solde himself ouer to he Deuell to be blinded ys sufficieÌ„t to moue and stirre anie heart to accept the the true catholike faith But yf men wil not see what shal we saie who ys blinder theÌ„ he that will not see God yet illumine their heartes that they cal not darknesse light and light darknesse To proceade in our matter to this auncieÌ„t Father of the higher house shal be ioined Lira ne of the lower house to shewe his vnderstaÌ„ding of this text Thus he saieth writing vpon yt Hic probat quoddaÌ„ supposituÌ„ Dixerat enim quòd maÌ„ducatio dat vitaÌ„ Istud probat hic quia illud per qnod aliquis vniture principio viuificatiuo illud dat vitaÌ„ Hoc patet in vita corporali etc. Here Lyra in 6. Ioan. he proueth a thing supposed For he had saied that the eating of this flesh geueth life This he ê“ueth here For that by the whiche a maÌ„ ys vnited to the principle that maketh thinges to liue geueth life This appeareth in the corporall life By this SacrameÌ„t a maÌ„ ys vnited to Chryst who ys the beginning of the spuÌ„all life And this ys yt that ys saied He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him that ys to saie he ys vnited to me This Authour ê“ceadeth as yow haue hearde him beginne wher he taught that Chrystes flesh was so verilie meat that yt was in the SacrameÌ„t not as in a sign but reallie and in very dede To the whiche flesh of Chryst saieth he we be vnited by the SacrameÌ„t that ys by the receauing of the SacrameÌ„t wherin being reallie Chrystes verie flesh we be vnited to the same For yf yt be not ther we cannot be vnited to yt by the SacrameÌ„t For an vnioÌ„ ys the making of two things or mo one whiche thinges must be present so to be vnited Wherfor the bodie of Chryst ys reallie in the SacrameÌ„t or ells ther can be no vnioÌ„ What maner of vnion ys wrought by the SacrameÌ„t S. Hilary hath taught vs that yt ys a natural vnioÌ„ that ys an vnioÌ„ of Chrystes natural flesh and substaÌ„ce and of our natural flesh and substaÌ„ce whiche both by this SacrrmeÌ„t be made one so that Chryst dwelleth in vs and we in him Yf anie of the Aduersaries wolde take occasioÌ„ to obiect as they wil doo as wel vpoÌ„ a woorde as a whol senteÌ„ce that this Authour saieth that Chryste ys the beginning of the spuÌ„al life wherfor we be ioined to him spirituallie for the hauing of that spuÌ„al life and not corporal life it ys very manifest I saie that we liue not corporally by the SacrameÌ„t but this corporall life ys mainteined by other foode But the life that we haue by the receipt of Chryst in the SacrameÌ„t ys the eternal life whiche ys called the spsial life as distincted froÌ„ the corporal and temporal life TemporaleÌ„ vitaÌ„ sine illo habere homines possuÌ„t aeternaÌ„ verò omnino noÌ„ possuÌ„t Men maie haue saieth S. Augu. the teÌ„poral life withoute the SacrameÌ„t but the eternall life by no means can they haue For this meat suffreth the teÌ„poral death to come to vs but as Chrysostom saieth yt expelleth death meening the eternall death Of the whiche S. August saieth QuantuÌ„ pertinet ad mortem istaÌ„ visibileÌ„ et corporaleÌ„ nunquid nos noÌ„ morimur qui maÌ„ducamus paneÌ„ de caelo de scendenteÌ„ Sic sunt mortui et illi quemadmoduÌ„ et nos sumus morituri QuantuÌ„ attinet vt dixi ad morteÌ„ huius corporis visibileÌ„ atque carnaleÌ„ QuantuÌ„attinet Aug. tract n Joan. 26. ad morteÌ„ illaÌ„ de qua terret DnÌ„s quia mortui sunt patres istorum Manducauit Manna et Moyses manducauit Manna et Aaron maÌ„ducauit Manna et Phinees manducauerant ibi multi qui DnÌ„o placuerunt et mortui non sunt For somoche as doth pertein to this visible and corporal death do not we die which do eate the bread descending from heauen So also be they dead euen as we also shall die for somoche as perteineth to the visible and corporall death of this bodie as I haue saied for somoche as perteineth to that death from the whiche our Lorde doth feare vs that the fathers of these be dead Moyses also did eate Manna and Aaron did eate Manna and Phynees did eate Manna manie did eate ther whiche haue pleased God and be not dead Thus moche S. Augustine In all whiche sainges ye perceaue that by the receipt of Chryst in the Sacrament we haue life not corporall and temporall but eternall Neither by yt do we eschape temporall and corporall death but eternall death So that yowe se the eternall life set against visible corporall and temporall life as a spirituall life whiche spirituall and eternall life ys by faith and holy conuersacion answerablie begonne in this life in owre inwarde man and in our bodies by the receipt of Chrystes liuing flesh as he himself saieth Ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die I will raise him in the last daie Ego saieth Cyrill id est corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum I that ys my bodie whiche shall be eaten shall rayse him vppe in the last daie And again he saieth Ego ergo qui homo factus sum per meam carnem in nouissimo die comedentes resuscitabo I therfor Chrystes bodie shall raise our bodies saieth S. Cyrill in the person of Chryst who am made man by my slesh will raise the eaters of the same in the last daie So that Chryst ys he by whome being vnited vnto him we shall haue that eternall and spirituall life that knoweth neither corruption nor ende THE SEVEN AND TWENTETH CHAP. ABIdeth in the same exposition by Theophilact and Rupertus Tuicien THeophilacte vpon the text nowe in hande saieth thus Hoc loco discimus Sacramentum Communionis Nam qui edit bibit carnem sanguinem In 6. Joan. Domini in ipso manet Domino Dominus in ipso Contemperatioenim fit noua super rationem ita vt sit Deus in nobis nos in Deo Non audis terribilem auditum Non Deum nudum manducamus tangi enim nequit incorporeus est neque occulis neque manibus apprehendi potest Iterum nudi hominis caro nihil prodesse potest Sed quia Deus vniuit sibi carnem secundùm ineffabilem contemperationem viuisica est caro non quòd in Dei naturam transierit absit sed ad similitudinem candentis ferri quod ferrum manet ignis ostendit operationem sic ergo Domini caro manens caro viuisica est sicut Dei caro In this place we learn the Sacrament of CoÌ„munion For he that eateth and drinketh the flesh and blood of our Lorde dwelleth in the same our Lord and our Lord in him For ther ys a newe contemparacion Not God alone spirituallie but the flesh of Christ verilie
vnto me who am life and am able to make to liue He saieth himself to be eaten when his flesh ys eaten For the woorde ys made flesh not by confusion of natures but by an vnspeakeable maner of vnion Thus farre S. Cyrill As the text doth speake of two maner of liues that ys of the life of Chryst by the Father and of the life of vs by Chryst So doth this authour declare both that Chryst flowing from the nature of the Father who ys life him self and hauing and being the same very nature ys life him self and liueth by the Father and also that we eating him for somoche as he ys the very life shall liue by him Wher note that Cyrill saieth that Chryst saieth him self to be eaten when his flesh ys eaten wherby he signifieth to vs that the flesh of Chryst ys verilie eaten For yf yt were spoken of the spirituall eating of beleife he wolde not transferre yt from the Godhead to the whiche most proprely yt doth appertein that we shoulde beleue in yt and referre yt to the flesh of Chryste onelie or so applie yt to yt as by yt to come to whole Chryste As a man maie saie I am whole when either hand or head or some membre or parte of the bodie ys made whole whiche ys proprely made whole in dede or as a man maie saie I do see I do heare when proprelie the eie doth see and the eare dothe heare or the soule raither doth see and heare by the eie and eare So Chryst as Cyrill saieth doth saie him self to be eaten when his flesh ys eaten to whom yt apperteineth proprely to be eaten and not to the God head For as Theophilacte saieth Deum nudum non manducamus tangi enim nequit In. 6. Ioan incorporeus est neque oculis neque manibus apprehendi potest We do not eate bare God for he can not be touched and he hath no bodie neither can he be apprehended with eies nor handes So then as the spiritull eating of As to the Godhead to be beleued So to the flesh yt proprelie apperteineth to be eaten Chryst by beleife most proprely doth appertein to the Godhead and by yt ys applied to the wholl person of Chryst So to the flesh of Chryst yt apperteineth most proprely to be verily and really eaten and by yt for somoche as the Godhead ys inseparablie annexed to yt as Cyrill saieth non enim abest Vnigenitus the onely begotten sonne of God ys not absent frō yt we do saie that wholl Chryst ys eaten euen as of Chryst we do learn who as Cyrill hath noted doth saie Qui manducat me he that doth eate me not diuiding the Godhead from the manheade but me that ys wholl Chryst Being thus then made manifest that by this text also Chryst taught vs the eating of his verie flesh whiche can not otherwise be then in the Sacrament wherbie yt ys consequent that this text ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament I will procead to seke the vnderstanding of other textes folowing THE THIRTETH CHAP. BEGINNETH EXPOSITION of the next text by sainct Ambrose and Chrysostom YT foloweth in the sixte chapiter of saincte Iohn Hic est panis qui de caelo descendit non sicut manducauerunt patres vestri Manna in deserto mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panē viuet in aeternū This ys the bread that camme down from heauen not as yower Fathers did eate Manna and are dead He that eateth of this Ioan. 6. bread shall liue euer Owre sauiour Chryst who began to declare this great mistery to the Iewes and notwithstāding their murmuring did open to them not onely that yt was possible that his flesh shoulde be eaten but also necessarie and nowe in the last sentence as in other before he had made mencion of the same and had declared the benefit and great commoditie that shoulde ensewe to them that wolde eate his flesh namely that they shoulde haue life euerlasting Nowe as yt were after a disputacion he maketh a conclusion or determinaciō of the matter saing This ys the bread that came from heauen The Iewes as in the beginning of this sixt chapiter yt doth appeare although they had seen the great miracle of our Sauiour Chryst wrought in the multiplieng of the bread and in feading so great a multitude whith so fewe loaues that then they could saie this ys the very Prophet whiche should come into the worlde wherby they ment Messias and therfor wolde then haue made him a king yet shortly after like an vnthankfull and vnmindefull people of that notable fact doen in the presence of so manie woorthy truly neuer to haue ben forgotten forgetting this great woonder required to see some notable sign at Chrystes hand as though they had neuer seen anie and therfor saied Quod tu facis signum vt videamus credamus What sign shewest thowe that we maie see and beleue And then to make their bragge Joan 6. they saied Patres nostri manducanerunt Māna in deserto sicut scriptū est Panem de caelo dedit eis Owre fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse as yt ys written he gaue them bread from heauen to eate To determine directly against them and that they shoulde perceaue that Manna was but a figure of this very bread that came from heauen For Manna gaue not life to the eaters of yt but this bread doth therfor he saied Effect of the Sacrament euerlasting life Not as yower fathers did eate Manna and be dead but he that eateth of this bread shal liue sor euer He wel declareth what death their fathers died who did eat Manna that ys the euerlasting death not all that did eate Manna died that death but their fathers in vnbelief And as they through vnbeleif died an euerlasting death so they that shall eate this bread with true beleif shall liue an euerlasting life But yt shall be to the pourpose to heare the holy Fathers how they vnderstād this text ▪ of the which the first coople shall be sainct Ambrose and Chrysostom Sainct Ambrose saieth thus Reuera mirabile li. 8. de initiand est quòd Manna Deus plueret patribus quotidiano coeli pascebantur alimento Vnde dictum est Panem Angelorum manducauit homo Sed tamen illum panem qui manducauerunt in deserto mortui sunt Ista autem esca quam accipis iste panis viuus qui de caelo descendit vitae aeternae substantiam administrat Et quicunque panem hunc manducauerit non morietur in aeternum corpus Christi est Truly yt ys merueilouse that God did rain Manna to the fathers and that they were fedde withe the dailie foode from heauen Wherfor yt ys saied Man hath eaten the bread of Angells but for all that they that haue eaten that bread in desert are dead This meat that thowe takest this bread of life that came downe from heauen doth ministre
