bee so purged by this fire as that in the end they shall proue and trie the clemencie of God And he alleadgeth Origen thereupon concealing in the meane time the rest of his opinion for that it finally extended vnto the Deuils But what helpeth all this for the prouing of the purgatorie whereof wee speake which is made for the faithfull penitents and not for them which die in their sinne for to fulfil the punishment Sixt. Senens l. 5 and not to cleanse or wipe away the fault where sinnes haue no entrance much lesse merites where the wicked haue no place much lesse the Saints much lesse also the Apostles and much lesse the holy virgine which taketh his beginning so soone as death hath made an end and is imployed about his office euerie day without ceasing and without attending the day of iudgement And notwithstanding they are not ashamed to alleadge vnto vs these places which themselues condemne in their bookes That it was a disputable doctrine and which to be short cannot make any thing for them or against vs. Yea and that furthermore this was but an opinion wherein men were let alone and left to range according to the pregnancie of their wit and capacitie and not any doctrine receiued and admitted into the Church it appeareth clearely for Saint Augustine doth not faine or dissemble the gainsaying and disallowing of it neither yet the publike confutation thereof in his bookes and that not onely without all checke or dislike August de Genes contr Manich l. 2. c. 10 In Psalm 37. but with much praise and to the good liking of men for the same In a certaine place he suffered it to escape according to the opinion then currant As that after this life such as haue not husbanded their ground well are in daunger either of the fire of purgation or of eternall fire notwithstanding that hee vseth these wordes Videri apparere that it seemeth to be apparant and that these purgatorie punishmentes according to his owne iudgement De ciuit Dei l. c. 10.25 De ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 13. l. Cor. 3. are reserued vnto the last iudgement But in the booke of the Citie of God hee reckeneth vp all the opinions of Origen and others depending on him who carried themselues in his time in the Church as those who had founded themselues vppon the mercifull clemencie and fatherly mildnesse of God misexpounded and confuteth them all bringing them backe from their pretended likelihood of truth vnto the truth it selfe and from their conceited fantasie to the infallible scriptures Thou wilt saith he that the wicked Christians may in the end be saued by these pains of purgatorie because that God is mercifull it must then also follow that the Deuils may also bee saued that so hee may bee so much the more mercifull for it is said equally and indifferently to the one and the other 2. Cor 3. Goe into euerlasting fire c. If thou demandest the cause this it is and then the which there is none more iust neither yet more holy namely that the scripture which deceiueth not hath said so Some haue abused the place of the 1. Corinth 3. for Purgatorie but hee sheweth that this fire cannot bee vnderstood of hell because that so it should become common both to the good and euill but rather of tribulations and afflictions August de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 16. seq Dicuntur which are the exercises by which God maketh cleane his floure in this world that after this iudgement also contrarie to Origen there is not any paines of purgatorie And as concerning those punishmentes and paines which men might imagine to happen betwixt both hee saith If in this distance of time which is betwixt the death of the bodie and the day of iudgement men say that the soules of the deceased doe suffer some such fire Secularia venialia August de fide operibus Quantum arbitror Idem in Enchirid c. 69. Idem in quaest ad Dulcitium and that whether it bee there onely or whether it be here and not there or whether it bee here and there both they find a fire of transitorie tribulation burning the veniall thinges of this world I find no fault with them for such their assertion because it may bee that it is true And in another place hee saith This exposition as I suppose doth not wander farre from the way of truth Againe That some such thing may be after this life it is not incredible Againe writing to Dulcitius after he had handled the question We haue written these thinges but in such forte as that wee would not haue any canonicall authoritie giuen vnto them Whereby wee see in the first place that hee condemneth Origen Saint Ambrose and Hillarie their purgatorie c. Secondly that what hee sayeth of that space betwixt death and the day of iudgement hee speaketh doubtfully and as it were interrogatiuelie affirming And thirdly That by the same hee doeth not vnderstande any materiall fire of the same nature with Hell-fire as our aduersaries doe but a fire of tribulation or temptation such as may fall out and happen in this life And it is not to be omitted how that the good fathers of Trent did not forget to cause to be raced out many good places of Viues Index Expurg pag. 38.39 August de tempore serm 66. De verb. Apostol serm 18. In ep 80. ad Hesich Hypognosticon l. 5. Hieronym in Ecclesiast Olympiod in Prouerb c. 11. intreating of this matter in his commentaries vpon Augustines booke of the Citie of God But in another place wee haue shewed that hee hath made but two places of abode as in heauen or in hell and that hee shutteth out all manner of purgation after this life and that hee cutteth it off quite and cleane As concerning the third place we know not any thing at all thereof we find not any thing at all thereof in the scriptures And what shall we say if S. Ierome speake no lesse resolutely Jn what place soeuer saith he the tree falleth there it lyeth be it towards the South or be it towards the North In like manner looke in what place death doth take thee in the same thou abidest for euer be it that thy last day do find thee cruell and vnappeasable or otherwise courteous and mercifull And Olympiodorus doth cleare him vpon the same place In whatsoeuer place whether light or darke a man is surprised and seazed vppon by death bee hee following after vice or bee hee following after vertue he continueth in the same state and condition and in the same degree for euer For either he resteth in the light of euerlasting happines with the iust and righteous men and Christ our Lord or els he is tormented in darknes with the vnrighteous and the Deuill which is their prince They obiect vnto vs that Saint Ierome saith in his commentaries vpon the Prouerbes That soules
bodie from the temporall deliuerance to the spirituall from the seruitude of Egypt to the thraâ—dome and slauerie of sinne and to be short from the eating of this lambe which they had solemnized with him vnto that very and true lambe shadowed and pointed out so many ages before this paschall lambe whose bodie was likewise vpon this day giuen for them to the death Ioh. 6.50.15 and whose blood within a few houres after was shed for the remission of their sinnes Your fathers said he in S. Iohn haue eaten Manna in the wildernes and are dead But will you see the true bread of heauen the breade of life the quickning bread that am I my selfe which am truely come downe from heauen and this bread it is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world who so shall eate thereof shall neuer die but liue for euer c. As if he should say as followeth Your fathers haue eaten the lambe and we againe haue eaten the same here at this present time but the true and very lambe in deed it is my selfe euen the same of whom Esay hath said vnto you He is led to the slaughter for the transgression of the people Esay 53 his soule is offred vp for a sacrifice for sinne Of whom not long since Iohn Baptist said vnto you behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and of whom I my selfe say vnto you at this present That I go to be deliuered vp to death for you that you shall haue from henceforth my flesh to eat and my bloud to drinke for the remission of your sinnes and for the nourishing of your soules vp vnto eternall life your soules I say that are barren and void of all righteousnes in themselues and therefore also voide of true life but yet such as shall find life in me in my obedience and in my iustice and righteousnes all which are made yours by the sacrifice which now I am about to offer vp of mine owne accord and free will vnto you they shal be become the foode and foison of eternall life if you acknowledge and confesse your sinne your nakednes your vnprofitablenesse and great miserie that is to say if you truely hunger after my grace if you finde and perceiue your selues changed and altred of righteousnes And to the end that the remembrance of this great benefite may be alwaies fresh and new in your memorie thinke vpon remember it I pray you in such sort maner as you would think vpon your meate and drinke without which your bodies cannot stand and much lesse your soules without the benefite of my death and of the life and spirituall nourishment of the same which is secret and hid Do this whensoeuer you shal do it in remembrance of me in remembrance of my torne rent and broken bodie and of my blood shed for you and that such a remembrance as shall notwithstanding exhibite and communicate them vnto you for the assuring of you of the pardon and remission of your sinnes consequently of the saluation of your soules For alwaies and as oft as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shall expresse the death of the Lord that is to say you shall receiue the new couenant of grace the seale of your life in him vntill that hee come But this shall be expounded more largely in his place and in the meane time consider and beholde our Lorde and Sauiour doeth take occasion by the Sacrament of the Paschall lambe to institute and ordaine the Sacrament of the holy Supper passing as Saint Ierome saith from the olde to the new wherein as also in this wee haue likewise to consider both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice A Sacrament in that God there presenteth vnto vs bread and wine visible signes and yet notwithstanding exhibiters of an inuisible grace of the participation which the faithfull haue in his bodie and in his blood being members of this head branches of this vine flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones c. A sacrifice in like manner for that in the holy Supper we giue thankes to God for this great deliuerance which we receiue from the seruitude and punishment of sinne in the death of his welbeloued and hereupon it commeth that we call it Eucharisticall and that it hath the name Eucharist giuen vnto it and which neuerthelesse retaineth in some sort somewhat of the nature of a propitiatorie sacrifice in as much as therein wee carefully obserue and keepe the remembrance of this onely sacrifice which is the onely true propitiatorie which the Sonne sent from the father hath once offered vp for all vpon the tree of the crosse for vs differing herein from the Paschall lambe that the institution of the Lambe was a Sacrament of the deliuerance to come whereas the holy Supper is the Sacrament of grace alreadie wrought and purchased and herein againe for that the Passe-ouer held of the propitiatorie sacrifices in that it represented and set before their eyes that which ought to be accomplished in the bloud of Christ whereas the holy Supper holdeth somwhat of them for that it setteth before our eyes this propitiation made and perfected And thus much be spoken briefly deferring the rest till we come to speake of the Sacrifice pretended to be in the Masse What we haue hitherto obserued What was the forme of the holy Supper instituted by our Lord. 1. Cor. 11. The institution of the holy Supper Math. 26. Marke 24. Luk. 22. Paulus Fagius Deut. 8. Deutr. 16.3 is nothing else but that forme of the holy Supper wherein it was first instituted by our Lord as we haue it set downe in three of the Euangelistes and in S. Paule to the Corinthians the first Epistle and the 11. Chapter The summe whereof is as followeth that our Lord after Supper tooke breade and blessed it They vse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was done after the manner and laudable custome of the Iewes whose ordinarie manner of blessing in this place is yet to bee read Blessed be thou O our Lord God king of eternitie which hast sanctified vs by thy commandements and hast ordained that we should eate vnleauened bread c. Afterward he brake it gaue it to his disciples and said Take eate this is my bodie do this in remembrance of me Whereas the Iewes were accustomed to say these wordes This is the bread of miserie for so is the vnleauened bread called which our fathers did eate in Egypt Hee that is hungrie let him come and eate and he that hath neede let him come and celebrate the Passeouer Our Lord in this place making the bread of miserie the sacrament of the bread of life that so who so eateth thereoâ— worthily shal neuer hunger Afterwards it is said that he tooke the cup and gaue thankes the Euangelistes vsing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same sence and signification
small touch remorce of it self that can promise or perswade it selfe of the grace of God how good and merciful soeuer he conceiue it to be yea which on the contrarie doth not tremble quake before his iust anger or doeth not thereby condemne it selfe saue that it pleaseth this Mediator to take it by the hand and to leade it before the iudge not so much to beg or craue any thing for it as to seale vp vnto and graft in it his grace to say vnto it in full assurance and confidence Father this is one of them which thou hast giuen me by the merite of my obedience or rather one of those whom I purchased with mine owne blood Now of them I will not lose one take them vnto thy grace Ioh. 17. it is for them Father that I pray and intreate thee Keepe them in thy name let them be one as we are let my ioy be fulfilled in them c. Now these holy ceremonies are of two sorts such as are offered by man to God Sacrifice and Sacraments are properly called sacrifices and those which are giuen by God to man sacraments In so much as that to speake properly we may say that in the sacrifices man as much as he could was admonished to renounce himselfe and to giue himselfe vnto God in the Sacraments hee was aduertised and assured that God putting off his iustice to cloath himselfe with mercy did vouchsafe to giue himselfe vnto him the people in their sacrifices and euery faithfull man making protestation to endeuor themselues to become the people and children of God God in the Sacraments bearing witnes vnto them that he vouchsafed to be their God in Iesus Christ according to his free promises as also their father To be short a sacrifice is an acte or worke by which we acknowledge in the knowledge of the true God the whole homage which we owe vnto him and the faults which in our infirmitie we commit therein A sacrament is a holy ceremony instituted of God in which the faithfull are confirmed by signes exhibiting that which they represent of the grace of God promised vnto the faithful in the couenant which it hath pleased him to make with them Now on Gods behalfe the couenant halteth not he is faithfull farre more readie to offer himselfe and to deliuer himselfe to vs with all his good things then we are to hold out our handes to receiue them But on our behalfe all our actions are maimed this fleshlie hart giuen to the flesh cleauing fast to it selfe cannot offer it selfe to him of or by it selfe he must violently draw and pull it vnto him when he will haue it And there remaineth nothing in vs of all that which we owe vnto God besides the manifesting and declaring of our knowing of it and the testifying of the sorrow and griefe which we haue for that we are not able to render him the same as also to acknowledge in our sacrifices that all our good things that all our prosperitie and good successe are of God alone of his blessing and of his fauour and that all that which hee can receiue of vs in stead of recompence are nothing els then our new trespasses that is in stead of his bountifulnes our ingratitude and of his benefites our misdeedes Psal 16. 19. in saying with Dauid a man notwithstanding according to Gods owne heart My soule thou hast said vnto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodnesse reacheth not vnto thee And againe Who knoweth O Lord the faults and errours of his life O cleanse me from my secret sinnes And this was the cause why the old Church had two principall sortes of sacrifices peace-offerings by which all euerie one did protest according to the measure of increase which they inioyed that all that whatsoeuer they had was of God the propitiatory sacrifices by the which they did testifie all euery one that in stead of so many good thinges which they did receiue they could not render vnto God any thing but vncleannes and transgressions which by the bloud of beasts shed therein they testified and declared to be worthie of death and by the ordinarie reiterating of the killing of so many innocent beasts they did giue to vnderstand that they could not be forgiuen or pardoned but in the blood of that immaculate lambe and of the true onely eternall and perpetuall propitiatory sacrifice of the Church Iesus Christ our Lord. And notwithstanding it is here to be noted That the holy Supper may be considered both as a sacrifice a sacrament that although it hath beene already shewed that there is a difference betwixt a sacrifice and a Sacrament that yet there are some ceremonies in the Church which may bee considered in diuers respectes both as sacrifices and sacraments The Paschall lambe in the Church of the Iewes is taken for a Sacrament and that in as much as it is giuen of God for a certaine signe of saluation promised vnto the Church and to euery faithful member in the same as also in that that this blood of the lamb wherewith the dore posts are sprinkled doth represent vnto vs the blood of Iesus Christ which sprinkleth our soules and remoue farre from vs and our Christian families the destroying Angell and therfore it is saide This blood shall be for a signe vppon your houses that so when as I shall see it I may passe ouer And yet notwithstanding it may bee taken for a sacrifice of thanksgiuing in as much as it is commaunded to bee continued for euer for a remembrance and thanksgiuing for the preseruation of the first borne of Israel out of the midst of all the sorrow and griefe which they suffered in Egypt as also it is a signe of the preseruation of the elect of God in the Church from out of the midst of the condemnation of this peruerse and wicked world And therefore it is said This day shall bee a memoriall vnto you you shall keepe the same holy in your generations c. As also in some sorte for a propitiatorie Sacrifice in that it was a figure of the true and onely propitiatorie Sacrifice offered by the Sonne of God our high Priest for our sinnes to God his father vppon the altar of the Crosse according to the Euangelist his exposition You shall not breake a bone of him And the Apostle Saint Paule Our Passeouer that is Iesus Christ slaine or crucified The same may bee said of the holy Supper of our Lord It is instituted for a Sacrament of the new Testament in as much as it is the reall receiuing and communicating of the bodie and blood of Christ truely God and truely man deliuered to be put to death vpon the Crosse for our sinnes raised againe for our iustification giuen in the vse of the holy Supper according to his owne institution for the nourishing of our soules vnto eternall life And therefore it is said Take eate this is
