apostles he writeth thus Quòd vnus poâ—teà electus est qui caeteris praeponere tur in schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se trabens ecclesiane rumperet that is That one was afterward chosen to rule the rest that was donne for a remedy ageynst schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hym self the churche by such halyng and pullyng they might brâ—ake the same Leo of whom the whole councell of Calcedon as one of the greatest for nombre so of all men accoÌ„pted emongest the fower general for auctoritie reported so honorably that they did not onely wyth one voice all openly professe them selues to beleue as he did but called him also by the name of Sanctissimus beatissimus that is most holy and blessed of all other speaking of the mysticall body of Christes church writeth after this sort Haec conâ—exio totius quidem corporis vnanimitatem requirit c. This combination and ioining together he speaketh of the body of Christes church requireth an vnitie of the whole body but especîally of the priestes emongest whom although there be one dignitie common to them all yet is there not one generall ordre emongest them all For euen emongest the blessed apostles in that similitude of honor was there yet a differeÌ„ce of power and whereas in ther election they wer all lyke yet was yt giuen to one to be aboue all the rest Out of whych forme is taken our difference of bishops and by merueylouse ordre and disposition ys yt prouided that euery one should not chalenge to him self euery thing but that in euery prouince there should be one whose iudgement emongest the rest of his brethern should be chief and of most auctoritie And agein certein appoincted in greater cityes whose care should be greater by whome to the onely seate of Peter the charge of the vniuersal churche might haue recourse that nothing might at any time dissent from the head Hetherto haue yowe hard good readers beside th' experience that we haue of ciuile policy and worldly gouernement the opinions also of S. Cyprian S. Hierom and holy Leo all three agreiâ—g in one that there must nedes be one iudge in Christes churche in his steede that the health of the churche dependeth apon the auctoritie of the chief priest that if his auctoritie be not aboue all the rest there will so many schismes breake in apon vs as there be priestes that for th' auoyding of that mischief there was one chosen euen emongest th' apostles to gouern the rest Last of all that that vsage in christes churche to haue one head is no newe inuention as some men falsely report but taken from th' example of th' apostles them selues I can not heare stay to examyne curiously euery word in these auncient fathers but leauing that good readers to your discretion and not douting but that in these graue witnesses in a matter of such weight and importance as whereapon dependeth the health of the whole churche you wilbe no lesse diligent then you would be in examining the depositions of your owne witnesses or your aduersaries in a triall of landes or other temporall commoditie I shall procede to the coÌ„sideration of the second reason which before I touched of the people of Israel if I fyrst warne you to considre but this by the way that ye may trust those auncient fathers by ther word the better an other time how many schismes be burst in apoÌ„ vs in our country of England for one common receiued truthe in the dayes of our fathers when we remained in the obedience of one chief priest and iudge which shake now so myserably the same howe quietly in one loue in one truthe in one
of England I could not me thought either for their part which I coueâ— to make as strong as the naughtines of the cause will suffer doe better or for mine owne assurance worcke more warily then to take and cull out such proufes as for the maintenaunce of their opinion they haue there heaped to gether For them because there I persuade my selfe the reader may finde the verie force and strength of all that they haue for theÌ„ selues in this matter to saie as the place where bothe of good reason they should and for their craftie conueiance I nothing doubte but they would bring furth of their groundes the very best if they haue any better then other For my parte or rather for Christ and his churches whose quarell although farre vnworthy at this time I susteine it shall thus stande in steede that if it fortune in your iudgementes good Readers their said groundes and reasons to seeme such as any good man yea happely with some of them some of them selues may mislike they caÌ„ not yeat flee to their olde starting hole that it is but one doctours minde as they vse being sore pressed customably to doe whereas the booke bothe by the