it once spoken of in this signification Processions In the second place Gregorie the first had instituted a procession to bee made vppon Easter day with a supplication or Letanie Now the ordaining of these supplications or Processions did first rise vppon the occasion of publike calamities as of the plague of the earthquake c. for the taking away whereof the people ioyned together in prayers vnto God But Honorius the first appointed that euery Lordes day there should be a Procession made at Rome from the day of S. Apollinaris vnto the daye of S. Peter with Gregorie his Letanie Some attribute that ordinaunce to Agapet Sergius as a thirde Promoter of this worke of augmentation followeth aboute the yeare 690. and casteth in vnto the rest all the festiuall dayes as namelie the fowre Ladie dayes and thus more and more superstition increased as the Moone when shee is past the change vntill it had gained the place and preheminence vpon the Lords dayes and that in all places This is the thing that Charles the Great the true and trustie aduancer of all Romish inuentions speaketh of Let the Priest with the companie of singers goe aboute the Church c. This same Sergius did further appoint that whiles the bread of the Communion was in breaking there should be sung Agnus Dei c. hee gaue censers to the Churches he ordained that the Priest should make three partes of the bread which he held in the Masse according to the custome which was then established namelie that there should alwaies bee an ordinarie and set number of Communicantes and that there should not bee anie Masse without a Communion The breaking of the bread into three parts and that the casting of the bread ordained for the same into three parts should bee to the end that the Priest might haue one part the other officers of the Church an other and the people that did communicate the third But whereas then also these priuate Masses beganne in which the same order of breaking and deuiding of the bread into the said partes was continued notwithstanding that no man but the Priest alone did receiue eate of it that no absurdity might seeme to cleaue vnto this practise it was clapt into a misticall matter the meaning whereof sayeth hee is Because that one parte of Christ is risen another parte walking vppon earth and a thirde parte of him remaining in the Sepulcher c. Others there are who had rather vnderstand it to signifie and haue relation to the faithful in heauen on earth and in Purgatorie Others again vnderstand thereby the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob and so euery man according as his inuention pleased him The Pax. and Allegories likewise of the same stampe The fourth Maister of this augmentation was Innocent the first who in steade of the custome vsed amongst the auncient faithfull to kisse in signe of peace ordained a Canon whereout leapte that law decree of Charles the great Lib. 1. c. 53. l. 5. c. 94. Vt pax detur ab omnibus confectis Christi sacramentis that is that the peace that is the kisse of peace shold be giuen of al c. And he yeeldeth a reason because that therein is signified the true concord c. Now a little before the time of Charles the great Leo the second had changed the same into superstition ordayning in stead thereof the plate of siluer or copper which is wont to bee held out to kisse after the consecration Of taking of the Eucharist with the mouth Lib. 7. cap. 367 Concil Altifiod c. 36.37 which within a while after was receiued together with the rest of the ceremonies The fift practise of augmentation was that where the Eucharist had wont to bee deliuered into the hands of the Communicantes yea and that in the time of Charles the great as appeareth by this Canon Vt qui acceperint sumant That those which haue taken it with their hand may take it with their mouth for otherwise let them bee shutte out and excluded for sacrilegious persons It was now forbidden women to touch it with their naked handes yea and to touch the linnens wherein the Sacramentes were wrapped far from the practise which was vsed by Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene who handled it with her handes and kept it about her going aboute her busines Then they beganne to giue it them at their mouthes Alber. Krantz in Metrop l. 1. c. 19. Beda de rat temp lib. 2. Paul Diacon l. 6. de gestu Longobard Adon. aetat 6. Many Masses as wee reade of Iustinian in Nicomedia who tooke it with his mouth at the hand of the Bishoppe of Rome and of Witikind which saw as hee said a little childe who had it giuen into his mouth for euen such fables were plentifull at this time The sixt there was wont to bee celebrated but one common supper for all and so by consequent they had in euerie Temple or Church but one Table or Altar But as the people grew slower and slower in communicating so they perswaded them so much the more to bring offrings yea constrained them thereto by the Canons of their Synods and by the lawes of the Empire and to this end they made men belieue that it was sufficient for them to bee present onelie so that they forget not to offer in so much that Masses and Altars did multiplie the communion in the meane time withering and falling away and that so farre foorth as that the Priestes themselues sometimes did not receiue it Lib. 7. c. 50. though they had consecrated the same This is faithfully witnessed by Charles the great his lawes Let the people bee warned to offer Iugiter continuallie Whereas the former went no further but to communicate often and the reason is added Because that these offringes are verie profitable for those which offer and for theirs Lib. 6. c. 16â— Concil Altissi cap. 10. Againe Let the people offer daylie to the Priests or at the least euerie Lords day c. And for the multiplying of Masses these goodlie Canons It is not lawfull to say two Masses vpon one Altar in one day neyther yet for any Priest to say anie the same daye vpon the Altar whereupon the Bishoppe shall haue saide one And of the not communicating of the Priestes themselues Wee will sayeth Charles That so oft as the Priest doth offer the bodie and blood of Christ so oft hee doe receiue the same c. Because sayeth the Canon manie doe otherwise as it is reported vnto vs Concil Tolet. 12. De consecr Dict. 2. c Relatum est Lib. 6. Car. c. 118. Concil Worm c. de purgand Monach. Concil Altisiod c. 12. Carol. lib. 1. cap. 161. insomuch as that there is neede that the Emperour his authoritie shoulde prouide for the same The seauenth and by this you may see how farre the abuse was now growne namelie as that if a Monke had robde
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
heresie both Iesus Christ the author of the sacrament and the whole Primitiue Church but hee was intreated to doe it by the fathers of this Councell two yeares after this decree for the iustifying and confirming of the same after the best manner that hee was able And this he performed to the vttermost that hee could as may appeare by the proude arrogant and presumptuous clauses hee inserted into the same to the offending of all Christendome therewithall Licet Christus aliter instituerit licet Primitiua ecclesia aliter obseruauit howbeit that Christ haue otherwise instituted it The foolish reasons of the Councell Can. Interrogo vos D. de Consecrat 6. and the Primitiue Church otherwise obserued it c. and that with this Notwithstanding following vpon the said clauses and a little more grounded vpon the reasons of these good fathers alleadged in the saide Councell which are those that follow The first That a licour may be shed S. Augustine in like manner saith that the bread may fall and is hee therefore of iudgement that it ought to be cut off and not at any time to be vsed in the sacrament Secondly That it cannot be carried without daunger neither indeed was it euer ordained to bee carried and the Churches which carried the same to the sicke did neuer busie or trouble their mindes with this inconuenience Thirdly That it might be frosen in winter and that it might turne and become tart in summer And thus it was subiect to do during those 1200. yeares wherein it was vsed and yet not a word in all the old fathers to bee seene concerning these questions Quid siacescat quid si congelescat aut computrescat c. Fourthly That it may hurt and annoy the heart after that so many people haue drunke of it but in the Primitiue Church they vsed to communicate as oft and oftner and in greater multitude Fifthly That in some countries wine is not to be come by but either at a very deare rate or otherwise very hardly Neither was it lesse deare or scarce amongst the Christians in the Primitiue Church Sixtly That whiles it was practised the laitie did touch the cuppe Where are they forbidden to touch it seeing they are bidden to take it Seuenthly That some haue ouer long beards and that other some haue the Palsey c. How much more tollerable were it to cut off the beard then the cup and to supplie the infirmities of such as haue the Palsey rather then to cut off the perfection of the sacrament And who seeth not that all these reasons are hatcht vnder the hen of Transubstantiation vnknowne vnto the whole Church for euer before The eight That the dignitie of the Priests and of the laitie by this should be all alike where haue they euer read that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles did make any distinction or difference in the sacrament The ninth Men would then co nceiue that the sacrament consisted more in taking of it then in consecrating of it in receiuing of it then in seeing of it and thus we should come back again from our pretended sacrifice vnto the sacrament And who can doubt hereof seeing our Lorde hath said Take eate drinke c. The tenth Euerie man will iudge if it shall be giuen to the people that then it will be alwaies necessary and needfull And what more vrgent and vnavoidable necessitie can there bee then for the disciples of Christ to fulfil the wil of their maister Lastly That then the Church of Rome should haue failed in the sacraments and the Councell of Constance in the matter of faith and manners whereuppon would followe a contemning of the Church and consequently a schisme in Christendome Now heere indeed is the sore and pinching griefe and it is for nothing else but for the top of honour that all this contention falleth out But how much better had it beene to haue bewailed and wept for the fault committed when they heard the cocke crow And doe we not see how God hath cursed all these reasons bent vpon the setting vppe of a pompe and statelinesse and not to the establishing of the Church when as vnder pretence of auoiding of a pretended schisme they haue made themselues odious and abhominable vnto the greatest part of Christendome But our worthie maister Gerson doeth take the checke and is offended at this clause of Notwithstanding and therefore setteth his wits vpon the racke to find out some others but no lesse blasphemous then those alleadged by the good foresaide fathers were sottish and ridiculous That the cup had no ground in the word of God and that it was not of the necessitie of the sacrament That it was not appointed or ordained for any but the Apostles and in them for the Priests That men must not hold so much of the scripture as they must of the traditions of the Church that is as Cardinall Cusanus saith in his second epistle to the Bohemians That the institution of the scripture doeth change in time and apply it selfe vnto the ceremonie that is currant and receiued in the church Secundum currentem ritum ecclesiae But the strongest of all the rest and that which alreadie hath beene practised in that place is that in this point Viendum est sayeth hee brachio seculari contra refragantes that is there must the secular power bee stretched out and punishment with all hote pursute bee executed vpon those that will not obeye vnto this Canon neuer trobling the braine with disputing and arguing aboute the matter and that the Emperour must bee exhorted to put his helping hand thereto freelie and willinglie But it is not to bee belieued how much blood hath beene shed in Bohemia Morauia and other Prouinces for the taking away of the blood of Christ from the faithfull The Pope will haue obedience what price soeuer it cost the people to keepe this pretious pledge of the blood of Iesus Christ freelie exposing themselues to losse of goods and life In fine the affaires of Christendome so vrging in respect of the Turke The Councell of Basill there was held some twentie yeares after the Councell of Basill where the Pope whose custome it is to stretch out and shrinke vp his constitutions and ordinances at his pleasure according to the length of businesses which he hath in hand did decree cleane otherwise The faithfull sayeth hee whether they bee of the Laitie or of the Cleargie are not bound by the commaundement of the Lord to receiue the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist vnder both kindes but the Church gouerned by the spirite of truth must ordaine how the Communicantes Conficientes and not those which consecrate it ought to receiue the same according as it shall seeme expedient in respect of that reuerence which is due vnto the Sacrament whether therfore a man cōmunicate vnder one kind or vnder two according to the ordinance obseruation of the church it auaileth vnto saluation vnto such
c. Theophilact about the yeare 1000. The medicines which are effectuall and forcible doe heale euen at the first time being administred but those which neede to bee taken againe and againe doe argue their weakenes sufficiently euen by that onely note euen so it fareth betwixt the Legall sacrifices and the sacrifices of Christ But here riseth a question whether that we also doe offer sacrifices and oblations without shedding of blood vnto which wee aunswere affirmatiuelie but it is in that wee renue the memorie of the death of the Lorde and yet in the meane time it is but one sacrifice not manie because is hath beene offered but onelie once wee offer then daylie himselfe or rather the remembrance of this oblation by which hee did offer himselfe c. In place else where hee giueth vs these generall rules Where there is remission of sinnes there needeth not anie more sacrifices but Christ hath offered a sacrifice seruing and standing sufficient for euer and therefore wee haue no neede of anie other seconde sacrifice c. Anselmus in like maner Ansel in Ep. ad Heb. c. 10 Howbeit we offer sacrifices euerie day yet it is no other then the recording renewing of the memory of the death of Christ therby we offer but one sacrifice not manie for hee was onelie once offered c. Againe All that we doe is but the renuing of the remembrance of his death Againe Our Lordsaide Take eate and sacrifice offer vnto God And S. Paule to the same ende That the Saintes were perfected by one onely oblation And this hath come to passe within this thousand yeares so hard and difficult a thing it is to bring the learned to speake the language of the Masse though the abuse and mischiefe be alreadie brought in And indeede we shall see hereafter that it doth not speake it it selfe But now since the yeare fiue hundred vntill this time it hath ouerrunne great large Dominions and yet by certaine degrees and by the concurring of diuerse causes During the feruent and deuoute zeale of the Christian Church the holie supper was celebrated euerie Lordes day Carol. Mag. l 7. c. 138.182 167. yea in some Churches euerie daye and the number of Communicantes was ordinarilie verie great whereby wee haue seene herefofore that in populous Churches and congregations there haue beene distributed at one time diuerse great loaues and diuerse great cuppes of wine This zeale together with the time grew luke-warme whereupon wee see that S. Ambrose and S. Chrysostome are greatlie grieued to see That it was their dutie to attend at the Lordes Table and that no man hasted to come thereto c. Insomuch also as that exhortations manie and diuerse being vsed to draw the people thereunto but profiting nothing there were diuerse Canons made to binde and inforce the people thereunto as also ciuill lawes Let all the faithfull communicate and staye the Masse without anie more bidding L. 2. c. 45. yea at the least let them not faile to communicate on the Lordes daye c. But whether it were the obstinacie or carelesnes of the Pastors or both that were the cause these Canons profited little In the ende there was a lawe made That such Laye people as did not communicate at the least euerie feast of the Natiuitie Easter Whitsontide Add. 3.38 should bee held for infidels and ratified afterward in the Actes and Statutes set forth by Charles the great thus the Table of the Supper stoode solitary and as a reiected and forlorne thing for the most part at least in respect of the Laitie The ecclesiasticall persons continued their communicating for some time and so there still remained a certaine forme of Communion or Eucharist But shortlie after loosenes laide holde vpon them also as it had done before of others Whereupon we see that the Church is constrained to make Canons That at the least three or foure should alwaies communicate with the Priestes The printes whereof are as yet in the Abbye of Clugny where the Deacon and Subdeacon doe receiue the Communion as yet vnto this day together with the Priests But afterward these three were shufled vppe into one this one was hee that rung the bell whome they called the Sexten Camp nariū And this coldnes did still so encrease that Charles the great is constrained to make a lawe L. 5. c. 93. l. 6. c. 118. Add. 2. c 7. by which the Priest after hee hath consecrated is bound to communicate because that euen hee himselfe did oftentimes abstaine and there are manie olde Canons to that purpose Thus the vse of the Communion was lost by degrees this Communion I say wherin Christians were admonished and put in minde of practising true charitie by the substance of the bread which consisted of manie cornes wrought vppe into one loaf seeing thy bee manie members of one bodie liuing vnder one heade euen Iesus Christ our Lord and so proportionablie the sacramentes themselues fell into a consumption as namelie the bread from manie loaues to one and from a great one to a little one no bigger then would serue being deuided onelie for three persons and in the ende as wee now see to breade no bigger then a penie And the wine consequentlie so as it might fit the other from great vessels vnto little pots such as serue at the Masse from manie cups to one from a great one to a little one And it is notwithstanding to bee noted that this abuse had his abode onelie in the Church of Rome all other Churches as those amongst the Abissines Armenians Syrians Grecians Muscouites c. hauing retained and retayning the Communion as yet vnto this daye Now it fell out also that the people no longer communicating in the holy supper became negligent in other partes of their accustomed seruice and particularlie in that of bringing of offeringes which consisted according to the Canons in breade and wine from which was taken what was necessarie to bee imployed in the Communion for those offerings ceasing it was a cause that the Communion also ceased Carol. l. 1.5.94 152. And indeede we see that this law is oftentimes renued by Charles the Great namelie That the people should be warned to communicate and bring their offeringes euerie Lordes daye For that the one did cease to bee because of the other and thereupon also the requesting of the one was with the more honestie by reason of the other Wherefore to cherish them vppe both in deuotion as also in liberalitie they were giuen to vnderstand that the Masse did not onely benefite and serue them by their communicating in the Sacrament in it but that the principall point of comforte vnto them thereby was yet behinde namelie the sacrifice in the merite whereof they had part inasmuch onelie as that they were present thereat prouided euermore that they for their partes brought their sacrifices that is to say their offeringes with them There was
