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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	bishop_n	council_n	nice_a	6,219	5	10.6361	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14813	Twoo notable sermons made the thirde and fyfte Fridayes in Lent last past, before the Quenes highnes, concernynge the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the blessed Sacrament: & also the Masse, which is the sacrifice of the newe Testament. / By Thomas Watson, Doctor of Diuinitie..	Watson, Thomas, 1513-1584.	1554 (1554)	STC 25115.3; ESTC S119557	86,731	390

for the buylding and vpholdyng of it in truth that hys flocke be not seduced and caried about wyth euery blaste of newe doctrine by the craftines of men to the destruction of their soules Of thys I haue spoken somethyng alreadye Thirdly we may know the consent of the churche by the determination of the general councels where the presidentes of Gods churches the rulers and learned priestes of christendome assembled in the name of our lord Iesus christ representyng the holy church of God militaunt being ledde not with priuate affection but by Gods holye spirite to hys glorye instant in prayer feruent in deuotion purely diligently and freely haue intreated determined those thynges that perteyne to y e fayth of Christ and the purgyng of hys churche to whose determination as to Goddes ordinaunces we are bounde to obeye Wherein appeareth manifestlye the consente of the churche The fyrst general councell both for the callyng and also for the cause was holden at Nice in Bithinia by .318 bisshops in the tyme of Constantinus Magnus twelue hundreth and thirtye yeares agoo where it was determined and publyshed to y ● worlde in these wordes Exal altata mente fide consideremus situm esse in sancta illa mensa agnum Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi qui à sacerdotibus sacrificatur sine cruoris effusione et nos uerè preciosum illius corpus sanguinem sumentes credere haec esse resurrectionis nostrae symbola c ▪ Let vs lyfte vp our myndes vnderstandynge and considering by fayth that the lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde is situate and lyeth vpon that holy table whych is offered of the priestes wythoute the sheddyng of bloude that we receauynge verelye hys preciouse bodye bloude do beleue them to be the pledges or causes of our resurrection Thys aucthoritye serueth me very wel to declare the cōsent of the churche both in the matter of the reall presence also of the sacrifice whych we haue in hande For the wordes be couched meruelouslye euery one seruyng to expresse the trueth and to auoyde all doubtes For fyrst he byddeth vs lift vp our myndes and considre by faythe wyllynge vs not to stycke only to our senses thinkyng nothyng els to be there but that we see outwardlye teachynge vs that the iudgemente of thys matter perteyneth not to oure senses but to our fayth only as Eusebius Emesenus sayeth Verè unica perfecta hostia fide aestimanda nō specie nec exterioris cēsenda est uisu hominis sed interioris affectu Thys hoste and sacrifice is verely one and perfect to be estemed by fayth and not by forme and apperaunce to be iudged not by the syghte of the outward man but wyth y e affection and persuasion of the inward man for to fayth only and not to senses perteyneth the knowledge and iudgemēt of Gods mysteries and sacramentes Then the councell declareth what fayth teacheth that is to saye that the lambe of GOD not materiall breade wyne nor the figure of the lābe but the lambe that taketh awaye the synne of the worlde is placed lying vpon the holye table of the aulter whych externall situation proueth a reall presence of Christe to be there before we receaue it and not a phantasticall or an intellectual receauyng of Christe by fayth in the tyme of the receauinge only as these men contende Further it teacheth that this lambe of God is offered to almightye God by the priestes whiche is a distincte offeryng from that Christe made vpon the crosse for there he offered hym selfe by sheddyng hys bloude whiche he did but ones and neuer shall do it agayne any more Here is he offered of the priestes not by sheddynge of bloude but as the councell sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not after a bloudy maner whych is not a new kyllynge of Christe but a solempne representation of hys deathe as hym selfe hathe ordeyned After this it declareth the receauing of it saying that we verelye receaue his preciouse body and bloude which word verelye is as muche as that we call reallye and declareth the vse of the sacrament in the receypte of it wyth the seruice of our mouth as Christe commaunded sayinge Take eate whyche is a corporall eatinge not a spirituall beleuyng And last of al it sheweth the effect of the sacrament whych is the resurrection of oure bodyes to eternal life for because Christes body being the body of very life is ioyned to our bodies as our foode it bryngeth oure bodies that be deade by sentence of deathe to hys propertye which is life wherof in my laste sermon I spake more at large O Lord what hard hartes haue these men to