manner of the publishing thereof appeareth and sence hath byn acknowleged to be no priuat mannes acte The first argument therefore of theirs to proue that lay men in that they be kinges may take on them the ordering of matters in religion that to them belongeth the auctoritie and ouersight thereof is taken froÌ„ the example of Moyses who being a ciuile magistrat receiued neuerthelesse at the handes of almighty god bothe the charge and ordre of all the religion and ceremonies deliuered the same to the people and when Aaron being a bishop had contaminat the true religion by making the golden calf he failed not sharpely to rebuke and reprehend him therefore To this argument good Readers which out of this example they frame that therefore by good consequence it foloweth that the kinges emperours and other ciuile magistrates of our time may doe the like thus doe we answer that that auctoritie which Moyses had ouer the priestes was not because he was a prince but in that he was a priest as appeareth most euidentlie in the psalme where he is so called But ageinst this answere laboureth as they say with toothe and naile the author of that booke which walketh abrode in manie mennes handes vnder the name of a harborough for faithefull subiectes whose replie is this that in that psalme how euer the olde interpretors haue giuen vs the word the hebrue text hath Cohanim a word indifferent to signify priestes or princes aud that therefore such as doe best vnderstand the tongue giue it thus Moyses Aaron inter ministros eius Moyses and Aaron emongest his ministres And to proue that it may well so be the scripture he saieth calleth Dauid his sonnes Cohanim that is to saie ministres for well he woteth that no man wilbe so fond to saie that a kinges sonnes wer priestes yea he addeth that the best emongest the Hebrues interpreting thiese wordes giue it in Chorei Shemo Moyses AaroÌ„ inter eos qui inuocaÌ„t nomen eius Moyses and Aaron emongest them that call apon his name Thiese in effect be the reasons that moued the man to thinke that Moyses was no priest To be short Whome he taketh for the best or whome he accoÌ„pteth for the worst in the hebrue toÌ„gue or what his habilitie to iudge thereof is I confesse in good fayth I knowe not But of this I am well assured that S. HieroÌ„ Pagninus and whose translatioÌ„ for his religion he nede not to suspect Sebastianus Munsterus emongest all men taken for singulerly learned in that tongue inrerpret the worde to signify priestes And if all this satisfy him not the 70. interpretours traÌ„slate it so For thiese ar theire wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Moyses and Aaron in the nombre of his priestes And for so vndoubted a truthe was it taken with S. Hierom that he in the exposition of this psalme vsed thiese wordes Vterqué Moyses scilicet Aaron domini aduentum sacerdotali praeconio nunciauit Bothe of them that is to say Moyses and Aaron did with their priestly voyce denounce before hand the comming of our lorde Now touching the indifferency of the worde Cohanim to signify a minister or a priest we graunte it to be true but that because in some one place it so signifieth it ought therefore so to be expouÌ„ded in this that we vtterly denie And for proofe hereof we bring Abrahamus Esdras emongest the olde Rabbini called Sapientissimus He expownding this place of the psalme calleth Moyses and Aaron by the name of priestes And because no man should cauill about the ambiguitie of the worde Cohanim he graunteth it to be a worde doubtfull But to take away all such ambiguitie and to make vs assuredly vnderstaÌ„d when it signifieth this or that he giueth this rule that being ioined and applied to the name of god or any thing to him belonging as here it is it signifieth allwaies a priest but otherwise referred to prophane thinges a minister as maie be answered of Dauids children in the second booke of kings the .8 chapiter And surely so long as he standeth apon his bare vauntes of the best without naming at all any I se no cause but that we may well rest in that interpretacion which thiese â—ower for their knowledge in that tongue of the learned sort accompted most excellent beside the nombre of the .70 interpretours haue deliuered vnto vs especially seing that interpretacion which the very best emongest the Hebrues he saith haue giuen apon that place that is Moyses and Aaron emongest them that call apon his name I thinke to him that considereth well the wordes that followe Et Samuel inter eos qui inuocant nomen eius will seme and proue to be euen the very wurst But because yow shall well perceiue that Moyses was in dede a priest beside the testimonies allready brought furth I shall here alleage