as also that wee shall bee able to deriue it from the first and purest ages wherein the sacred fountaine of mans saluation continued and stood in his vnspotted puritie and exquisite bringhtnes not hauing beene as yet troubled with our humaine inuentions not hauing been as yet defiled with the superstitions which the preposterous imitarion of Iudaisme or the vnaduised skill of fashioning themselues after the manner of the Gentiles did together with the time draw in huge and massie heapes vpon them For otherwise certainely if we can neither become acquainted with it by the holie Scriptures nor finde out anie markes or tokens of the same to haue beene vsed in all that space of pure and vncorrupted Antiquitie but rather that not so much as the name thereof is therein specified and that any other seruice was then offered vp to God let vs bee bolde to say that then the misterie and price of our Saluation lyeth not therein seeing that Saluation it self hath not instituted or ordayned the same as also that the Seruice to be performed by the church doth not consist therein seeing the Primitiue church did neuer know it But then may we well see and perceiue that it is some bastardly broode and intire and vniuersall corrupting of Christ his institution and of the first and auncient manner of seruing of God transformed and changed by little little from an abuse of words into an abuse of matter and substance from a Sacrament to a sacrifice and from a sacrifice eucharisticall to a propitiatorie sacrifice and from the commemoration or remembrance of the onely sacrifice of Christ into a pretended reall and dayly killing and offering vp of himselfe as also that this saide Masse which we see now a dayes is nothing else but a collection and patched thing of many ages a composition incorporated by many Popes for the more precisenes whereof there haue not beene admitted thereunto anie other ingredientes from time to time then the abuses which Sathan men and the iniquitie of time haue beene able to bring in eyther of pretended malice or through carelesse negligence or through ignorance into the church In so much as that finallie the holie Supper of our Lord cannot there retaine anie thing to be knowne by neyther hath it anie thing so contrarie opposite or repugnant as the Masse which from this lawfull and legitimate issue as some of the old Writers haue called it is changed into an illegitimare and bastardly thing from a publique into a priuate from the communion of the faithfull in the same Sacramentes into a particular celebration by one priest and to be briefe from a serious meditation of the death of our Lord into a colde and ridiculous representation of the same from a real and effectual participation of that flesh giuen for the life of the world and of that bloode shed for the remission of our sinnes into a dumbe and doltish ceremonie and that to be therewithall such a ceremonie as which assisting aiding vs a thing neuer heard of in any of the former times there is more hope and helpe to be expected I say not then from the holie supper of the Lord administred according to his institution nor then from all the Sacramentes of the Church of Christ but then from the verie sacrifice which the Lord hath once offered vppon the tree of the Crosse for the saluation of mankinde Now therefore for the clearer handling of this matter I will diuide this treatise into foure partes The first shall bee of the originall and proceeding of the Masse according to all the partes thereof and the second of the circumstances whatsoeuer is depending thereupon which is all that which properlie concerneth the historie thereof The third shall declare how it is to be considered and tried according to the nature and quality of a sacrifice and the fourth how in the nature and qualitie of a sacrament being that which commeth neerest to the touching of the doctrine thereof And I beseech all those that loue the truth and are feruentlie touched with an earnest care of their owne saluation that they would open their eyes and bring them to the sight and view of this matter clean and purged from all manner of preiudice of whatsoeuer forestalled opinion as likewise I pray God that he would giue me the grace of comming vnto this work with a true and sincere affection and vnfained defire to see the church of Christe reformed according vnto true antiquitie in these our daies purged from al nouelties which degenerate from the same reformed according vnto that antiquitie I say which hath for his foundation the doctrine of the Sonne of God the practise of his Apostles gouerned by his spirite but purged from that noueltie which can alledge nothing for his maintenance but the dreams of men those such as are alwaies younglings and babes in things concerning God yea rather alwaies brutish as sayeth S. Paul in that which concerneth his seruice The Contentes of the Chapters of the first Booke 1 AFter what manner the Supper of the Lord was first instituted and ordayned and that the Masse hath no ground or foundation eyther in the Scriptures or in the practise of the Apostles 2 That the Masses fathered vpon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ are notorious and meere suppositions 3 In what manner God was serued in the Christian Church in the time of the Apostles and their Disciples 4 What manner of diuine seruice was vsed in the Church vntill the time of S. Gregory or thereabout and namelie what manner of Masse that was which was so called by those that were catechised 5 What manner of diuine seruice there was vsed namelie in that which was called the Masse of the faithfull 6 Answeres vnto certain obiections and what maner of diuine seruice is most conformable vnto that which antiquitie indeed commendeth vnto vs as whether that of the church of Rome as it standeth at this day or that of the reformed Church 7 VVhat change and alteration was admitted in the celebration of the Supper about the time of Gregorie the great which falleth out to be in the sixt age of the Church 8 VVhat manner of growth and proceeding the Masse had from Gregorie the great vntill about the time of Charles the great 9 VVhat manner of proceeding aswell concerning the framing and rearing of the Masse as also about the vse therof was after the time of Charles the great and particularly of the dismembring of the Sacrament by the taking away of the Cup of the Lord from it 10 That the Communion vnder both kindes hath beene practized of all the auncient Churches 11 VVhat manner of effect and working the taking away of the Cuppe of the Lorde had amongst the faithfull and vnder what colour and pretext 12 VVherin are answered the pretēded reasons of the aduersaries both by the holie Scriptures and by the fathers A recapitulation or briefe rehearsall of the matters
custome was vsed in his time And the same thing is witnessed by Saint Ierome Euseb l. 1. de Demonst S. Hieron ad Lucinium Chrysost in epist ad Ephe. especially of the Church of Rome and those of Spaine Whereupon we see likewise that Chrysostome cryeth out most vehemently as complaining of the frosennes of his age as being such as that though the supper of the Lord were celebrated dayly yet there came but a very few people to the holy table yea of so great accompt it was held as that it appeareth vnto vs by a law made by the Church and set downe in the ancient Canons that the sacraments being blessed all the faithfull that is all those which were admitted to bee of the communion fellowship of the Church for so they called them should stay in the assemblie The difference betwixt the faithfull and those that were catechised and should be exhorted euen as they would auoide the punishment for doing otherwise to communicate But on the contrarie such as could not bee receiued thereunto namely such as were catechised as not hauing as yet beene sufficiently instructed Penitents which had not as yet giuen sufficient cleare and manifest signes of their repentance as also the possessed for being vexed of the euill spirit should be aduertised to withdraw themselues and to leaue the place cleane for the faithfull Concil Antioch c. 2. C. peracta D. 2. de consecrat And this is it which the Canons say As for such as enter into the Church of God and heare the scriptures but communicate not in prayer with the people but rather by some intemperancie doe keepe backe themselues from the holy communion let them bee excommunicate and cast out of the Church c. Againe The consecration ended let euerie man giue himselfe to receiue the communion if they will not bee cast out of the Church Hiero. in 1. ad Cor. c 11. Chrysost in 2. ad Cor. ho. 18. for so it was ordayned by the Apostles c. Whereuppon Saint Ierome telleth vs The supper of the Lord must bee common to all for hee hath giuen the Sacramentes vnto all his disciples equally And Chrysostome In some thing the Minister differeth not from the common people Nihil differt sacerdos à Subdito as when the participating of the holy mysteries is in hande For wee are all alike thought worthie to receiue them Not as in the olde law where the high Priest tooke his certaine portion and the people theirs and so as that the people could not haue any thing of that which was the sacrificers part for vnto euery one there present is deliuered one and the same bodie and one and the same cuppe And therefore hee was greatly offended with those who stayed behind with the faithfull after those which were catechised were put forth Chrysost in epist ad Ephe. hom 3. and yet woulde not communicate as offering iniurie vnto the Lordes table and feast Thou art come hither saith hee and hast sung Psalmes in the place with all the rest and in that thou hast not departed hast acknowledged thy selfe to bee of the number of those which are worthy to bee admitted thereunto howe commeth it therefore to passe that thou hauing stayed doest not receiue the Lords Supper And if thou aunswere that thou art vnworthy art thou not so likewise by consequent of the communion which is in prayers c. As for those which were catechised put to do pennance and possessed Of the catechised which had leaue to depart the Deacon after the sermon made knowne and signified vnto them in plaine wordes that they were to depart and go away which thing might bee practised with lesse adoe at this day when as there is not almost one to bee seene possessed of the euill spirit and for that the rigor and seueritie of doing of pennaunce is much abated as thirdly in that there come into our Churches none but the children of Christians And this leaue which was declared and openly told them was called Mittere vel dimittere vnde Missio Missa in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From whence the name of the Masse grew hence was the first originall of this worde Masse in the Church because as Bellarmin himselfe confesseth that this leaue was deliuered in these wordes Ite Missa est as amongst the Pagans was wont to be said I licet c. And by little and little as abuse is apt to seaze vpon wordes that are most familiar and well knowne vnto vs it came to passe that that part of the seruice which endured vnto the sermon Raban l. 1. c. 32. Innocen l. 6. de Sacr. Hugo l. 2. part 8. cap. 14. Tertul. de praescript corona and inclusiuely vnto the rehearsing of the Creede was called the Masse of those that were catechised and that which was afterwarde that is to say the celebrating of the holy Supper had appropriated and giuen vnto it the name of the Masse of the faithfull according to the olde and auncient distinction made in the Church betwixt those which were called the faithfull and those which were catechised And this is likewise testified by Tertullian in many places and the Masse of the faithfull began where that of the catechised ended But admit that this sending away was practised in the Church Rabbi Leui. in Leuit. cap. 5. after the manner of the Iewish Church which would not suffer that any leprouse or other infected persons shoulde bee admitted vnto their sacrifices or els according to the Pagans themselues who woulde chase the prophane from their misteries and holy thinges with these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is leaue for the people to depart so farre it hath preuailed as that without all doubt it hath brought forth a name for the Masse a name which was neuer read in any Hebrew Greeke or Latine Authour before this time that is to say till foure hundred yeares after the death of our Lord and yet so new in that age of the worlde as that Saint Ierome the Pastor of Rome and one who hath written so many great volumes hath neuer so much as once made any mention of it yea and Saint Ambrose who vttereth it once and Saint Augustine onely twise did yet neuer take it in that sence and signification that we vse it for neither the one nor the other doth speak of it in touching or deliuering the matter and doctrine of the Sacrament although that Saint Ambrose haue written thereof sixe bookes and that S. Augustine haue handled the matter more amply and largely and more often then any other both vpon S. Iohn and in other places But both of them in a signification farre differing from that wherein it is vsed at this day that is to say not meaning or vnderstanding by this worde either sacrifice or sacrament Furthermore the place alleadged out of S. Augustine his sermons are of small force because the best
the furnace Also for that now the Church beganne to be very rich of gifts that the sacrifices that is the offerings of the people should be distributed and diuided equally into foure portions for the Bb. or Pastour for the Cleargie or ministers of the Church for the poore and for the repairing of the church And therevpon and that not without cause euerie one being hereby thus tickled and pricked forward to adde euery day some thing to the seruice as their fancie led them the Mileuitane Councell in the time of S. Augustine tooke the matter in hand ordaining that no other praiers prefaces supplications and masses that is Collects Recommendations or Impositions of hands should be vsed in the Church but those which were approued in that Councel or Synode Least as the same saith by negligence or ignorance there might slip some thing which might be contrarie to the faith this reason is likewise giuen afterward by the Africane councell and it came as yet timely enough if it had been well obserued by those which after came in place yea by Gregorie himselfe And thus be hold The vnlikenes of the Romish Masse we are come to the fiue hundreth yeares after Christ finding in all this time one seruice consisting of confessions and praiers Psalmes reading preaching blessing and distributing of the sacraments according to the institution of our Lord singing of praises vnto God during the time of the communion and a thankesgiuing for the end and conclusion c. without any new offering or sacrificing vp of the sonne of God without any inuocating of the creatures by praying vnto theÌ„ without adoring and worshipping of the sacraments and without as yet free from infinite other both impieties and superstitions and therefore by consequent far from the Masse vsed at this day and on the contrarie side comming much neerer vnto the manner of the holy supper as it is now vsed in the reformed Churches The Romish Masse which is the action of one onely man saying reading speaking by figures in a language not vnderstood that is voide of edification then eating drinking without communion all alone and yet speaking continually in the plurall number being a colde ceremonie if euer there were any The holy supper on the contrarie consisting of a feruent praier by the which the Pastour maketh open protestation The cokerâ—ce and agreement of the Lords Supper with that of olde and declaration of the miserie and destruction of mankinde for the people and himselfe of their serious repentance vnto amendement of life and of remission of sinnes by faith in Christ in Psalmes sung with one consent of heart and voice by all the people for to quicken and stirre vp their fainting and ouer dull spirits vnto God in the reading of the sacred word and the interpreting and applying of the same in his time place by the Pastour as namely after that he hath in solemne sort supplicated the Almightie creator in the fauour of his onely begotten that it would please him to open his mouth for to teach