are deliuered out of purgatorie by Masses But they should rather be ashamed seeing that the worde Masse is not found no not so much as once onely in all Saint Ierome Seeing also that this booke cannot be his because it citeth S. Gregorie who liued more then a hundred and fiftie yeares after And in deed this booke is found written by hand vnder the name of Beda and there is neither the time nor the stile that are repugnant to the same And the same is well allowed of by Marianus Victorius Bishop of Amerin who caused them to be imprinted amongst the works of S. Ierome vnder the name of Beda And as for Chrysostome he earst while expounded vnto vs the place of the Epistle to the Corinthians of hell and not of Purgatorie And Marke Bishop of Ephesus in his Apologie which he presented for the Greeke Churches in the Councell of Basill auoucheth that he neuer thought of purgatorie In like manner we haue seene here before that he hath razed the foundations there of partly by establishing the ful remission of sinnes in Christ and partly in acknowledging but two places or waies to be gone after this life But some obiect vnto vs After what sort maner the ancient fathers did vse â—o speake of a third place that certaine of the olde fathers haue acknowledged a third place diuers both from that of glorie and the other of eternall condemnation Neither doe I denie it but they must as freely acknowledge in what manner for it hath beene a question in ancient time whether at the time of departing out of this life the faithfull were receiued into their fullest glory and the vnfaithful cast into the extremitie of their miserie or els whether they were reserued in certaine places till after the resurrection that is the faithfull in a place of rest where they began to tast their ioyes and the vnbelieuers in a place of miserie where they also began to feele their miserie But these places were neuer imagined to put any distinction and difference betwixt faithfull and faithfull but betwixt the faithfull and vnfaithfull Againe they neuer meant that the faithfull were there in any torment but in rest not in any heat of burning fire but in a place of refreshment which likewise they called by the name of Refrigerium And this place wherein they abode waiting and expecting the day of iudgement they called Abrahams bosome the sweet rest vnder the Altar the Paradice alluding vnto the place of S. Luke 16.23 and that of S. Iohn in the Apocalips 6. And the place to be possessed by them after iudgement they called The celestiall bosome the Altar from on high the celestiall hauen c. And it is to bee taken in this sence which Ireneus saith Iren. l. 5. aduers haeres That the soules of the disciples of our Lord for which he hath fully accomplished the misteries of redemption do go into an inuisible place appointed for them of God and there shall attend the resurrection And that which Iustinus Martyr demandeth by way of question Iust Mart. l. quaest 76. q. namely what it profited the theefe to enter into Paradice seeing there is no crowning of any til after the resurrection answereth Eeuen thus much saith he in that he was vouchsafed the companie of the blessed Tertul. l. 3. c. 14 l. 4. aduer Marcion c. 34. In Apol. c. 47. de anim c. 7.9 55.56 vlt. de resur carn 17. de iudicio Dom. c. 11. Idem de Anima passim Nouat de Trinit c. 1. Orig. hom 7. in Leuit. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waiting for the day of reward and recompence c. That which Tertullian teacheth in infinite places That the bosome of Abraham is a place of eternitie to those that are deade in his faith if not heauenly yet at the least higher then hell which giueth rest and refreshment vnto the soules of the righteous vntill the accomplishment and perfecting of all thinges in the resurrection that heauen is not open to any so long as the earth is intire and whole Terra adbuc salua ne dixerim clausa And that together with the consummation of the world the kingdome of heauen should be opened That in these low places all the soules haue betwixt here and there the one sort their punishmentes the other their comfortable refreshmentes c. That Origene saith That Abraham Isaac and Iacob the Prophets and Apostles haue not yet receiued their ioyes that they there wait and attend vs that so they and wee may receiue them all together soiourning in the meane time saith hee as in a place of studie or instruction in a schoole of soules where they are taught in all such thinges as they had not seene here below but as in riddles and figures Ambr. l 2. c. 2. de Cain Abel Idem de bono mortis c. 10. Chrisost hom 39. n. 1. Cor. 24. Idem in hom 28 ad Heo hom 7. Idem hom ad Pop. Antioch 33. in Mat. 53. in Genes 40. Lactan. l. 7. c. 21. instit Victor in Apocal c. 6. Theod. in ep ad Hebr. c. 11. Hom 34. auth oper imperf in Mat. Areth. in Apocal c. 6. Bernar. in loc c 6 Apoc. serm 4 in sestum ommuÌ„ SanctoruÌ„ Oecum ad Heb. c. 11. Theoph. ad Heb. Euthym. in Luc. c. 23. August l. 1 c. 14. retract In Psal 36. In Genes l. 12 c. 9. In Enchirid. c. 108. Chrysost hom 69. ad Pop. Antioch Idem ad Rom. hom 33. Idem ad Philip hom 4. Occan in oper 93. dierum Adrian 6. l. 4. sent in fine q. de Sacram. confirm Saint Ambrose who treadeth in his steppes That the day of iudgement is like vnto that of wrastlers in asmuch as that in one day the vanquished are ashamed and the vanquishers receiue the garland and price and that betwixt here and there the soules are in their places of receipt waiting for the fulnes of time Saint Augustine That after this life wee are not in the place where the Saintes shall be when it shall bee said to them Come ye blessed c. But rather there where Lazarus was whom the rich man saw in rest c. Chrysostome That those which suffered for Christ before vs although they went before vs in the combat shall not any whit preuent vs in the wearing of the crowne That the crowne is set vpon all mens heades at once and not at seuerall times and that after the resurrection That betwixt here and there that is betwixt death and the iudgement soules are reserued in a place which is ordinarily called Abrahams bosome and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the porch of the Saintes wherein they are in rest expecting the fulnesse of their glorie And in reading of Lactantius Victorinus Martyr Theodoret the Authour of the imperfect worke vppon Mathew Arethas Theophilact Oecumenius Euthimius and Saint Bernard also who bare a greater stroke therein then any
repay him againe The same also which S. Paul saith What is it that thou hast which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it 1. Cor. 4.7 why boastest thou thy selfe as if thou hadst not receiued it c. And the second Councel of Orange held about the yeare 450. doth conclude in these words Mans nature Concil Arans c. Can. 19. Man a great deale lesseable after his fall euen in his integritie could not keep his integritie without the help of God c. But after he had fallen and corrupted his waies being the second state that our first father fell into we became in farre worse and harder case Man euen in his integrity could not in respect of God merite or deserue any good thing but now in the daies of his corruption hee cannot chuse but merite yea he cannot merite any thing but the wrath of God his curse and eternall death For being become sinne and transgression it hath corrupted the most noble partes both of his humane bodie and diuine soule making the will to bee the slaue of vnbridled appetite vnderstanding of imagination vnto all euill and both of them faultie and corrupted in themselues the will estranged from the loue of God and the vnderstanding from the hauing of the knowledge of him both the one and the other carried from their naturall and one onely good state to the contrarie with all their power and abilitie euen to will and know that which is displeasing vnto him and hurtfull to themselues Man now in this estate what can he doe what can he but do amisse And notwithstanding this is the state of all men in themselues since the fall no man to be excepted God pronounceth this generall sentence in Genesis Genel 6. Iob. 14. Psal 51. All the thoughtes of the heart of man are set vpon euill continually The most holy do most freely confesse it Iob Who can draw any thing that is pure from that which is defiled Not one Dauid Behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother hath conceiued me in sinne and therefore he prayeth vnto God to create in him a new hart Ioh. 3.6 Christ in the Gospell That which is begotten of flesh is flesh and that which is begotten of the spirit is spirit If a man be not borne againe hee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Rom. 7.18 2. Cor. 3.5 Ephes 1. And Saint Paule expoundeth it Because that in the flesh dwelleth no good seeing that the naturall man doth not comprehend that which is of the spirite of God And because That we are naturally deadin sinnes our workes then are both dead and deadly and to bring vs to bring out any other it cannot bee without the working of a miracle Ephes 2.5 Rom. 6.8 it is requisite that wee should bee raised againe And it is God onely that must doe this Because saith he moreouer that We are children of wrath That All the desires and all the vnderstanding also of our flesh which we make so much of is enmitie against God Prou. 10. And without exception For There is no man saith Salomon that can say Rom. 5.17 1. Cor. 15. My heart is cleane I am without sinne And the Apostle more expresly All men haue sinned and are dead in Adam By a man sinne entred into the world into all men and by sinne death c. Yea into Moyses the meekest of all other men Thou hast sette before thy face Absconditum nostrum our sinne that was hidden from vs. This naturall viciousnesse which like vnto a naturall disease is hidden from vs is lesse perceiued or felt of vs. Pâ— l. 51. Psal 116. Rom. 7. 14. reâ—â— 23. And into Dauid a man according to Gods owne hearte Create saith hee in mee a new heart Because the hearte of man is altogether peruerted Ab occultis meis mundame Cleanse mee from that which is hidden from mee And into S. Paule an elect vessell of God The law saith he is spirituall and I am carnall sold vnder sinne I see a law in my members fighting against the law of my vnderstanding and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death c. Into S. Iohn Baptist Luke 2. the greatest amongst them that are borne of women who saith vnto our Lord I haue need to be baptized of thee that is to say to be washed to be regenerate by thy spirit c. And into the holy virgin likewise for she acknowledged her low and base estate she magnified nothing but the onely mercy of God she placed her selfe amongst them that being hungrie are filled with good things she reioyceth in God which is her Sauiour so farre is she off from disclaiming her parte in the saluation promised in Iesus Christ the author of the saluation which is in her And in deed the Apostle to the Hebr. Hebr. 7. hath not seperated or excepted from sin any besides Iesus Christ alone The holy virgine likewise was subiect to the law of purification ordained in the Church a signe of the inward purification which God requireth in all our actions Rom. 11.32 to the end that this word may abide true That God hath shut vp all vnder sinne That no man also should thinke to be excluded from that which followeth That he hath notwithstanding shewed mercie vnto all That this that all the Saints haue beene saued euen the virgin Marie her selfe commeth of his free grace of the riches and bountifulnesse of his great mercies Now our aduersaries that will not be called Pelagians How the aduersaries do extenuate originall sinne doe agree in outward shew vnto this corruption of mankind but when we come to lay the sore open and naked they are as it were afraid of taking some harme they make the maladie as light and little as they can fearing to be too much bound vnto God not considering how that for a man to lay open his wounds before him is to heale them to confesse our sinnes freely and franckly to him is to haue them quit forgiuen whereas the hiding and couering of them doth make them mortall to denie conceale or smooth them ouer is to cast himselfe prisoner and captiue into hell and eternall fire vntill hee haue paid the vttermost farthing Pighius therefore letteth not shamelesly to say Albert Pigh de peccat orig that the punishment of Adam seized vpon all his posteritie as one bond man begetteth another but that his sinne was not transfused and conueighed into his children What is there more contrarie vnto the whole scripture then this Yea how is it possible that this man should haue so little profited in the knowledge of himselfe Andradius a true interpreter of the ambiguities and doubtes arising in the Councell of Trent teacheth That concupiscence is in nature corrupted altogether such as it was when nature
couenant is certaine that they in particular are comprehended and contained in the same c. And which more is they worke within a faith of the free promises of the Creator of the remission of sinne in his Sonne c. a confirmation of that most neere coniunction that is betwixt the faithfull and God an vnion with Christ by the bond of his holy spirit such as the members haue with the head from which they draw saluation and life Whereupon it followeth that they are made new men for so much as the power and efficacie of the spirit of Christ dooth conuert and turne them into his nature draw them from their owne regenerate and cast them anew by little and little and that both in their affections as also in their actions to put their trust in God through Iesus Christ to renounce and forsake themselues for the loue of him and to wish well and doe well vnto their neighbours but especially to the members of the same bodie both in him and for him Now therefore this is the office and part of the Sacraments What a sacrament is and thereupon a Sacrament to define it properly is a holy ceremonie instituted of God added to the promise of grace made in Iesus Christ to be an earnest penie and certaine testimonie vnto all the faithfull that this promise of grace expounded explaned in the word of God is particularly exhibited ratified applied to him vnto saluation And such were amongst the old people from the time of Abraham and Moyses vnto the comming of our Lord Circumcision and the Passe-ouer instituted of God to such end in stead wherof there were ordained for vs by our Lord holy Baptisme and the holy supper to continue to the end of the world It consisteth of a signe a thing and the word Genes 17.10 13. Rom. 4. Of these Sacraments the Scripture speaketh after this sort Of Circumcision It shall be vnto you saith the Lord for a signe of the couenant betwixt me and you and my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant Thus of the signe And S. Paul Abraham saith he receiued the signe of the Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seale of the righteousnesse of faith And we know that the righteousnesse of faith is that which is freely promised giuen in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now behold the effect and so by consequent a perfect Sacrament Deutr. 10. â—oâ— 2 28. Exod. 12. according to that which Moyses saith Circumcise the foreskinne of your heart And S. Paul Circumcision is not that which is made in the flesh but of the heart in the spirit Of the Passe-ouer The bloud of the Lambe is vnto you for a signe in the houses wherein you shall be 1. Corinth 5. I will see this bloud and passe ouer But this bloud saith the Apostle is the bloud of Christ Christ our Passe-ouer was slaine for vs c. Behold here againe both the signe and the thing and both the one and the other by the word that is to say by the institution of Christ who hath ordained the signe for the thing and giuen the thing with the signe otherwise naked and vnprofitable not answering the effect that is expected thereof This word in the Circumcision is this I am the Lord Almightie c. I will set my couenant betwixt thee and me Genes 17. Exodus 12. c. In the Passe-ouer The tenth day of the month let euerie man take a Lambe c. In which places God instituteth and ordaineth these Sacraments and giueth them by his institution perpetuall power in his Church as by these words once spoken Increase and multiplie he hath giuen for euer his blessing vnto holy marriage The same is that of the Sacraments of the new Testament Baptisme receiueth vs into the couenant of God in stead of Circumcision the holy Supper in stead of the Passe-ouer dooth nourish and maintaine vs therein whereupon the one is properly called Regeneration as a man would say a new birth and the other The communion of the bodie and bloud of our Lord to our nourishing vnto eternall life In Baptisme water is the signe the bloud of Christ is the thing signified water which washeth away the spots of the body bloud which cleanseth and wipeth away the sinnes of the soule namely by the mediation of the word or institution of God accompanied with his holy spirit which giueth efficacie and power vnto the Sacrament Of the signe S. Iohn Baptist saith Mat. 5. Act 1. 1 Cor. 12.13 Coloss 2.11 Rom. 3. â— Galat. 3.27 Tit. 3 5. I baptise you with water but as concerning the thing Hee will baptise you with the holy Ghost namely the Lord. Of both together the Apostle saith Wee are baptised into one spirit buried in baptisme into the death of Christ and raised againe into his resurrection and saued by the washing of regeneration and of the renewing of the holy Ghost In so much as that the word that is to say the institution of the Lord added to the element of water worketh supernaturally in our soules by the holy Ghost the same that water doth in our bodies by his naturall propertie Baptise yee in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost c. And we shall say the same hereafter but more largely of the holy Supper The new Testament of the Lord in his bloud Which being instituted to the same end is also of the same nature with the other Sacraments the bread wine for signes and tokens most fitly agreeing with the true and perfect nourishment of the faithfull that is in Christ a foode and nourishment that cannot better be expressed then by that of our bodies which turne into their substance that which they eate and drinke saue onely that the communion of the body and bloud of Christ hath this ouer and aboue because of his power which is infinitely more mightie then that of ours namely that it conuerteth and chaungeth vs into his substance maketh vs flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and causeth vs to liue in him and by him c. Whereas our bodies being stronger then the thing which they eate doe cause and make the same to liue after a certaine manner in them turning it into their substance The signes therefore are bread and wine and by that name they are continually called of S. Paul and that euen after the words as they cal them of consecration The thing that is the Communion of the bodie of Christ broken for vs and of his bloud shed for our sins 1 Cor. 10. 11. The word that is the institution of the Lord which commeth thereunto Doe this in remembrance of me shew forth the death of the Lord vnto his comming c. This is the same that the old writers say that Christ is the onely saluation of the Church The Israelites were partakers of one and tâ—e same thing with vs.