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
ys a memoriall of Chryst that ys absent and not present For saie they what neadeth a thinge present anie memoriall yt will cause yt self to be remembred The Sacrament then being a memoriall of Chryst argueth Chryst not to be present in the Sacrament but to be absent The other argument ys that S. Paule calleth the Sacrament not the bodie of Chryst but calleth yt bread For he saieth that as often as ye shall eate of this bread and saieth not as often as ye shall eate the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament wherfor saie they the Sacrament ys but breade and not the bodie of Chryst As touching the first yt ys not true that Chryst did institute this Sacrament Solucions of the same argu as a memoriall of him self or of his bodie but of his passion and death suffred in his bodies which thing S. Paule here by expresse woordes doeth teache saing As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shall declare or setfurth the death of our Lorde So that the eating and drinking of this Sacrament ys not for a remembrāce or a memoriall of the bodie of Chryste in yt self as the Aduersare falselie pretendeth but ys as ys saied a memorial of the passion and death suffred as ys saied in that bodie which passion and Receipt of the B. Sac. ys not a memoriall of Chrysts bodie but of his passion and death death be once doen actuallie ād neuer shall so be again in that gloriouse bodie but onely in mysterie Wherfor the passion and death whose memoriall ys celebrated in that solemne instituciō of Chrystes Sacrament ys and euer shall be absent and neuer present And so ys the Sacrament the memoriall of a thing absent and not present which thing ys the passion and death of Chryste As touching their second argument true yt ys that S. Paule calleth the Sacrament bread but will the Aduersarie therupon induce that S. Paule meneth materiall bread euen bakers bread Though he wolde so induce yet he neither doth nor can so prooue yt nor neuer shall Bread he calleth yt but Joan 6. S. Paulecalleth the Bl. Sacr. bread but he addeth withal the article this to signifie a speciall bread what bread euen soch as Chryst the institutour of the Sacrament called yt whē he saied Panis quē ego dabo caro mea est quam dabo pro mundi vita The bread that I will geue ys my flesh which I will geue for the life of the world Wherfor S. Paule did not barelie call yt bread but with an article saing This bread As who might saie As often as ye shall eate of this bread which ys no common bread but the bread of the flesh of Chryst which as he gaue yt for the life of the worlde So he did according to his promisse geue yt vs to eate in the Sacrament that we shoulde alwaies haue that his passion and death in minde Therfore so often as ye eate of this bread be ye mindefull of Chrystes passion and remembre his death suffred for yowr redemption Wherfor the wholl Chrystian church aswell the greke church as the latin immediatelie Woords of the Canōin the Masse after the consecracion as before ys declared doe saie this in effect Were therfor o Lorde being mindefull of the passion of thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Chryst doe offre vnto thee c. The wholl catholique Church by open profession of their duetie in the holie mynistracion declareth their obedience and the fulfilling of Chrystes commaundement in that they offring and receauing the blessed sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode be mindefull of the passion and death suffred in that same bodie at the effusion of that preciouse blood Thus ye see howe they abuse this scripture For both S. Paules owne woordes and also the practise of the wholl Church doth declare that the holie Sacrament was instituted as a memoriall of Chrystes death and that yt ys not cōmon bread by S. Paules owne woords but yt ys as ys saied a speciall and singular bread noted with an article But that this trueth maie be proued and therby their falshead the more confuted I will also as I haue vpon other textes produce the expositions ād vnderstanding of holie Fathers and doctours that yt maie be fullie perceaued Hieron in 11. 1. Cor. how this scripture ys to be vnderstanded not by phantasie but by their sownde doctrines And first we will heare sainct Hierom vpon the same text who saieth thus Ideo hoc saluator tradididit Sacramentum vt per hoc semper commemoremus quia pro nobis est mortuus Nam ideo cùm accipimus à sacerdotibus commonemur quia corpus sanguis est Christi vt beneficiis eius non existimemur ingrati Therfor our sauiour deliuered this Sacrament that by this we shoulde allwaies remembre that he died for vs. For therfore also when we receaue yt What S. Paule calleth bread S. Hieron calleth yt the bodie of Chryste we are warned of the preistes that yt ys the bodie and blood of Chryst that we be not thought to be vnthankfull for his benefittes If this saing of S. Hierom be well noted those two thinges which I before taught shall be fownde to be taught of him also I taught according to sainct Paule that the Sacrament was instituted for the memoriall of Chrystes passion and death sainct Hierom saieth that Chryst therfore gaue furth the Sacrament that we should allwaies remembre that he died forvs so that yt ys the death of Chryst that ys to be remembred I saied that though sainct Paule in this text vseth this woord bread yet he meneth not materiall bread but the heauenly bread the bodie of Chryst so ys he vnderstanded of sainct Hierom. For he saieth that when we receaue the Sacrament we are admonished that yt ys the bodie and blood of Chryst So what sainct Paule in the text calleth bread that S. Hierom in the exposition calleth the bodie and bloode of Chryste Nowe who doubteth but the expositions of holie doctours be to explain that that semeth in the text not to be plain and so plainlie and clerely to open the trueth and the true meaning of the text Forsomoch then as sainct Hierom doeth so here we must nedes saie that by this woorde bread in this text of S. Paule ys vnderstand the blessed bread of Chrystes bodie To S. Hierom we shall ioin Thcophilact to declare howe this scripture was vnderstanded in the greke Church Thus he writeth Hoc facite quottes biberitis in meam commemorationem Per poculum isthuc inquit memoriam facis Dominicae passionis Theoph. in 11. 1. Cor. Quid tu ig tur solus bibis mebriaris tremendo isto calice omnibus ex aequo tradito This doe as often as ye shall drinke in the remembrance of me By this cuppe saieth he thowe makest a memoriall of our Lordes death why thē doest thow alone drinke ād arte dronkē seeing
iudicium edat ac bibat sed euidenter ostendere exprimere memoriam eius qui pro nobis mortuus est acresurrexit Yt behoueth A plain place for the Proclamer him that cometh to the bodie and blood of our Lorde to the remēbrance of him that hath died for vs and risen again not onely to be pure from all vnclennesse of bodie and soule least he eate and drinke to his owne condemnacion but he must also euidentlie shewe and declare the memorie of him that hath died for vs and risen again Thus moch S. Basil Nowe wher S. Paule saieth that as often as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe we must declare the death of Chryst S. Basill saieth that he that commeth to the bodie and blood of Chryst must remembre him that What S. Paule calleth bread and cuppe S. Basil calleth the bodie ād blod of our lord died for vs. So that what S. Paule in termes called this bread and this cuppe S. Basill geuing vs to vnderstand what S. Paule meneth by these termes speaketh by plain woordes calling those thinges as they be in dede the bodie and blood of our Lord. Likewise yt maie be perceaued that S. Basill folowing S. Paule teacheth that the Sacrament ys a memoriall of Chryst as suffring for vs ād not of Chryst in himself or absolutelie without respect of passion and death suffred for vs which ys asmoch to saie as a memoriall doen in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and death agreablie to the sainges of other before alleadged Rupert also whom we ioin at this present with S. Basill doeth euen likewise vnderstand S. Paule Thus he writeth Sacramentum hoc quo mors eius annunciatur quemadmodum Apostolus dicit quotitscunque manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis Rupert in cap. 26. Matth mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat quando debuerat condi dari nisi sub ipsius articulo passionis This Sacrament by the which the death of our Lord ys declared as the Apostle saieth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of thys cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of our Lorde vntill he come when should yt be made and geuen furth but euen at the verie poinct of the same passiō In thys saing of Rupert the one parte of our saing namely that the Sacrament ys a memorial of Chrystes death ys clerely by expressed woords testified The other part that in the Sacrament the verie bodie and blood ys eaten and dronken Rupert in a Joon We cate the flesh and drinke the blood of Chryst in the remembrance of his death to and for the memoriall of the same death ys not here manifestlie spoken Wherfor we shall heare him in an other place vttering his knowledg in thys matter Thus he saieth Quod fecit ipse hoc idem in commemorationem ipsius scimus et bene scimus nos facere id est carnem ipsius manducare sanguinē bibere That which Chryst himself did we know and we wel know that we doe euen the verie same thing in the remembrance of him that he did that ys to eate his flesh and drinke his bloode Marke now the learning of Chrystes catholique Church note nowe well what we eate and drinke in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and death Iudge nowe whether S. Paule ment materiall bread as the Sacramentaries wolde haue yt to be vnderstanded and not raither the heauenlie bread of Chrystes bodie to be eatē in the remēbrance of his passiō ād death I haue now produced but fower two of the greke Church and two of the latin Church to geue vs vnderstanding what we ought to remēbre in the receipt All the rable of the Sacramentaries cannot bring one coople of catholike authours that saie S. Paule spake here of materiall bread of the Sacrament and what in that Sacrament we doe receaue wherupon they all conclude that we receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst in the remembrance of his death and so S. Paule ys to be vnderstāded in this place Now let all the whol rable of the Aduersaries side bring furth but two wheras we might as the Aduersarie himself knoweth haue brought manie mo which for the auoiding of more prolixitie wherin we haue allreadie offended we doe ouerpasse and omitte that shal by expresse woordes expownde S. Paule in this place that he ment not the bodie of Chryst but plain materiall bread Let them I saie bring but two catholique approued authours ād they shall haue the victorie So weake ys their cause besides their owne asseueracion that yt ys verie certen they can not bringe one Although then this ys a trueth receaued of all the holie Fathers of Chrystes Church and ys the doctrine of S. Paule that the bodie and blood of Chryst be receaued according to commaundement in the remembrance of his passion and death and so yt also cometh to passe that the bodie of Christ euen the self same bodie in substance vnder the formes of bread and wine ys Jnexpositiō verborum caenae Obiectiō of Oecolamp a figure of the self same bodie hanging vpon the crosse and suffring passiō ād death yet Oecolampadius after his Sicophants maner he himself either of malice not willing to knowe or ells plainlie ignorant doeth accuse the learned men of Chrystes Church of ignorance that they make the bodie of Chryst both the exemplar and the thing exemplified the figure and the thing figurated the sign and the thing signified for that saieth he relacion must be betwixt two thinges distincted and not of one thing to ytself For euery relatiue must haue a correlatiue To answere him for that I write to the vnlearned to instructe them in the faith I will not vse the quiddities of schooles neither with schoole tearmes The nnswer so darken the matter that the reader shall not vnderstand me but I will vse plain examples And first wher Oecolampadius saieth that relacion must be betwixt two thinges distincted did he not knowe that in the diuine persons Matth. 17 were sundrie relacions grownded vpon the one nature of God But to come to examples in Chryst of whome we nowe dispute was not Chryst transfigured in the mount and shewing himself in a glorionse maner was he not an Theoph. in 17. Math. Chryst one and the same in substāce hath ben ys and shal be a sigure of bim self in diuer se maners exemplar or figure of himself now in glorie and of his gloriouse cominge to iudgement Theophilact saieth that Dignitas secundi aduentus in splendore faciei Christi ineffabili claruit The dignitie or excellencie of the second cominge of Chryst did appeare in the vnspeakable brightnesse of the face of Chryst So that Peter Iohn and Iames sawe now in his first coming an image of the glorie of Chryst that he shall come in his second coming Then maie we see that the self same bodie in substance after one maner