and deliuer the same profitably and the eares and hearts of the people for to vnderstand well in a generall praier for the necessities of the Church and of the whole world for Magistrates pastours the conuersion of Infidels the extirpation and rooting out of heresies the publike peace and all maner of generall and particular afflictions in the reading of the holy supper and expounding of the same by the which namely the faithfull are exhorted to come to the holy table in humilitie and deuotion in assurance of faith and ardent charitie with an earnest acknowledgement of their sinnes and notwithstanding in a stedfast affiance in the mercies of God manifested and reuealed in Iesus Christ admonished to renounce all rancour and hatred contentions and strife and carefully to labour to bee reconciled if so be that they bee broken forth and come to the knowledge of others but the impenitent and wilfull obstinate are debarred from the same and that not by the voice and declaration of the Deacon alone but by a seuere denunciation of the iudgement of God if they abuse the bodie of the Lord as likewise by the sence and feeling of their owne consciences or by the iudgement of the Church After which things all and euery one came neere vnto the holy table in decent order and due reuerence to communicate the bodie and bloud of our Lord they receiued the holie sacraments at the hands of the Pastors with the most significant words that are either in the Gospel or in any of the Epistles of the Apostles lifting vp their hearts on high and praying to God that it would please him by the vertue of his holy spirit to giue them the flesh of his sonne for their spirituall repast and foode and his blood for their drinke vnto eternall life seeing that of his infinit mercie he hath vouchsafed to make them bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh c that so they may abide liue and dwell continually in him And during all the time of this action the deuotion of the assemblie was cherished and nourished with the reading of the holy scriptures as most meete to declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming and to record the vnspeakable benefite of the same with singing of Psalmes also chosen out of purpose both for the calling to minde of man his miserie as also for giuing vnto them the sence feeling of Gods mercie and thirdly for the stirring of them vp to giue vnto God for the same all vnfained and solemne thankes And finally there followed the dismission of the assemblie with a praier of the whole people vnto God containing a briefe thankesgiuing for that it had pleased him to make them to see and taste the assurance of their saluation in the communion and participation of his welbeloued sonne ioyning therunto the singing of the song of Simeon vsed of the old Church as wee haue alreadie seene to the same end and purpose And after the solemne and accustomed blessing admonition being giuen them how they should witnes and testifie the coniunction vnitie which they feele and find in Christ by the way and manner of that liuelie sence and feeling which the members of the bodie haue with the head they were to distribute euery one according to his abilitie vnto the poor for whome the Deacons were to receiue what should be giuen I speake nothing of the order of Catechising both publikelie and priuatelie which was wont to bee appointed and practised certaine weeks before for the instruction and examination of such as should be partakers thereof the morning Sermon which ordinarily is spent in the expounding of the doctrine of the Sacrament vnto the people and that also of the after noone tending to the stirring of vs vppe to the giuing of thankes vnto God Now then let euerie man iudge without being partiall in the matter in which of these two
bee kept throughout all his Countries Then it was saide to the great hearte griefe of euerie one and that not without dolefull teares Quo volunt Reges vadunt leges c. The Law must sing as likes the king c. Now this Legate Richarde was called home againe to Rome from out of his Ambassage because of his insolencies by Pope Vrbane the seconde after hee had effected this mutation and chaunge which notwithstanding for some manner of contentment vnto the people the auncient office and seruice was retained in sixe parishes at Toledo and there it continueth still vnto this present as it doth likewise in the Cathedrall Church in the Chappell of Cardinall Ximenes and in that of Doctor Talabricas in the Cittie of Salamanca But wee neede not doubt whether after all this time that Lithurgie bee much altered or no no more then of that of S. The seruice of S. Ambrose corrupted Ambrose wherein they are not ashamed contrarie to all his writinges to rob the Communion of the cuppe which continued without gain-saye more then sixe hundred yeares afterwarde in the Church Neyther haue they lesse spared to thrust into it certaine prayers aswell in the little Canon as they call it as in the great which by their owne confession as wee shall see were not receiued into their Masse till a long time after as Suscipe sancta Trinitas communicantes c. Otherwise who coulde belieue that of so small differences shoulde rise so greate a discorde or of so few wordes so daungerous and notable an alteration in thinges of estate But what manner of Order that Romish or Gregorian order was at that time What manner of Order the Romish Order was Ordo Romanus ex Cossandro caeteris which was brought in both with such earnest desire and difficultie it may be seen in the booke which is left vs approued and allowed by the most diligent searchers out of antiquitie wherein notwithstanding wee obserue and note that during the time that the Offertorie verses are singing the people present and bring their offringes that is to say men and women and nothing but bread and wine the Priestes and Deacons bread onelie that hee which sayeth seruice receiueth the offringes the Archdecon following him who powreth all the little wine pots into one great cup and the Subdeacons doe receiue and wrappe vppe the loaues in a sheete or white table cloath that these offringes being receiued without the roome inclosing the Altar are by them brought in and set vppon the Table or Altar then the Offertorie being ended that they are blessed with a prayer vttered in a low voice that eyther by the Bb. or the Pope himselfe for in this Order whereof we haue the book hee describeth the Masse of the Bb. of Rome That the Bb. after hee hath communicated himselfe causeth the hosts or offrings for so he calleth the consecrated bread to be broken by the Priestes which are assisting and partly he distributeth them himself partlie he causeth them to bee distributed by the Bbs. Suffraganes or by the Priestes vnto all the people both men and women That those to whome the Pope or Bb. of Rome hath ministred the Communion are confirmed by the Archdeacon these are the tearms and language of that time that is to say the Archdeacon giueth the cup to those to whome the Pope hath giuen the bread c. That during all the time whiles the people are in communicating the Schoole of singing men singeth Psalmes by counteruoices which done the postcommunion doth follow that is to say the Thanksegiuing after the Communion and that shutteth vp all making an end of the seruice And it is not to be forgotten that both leprouse men and those which had the falling sicknes were admitted to this publike Communion the Leapers at one table by themselues and those which had the falling sicknes came all together and alwaies last as it is to bee seene in the Epistles of Gregorie the third Epist Gregor 33 Zachar. ad Bonifacium and Zachary vnto Boniface Archbishoppe of Mentz Now vnto this forme appertained those ordinances which were made eyther by Charles the Great or by Lewes his sonne and they are those which follow No Priest can sing a Masse alone Lib. 5. c. 93. Add. 2. c. 7. for how then should hee say God bee with you Lift vppe your heartes on high And in an other place We finde not by the wordes of our Sauiour the preceptes of Paule nor the practise of the Apostles that one Priest can celebrate alone the mysterie of the bodie and blood of our Lorde c. where hee calleth such Priestes Solitarios consecratores sole and solitarie consecrators and such courses to bee Dehonorationem mysterii to dishonour the misterie or sacrament On the contrarie L. 5. c. 182. festiuitates praeclaras l. 6. c. 167. Ad. 3. c. 38 Charles the great willeth and vnderstandeth that things should be done according to the auncient Canons That all vpon the Lords day and good feastes do communicate the Eucharist Againe That they offer daylie in the Church and at the leaste haue one Sermon and communicate vppon the Lordes daye because it is said who so eateth not my flesh and drinketh not my blood c. albeit the ecclesiasticall censure and punishment was practised principallie against those which did abstaine and keepe themselues away three principall feaste dayes and especially vppon the day which they called the day of the supper But now in all this what similitude or agreement is there betwixt the Masse which is vsed at this day where so many people present are nothing else but so many gazers on not participating not hearing not vnderstanding and that which was then vsed and by much stronger reasons how farre vnlike must it bee vnto those for the retayning whereof there was such opposing and resistances made against the Romish Masse And indeed the Latine Masse which was vsed before the vniuersall receiuing of that other about the yeare 700. What manner of Masse the Latine one was about 800. years ago Index expurgatorius p. 77. such as it was when Cassander brought it foorth vnto vs and printed it in Germanie hath not that parte which is called the Canon which yet is esteemed as the verie life and soule of the Masse Wherefore they must not bee abashed if the Index expurgatorius ordayned by the Councell of Trent inioyne that the Lithurgies of Cassander aswell as the Catholike Romish and that Latine Masse should bee razed and quite blotted out And here let euerie man note and obserue the good faithfulnes and sound dealing of that Councel for this booke is an Index or table of all the places And what it is that doe displease them throughout all the authors which haue written at anie time within this hundred yeares yea of some such as haue written seauen or eight hundred yeares agoe all which they appoint in the first next
following impression to bee eyther omitted or chaunged or cut off and namely those which are found in the commentaries which haue beene written vppon the auncient Doctors Amongst others they doe not forget Volaterrane Polydore Virgill Faber Stapulensis Reuchlinus Munster Langus Rhenanus Viues Erasmus Cassander c. and to bee briefe the most worthiest men of this age that professe as the Church of Rome professeth That therefore wee may returne to our former purpose such was the Masse in the time of S. Gregorie yea and a long time after Charles the Great through the greatest part of Christendome such I say as against which notwithstanding for many nouelties contained therein there were that opposed themselues and yet neuerthelesse such as in which there remained the communiō intire administred vnder both kinds and vnto al the people Concil Bracar 2 c. 84. neither did there any Canons or Doctors appeare at that time which did anie thing contresay the same The Councel of Bracare the second Jf any man enter into the Church of God and there hearing the Scriptures doe insolenthe auoide himselfe from the communicating of the Sacraments Concil Altisiod c. 42. c. we will that he be excommunicated and cast out of the catholike Church The Councell of Auxerre Let euerie woman when shee communicateth haue her Sabath but and if shee haue not then let her not communicate the next Lordes day And Rabanus describing the seruice of his time After the Sanctus sayeth hee the consecration of the body and blood of our Lorde is celebrated then a verie earnest and feruent prayer vnto God and after that the Lordes prayer afterwarde when they come to communicate the faithfull doe mutuallie giue and take the kisse of peace one at a nother singing O Lambe of God that bearest the sinnes of the world haue pittie vppon vs to the ende that receiuing the sacrament in peace wee may bee thought worthie to bee numbred among the children of God And indeed to shew that the consecration serued not for any other purpose then for the Communion Alexander Hales the auncientest of all the schoolemen hath vttered these wordes a long time since Alex. Hales 4. q. 35. memb 2. Ibid. solut 2. Consecratio est propter communionem communio maior est in effectu sanctitatis quà m consecratio c. that is the consecration is for the communion and the communion is more holie in effect then the consecration c. And Cardinall Humbert Hoc quotiescunque feceritis c. As oft sayth he as you shall blesse as you shall breake as you shall distribute giue Humber cont libel Nicet Monach. Gabr. Biel. Lect. 38. you shal do it in remembrance of mee because sayth he that if anie one of these three which soeuer it be be omitted it is not perfectlie to represent and shew the remembrance of the Lord. And Gabriell Biell of our time hath these wordes The consecration is not alwaies the end of consecration but rather the vsa that the faithfull make thereof for the bodie and the blood are properlie consecrated to the end that the faithfull may make vse thereof in eating of the same c. And neuerthelesse wee are not to doubt but that the priuate Masses were very nimble and full of endeuour after the best manner that they could to plant and establish themselues though it were against the discipline of the Church and that for both respectes that is to say in the first place vnder the name of being priuate and secondlie in as much as they were without communion for against these wee haue the expresse lawes of Charles the Great and of his sonnes Lib. 5. c. 38. Addi 4. c. 39. Lib. 1. c. 25. 154. The Priest which performeth the Agenda that is the seruices in priuate places without the license of the Bishoppe let him bee degraded let no man doe it in an other mans parish yea and let none bee ordained but such as are appointed to some certaine parish c. And against the same in a further degree then the former Walafridus who liued in the time of Lewes the Gentle after hee hath discoursed vnto vs by what degrees the Masse came to bee so common as that in stead of one which was wont to bee celebrated vppon the Lordes day in euerie Parish at such time as the faithfull were wont to communicate all together doth come in the end to make comparison or rather opposition betwixt the legitimate and lawfull Masses and the solitarie or priuate ones calling the lawfull and legitimate those Where there are sayeth hee a Priest Answerers Offerers and Communicants as the forme of prayers vsed doth shew and by consequent the solitarie or priuate ones as hee calleth them wherein there is no communion Walafr c. 22. illegitimate vnlawfull and bastardlie Adde hereto further that in the time of Charles the Great it was not wont to bee saide Pro quibus tibi offerimus for whom wee offer vnto thee but which offer vnto thee this sacrifice of praise Qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis seeing it was the people and not the Priest which of fered vnto God Lib. 6. c. 173. and that a sacrifice not propitiatorie but of praise Againe it is not to bee forgotten how that amongst all the Churches which professed the name of Christ there was not one but the Latine Church which did receiue them witnes to all those of Greece Russia Syria and Ethiopia No Lithurgie but the Romish without a Communiō in all which there was not vsed anie priuate Lithurgie or Masse yea some goe further and say that there was not anie at all vsed either for the liuing or for the dead neither yet vpon anie other particular deuotion but rather a publike one and that according to the multitude of the people whether it were dayly or but euerie Lordes daye and that in the language of the common people and in which they did all communicate together in the Sacraments and that vnder both kindes Now let vs come to that which these ages and latter times haue added ouer and aboue vnto the making vp of the Masse first we reade how that in the time of Agatho Additions to the Masse after the time of Gregorie Plat. in Agath that is to say about the yeare 670. Iohn Bishoppe of Port did say the first Latine Masse in the Temple of S. Sophie at Constantinople whereupon the allowance of Masses is drawne from the Grecians and then we aunswere them that if they approue and allow of that which was then and not of that which is now that then it must bee now at this day such as it was then But was hee not ashamed for the insinuating of himselfe into the fauour of the Grecians to father vppon Chrysostome a booke of the Masse seeing wee finde it euident by that which hath beene saide heretofore that it was not possible for him to heare