had receiued of the Lord. But what Accidents No but bread As oft saith he as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup c. And he goeth ouer this word bread fiue times and that after the words of Consecration as they call them and yet notwithstanding The body of the Lord c. For Whosoeuer eateth saith he of this bread vnworthily eateth his iudgement is culpable of the body and bloud of our Lord c. As if a man should say Reus Maiestatis guiltie of high treason against the body of Christ because he hath abused his Sacramēts vnto death which were ordained for him vnto life And what is there more ordinarie in the Scripture then to vse the words of eating drinking spiritually As where wisedome it selfe saith Such as eate of me Ecclesiast 14. Iohn 7. shall further hunger after me and they which drinke of me shall still thirst after me Where our Lord the true and essentiall wisedome crieth Jf any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke And particularly in the Paschall Lambe a figure correspondent to the holy supper were not these verie words which they call Sacramentall Verba inquam concepta This bread is the bread of miserie which our Fathers did eate in Egypt He that is hungrie let him come and eate c. But the absurditie of this pretended literall construction and yet altogether figuratiue improper and verie straunge shall be better knowne by the touch and triall of the same where wee shall see how that it destroyeth the nature of all the Sacraments of those of the new Testament yea euen the supper celebrated by our Lord with his Apostles how that it destroyeth the humane nature of Christ and offereth violence vnto his diuine nature and in a word how that it ouerthroweth the analogie of faith the consent of the holy Scriptures the Creede of the Apostles together withall the rest of the most firme and infallible points of Diuinitie which we purpose to handle briefely from point to point CHAP. III. That the interpretation and Exposition which our Aduersaries make of the words of the holy Supper doth ouerthrow all the foundations of the Christian faith as also the nature of Christ and of his Sacraments FIrst and principally That Transubstantiation doth destroy the nature of euery sacrament Transubstantiation destroyeth the nature of euerie Sacrament for euerie Sacrament consisteth of a signe and a thing signified both which abide and continue whole and intire in such sort as that it is not possible that the one can be the other neither any part of the other and notwithstanding they depend the one vppon the other they cannot bee well weighed and considered the one without the other But it destroyeth the nature of the bread In the signe the signe and seale of his bodie the nature of the wine the signe and seale of the bloud of our Lord either by changing and altering of them or else by making them nothing worth or by reducing them as others say into the first matter from substances into accidents contrarie to all nature yea contrarie to the Law of the Sacraments it selfe which made choice of signes proportionable to the things signified as they rained Manna to the bread of life which came downe from heauen Water which washeth away corporall spottes to the righteous bloud which cleanseth and taketh away the spirituall bread and wine which nourish and maintaine this life to the body and bloud of Christ which doe sustaine and feed vs vnto eternall life Roundnesse whitenesse moystnesse and rednesse which they giue vs for signes what analogie haue they with the spirituall nourishment Or the accidents with the substance And in stead of deeper and deeper setling vs in faith what is it that they are able to beget in vs but new forged opinions and vaine fantasies Let vs take from Baptisme water the signe of this liuing water of the holy Ghost which washeth our soules Mich. 7. yea saith the Prophet which drowneth and swalloweth vp our iniquities and what maner of doctrine remaineth there behind Take away bread in the holy supper Nehem 9. Psalme 70. Iohn 6. Apocal. the signe of that bread of heauen of the bread of life which giueth life vnto the world Wine the signe of the bloud of the Lambe wherein wee are to wash our garments wherewith wee likewise comfort our soules both the one and the other signes of our vnion in as much as they are made of many cornes kneaded and troden out into one and what doctrine or instruction will there bee then left for vs behind What proportion is there betwixt these accidents and our life Not that verily of our soule onely but that also of our body In the second place In the thing what shall I say of the thing signified How doe they handle it The thing signified is the body bloud of Christ it is Christ himselfe But wherefore was hee giuen in the holy Supper Verily saith he To giue life vnto the world And to what world Verily vnto them whome hee hath drawne out of and saued from the world To them saith hee Which belieue in him which abide in him To them saith the Apostle In whose hearts he dwelleth To them saith S. Augustine Which are his members and not to any others What iniurie then and wrong dooth Transubstantiation offer vnto our Lord vnto this precious pearle of the Gospell which giueth the same to hypocrites and vnbelieuers which casteth the same to Dogges and Swine in such sort as that they regard or looke after nothing else but that they haue a mouth to cast it into and a stomacke to swallow it downe into Can these courses bee maintained either by the scriptures or yet by the old church wee say of euery Sacrament that the signe which is called ordinarily the Sacrament may be receiued of all but the thing of the Sacrament res Sacramenti of the faithfull and beleeuers onely And as for that due regard and consideration which is to be had of the holie Supper the word of the sonne of God is expreslie laide downe concerning the same This is my bodie which is giuen for you my bloud which is shed for your sins He giueth them not for meat and food but to such as for whome it is shed as for whom it is broken that is to say which are effectually redeemed and by consequent his members And thus saith Origen Orig. in Mat. c. 11. That of this true and verie meat of this word made flesh no wicked or vngodly man can eate because saith he that it is the worde and the bread of life because that hee that eateth this bread liueth for euer Saint Cyprian Cypr. l. de Caen. Domini August tract 26. in Ion. That although that the Sacraments bee suffered to be taken and handled by such as are vnworthie yet they cannot bee partakers of the spirit that is to say of
manner of seruice That the seruice of Christians was deriued from thence excepted one that after they had with all honourable reuerence and tender compassion buried the olde Synagogue they prayed vpon the Lords day that is to say vpon the first daye of the weeke in remembrance of the resurrection in stead of the Sabath and brought in the reading of the Euangelists the Epistles of the Apostles with that of the law the Prophets out of which the Bb. or Pastor did expound somewhat vnto them then after these lectures the holie supper was celebrated amongst the faithfull by the reciting of the institution of the same and the distributing of the bread and cup vnto the people the which for the most part were taken from their owne offrings for the vse of the holy Sacraments which done there followed certain Psalmes of thanksgiuing for the spiritual good things receiued of God at this holie table after which the assembly brake vp and all this was done and said euen till all was ended in great simplicity and singlenes and in a lauguage vnderstood and in such garmentes as all the people did weare as it shall bee certainelie proued hereafter from point to point Of the Confession of sins the first profession that euery Christiā must make Matth 3. Mar. 1 we haue some prints marks in S. Iohn Baptist for such as came vnto him cōfessed their sins were baptized for without the knowledge of sin no man can come to the acknowledgement of grace Acts 13. the shutting vp of Paul his sermō to the Iewes in the Synagogue at Antioch standeth vpon these words Be it known vnto you that by Iesus Christ remission of sins is preached vnto you c. wherby likewise we see that they which were cōuerted by the preaching of the Apostles were touched with compunction of heart confessed their sins hence cōmeth that which Lyranus telleth vs vpō those words in Leuiticus And the high Priest laying both his handes vppon the Goate Leuit. 16. shall confesse the iniquities of the children of Israell c. Not sayeth hee declaring all their particular sinnes for that were impossible but in generall as wee doe in the confession vsuallie made in the beginning of the Masse And yet notwithstanding now a dayes the Priest hath neuer a word that waye saue onelie for himselfe whereas the Pastor holding the place of the high Priest that is which is the mouth of the people in the Church ought to confesse vnto God the iniquities of that people in setting before them for the remission thereof the benefite of the Sacrifice of his onelie begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord which should make vs belieue together with other signes and marks which we shall see hereafter that this parte of seruice was of good praise and commendation as for reading it was ordinarie as we haue seene in the Synagogues whereinto the Apostles came for to instruct and teach the Iewes Acts 20. and for the publike assemblies wee haue a manifest example thereof in the Actes where S. Paule the Disciples being come together for to breake bread that is to celebrate the Lordes Supper handleth the word of God amongst them and continueth his speech vnto midnight that is he did not only reade vnto them but expounded it vnto them also and drew out from thence doctrines for their vse after the manner vsed in preaching and likewise hee ordinarilie calleth his office and function the Ministerie or administration of the word And as for prayers to be made for the aduancement of the glorie of God for the necessitie of the Church and state politique the heads and members of the same and for our owne saluation we haue both precept and prescript forme deliuered vs by our Lord Mat. 6. c. Mat. 6. 1. Tim 2. the admonition of S. Paul to make intercessions prayers supplications c. for all men for kinges for men set in authoritie c. and the example of the Apostles perseuering in prayer and in the breaking of bread c. and S. Augustine doth by name expound that place of S. Paule of solemne prayers of the Lordes Supper and as for the administration thereof we haue the forme set downe in the 1. to the Corinthians 10. 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 11. vnder the signes of bread wine which were wont to be brought to the common feastes of Christians they were blessed according to the institution of the Lord as it is there set downe for the communicating of his bodie and blood and in remembrance of his death which he suffered for our sinnes And this whole action was intermingled with Psalmes and spirituall giuinges of thankes taken and deriued from the example of our Lord who after the holie Supper sung a Psalme with his Apostles according to the exhortation likewise of S. Paule speaking thus vnto vs Be yee filled with the spirit speaking amongst your selues in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual songs c. Ephes 5.18.19 Colos 3. giuing thankes alwaies for all thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus vnto our God and Father vpon a solemne or festiuall day it is cleare and euident by these wordes in the Actes Acts 20. And the first day of the weeke the Disciples being assembled c. that is to say vpon the Lordes day confirmed likewise 1. Cor. 11. where these assemblies may seeme to bee appointed properlie for the holie Supper of our Lord. 1. Cor. 11. To bee briefe that all was done in a knowne tongue 1. Cor. 14. we need no other witnes then S. Paule I esteem more sayeth hee of fiue wordes in the Church spoken to my vnderstanding then often thousand in an vnknowne tongue c. And againe this verilie was the scope and drift of the Spirit of God in the gift of tongues Now concerning all that hath gone before especiallie that of the more often celebrating of the holie Supper by the faithfull exercising themselues therein during the continuance of the first loue and zeale then they did afterward it is confirmed by all them that haue written anie thing of sacred functions but wee will insist vpon and presse them onelie who are of most authoritie and best allowance For Confession Lyranus hath told vs that they had a generall confession of the sinnes of the people in the beginning of their seruice imitating therein the manner of the Iewes in their prayers and sacrifices And to him let vs ioyne S. Ciprian as next The holy Hierarchie saieth hee that is the Minister of the Church whome the holie Ghost toucheth with compunction Ciprianus siue quis alius de card operib Christi let him watch thereto let him dwell therein and keepe holie the same c. and let him pray boldlie and confidentlie for his own ignorances and those of the peoples by making a confession from a wounded hearte c. Of Psalmes and reading of lessons out of
thanke God sayeth hee in this Sacrament for that hee hath deliuered vs from errour Chrysost in hom 24. in 1. ad Cor. for that hee hath adopted vs for brethren so far off as we were from al hope by reason of our impieties and therfore we call it the cup of blessing and the Eucharist In the lithurgie likewise which is attributed vnto S. Basill is wholie set downe the storie of our redemption and in the verie place of the Canon of the Romish Masse Of the Canon and endeth with the institution of the holie Supper no word or mention made of anie propitiatorie Sacrifice other then of our Lord himselfe to bee short it is worth the noting that we cannot by tracing out find or meete with anie one step or footing of the Canon of this Masse in the olde Writers though otherwise diligent inough to anotomize vnto vs the partes and prices of their seruice if it were not for one onelie place in S. Ambrose in his bookes of the Sacramentes and yet those bookes not acknowledged of all men to be his howsoeuer vnder his name for the foresaide end abused most notoriously S. Ambrose sayeth S. Ambrose l. 4. 67. de Sacr. Fac nobis hanc oblationem adscriptam rationabilem acceptabilem quod est figura corporis sanguinis Domini c. that is vouchsafe O Lord to make this our oblation and offring to bee allowed vs in our account and hold it as acceptable because it is the figure of the bodie and blood of our Lord who the day before he suffered tooke bread in his holie hands c. And wee haue said inough hereof before namely in what sence they vsed this word oblation according to the imitation of the Iewish Church which is likewise plainely seene by this prayer framed according vnto that of the law Let the offring of their gifts be acceptable But whereas S. Ambrose vseth this word figure their Canon sayeth Grant that it may be vnto vs the bodie and blood of Christ Againe of this oblation that is to say of the elements of bread and wine taken from the Masse and whole lumpe of the same set before and presented vnto the belieuers for Sacraments and vnto God for a sacrifice of thankesgiuing in remembrance of the passion death and resurrection of Christ Saint Ambrose saide Vnde memores eius passionis c. precamur vt hanc oblationem suscipias c. We pray thee that in remembrance of his death and passion c. thou wouldest receiue this oblation vpon thine heauenlie altar by the hands of thine Angels as thou didst vouchsafe to receiue the gifts of Abell thy seruant and deare child and the sacrifice of the Patriarch Abraham c. Now that which he speaketh of the oblation of the Elements made Sacraments by the word the Romish Canon vpon the insuing of the first corruptions and deprauing of thinges tooke occasion to speake it of Iesus Christ himselfe so that what the one said of the figure the other spake of the thing it self so by consequent make the sacrifice of Christ inferiour to those of Abell Abraham and Melchisedech Acceptable sayth he as those which indeed we know by the vniform consent of the whole Scriptures to haue been acceptable to God by no other meanes saue onelie in Iesus Christ And let vs further note by the way that in the Lithurgie which they attribute vnto S. Ambrose they haue razed and scraped out the worde figure that so they might fit the Canon the better to that of the Romish Masse As for the consecration or blessing it was not attributed vnto certaine wordes Of the consecration or blessing and much lesse vnto a prefixt and set number of wordes but onelie to the institution of the Lord and to the effectuall power thereof And this appeareth in that the olde Doctors did neuer teach otherwise and in that diuerse men haue vsed diuerse and different wordes herein also for that in diuerse Lithurgies the wordes are diuerse and herein likewise for that the Latines doubted not but that the Greciās as they speak did consecrate and yet notwithstanding the Greeks did not make account that their consecration was accomplished till afterthe prayer which followeth the institution of the holy Supper the Latines on the contrarie defend at this day that it was accomplished in these onelie wordes Hoc est enim corpus meum c. Let it bee so In these Lithurgies wherewith they would dazell our eyes and which they attribute to S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill S. Chrysostome c. according to the translations of their interpreters In S. Clement his Lithurgie Ostendat the wordes of consecration are these in the praier which they make after the reading of the institution of the Supper We O Lord mindfull of the passion of thy deare Son do beseech thee according to thy institution that it will please thee to send thy holie spirit vpon the Sacrament here present and set before vs who may cause and manifestly declare that the bread is the bodie of Christ and the wine his blood shed and powred out for the life of the world And so likewise speaketh Cyrill in steade that in the Church of Rome the consecration is neyther attributed vnto the institution that goeth before nor vnto the prayer that followeth but vnto the onely pronuntiation or speaking of their wordes giuen and deliuered by strict accountes without interruption as though forsooth it were some precise forme of wordes for the passing of some bargaine in the ciuill law as the Schoolemen are wont to reason notwithstanding that the Cardinall Caietan doth hold that when it is said Benedixit it was Benedictione laudis non consecrationis and that hee was neuer willing to make any exposition vppon the pretended wordes of consecration because hee coulde not finde therein anie ground or foundation laide vppon antiquitie Now as for these wordes how they should bee vnderstoode wee will handle that point when we come to speake of the question of Transubstantiation so that here it shall suffice to haue spoken of it by way of historie The prayer The praier that it would please God to make the faithfull communicating to become more and more one bodie and one spirit that is to say the misticall bodie of Christ is in all the Lithurgies aboue named according to that which Saint Augustine teacheth That the Sacrifice of Christians is their being of manie one bodie in Christ That which is most worthy sayeth hee and notable in the Sacrament of the Altar August Epist 59. is for that in the oblation which the Church offreth shee is offred vppe her selfe vnto God and to bee offred sayeth hee in an other place is as much as to bee vowed and dedicated vnto him seeing that in this Sacrament we protest by a sacred and soueraigne vow to dwell in Christ and in his bond and couenant And therefore he addeth I suppose that