as yet thow arte barren or hast Iudic. 13. Figures of Chrysts in carnation had no childe before Thowe shalt conceaue and bring furth a Sonne This was a figure of the Salutacō of the Angell to the virgē the mother of Christe Ecce saied the Angell to the virgen concipies paries filium Beholde thowe shalt conceaue and bring furth a Sonne Obserue and note the conformitie and likenesse of both messages Wherin note by whom the messages were doen to whom they were doen and what maner of persons they were doen vnto by vhom the thing promised shoulde be perfourmed of what force value and wourthinesse the thinges promised be And then shall ye perceaue howe liuelie the figure for that part that yt ys a figure painteth and setteth furthe the thing that ys figured Figures be not in euerie point cōparable to the thinges figurated Note also that I saie that a figure for that parte that yt ys a figure dothe paint and sett furth the thing figurated For euery storie conteining a figure ys not a figure for the wholl storie neither the persons of the figure are in al poinctes to be likened compared or assembled to the thinge figurated As for example Ioseph being solde of his bretheren for money was a figure of Christe Gen. 38. Joseph and Chryst cōpared together solde by Iudas to the Iewes for moneie In the whiche figure application maye not so be made that the person who ys the figure shall expresse or aunswere the thing figured in all pointes and euery condicion or that the person who ys the figure shal counteruaill the wourthinesse of the person figured For Ioseph the person in this figure was a pure man Christe the person figured God and man Ioseph subiecte vnto sinne Christ free from sinne Ioseph solde not to die but to be saued from death Christe solde not to be saued from death but to die wherfore Ioseph in these partes and cōsideracōs ys not a figure of Christ but in this parte that as Ioseph being innocent his bretheren conspired against him So Christ being innocent Iudas with the phariseies conspired against him Ioseph was solde of his bretheren Christe of Iudas his elect Apostle and brother Ioseph was called the Sauiour of the worlde Christe was called and ys the Sauioure of the worlde Vocabis nomen eius Iesum ipse enim saluum faciet populum suum à peccatis Math. 1. eorum Thowe shalt call his name Iesus saieth the Angell For he shall saue his people from their sinnes In these poinctes Ioseph ys a figure of Christe So the Mother of Sampson and Sampson himself being the persons of the figure maie not aunswere the persons figured in all partes For the mother of Sampson conceaued by man The mother of Christe withoute man Sampson a sinfull man Christe void of sinne Therfor let vs consider the figure in that parte that yt ys a figure and first by whome the message of the conception of those childeren was doen. The conception of Sampson was declared by an Angell The conceptiō of Christe likwise by an Angell The Angell saied to the mother of Sampsom Sampsons conception and Chrystes compared to gether Ecce concipies paries filium Beholde thow shalt conceaue and bring furthe a Sonne The Angell to the virgen saied Ecce concipies paries filium Behoholde thow shalt conceaue and bring furth a Sonne The Mother of Sampson was alone when the Angell appeared to her The mother of Christe was alone when the Angell saluted her Secondlie consider what maner of persons they were to whome these messages were sent Yt ys to be supposed that the mother of Sampson was in Mother of Sampson compared with the mother of Chryst. Bernardus epist 174. Gods fauour to whome he did vouchesaif to sende his Angell with a message moche desiered Yt ys to be beleued that the mother of Christe was certenlie in Gods fauoure who sanctified her in her mothers wombe and appoincted her to be the mother of his owne Sonne and certifiied her ther of by the Angell The mother of Sampson had neuer childe before The mother of Christe had neuer childe before Nowe thirdlie Let vs cōsider by whom the thinges promised that ys the conception of theise children shoulde be perfourmed The mother of Sāpson being barren wher the ordre of nature coulde not cause her to conceaue conceaued by Gods disposition helping nature The mother of Christe beinge a virgen and not knowing man coulde not by the course of nature conceaue but conceaued by the power of God and operacon of the holie Goste Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te virtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi The holie Goste shall come vpon thee and the power of the highest shall ouershadow thee Luc. 1. Fourthlie and last let vs searche of what wourthinesse these childeren Sāpson and Chryst cōpared together promised were Sampson was an a Nazarite vnto God from his youthe Christ most acceptable to God from his youthe Sampson began to deliuer the children of Israel oute of the handes of the Philistines tirannouslie reigning ouer them Christ began to deliuer the people oute of the handes of the Deuell tirannoustie reigninge ouer them Thus beholding and weighing howe goodlie the ordre of the conception of Christ aunswereth the ordre and maner of the conception of Sampson we maie well perceaue the one did prefigurate the other As the conception of our Sauioure Christe was thus prefigurated So was his passiō and deathe also Abraham hauing but his onelie begottē Sonne and best beloued Isaac yet at the commaundement of God willing to slaye him and offer him he was a figure of the mercifull will of God the Gen. 22. Father who hauing but his onelie begotten and beloued Sonne Iesus Christe was willing that he shoulde suffer death and be offred for vs. Isaac bearing the woodde to the place of Sacrifice and obedient to his fathers will therto be slain and offred was a figure of Christe bearing the Isaac a figure of Christ Philip. 2. woodde of his crosse to the place wher he shoulde suffer and being obedient to his Fathers will did suffer death euen the deathe vpon the crosse In whiche facte he did not onelie fullfill the Scriptures but also aunswereth the figures whiche prefigurated that this his death shoulde be the saluaciō of them that shoulde beleue in him Whiche figure ys the setting vppe of Nū 21. ca. Joan. 3. the Brasen Serpent mencioned in the booke of Nombres Of the whiche figure he himself maketh mencion in the Gospell applieng yt to him self saing Sicut Moises exaltauit serpentem in deserto ita exaltari oporiet filium hominis vt omnis qui credit in ipsum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam As Moyses lifted vppe the serpent in the wildernesse Euen so must the Sonne of man be lifted vppe that whosoeuer beleueth in him maie not perish but haue eternall life As God opened
to the Heb. of the sacrifice and choose to speake of that that moost manifestlie and also inuinciblie proued the excellencie of Chryst and his preistheade aboue the preist and preisthead of the lawe And therfor emong other pointes declaring the excellencie of Chryst as that he was made a preist with an othe other withoute an othe last as the cheifest he reherseth his eternitie saing Among them meening the preistes of Aaron manie were made preistes bycause they were not suffred to endure by reason of deathe But this man bycause he endureth euer he hath an euerlasting preistheade Wherfore he ys able also euer Heb. 7. to saue them to the vttermost that come vnto God by him Seing he euer liueth to make intercession for vs. Thus nowe ye maie perceaue that the obiection of the Aduersarie ys aunswered when saincte Paules principall entente ys once knowen Yf by the sacrifice of Melchisedech the excellencie of Chryst might as well haue appeared to the Hebrues who as yet were soche as Quibus lacte opus erat non solido cibo whiche had neade of milke not strong meate and coulde not beare the mysteries of our faith as by his eternitie be you well assured Saincte Paule wolde not haue omitted yt But bycause in the conceit of the Hebrues their sacrifices appeared to them more gloriouse and more excellent then the sacrifice of Melchisedech therfore saincte Paule did not speake of yt But yet the Aduersarie who can not ceasse to impugne the trueth when he seeth that he can not preuaill with his first obiection he hathe inuented an other whiche ys soche one as men ouercommed with furie and malice do make Whose reason and knowledge being obscured do speake they cannot tell what and in that rage vtter as soen a falsehood as a trueth and hauing no sownde Iudgemēt saie good ys euell and euell ys good darkenesse light and light darkenesse Their obiection ys this Melchisedech saie they did not offer bread and wine in sacrifice but he Obiection of the Aduersaries mett with Abrahā retourning from the slaugter of the Kinges and brought furth bread and wine as yt were to welcome Abraham homewarde from the battaill For the scripture saie they hath not in that place of Genesis the woorde offerre to offer but proferre to bring furth For the text ys At verò Melchisedech Rex Salem proferens panem vinum And Melchisedech king of Salem brought furth bread and wine and blessed him This obiection ys so vain that yt ys raither woorthy to be exploded then Thanswere with penne to be remembred raither to be laught and hissed at of the children in the schooles then to be answered and solued Notwithstanding that the vanitie of the same maie the better appeare to the reader and that he also maie be satisfied yt shall be answered both by Scriptures and also by the eldest and noblest learned men of Chrystes Parliament house Yt ys manifest by that that ys aboue saied that one of the partes of the function of a preist ys to offer sacrifice Nowe for asmoche as the Scripture when yt saied that Melchisedech brought furth bread and wine and immediatelie added For he was the preist of the most high God what dependance ys ther of this one parte of this scripture to the other or why shoulde this that he was the preist of the most high God be added as the cause why he brought furth bread and wine but that he as the preist of God had sacrificed that that he brought furth What direct cause ys yt that Melchisedech bycause he was the preist of the most high God shoulde bring furth bread and wine Yt ys nothing perteigning to the preistheade to bring furth bread and wine in the absolute or bare respecte of bread Yt perteined not to Melchisedech his preisthead to bringfurth but to offre bread and ctine and wine but in the respecte that bread and wine were the thinges that he did vse in sacrifice whiche he had at that time offred to God for a thankes geuing for the victorie of Abraham so yt apperteineth to the preisthead And this parte of the text for he was the preist of the most hig God maie very well be added as the cause as in verie dede yt ys Otherwise the bringing furth of bread and wine ys not apperteining to the Preisthead