doubte thē selfes or to denye or to bryng in question that manifest open trueth in so highe and necessarye a matter whiche in moost playne woordes hathe bene taught of our sauiour Christe his Apostels and euangelistes declared so to be vnderstand by the holye ghoste oute of the mouthes of all these holye fathers whome the holy ghoste dyd assemble and inspire wyth the spirite of truth to the confusion of the greate heretyke Arius that troubled the worlde then and also did inspire their hartes to declare so playnlye the mystery of thys blessed sacramente whyche then was wythout al contention beleued of all Christen men onlye to preuente these heretikes y e aryse and sprynge vp nowe in these latter dayes that the worlde maye see howe they stryue agaynste the knowen trueth their owne conscience and the determination of the whole churche being enemies of God breakyng hys peace diuiding them selfes from the churche whose ende is eternal confusion Lykewise the next general councell holden at Ephesus in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperor eleuen hundreth and twentye yeares agoo dothe determine this trueth lykewyse in these wordes Necessario igitur hoc adijcimus Annunciantes enim sicut secundum carnē mortem unigeniti filij Dei id est Iesu Christi resurrrectionem cius in coelis ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentum ce lebramus in Ecclesijs sacrificij cultum sic etiam ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus sanctificamur participes sancti corporis et preciosi sanguinis Christi omnium nostrum redemptoris effecti non ut communē carnem percipientes quod absit nec ut uiri sanctificati uerbo coniuncti secundum dignitatis unitatem aut sicut diuinam possidentis habitationem sed uerè uiuificatricem ipsius uerbi propriam factā We adde this also necessarely We shewynge and declarynge the corporall death of Gods only begotten sonne Iesus Christ and lykewise confessing his resurrection and ascension vnto heauen do celebrate the vnbloudy oblatiō and sacrifice in our churches for so we come to the mysticall benedictions are sanctified being made partakers of the holy body and preciouse bloude of Christ all our redemer not receauyng it as common fleshe God forbidde nor as

where it sayth that saynt Paule dyd eate the breade which is the sacrament and that all the other dyd fyll thē wyth their commen meate I maye conclude that saynte Paule dyd receaue alone wherby is proued our purpose of the priuate Masse as they terme it O Lord howe woulde they haue gloried yf they had suche alyke place agaynst vs ▪ Some brynge in a place of Chrysostome where he sayeth frustra sacrificium quotidianum frustra stamus ad altare nullus qui communicet Our daylye sacrifice is in vayne we stande at the aultare in vayne no manne cometh to communicate O Lorde howe they abuse this place of Chrysostome that he sayeth to rebuke the negligence of the people that cometh not they alledge it to find fault at the diligence of the priest that cometh It is reason that the priest whose lyfe is wholy dedicate to the seruice of God and to praye for the people shoulde synne deadly yf he dydde ioyne him selfe more more to Christ by receauyng daylye the spiritual foode of hys body bloud because the people that cōmonlye occupye their lyfe in the affayres of the worlde be not worthy or not disposed dayly to receaue with the priest ▪ The verye place it selfe of Chrysostome telleth that the priestes dyd celebrate the sacrifice daylye whether the people came or no which they wold neuer haue done yf it hadde bene deadly sinne so to do Therfore it is playne y t they did sacrifice they did stand at y e aultare cried but al in vayn Sancta sanctis Holye thinges to holye men Cū timore charitate d●i accedite Come vp to receaue with the feare of God and charitye and yet no man came Therfore all this his homelye was too reproue the slackenes of the people that deceaued the expectation of the priest I putte the case as I haue sene it chaunce that when the priest had consecrate and one or two were commed vp to the aultare kneled downe to cōmunicate w t the priest after the priest had receaued they both departed went away not receauing either of contēpt or for that some sodeyne disease or passion came vpon thē y t they could not receaue is God so vnmercifull as to condemne the priest for the casualty of an other man whyche lyeth not in his power to auoyd Our saluation were a verye tykle thyng yf one man should cōmitte deadly synne agaynste his wyll intendinge to serue God so be condempned for the chaunce of an other man which he could not stoppe or amend was no cause of it Yea but say thei Chrisostom sayth Non es hostia dignus nec communione igitur nec oratione If a man make hys excuse that he is not worthye the sacrifice nor to communicate then is he not worthy to be present there at the prayer He sayeth so in dede But what is thys to that the priest should not receaue alone nothyng at all And yet it serueth vs to declare that Chrysostome intended nothing elles but to reproue the negligence of them that stode in the place of the worthy receauers and wold not