Christianitie by their dispearsinges and scatteringes according to the purenes and sinceritie of the Gospell did teach at this time that the Masse did retaine and hold nothing of the institution of Christ neither for the liuing nor for the dead that the consecration was not tyed to the wordes of the Canon but to the Lordes institution that the holy Supper ought to be celebrated according to that institution or else that it is no supper that all other ceremonies therein are vnprofitable and the vulgar or naturall tongue of euery people necessary for the instruction of the people c. If also the king S. Lewes although caried away with the streames of custome did exhort Henrie king of England to heare sermons taken out of the word of God rather then to frequent Masses Matth. Paris addit Because saith he the one will bee much more auaileable vnto you to saluation then the other But because we haue handled it before how that the priestes had got so much by their daies labors that they had in the end cut off and taken away the cup of the Lord from the people it concerneth vs now consequently to looke about vs and see by what proceedings they attained thereto being no change or alteration but a meere dismembring and violent rent vndertaken in so deepe a degree of presumption and performed with so high and horrible an enterprise of sacriledge CHAP. X. That the Communion vnder both kindes was practised all in the old Church SEeing for certaintie that our Lord Iesus Christ hath once said The communion vnder both kindes Take drinke ye all this is the cuppe of the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you where shall be found such a priest as dare vnder the name of the church refuse deny to giue the same vnto the faithfull and what faithfull person should he be that should not be so bold as to vrge and importune the priest if he denie the cup the blood and the saluation in the blood of our Lord shed for vs the cup of the couenant if we will not willingly bee excluded and shut out from it the cup of the new Testament if wee will not by too open and euident a contempt frustrate and make of no effect our inheritance if wee will not be blotted out of the booke of children And yet such are excommunicate as require that they may haue the communion in the blood of Christ and which do stifly hold and contend that the one halfe of the legacies bequeathed them by their Lord and Maister his last will and testament is stolne from them those are called Sacramentarie Heretickes which complaine that the Sacrament of the bloode of Christ is taken from them And it is nothing but noueltie newfanglednes and innouation to haue recourse to this will and testament whose title is so auncient and authentike or to sue by force and vertue of the couenantes and conditions contained and agreed vpon therein It is antiquitie to eiect disseise and dispossesse vs by a new ordinance which hath no ground nor foundation but meere fansies no reason but presumption an antiquitie which cannot but verie hardly and with great difficultie deriue his pedegree further then one generation But now let vs looke into the stately march and proceeding of this great abuse The holy Supper of our Lord is cut off as we haue seene close by the ground and vpon the ruines thereof is built the Romish Masse By this meanes the people hath beene frustrate of the ordinarie vse of the bodie and blood of Christ From weekes it hath beene reiourned and put off to monethes from monethes to quarters and finally from quarters to once a yeare In stead of the bread of the Eucharist there is giuen the holy bread when they go out from the Masse In stead of the cuppe of the Lord in the communion they are now vouchsafed as much as will wash their mouthes and all this from time to time couered with the glorious name of the Church And what shall wee then say if all the olde Church be cleane contrarie thereunto If of all the deformities and corruptions of the same there bee not one that is newer or later then this Let vs trace ouer therefore the ages of the worlde and the workes of the fathers for I am willingly diposed to take the paines to make it plaine vnto the readers though they might enuy me for the same and though this matter be of the nature of those whereof S. Augustine hath giuen this rule Valeat ad sui demonstrationem ipsa rei ouidentia let the euidence and clearnes of the thing it selfe deale and speake for the proofe thereof Saint Paule in the first to the Corinthians beginneth at that end 1. Cor. 11. I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue also giuen vnto you he is not so bold as these fellowes which giue cleane contrarie euen that which they haue neuer receiued and that which hee had receiued and that which he gaue that is the communion vnder both kinds Let vs vse this word kindes for the signes or Sacraments that so we may the better apply and fit our selues vnto them As oft saith he as you shal eate this bread drink this cup c. Let euerie man proue himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup c. The man saith he and not the Apostle nor the disciple nor the Priest nor the Clearke but euerie Christian for so he writeth vnto the Church of God which is in Corinth to the sanctified in Iesus Christ to them which are called Saintes Yea and vnto all them saith hee which call vppon the name of our Lord in what place soeuer they be Ignatius writing to the whole Church of Philadelpha The consent of the fathers Ignatius ad Philadelph Anno salutis 100. Iren. lib. 4. c. 32 33.34 I exhort you saith he that you vse all one faith one publike ministerie and preaching of the word and one Eucharist for there is but one flesh of Iesus Christ and one blood shed for vs one bread broken for all and one cup distributed to all He saith to all and not to the priestes onely for euen in the same epistle before these words he had made mention of the Bb. Elder Deacons and people Irenaeus ioyneth and coupleth both of them together continually The Lord hath commanded saith he vnto his disciples to offer vnto God the first fruits of his creatures the bread to be his body and the cup to be his blood c and we neuer find them seperated the one from the other in him Saint Cyprian writing vnto Cornelius the Pope Epist 2. Anno 200. How saith he doe we teach how doe we incite and stirre vp the faithfull to shedde their blood for the confession of the name of Christ if we denie vnto them his blood vnto them who haue to fight for him How shall wee fit
for the part and portion of the priest It is not so at this day but there is set before and giuen to all one and the selfe same bodie one and the same cup. The lithurgie also which they attribute to him doth so celebrate the same And when he would stirre vp the people to reuerence the sacraments he doth it alwaies by ioyning together of both kindes What manner of mouth wilt thou bring for this bread Chrysost de Eucharist Theophilact in 1. Cor. c. 11. Idem in Ioha c. 10. Idem in Ioh. c. 10. and what manner of lips for this cup and such like speeches Whereupon also Theophilact which hath made in manner an abridgement of Chrysostomes workes saith That the cup of the Lord was ordained for all equally and alike And in another place When saith he thou commest to the cup of the communion of the blood of Christ so dispose thy selfe as if thou camest to drinke of his proper cost and charges These wordes when thou commest can not be vnderstoood but of the faithfull people In the time of Leo the first about the yeare 440. The condemning of them that take but the bread Leo serm quadrag 4. Rom. 16. the communion vnder both kinds was so ordinarie and certaine as that it was the marke whereby to know the Manichees the most pernicious heretickes that were in the Church And thereupon Leo the Pope saith in a sermon They take in their vnworthie mouthes the bodie of the Lord refuse altogether to drinke the blood of our redemption which he calleth a sacrilegious hypocrisie and applyeth to the same purpose the words of S. Paul to the Romaines Beware of them that raise dissentions and offences contrarie to the doctrine which you haue learned c. What would he haue said then if the priests and Bishops had refused to administer it to the people But as euerie Processe doth intend an arrest and heresies ingender decrees so there being certaine presumptuous and superstitious priestes about the yeare 540. which were tampering to seperate the bread from the cup Pope Gelasius vttereth his iudgement De consecrat D. Can. 2. We haue heard saith he that there are some mē which hauing receiued the bodie do abstain refuse to receiue the cup of the sacred blood whom seeing superstition hath blinded them we will either wholly entirely to receiue the Sacraments or els to be wholly vtterly restrained shut out from the same because that the renting a sunder and diuiding of one and the same mysterie cannot be done or tollerated without great sacriledge Note and marke that he saith Superstition not heresie He speaketh not then of the Manichees as Leo doth but of other persons receiued into the Christian Church Again that Gelasius saith and declareth that not to receiue any more then the bodie is not to receiue the whole Sacrament but to the contrarie it is so far from receiuing the Sacrament as that it is nothing else but a notorious inwrapping of a man in sacriledge And here Gratianus his Glosse is not to be admitted that this Canon is to be vnderstood of certain priests who hauing consecrated both kinds did take but one of them neither yet the deprauing and corrupting of the same as it is done by some Chroniclers who to apply themselues to the abuses of their times say that Gelasius ordained this Canon that the priests should not consecrate the one kind without the other For here I would aske of them if they consecrate both what must bee done then with the other but if one onely must be consecrated then I would know of thē where I might find any history making mention therof But the truth is that by that Canon are condemned such superstitious persons as would receiue but the one as may well be collected out of these words Ab integris arceantur let them bee wholly put backe debarred which must needs be applyed vnto the parties receiuing and not to the parties distributing Now superstition is called of the schoolemen Cultus Dei indebitus that is when one serueth God after his owne manner not according to his commandementes Let vs adde as an ouer-measure of these first fiue hundred years S. Remigius who is called the Apostle of the French men Hincmarus Archb. of Rheimes writing a book on set purpose of him telleth vs that he neuer celebrated it otherwise For saith he these verses are yet found written vpon his cup vnto this day Hauriat hinc populas vitam de sanguine sacro Iniecto aternus quem fudit vulnere Christus Remigius reddit Domino sua vota Sacerdos S. Gregorie The further continuance thereof after the time of Gregorie the Great an 600. Gregor in ho. de Pasch De consecrat di 2. C. Quid sit Greg. Dialog l. 3. c. 36. notwithstanding that he was a great changer and alterer of religion in his time yea and in that parte thereof namely the administration of the Sacraments doth not meddle any thing with this point In the Homelie on Easter day What is it saith he that you haue not yet learned of the blood of the lambe in hearing of it as also in drinking of it which blood is then sprinckled vppon the two postes when it is drunke not onely with the mouth of the bodie but also with the mouth of the heart now hee speaketh in that place vnto all the people He sayth the same in the Homelie which beginneth Fractus longa molestia And writing to Augustine Bishop of Canterburie as also in his dialogues he reporteth how that a certaine man named Maximinian afterward Bb. of Sarragossa in Sicilia being distressed by tempest all they which were in the vessell receiued the bodie blood of our Lord after they had prayed for the peace one of another in stead whereof they vse not now a dayes to say any but drie Masses vppon the sea Ordo Romanus Micrologus But that which is more the Romish order which is held to haue beene ordained in his time doth carrie it in expresse tearmes as that the Archdeacon did distribute the cup to all them to whom the Bb. did giue the bread and the blood to those to whom the body was giuen whereby the one was called by the name of communicating and the other of confirming and that these words were vttered and spoken vnto them Corpus Domini sanguis Domins c. custodiat te ad vitam aeternam the bodie of our Lord c. the blood of our Lord c. preserue keepe thee vnto eternall life and there are by name comprised and specified the clearkes and the laitie men and women of euery condition And in deed the prayers before and after haue these wordes We beseech thee O Lord that all we which haue receiued the holy body blood of thy Son may be replenished with all grace heauenly blessing c. And the Post-communion that is the Thanksgiuing after
yet in respect of himselfe you may perceiue what his iudgement was by these words Though it may seeme to receiue but one kinde notwithstanding to receiue both is of greater merite and desert Againe Whole Christ is not sacramentallie contained vnder either of the kindes but the flesh vnder the kinde of bread the blood vnder the kinde of wine Againe it appeareth that the rule was not generally receiued in his time when hee sayeth Jtafere vbique fit á Laicis in Ecclesia fere vbiua non vbiue it is almost thus practised in euerie Church by the Laitie almost euerie where sayeth hee Linwold de sum Trinit fide Cathol but not euerie where As likewise when Linwoldus sayeth That in the lesse and inferiour Churches it is not permitted saue onelie to the Priestes to receiue the blood vnder the kinde of consecrated wine for in that hee sayeth In the lesse or inferiour churches hee meaneth the Countrie Churches thereby excepting those that were in the Citties presuming that Cittizens had more knowledge then Countrie men Insomuch as that this Sacrament instituted by our Lord to signifie in the Cōmunicating of one and the same bread and one and the same wine the vnion and agreement betwixt al the saithfull in one bodie would serue by meanes of this corruption to sunder and separate in manifest and open shew first them of the Cleargie from those of the Laitie and secondlie the Countrie people from those that dwelt in Citties as though forsooth the soules of the one sort were more deare then the other to him who hath purchased all with one and the same blood It springeth likewise out of the same Diuinitie which Thomas Waldensis a white Fryer sayeth in his book which he hath written of the Sacramentes against the Wickleuistes and yet approued by an expresse Bull from Pope Martin the fift for after that hee hath reasoned mightilie for the maintaining of the Communicating of the Laitie vnder one kind hee commeth in with this exception vz. That it is notwithstanding permitted the Pastors if they haue not made an end of the Sacraments but onelie receiued the same in part that is if they haue not drunke all that then they should distribute the remainder vnto those of their Parishioners which are strong in faith and discreete persons Euen as sayeth hee the Pope is wont to deale with the Deacons and Ministers and with other persons famous for their faith or aduanced in dignitie and worthines with Doctors with Kinges or as the Church dealeth at this day with religious persons or men of great place c. And againe wee doe not allow it them sayeth he generallie neither doe we generally forbid it them for wee know that it is reserued of purpose for the Church and Prelates to communicate and distribute the cuppe vnto such persons c. And yet in the meane time it hath thriuen so well in their fingers as that indeed Kinges hauing kept the Charter and priuiledge of this libertie all others haue by one meanes or other lost and forfeyted the same and yet Kinges hold not this tenure say they as they are Laye-men but as they are sacred persons whereuppon we reade that the great king Frauncis demaunding the reasons of his Diuines Because said they that kings are annointed as the Priests be Which thing S. Ambrose as it may seeme by this reckoning did not vnderstand aright when hee caused the Emperour Theodosius to come out of the Queare of the Temple as a meere Laye-man Thomas Aquinas sheweth vs plainelie that it was in his time Thomas de sacram altar that this abuse was brought into the Church for in the place where Lombard had made this question Wherfore the Sacrament was receiued vnder both kindes Thomas did propound the contrarie why doe not the people receiue the blood vnder the wine And there is some difference betwixt them in respect of some certaine yeares during which distance this sufferance crept into the Church Now these are his reasons first That as there is neede of a more speciall vessell to put the wine in then to put the bread in so it is meet and requisite that it should bee a more speciall and sacred person for the receiuing of the blood then for the receiuing of the bodie which must bee expounded of the holie Priestes onelie and not of any of the vnholie Laitie But how shall those wordes of Chrysostome then take place where hee sayeth That in the receyuing of the Eucharist there is no difference betwixt the Priest and the people The second That there is danger therein least the people should shed the bloode which was not to bee feared in receyuing of the bodie And then what place shoulde bee found for the prudencie of the old Church to abide and rest in how hath shee maimed and wounded herselfe for these manie ages at such time as the people flockt and ran to the receiuing of the Sacrament by millions that shee did not foresee yea remedie and helpe this inconuenience but onelie because that new opinions haue begotten new prouisoes The third For feare least the common people which is giuen to bee wilfullie rude and ignorant hauing taken the blood vnder the kinde of wine could not afterward belieue the receiuing of it vnder the kinde of bread how true notwithstanding soeuer it bee that it is therein truelie and verilie What other thing is this but to reach vs that Transubstantiation hath begotten concomitancie and concomitancie the communicating vnder one kinde and by consequent that the Communion vnder both practised by the space of twelue hundred yeares in the Church did presuppose and take for granted a farre other kinde of doctrine then that of Transubstantiation or concomitancie But this saide Thomas did acknowledge in an other place that both the kindes are the institution of the Lord for hee sayeth expresly Thomas aduers Gentes l. 4. c. 51. Because that the working of our saluation was accomplished by the passion of Christ by the which his blood was separated from his bodie the Sacrament of his bodie is giuen vs apart and by it selfe and the Sacrament of bloode vnder the wine by it selfe to the end that vnder this Sacrament may bee contained the remembrance and representation of the death of our Lord and that so it may be fulfilled which hee sayth My flesh is verilie meat and my blood verilie drinke c. And there hee speaketh expresly not of the pretended Sacrifice of the Priest Iodoc. Clitho in Elucidario Theologico but of the distribution of the Sacramentes vnto the faithfull Likewise in the Office appointed for the feast of the Sacrament ordayned by him this Hymne doth testifie the same vnto vs Dedit fragilibus c. Again in the Hymne Verbum supernum prodiens he sayeth Quibus sub bina specie Carnem dedit sanguinem Vt duplicis substantiae Totum cibaret hominem Where hee acknowledgeth the institution of Christ