the time of Alexius not the Pope Zonar tom 3. Bellarmin de praef Ro. Pont. é Signibert Leon. 9. Ounphâ—fast lib. 4. And furthermore in the saide lithurgie are rehearsed all the names of the other Patriarks and what appearance of truth can there be alledged why the Patriarch of Constant should be forgotten if it were made by him that the rather because the Bb. of Rome is remeÌ„bred therein as likewise for the empire of Alexius And the first of that name raigned about the yeare 1080. This was 700. yeares after Chrysost So that he whosoeuer he was that was the coÌ„pounder mingler of these liturgies shold haue looked a little better vpon his receipt takeÌ„ better aduisement with him in his matters And neuertheles we gaine and get the aduantage in these points ouer and aboue namely that by them it is said that the people coÌ„municated euery day in the sacraments that vnder both kinds not the cleargie alone as they call it that as then it was not known what should be meant by the priuate Masse neither yet by the Opus operatuÌ„ the worke wrought and that there are in the same many thinges for to condemne the Romish Masse but no one thing to induce or leade vs to the approbation thereof and let the same serue likewise for other the lithurgies which are attributed vnto the same time As concerning the Decretall epistles of these times Decretall Epistles they are not of any better passe then the rest going before The very same reasons perswade me to reiect them besides the barbarousnes the fooleries and ignorances apparant and euident in them If we allow them to haue been written by the Popes theÌ„ let vs also giue this allowance vnto the Popes as to be the most insufficient least capable Bishops of any that were then liuing and to haue beene more Gothish then the Gothes themselues And yet in the meane I am not ignorant how that the pietie of these times was grown to a verie great confusion as being much mingled with superstition through the intermingle of infidels with Christians by reason also of the deepe and dead bed of negligence that Christians were fallen into the great swarmes of barbarous people and the ignorance of the Prelates all which did one after another as it were hand in hand follow and fall out But I say that these as yet were but the doting deuotions of some particular persons and were not growne vp so farre as to get a law vppon their heades Particular Superstitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verè appellemus we may call them with the scripture wil-worships or seruices the wandring and vnruled deuotions of some men rather then of the Church As for example when we reade in S. Cyprian that certaine women caried away the Eucharist in their handkerchefes kept it in their coffers took it euerie morning fasting In S. Ierome that it was wont to be sent to new maried folkes to take it at their owne house together In S. Augustine that it was wont to be giuen to infants Concil Carthag 3. cap 6. Concil Hipponensis compendium Concil Altisiod Amphiloch in vita Basil mistaking this place following If you eate not the flesh of the Son of man you haue no life in you c. In the third councell of Carthage and in that of Bonne in Afrike That it was put into the mouth of the dead contrarie to that which is said Take and eate which likewise we reade to haue beene practised by S. Bennet about a woman that was dead and forbidden in the Councell holden at Auxerre in expresse wordes And likewise to be briefe in that goodly booke of Amphilochius if we will belieue it which telleth vs that S. Basill caused a piece of it to bee buried with him which hee had kept I cannot tell how many yeares for the same purpose c. all of them being superstitions which haue presidentes and examples of great antiquitie though neuerthelesse at this day condemned by the Romish Church which yet is faine to builde and boulster vp her selfe with such antiquitie For who can tell into how many by-waies man erreth and wandreth when once hee is out of the right path or into how many falsities and vntruthes hee falleth when once hee departeth from the institution of the Lorde to follow his owne humour and floating fancie CHAP. VII What a metamorphosis and mishapen chaunge was wrought vpon the celebration of the Supper about the time of Gregory the great which happened about the sixth age of the Church WE passe now from out of the calme pathes of silence into the rough and vnbeaten way of darknesse and from the glittering beames of dazeling pompe into the blacke duskish clouds of the dreadfull ignorance of the Church I meane in respect of the outward face and appearance of the same as it was then to bee seene If the first did mightily inlarge the bounds of vanities and ceremonies no doubt the other was not behind in the promoting of superstition and false doctrine And that we may the more easily comprehend compasse the truth hereof let vs briefly call to mind in what estate and plight wee haue left either the holy Supper or the Masse and by this name onely let vs call it hereafter seeing that this name beginneth to get the vpper hand in this time and age whereof wee are now to speake It was an assemblie of Christians calling vppon the name of God by Iesus Christ singing his prayses hearing his worde attending vnto the expounding of the same as it was deliuered them by the Pastors then offering afterward vnto God in giuing thankes for his graces for the fruites and goods that hee had giuen them that some part thereof might be consecrate to the vse of the Sacramentes and some part imployed in the sustaining and nourishing of the poore or for other such like necessities of the Church And as for the Canon that is to say that principall part of seruice in which the Sacraments were blessed receiued and communicated wee haue left it as it was composed and made of a preface which lifted vp the spirites of those who were at it on high of a rehearsall of the pure and holy institution of the Supper of a prayer vnto God that it would please him to giue an effectuall power and operation to the sacramentes to knit and vnite together more and more those which were communicantes to Iesus Christ their head to the members of his bodie which is the Church and as such to foster and feed them vp vnto eternal life with a commemoration of the holy Martyrs of their life and of their death for the stirring vp of the zeale of euerie one so farre as that they may not grudge at or be sparing in any thing which might serue for the setting forth of the glorie of God neyther yet preferre any thing whatsoeuer to the working and assuring of their
the Monasterie of neuer so little a thing for his purgation hee was put to receiue the Sacrament in these wordes Corpus Domini sit tibi in purgationem Let the bodie of the Lord bee thy purgation that is for a proofe and triall whether thou bee guiltie or no whereas they were wonte to say in the supper To feede thee vnto eternall life Some gaue it vnto the deade whereuppon the Canon in the councell of Auxerre was made De Eucharistia mortuis non danda and all did vse to giue it to young children whereuppon came the constitution and lawe made by Charles the great To haue the Eucharist readie for to giue to children euerie daye Others did weare it at their breast as they vse to doe the Agnus Dei the blessed graines c. at this day The eight practise was the beginning of the consecrating of it in honour of the Saintes the Masse drawing to their profit and aduantage all the abuses and poisonous infections which were sprung vp together in the Church Whereupon we reade that Gregorie the third added these wordes vnto the Canon Quorum festiuitas hodiè celebratur whose feast is solemnized this day About the yere 750. and 800. because that at this time beganne the inuocation of Saintes to be very rife in the Church of Rome To be briefe Adrian the first as we haue seene redoubled and drew out the Offertorie into a far greater length to the end that there might be the more time leasure for the bringing of their offeringes and caused to be receiued so neere as he could the Gregorian office in euerie place So likewise did Stephen his successor and ordained moreouer that in euery Masse said vpon the Lords day there should be sung Gloria in excelsis whereof wee haue a law by Charles the Great lib. 6. c. 170. The saying of Masses for the dead was not yet established by law Ep. 2. Gregor ad Bonifac. in Tom. 2. concil Naucler Ge. 25 so carefull was he to apply himselfe to all their decrees and nouelties And all this fell betwixt the time of Gregorie the first and the thirde which fell about the time of Pipin and Charles toward the yeare 800. And yet this is to be noted that Masses for the dead were not as yet established by law for Boniface the great Apostle of the Romaine ceremonies in Germanie consulting with Gregorie the second about his commission demaunded of him amongst other questions If kinsfolkes shoulde offer for their dead and so thereupon was inioyned by the Pope to see it done and obserued CHAP. IX What was the manner of the proceeding of the Masse and of the making vp of the same as also of the vse thereof after the time of Charlemaine and particularly of the taking away of the cup of the Lord. NOw we haue hitherto seene the setting together and building of the Masse and that for many ages and by many authors and rearers of the same and of the diuers differing peeces whereof it was patcht From henceforward we are to looke vpon and take the view of the rising not so much of the building as of the vse and manner of vsage thereof falling out more pernicious faultie then the former Let vs alwaies call to mind that the holy Supper by hy his first institution was a remembraunce of the death and passion of our Lord and a communicating of the faithfull in the bodie and blood of the same with the creatures of bread and wine as seales and assurances of eternall life and wee haue seene the making of a Supper without any Communion a pretended sacrifice without any remembraunce of the death of Christ But now it becommeth a custome to vse it in remembraunce not any more of the passion of our Lord and of the merite of his crosse but of the Saints Masses in the honour of the Saints and for diuers other vses of their sufferings and of their merites It is made good for all vses for the liuing for the dead for the whole and for the sicke for men and for beasts for the fruits of the earth and the distemperatures of the aire c. This is now from henceforth become a Catholicon and vniuersal remedie good for euerie thing except for that from which it is fallen and degenerate as namely for that for which the holy Supper was instituted and contrariwise there is not left vnto the holy Supper whose place it vsurpeth the least marke or signe of it selfe It is good for the dead Let the remembrance of the dead be made in all Masses Concil Cabilon Can. 33. saith the Councell of Caualion and the reason is added though it bee smally to the purpose For euen so saith it therein is prayer dayly made for the liuing And it was likewise at this time that they were begun to bee ordained by tennes and thirties c. as it appeareth by the Epistles of Sigibaldus Torchelmas Cuthbertus Lullus c. of giuing landes to the Church in these wordes Offero Deo omnes res quae in hac chartula continentur insertae pro remissione peccatorum meorum parentum ad seruiendum Deo ex its in sacrificiis Missarumue solemniis c. I offer vnto God all that which is contained in this scedule for the remission of my sinnes and the sinnes of my forefathers for the seruice of God practised in the offering of sacrifices and saying of Masses a thing neuer heard of to bee vttered and spoken of by any former writers Good against tempestes Call to your mindes saith Lullus and remember to sing the Masses which are accustomed to be sung for tempests Good against sicknes The priests saith Wigbertus at this time haue said euery one of them fiue Masses for the recouerie of Lullus Good for warres Let the Priests saith Charles and Lotharius say the Masses vsed for them that go to wars with vs. Good for to purge offenders If any man in the Monasteries saith the Councell of Wormes be suspected of theft let him be purged by the taking of the Sacrament And Sybicon Bb. of Spire in the councell of Mentz about the yeare 1100. did by it purge himselfe of adultery Good to hallow cities and fortresses Leo the fourth about the yeare 900. did hallow the Cittie Leopolis against the Saracens And finally good against inchanters for the priestes do vse the hallowed linnens wherein the Eucharist is wrapped for to quench and put out fire And it was requisite that the Councell of Schelestat should helpe and remedie the same by an expresse article Concil Selegstad c. 6. But how farre off are all these vses from that which is ordained by the Sonne of God He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood he abideth in me and I in him Againe All we saith the Apostle which doe eate one and the same bread are one bodie c. But let vs proceed if it bee S. Gregories it deliuereth soules out of
the communion was there Thy body O Lord which we haue taken thy blood which we haue drunke let cleaue vnto our inward parts let not any spot of vncleannes abide in vs which haue beene refreshed with so precious Sacraments Beda in the homily vpon these words of S. Iohn An. 700. Beda in hom Vidit Iohan. c. Iohn sâ—â— Iesus comming vnto him c. Iesus Christ saith he doth wash vs dayly in his blood when the memorie of his death passion is vnfolded vpon the Altar when the creatures of bread and wine by the vnspeakable power of the sanctification of the holy Ghost is translated into the Sacrament of his flesh and of his blood for then his bodie and his blood are no more slaine or shed by the infidels to their destruction Concil Tolet. 11. c. 11. but taken by the mouthes of the faithfull to their saluation And the eleuenth Councel of Toledo of the same time witnesseth that the one and the other kinde were caried vnto the sicke when it excuseth them from excommunication which through weaknes did cast out of their mouthes the one or the other Beda l. 4. c. 3. Vincent l. 23. c. 7.81.97 Vadianus in Aeoli Troade Anno 800. Carol. Mag. l. 2 3. de imaginibus Gregor 3. Pap. And Beda maketh mention of Ceadda a king of England and Vincentius of Bauon Furseus Richarius that they did receiue both the one and the other at the time of their death Charlemaine saith We take the flesh of our redemption for the remission of our sinnes we escape the stroke of the Angel being besprinckled with his blood And again The misterie of the bodie and of the blood of the Lord is daily receiued by the faithfull in the Sacrament c. And Pope Gregorie the third at the same time saith That there is neede that two or three cuppes should be prouided to set vpon the altar at such time as the Masses are celebrated that the people may communicate And thus likwise do all the great men of this age witnesse and testifie vnto the same Rabanus Anno 900. Rabanus l. 1. c. 33. de Instit Cleric Lib. 1. c. 29. The water and the wine in the cup doe shew the sacraments which did run out of our Lord his side vpon the crosse wherwith we are watered Again the faithfull in the church do dayly eat the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood And in another place he teacheth by the comparing together of corporall food which consisteth in meates and drinkes that we haue neede of both kindes likewise he commandeth that all those which are baptised doe communicate in the bodie and blood of our Lord. Paschasius saith O man as oft as thou drinkest this cup Pasc de Euch. c. 15. c. 48. think not that thou drinkest any other blood then that which hath beene shed for thy sins And afterward he addeth Take and drinke ye all as well the ministers saith he quaÌ„ reliqui credentes as the rest of the beleeuers And againe The flesh is well accompanied with the blood because the flesh cannot bee by good right communicated without the blood neither yet the blood without the flesh And therefore he saith in another place We are refreshed with the flesh c. 7. Anno 1000. Haimo l. 1. c. 2. in Apoc. super haec verba Ecce Agnus Dei Super haec verba In Cana Galil Item tum venit Iesus in partes Caesar Philip. In 1. Cor. c. 11. Conc. Worm 1.36 Rup Abb. Tuicens in Mat. c. 27. in Ioh. c 6 De Offic. Diui. l. 6 c. 9. 22. Vincent l. 24. c. 75. Regino Monach c. 119. de discipl eccl Radulph Tungrens in Leuit. lib. 14. c. 4. Anno 1100. Ansel in epist ad Cor. c. 10. Lanfranc de Euch. Alger de Euch. l. 2. Damianus in Apol. ad Nicol Papam Berno in serm de purific Mariae S. Bernard in Psalm 90. ser 9 Ser. 3. de Ram. palm Serm. 2. de Coen Dom. Serm. 3. super Cant. of the diuine word and we haue our thirst quenched with his blood Haimo the Bb. of Halberstat writing vpon the Apocalips The faithfull doe daily eate in the Church the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood Againe The cup is called the communion because of the communicating therein for all doe communicate thereof And in like manner vpon S. Iohn ch 1. 2. and vpon S. Math. Chap. 16. The Councell of Wormes speaking of the incestuous Let him abstaine for the space of three yeares from the communion of the bodie and blood of our Lord. And moreouer that about this time Gisilbert vpon the ensuing of the reall Transubstantiation taught the doctrine of concomitance that is to say that vnder one of the kinds there is comprised as much as vnder both and further inferreth that it were more to the purpose not to be in daunger of shedding that the people might not communicate of the cup at all howbeit that continuall and dayly vse bee to the contrarie Witnesse Robert Abbot of Duits who maketh mention how that the Sacrament in his time was giuen and taken vnder both kindes purposely handling this matter And Vincent who saith that a certaine holy Lady named Elgyfa receiued them at the time of her death Regino the Monke The soules of the infirme and weake must be refreshed with the bodie the blood of our Lord. And Radulphus Tungrensis yet more plainely The people receiue the sacred body of Christ and drinke a holy draught of his blood c. Anselme Archb. of Canterbury All we which take of the same bread and of the same cup are made one body And Lanfranc The host of the Lord is broken when the blood is powred out of the cup into the mouth of the faithfull And Alger The bodie and blood of our Lord are taken of the faithfull together to the end that hauing receiued the bodie and soule of Christ the whole man in bodie in soule may be quickned together with Christ And Damian How may we thinke that the Lord is agreeued when a wicked man commeth to the holy altar to receiue his body his blood And Berno Abbot of Reichenaw We are not onely fed euery day with the bread of Christ whem we are refreshed by the nourishment of his flesh by the Masse of the altar but we haue also our thirst quenched with his blood as he hath promised vs He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood c. And so are all those aboue named especially they that writ against Berengarius Saint Bernard He that soweth nigardly and sparingly shall not be without a haruest but it shal be but a poore niggardly haruest for this reaping is to receiue hire But we know him who hath promised that he that shall giue a glasse of cold water for his sake shall not bee without his hire reward but this is to be knowne whether that it shall