come to receaue We must considre in the greke churche howe there was certeyne degrees of the placyng of the people the prieste stode at y e aultare ▪ the clerkes wythin the chauncell the worthye receauers in a distincte place besyde the priestes the penitentes in a lower place the Catechumeni whyche were menne learnynge our fayth and not yet Christened sate loweste of all but they were putte out of the Churche when the sermon and teaching was done and were not suffered to be present at y e misteries Nowe the lacke that menne do not vnderstande the distinction of these seuerall places maketh them too take Chrysostome wronge ▪ For in dede he that is in the hygher place of the communicantes and beynge there thynketh hym selfe for hys vncleane lyfe not worthye to communicate and so deceaueth the expectation of the prieste that prepareth for hym is lykewyse not worthy to communicate in only prayer as being in y t place yet hath most nede of al to cōmunicate in prayer because prayer is an humilitie of y ● mind and a cause degree to make a man worthy to communicate in the sacrament And therfore by Chrysostome he is not forbid to communicate in prayer but not in that place but lower amonge the penitentes For so Chrysostome sayth by by after Quot quot estis in poenitētia omnes orate All you that be penitentes occupye youre selfes in prayer And it was a decree of y e whole catholike church y t certeyn men which were not suffered to cōmunicate in the sacramēt shuld during their penaūce cōmunicate only in prayer These be the wordes of the generall councell at Nice in Englyshe Concerninge them that had cōmitted ydolatrye were in penaunce not yet reconciled and nowe be departinge out of their bodies let the olde canon be obserued that he that is departing be not defrauded of the necessarye vitayle of lyfe but yf anye suche after he haue receaued the communion do recouer and amende let them remayne amonge them that communicate only in prayer We may see by this that the meaninge of Chrysostome is as I haue declared Other make an argument of the worde Communio that the sacramente is called a communion because manye receaued it But thys argumente is vnlearned proceadyng of ignorance For it is so called not for that many communicate together in one place but for y e effect of the sacrament because it maketh many diuerse men one mistical body of Christ. So dothe Chrysostome expounde it wrytynge vpon the 10. chapiter to the Corinthians And also Dionisius Areopagita sayth Vnde merito sacerdotalis sacrosancta prudentia ex rerum effectu proprium illi uerumque communicationis cognomen inuenit Therfore the holye wisdome of the priestes hath worthelye inuented to this sacrament a propre true name of communiō for the effect of it because it gathereth our lifes y t be diuided a sunder manye wayes into y t one state wherby we are ioyned to god among our selues in one body and so forth And in very dede we do not communicate alone For considering gods churche is but one house as Cypriane saith Vna est domus ecclesiae in qua agnus editur There is one house of the churche wherin the lambe is eaten whosoeuer doeth eate this lambe worthelye doeth cōmunicate w t al christen men in euery place countre that be in this house do the like If the pryest receyue one parte of the sacrament in the church afterward cary the rest two or thre miles to a sick man doth he not cōmunicate with another and yet that other is not together w t hym in one place standyng at hys elbow Euen so the priest that sayeth masse alone doeth cōmunicate w t al thē y t celebrate in other

beastlye lyuing adultery disobedience sacrilege and open conspiracye to the subuersion of them selfes of that state vnder whiche they lyue The scripture cryeth Nolite omni spiritui credere beleue not euery spirite but trye and proue the spirites yf they be of God or no for many false Prophetes are abroade in the world One waye to trye thē is to marke the ende of their conuersation ▪ and the example and fruyte of their liues as S. Paule sayeth Quorum exitum conuersationis intuentes eorum imitamini fidem folowe their fayth the ende of whose conuersation ye haue sene We haue seene what is the ende of this newe teachynge carnall and detestable liuyng conspiracye and treason The other fathers of whom we learned oure fayth were men whom the corrupt world was not worthy to haue these authors of this newe opinion were menne that were not worthy to haue and enioy the world of whome saynt Peter wryteth Magistri mendaces and so forth Lying maysters that bryng in sectes of perdicion and denye that Lord that bought thē as they do in this matter of the sacrament bringyng vpon them a spedy perdition and manye shal folowe theyr wayes through whome the way of truth shal be sclaundered and blasphemed and in couetousnes by feyned woordes they shal make marchaundise of you to whome iudgemēt ceasseth not and their destruction slepeth not We be also warned by S. Iohn of this matter sayinge he that remayneth and abydeth in the doctrine that the Apostles taught he hath the father and the sonne Yf anye come to you not bringing this doctrine