Thom. in 1. ad Cor. 11. lect 5. But vpon the Epistle to the Corinthians This Sacrament sayeth hee is giuen vnder a double kinde for three reasons The first for the perfection therof for seeing it is a spirituall sustenance it must needes haue a spirituall meate as also a sprituall drinke wherefore it is saide in the tenth Chapter that all haue eaten one spirituall meate and all haue drunke one and the same spirituall drinke The second by reason of the signification thereof for this is a remembrance of the death and passion of our Lord wherein the blood was separated from the bodie and therefore is giuen alone and by it selfe in this Sacrament And the third reason is this because of the sauing effect that is in this Sacrament for it serueth to the saluation of the bodie therefore the bodie is giuen it serueth to the saluation of the soule and therefore the blood is giuen But tell mee I pray you how farre more fit these three reasons are for to proue that it ought to bee giuen then the other three are to proue that it ought to bee taken away And what followeth hereof then but that to cut off the same is to depriue men of their spirituall food to weaken the remembrance of the passion of our Lord yea and to frustrate his people so much as in them lyeth of their saluation But see how time carrieth thinges away Thom. in Summa par 3. q. 8. art 12. for after that hee had saide To the perfection of this Sacrament there is required manducatio potatio eating of the bodie and drinking of the blood by consequent he that shall take the bodie without the blood shoulde haue but a lame and imperfect Sacrament hee addeth vnto this truth the error of the time carrying him away Notwithstanding there had great care reuerence need to bee vsed of them which receiue the same that so nothing may bee committed which might turne to the misprision contempt of so great a mystery which is most chiefly like to happen by shedding of the bloode if it should bee vndiscreetlie handled this is that which they call periculum effusionis because the Christians encreasing in number that there are amongst them old men young men children all which cannot bring such discretion as were requisite to so bolie a Sacrament it is obserued in some Churches not to offer the blood vnto the people to bee taken of them but the Priest taketh it himselfe alone hee sayeth that it is obserued wherein wee way well picke out this construction Thom. Opusc 58. c. 13. vz. that it is not a law but a custome in some churches that is that as yet in his time this custome had not preuailed euerie where And his reason of the great number of Christians is not to the purpose for the question is not of the daunger of spilling or of the number of Christians but of the number of Communicantes Now wee haue shewed before that the zeale of the Primitiue Church in frequenting the Sacramentes did farre exceede and goe beyonde the zeale of this time In brief for the vpholding of this opinion it is resolued vppon and concluded by him that the blood vnder the signe of bread is ioyned with the bodie per connexienem Scotus in Rep. dist 10. q. 3. as all the rest of the humors which is one branch of his Transubstantiation But Scotus disputeth against him both in the stocke and in the branches in these wordes Non est certum nam vtrumque potest sustineri noutrum probari This is not certaine for the one and the other may bee argued and reasoned but neyther the one nor the other can be proued Richardus de Media villa and Petrus de Tarentasia who liued since Innocent the fourth doe witnes that in their time the Sacrament was distributed vnder both kindes not onely to the ministers of the Altar but also to the best of the parish being such as by reason of their discretion were not to be feared of committing this matter of daunger Petrus de Palude sayeth Petrus de Palude in 4 Sent. d. 11. q. 1. That in certaine Churches this was done vnto all manner of persons in his time by the good order that was taken to auoide shedding also It is meete and of necessitie that there should be a twofold matter in this Sacrament meate and drinke D. 11. art 1. because the effect of the Sacrament must be perfectly represented by the figure now the effect of the sacrament is the perfect nourishing of the soule c. Cassander out of Gulielmus de Monte-landuno Idem in 4. Sent. d. 11. q. 12. art 1. q. 1. Qui recipit corpus Christi totam veritatem recipit sed non totum sacramentum ideo multis in locis cōmunicatur pane vino i. toto sacramento He that receiueth the bodie of Christ receiueth the whole truth but not the whole sacrament and therfore in many places they communicate with bread and wine that is to say in the whole sacrament c. Bonauentura a gray Frier famous amongst the schoolemen In the sacrament two things are to be considered the efficacie the signification Bonauent in lib. 4. Ser. t. d. 11. and therefore to be of the perfection or soundnesse of the sacrament is ment two manner of waies either according to the efficacie and power fuluesse thereof and so euery part is the whole or as concerning the signification and in this sort and manner the two kinds are of the perfection and intirenesse of the sacrament in as much as this sacrament is not sufficient in one of them but in both Also Of the two signes there riseth a perfect sacrament of the integritie and perfection whereof the dispositiue reason riseth naturally because neither the bread nor the wine doe either of them apart refresh and feede mā but rather both together The reason completiue riseth also of the holy institution which hath ordained these two signs to represent a perfect nourishment And he neuer speaketh otherwise In so much as that yet euen in these latter ages and times men were not come so farre as to denie that the Communion vnder both kinds was the institution of Christ or the obseruation of the auncient Church Lyran. in 1. ad Cor. c. 11. Proucrb 9. Sup. haec verba bibite vinum quod miscui vobis Dionys in 1. ad Cor. c. 11. 2. part serm In die caenae Dom. or else to alleadge any other cause of the taking away of the cup then the daunger of shedding for Lyranus saith plainly expounding the place of the first to the Corinthians He speaketh here of two kinds because that in the primitiue Church they were both giuen vnto the faithfull but for feare of spilling there is nothing giuen now a daies vnto the laitie but onely the kind of bread And a long time after him Dionys
concourse and flocking it was no good order and by this goodly reason they would cleare themselues of all the olde fathers But what will they say to Tertullian who saith Tertul. in Apol. We haue filled your cities and your fieldes your pallaces and your armies where is the empire that can withstand vs if our doctrine did not carrie with it the doctrine rather of dying then of killing And notwithstanding all this people did receiue the communion vnder both kinds Or to S. Chrysostome where we see soldiers pressing and endeuouring desirously to receiue the cup And to the conuersion of the nations vnto Iesus Christ all which intirely and wholy we read to haue receiued both kinds I meane the citties prouinces nations and armies yea and that in the wide open field whereas we see on the contrarie that this custome came in when Christendome beganne to decline and fall away from her first zeale euen at such time as there was not such pressing forward nor deuotion eyther vnto the word or Sacraments They say What the laye mans communion is yea wee do ordinarily reade in the old writers Communionem laicam the communion of the laeitie that was this which is administred vnder one kinde This guile and craftie shift is too plaine and manifest the distinction and difference of the laitie and of the Clearkes is well inough knowne what it meant in the old Church these being such as were to take charge in the ministerie vpon them as to be Pastors Elders Deacons Subdeacons c. and those to be such simplie as were faithfull gouerned and led by the ministerie of the others Now the old Church that they might the better containe and kepe such as had charge of the dispensing of the word in the performance of their dutie did hold them vnder a more straite and seuere kind of discipline and if it had happened that any one of them had swarued in the confession of Iesus Christ or grieuously failed in any parte of his dutie according to the qualitie and measure of his fault he was suspended from his ministerie or els he was wholy depriued and put from the same notwithstanding whatsoeuer acknowledgement of the same that he made reserued notwithstanding their libertie to be receiued into the Christian societie and to communicate in the sacraments after the manner of other faithfull people that is of the laitie but not to dispence or distribute the sacraments in the charge place which before they had inioyed neither yet to communicate amongst them of the cleargie Euseb l. 6. c. 33 And this is that which they call recipi ad laicam communionem that is to be receiued to the communion of the laitie And in the Canons Ad veniam non ad dignitatem c. In this sorte saith Eusebius that of three Bishops which had vpon importunate sute request laid their hands vpon the hereticke Nouatus there came one incontinently vnto the Church confessed his sinne and was receiued into the communion of the laitie and that at the request of the people that is to say not to be any more a publike person in the Church but a priuate Cypr. 2 cp ad Stephanum and to be simply a sheepe and not a shepheard And Cyprian layeth the matter open in more plaine sort writing vnto Stephanus If there be any Elders or Deacons saith he which hauing beene ordained in the Catholike church are become rebellious or carrying themselues disloyally or vndutifully towards her c. we adde and set downe this by common authoritie that if they repent communicent laici that is let them be receiued into the communion of the Church as laye people and let them rest satisfied that they are receiued into the peace of the church hauing beene the enemies thereof but not to heare armes or any ensigne of ordination or honour seeing they haue abused them to rebellion against her that is that which commonly they call Orders c. as if they should say let them bee receiued into the church to receiue the Eucharist with the faithfull but not to blesse and distribute it And the reason which he addeth taken out of the olde Testament doeth witnesse as much For it behoueth the Priestes and Ministers saith he which serue at the altar and sacrifices C. 1. Q. conuenientibus that they bee without spot and blemish The Glose of Gratian saith By this authoritie wee learne that those who haue beene willing to be ordained by the heretikes if they came to forsake their heresie are receiued into the Church but yet so as that notwithstanding they cannot exercise their office And by that of S. Cyprian That they are excluded and altogether restrained from all ecclesiasticall Ministerie This is then to say Ad laicam communionem recipi to be receiued to the communion of the laitie is interpreted by these words Administratione ecclesiastica prohiberi to be excluded from all ecclesiasticall administration Dist 84. C. Quisquis Clericus 1. q. 4. C. homini c which a certaine Canon of Pope Syricius calleth Omni dignitatis ecclesiasticae priuilegio denudari to be stript of all manner of priuiledge of ecclesiasticall dignitie And by one pronounced by Innocent against them which are baptised by heretikes that Laicam quidem communionem accipiant ne ex iis aliquis in clericatus honore vel exiguo subrogetur Concil Sard. c. 1. Conc. Agath c. 34. let them receiue the communion with the laie people but that no one of them be admitted vnto the least dignitie of the cleargie that is to say that the graunting of the one presupposeth the deniall of the other And thus also it is vnderstood in the Councell of Sardis of Agatha and others wherein is handled the question of Bishops going from one citie to another of Elders Deacons offending in matters of life and death c. Whereupon also Georgius Wicelius doth confesse that Laica communio in S. Cyprian Georg. Wicel in lib. qui inscribitur typuâ— ecclesiae prioris Cyprian lib. 4. c. 2. is no other thing but that Triphonius a Pastor reuolted from the truth and repenting of the same might communicate with the laye people but not celebrate the communion according to his office of ministerie Adde hereunto that all these canons are of the same time wherein as we haue proued all the faithfull did receiue both kinds And it is nothing to the purpose that Bellarmine saith that these canons doe speake for the most part of Deacons to whom it did not belong to consecrate For besides that he speaketh there of Bishops also he doth not deale onely with persons whose office serueth to consecrate but with all maner of persons hauing charge in the Church besides that it was the ordinary function of the Deacons to administer the cup. As little consequence is there in that which he gathereth of that that the ambitious Bbs. at the request of Osius were not receiued to
the cōmunion of the laie people no not vnto the death which is likewise affirmed afterward of all haynous crimes for the seueritie of the old Church did excommunicate all such as had committed any criminall trespasse from the holy supper Concil Sardic c. 1. for the reuerence they had of the sacrament and detestation of malefactors according to the qualitie of their offences for ten yeares for twentie yeares for the whole time of life and sometimes so as that they would not giue it them no not to the death Whereupon at this time riseth that practise which wee see of not giuing it to such as are conuicted of any enormous crimes nor vnto those which are going to execution But in the meane time they lay amongst the penitentes in a place seperated both from the Cleargie and laitie And of them if they bee laye people speake the Councels Ne in fine quidem iis communionem dandam that they should not haue the communion no not to their dying day If they were Clearkes then there is added no not the Communion amongst the laitie Ne laicam quidem for tenne twentie thirtie yeares yea not to death And when they did graunt it vppon the manifestation of their repentance and shedding of their aboundant store of teares yet it was not to any other effect but to accompt and take them as laye men without any inabling of them to their former places of dignitie that so the Ministers of the Church might bee the better brideled and kept in the doing of their duties For as for that which Bellarmine sayeth That there was nothing giuen them but bread because they durst not touch the cuppe what appearance of truth is there in it that they should take the bread in their hand a thing that some doe agree vnto and durst not touch the cuppe that they durst not touch the vessell and yet touched the Sacrament Againe what punishment had it beene to giue the bodie and not the blood and the bodie according to their concomitancie which extendeth to the containing of the blood And had not this rather beene an iniurie to the sacrament then a punishment to the crime In briefe it is apparant by many examples that both the one and the other was giuen to the sicke Iustinus saith Iust in Apol. that the one and the other was carried to those that were absent Saint Ierome speaking of Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa saith De canistro vimineo de vase vitreo out of a wicker basket for the bread and out of a glasse for the wine The historie of Serapio vseth these words to runne and to poure into the mouth which cannot be vnderstood but of licor But euen as we haue said before that wheresoeuer they find Eucharist Iustia Apol. 2. they haue translated it Masse so now they will vnderstand by this word Eucharist nothing but the sacrament of bread against all antiquitie which speaketh it both of the one of the other And this food we call the Eucharist Againe When the word commeth to the wine mingled the bread broken they are made the Eucharist of the bodie blood of our Lord. And as for the sicke the old fathers did not carrie it indifferently vnto all Irenaeus lib. 5. but vnto them which were neare vnto death hauing beene suspended from the Sacraments as may bee seene in the historie of Serapio that so there might effectually be declared vnto them their reconciliation with God and their peace with the Church to the establishing of their consciences vpon their departure out of this life into another which otherwise should haue beene diuersly tossed and perplexed in this agonie dying vnder the censure of the Church To this purpose S. Cyprian saith In the extreame perill of death the excommunicate must not stay till he be reconciled by the Bishop but let him testifie his vnfained repentance before the Deacon August ep 180 and so depart in peace Saint Augustine When it is come to that point say they they runne to the Church some desire to bee baptized others to bee reconciled others the testisying of their repentance c. And if the Ministers faile into what daunger do they cast them which depart from the church either not baptised or bound with the censures ecclesiasticall But the historie of Serapio cleareth this matter In the time of persecution he had sacrificed to an Idoll the Church had excommunicated him deliuering him vp vnto Sathā then he was as a heathen idolater shut out not only from the communion of the sacraments but from the societie of Christians Hauing in the end beseeched his brethren with teares hee fell sicke through sorrow and heauines of heart losing his speech within three daies which he recouered againe vpon the fourth and said How long will ye hold me in this case bring me hither a minister that I may be reconciled vnto God and restored vnto the church before I die And then the sacraments were administred vnto him in token that the Church was at peace with him againe Against the ordinarie vse of the Church which we propound and stand vpon they continue to oppose the extraordinarie abuses of certaine women or priuate persons There are found say they such as did take the cup in the Church and notwithstanding carried home to their houses the sacrament of bread And thereupon they alleadge vnto vs the example of Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem Ieronym aduer◠Iouinian Nazianz. in funere Gorgoniae of Satyrus the brother of S. Ambrose c. of a certain infidel woman who stole the bread from Chrysostom c. as also of S. Ambrose himself who died after he had taken the sacrament of bread c. what can the authoritie of these priuate examples doe against a publike law and custome these examples of poore sillie women of infirme and weake persons or such as had beene slenderly taught against the institution of the Sonne of God And if these examples be so infalliblie certain why then did they not rather depraue them of the bread seeing they all agree that they caried it home with them tooke the cup in the Church And afterward why did they not call to mind what is said of Gorgonia that shee kept both the one and the other kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the signes of the precious bodie and blood And that in the historie of Satyrus there is mention made Haustionis fusionis in viscera of the shedding and poowring of them into the entrailes which cannot be vnderstood but of licour And that this pretended Paulinus which hath written of S. Ambrose is he as saith Erasmus Which hath marred all S. Ierome and S. Augustine borne saith he onely to spoile good writers But as we do not denie vnto them that these superstitions tooke place at the least amongst some particular persons so they should not haue