yet in respect of himselfe you may perceiue what his iudgement was by these words Though it may seeme to receiue but one kinde notwithstanding to receiue both is of greater merite and desert Againe Whole Christ is not sacramentallie contained vnder either of the kindes but the flesh vnder the kinde of bread the blood vnder the kinde of wine Againe it appeareth that the rule was not generally receiued in his time when hee sayeth Jtafere vbique fit á Laicis in Ecclesia fere vbiua non vbiue it is almost thus practised in euerie Church by the Laitie almost euerie where sayeth hee Linwold de sum Trinit fide Cathol but not euerie where As likewise when Linwoldus sayeth That in the lesse and inferiour Churches it is not permitted saue onelie to the Priestes to receiue the blood vnder the kinde of consecrated wine for in that hee sayeth In the lesse or inferiour churches hee meaneth the Countrie Churches thereby excepting those that were in the Citties presuming that Cittizens had more knowledge then Countrie men Insomuch as that this Sacrament instituted by our Lord to signifie in the Cōmunicating of one and the same bread and one and the same wine the vnion and agreement betwixt al the saithfull in one bodie would serue by meanes of this corruption to sunder and separate in manifest and open shew first them of the Cleargie from those of the Laitie and secondlie the Countrie people from those that dwelt in Citties as though forsooth the soules of the one sort were more deare then the other to him who hath purchased all with one and the same blood It springeth likewise out of the same Diuinitie which Thomas Waldensis a white Fryer sayeth in his book which he hath written of the Sacramentes against the Wickleuistes and yet approued by an expresse Bull from Pope Martin the fift for after that hee hath reasoned mightilie for the maintaining of the Communicating of the Laitie vnder one kind hee commeth in with this exception vz. That it is notwithstanding permitted the Pastors if they haue not made an end of the Sacraments but onelie receiued the same in part that is if they haue not drunke all that then they should distribute the remainder vnto those of their Parishioners which are strong in faith and discreete persons Euen as sayeth hee the Pope is wont to deale with the Deacons and Ministers and with other persons famous for their faith or aduanced in dignitie and worthines with Doctors with Kinges or as the Church dealeth at this day with religious persons or men of great place c. And againe wee doe not allow it them sayeth he generallie neither doe we generally forbid it them for wee know that it is reserued of purpose for the Church and Prelates to communicate and distribute the cuppe vnto such persons c. And yet in the meane time it hath thriuen so well in their fingers as that indeed Kinges hauing kept the Charter and priuiledge of this libertie all others haue by one meanes or other lost and forfeyted the same and yet Kinges hold not this tenure say they as they are Laye-men but as they are sacred persons whereuppon we reade that the great king Frauncis demaunding the reasons of his Diuines Because said they that kings are annointed as the Priests be Which thing S. Ambrose as it may seeme by this reckoning did not vnderstand aright when hee caused the Emperour Theodosius to come out of the Queare of the Temple as a meere Laye-man Thomas Aquinas sheweth vs plainelie that it was in his time Thomas de sacram altar that this abuse was brought into the Church for in the place where Lombard had made this question Wherfore the Sacrament was receiued vnder both kindes Thomas did propound the contrarie why doe not the people receiue the blood vnder the wine And there is some difference betwixt them in respect of some certaine yeares during which distance this sufferance crept into the Church Now these are his reasons first That as there is neede of a more speciall vessell to put the wine in then to put the bread in so it is meet and requisite that it should bee a more speciall and sacred person for the receiuing of the blood then for the receiuing of the bodie which must bee expounded of the holie Priestes onelie and not of any of the vnholie Laitie But how shall those wordes of Chrysostome then take place where hee sayeth That in the receyuing of the Eucharist there is no difference betwixt the Priest and the people The second That there is danger therein least the people should shed the bloode which was not to bee feared in receyuing of the bodie And then what place shoulde bee found for the prudencie of the old Church to abide and rest in how hath shee maimed and wounded herselfe for these manie ages at such time as the people flockt and ran to the receiuing of the Sacrament by millions that shee did not foresee yea remedie and helpe this inconuenience but onelie because that new opinions haue begotten new prouisoes The third For feare least the common people which is giuen to bee wilfullie rude and ignorant hauing taken the blood vnder the kinde of wine could not afterward belieue the receiuing of it vnder the kinde of bread how true notwithstanding soeuer it bee that it is therein truelie and verilie What other thing is this but to reach vs that Transubstantiation hath begotten concomitancie and concomitancie the communicating vnder one kinde and by consequent that the Communion vnder both practised by the space of twelue hundred yeares in the Church did presuppose and take for granted a farre other kinde of doctrine then that of Transubstantiation or concomitancie But this saide Thomas did acknowledge in an other place that both the kindes are the institution of the Lord for hee sayeth expresly Thomas aduers Gentes l. 4. c. 51. Because that the working of our saluation was accomplished by the passion of Christ by the which his blood was separated from his bodie the Sacrament of his bodie is giuen vs apart and by it selfe and the Sacrament of bloode vnder the wine by it selfe to the end that vnder this Sacrament may bee contained the remembrance and representation of the death of our Lord and that so it may be fulfilled which hee sayth My flesh is verilie meat and my blood verilie drinke c. And there hee speaketh expresly not of the pretended Sacrifice of the Priest Iodoc. Clitho in Elucidario Theologico but of the distribution of the Sacramentes vnto the faithfull Likewise in the Office appointed for the feast of the Sacrament ordayned by him this Hymne doth testifie the same vnto vs Dedit fragilibus c. Again in the Hymne Verbum supernum prodiens he sayeth Quibus sub bina specie Carnem dedit sanguinem Vt duplicis substantiae Totum cibaret hominem Where hee acknowledgeth the institution of Christ
whom will they haue to be their expositor S. Paul But he giueth saith he that which he hath receiued 1. Cor. 11. He giueth to the Church of Corinth both the kindes then he had receiued them for it And indeed Lyranus saieth vppon this place That is because the faithfull in the primitiue Church did communicate vnder both kinds Doe they beleeue the primitiue Church the old doctours we cannot possibly iudge better of their expounding of the word then by their practise which wee haue seene and by their condemning of them which did abstaine from the one kinde would they heare the Councels That of Constance guided as they say by the holy ghost publisheth and proclaimeth with a loude voice That although Iesus Christ haue instituted the Sacraments vnder both kinds when he gaue it to his disciples although the Primitiue Church hath so distributed it vnto the faithfull c. In briefe Iesus Christ did either speake vnto his Apostles alone or else in their persons to all the faithful or to the Priestes onely To his Apostles alone it cannot be auouched for it is written Doe yee this in remembrance of me Declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming Vnto the Priests alone vnder the names of the Apostles but what apparant shew or likelyhood is there of that For the Apostles in this action Non erant conficientes sed sumentes they did not occupie the places of Priests but of the faithfull not of Pastors but of sheepe And to take it then at the hardest Iesus Christ hauing spoken vnto them whom they call non conficientes and hauing commaunded them to take the cup it should follow that the commaundement of God doeth of necessitie charge them to communicate vnder both kindes which is directly contrarie to the Article of the Councel of Trent which saieth Clericos non conficientes non obligari ad viramque speciem c. That Clarks themselues not consecrating the host are not bound to receiue vnder both kinds It remaineth then that those wordes are spoken vnto them as being faithful and so representers of al other Christian people that is to say that Iesus Christ as the housholder and maister or Pastour of the church hath dispensed distributed the Eucharist vnto his disciples and ordained and instituted it for them which did beleeue their word that is his owne and that hee did appoint them to distribute vnto them euery one in his place that which they had receiued at his hands Gerard. Lorichius in lib. de priuata Missa abroganda And indeed Gerardus Lorichius howsoeuer he be a great patron of Transubstantiation and the Masse is ashamed of this starting hole in these words There are saith hee false and counterfeit Catholickes which make no conscience of hindering the reformation of the Church by all manner of meanes They to the end that the other kind maey not be giuen to the laitie spare not to vtter blasphemies for they say that Iesus Christ said vnto his Apostles onely Drinke yee all and therein doe nothing consider the proper words of the Canon Take eate yee all Let them now therefore I pray them tell vs if these wordes also should be intended and ment onely to the Apostles for then also the laitie must needs abstaine from the bread which would prooue an heresie and a pestilent and execrable blasphemie Wherefore we must conclude saith hee that both the one and the other word was intended and ment vnto the whole Church It is said S. Luke ch 22. Doe this in remembrance of me sooth indeed say they but this commeth onely after that the bread is distributed and therefore this commandement doeth not binde the Pastours to distribute the cup. But assuredly the Euangelist doth shew it plainly enough in the words that follow likewise also he tooke the cup c. that if these words Doe this c. haue relation to the bread that then by the same proportion they are to be vnderstood of the cup. 1. Cor. 11. But Saint Paul doth resolue vs in this difficult point for after that he hath said This is my bodie which is broken for you doe this c. he addeth thereupon This cup is the new couenant in my blood doe this euer and as oft as you shall drinke it in remembrnnce of me that is you Pastours administer the bread and the wine you that are the faithfull receiue them at their hands being the Sacraments of my bodie and my bloud manifesting my death vntill my comming And this also is the opinion of Iohn of Louaine taken out of the old writers What shall we say Luke 24. if they will not onely make vs beleeue that our Lord hath not onely not commaunded it but that he hath done the contrarie S. Luke in his 24. chapter maketh mention that our Lord after his resurrection being at table in Emaus tooke breade gaue thankes brake it and gaue it to two disciples whome hee had met withall and that then their eies were opened and that they knew him c. They would that this should be the bread of the supper administred by consequent vnder one kinde vnto his disciples The frame and scope of the historie is cleane contrarie for he had said before that they had trauailed farre that they came neere vnto a village that the night beganne to come on c. all which is as much as to say that it was time to eate and refresh themselues Esa 58.41 Lament ler. And the word of breaking of bread is ordinary amongst the Hebricians in this sence But heere againe whom shall we cleaue or giue credit vnto in this controuersie The Syrian Interpreter saith They knew and perceiued who hee was as hee broke the bread Saint Ambrose Theophilact and other old writers in their commentaries at large make mention of no such thing Hugo The bread that is the word of God which the Pastour must blesse by praier breake by expounding of it giue vnto the hearers by preaching of it c. Lyranus They seeing him breake it saith hee as smooth and eauen as if he had a knife according as he was wont before his passion that is whiles he abode with them And the Cardinall Caietanus in like sorte and Dionysius Carthusianus vpon this place Caietanus in Luc. Dionysius Carthus Gulielm Widef contra Wicklef Alph. de Castro lib. 6. August de consensu Euangel l. 3. Not as in the supper but according to the ordinarie manner of blessing of meat And the great Postill as he was ordinarily wont before his passion Gulielmus Widefordensis writing against Wickliffe goeth further It cannot be gathered saieth he neither from the text nor from the glose nor from the olde Doctours that the breaking of bread spoken of by Saint Luke was the breaking of consecrated bread And Alphonsus de Castro would not define or say any thing thereof by way of expounding of the same And indeed the Councels of