neither to be the preist of the most high God ys or can be the directe and propre cause of the bringing furth of bread and wine This vnderstanding the verie connexion of the scripture and dependēce of the same enfortceth vs to take and none other can be admitted And thus the scripture taken in his owne natiue sense and then to saie he brought furth bread and wine doth nothing improue the sacrificing of Melchisedech in bread and wine as more at large yt shall appeare to yowe when we come to heare the Fathers Nowe for somoche as Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine and to sacrifice ys one of the essentiall and necessarie partes of preisthead and Chryst ys a preist after the order of Melchisedech of necessirie he must then doo sacrifice withe bread and wine This necessitie sainct Paule affirmeth to the Hebrues Omnis namque Pontifex ad offerenda munera hostias constituitur vnde necesse est hunc habere quod offerat Euery high preist saieth he ys ordeined to offer giftes and sacrifices wherfor yt ys of necessitie that this man also haue somwhat to offer Chryste then beinge a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech must nedes haue somwhat to offer after the maner of that order But we neuer redde that he made anie mo oblacions then two The one was vpon the crosse Chryst executed his preisthead after the ordre of Aaron upon the Crosse but after the ordre of Melchisedech in his Last supper when he offred his owne bodie to be slain and that oblation was after the maner of Aaron The other in his last supper wher we must nedes confesse except we will saie that Chryst altogether neclected the preisthead appointed him of God whiche ys not to be saied that he did execute the office of his preisthead after the order of Melchisedech when taking bread and wine he said to his Apostles Take eate this ys my bodie Take and drinke this ys my bloode Yf not then let the Aduersarie shewe when and wher Chryst did sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech Yf he did neuer sacrifice after that ordre then ys yt not true that he was a preist after that order for somoche as one cheif parte and office of preisthead standith in sacrificing But vndoubtedlie he a was preist after that order and in his last supper he shewed him self so to be When vnder the formes of bread and wine he offred his owne bodie and blood an vnbloodie sacrifice after the order of Melchisedech And thus moche for the proof of this matter by the Scripture THE NINE AND
man immortall For euery foode leaueth his effect or operacion of nature in the thing that feadeth Yf then we feede on Chryst who ys life he will leaue his effect in vs which ys life And for so moch as he ys the eternall and immortall life he wil woork in vs according to his nature that we shall haue eternall and immortall life And therfor he saieth Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam He that Hom. 46. in Ioan. eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life he saieth not life onely but eternall life And as Chrysostome saieth Cùm dixisset si quis manducauerit ex hoc pane non morietur inaeternum credibile esset eos dicturos quemadmodum superius Abraham mortuus est Prophetae mortui sunt quomodò tu dicis non gustabit mortem inaeternum Resurrectionem ponit per quam soluit quaestionem quòd non morietur in fine When he had saied whosoeuer shall eate of this bread he shall not die for euer and yt was credible that they wolde haue saied as they did before Abraham ys dead and the Prophetes be dead and howe doest thowe saie he shall not tast deathe He putteth the resurrection by the whiche he solueth the question that he shall not die in the ende And therfore he saieth Et egoresuscitabo eum in nouissimo die And I will raise him vppe in the last daie But I will leaue my exposition to see the mindes of the doctours vpon this scripture S. Augustine writeth thus Hanc non habet qui istum panem non manducat nec istum sanguinem bibit Nam temporalem vitam sine illo habere homines Tract 26. in Ioan. possunt aeternam verò non possunt Qui ergo non manducat eius carnem nec bibit eius sanguinem non habet in se vitam qui manducat eius carnem bibit eius sanguinem habet vitam aeternam Ad vtrunque autem respondit quòd dixit vitam aeternam Non ita est in hac esca quam sustentādae huius corporis vitae causa sumimus Nam qui eam non sumpserit non vinet Nec tamen qui eam sumpserit viuet Fieri enim potest vt senio vel morbo vel ali quo casu plurimi qui eam sumpserint moriantur in hoc verò cibo potu id est corpore sanguine Domini non ita est Nam qui eum non sumit non habet vitam qui eum sumit habet vitam hanc vtique aeternam He hath not this life that eateth not this bread nor drinketh this bloode For withoute that meat men maie haue the temporall life but the eternall life they can not haue He therfor that dothe not eate his flesh nor drinke his bloode hath no life in him And he that doth eate his fleshe and drinke his bloode hath life euerlasting He hath aunswered to both in that he hath saied euerlasting Yt ys not so in this meate whiche we do take to sustein the life of this bodie For he that doth not take yt shall not liue neither for all that shall he liue that hath taken yt For yt maie be that manie with age disease or some other chaunce euen of them that haue taken yt maie die In this meat and drinke that ys to saie in the bodie and blood of our Lorde yt ys not so For bothe he that doth not take yt hath not life and he that doth take yt hath life yea and that eternall This ys sainct Augustines minde vpon this text Whiche although yt doth speake of the Sacrament yet some perchaunce will obiecte and saie that S. Augustine Ibidem immediately expowndeth him self to speake of the misticall bodie of Chryste whiche ys his Churche and not of the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament For thus he saieth Hunc iraque cibum potum societatem vult intelligi corporis membrorum suorum quod est Ecclesia in praedestinatis vocatis iustificatis glorificatis sanctis fidelibus eius Quorum primum iam factum est secundū tertium factum est fit id est vocatio iustificatio quartum verò nunc in spe est in re autem futurum est id est glorificatio This meate and drinke therfor he will to be vnderstanded the societie or felowshippe of the bodie and his mēbres whiche ys the holie Churhe in the predestinated and called and iustified and glorified sainctes and his faithfull Of the whiche the first vs nowe doen that ys to saie predestinacion The secōd and the thirde ys both doē and ys in doing and shall be doen that ys vocacion and iustificacion The fourth ys nowe in hope but in deed to come that ys glorificacion This ys the sentence of S. Augustine which in deed doth make plain mencion of the bodie misticall of Chryste and expowndeth the meat that ys spoken of to be the folowshippe of the bodie and the membres whiche ys his Churche But what though S. Augustin in this place dothe expownde yt of the misticall bodie of Chryste ys that a good argument that yt ys not to be expownded of the holie Sacrament and of the verie flesh ther in conteined S. Paule saieth that Abraham had two Sonnes the one by a bond maiden the other by a free woman whiche thinges saieth he are spoken by an allegorie For these are two testamentes Nowe ys yt for me to saie that they were not two children in deed but two Testamentes or by cause S. Paule saieth they are spoken allegorycallie therfor they are not spoken historicallie or litterallie Do ye not knowe that saincte Augustine him self saieth that the scripture ys fertile and full of goodlie senseis Therfore though S. Augustine here expowndeth yt thus Yet in other places he expowndeth diuerse sentences of this same chapiter of the verie bodie and reall flesh of Chryst in the Sacrament Wherfore this ys to be considered that S. Augustine in his treactises vpon the sixte of S. Iohn knowing the people to whom he spake then to be sownd S. Augustines cheif entent in hys treactises vpon the sixt of S. John in the faith of the Sacrament and that ther was no controuersie in all the Churche of that matter by the whiche he was occasioned to speake directlie difinitiuelie and more plainly of the same he framed him self to speake of that that neaded as of the maners conuersacion and liuing of the people and not of that that neaded not as to instructe them of the due faithe to be had aboute this misterie For they knewe right well what yt was And therfore he did not go aboute to instructe them quid sumerent sed quà m bene sumerent what they did receaue but howe well they shoulde receaue yt And therfor the most parte of his doing was here to moue them that as they did according to ther faith receaue the
the substance of euerlasting life and who soeuer shall eate this bread he shall not die for euer and yt ys he bodie of Chryst Thus farre he What this bread ys that descended from heauen and what the profit and benefitt of yt ys sainct Ambrose hath in this his saing declared the bread ys the bodie of Chryst saieth he whiche bodie ys the meat that the faithfull doth take and the benefite of this so taken ys euerlasting life Wherfor sainct Ambrose being so plain I will bring in his yocke folowe Chrysostome who hath according to the counsell of sainct Paule not caried the yocke with the vnfaithfull but with the faithfull whiche ys the yocke of Chryst whiche as he himself saieth ys sweet Thus he saieth Dicit ergo Qui manducat carnem meam in morte non peribit neque damnabitur Sed non de communi dicit resurrectione siquidem omnes resurgent sed de clara illa gloriosa quae 2. Cor. 6. Math. 11. Homiti 46 in Ioan. praemium meretur Patres vestri manducauerunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum Frequenter idem repetit vt auditorum animis imprimatur Vltima enim haec erat doctrina vt resurrectionis vitae aeternae fidem confirmaret Quocirca post vitae aeternae promissionem resurrectionem proponit postquam illaÌ„ futuram ostendit hoc vnde constat à scripturis ad quaâ— eos semper relegat vt inde erudiantur Cùm autem dare vitam mundo dicit in aemulationem eos adducit vtsi aliorum bono mouentur nolint ipsi excludi Frequenter autem Mannae meminit differentiam conferendo ad fidem allicit Nam si possibile fuit vt quadraginta annos sine messibus frumento aliis ad victum necessarijs viuerent longè magis nunc cùm ad matoâ—… venerint Nam si in illis figuris sine labore expositum colligebant nunc profectò magis vbi nulla mors verae vitae fruitio Vitae autem vbique meminit Nam eius trahunur cupiditate nihil suauius quà m non mori Etenim in veteri Testamento longa vita multi dies promittebantur Nunc verò non simpliciter vitae longitudo sed vita sine fine promittitur He saieth therfor he that eateth my flesh shall not perish in death neither shal be damned But he doth not speake of the common resurrection for all shall rise but of that clere and gloriouse whiche deserueth rewarde Yower fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse and be dead He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer he doth often repete the same that yt might be ymprinted in the mindes of thearers This was the last doctrine that he might confirme the faith of the resurrection and euerlasting life wherfor after the promisse of eternall life he proueth the resurrection after he had shewed that yt was to come And from whence doth his appeare by the scriptures vnto the whiche he doth allwaies send them that from theÌ„ce they might be taught When he saieth yt to geue life to the woorlde he bringeth them to folow that if they be moued with the profit or commoditie of other they wolde not be excluded Often he maketh mencion of Manna and conferiring the difference allureth them to faith For if yt were We cometo greater thiÌ„ges in the Sacr â–ª then the Jewes did in MaÌ„na possible that they shoulde liue fortie years withoute haruestes and other necessares to their liuing moch more nowe when they are comed to greater things For if in these figures they did gather withoute labour the thing settfurth or made ready to their handes nowe truly moche more wher ys no death and the fruicion of true life Of life he maketh mencion euery where For we be drawen with desire therof and nothing ys more pleasaunt then not to die For in the olde Testament long life