Constantine the Emperour he pissed against the sacred table And in an other place hee sayeth that in Millaine there was a Table whereupon were offered giftes And S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn That the Sacrament of the bodie and blood praparabatur in mensa Dominica in mensa Dominica sumebatur It was prepared vpon the Lordes Table and vppon the same it was taken And after that hee had called it a Table hee calleth it also sometimes an Altar in the same place where by wee see that the table of offringes the table of the Lord and the Altar were one and the same thing he saith Men vow vnto God that which is offred vnto him especiallie the oblation of the holy Altar Idem Ep. 50. And if wee doubt eyther of the offring or of the Altar he maketh himselfe plaine saying When that which is vpon the Table is sanctified and blessed And Durandus acknowledgeth that this Altar is the Table whereat our Lord banqueted with his Disciples Durand l. 1. c. 2. That the Tables were of wood Optat. l. 6. and those Altars were of woode if wee may belieue Optatus who sayeth In some places for want of wood they haue scraped them and whereas there was good store there they broke them c. And Saint Augustine in his fifty Epistle where the Donatists breake the woode of the Altar after that they had hurt the Bishoppe And those such as were to bee taken in sunder or remoued and not set fast or made all of a peece for in another place hee sayeth that the office of the Deacon was to carrie the Altar that is this Table Chrysostome calleth it ordinarily the holy or sacred Table The Greeke Lithurgies in like maner August in quaestione veteris nouitestamenti q. 101. Iraen l. 4. c 24. And when they speake otherwise it is but by a Metaphore and yet notwithstanding not that I denie altogether that they vse this word Altar in this sence but more often in the other Thus sayeth Irenaeus Our Altar is in heauen whether our prayers and oblations are directed that is to say Christ Origen giueth the same name vnto our hearte and the Greeke Lithurgies doe pray God That it would please him to receiue the spirituall Sacrifice the Sacrifice of praise vpon his heauenlie and spirituall Altar c. And the Masse Iube haec in sublime Altare tuum ferri nimirum dona But after the time of Constantine vse preuailed by little and little whereupon they became to be made of stone as witnesseth Gregorius Nyssenus but yet not at the first dash in euery place and to make them immoueable according as the estate and condition of Christians grew more and more stable Whereupon Gerson saieth that Siluester the first was the first that made them of stone Gerson l. 4. cont Florent Gab Biel. lect 13. in Can. De Conse D. 1. Can. Nemo Durand l. 100. 7. l. 4. And Gabriel Biel That in former times they vsed a portable Altar of wood which Clement calleth the Table of the Lord. And Durandus hauing witnessed the same yeeldeth a reason worthie of himselfe why they were made of stone saying Because that the rocke was Christ the stone which the builders refused the stone cut out of the mountaine without hand c. But whether wee call them Tables or Altars they were consecrated to the participating of the holy Supper And to the end that men might come vnto it on all sides it was placed in the midst of the Temple The Table in the midst Euseb l. 10. c. 4 inclosed and set about with a certaine kinde of lattise-worke to holde out the presse and throng of the people Eusebius describing the famous Temple built by Constantine sayeth After that the Temple was finished and raised seates placed for the Presidents August in Iohan. tract 42. c. there was placed in the middest the Sanctum Sanctorum after the manner of the Hebrewes that is to say the Altar And S. Augustine teacheth vs that this was the custome Iesus Christ feedeth vs dayly behold and see the Table prepared in the middest whereof commeth it O yee hearers that you see his Table and come not to eate of the meate Concil Constantinop 5. c. 1. Whereupon wee see that in the Councell of Constantinople the fift Sub tempus Diptychorum at the time of the commemoration of the Martyrs all the people ran with silence round about the Altar for to heare And how had that beene possible if they had beene as at this day trussed close vppe to the end or vtmost partes of the Temple or place wherein they stand or fastened into some wall But further the Minister or Pastor at such time as the holie supper was distributed in the Church did not turne his backe vpon the people but saw them and was seene of them all vpon the face and hereof there remaine some prints and markes in the Cathedrall Churches of Rome Millaine Naples Florence Lyons Maguntia c. where the Priest turneth his face towardes the west hath thereby the people continually before his eyes and Durandus doth acknowledge the same Durandus l. 4. One onely Altar Ignatius ad Phila. Euseb l. 10. c. 4 Chrysost in 2. ad Cor. ho. 8. This Altar likewise was onelie one and this did shew the Communion of Christians communicating at one Table Ignatius sayeth There is but one Altar for the whole Church Eusebius speaking of this great and magnificall Temple built by Constantine sayeth One onely Altar in the middest and that a greate and statelie one And this Altar is interpreted by Chrysostome in these wordes saying One Baptisme and one Table And indeed in all the ancient Christian Temples of Greece and Italie their manner of building was not fit to receiue anie moe Altars then one as hath beene obserued by the studious in antiquities where there are more to be found they are not vsed And as to this day there is but one in the Temples of the Grecians that in the midst of the Quire And consequently this one Altar was dedicated vnto the one onely God Dedicated vnto God onely For the first ages or antiquitie which worshipped not Saintes did not yeeld them anie for else with what face should S. Augustine haue reproched vnto the Gentiles the Altars consecrated to the Gods And what power or force should this argument haue had in the mouth of the Christian against the Gentiles There may no Altar bee consecrated Augustinus â— 10 serm 6. de verbo Domin but to that which is called God If at such time the Christians should consecrate anie vnto Saintes and againe if the Saintes of the Christians were not taken of them for Gods It is the Altar sayeth hee which testifieth that he is taken and held for God to whome it is erected and consecrated for otherwise what should the erecting of an Altar doe if there were not a Deitie belieued
other man you shall find them to haue beene of the same opinion But what maketh all this for purgatorie but onely that it may serue to dasle the eyes of men For that this was an opinion at that time helde as indifferent in the Church it doth appeare in that that Saint Augustine handling the same in his bookes of retractations leaueth it vndecided whereas Chrysostome in many places speaketh to the contrary cutting all off in a worde As that the righteous shall see God face to face and not any more by faith c. That death coupleth vs with the companie that is with Christ where the Cherubines glorifie God where the Seraphins flie where we shall see Saint Paule c. In so much as that it was pronounced hereticall and that by the name of the heresie of the Armenians by Innocent the third Benedict the eleuenth by the decree of the Councell held at Florence where it was said that the soules of the saints at their departure out of this life did inioy the presence of God Notwithstanding that Pope Iohn the 22. had made a Decree in fauour of that doctrine namely that the Vniuersitie of Paris should be restrained from admitting any to proceed Doctor or in any other degree of diuinity which did not take an oath that soules did not see God before the day of iudgement And this is verified by Gulielmus Occan in his booke intituled Opus nonaginta trium dierū And Pope Adrian the 6. vpon the 4. booke of Sentences both which do condemne it And thus as hitherto they haue not any third place where the souls are purged in the time betwixt death the day of iudgement For that of Origen S. Ambr. S. Hillary helpeth thē not a dodkin that of Augustines refuteth this of theirs and being wel looked on appeareth to be a fire of tribulation a spirituall but not a materiall fire moreouer such a one as is very doubtfull and meere arbitrarie Likewise these pretended receptacles of Soules are not places of anguish and torment but of rest and ioyfulnesse not of making satisfaction but of contentation to be receiued by the attending and wayting for of the glorie to come in like manner they are condemned of heresie by themselues And therefore it remaineth that if they will needes haue it to haue beene at this time which is fiue hundred yeares after Christ that yet they goe and find it amongst the Gentiles And great in deede is the antiquitie of that for it was before the comming of Christ many ages and yet notwithstanding it is verie young and a meere Nouice in the Church of Christ because it is without Christ and out of the Church CHAP. IX Wherein the obiections of the aduersaries whereby they goe about to proue their Purgatorie out of the old Fathers are fully answered THey say you cannot denie Of the satisfactions vsed amongst them of the olde Church but that the Primitiue Church did impose great satisfactions vpon them which had failed in the profession of the name of Christ How then could they make the same but in Purgatorie when they were dead and had left them vndone But wee rather argue quite contrarie As that if the auncient Church which imposed these Satisfactions vpon them that so they might let them goe to God in peace did as ordinarily giue them absolution then it cannot but certainely proue that it had not learned any thing of this Purgatorie But the truth is that in the times of those great and continuall persecutions which the Christians suffered for the space of three hundred yeares onely some little respite and rest giuen vnto them many did renounce and belie the profession of the faith of Christ who before in the calme and peaceable times had giuen their names thereunto becomming readie to returne to Idolatrie as the times chaunged and altered Now against this leuitie in constancie the auncient Church did not thinke any punishments that could be inflicted to be too hard or sharpe by meanes whereof it thought to find out the sinceritie or hypocrisie of the penitents as also their liuely or otherwise dull and dead sence and feeling that they had for their sinne Wherefore the end and scope of this course was to bring them to sackcloth and ashes and to suffer them to passe many daies in making humble petitions to bee reconciled to the Church who either had sacrificed or burnt incense to Idols or who had giuen the Gospels and holy Bookes to bee burned and who were therefore called Sacrificati Thurificantes Traditores Libellatici c. yea and which is yet more to the end they might adde more carefull heede to such as should offer to enter themselues into the number of the Church there were some that would not receiue Lapsos paenitentes any more then once to the taking of penance after baptisme And Nouatus proceeded yet further and denied it them altogether for the which he was condemned of the Church which also thereupon Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 2 from that time forward began to mitigate these punishments What then And now if they died before the time were they not bound by the Church And how then did they satisfie these punishments Idem l. 3. Ep. 8 Serm. 5. de Lapsis Verily the order was good that before they had fully made such satisfaction they were not to be receiued to absolution or to haue any communion with the Church But as duely was it obserued on the other side that if they were in daunger of death before the time of such accomplishment that then notwithstanding they were receiued into the peace absolution and communion of the same Assuredly not with any purpose or intent that they should euer haue gone into Purgatorie for they neuer thought of it But to the end saith S. Cyprian that dying they might goe to the Lord in peace Idem l. 3 Ep. 17. l 4 Ep 4. Euseb l. 6. c. 34 To the ende saith Dionysius That their sinne being blotted out they may depart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in good hope out of this life But here withall they ioyned say they this condition that if they should recouer their health againe that then they should fulfill this satisfaction but that otherwise they should haue any thing to accomplish in the world to come not a word Contrariwise S. Cyprian sheweth a reason of this absolution in these words saying Quoniam exomologesis apud in feros nec esse nec fieri potest Seeing there neither is nor can be any publike confession or acknowledgment amongst the dead That is to say as we haue learned to expound it of Tertullian that these Acts of Canonicall satisfaction cannot be accomplished after this life Bellarmine and others before him obiect vnto vs a place out of S. Cyprian in this same Epistle Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 4. but to no end or purpose Aliud inquit est ad veniam stare c. It is one
craue the same of God for three reasons First to shew himselfe desirous according to Christian vnitie that gifts and good things might be bestowed vpon others euen as hee would wish or desire them for himselfe Secondly to confirme and assure the hearts of such as are present of the performance of those good things which God promiseth in the Scriptures to those that fall a sleepe that is to say die in him And thirdly to declare vnto them the iudgement of God according to the charge which is giuen him from God to bind and to loose in admitting and receiuing of some and reiecting of other some by his testimonie as if he conueyed and carried them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this his praier out of this life into that blessed and happie estate for this praier was wont of old time to bee saide at the laying of them into the earth S. Ambrose giueth vs other reasons Griefe and sorrow saith he is oftentimes the comfort of the grieuing And in good affections there is likewise a certaine pleasure in weeping but we content and satisfie our selues in some manner by speaking of him whome we haue lost c. What other thing could he say of such as he witnessed to bee dead in Christ and by consequent liuing and raigning with him Nilus de Purgatorio Chrysost hom 4. ad Hebr. hom 70. ad Antioch hom 22. in Act. hom 33. in Math. Saint Chrysostome maketh two orders of the dead the one dying in a true faith and the other not so and hee findeth it good to praie both for the one and for the other but for the one at the Altar but not so for the other And these prayers saith hee are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any fained thing or counterfaite Pageant but full of efficacie Let vs see what manner of efficacie Is it a Purgatorie or purging efficacie Nay not so for the Grecians say that hee neuer beleeued it Neither yet the Greeke Churches But saith hee thou callest the Priestes and the Singers to the ende they may comfort thee and honour the deceased Idem hom 3. ad Philip. hom 69. ad Antioc hom 41. ad Corinth 61. in Ioh. 21. in Act. Greg. contr l. 4 Dialog c. 44. Bonauentur in 4. Sen. 46. D Epiphan haeres 75. Idem aduers Acrium Wee come and discourse like Phylosophers of the resurrection instructing all such as haue not as yet beene ouertaken by the death of their kinsfolkes to beare out the same stoutly and vndauntedly when it shall happen vnto them But if one presse him further These prayers and almes saith he serue for them that are saued as an increase of their glorie and for the damned to the mittigating of their paine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea in a certaine place to the working of a full deliuerance Now I would know if Saint Gregorie the Schoolemen or our aduersaries doe approoue this Epiphanius dooth what he can against Aerius to rid him out of doubt and to leare his intangled mind and the doctrine of Purgatorie had beene a fit replie and for his purpose to haue fully satisfied Aerius who did so presse and vrge him For said he if these pruiers profit a wicked man that he shall not vndergoe the punishment deserued after death is there any euill and wicked thing that a man will let to doe either against God or man being assured that hee shall not faile