the cōmunion of the laie people no not vnto the death which is likewise affirmed afterward of all haynous crimes for the seueritie of the old Church did excommunicate all such as had committed any criminall trespasse from the holy supper Concil Sardic c. 1. for the reuerence they had of the sacrament and detestation of malefactors according to the qualitie of their offences for ten yeares for twentie yeares for the whole time of life and sometimes so as that they would not giue it them no not to the death Whereupon at this time riseth that practise which wee see of not giuing it to such as are conuicted of any enormous crimes nor vnto those which are going to execution But in the meane time they lay amongst the penitentes in a place seperated both from the Cleargie and laitie And of them if they bee laye people speake the Councels Ne in fine quidem iis communionem dandam that they should not haue the communion no not to their dying day If they were Clearkes then there is added no not the Communion amongst the laitie Ne laicam quidem for tenne twentie thirtie yeares yea not to death And when they did graunt it vppon the manifestation of their repentance and shedding of their aboundant store of teares yet it was not to any other effect but to accompt and take them as laye men without any inabling of them to their former places of dignitie that so the Ministers of the Church might bee the better brideled and kept in the doing of their duties For as for that which Bellarmine sayeth That there was nothing giuen them but bread because they durst not touch the cuppe what appearance of truth is there in it that they should take the bread in their hand a thing that some doe agree vnto and durst not touch the cuppe that they durst not touch the vessell and yet touched the Sacrament Againe what punishment had it beene to giue the bodie and not the blood and the bodie according to their concomitancie which extendeth to the containing of the blood And had not this rather beene an iniurie to the sacrament then a punishment to the crime In briefe it is apparant by many examples that both the one and the other was giuen to the sicke Iustinus saith Iust in Apol. that the one and the other was carried to those that were absent Saint Ierome speaking of Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa saith De canistro vimineo de vase vitreo out of a wicker basket for the bread and out of a glasse for the wine The historie of Serapio vseth these words to runne and to poure into the mouth which cannot be vnderstood but of licor But euen as we haue said before that wheresoeuer they find Eucharist Iustia Apol. 2. they haue translated it Masse so now they will vnderstand by this word Eucharist nothing but the sacrament of bread against all antiquitie which speaketh it both of the one of the other And this food we call the Eucharist Againe When the word commeth to the wine mingled the bread broken they are made the Eucharist of the bodie blood of our Lord. And as for the sicke the old fathers did not carrie it indifferently vnto all Irenaeus lib. 5. but vnto them which were neare vnto death hauing beene suspended from the Sacraments as may bee seene in the historie of Serapio that so there might effectually be declared vnto them their reconciliation with God and their peace with the Church to the establishing of their consciences vpon their departure out of this life into another which otherwise should haue beene diuersly tossed and perplexed in this agonie dying vnder the censure of the Church To this purpose S. Cyprian saith In the extreame perill of death the excommunicate must not stay till he be reconciled by the Bishop but let him testifie his vnfained repentance before the Deacon August ep 180 and so depart in peace Saint Augustine When it is come to that point say they they runne to the Church some desire to bee baptized others to bee reconciled others the testisying of their repentance c. And if the Ministers faile into what daunger do they cast them which depart from the church either not baptised or bound with the censures ecclesiasticall But the historie of Serapio cleareth this matter In the time of persecution he had sacrificed to an Idoll the Church had excommunicated him deliuering him vp vnto Sathā then he was as a heathen idolater shut out not only from the communion of the sacraments but from the societie of Christians Hauing in the end beseeched his brethren with teares hee fell sicke through sorrow and heauines of heart losing his speech within three daies which he recouered againe vpon the fourth and said How long will ye hold me in this case bring me hither a minister that I may be reconciled vnto God and restored vnto the church before I die And then the sacraments were administred vnto him in token that the Church was at peace with him againe Against the ordinarie vse of the Church which we propound and stand vpon they continue to oppose the extraordinarie abuses of certaine women or priuate persons There are found say they such as did take the cup in the Church and notwithstanding carried home to their houses the sacrament of bread And thereupon they alleadge vnto vs the example of Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem Ieronym aduer◠Iouinian Nazianz. in funere Gorgoniae of Satyrus the brother of S. Ambrose c. of a certain infidel woman who stole the bread from Chrysostom c. as also of S. Ambrose himself who died after he had taken the sacrament of bread c. what can the authoritie of these priuate examples doe against a publike law and custome these examples of poore sillie women of infirme and weake persons or such as had beene slenderly taught against the institution of the Sonne of God And if these examples be so infalliblie certain why then did they not rather depraue them of the bread seeing they all agree that they caried it home with them tooke the cup in the Church And afterward why did they not call to mind what is said of Gorgonia that shee kept both the one and the other kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the signes of the precious bodie and blood And that in the historie of Satyrus there is mention made Haustionis fusionis in viscera of the shedding and poowring of them into the entrailes which cannot be vnderstood but of licour And that this pretended Paulinus which hath written of S. Ambrose is he as saith Erasmus Which hath marred all S. Ierome and S. Augustine borne saith he onely to spoile good writers But as we do not denie vnto them that these superstitions tooke place at the least amongst some particular persons so they should not haue
concealed and kept backe Concil Tolet. 1. c. 14. Concil Caesar August c. 3. Liturg. PraesanctificatoruÌ„ Interprete Genebrardo that they were condemned by the Councels The first of Toledo saith If any man do receiue the Eucharist of the Minister and doe not eate it let him be put backe and excommunicate as a Church robber And that of Saragosa If hee doe not eate it in the Church that is in the verie place let him be accursed for euer Whereas Bellarmine alleadgeth the lithurgie of the presanctified amongst the Grecians which was said in Lent pretending that therin they did not consecrate or take any moe then one kind for certaine the lithurgie saith expressly that after that the Minister hath sanctified the bread he powred out the wine and water into the cup pronounced the accustomed words And the praier of the faithfull saith For behold his bodie without spot and his quickning blood c. which are set vpon this table And in the Post-communion they giue thankes vnto God for the receiuing of the one and the other That which is more speciall proper herein is that they consecrate for many in one day whereof they alleadge some one or other tradition But these are their cold and friuolous arguments vpon this point and in deed how can they be otherwise against the expresse word of God But we against these particular deuotions so endles and bottomles doe set this Maxime and generall rule In vaine do you serue me after your owne fancies being properly called in the scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will worship And against that custome Tertul. de virg veland Cypr. ad Quin. ad Iubaâ—â—num August lib. 2. contra Donatist c. 6. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 2. c. 14. that euerie man frameth and fashioneth to himselfe whether new or old as best pleaseth him let vs set the true antiquitie Iesus Christ saith Tertullian and S. Cyprian hath said I am the Truth and not Custome And whereas Custome hath preuailed against the law let vs say with S. Augustine We must waigh and ponder the doctrines in the right balance of the scriptures and not in the false and deceiptfull scales of Custome But let vs draw all vnto a conclusion and let vs not be ashamed with S. Cyprian his saying That what others before vs haue erred in and done amisse let vs correct at the admonition and warning of the Lord and where doth he speake lowder and more clearely then in his word to the end that when he shall come in his glorie and heauenly Maiestie he may find vs holding fast such admonitions as hee hath giuen vs obseruing that which he hath taught vs and doing that which he hath done So be it And now by this time wee haue looked into all the partes thereof A Recapitulation how and by what degrees the holy Supper of our Lord is degenerate and turned into the Masse how of the corrupting of the one the other was first begotten then nourished and afterward brought vp to that state wherein it hath stood for these certaine ages and that so long as vntill it hath vtterly brought the other to nothing in the Church of Rome So straunge an alteration as that in the whole frame and booke of nature there is not the like to bee met withall seeing the Masse now retaineth no more of the holy Supper either in his outward or inward partes seeing that the best sighted hauing considered the one could not obserue or find so much as one step or note of the other because also it is to go against and exceede the lawes of nature to passe from one extremitie to another a thing not credible not possible to be acknowledged if the diligent obseruation of histories did not point out vnto vs both the first proceedings and also the growing of the same till it came at the midst The holy supper was an assemblie a bodie of the faithfull vnited and knit together in one spirite strengthning the faith stirring vp the charity and kindling the zeale one of another in one common manner of celebrating of the seruice of God The Masse what containeth it being said by a priest in some corner of the church shuffled vp by a cleark who vnderstandeth not for the most part of the time one word that he speaketh The holy supper did resound with songs to the praise of God sung indifferently by all the people it taught them by the reading expounding of the holy scriptures it lifted them vp vnto God raised them out of themselues by feruent ardent praier But what impression can the Masse make in the heartes of men being a certaine kind of muttering noise posted ouer by one man alone not vnderstood of those which are present yea hardly vnderstood of himselfe where the scriptures are read of purpose so as they may not be vnderstood the praiers vttered with a low voice in an vnknown tongue that so they may not be heard with attention and lesse followed deuoutly by the people where by consequent they abide fixt vpoÌ„ that which they see not minding any higher matters it hath signes without any signification it hath pretended mysteries without any thing misticall in them except it be the muttered hums artificially affected by him that consecrateth and the carefull regard of a premeditated ignorance to be wrought and effected by such meanes vpon and in the poore silly people In the holy Supper was celebrated the memory of the death and passion of our Lord by a plaine and open rehearsall of the cause manner and benefites of the same and thereby the faithfull were taught to acknowledge and call to minde the greatnesse of their sinnes and to admire and magnifie the great and vnspeakeable mercies of God stirred vp consequently to renounce and forsake themselues to giue themselues vnto God to die vnto their lusts and concupiscences to liue vnto Christ to Christ I say who hauing once deliuered himselfe to the death of the Crosse for to giue them life did yet further vouchsafe to giue himselfe to them in his sacramentes euerie day as meate and drinke vnto their soules to the feeding of them vp vnto eternall life In the Masse I appeale vnto the consciences of all those that eyther say or see the same who of them it is that can say by being at the same euerie daye that hee can learne or carrie away any of all this that the infidell can thence playe the diuine that thence hee can receiue any instruction either of the deadly fall of Adam or of the quickning death of Christ that the Christian can profit therby any thing be it neuer so little in the true acknowledging of the mercies of God or in the knowledge of himselfe or in briefe that he can therein perceiue his transgressions that so he may run to seeke the remedie or this drynes alteration of the soule and mind which our Lord calleth the thirst of righteousnes
to quench the same in the welspring of life this reuiuing water gushing out vnto eternall life this precious blood of our Lord which is made our iustification yea our iustice Againe in the holy Supper all the faithfull did communicate together in bread and in the cuppe in the bodie and in the blood of our Lord being taught thereby that they were but one bodie euen the bodie of Christ but diuers members quickened moued and gouerned by one spirite euen by his spirit liuing one life and consequently taught mutually to loue one another mutually to imbrace one another the greater becomming seruants to the lesser the strong vnto the weake the learned to the ignorant and the wise and prudent to the foolish and simple referring all their actions to the glorie of their head to the seruice of the bodie and to the saluation of his members In the Masse what is there that may imprint this brotherly loue and charitie in vs or expresse and teach vs any such instruction yea on the contrarie which doth not suppresse and burie charitie which doth not oppresse and smother that in all dispightfull manner such lessons and doctrine where the Priest if hee may be lawfully so called communicateth alone one for all where the auncient bread of the communion of the bodie of Christ great according to the proportion of the communicants is brought to one wafer that in some places no greater then a penie being for the priest alone whereas our Lord deliuered himselfe to death for all and gaue himselfe to all where also so oft as any are admitted thereunto they are depriued of the cup of the communion so much as in them lyeth of the blood of Christ Then what proportion holdeth it with the supper yea what opposition and contrarietie is there that it maintaineth not against the Apostle We are one onely bread 1. Cor. 10.17 and one onely bodie c. To be short in the holy supper man was taught how he was indebted vnto one onely God for his creation as likewise that hee was not bound to any for the work of his regeneration iustification sanctificatiō saluation but to one only Christ the eternall son of God the beginning midst and end of our spirituall life in so much as that he which doth regenerate vs in baptisme and doth nourish and feed vs in the holy supper is made our meat himselfe and in so much as that he which washeth vs from our sinnes doth cloath and couer vs with his righteousnesse In the Masse what shall wee say where of the holy table of our Lord they haue made vs an Altar of all sortes of saints where of the remembrance of his death they haue made vs a legend of the Saintes their sufferinges and passions where in stead of his blood the onely propitiation for our sinnes they pretend to administer vnto vs their praiers intercessions and merites where to shut vp all in a word is pretended to sacrifice in honor of the Saints him for whose glorie and names sake all the Saintes haue offered whatsoeuer they haue sacrificed yea and for whose names sake they ought to sacrifice themselues To bee short let vs set before vs on the one side an assemblie of faithfull people praying vnto God singing his praises hearing his worde and attentiue to the expounding of the same a seruant of God in all simplicitie so ripping vp their sinnes as that hee maketh them to haue a sence and feeling of the same by the worde declaring thereupon the remission thereof in the death and passion of our Lorde distributing vnto them rounde about the table his bodie and his blood in the sacrament of bread and wine which he hath instituted and prouoking and stirring of them vp to the giuing of all heartie and euerlasting praise vnto him for this so great a benefite This was the holy supper of the faithfull in the old Church this is ours And now set before your eyes on the other side a Priest with a straunge garment his face fixt vppon an Altar with a Clearke standing behind him muttering in an vnknowne language interlarded with signes lifting vppe a Wafer in an affected and ceremoniall sorte causing it to bee worshipped dippping it in his wine eating it alone vsing no word of interpretation or exhortation neither yet giuing the people any other taste thereof by any manner of instruction perswading them notwithstanding that by thus much as hath beene done being at their or his request and bought with some peece of money he hath sacrificed our Lord for them or him that hee hath with this his one labour set his father in Paradice drawne him out of Purgatorie c. This is the Masse of Rome that same which wee so greatly complaine of and whereof there is so much talke but how differing and disagreeing both for manner and effect I call their owne soules to witnes from the seruice of the fathers how farre off then from the institution of Christ and how farre off from the order of the Apostles But it is now time to finish this discourse let vs leaue the partes and looke into the circumstances and so we shall come to behold the truth of this matter in more cleare and euident manner The end of the first booke The Second Booke WHEREIN ARE HANDLED THE CIRCVMSTANCES AND APPERTINANCES BELONGING TO THE Diuine seruice as those also which belong vnto the Masse CHAP. I. Of Churches and Altars and of their originall and proceeding IT followeth after wee haue spoken of the parts of seruice their first originall and beginning as also of their increase and proceeding deprauing corrupting c. that we now examine the circumstances thereof And therefore let vs beginne with the Churches Altars and images and therein consider how by the good husbanding of the matter by the Sea of Rome the circumstances haue taken the place of the substance and the accidents of the subiect in such manner as that in Papistrie there is more regard had of a pretended adorning beautifying of places thē to the forme substance of that which is to be done therein for the saluation instruction of men The ancient Iewes by the commandement of God had built a temple for sacrifices Act. 2.5.21 Act. 9.13 after that many Sinagogues like parish Churches therein to reade and expound the word of God Our Lord did often vse to go into the same to draw the Iewes to the knowledge of the truth his Apostles likewise did imitate his example But in as much as it was not lawfull for them to doe the seruice ordained in the new Testament therein they are content to doe it in their owne priuate houses Act. 1.2.4.5.10.12.20.28 no lesse consecrate and dedicate then the temple and the synagogues seeing it is the seruice that sanctifieth the place and not the place that sanctifieth the seruice yea so much the rather in that the voice of Gods owne Sonne manifested in