do not receaue hym into your houses Here he dothe teache vs to auoyd them that professe any other doctrine then such as al faythfull men vniuersally thoroughout the worlde haue receaued and professe whych is not the doctrine that the Sacramentaries preache Finally consideryng the promisses of Christ to his church that he will be with them too the worldes end and that the holy ghost shall leade them into all truth then may we iustlye saye that yf this our fayth be an errour it hath preuayled vniuersallye not one hundreth yeare but two thre foure yea a thousand yeare more then that euen to the ascensiō of Christ as appeareth by the testimonies of all holye writers and then may we say Lord yf we be deceaued thou hast deceaued vs we haue beleued thy word we haue folowed the tradition of the vniuersal churche we haue obeyed the determinations teachynges of those bishops and pastors whome thou hast placed in the Churche to staye vs in vnitye of fayth that we be not caried away with euerye winde of false doctrine Therfore yf we be deceaued it commeth of thee O Lorde our error is inuincible But good people we are sure God deceaueth no man let vs al beware we do not deceaue our selfes as S. Iames sayeth Thus hauing spoken somthinge of y e scriptures as this short time wold permit there remayneth also the seconde thing whiche I sayde moued me to continue in this fayth whiche is the aucthorities of auncient fathers that haue flourished in the preachyng of Gods trueth in all ages with aucthorities I thinke verelye in no age haue bene so curiously sought so diligently found out so substantially wayed as in this our time And all this is because the oppugnation of the trueth in this matter hathe extend it selfe not only to the scriptures but also to the doctours and to euerye particle and title of the doctours whose writynges haue bene so scanned and tryed that yf any thyng could haue bene gathered and piked out of their bookes eyther by liberall writing before this misterye came in contention or by misconstructiō of their wordes or by deprauation of their meaning that could seme too make agaynst our faith herin it was not omitted of some but stoutly alledged amplified inforced and sette forth to the vtter most that their wyttes could conceaue whyche yf god hath not infatuat leauing them to speake so as neyther fayth nor reason could allowe lyke as they haue with theyr vanities seduced a great sorte the more pitye so they shoulde haue vndermined and subuerted the fayth of a great manye mo y t were doubting falling but not cleane ouetrhrowen thankes be to almightie god Of these aucthorities although with a litle study and lesse laboure I coulde at thys tyme alledge a great numbre yet consideryng the shortnes of the tyme whiche is almoste spent I shal be cōtent to picke out a fewe ▪ whych do not only declare the minde of the aucthor but also conteyne an argument to proue conuince y e truth of our fayth suche an argument as neyther figuratiue speache nor deprauation of the wordes or meaning can delude And first I shal begyn with the weakest that is with the suspicion of the gentyles Tertullian in his apologye teacheth how the gentiles didde accuse the Christen men for killyng of younge chyldren eatyng of theyr fleshe he sayeth thus Dicimur sceleratissimi de Sacramento infanticidij pabulo inde We are reported accused as moste mischeuouse and wycked men for the sacrament of killinge of children eatyng theyr fleshe and drynkyng their bloude Eusebius also in his story of the churche wryteth of one Attalus a martyr who beynge roasted in an yron cradell wyth fyre put vnderneath when the sauour of hys burnte flesh came to the smellynge of the people that looked on he cryed wyth a loude voyce to the people Lo this is to eate men which you do whyche fault ye make inquisition of as secretly done of vs whych you cōmit openly in the midde daye By this accusation we may vnderstand that our Sacramentes and mysteries in the beginning of the church were kept very secrete bothe from the syghte and knowledge of the paganes that mocked and skorned them and also of those that were Catechumeni learners of our fayth and not yet baptized for manye greate causes whyche I shal not nede to rehearse nowe And yet for all the secrete kepyng of them being so manye Christen men women as there was they could not be kept so secret but that some ynkelynge of them came to y e eares of those that were infidels vnchristened insomuche that where as in dede and verye trueth by the rules of oure religion we dydde eate the fleshe of Iesus Christ our Lorde and drynke his bloude ministred vnto vs in the sacrament the gentiles as thei were curiouse to know new thynges so they came to knowledge of the rumoure of our doynges and eyther by the bewrayinge of some false brethrē or els by y e simplicitye of other that of zeale without knowledge wold haue conuerted the vnfaythfull too oure fayth heard secretlye that we Christen men in our misteries dyd eate mans fleshe drynke mans bloude whyche they for lacke of fayth and further instruction beganne to compasse in their wyttes howe it was possible so