and manie daies were promised Nowe not simplie lenght of life but life withoute ende ys promised Thus he Albeit Chrysostom in this sentence maketh no great mencion of the Sacrament in open and expresse woordes yet folowing the sense in the beginning of this part of this chapter whiche by his iudgement ys of the Sacrament if yt be well considered he saieth sufficiently as also wher he saieth that yf yt were possible for the Iewes to liue fortie yeare without haruest or corne moche more nowe when we be commed to greater thinges Manna was a great miracle as sainct Ambrose saieth and if they did well receaue yt they did MaÌ„na and the Sacrament compared receaue spirituallie Chryst Then if our SacrameÌ„t be as the Sacramentaries saie a peice of bread whiche ys no like thing to Manna the one being from heauen by miracle the other by common course from the hand of the artificer withoute any miracle or wonder and in the receipt of yt Chryst spiritually receaued as in the receipt of Manna howe then be we comed to greater thinges then the figure of Manna was seing that in both Chryst ys receaued but spirituallie And Manna ys from heauen by God the bread from the earth by the baker Wherfor by these woordes of Chrysostome that we be comed to greater thinges ys signified to vs that the SacrameÌ„t coÌ„teineth a woorthier thing and a thing of greater miracle then Manna was whiche also was a miraculouse thing which thing conteined in the Sacrament ys the very bodie of Chryst of the whiche Manna was the figure of the whiche more shall be saied in the thirde booke But here to be short if the reall presence of Chrystes bodie be not in the Sacrament then ys Manna a woorthier and greater thing then yt by al meanes as by that that ys allready saied yt maie appeare And so shall Chrysostome be reproued of an vntrueth for that we are not comed to greater thinges But I shall sooner refuse the sainges of these aduersaries then I will the sainges of Chrysostome and so I trust will the wise reader THE ONE AND THIRTITH CHAP. PROCEAdeth in the the exposition of the same text by S. Hierom and S. Cyrill LEt vs heare the testimonie of an other coople for the vnderstanding of this text S. Hierom saith Si ergo panis qui de coelo descendit corpus Hieron ad Hedibiq 2 est Domini vinum qùod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui Testamenti qui pro multis effusus est in remissionem peccatorum iudaicas fabulas repellamus ascendamus cum Domino coenaculum magnum stratum atque mundatum accipiamus ab eo sursum calicem noui Testamenti ibiue cum eo Pascha celebrantes inebriemur ab eo vino sobrietatis Non enim est regnum Dei esca potus sed iusticia gaudium pax in Spiritu sancto Nec Moyses dedit nobis panem verum sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui
flesh appeareth not causes of the goodnesse of God towarde vs and shewed in this Sacrament the one ys that though yt be flesh in dede yet as Euthymius and Theophilact also doe saie God considering or condescending to our infirmities maketh yt not to appeare vnto vs that that yt ys in dede but yt appeareth still to vs as yt was before as bread and wine The other cause whie we receaue the verie flesh of Chryst though not in the forme of flesh ys saieth Cyrill that the bodie of Chryst whiche in an other place he calleth the bodie of life might be in our bodies as the seede of life to communicate life vnto vs and so make vs by vertue therof to liue euerlastinglie Nowe if the Sacrament were but a figure and not the bodie of Chryst as the Aduersarie saieth howe coulde Cyrills saing be true that God turneth the offred thinges into his flesh Again if in the Sacrament we receaue The flesh of Chryst receaued in the Sacr. ys the seed of euerlasting life not the bodie of Chryste howe then standeth Cyrills sainge that the bodie of Chryst to the intent yt maie be the seed of life ys fownde in vs Yt maie then well be perceaued that the doctrine of the Aduersarie teaching that Chrystes bodie and bloode be not in the Sacrament ys pestilent perniciouse and vntrue not onely in that yt ys repugnant to the doctrine of this holie Father and others before alleadged but also to the verie woorde of Chryst who plainlie saieth This ys my bodie and the Aduersarie saieth yt ys not his bodie But a figure of his bodie But yt ys time that we heare S. Grogorie whom we haue appoincted to ioin with S. Cyrill to declare what was the faith of the latin church in his daies Thus he writeth Debemus itaque praesens seculum vel quia iam conspicimus de fluxisse tota mente contemnere quotidiana Deo lachrimarum sacrisicia quotidianas carnis Grog li. 4 dialog ca. 58. sanguinis eius hostias immolare Haec namque singulariter victima ab aeterno interitu animam saluat quae illam nobis mortem Vnigeniti per mysterium reparat Qui licet resurgeÌ„s ex mortuis iam non moritur mors ei vltrà non dominabitur tamen in seipso immortaliter atque incorruptibiliter viuens pro nobis iterum in boc mysterio sacrae oblationis immolatur Eius quippe ibi corpus sumitur eius caro in populi salutem partitur eius sanguis non iam in manus infidelium sed in ora fidelium funditur Hinc ergo pensemus quale sit pro nobis hoc sacrificium quod pro absolutionè nostra passionem Vnigeniti filii sui imitatur Quis enim fidelium haberè dubium possit in ipsa immolationis hora ad sacerdotis vocem caelos aperiri Dailie sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blode ys to be ofred in illo Iesu Christi mysterio Angelorum Choros adesse summis ima sociari terrena coele stibus iungi vnum quoque ex visibilibus inuisibilibus fieri We aught therfor forasmoche as we see this present worlde to haue comed to nothing with all owre minde to contemne yt and to offre vnto God the dailie sacrifices of teares the dailie sacrifices of his flesh and bloode This singular sacrifice saueth the soule from euerlasting destruction whiche reneweth vnto vs by misterie the death of the onelie begotten Sonne Who allthough rising from death dieth no more and death shall neuer more haue lord shippe ouer him yet in himself liuing immortallie and in corruptiblie he ys offred again in this misterie of the holie oblacion for vs. Ther trulie his bodie ys receaued his flesh to the health of the people ys geuen abroede his not bloode ys nowe shedde not into the handes of the vnfaithfull but into the mouthes of the faithfull By this theÌ„ let vs weigh what maner of sacrifice this ys for vs whiche for our deliuerance dothe allwais folowe the passion of the onely begotten Sonne What faith full man can doubte in the time of that sacrificing at the woorde of the preist the heauens to be opened in that misterie of Iesus Chryste companies of Angells to be present vnto high thinges lowe thinges to be coopled to heauenlie thinges earthlie thinges to be ioined one thing also of inuisible and visible thinges to be made Thus moche S. Gregorie Yt maie perchaunce be saied that though this place of S. Gregorie doeth moche prooue the verie presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament yet yt teacheth not the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes This ys my body whiche ys the matter that I nowe take in hande to declare Trueth yt ys that the woordes of Chryst be not here recited by expresse woordes but they are heare vnderstanded and the true vnderstanding of them ys also here settfurth for the vnderstanding wherof I first note vnto yowe this sentence of Gregories authoritie What faithfull man saieth he can doubte in that time of immolacion at the voice of the preist the heauens to be opened c. what voice of the preist yt ys at whiche the heauens be opened the companies of angells be present high thinges are coopled to lowe thinges but that voice of the woordes of Chryst spoken by the preist in the person of Chryst This ys my bodie This ys my blood For vnto that time saieth S. Ambrose the preist vseth The heaueÌ„lie bodie of Christ ys ioâ—ned to the earthlie formes of bread and wire at the pronouincing of the woordes of Chryst his owne woordes but then he vseth not his owne woordes but the woordes of Chryst at the whiche voice all these wonderfull thinges are doen. S. Gregorie then by this voice of the preist vnderstandeth these woordes of Chryst vttered by the preist The true vnderstanding of whiche woordes he teacheth when he saieth that at the speaking and pronunciacion of them vnto high thinges lowe thinges are coopled vnto heauenly thinges earthlie thinges are ioined What be these high thinges and heauenly thinges coopled and ioined to lowe thinges and eartlie thinges but the heauenly and gloriouse hodie and bloode of our Sauiour Chryst whiche by his diuine power turning the substances of bread and wine into the substance of the same his bodie and bloode and being in the Sacrament vnder the earthlie formes of bread and wine he being high and heauenly ys ioined and coopled to lowe and earth lie thinges Jrenaeus li. 4. ca. 34. After this maner the holie martir Irenaeus did settfurth the holie SacrameÌ„t for he saieth Qui est à terra panis precipiens vocationem Dei iam non communis panis est sed Eucharistia ex duabus constans rebus terrena coelesti The bread whiche ys of the earth receauing the vocacion of God that ys the woordes of consecracion ys nowe not common bread but Eucharistia a good grace of God being Amb. ora prepar ad Missam compact of two thinges
flesh not being chaunged into flesh but by taking flesh vpon him So bread and As rightlie as we cōfesse Chryste to haue ben crucified so rightlie we cōfesse him to be in the Sacr. wine both lifte vppe from the lowest ys made the bodie and bloode of Chryste not chaunged into the taste of flesh or into the horriblenesse of bloode but inuisiblie taking the veritie of bothe the immortall substances whiche be in Chryst that ys to saie both of God and man Therfor as we rightly and catholikely confesse the man whiche being born of the Virgen hanged on the crosse to be God So this that we receaue at the holie aultar we trulie saie to be Chryst we openly confesse yt to be the lambe of God Thus Rupertus This saing nedeth no commentarie Wherfor breifly note gentle Reader that he saieth that the bread and wine be made the bodie and bloode of Chryst Note that the bread and wine haue the veritie of the substances of both natures of Chryst Note that as catholikely as we confesse Chryst to be God So catholikely do we confesse yt that we receaue at the Aultars holie holy aultar to be Chryst and the lambe of God Also yf the aultars be holie as this Authour saieth they be Yt can be no holie dede to pull them down with despite as Germanie and Englond haue doen. This I trust sufficeth to open this Authours faith as concerning the presence of Chryst in the holie Sacrament Wherfor nowe leauing him his folowe shall be hearde who ys Holkot an english man who writing vpon the booke of wisdom saieth thus Per Manna in sacra scriptura figuratur signanter Holkot in li sap cap. 16 Eucharistiae Sacramentum Sicut enim filij Israel transeuntes per desertum versus terram à Domino promissam cibi refocillabantur alimento ita nos per mundum ad coelum pergentes corporis sanguinis Christi quotidiano viatico recreamur By Manna in the holie scripture the Sacrament ys notablie figured For as the Manna a notable figure of the Sacrament children of Israell going through the desert towarde the land promised vnto them of God they were recreated with the foode of that meat Euen so we going through the worlde to heauen are recreated with the dailie iourneing meat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Of this Authour though he be of the later daies we learn no other thing in this matter but euen the verie same that the great auncientes haue before taught and auouched So that I can not perceaue why the masters of wickednesse shoulde reiect him and soche other but onely of malice for there plain testimonie As all that before be alleaged haue taught Manna to be a figure of the Sacrament So doth this Authour likewise As they haue auouched the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament So doth this Authour also For he saieththat we are fedde in this worlde in our iourneie to heauen warde with the bodie and bloode of Chryst. Nowe ye haue hadde these matters reported and testified to yowe by twelue witnesses