certein other to proue the same First S. Austen writing apon the same psalme where bothe he and Aaron ar called priestes maketh as it wer ageinst the priestehood of Moyses a certein obiection and afterward concludeth that Moyses was not withstanding a priest His wordes ar thiese Ibi quidem non videtur sacerdos essenisi Aaron Aperâ—è enim in illis literis Aaron nominatur sacerdos dei De Moyse noÌ„ ibi dicitur quòd sacerdos erat Sed si hoc non erat quid erat Nunquid maior sacerdote esse poterat Expropriat psalmus iste quia ipse sacerdos erat Moyses Aaron in sacerdotibus eius Ergo erant illi domini sacerdotes that is to say there it semeth that there was no other priest but Aaron for in that place is he plainelie named a priest but of Moyses there is no such word
bishoppes in nombre 318. roborate or confirmed non deberi absque R. pontificis sententia celebrari concilia nec Episcopos damnari that without the auctoritie of the B. of Rome neither councelles should be kepte nor bishops condemned So that herebie we may gather that it was before taken for a truthe but then by reason of some busie braines that began to call it in to question by the iudgement of the councell confirmed and put out of all doubte Who but he excommunicated all the churches of Asia and prouinces bordering apon it no man finding fault with the doing thereof for lacke of iurisdiction which would no doubte where partes be taken as at that time there wer aboute the keping of the Easter daye of all other things first haue bene espied and reprehended if it had bene doen with out auctoritie although some complained of ouer much rigour and would haue wisshed a little more discretion in Victor then pope which did it But to goe forwarde in thexamples of thauncient councels To whome did the second generall councell gathered at Constantinople declare that the honour of being chief ouer all other bishops did apperteigne To anie other then to the bishop of Rome In whose place was Cirillus president of the thirde generall councell holden at Ephesus but in the B. of Rome his Whome called the fowerth generall councell of Calcedon vniuersae ecclesiae episcopum bishop or ouersear of the vniuersall churche but him Who commaunded the bodie of the same councell that theie should in no wise suffer Dioscorus the bishoppe of Alexandria to sit emongest them but the pope by his legates Whie was Lucentius one of the popes legates forbidden at the same time to accuse Dioscorus but because the fathers tould him that the parsons of the iudge and th'accuser must be distincte â–ª and that the iudge might in no wise take on him the others name or office And howe was Lucentius emongest them a iudge because he represented the popes parson And whie was the pope his maister iudge because he was the chief iudge and heade in earthe of the churche Can yow tell anie other cause M. Iuell And for this cause Lucentius gaue ouer and Eusebius an other bishop accused him Finallie to make an ende with this councell of Calcedon knowe ye that after manie reasons on bothe sides and long debating toe and fro in the same touching the B. of Rome his prerogatiue the fathers at the length concluded the matter and knit vp the knot in this wise Ex his quae gesta sunt vel ab vnoquoque deposita perpendimus omnem quidem primatum honorem praecipiâ—um secundum canones antiquae Romae Deo amantissimo archiepiscopo confirmari That is to saie By those thinges which haue passed emongest vs or haue bene by euerie one of vs alleaged we perceiue according to the canons all souerentie and chief â—onour to be confirmed to the welbelouid of god tharchebishop of olde Rome Note here I beseche yowe good indifferent readers which a littell before I noted to you out of Athanasius alleaging for the B â–ª of Rome his sâ—â—erioritie the first councell of Nice that the councell of Calcedon determined here no newe thing of the popes auctoritie but confessed them selues by boulting out the truthe to haue founde that the canons and rules of the churche in times past had giuen him that chief honour aboue all other and that therefore theie perceiued that by them it ought to be confirmed What can we here thincke of the councell of Calcedon referring it selfe to the canons but that it meÌ„t of the councell of Constantinople and Nice going before And of the councel of Nice what can we iudge but that their confirmation had relation to the verie institution of Christe him selfe The fathers assembled in the two councels of Carthage and Mileuite of whome S. AusteÌ„ was one wrote vnto Innocentius then pope of Rome to confirme their doings ageinst the two heretikes Pelagius and Celestius The who le councell of Carthage writing to the pope did so theie saide vt