reproued Marcellina because she burned incense to the Image of Christ what would hee haue saide to them which burne incense euerie day vnto the Images of the Saintes And hereupon also it came that the Spaniard Peresius found fault with this distinction And as for the other namelie That they doe not worship the Image but the thing whereof it is a signe can they deny that the Pagans said not asmuch vnto S. Augustine Lactantius Arnobius and Tertullian who yet did not therefore surcease or giue ouer to reproue and condemne them And if they coulde not tell how to excuse the matter or defende themselues against those Fathers Idem l. 3. de doctr Christi c. 7.8 9. what hope is there left that our Idolaters can speed any better in the same cause and matter But S. Augustine cutteth off al excuse by a generall proposition saying The signes of the Iewes are profitable because they are ordained of God but those of the Gentiles vnprofitable as their Images pictures c. notwithstanding that in them they bee properlie giuen to honour their Gods Afterwarde hee speaking of the one and the other saith If thou honour the signes in stead of the thing signified intending the honour vnto these and not to them yet this is notwithstanding a carnal scruitude wheras Christian libertie hath euen deliuered the Iewes And so by this meanes this respectiue kinde of worship goeth downe the streame Cassand in consultatione which Cassander likewise sincerelie acknowledgeth neuer to haue had anie place nor yet to haue found any reason to pleade for it in the olde Church But after this they speake a great deale more plainelie The growth proceeding of Idolatrie and Idolatrie beginneth to lift vp her Maske Theodore Bishoppe of Myra had said in the second Councell of Nice There are not two sorts of worshipping Latria and Dulia there is but one There is likewise no question to bee made of relation or respectiue regard the resembling thing and the thing resembled are worshipped both the one and the other in one and the same degree and measure But this proposition was not wel and equallie liked of all Thom. in 3. sent D. 2. Idem Scoâ—us But beholde the Schoolemen haue now found out the meanes to remoue the blocke out of the way by vertue of a place out of Aristotle but what hath he to do with our Diuinitie saying The thought that is bent vpon the Image and that which is bent vpon the thing signified by the Image are both alike and therefore the worship of the one and the other is alike And therfore they con clude and resolue that the Crosse and Image of Christ must be worshipped with Latria And therefore they vse to sing to the Crosse in the Church of Rome Behold the wood of the Crosse we worship it O holie Crosse graunt that Iustice may grow and increase in good men and pardon thou the transgressors and the sinners c. And of this opinion are likewise Thomas Iacob Nancl. Clugiens Epis Anno 1557. Scotus and Bonauentura c. so long as till that Iacobus Nanclantus Bb. of Chioggia in Italie did sharplie reproue them which said that Images ought to be worshipped and would haue had the wordes to worship Images to bee cut out But what increase insued there vpon these goodlie principles Surely thus much that eueÌ„ as they held their Images by the tenure of imitation counterfeyting therein the Pagans so they borrowed of them all the fashions which they vsed to worship their Gods withall as to offer offringes vnto them to make vowes Temples Altars and Sacrifices to say also their Masses that is to say to sacrifice the Sonne of God Tertul. in lib. de Idololatria Germanus in Ep. ad Thom. in Nice conc 2 so far as in them laye vnto them and afterward gorgeous apparrell garlandes of flowers burning of incense wax-candles burning lampes fastinges solemne feastes in honour of them the carrying about of their pictures and a worshipping of their bones What one thing is there of al these that was euer practised in the Church of Israel or in the Primitiue Christian church Or on the contrarie what one is there amongst them al which is not coÌ„firmed both by testimony example in the stories of the Pagans And what then can they haue reserued as proper and peculiar vnto God himselfe vnder the name Latria Or what becommeth of Lyranus with his distinction That we are not to bow or kneele vpon both our knees to any but to God alone when as it is in this seruice done vnto the creatures made by God and the workes of mens hands But neither haue they yet contented themselues and stayed here for after the manner of the Pagans they haue likewise so consecrated these Images in such blasphemous sort as that Paganisme it selfe would haue been ashamed and blusht to haue done the like a thing as appeareth by the Councell of Francford vtterlie vnknowne at such time as it was held and kept For in consecrating of the Crosse they pray vnto God That all such as shall kneele downe vnto the same may haue remorse and compunction of heart and remission of their sinnes Now what remaineth besides this for the true Crosse that is for the mysterie of our redemption accomplished in that death vpon the Crosse suffered by Christ Againe That this wood of the Crosse so they call it may besaluation vnto the soule health to the bodie and a remedie vnto mankinde for the strengthning of faith the increase of good works the ransome of soules and for a defensatiue against the Diuell What shall now bee left behinde for the power of the holy Ghost to effect and work for the spirit of Christ which regenerateth vs sanctifieth and strengthneth vs making vs inheritors of eternall saluation c Pope Iohn the 22. In Antidotar Animae ordained a prayer to bee said that to the Veronique that pretended Image of Christ which was imprinted in a handkerchife Salue sancta facies Redemptoris nostri c. And in the same place it is praied vnto To cleanse and wipe away all the staines of whatsoeuer vices to vouchsafe to infuse light into the heart to increase and adde vnto the merites of such as doe belieue therein to destroye heretikes to defende the Christian faith to conduct and guide those which pray vnto it to the fruition of eternall life to the beholding of God to their coniunction and ioyning with Christ who of bread is made God c. And the Pope last aboue named granteth in the same place ten thousand dayes indulgences to him that obserueth the same And what doe they reserue more for Christ himselfe Or who shall alledge and say that this is but some particular mans deuotion when the pope himselfe is author thereof Pius 2. comment l 8. And when as likewise Pius the second ordained that vpon Easter day it should be
my bodie which is giuen for you And yet it ceaseth not considered in some sorte to bee in manner of a sacrifice in as much as this is a remembrance of this propitiatorie sacrifice of our Lord on the Crosse according to that which is said Doe this in remembrance of mee shew forth the Lordes death vnto his comming In such sort that as the lambe was after a certaine manner a propitiatorie Sacrifice in that it did prefigure him so the holy Supper in like manner in as much as it bringeth him vnto our remembrances in that it representeth him vnto vs before the eyes of our faith And yet furthermore of this remembrance there proceedeth an other sacrifice euen the true sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing which the Church hath called by the name of Eucharist That is that when we call to mind that God hath so loued the worlde or rather the Church hated of the worlde as that hee hath giuen his dearely beloued Sonne the eternall and euerliuing for the mortall the iust for the vniust to the ignominious and reproachfull death of the Crosse to redeeme them from their sinnes wee adore the bowelles of his mercies wee are lifted vppe with a holy rauishment euen into the heauens farre from our our selues wee vtter our cries in a certaine feruencie of faith from all in generall saying praised bee thou O Lorde for that thy grace hath appeared in the worlde for that it hath superabounded in loue for the sauing of sinners and afterward let vs say with Saint Paule being humbled in our infirmities but imboldened in his grace to the appropriating and particular applying of this benefite vnto our selues Euen the sinners Lord whereof I am the chiefe I a blasphemer a persecutor and oppressor c. And this faith applyeth this sacrifice vnto our selues it maketh it seuerall and peculiar vnto euery one of vs it maketh vs then to say with confidence No more He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood of Christ hath eternall life No more I say God so loued the worlde as that he hath sent his sonne c. For what good doth this serue vs vnto but to increase our sorrowe and griefe if wee bee not the parties our selues But more boldly with the Apostle I am crucified with Christ I liue and yet not I now but Christ in mee Galath 2.20 in that I liue in the flesh I liue in the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and who hath giuen himselfe for me c. Thus in remembring this sacrifice the shamefull death of the Lord wee acknowledge our selues lost in our selues yea vtterly lost seeing that for to saue mankind it was requisite that the Sonne of God should be made man and expose himselfe to the reuilinges and slaunderous speeches of men And this knowledge begetteth in vs an acknowledgement of the free mercie of God which hath giuen vs his onely begotten Sonne yea who hath giuen vs himselfe in his Sonne How can we then do lesse then offer vp then sacrifice our selues to him To offer vp vnto him as saith the Apostle Rom. 12.1 Our bodies a liuing sacrifine holy acceptable a reasonable seruice In such sort as that in the holy Supper wee communicate really and effectually in the bodie and blood of Iesus Christ euen to the sucking of life nourishment to our soules from the same and this is that which proceedeth from it as a Sacrament Wee celebrate likewise his death from whom as out of a fountaine wee drawe life and that the rather because this his death is our life in as much as wee haue the propitiation for our sinnes in his blood and the celebrating of the remembrance of this propitiatorie sacrifice although somewhat improperly may be called a Sacrifice Seeing that consequently vpon the deepe meditation of this high mysterie and vnspeakable benefit receiued by the faithfull adored of the Angels we enter into a serious thanksgiuing in which we resolue to renounce and forsake our selues that so we may offer vp our selues the more freely vnto God ceasing from thenceforth to fashion our selues any more according to this present world seeking rather to transforme and chaunge our selues by the renewing of our vnderstanding c. And here we haue another sacrifice euen a sacrifice of peace in as much as there is a peace concluded betwixt God and the faithfull man a sacrifice of praise in as much as all increase and prosperitie are giuen vnto vs by God and God in this peace Finally a sacrificing of our selues in the offering vp of our thankfull heartes and resoluing therewithall to liue and die in him and vnto him who hath giuen himselfe for vs who hath vouchsafed to offer vp his body and to shed his blood for to purchase vs life who giueth vs them in ordinary bread and wine to nourish our soules vnto eternall life Amen And it is not for any other consideration Wherfore the old writers did vse this worde Sacrifice that the olde writers doe sometimes call the holy Supper a sacrifice a Sacrifice of remembrance and thankesgiuing of the faithfull And if our aduersaries doe keepe themselues within these boundes wee shall not neede to reason and dispute about wordes neither yet refuse or reiect the worde Sacrifice But and if that they tell vs that the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead wee tell them that wee would haue them to aunswere vs whether they ground it vppon the holy Supper or els borrowe the institution thereof from els where If from else where then wee boldly auouch vnto them that there is no title of the Masse in all the holy scripture neyther of any thing belonging thereto neither yet in the workes of any of the auncient writers and this wee haue alreadie proued and shall bee able further to proue most plentifully if any thing bee wanting therein But if they fetch and deriue it from the holy Supper then wee auouch and say vnto them that it is no propitiatorie sacrifice that the Lord did neuer ordaine it for any such ende that the Apostles did neuer so teach it neyther yet that the fathers did so vnderstande it And this is the matter that wee are to handle and intreate of in this Chapter In the meane time wee will note and obserue by the way that these wordes Sacrifice and Sacrament doe not alwaies keepe the proper limites and boundes but that sometimes they runne in their generall signification and are taken eyther for all holy offices or for all the signes vsed in the Church to signifie any thing August l. 19. contr Faust c. 14. In Psal 141. Psal 65. de peccat meritis Bernard de caena Dom. And to the end that the doubt of this generall vsing of this worde Sacrament may not trouble vs it appeareth in certaine olde writers that they haue giuen this name to the signe of the Crosse to all the ceremonies of baptisme to
contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto God And a sacrifice to God is the sacrifice of praise c. Againe Thy faith hath saued thee because saith he that it hath apprehended and taken for graunted that it must offer his sacrifice vnto the Almightie euen thankesgiuing in the true temple and by his true high priest Iesus Christ c. And againe Wee sacrifice for the health and prosperitie of the Emperour Idem in Apolog but vnto our God and to his Sonne and that according to his commaundement Pura prece by a pure and sincere praier c. Cypr. serm 1. de cleemosyn Saint Cyprian could not learne any other lesson of this his Maister whatsoeuer some would make him to belieue For hee saith Rich Ladie come you in Dominicum to the Lordes banquet without a sacrifice there to take of the sacrifice which some poore person hath offered c. Here sacrifice is vnderstood almes or offering because that of the fruits which were giuen by the faithful there was so much taken as might make a sufficient quantity to distribute in the celebrating of the holy supper amongst the faithful They obiect vnto vs his Epistle vnto Cecilius Idem l. 2. cp ◠wherein he saith Who is the priest of the high God by any greater priuiledge and prerogatiue then our Lord Iesus Christ who hath offered sacrifice vnto God his father hath also offered the same that Melchisedec did offer that is to say bread and wine his bodie and his blood Let vs obserue that here he compareth Iesus Christ with Melchisedec Melchisedec the priest of the highest saith the Apostle but Iesus Christ is preferred for he offered himselfe vnto God in sacrifice Melchisedec offered but bread and wine vnto Abraham but our Lord offered his bodie his blood for the faithful Otherwise this text contrary to the nature of the author should haue no force or power in it But let vs heare him expounding himself in this same Epistle wherein he saith In asmuch as we make mention of the passion and death of Christ in all our sacrifices for it is the death and passion of Christ which we offer wee are not to attempt doe or offer any thing but as he in giuing vs an example hath done before vs. For the scripture saith As oft as ye shall eate this bread c. you shall declare and shew forth the death of the Lord vntill his comming Then wee offer not Iesus Christ but we offer his death and passion we offer him alreadie slain vpon the crosse that is we celebrate the remembrance of his death and passion we offer it vnto God as the meanes of the remission of our sins And he giueth a reason thereof in another place saying Because the sacrifice which the welbeloued Son of God hath offred vpō the crosse is so acceptable and well pleasing vnto the father as that his oblation is as effectuall at this day in the presence of his as it was the verie same day that the blood and water issued out of his side Origen saith The blood of Christ is so precious as that he suffered alone for the redemption of all Origen in cp ad Rom. in hom 2. in Cant. What need then hath the Church of any other sacrifice And as for the whole burnt offerings of Christians Those are their praiers and supplications vnto God c. But yet there is more behind For when Celsus had obiected vnto him you haue neither sacrifice nor altars he answereth not any otherwise but we haue the sacrifice of the Altar c. Or els Our temples are the spirits of good people who breath out a sweet smelling incense Idem l. 8. contra Celsum the vowes praiers of a good and pure conscience To the like obiection made in the time of Arnobius and Minutius Felix by one Cecilius a Pagan there was shaped the like answer This was about the yeare 300. And as for the place of Tertullian Tertul. de paenit c. 9. Aris adgeniculari c. without troubling our selues therewith any further Pamelius as we haue alleadged before hath corrected it by the copie in the Vatican and hath very excellently shewed that it cannot so stand but that it must bee read Caris Dei adgeniculari c. in so much as that we may from hence conclude very strongly cleane against our aduersaries They say there were altars in the Primitiue Church and therefore Sacrifices and therefore the Masse Wherefore wee with the consent of all antiquitie for the space of 300. yeares do reply and crosse them saying there were no altars in the Churches of the Christians neither yet sacrifices neither yet Masses And if we shold repeat that which hath beene said before of altars our proofe would extend it selfe to a farre longer time Athenagoras in his Apologie for the Christians Athenagor in apol pro Christianis hath the verie same obiection to confute and freely vndertaketh to proue that the sacrifice that God demandeth of vs is that we should bee carefull to know him and to acknowledge all the goodnesse that we do receiue at his hands But what haue I to doe saith he to trouble my selfe with thinking vpon and remembring of sacrifices and burnt offeringes wherewith God hath nothing to do God who requireth saith he that men should offer vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice without blood a reasonable soule c. His answere had beene more readie We sacrifice Christ daily c. And let vs marke by the way that he calleth it a sacrifice without blood not to put any distinction or difference betwixt that of the Crosse and that of the altar but to distinguish betwixt the sacrifices of the Iewes and of the Paganes which were materiall and bloodie and the spirituall sacrifices of the Christians Lanctantius Lanctan l. 6. c. 26. Two things saith he must be offered giftes and sacrifices vnto God and they must be offered without bodily substance for the gift the integritie and vprightnesse of the soule for the sacrifice praises and hymnes c. who so doth this sacrificeth vnto God so oft as he doth a good worke c. And therfore vpon the Altar of God which is great in deed and which is placed in the heart of man so that it cannot be defiled with blood it behoueth vs to set patience faith innocence chastitie c. There is not any other holy seruice then this same This man as yet knew nothing what this pretended Sacrifice meant and as little of Altars Eusebius hath beene cited heretofore in the expounding of the place of Malachie We sacrifice therefore saith he and burne he answereth the Paganes Euseb de Demonstra l. 1. c. 6 10. And what sometimes the memorie of this great sacrifice celebrating the mysteries which our God hath giuen vs and rendring vnto him thankes for our saluation as also offering to him religious hymnes and praiers