whiche be sufficient by the lawes yf were in matter of life and death as in dede this ys for they that beleue this as they haue testified maie haue life but they whiche do not shall die the death They haue testified that Manna ys a figure of the Sacrament they haue testified that in the same Sacrament ys Chryst verilie and therwithall some of them by expresse woordes haue testified the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue the Sacramentes of the olde lawe and in effecte so haue they euery one For sainge that we haue the veritie wher they hadde but the figure yt declareth as moch excellencie in owres ahoue theirs as ys of the bodie aboue the shadowe These be not twelue bare witnesses but they are substanciall witnesses all being of Chrystes Parliament house and most of them of the higher house I meen of them that were aboue nine hundreth yeares agon who testific vnto vs no other but that trueth and faithe whiche then was receaued as an enacted trueth Wherfor Reader contemne not their testimonie contemne not their aunciencie and with all neclect not thy saluacion but yf thowe will yt obtein heare these witnesses reuerently beleue them faithfullie abide in that beleif constantly and yf all other poinctes of life and faith be in thee agreablie thowe shalt no doubte liue perpetually Nowe finallie to conclude and shet vppe the exposition of this text I haue thought good to adde the thirtenth witnesse who shall be Gagneius a mān of the later daies but not to be contemned but woorthilie for his learning to be receaued Whom for that he breiflie expowndeth the wholl text of Sainct Paule here treacted of I haue placed him in the last place for the Readers better remembrance Thus he writeth Admonet hoc capite Paulus Corinthios ne de donis à Deo perceptis efferantur Futurum enim vt per elationem Gagneius in Paulum 1. Cor. 10. hanc atque alia peccata ijs donis excidant à Christo eijciantur idue exemplo Iudaeorum docet Quos licet in figura similibus tamen donis ab eo affectos probat sed hinc tamen ob sua delicta excidisse Sicut enim Corinthij in spiritu sanclo aqua baptisati veri Pharaonis seruitutem excusserunt Christi carne pasti eius sanguine potati sunt It a patres Iudaei excussa Pharaonis seruitute transgresso marirubro quodam modo in mari nube baptisati sunt similitudinariè scilicet Quod enim illis nubes protegens conducens ac refrigerans id nobis spiritus sanctus actionum nostrarum dux ptotector libidinumue moderator extinctor Quod illis mare hoc Corinthijs aquae Baptismatis Corinthij Christi carnem manducabant illi figuram eius Manna quam spiritualem vocat escam quod miraculosè coelitus descenderit Corinthij Christi sanguinem bibebant Iudaei spiritualem potum quem miraculosè petra sudit biberunt neque tame ntot affecti beneficijs praeter duos tantùm in terram promissionis peruenerunt sed in deserto prostrati sunt ac mortui Qua in re sigura nostri fuere vi scilicet à vitijs illorum abstineamus alioquin in deserto perpetuae vastitudinis perituri neque veram promissionis terram ingressuri Paule doth admonish the Corynthians in this chapiter that they be not prowde of the giftes whiche they haue receaued of God For yt maie come that by this pride and other sinnes they maie fall from these giftes and be cast oute from Chryst And that he teacheth by the A notable conference of the figures and the thirges figured and of the benefittes of bothe example of the lewes whom he proueth to haue had the like benefittes although in figure and yet by their sinnes to haue fallen from them For as the Corynthians baptised in the holie Gost and water brake of the seruitude of
learn whether they wolde or no to kepe holy daie Thus farre Chrysostome In this he hath declared that Manna was no naturall effect of naturall custome and ordre but by the speciall worke of God who caused yt as yt pleased him to rain down from the clowdes to them He saieth also that vpō the Sabboth daie God rained not Manna to the people signifieng that euery other daie he did For the maner of the gathering of yt he teacheth that they that gathered more then was nede they had no profitte af their couetousnesse whiche ys as the text of Exodus saieth that he that gathered moch to him their remained nothing howe moche so euer through gredie desire he gathered he had no more but his measure As touching the ordre of the keping of yt yf they kept yt as yt shoulde be kept as vpon the Sabboth daie Māna kept vpon the Sabboth daie remained good vpon other dates not they might kepe yt then as Chrysostome saieth Manna did abide Manna But yf anie other daie of couetousnesse they wolde kepe of yt vntill the next daie then Manna wolde not abide Manna but Manna was turned into woormes S. Augustin also to omitte the rest speaketh in one place of one miracle of yt mencioned aboue that ys that yt tasted to them according to their desire In primo populo vnicuique Manna secundùm propriam voluntatem in ore sapiehat August ▪ ad Januar. In the first people Manna tasted in euery mans mouth according to his owne will By this ye perceiue howe manie miracles God wrought in Manna so that yt might verie well be called a merueilouse thing And truly for the great workes that God wrought in yt and for the nombre whiche also ys great as being doen in one thing yt maie well be reputed and esteemed an excellent thing Cōpare nowe our Sacrament with this figure as the Aduersarie doth cal yt a Sacrament whiche then ys but bread taken to signifie or to be a token Manna farre excelleth the Sacramentaries Ceramētal bread or figure of Chrystes bodie and thē what ys yt ys yt anie more then a plain peice of artificall bread made by mans hande ys yt in any respecte wonderfull ys ther anie one miraculouse worke of God in yt like as in Māna ys not Manna by all means more excellent and farre exceadinge this Sacrament Certenly yt farre excelleth and exceadeth yt wher the catholique faith teacheth that the lawe had but shadowes and the Gospell the verie thinges Yf the highest the cheifest the excellentest Sacrament that ys in the Gospell whiche as Sainct Dionyse Areopagita saith ys the Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Chryst be so base and bare and maie no better compare with his figure than that yt ys a signe or token of Chrystes bodie then must Sainct Paule his doctrine to the Hebrues and the doctrine of the catholique Churche be turned into the contrarie saing that ys that the Gospell hath the shadowes and the lawe the very thinges For as our Sacramēt ys a figure of Chrystes bodie so was Māna As we receauing that peice of bread maie receaue Chryst spirituallie So did the Iewes receauing Manna receaue Chryst also spirituallie And aboue this Manna hath a nōbre of excellences and our bread hath none So that yf we receaue this doctrine of the Aduersarie that our Sacramētes be of no more excellēcie thā the Sacramētes of the olde lawe we also admitte this that the Sacramēts and figures of the olde lawe farre excell owers For the excellencie of a sacrament or a figure stādeth speciallie Thexcellēcie of Sacr. standeth in three poinctes in three poinctes in the excellencie of the thing that yt signifieth or figureth In the fulnesse and liuelinesse of the significacion And in the work of God aboute the same figure As touching the first yt ys very plain that king Pharao was a figure of the Deuel the Egyptians his people were figures of sinnes the seruitude that the children of Israell were in vnder this king and his people was a figure of the seruitude of man vnder the Deuell and sinne These three although they be figures and iustlie do figure the thinges by them figured yet they be not accompted excellent figures bicause the thinges by them figured be not excellent ▪ Contrariwise Melchisedech for that he ys a figure of Chryst as S. Paule declareth to the Hebrues ys accompted and reputed an excellent figure bycause the thing figured ys excellent A figure ys as the image of a thing An image as comon experience teacheth ys regarded and estemed according as the thing ys whose image yt ys As the image of a king of the subiectes of the same King ys moche regarded for that yt ys the image of their King And is they honour and loue their Kinge So will they vse his image So like wise Melchisedech being the figure and image of Chryst ys an excellent figure bicause Chryst ys excellent The second poinct moche commendeth the excellencie of the figure also For although Isaac were a goodlie figure of the passion of Chryst yet the Paschall lambe ys reputed the more excellent figure for that yt more liuelie dothe declare the thing therbie signified then thother did For altho Isaac was the onely Sonne of his Father as Chryst of his Father and bare the wodde to the place of sacrifice as Chryst his crosse to the place of hys death yet the lambe bicause yt was slain in dede and the bloode of yt cast vpon the postes of the doores defended the inhabitantes from the hand of the Angell that strooke the Egyptians and for that vpon the death of the lambe the people departed oute of Egypte and were deliuered from the seruitude of King Pharao and his people which figured the death of Chryst in dede and the effectes of the same For as the innocent lambe died and shedde his blood without gilt or offence so the innocent lambe Chryst died and shedde his bloode without gilt or offence As the blood defended the Israelites from the striker so the blood of Chryst being cast vpon vs defendoth vs from the wrathe of God vnder the whiche we were born ād apeaceth the same that yt striketh vs not to death as the Egyptians were of the Angell As the Israelites vpon the death of the lambe were deliuered from the seruitude of Pharao and his Egyptians so we Chrystians vpon the death of our lambe Chryst were furthwith deliuered from the seruitude of the Deuell and sinne Therfore I saie the lambe so liuely and so fullie signifieng Chryst who suffred for vs and pourchased owre redemption ys more excellent figure than Isaac The thirde poinct also must of necessitie be admitted For where the workes of God be and specially miraculouse workes the mo they be and the more miraculouse the more excellent the thing ys about the which soche workes be doen. Yt was a miraculouse worke that Elisabeth being an olde woman and past childe
soche abuse moche to offend him Lib. 6. cap. 23. The impudens fact of Iulianus in possing against the holie aultar In the tripartite historie we reade that in the tlme of Iulianus Apostata one called Iulianus beinge the ruler of the east parts vnder the same wicked Iulian then Emperour entred in to a church and pissed against the aultar The woordes of Theodorete be these Iulianus praefectus impudenter contra sacrum altare minxit quem cùm Euzoius prohibere tentaret eum ille percussit in capite Iulian the president impudently pissed against the holie aultar whom when Euzoius wolde haue forbidden he strooke him vpon the heade Here by the reporte of this authour ye see the impudente facte of this wiked Iulianus wher by the waie note that the authour calleth yt an impudent facte and also calleth the aultar an holie aultar And nowe heare the punishint of this facte The authour reporting the wiked doinges of the saied Iulianus and of one Felix together shewinge both their punishiments saieth thus Sed pro ijs impietatibus vesanisque praesumptionibus non post multum paenas exacti sunt Nam repente Iulianus saeuo morbo correptus viseribus putrefactis interijt excrementa non per meatus egestinos emittebat sed scelestum os quod blasphemijs ministrauerat organum huius excretionis est factum But Abuse of aultars and spoilt of churches punished for all these wickednesses and furiose presumptions they within a litle while after suffred paines For Iulianus being sodenly taken with a sore disease his bowells being putrifieddied and he did not voide the excrements by the lower parts of his bodie But the wiked mouthe that had ben an instrument to blasphemies was nowe made an organ of excretion Thus moche the ecclesiesticall historie In whiche as before we sawe the offence of the man So nowe perceaue Arrius his filthie deathe we the punishmēt Arrius was a blasphemouse heretique whose heinouse offence was by his death inflicted of God declared to all the worlde to be to God very greuouse and