statutis suae mediocritatis etiaÌ„ apostolicae sedis adhiâ—eatur authoritas to the entent that to their ordonaÌ„ces which wer but of meane auctoritie the weight and maiestie of th'apostolicall seate might adde the more The fathers in the councell Mileuitan of their writing for the confirmation of their decrees alleaged this to be the cause Quia te Dominus gratiae suae praecipuo munere in sede apostolica collocauit that is because our lorde hath placed yow by the gift of his especiall grace in the apostolicall seate To the first of these two councels Innocentius the pope making answer how doeth he praise and extoll the fathers for that that theie not leaning to their owne iudgementes had obseruing th' examples of auncient traditions and being mindefull of the ecclesiasticall discipline not contemning the ordinaunces of the fathers in times past who decreed not by the sentence of man but of god him selfe that the determination of all doubtes should be reserued to the See of Rome from whence all other churches should receaue the same none otherwise then as all waters procede from the heade spring referred the whole processe of their doinges to his iudgement To the other councell he made answer that theie had behaued theÌ„ selues bothe diligentlie and decentlie in regarding th' apostles honour his honour quoth he I saie who beside the care of externall thinges hath also to prouide for all churches in asking what was to be folowed in doutefull matters wherein he saide theie had folowed the forme of the auncient rule He added also that as ofteÌ„ as there was anie doubte of matters of faithe his brothers and fellow bishoppes should referre the same to no other but to Peter in which doing theie should refer theÌ„ to the giuer bothe of that name and the honour belonging theretoe with manie oâ—her wordes to this ende And last of all in the same letters he excommunicated bothe Pelagius and Celestius commaunding that his sentence remained inuiolable that they entred not in to the churches that theie shoulde haue no pastorall charge but yet that if theie repented pardon should not be denied them Here perhappes some one will aske of me why passing ouer the notable testimonies touching this matter of Anacletus Clemens Euaristus Alexander Xistus Telesphours of whome the last liued within seuen score yeres after Christe I rather allege Innocentius who although he be also auncieÌ„t as liâ—ing well neare eleuen hundred yeres agoe and proue right well â—he point for the which he is brought in might yet either for the one respect or the other haue giuen place to any of them To whome I make this answer that as I haue willingly and wittingly suffered my selfe to lacke such necessarie defence for the proufe of this controuersie as out of the writinges of such graue fathers and holie martirs
infirmities sake to auoide that horror and feare which if we should receaue theÌ„ in their owne likenes and not vnder the for me of thiÌ„ges wherewith we ar better acquainted we wer of all likelihood suer to fall into I caÌ„ not here passe ouer in sileÌ„ce that notable and euident testimony of this worthy bishop and learned father vttred to this purpose by him in an other place in thiese wordes Antequâm coÌ„secretur panis est vbi auteÌ„ verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Ante verba Christi calix est vini et aquae plaenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficitur qui plaebeÌ„ redemit that is to say before that it be coÌ„secrate it is breade but wheÌ„ the wordes of christ ar come vnto it it is christes body Before the wordes of Christ there is a cup filled with wine and water as sone as Christes wordes haue wrought their effect there is made that bloud which redemed the people If these auctorities alleaged out of S. Ambrose be not able to stop the mouthes of our aduersaries if they will yeat nedes presse vs with their faithelesse howes and whies and will deale with almightie god so streightly that they will graunt him to be hable to doe no more theÌ„ their simple wittes caÌ„ atteine to the maÌ„ner of the doing whereof I shall yeat moste humblie desier them to beare with me if I alleage once againe the same excellent and learned bishop S. Ambrose I meane most plainely refelling all such faitheles Caparnaites as leaning more to fraile reason then firme faithe haue their doubtefull mindes euer waltering and tottering in the truthe of this sacrameÌ„t His wordes ar these Nunquid naturae vsus praecessit quum Iesus dominus ex Maria nasceretur Si ordinem quaerimus viro mixta foemina generare consueuerat Liquet igitur quôd praeter naturae ordineÌ„ virgo gener auit hoc quod coÌ„ficimus corpus ex virgine est Quid hic quaeris naturae ordinem