to haue certaine prayers offered for him after his death But Epiphanius saith rather The end and scope of these prayers is not that but first that those that are liuing may be admonished that those that depart hence well are not dead but liue with the Lord that is to say Paul ad Cor. 2.3.5 Nazianz. in hom de Caesario quem vocat primitias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest confirmed in the resurrection Secondly that they which pray for their brethren reape this consolation that they are away from them as it were for the time of a iourney 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but following that which Saint Paul saith and Nazianzene hath learned of him to soiourne with the Lord. For they that expound this pilgrimage of Purgatorie cannot shift themselues from the words that goe before That the Church doth praie for them by name which are alreadie receiued vp to be with Christ Thirdly They praie also saith hee for the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs c. To the ende that thereby the faith full might dayly learne to make difference betwixt Christ a man and all other men because he possesseth eternall ioy of himselfe but al other by him how iust and righteous so euer they be And to conclude withall vppon the inconuenience and absurditie that Aerius did alleadge Epiphan cont Acrium l. 3. c. 1 haeres 75. What should this prooue to bee if thereby all faultes and offences were abolished He aunswereth him That wee must not thinke notwithstanding that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the totall summe of crimes is blotted out without any further declaring how farre this abolishment dooth stretch Our aduersaries doe here take vppon them to gesse what hee would say That small sinnes and not great and haynous crimes are there blotted out and we tell them that the Schoolemen will not allow it them And we also doe thinke that it is more seemely to rest and stay our selues where hee hath rested seeing hee would not say any more but conceale the rest And in deede Cassander in his aduise to the Emperour Maximilian Cassand in consult c. de iterat Missae though holding parties with our aduersaries doth freely confesse That vntill this day it was neuer agreed vpon in the old Church after what manner these prayers did profit those which were dead neither yet what was the state and condition of the Soules for which they prayed but that it was a meere testimonie of charitie towards the deceased and a profession of that Article of the faith concerning the immortalitie of the soule and of that also of the resurrection to come Saint Augustine remaineth who seemeth to them to bee more fauourable then all the rest and behold the reasons that hee yeeldeth He prayeth for his mother though presupposing her to bee alreadie in heauen Prayer then for the dead being vsed in the same sence that hee vseth it dooth not presuppose any Purgatorie Of the calling to memorie and rehersall of the dead which was made at the Altar that is to say August de Ciuit Dci l. c. 9. in the seruice of the Church he deliuereth this as an occasion That it was to shew the Communion that euen the dead haue in the Church who cease not to bee members of the same though they raigne already with Christ and be absent from this life Againe that the friends of the deceased may receiue this consolation that they which are asleepe in Christ how infirme and weake so euer are not excluded and shut out from his kingdom but
midst of you c. Yea to frustrate and disapoint them euerie manner of way whether his purpose and intention stand good or not For if he be nothing bent that way then according to their doctrine hee consecrateth not neither is the Sonne of God communicated And neuerthelesse if he do consecrate yet they doe not communicate therein for they are alwaies subiect to doubt whether hee had any purpose and intention or not And whereas there is doubting there is no faith and where there is no faith there is nothing but sinne Now themselues are of this iudgement that hee cannot receiue the bodie of Christ which doth not belieue in him Now then what priuiledge hath the vertuous and godly man more then the wicked seeing that the intention or not intention of the Priest transubstantiateth or leaueth vntransubstantiated seeing that both the one the other are subiect to doubt of the intention therefore of the effect seeing that both the one and the other whether doubting or assured thereof do equally receiue or not receiue Likewise what shall become of their doctrine De opere operato That the thing profiteth and is auaileable in asmuch as it is onely performed and done not in regard of the person which doth it seeing that this whole mysterie dependeth now Ex opere operantis of the working and operation of the sacrificer Moreouer where shall the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue all other Sacraments bee found if the rest depend vppon the grace of God without any such necessitie of the intention of him that consecrateth as the greatest part of them doth hold of baptisme and of that pretended Sacrament of mariage c. On God I say whose intention and purpose neuer halteth or faileth neither yet by consequent the obiect of our faith the same not to speake any thing more sharpely and grieuously of the infirmity of man being subiect to faile euerie moment But further I would know what shal become of their priuate Masses Bonauent in Comp. Sacr. Theol. rubr 11. l. 8. Gabr. Biel. lect 6. lit C. seeing that Bonauenture Biel hold That besides the intent of him that consicrateth there is required the intent and purpose of him that instituteth and ordaineth that it is not sufficient for the Priest to haue an intent to consecrate if hee follow not the intent of Christ in this sacrament But Hugo and Biel the most part of the schoolmen are they not of iudgement that priuate Masse wherein there is no publike remembrance made of the death of Christ doth nothing at all agree with the mind of the institutor what consolation then can they of the Church of Rome haue in the Sacrament when in stead of nourishing of their faith they maintaine and feed doubt and vncertaintie when as after they haue beene well prepared they know not what they receiue the efficacie of the consecration being vnable to penetrate and pearce according to their doctrine in the Sacrament without this intention and purpose the man likewise not being able to pearce and see into the intent of the consecrating Priest by any meanes Thus in seeking to giue too much to the worthinesse of the Priest they haue taken away the effect of the Sacrament from God who onely worketh the same and from the people the profit and fruit which should come to them thereby Stella clericoruÌ„ and for which it was ordained And all this that they might be honoured in the dispensation of the mysteries of God more then God himselfe more then the Creator whose Creators and makers since the time of the entring of the doctrine of transubstantiation they haue not beene ashamed to professe themselues to be Now the old Church had neuer any such doctrine they did not at any time once thinke of calling of Christ out of heauen by multitude of wordes What is meant by consecrating they did attribute the communion of the bodie of Christ to the institution of our Lord to the operation of the holy Ghost and to the faith of the faithfull To consecrate in their language was to sanctifie that is to blesse that is to change a thing from the common vse to a holy and from a profane to a sacred which is accomplished by the word that is to say by the institution of the Lord which giueth it his efficacie Thus speaketh Saint Cyprian ordinarily That the bread and the wine of the holy Supper are sanctified by the word And S. Augustine expoundeth it saying Not for that it is spoken but for that it is belieued not the sound that flâ—eth away but the permanent and abiding power that is to say the operation of the spirit of God c. After the same manner haue all the ancient fathers written as S. Hillarie Isidor l. 6. Ambrose Ierome Gregorie c. Isidore in like sort By the commandement of Christ we call his bodie and his bloud that which is sanctified of the fruites of the earth and made a Sacrament by the inuisible operation of the spirit of God c. In which sence the prophane Authors vsed also the word Consecration Promiscui vsus Cornelius Fronto saith Consecrated that is that which is made holy or turned to a holy vse being before prophane that is to say of a common vse But God forbid that our Lord should make the communion of his bodie which he offereth vnto vs subiect either to the sound of words or to the intent mind of him that vttereth them The ministers as were also the Apostles are made for the church not the church for them yea they are the ministers and not the Lords thereof they are not dispensers of their owne mysteries but of Christs yet which is more not of Christes mysteries but of the signes of his mysteries onely 1. Cor. 13. no more then they are of faith which commeth of the hearing of the worde notwithstanding that they minister the word to vs God hauing reserued vnto himselfe the gift of faith to worke the same by the effectuall power of his spirit as a dispensation only from his grace being no more depending on him that ministreth then tied to the signes which hee ministreth c. God verily saith to Moses And thou shalt sanctifie it c. Leuit 3. August in quaest in Leui. But he saith also in another place I am the Lord which do sanctifie it S. Augustine demandeth thereupon How can it be that both the Lord and Moses should do it Verily saith he Moses by the visible sacraments by his ministerie but the Lord by his inuisible grace by his spirit as that wherein lieth all the fruit and benefit of the visible sacraments So Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst those that are borne of women saith the Lord baptised with water but the gift of the spirit was of Christ And by the ministerie of Paul and Apollos many belieued but the gift of faith by which man belieueth
Againe that which followeth Thy bodie is broken O Christ thy cup is blessed let thy blood be to vs vnto eternall life Can this be spoken and that in their owne iudgementes but of the bread and not of the bodie seeing that in the bodie they do not allow of any breaking And in deed he calleth the kinds after the consecration Creatures in these words Per quem haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas viuificas c. By whom O Lord thou createst all these thinges as also sanctifiest and quickenest them c. But the praiers which are said after the communion which they call Post-communions will witnesse with vs of the intent of the Church We which receiue the pledge of eternall life doe humblie beseech thee that this which we haue toucht by the image of the sacrament may be receiued of vs by a manifest receiuing c. Againe Hauing beene refreshed with celestial meat drinke we pray thee that we may be made strong through this prayers in remembrance of whom we haue receiued these things Again That we may receiue the sauing effect the pledge whereof we haue receiued by these mysteries Note Pledge Image of the Sacrament communication mysteries c. which they also commonly call Commercia sacrosancta redemptionis nostrae The sacred trafficke of our redemption Celestiall gifts the celestiall Table celestiall sacraments spirituall nourishmentes which are receiued by the spirit in visible mysteries but by an inuisible effect c. Now followeth that which is attributed vnto Chrysostome S. Chrysostomes liturgie but with what apparance of truth we haue shewed before for it cannot bee of fiue hundred yeares after The prefaces therein are customarie There is something said of change but by the inuocating of the name of God and by the power of the holy Ghost not by the pronunciation of wordes and not in the nature of the elementes but in the vse for likewise after the blessing there is a prayer For the precious giftes sanctified And the bread is called Holy bread which is distributed vnto those that are present in these wordes The Lambe of God the Sonne of the father is distributed and not diuided daily eaten and neuer consumed but he sanctifieth them which are partakers thereof Can this be any otherwise spoken then figuratiuely They obiect vnto vs that it is there said That Christ is present there That he is there toucht with the hand and seene with the eye c. And would they haue all this vnderstood according to the letter How then is it said both before and all with one breath Christ is there inuisiblie It is not incident for him to bee discerned there by our sight c. And how will these contradictions in one the same Periode agree stand together but only thus by vnderstanding the signe to be spoken of in the one the thing in the other Can they any way relieue themselues still holding their opinions without falling as saith the Canon into greater more dangerous heresies then euer did Berengarius But verily Chrysost hath spokē thus elswhere Christ is crucified before your eyes his bloud runneth downe from his side c. And S. Paul likewise to the Galathians Christ is crucified before your eies As in S. Ierome Hyeronym in Psal 85. Tertul. de baptism Our faces in baptisme are marked with the bloud of Christ In Tertullian We are washed in the passion of our Lord c. In S. Barnard Washed in his bloud in Baptisme c. And all this without any reall transmutation in the elements In the Masse also vsed at this day The liturgie of the Latines although that it haue beene ouertrimmed againe and againe wee may find sorne traces and footinges thereof for the bread and the wine are there called Dona Munera giftes offerings and the same gifts after consecration are called Creatures Per quem haec omnia semper bona creas c. Whereas the massing Priestes would haue vs belieue that after they haue once gone ouer them that they become the Creator himselfe And they pray vnto God That he would vouchsafe to accept them as the offeringes of Abell c. If it were Christ himselfe with what face could this be done Furthermore there are as yet many Post-communions carrying S. Ambrose his stile As this Pignus vitae eternae c. the pledge of eternall life Again Quod specie gerimus rerū veritare capiamus Lord let thy Sacraments accomplish in vs that which they containe to the end we may receiue in truth that which we handle in figure Otherwise how wil they expound this without a figure That the bodie that I haue taken and the bloud that I haue drunke cleaueth vnto my entralles if we vnderstand it not of the entralles of the soule and by consequent of the mouth of the same according to the words which follow That so there may not remaine any spot of mine iniquities in me c. They think themselues to haue done a great act against al these so euident proofes Obiection when they can but obiect against vs That our Lord had told his disciples that hee would not speake any more vnto them in similitudes and that the question is here about a Testament wherein euerie thing must be plainely set downe But is there any that do both wittingly and willingly make the same more obscure and intricate then they doe which of them or vs doth admit therein both moe figures more strange figures But we say that there is something to be said betwixt parables and figures and that figures are giuen to make cleare and plaine not to make obscure darke And that more is there is not any place in the scripture without speaking either of their figures That the whole discourse of the holy supper is full of figures or our owne wherein there are so many figures to be found Father let this cup passe from me Let a man sell that he hath to buy him a sword This cup is the new Testament c. I will not drinke any more of this fruit Behold thy mother c. Are these figures And is there not also both before and after the passion not onely figuratiue speeches but also figured deeds The washing of the feet of the Apostles The sop giuen to Iudas c. The breathing vpon the Apostles c. in these words Receiue the holy Ghost c. And yet these figures whether those concerning actions or those concerning wordes such as both expressely signifie as also giue much light to that which is intended to bee deliuered yea more then many other wordes would haue done For what store number would haue sufficed to lay open the duetie that our Lord would that S. Iohn should performe to the virgine or the humilitie which hee recommended to the Apostles or to haue set forth the presence of the spirite which he was as certainely to send vnto