displeasaunt and yet yt was not more greuously punished then this For that man though he in easing of nature by gods plague powred oute with thexcrements the bowells of his bodie and so died a fylthie deathe Yet this man whose bowells by the like plague of God were putrified and rotten in his bodie and therby God so disposing the filthie and stinking excrements that shoulde haue ben voided by the lower parts of his bodie wer voided and powred oute at his mouth and so dieng died yet a filthier deathe then thother Yf then the contemptuouse abuse of aultars were so greuously punished of God and the reuerent vse of aultars was neuer reproued easie yt ys to iudge that the well vsers of aultars are of God praised and the abusers of them of God dispraised the vse of aultars of God and auncient Fathers well liked the abuse of thē moch misliked But once to finish this matter and to returne to our text and to Anselmus whose exposition we alleaged ye maie by this that ys saied well peceiue that both the name of the aultar and also the vse of yt ys comed to vs from the primitiue churche So that this authour Anselmus ys not the first authour of yt But he speaketh of yt as he hath learned of the Fathers And therfore dothe verie well expownde the table of our lorde in S. Paule calling yt the aultar For the aultar in deed ys the table of our lorde wherin ys the meat of the bodie of Chryst whiche ys the sacrifice of our lorde of the which the faithfull people be partakers and wher vpon we feede to repayre this corruptible flesh that yt maie once come to incorruption ad from mortalitie to immortalitie Neither onelie are we moued by the exposition of this authour to vnderstande Aultar wherfor yt serueth S. Paule to speake of the aultars but also to vnderstand him to haue spoken of the sacrifice of the same aultar of Chryst for that therin he implieth the sacrifice of Chrysts bodie and blood by cause an aultar generaly serueth to beare a sacrifice wherfor particularlie the aultar of Chryst serueth to beare the sacrifice of Chryst To this vnderstanding of S. Paule the verie letter leadeth S. Paules own argument made to the Corinthians enforeth For when he saieth vnto them Ye can not drinke the cuppe of our lorde and the cuppe of deuells ye can not be partakers of the table of our lorde and of the table deuells In bothe parts he calleth yt indifferentlie the cuppe So that to the vessell of our Lordes table he geueth no other terme then he doth to the vessell of the table of Deuells Yf then yt be the cuppe of the Deuells bicause yt was offred to Deuells in sacrifice then ys the other the cuppe of our Lorde bicause yt ys offred to him in sacrifice Likwise for the second sentence Yf the table of Deuells be so called bicause yt serueth to the sacrifice of Deuells Euen so must the table of our Lorde be so called bicause yt serueth to the sacrifice of our Lord. Thus then ye see that of the verie letter and of Sainct Paules argument yf yt shall haue anie force by the comparison whiche he here maketh that as he spake of the sacrifice of Deuells on the one side so he spake of the sacrifice of our Lorde on the other side For as Hilarie saieth Omnis comparatio ad intelligentiae formam praesumitur vt id de quo agitur secundùm exemplum propositum assequamur Euery comparison ys taken to the forme Hilar de Trinit li. 8 of vnderstanding that we maie atteign yt that ys spoken of according to the example that ys proposed Nowe yf Sainct Paule making his comparison shoulde in one parte speake of one thing and in the other parte of an other thing howe shoulde the comparison healpe our vnderstandinge Wherfore according to Sainct Paules example we vnderstand him speaking of the cuppe of our Lorde to haue spoken of yt as of the bloode of Chryst offred in sacrifice of the whiche as before ys saied we be partakers as in the same example speaking of the cuppe of Deuells he speaketh of yt as of a sacrifice offred to Deuells of the whiche Idolaters are partakers Otherwise what shoulde the cōparison auaill when betwixt a thing offred in sacrifice and a thing not offred in sacrifice ther ys no proporciō Wherfor as the exāple ys vnderstāded of a thing sacrificed So must the thing compared to the exāple be vnderstanded of a thing sacrificed that ther maie be proporcion and similitude betwixt the thinges ioined in cōparison Then must yt be concluded that as Sainct Paule spake of sacrifice in the example So spake he of sacrifice in the thing compared to the example And so yt ys euident that the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament of which we are partakers after the minde of Sainct Paule ys a
slears of the neadie be excommunicated What shal I stand longer in so plain a matter sithen the practise declared vnto vs by holie Cyprian doth both teach vs that sacrifice was offred for the dead as to ther releif aÌ„d that to some yt was denied as a pain inflicted Thus in acertain epistle we finde this practise to be reported Episcopi antecessores nostri religiosè coÌ„siderantes salubriter prouideÌ„tes censueruÌ„t ne quis frater excedeÌ„s ad tutelaÌ„ vel curam clericuÌ„ nominaret Ac si quis hoc fecisset non offerretur pro eo nec sacrificium pro dormitione eius celebraretur Neque enim ad altare Dei meretur nominari in sacerdotum Gip. li. epist 9. prece qui ab altari sacerdotes ministros suos leuitas auocare voluit Et ideo Victor cuÌ„m contra formam nuperin concilio aÌ„ sacerdotibus dataÌ„ GeminiuÌ„ Faustinum ausus sit actorem constituere non est quo pro dormitione eius apud vosfiat oblatio aut deprecatio aliquae nomine cius in ecclesia frequentetur vt sacerdotu decretum religiosè necessariè factum seruetur à nobis The Bishoppes our predecessours godlie considering and holsomlie prouiding made a decre that no brother departing this life should appoincte Yf yt be the aultar of God what a wicked de de ys yt to throw them downe anie one of the cleargie to be his GardiaÌ„ And if anie did so neither shoulde oblacion be made for him nor sacrisice celebrated for his death Neither doth he deserue to be named in the praier of the preistes at the Aultar of God that wold call awaie the mynisters the preistes and Deacons from the aultar And therfor sithen Victor contrarie to the order of late geuen oute by the preistes in the counsell hath ben so bolde to coÌ„stitute Geminius Faustinus the preist his Gardian their ought not among yowe anie oblacion to be made for his death or that anie praier should be vsed in the Church in his name that the decree of the preistcs godlie and necessarely made maie be kept of vs. Thus moch S. Cyprian Of whom as we maie learn the decree and practise of the Church before The denial of praier for the dead of fending proueth the vse therof to be good his time that soch as made preistes their Gardians for the punishment of their so doing ther should neither sacrifice nor praier be doen or made for them in the Church after their death so maie we verie well perceaue that for them that died in the obedience of the Church ther was both sacrifice and praier offred and made for them at their burialls and so after their deaths were remembred in the praiers of the preistes Bi the same also are we instructed that as the deniall of oblacion sacrifice and praier was to the pain of them that were dead so was the doing of the same to the emolument releif and profitte of them that were dead What shall I nede after so manie practises of the holie Apostles of the primitiue Church and of the Church in the time of the auncient Fathers to setfurth Amb. ad Faustin the practise of the Church in the time of S. Ambrose who writing an epistle of coÌ„forth to Fustinus for the death of his sister saieth that he thinketh her not so moch to be lamented as with praiers to be releiued not moche Li. 9. CoÌ„fesca 13. to be made sad with tears but raither with oblacions to be commended to God Or of S. Augustine whose mother as before ys saied desiered in her death bedde to be remembred at the Aultar which ys ther to be praied for whiche her doing being recited of S. Augustine to her immortall laude and praise well proueth the thing to be according to the order of the church that then was and also that to desire to be praied for after death ys well doeÌ„ and woorhie of praise And if they be woorthie of praise that so desire what be they that desire not to be praied for or they that deride the praier for the dead or take awaie the order of praing for them yt ys easie to iudge The practise of the churche in this matter being so farre brought furth as to the time of S. Augustine I shall therin nowe no farder encombre the reader August de Verbis Ap. serm 32. but staing vpon a place or two of the same S. Augustin end this chapter In one place thus he saieth Orationibus verò sanctae Ecclesiae sacrificio salutari eleemosinis quae pro eorum spiritibus erogantur non est dubitandum mortuos adiuuari vt cum eis misericordius agatur quam eorum peccata meruerunt Hoc enim à patribus traditum vniuersa obseruat Ecclesia vt pro eis qui in communione corporis sangutnis Christi desuncti sunt cùm adipsum sacrificium loco suo commemorantur oretur ac pro illis quoque id offerri commemoretur Yt ys not to be doubted that the deade Praier sacriâ—ice and almose proâ—itable to the dead decessing in the CoiÌ„on of the bodie aÌ„d blod of Chryste by the praiers of the holie Church and the holsom sacrifice and the almoses whiche are geuen furth for their soules be holpen that they maie be more mercifullie dealt with all then their sinnes haue deserued For this as deliuered of the Fathers the vniuersall Chuhch doeth obserue that for theÌ„ which are dead in the communion of the bodie and bloode of Chryst praiers shoulde be made when at that sacrifice they are remembred in their place and that remembrance be made that that sacrrfice also ys offred for them Thus he In this saing of S. Augustine first note the maner of his speache that yt ys Praier for the dead banished out of Euglond not to be doubted but the dead are holpen with the praiers of the holie Churche with the holsom sacrifice and with almose Yf by the iudgement of S. Augustin yt ys not to be doubted mercifull God whie ys yt called in question at the bare saing of a railing heretique and not onelie called in questioÌ„ but vtterlie denied and almost with skorne hissed oute of the Churche The uniuersal Churche in and before the time of S. August praied for the dead of Inglonde Secondlie note that in the time of S. Augustine the vniuersall Church did receaue this order of praing for the dead For asmoche as the vniuersall churche did accept yt in S. Augustines time and before for they receaued yt of the Fathers and then was the flowrishing Church both in holinesse of life and excellencie of learning howe dothe nowe a peice of the church that ys in holinesse farre vnlike in learning moche inferioure reiect and contemne that that as ys saied the wholl church hath in the auncient time reuerentlie August in Enchi ca. 110. receaued Thirdlie marke what was receaued namely that bothe praier shoulde be made for them that died