in Christi corpore cum praeter naturam sit ipse D. Iesus partus ex virigine That is when our lorde Iesus was borne of the virgin Marie was naturâ—s vsage practised If we seke after her ordre women haue first the companie of men and then so conceiue and bring furth after It is manifest therefore that the virgin brought furth besides the course of nature and this bodie which we doe consecrate is the same that was borne of the virgin Whie demaundest thow here in the sacrament the order of nature to be kepte in Christes bodie where as besides nature oure lorde Iesus him selfe was borne of the virgin Hetherto haue yowe harde of what minde holye S. Ambrose was touching the controuersie moued in these our infortunate daies about the moste blessed sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud In whome I haue taried somewhat the longer for that that bothe he proueth moste manifestlie the presence when he affirmeth that Chrstes fleshe in the sacrament is so verilie his true fleshe as Christe was the true sonne of his father and excludeth all figures all signes all representation when Christ was in none of these senses his fathers sonne and also the chaÌ„ge and alteration of the breade and wine in to the true substaÌ„ce of Christes fleshe and bloud by alleaging th'examples which had otherwise bene in vaine of Moses rodde turned in to a serpeÌ„t the yron flotting aboue the water the bitternes of the waters of Marath turned into swetenes and such like with answer to such carnall obiections as ar wont to be commonlie made ageinst this truthe and last of all for that of all other he giueth moste plainelie vnto vs the cause whie in this greate miracle our lorde god chaungeth not the accideÌ„ts but onelie the substance By all which thinges he giueth vs moste manifestly to vnderstaÌ„d that he ment no lesse theÌ„ he spake For otherwise if Christes bodie had not bene trulie there but a signe thereof not in veritie but in imagination all his proufes to proue the same had bene nedeles whereas he might and for his greate wisdome and learning no doubte would to all such as either had doubted of the presence or traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ with much more facilitie haue answered with our aduersaries that there was no chaÌ„ge at all in nature or substance nor no presence there of Christes true bodie then to haue heaped together a nombre of examples whereof euerie one conteined a true chaunge in nature to haue proued that which was not or to haue alleaged the miraculouse conception of Christe or to giue anie cause why his bodie appeareth not like a bodie wherebie to bring the simple people in to a perniciouse and damnable errour But forasmuch as his greate trauailes taken in the defence of Christes church ageinst the wicked Arrians doe well witnes to his posteritie how far he was from all such impietie we must nedes conclude that S. Ambrose did not onelie so write but also beleue that in the blessed sacrament after the wordes of consecration is the verie true and naturall bodie of our lorde Iesus Christe the substance of breade and wine passing into the substance of his fleshe and his bloud From S. Ambrose let vs goe one steppe farder to S. Austen He in a certeine place examining these wordes of the Prophete A dor ate scabellum pedum eius worshippe ye his fotestole psalm 98. hath these wordes Suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem accepit Et quia in ipsâ— carne hiâ— ambulauit ipsam carnem ad manducandum ad salutem dedit nemo autem illam carneÌ„ manducat nisi prius adorauerit inuentuÌ„ est queÌ„admoduÌ„ ado retur tale scabelluÌ„ non solum non peccemus adoraÌ„do sed peccemus noÌ„ adoraÌ„do That is to saie for he toke earthe of earthe because fleshe coÌ„meth of earthe and of Maries fleshe he toke fleshe And forasmuch as he walcked here in that fleshe and hath giuen to vs the same fleshe to be eaten to our saluation and no man eateth it but he first worshippeth it the meanes is founde how such a fotestole of our lordes maie be worshipped and we not onelie not sinne in worshipping it but sinne in not worshipping it Heare yow M. Iuell S. Austen telling yow that Christes fleshe is here giuen to vs to be eaten the same that he toke of the virgin Marie the same that he caried about with him in this worlde Heare yow not your selfe vanquished which take from it all manner of worship in the sacrament and violentlie wrest these wordes of S. Austen to Christes bodie in heauen which interpretation how far it goeth from the minde of the author to omit all other proufes your owne selfe haue well declared when you graunte that there he must be worshipped where he is eaten which seing it is here in earthe what moued