you And concerning this drawing neere Chrysostome saith vnto vs in an other place There is no need why thou shouldest passe from one place to an other to draw neere vnto him hee is daily at hand vnto thee And the Apostle in the same sence Let vs draw neere vnto the throne of grace c. The sound notwithstanding which ringeth lowd in Sermons and the water which is sprinkled in Baptisme August de Vnico Baptif contr Petil. c. 5 Ambros de iis qui initiant myst c. 9. was neuer called God Saint Augustine on the contrarie saith One God is more then one Baptisme for Baptisme is not God but a Sacrament of God Of the same consequence are these that follow Saint Ambrose saith of this Sacrament Taste and see that the Lord is good Verily as he that distributeth his graces vnto vs in this Sacrament as hee that therein offereth vs his flesh and his bloud c. And there also he saith The body of Christ is signified It is become not a corporall but a spirituall meate Hee speaketh therefore of our Lord and not of the Sacrament of him of whome hee addeth Blessed are they that put their trust in him Saint Augustine vpon Beda Who shall dare to bee so bold as to eate his Lord Deverb Dom. secund Luc. Serm. 19. Hieronym ad Pammach August ad Infantes citatuâ— a Beda in 1. Cor. Idem in Ioh. tract 7. But much more say we so for he saith It is bread and it is bread and it is bread God the father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost God who whatsoeuer he giueth thee giueth thee nothing better then himselfe But verily it is that heauenly bread of whome S. Ierome saith The Saints and holy men are fed with this bread they are filled full with euerie word of God they haue one and the same both for their Lord and for their meate Of whome Cyrill saith This flesh hath the diuine word who naturally is life And of whome Saint Augustine saith in like manner Euerie belieuer is made partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord when he is made a member of Christ in baptisme c. He is our meat but so as that we haue our mouth and taste in our hearts c. Wherefore they should rather haue pitcht and grounded themselues vpon these generall propositions so expresse and plainly set downe in the fathers Chrysostome Chrysost in oper imperf hom 11. The word of God is nothing lesse then the bodie of Christ Saint Ierome I hold that the Gospel is the bodie of Christ And although saith he that these words He that eateth my flesh c. may be vnderstood of the mystery yet it is more truly meant of the word of the Scriptures namely Seeing that the word and the Sacraments are instruncents Orig. in Exed hom 13. Ambr. de Bened Patriarch wherein it pleaseth God to lay open his graces Origen Doe you make accompt that there is lesse daunger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting of his body Who doubteth but if that the Sacrament had beene verie God but that they would haue spoken otherwise Saint Ambrose saith Hee gineth vs this day the bread which the Minister daily consecrateth by his word that is meant of Christ We may also take the Lord himselfe who saith I am the bread of life Epiphanius This bread is of a round fashion insensible c. Our Lord all sense wholly sensible whole God wholly mouing c. Origen This bread sanctified by the word of God and praier in regarde of the materiall parts that it hath passeth into the belly and so goeth into the draught c. Is not this plainely to distinguish the heauenly bread that is to say Christ from the sanctified bread that is to say the Sacrament The creature from the Creator and that which goeth into the stomacke from that which pearceth into the soule Who is hee then that can any longer indure that such blasphemies should be fathered vpon antiquitie Stella clericor Serm. Discipuli Serm. 3. Creatur a vobis mediantib vobis That nothing was reserued Clem. Ep. 2. Idem in Lithurg Apul. Metamorph l. 11. Ruf Eccles hyst l. 2. c. 23. Gloss antiqua apud Turneb Orig. in Leuit. hom 5. Hieronym in 1. Cor. 11. Hesych in Leuit l. 2. c. 8. Euag. l 4. c. 30. Niceph. l. 17. c. 25. Concil Matisc 2. c. 25. Concil Turonens making the same to call the creature God yea or rather which is a great deale worse that it should haue called God a creature For they are not ashamed to vtter it in their words and writings That their Priest is the Creator of his Creator He that created you hath giuen you power to create him He that hath created you without your selues is created by you by the meanes of you And surely let vs further adde this one thing That if the Fathers had had any such opinion they would not haue vsed that which remained of the Sacrament in such sort as wee reade they did Their pretended Clement I. saith After that euerte man hath taken it the Deacons set vp the rest and carrie it in pastophoria that is to say into the Ministers their lodgings or Chambers And thus also it is called by Apuleius and Ruffinus in the description of the Temple of Serapie c. Thinke with your selues whether the poore Christian Martyrs in the time of Nero had had any leasure as then once to dreame of this goodly frame and workmanship Origen The Lord said vnto his Disciples of the bread that he gaue them Take eate he did not post them ouer to eate of the same afterward neither did he commaund them that it should bee kept vnto the next morning Saint ierome After the Communion they that did eate the supper together in the Church did make an end of all that which was remaining of the sacrifices So that out of that sacred vse they did eate it as common bread Hesychius We see how they vse to burne in the Church all that which is not consumed According to Euagrius and Nicephorus They were giuen to the little children that were in the Schooles to cate them the same hower And the Councell of Mascon II. haue ordained and decreed that it should be so That of Tours about the yeare 813. held vnder Charlemaine addeth thereto That it be done with discretion Likewise Cardinall Humbert a Burgundian writing against Nicetus Blameth the Greekes for that they did not burne it But it is for certaine that it was not kept eleuated or shut vp close in a boxe to be worshipped of the people We reade rather that it was sent to the sicke and such as were absent that Bishops in token of their Christian vnitie and that they were all one bread did mutually send this sanctified bread Concil Laodic c. 14. one to an other c. The Parishes likewise at Easter one to an other Which thing
was forbidden in the Councell of Laodicea Can. 14. And therefore there was but a little kept because that in the feruent zeale of those times the holy supper was celebrated almost euerie day and that a great deale lesse then the water of the Fonts which for all that was neither transubstantiated nor worshipped And this was the custome of the Church Some of superstition carried it into their houses and some women would wrap it vp in their handkerchefs lockt it vp in their Coffers and eate it at their owne houses c. Now let men iudge if the first ages of the Church did euer take the Sacrament to be God if it would haue suffered these prophanations But these examples are worthie to be as much accompted of in the Church as theirs that vsed to put it in childrens mouthes abusing this place If any man eate my flesh c. or of others who would put it in the mouthes of those that were dead c. being practises that haue beene condemned by many Councels And they are happily vanished and worne away of themselues howsoeuer they were grounded vppon verie auncient tradition euen since the time of Tertullian and S. Cyprian as also by the ordinance of Charlemaine That the Ministers should haue the Eucharist consecrated euerte day L. 1. c. 161. for children Because they had no other staie or foundation then the Scripture misunderstood The custome likewise being not of keeping it but of giuing it to them which were in extremitie grew hereupon that many sinking and shrinking away vnder the heate of persecution they were excluded and put from the Sacraments by the seueritie of this first discipline and that euen to the hower of death whereto the famous storie of Serapio is to bee referred And then that they might be comforted by their being receiued into the peace and Communion of the Church hauing giuen tokens of repentaunce the Ministers of the Church accompanied with their friendes did communicate vnto them the holy Supper and oftentimes also did communicate with them Againe wee reade not in all those 800. yeares The questions moued in these latter ages were not heard of in the first no not of 800. yeares after Christ which fall into the time of Charlemaine in any of the bookes of those graue and holy Doctors any of the questions wherewith the Schooles were afterward filled The people which read and heard the word of God and his seruice in their owne language was wonted to the phrases and manners of speeches vsed in the Scriptures the sheepe of the Lord did heare and vnderstand his voice and rested contented and satisfied therewith Barbarisme brought into the Church did beget these barbarous Expositions and consequently these blasphemous questions not as they are barbarous If our Lord do leaue heauē to come into the place of bread If in comming thither he passe through the ayre If he doe forsake the same againe so soone as the kind is striken vpon with the tooth or else if he goe downe into the stomacke and being in the stomacke whether he rest therin altogether and how long staying in the stomack whether he waite and attend there till the forme of the bread at the least bee disgested whether he chaunge himselfe at such time into the soule or body of the Communicant or whether he vanish into nothing or else returne to heauen Whether the accidents of bread and wine doe cleaue vnto him or else abide hanging in the ayre Whether the Priest in remouing the host doe remoue the body of Christ or the accidents onely Or rather whether the Priest remouing the accidents God do fit and accommodate the bodie of Christ to this mouing Againe Whether the thing nourished or rather poysoned as it is to be seene become a new substance which God createth in the stomacke and whereunto they fasten themselues Whether the body of Christ bee whole and all in euerie part of the host or at the least in those parts which are to be seene by an indifferent and meane sight as also the bloud in any the least drop Whether he be there alwaies standing his head turned toward the Priest c. Or else after the same manner of position and placing that he is in heauen set or otherwise and whether hee be there clothed or naked Whether the Priest be able to consecrate all the bread and wine of the world or that onely which is before him And whether that which he seeth onely or that also which he seeth not prouided that hee be equally distant from the one and the other Whether the words become of sufficient power being spoken once or many times to consecrate many hosts And what the words must bee whether those that our Lord spoke when he blessed the signes which we know not or those fower Hoc est corpus meum Or whether Enim bee requisite and necessarie thereto or not Or else Quod pro vobis datur c. Whether the intent of the Priest bee requisite if not actuall yet at the least habituall or inclining or disposed Whether that Christ bee entred into the bread after this word Hoc is spoken or after Est or the whole fiue words Whether he enter into the same seeing hearing speaking doing all that which he seeth heareth c. in heauen or else blind deafe dumbe c. and a thousand such like which we shall see hereafter Questions such as we shall not find any step or trace of in all the writings of the reuerend old Fathers as neither of their doctrine Whereat these good fathers would bee afraid and ashamed if they should liue againe and which verily I should haue made conscience to haue vttered if conscience did not bind me to discouer and vnfold the absurdities whereinto one falschood once receiued hath cast and plunged vs beeing also such as Dame impudencie her selfe would blush at howsoeuer that strumpet clothed with Scarlet died in the bloud of the Martyrs of Christ doe not blush thereat at all CHAP. VIII What hath beene the originall proceeding and increase of the opinion of Transubstantiation vnto the yeare 1215. And how it was ratisied and established by a decree in the Councell of Laterane THus then we see what the opinion was not onely of the first old writers but of all almost the later concerning the holy supper and how far off it was from that which is receiued at this day And now it onely remaineth that we see how it is transubstantiated by what degrees manner of proceeding The originall of Transubstantiation which worke wee will frame and applie our sclues in these our next labours to set downe Now it is a fresh to bee set before our eyes that the first zeale of Christendome beeing decaied and dead Christians came but fewe and seldome to the receiuing of the holy Sacrament in so much as that we haue heard those good Fathers complaining of the same in their Sermons and forced to
the Bishops vnto the holy Ministerie by taking due examination of their liues and doctrine administring the word of God and the holy Sacraments in the vulgar tongue heard and vnderstood of euerie one wearing such apparell as was modest but ordinarie not tied vnto a single life but rather bound vnto an exemplarie chastitie not called Sacrificers except in that they sacrificed the Gospell and to say no more without annoynting or any other character or marke of the beast All whatsoeuer is more was brought in a long time after and by degrees sometimes by a foolish imitation of some point of Iudaisme and sometime by the importunate custome of Paganisme as namely by Images Altars Lampes burning of Incense Vnctions Consecrations Dedications whether it bee of liuing persons or things that are dead vowes and characters Barbarisme in seruice and such like things c. Cutting off them and casting away this new deuice and holding our selues to the olde in all these circumstances of places times persons and all the rest of that sort shall we not see that which the reformed Churches haue alleadged namely the seruice of God purged from Idolatrie superstition vanitie and so many foolish ceremonies and the Cleargie also from all their pompe whether Iewish or Heathnish wherewith they bewitch the silly vulgar sort Yea that more is from that loathsome impuritie of life which maketh them offensiue yea which maketh them to stincke throughout the whole world and lastly the people from being holden and kept vnder Barbarisme sottishnesse and grosse ignorance namely of their owne saluation and that which is onely necessarie for them In the third and fourth wee haue intreated of the auncient doctrine of the holy Supper comparing it with that of the Romish Masse And first as concerning the Sacrifice it is manifestly shewed that the Church did neuer either know or acknowledge any moe then one onely propitiatorie Sacrifice euen Christ nailed vppon the Crosse for our sinnes the remembrance whereof is commaunded in the holy Supper for the which also there are solemne actions of praise and thankfulnesse performed in the same That these Masses or Sacrifices whether they be for the quicke or the dead were not knowne amongst the auncient writers no nor yet Purgatorie it selfe where vpon they are founded No more were the Sacrifices in the honour and inuocation of the Saints deceased as vnto whome there was neither Adoration nor Inuocation assigned whose merit also was neuer imployed by the Fathers either for ransome or remedie for sinnes but that onely one of the alone mediatour the Sonne of God our Lord. And as concerning the Sacrament that the auncient Church followed therein the institution of the Lord in the simplicitie thereof administred it vnto the faithful people after the holy seruice distributing vnto them the bread wine assured pledges and seales of the flesh bloud of Christ which they receiued at the same instant in a true faith by the operation of the holy Ghost vnto the nourishing of their soules and their assurance of resurrection vnto eternal life not imagining notwithstanding for all this that there was any chaunge in the nature of the signes but onely in their condition and vse And therefore it did not eleuate worship locke them vp carrie them in procession or call them God or Lord c. as they vse to doe at this day and yet there raigned therein both more feruent zeale and clearer knowledge That all this on the contrarie is verie new brought in not aboue three daies agoe Heri aut Nudiustertius as the Scripture speaketh condemned of it selfe by the onely date of their instituting thereof being in the times of most grosse and palpable ignorance ioyned with lesse religiousnesse and greater store of corruptions then euer had haunted the Church of Rome before Let vs then take away the propitiatorie Sacrifice and Transubstantiation and what remaineth but the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing The Sacrifice of remembrance and the Eucharisticall sacrifice which wee acknowledge in the holy Supper As also that straite and neere Communion which we haue therein by faith in our Lord that we may be redeemed by his obedience and liue by his righteousnesse to be one with him and by consequent one with our brethren And thus euerie thing deducted and rebated noueltie renounced and antiquitie embraced we renounce and quite disclaime the Masse of the Romish Church but we most willingly and ioyfully receiue the Communion of the reformed Church For that which is more in substance we may speake it with a good conscience either it is of the vanitie of man or of the peruersnesse of the diuell Might it therefore please God for his holy mercies sake to open all our eyes to know his waies but principally to moue our hearts and to direct our feete to walke therein and therein to continue and goe forward that so wee may escape the penaltie of the Lords sentence pronounced with his owne mouth If you were blind saith he you should haue no sinne He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes And to God Almightie the onely author and ordainer both of Sacrifices and Sacraments To Iesus Christ our Lord our onely Sacrificer and Sacrifice our life and spirituall meate and to the holy Ghost the true inspirer of this life and distributor of this nourishment bee honour glorie and Empire for euer AMEN FINIS Faultes escaped Page Line Faults in the Preface Corrections 1. 14 then they 3. 1 prouided that it be although 3. 26 word wood 4. 26 will willeth 4. 34 whatsoeuer which also 6. 6 through the sight out of the sight 6. 24 not by nūber not by succession of Bishops not by succession not by nūber of Bishops 8. 35 sonne perdition sonne of perdition 8. 38 insufficiencie sufficiencie 9. 39 Cyprian Cyrill 30. 3 bolted bolstred 11. 36 they there 12. 25 profoundly plainly or simply 14. 29 that what they haue said of such what they would say of such 15. 39 of the Masse of the Masse is to be built 17. 9 his principles her principles 17. 11 his her 17. 30 fit sit 19. 5 we should wound the bodie of Christ not being subiect to paine we should make the body of Christ vncapable of grief of pain 19. 10 with lesse thēnothing in a moment 22. 5 familiarly doctrinally 23. 21 typo typho 23. 36 an old man an old woman 24. 11 it serueth not anie more either for seed graine or grasse it is not in the seed or but peeping aboue the groud or in the blade 24. 33 that should haue cosiselled you to flie from the plague into your towne frō the wolfe into your sheepefold from fire into your barne that should haue told you of a plage in your citie of a woolfe in your flocke and of a fire in your barne Faults in the text of the booke Page Line Faults Corrections 3. 22 changed and altered of righteousnesse thirstie after righteousnesse 4. 34