condemnation receaue the same of whiche bothe Sainct Augustine saieth again Sicut enim Cont. donatist lib. 5 cap. 8. Iudas cut buccellam tradidit Dominus non malum accipiendo locum in se Diabolo praebuit sic indignè quisque sumens Dominicum Sacramentum non essicit vt quia ipse malus est malum sit aut quia non ad salutem accipit nihil accipiat Corpus enim Domini sanguis Domini nihilominus erat etiam illis quibus dice bat Apostolus Qui manducat bibit indignè iudicium sibi manducat bibit As Iudas to whome our lorde gaue a morsell not taking an euell thing but euell takinge the thinge gaue place to the deuell in himself So anie man receauinge vnwoorthiely our Lordes Hell gates cā not preuail against these places let the Proclamer well consider them Sacrament causeth not bicause himself ys euell that yt shoulde be euell or bicause he receaueth yt not to saluacion that he receaueth nothinge For yt was neuerthelesse the bodie of our Lorde and the bloode of our Lorde also vnto then to whom the Apostle saied he that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthily eateth and drinketh his owne condemnation Thus moche Sainct Augustine Yt ys nowe to be remembred that the Aduersarie denieng the reall and substanciall praesence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament ys compelled for the mainteinaunce of that his wicked heresie to saie that Chrystes bodie ys receaued spirituallie that ys that the grace the vertue and the meritte of Chrystes passion suffred in the same his bodie ys receaued And for that these benefittes be not receaued of an euell man as beinge an euell man therfor he mainteineth an other wicked heresie against the scripture and the holie Doctours that euell men receaue not the bodie of Chryst For the confutacion of whiche euell doctrine as the liuelie and plain sentences of holie Fathers haue ben produced So nowe speaketh S. Augustine as plainlie against yt For he contented not himself onelie to saie that euell men receaue the Sacrament A◠vnto Iudas yt was the verie bodie and blood of Chryste that he receaued So yt ys to all other yll receauers Angu in Ioan tract 26. of our Lorde Whiche woordes the Aduersarie wolde haue wrested to his pourpose but by expresse woordes he saieth that ys was the bodie of our Lorde and the bloode of our Lorde vnto them also of whom the Apostle saied he that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthilie c. Nowe what they be that receaue vnwoorthilie yt neadeth no declaracion being manifest that they be euell men And thus by S. Augustine yt ys taught that the verie bodie of Chryst beinge in the Sacrament ys receaued of euell men And although this place of S. Augustine ys so euidentlie gainst them yet in an other place he presseth them so strictlie that they haue no refuge and yt ys this Quantum autem pertinet ad illam mortem de qua terret Dominus quia mortut sunt patres eorum Manducauit Manna Moises manducauit Manna Aaron manducauit Manna Phinees manducauerunt multi qui Domino placuerunt mortui non sunt Quare quia visibilem cibum spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustauernnt vt Spiritualiter satiarenter Nam nos hodie accepimus visibilem cibum Sed aliud est Sacramentum aliud virtus Sacramenti quam multi de altari accipiunt moriuntur accipiendo moriuntur Vnde dicit Apostolus Iudicium sibi manducat bibit As touching that deathe of the whiche our Lorde saieth that their Fathers be dead Moises also did eate Manna and Aaron did eate Manna and Phinees did eate Manna and manie did eate whiche pleased our Lorde and they died not Whie Bicause they vnderstoode a visible meate spirituallie They did spirituallie hungar yt they did spirituallie eate yt that they might be spirituallie satisfied And we also this daie haue taken a visible meate But the Sacrament ys one thinge and the vertue of the Sacrament an other thing whiche vertue manie doe receaue at the Aultar and doe die and in receareceauing yt doe die Wherfor saieth the Apostle He eateth and drinketh his damnacion Thus farre he Note here the distinction that S. Augustine maketh betwixt the Sacrament and the vertue of the Sacrament sainge that the Sacrament ys one thinge and the vertue of the Sacrament an other Then of the vertue of the Sacrament he saieth that manie receaue yt at the Aultar and doe die meaning according to the saing of the Apostle that receauing yt vnwoorthilie they die in the Soule eating and drinking their owne damnacion Nowe wolde yt be learned of the Aduersarie howe he will vnderstand S. Augustine in this woorde Vertue First certen yt ys that yt ys not taken for the Sacramentall Vertue of the blessed Sacr. what yt ys and that euell men reccaue yt bread For that ys the other membre of the distinction Then must yt either be taken for the vertue of the passion of Chryst or for the bodie of Chryst yf self For in the Sacrament be no more but these three to be receaued The Sacrament the bodie of Chryst and the vertue of his passion Yt can not be taken for the vertue of Chrystes passion for that ys not nor can not be death and damnacion to the receauer in the receauing but life and saluacion This vertue that S. Agustine speaketh of ys soche that manie doe die in the receauing of yt Yt remaineth then that by this vertue of the Sacrament ys vnderstanded the bodie of Chryst whiche manie by vnwoorthie receauing doe wickedlie abuse and so receauing kill their soules and die the deathe that Iudas did What shall I tarie in the rehersall of Sainct Augustines sainges that touche this matter They were euough to make a iust volume Wherfor omitting manie I will ende with one whiche also expowndeth this our text Thus he saieth Recordamini vnde sit scriptum Quicunque manducauerit panem aut biberit calicem Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Et de iss erat sermo cùm Apostolus August in Ioan. tra 6. hoc dicerit qui Domini corpus velut quemlibet alium cibum indiscretè necligenter ue sumehant Remembre from whence yt ys written Whosoeuer shall eate the bread and drinke the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthieli shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde For when the Apostle saied this he spake yt of them Whiche receaued the bodie of our Lorde vndiscreetlie and necligentlie as they wolde doe anie other meat Marke this well that Sainct Augustine saieth plainlie that Sainct Paule spake this of them that necligentlie and vndiscreetlie receaued not a peice of Sacramentall bread but the bodie of our Lorde Then yt ys manifest that the bodie of our Lorde ys receaued in the Sacrament and that yt ys also receaued by the testimonie of Sainct Augustine of negligent and vndiscreet persons whiche make no differēce
preparacion for our seemelie coming to the receipt of the bless Sacrament what soeuer the Aduersaries S. Ambr. and Origen vse plaintearmes for the Procla the Sacramentaries and the Proclamer saie against the holie and blessed bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament sekinge by termes as by Sacramentall bread by figure by an holie signe and soche like to deface yt and yet with soch holie tearmes to cloake their vnholie heresie and loathing by expresse words to call yt the bodie of Chryst yet this holie Father and Bishoppe S. Ambrose in bothe these places alleadged and Origen in his sainges in this chapter produced calleth the Sacrament sixe or seuen times by plain woords the bodie of our Lorde the doubtful tearmes of the Aduersarie left as by which they could not so liuelie expresse and shewe furth the trueth To ende with these two Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house we maie perfectlie by them vnderstand that God punisheth vnwoorthie receauers of the bodie of Chryst some temporallie by feuers sicknesses ād death some eternally by perpetuall damnacion Wherbie as by the greuousnesse of the punishmētes we maie learn the greuousnesse of the offence So by the great nesse of the offence we maie learn the greatnesse of the blessed Sacrament in the receipt of which no soch offence coulde be committed if he were not ther present whose maiestie being great maketh the offence great THE EIGHT AND FIFTETH CHAP. ENDETH the exposition of the same text by Theophilact and Anselm FOrasmuche as the matter treacted of by S. Paule in this text ys apperteinent and dependeth of the matter spoken of before in the which we haue proceaded at the lenght therfor I haue determined to content my self with the two Fathers in the last chapter produced by whome we maie learn the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of this text in the higher house and with two other Fathers of the lower house who shall open vnto vs also the vnderstanding of the same in the lower house which two shall be Theophilact and Anselme Theophilact writeth thus Accipite demonstrationē ex iis quae apud vos contingunt Hinc enim sunt immaturae mortes diuturnaeue aegritudines morbi eò quòd multi in dignè assumant Quid igitur Qui non aegrotant ad extremam vsque senectam seruantur Theophilact in 11. 1 Cor. incolumes nonne peccant Peccant sanè Sed non huius temporis paenae solae indignè accedentibus destinatae sunt sed in futuro quoque seculo Take ye a demonstracion of those thinges which happen among yowe For bicause manie do receaue vnwoorthilie therfor ther be hastie deathes and long disseases and sicknesses What then They that are not sick but to their extearm age are kept in health doe they not sinne They sinne trulie but not the onelie paines of this time are apointed to vnwoorthie receauers but ther be also in the world to cōme more harde and more greuouse punishmentes reposed As the Iudgementes of God be merueilouse and incomprehensible so deepe also that no man can reache vnto the profunditie therof so are they also God punisheth some tempor illie but not eternallie some eternallie not temporallie some 〈◊〉 temparallie and eternallie vpright iust and full of equitie geuing to euery man according to hys workes By whiche he punisheth some in this life but not eternallie some eternallie but not in this life temporallie some both temporallie and eternallie So likewise of them that by vnwoorthie receipt contemne and foulie abuse the blessed Sacrament some by sicknesses and diseases are punished who humblie receauing the same and repenting their former doings and amending their liues God temperinge hys iustice with mercie punisheth them but in this life Other some ther be that abusing the holie Sacrament by vnwoorthie receipt and continuing the same doe yet some good workes though not in the right ordre of good workes soche God of hys mercie punisheth not temporallie but differring the punishment punisheth thē eternallie Some being of most beastlie and detestable life and continuinge in the same without repentance as men euen solde ouer to sinne and touched with sicknesse will not hūblie receaue the same as Gods mercifull punishment to the amendmēt of life but raither heapinge euells vpō euells doe murmure ād grudge yea ād with all violēt impaciēcie blaspheme his holie name ād reprooue his correctiō with manie vnsemelie woords manie soche are punished both temporallie ād eternallie Thus by Theopilacle then we maie learn that to vnwoorthie receauers of the bless Sacrament soche punishmentes haue ben inflicted of God wherby as ys saied maie be perceaued that as the offence ys great so yt ys doen against him who ys great euen Chryst our Sauioure and redemer whose blessed bodie being present in the Sacrament ys by wicked receauers moche abused I stand not to declare the faith of Theophllact as touchinge the presence For yt ys more then manifest that he that denieth the Aduersaries figure in the Sacrument confesseth the presence whiche this authour doeth in diuerse places expowndinge the scripturs as in this worke also yt maie be seen Wherfor leauinge him we will heare Anselmus who vpon this text folowinge S. Ambrose and vsinge his woordes writeth thus as speakinge to the Anselm in 11. 1. Cor. Corinthians in the person of S. Paule Quia indignè manducatis hoc corpus sanguinem bibitis ideo sunt inter vos multi infirmi qui graui morbo languent imbecilles qui diuturua inualitudine torpent dormiunt etiam multi id est somno mortis sunt occupati vt verum probaret quia examen futurum est accipientium corpus Domini Iam hic imaginem iudicii ostendit in nonnullis qui corpus illud inconsiderate acceperant dum aegrotationibus longis inualitudinibus tenerentur multi morerentur vt in eis caeteri discerēt se non impunè corpus Domini necligenter accipere paucorū exēplo caeteri territi emenda rentur scientes quia grauiores paenas in futuro seculo propter hanc culpā ipsi forent passuri sinon corrigerentur Bicause ye doe eate ād drink his bodie and blood vnwoorthilie therfor ther be amōg yow manie sick of greuous sicknesse ād weak which faint with lōg disease ād manie also sleape that ys they are preuēted with The Corinthians did eate and drinke the bodie and blood of our Lord vnworthilie death To prooue that a iudgemēt or condēnaciō shall come of thē that receaue the bodie of our Lord he doeth now shew the ymage of the iudgemēt in manie whiche had incōsideratelie reaeaued that bodie forasmochas they were holden with sicknesses and long weaknesse and manie died that by them other shoulde learn that they shoulde not receaue the bodie of our Lorde necligentlie withoute punishment and other feared with the example of a fewe shoulde be amended knowinge that theie shall suffre more greuouse paines in the worlde to come for this