writers haue condemned for turning the scriptures from their naturall sence by his allegories But I appeale vnto their owne consciences whether this place make any thing for purgatorie And why do they not rather hold themselues to S. August S. Ierome Theodoret who do not acknowledge any other thing in that place but Dauid his humiliatiō for his sins being cast vnder the mighty hand of God The glose saith Thou hast instructed my soule in infirmity and humilitie that so it might not presume through any strength or pride and hee compareth it to a spiders web because there is nothing more rotten then it Saint Ierome Hieronym in psal 38. The soule melteth when the concupiscences of the flesh are repressed and snubd when sinne is so worne away as the threed which hath not any substance left in it either to make it hard or thicke S. August ibid. Augustine Thou hast dried it vp through the insatiable thirst it hath after vertue and knowledge thou hast caused the iniquity thereof to be pressed and wrung out of my heart Theodor. ibid. as are the entrailes of a spider Theodoret In pressing and rubbing vpon the most hidden and secret corners of my exulcerated parts and inward sores thou hast healed me like a good phisition rather then with great paine and griefe Halmo This falleth out when as man by Gods chastisements and corrections being vpon him doth humble himselfe and turne vnto God Lyranus Thou hast made my life vile and abhominable vnto me Caietan The moth fretteth through and destroyeth the thing whereof she is bred and so we are pearced and fret away through our owne concupiscences and desires And thus he referreth this to the punishment of all mankind in the person of Adam Of all the translations they haue made choice of that which is furthest from the sence of the text and of so many expositions that which is furthest from the purpose and yet they can come by nothing for their purgatorie In the Psalme 49. God will redeeme my soule out of the hand of the graue or out of hell Psal 49.16 for the word signifieth both the one and the other when hee shall take mee vnto himselfe The shot is by their reckning he will deliuer mee from purgatorie whereas they should haue noted that in the verse going before it is spoken of the men of this worlde That death shall feed vpon them in the graue and that the vpright men shall haue dominion rule ouer them c. Where the selfe same word is vsed If the men of this world bee not threatned with any greater punishment then purgatorie then what priuiledge or preferment haue Dauid and others the workers of righteousnesse in whose persons he speaketh more then they If it do signifie hell in the one verse and in the other purgatory then let them shew vs some reason of such diuers construing of it that so wee may admit it The Chaldee Paraphrast God will deliuer my soule from hell because he will teach me his law and will take me to be partaker with him of the life to come But what will they then say to all the old fathers S. Ierome saith God being made man made himselfe of no reputation euen to death that thereby hee might repaire the ruines of mankind that is it which hee would say Cum acceperit me S. Augustine God will redeeme and deliuer my soule shall it be out of prison from oppression from the waues of the sea c. Nay rather saith he from hell and this is that redemption which hee hath shewed and set forth in himselfe Chrysost t. 1. de Dauidicis Cant. What wee haue seene in the bead the same shall we find in the members he descended into hell and ascended vp into heauen c. Chrysostome And that there is a freeing from eternall death he teacheth thee it in these wordes God hath deliuered my soule out of the power of hell c. Theodoret dealeth more plainely This certifieth and assureth vs that God doth giue counsell consolation to the poore which are oppressed of the mightie Haimo Out of the power of hell that is to say out of the power of the deuill when he shall haue taken me Caictan in psal 49. Psal 66.11 12. that is to say put vpon him my humanitie and so Cardinall Hugo Caietan in like maner He wil deliuer my life from the power of hell when he shall draw mee from out of this life into eternall into Abrahams bosome c. In the Psalme 66. We were saith Dauid entred into fire water Et eduxisti nos in refrigerium and thou hast brought vs forth into a place where wee find reliefe Otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a plentifull and fruitfull place Yet once againe here is purgatorie and that with an imagination that it worketh vpon men by casting them out of an extreme heat into an extreame cold c. From the fansying and good liking of an allusion in Origen Orig. hom 25. in Numer who yet medleth not any thing at all with this text which besides euen with the bare reading is easily refuted seeing therein he speaketh simply of diuers crosses and aduersities out of which God had extraordinarily deliuered Dauid The old writers haue vnderstood it cleane otherwise then they The Paraphrast Thou hast made the oppressor to go ouer my head Thou hast condemned vs to the rage of the flaming furnace and deuouring water and afterward hast set vs at libertie herein alluding very strongly vnto the seruitude of the people of Israell in the land of Egypt Lyranus Through the fire made to burne brickes through the water which we caried to temper the matter and make it fitte for the forme And if wee may lawfully moralize S. Augustine saith Through aduersitie and prosperitie through the scorching heat of tribulation the filthie puddle stinking waters of noysome corruption that which seemeth the least saith he being no lesse to be feared thē the other Hugo in psal 65. Hieronym in psal 65. And Hugo the Cardinall followeth his collection and interpretation S. Ierome Thus haue the Martyrs passed and come ad refrigerium to Christ who is their true reliefe and rest by the crosse by stripes by fire by water and diuers punishments and by them they haue become acceptable well pleasing sacrifices Hillar ibid. Chrysost t. 2. in c. 4. Mat. no. 5. Theod. in psal 66. Haimo in psal 66. Bernard de transitu S. Malachiae c. And S. Hilarie writeth thereupon after the same manner Chrisost Theodoret do deale somewhat more simply plainly take it to be vnderstood of the ordinary afflictions of the faithful Haimo Of Martyrs that haue passed through fire water of trauellers that haue indured the heat and cold yet giue not ouer their iourney Saint Bernard Such as die in the Lord fellow citizens with the Saintes and are of the
of executing of a iudgement or sentence but in these speeches is contained nothing but the iudgement or sentence Againe Purgatorie is but one place and here be two named So that we are first to know of them which they will chuse and then what they will vnderstand by the other But S. Ierome Saint Chrysostome Theophylact and all the Fathers which haue expounded this place in whole Homelies had neuer any thought comming into their minds of finding Purgatorie here Lyranus also who would moralize the same saith Our Lord made here three degrees of anger in the heart Whosoeuer saith he is angrie and a two-fold in the mouth when it proceedeth to a confused and ouer whelmed plight in offering of iniuries such as men are in when they fal to rayling and calling of their brother Racha or else in a formall iniurie as he that saith vnto him foole c. and these three degrees haue their punishments Iudgement when men are conuented before the seate of iudgement A Councell when it commeth to many mens voices to determine and giue sentence c. And therefore the Glose saith Reus est iudicio that is to say Dignus accusatione worthie to be accused Reus consilio that is to say worthie to haue sentence pronounced against him by the generall consent of the Iudges Dignus consensu iudicum de danda sententia in eum c. And Caietan commeth verie neere vnto the same But what maketh all this for Purgatorie Yea which is more though some haue vnderstood it of punishment after this life as Augustine yet neuer any man of Purgatorie In S. Math. 12.31 Mathew 12. Whosoeuer shall haue spoken against the holy Ghost it shall not bee forgiuen him either in this world or in the world to come Then there are sinnes which are pardoned in the other world and therefore this is in Purgatorie c. This text cannot be better vnderstood then by the other Euangelists and by S. Mathew himselfe Saint Marke saith He shall neuer be forgiuen Whereupon S. Augustine saith Saint Marke hath said the same in other words Mark 3.28 Luk. 12.10 S. Luke It shall not bee forgiuen him S. Mathew in the verse going before It shall not be forgiuen And if any man bee desirous or inquisitiue yet to know some further meaning then this Not in this world where God iudgeth the sinnes of his Church by the ministerie and order established in the same nor in the world to come when as hee will sit himselfe in person to iudge them and this is all that can rightly be drawne out of this place And indeed the old writers are of one accord Damasc de Orthod fid li. 2. ca. 1. holding that these words The world to come doe either signifie euerlasting punishment or euerlasting blessednesse and must bee taken and vnderstoode of that which followeth after the resurrection and not before Afterward they offend against their owne generall rules for their Schoolemen say that there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes but in this world how so euer satisfaction for sin is made according to their doctrine in the world to come But the question here is of the remission of sinnes and not of their temporall punishment And it is not to be stoode vppon or said that small and veniall sinnes are forgiuen there for the comparison is made here of the sinne against the holy Ghost with other the most grieuous sinnes that are And againe how can that proue a good reason or Argument which is taken from a particular negatiue to an vniuersall affirmatiue The sinne against the holy Ghost is not forgiuen in this world nor in that to come therefore the temporall punishments of all manner of sinnes not paid and discharged here shall bee exacted and paid in the world to come A than in tract Omnis blasph Hieronym Hâ—ar in Math. that is to say in Purgatorie But Bellarmine doth here freely confesse that there is no good Art or Logicke in this conclusion But it is certaine that the old writers did not vnderstand this place thus S. Athanasius hath made a speciall treatise vpon this verse and made no mention of Purgatorie And S. Ierome and S. Hillarie also expounding this verie place haue done as little Ambros de paenit li 2. c. 4. de spir 5. c. â— August de Ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 24. Gregor l. 4. Dial. c. 39. Neither hath S. Ambrose done any more though he haue touched it in two places S. Augustine hath begunne and S. Gregorie hath followed him But if S. Augustine had thought this place so strong hee would not haue written so doubtfully of Purgatorie in other places and which more is he vnderstandeth it of the day of the resurrection and not of that space of time which is betwixt death and the resurrection according to the opinion which was held then That is that at the resurrection the soules bespotted and stained with sinnes should be purified with a kind of fire as it shall be seene hereafter And in deed The world to come as saith Damascene signifieth eternall life or eternall punishment Damasc de Orth. fid l. 2. ca. 1. Chrysost in Math. ca. 12. hom 43. But after all how farre a sunder do these propositions stand There are sinnes which are forgiuen in the world to come and there are flames of fire in the world to come which exact the temporall punishments of sinnes remitted in this world Chrysostome therefore saith better Some men shall be punished both in this world and in the world to come as those of Sodome others in this world onely as the Incestuous of Corinth others in the world to come onely as the wicked rich man others neither here nor in the world to come as the Prophets and Apostles And as concerning the sinne against the holy Ghost it shall bee punished both in this world and in the world to come c. And Thcophilact dooth trace him word for word Cardinall Hugo saith In aeternum for euer And maketh a comparison betwixt it and the sinne of the Diuell Let vs adde also their owne writer Ferus who contenteth himselfe in a long Commentarie to vse these words without any other thing In saying lesse hee vnderstandeth more namely that this sinne shall not onely bepunished in the life to come but euen in this life and accordingly giueth examples thereof Of the historie of the wicked rich man thâ—â— cannot make their market Luk. 16.23 Abraham saith That this gulfe is so great that there is no passage from the one to the other Now they will haue it that men after satisfaction made doe passe out of Purgatorie into Paradice Againe the message which he would haue sent vnto his brethren sheweth that he died without repentance that he beggeth a little water to coole himselfe withall argueth that hee is in a place voide of all comfort and consolation And also it hath alwaies beene taken and expounded for
passed ouer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath beene obserued by the most learned that the Hebrew words which signifie paines and bands doe not any thing differ Psal 18.6 2. Sam. 22.6 but in one small pricke And this might verie well bee referred to that which Saint Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing loosed and made an allusion to these words of Dauid The snares of Hell or of the Graue haue compassed me about Where the Septuagints haue translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the paines of child-birth And the Paraphrast goeth not far from them and it may bee that one and the same word without any let by reason of scruple caused through the prickes doth signifie them both And this might very wel come to passe through the custome they had to binde the bodies of their dead according wherunto we read in the storie of Lazarus Wherupon our Sauiour saith vnto his Apostles Vnloose him c. And it is not to bee forgotten that neuer a one of the Fathers hath found out Purgatorie in this place neither yet any of the late writers Caiet in Act. c. 2. Fcrus Hofmester in Act. c. 2. Caietanus expoundeth it of the penalties for such a word hee vseth which the Soule of Christ suffered being separate from the body Ferus vnderstandeth it of Christ his loosing of the paines of death for the faithfull in so much as that he which belieueth in him tasteth not of death but is alreadie past from death to life Hofmester by these paines of death or Hell all the sufferings that Christ hath indured for vs c. According to that place of the Psalme The paines of death haue compassed me and the daungers of Hell haue enwrapped me c. And these are the most noted and best esteemed Expositors amongst them Now commeth their maine argument No man saith Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. can laye any other foundation then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. But if any man build vpon this foundation Gold Siluer c. The worke of euerie man shall be manifest for the day will declare it because it shall bee disclosed by fire and the fire will proue what euerie mans worke is c. But he shall be saued as concerning himselfe as it were by fire This last fire they will haue to bee Purgatorie by which we are to bee saued Here let vs call to mind againe that which hath beene so often spoken of That Symbolicke Diuinitie or that Diuinitie which is deliuered in Similitudes doth not proue that there is no disputation or argument to bee held from Metaphors that no Article of doctrine is established by darke and obscure places For these bee the Maxims of the old writers whereunto we doe willingly subscribe Now the case so standeth as that all this text consisteth of Metaphors as foundation frame building Gold Siluer c. Wood haye strawe c. August de fide opcrib c. 15. 16. Idem in quaest ad Dulcit q. 1. that it is likwise obscure and difficult In so much as that S. Augustine doth accompt it amongst those whereof Saint Peter speaketh saying In the Epistles of Saint Paul there are certaine things that are hard to be vnderstood c. And after that hee hath giuen his aduice and iudgement I desire saith he to heare the wise and learned vpon this place c. This is to make way that wee may come to this that vpon a doubtfull and darke Exposition we ought not to ground any certaine doctrine much lesse an Article of our Christian faith Idem de fide oper c. 16. Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Hieronym in l. 2. in Ioh. Thom. in 1. Cor. c. 3. Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 3. Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Heronym in Esay c. 5. Haim in 1. Cor. 3. Greg. li. 4. dial c. 39. August l. de fid oper c. 16. Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. This also is the thing that hath begot so many and so diuers interpretations almost vpon euerie word For by builders some vnderstand all Christians as S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoret c. Other some the Doctors and Pastors as S. Ambrose Saint Ierome Thomas and others Againe some by the word foundation do vnderstand true doctrine by Gold Siluer c. good works by wood haye c. mortall sinnes as Chrysostome Theophilact c. Others the preaching of faith wherupon euery man buildeth his expositions some of them being Orthodox and according to sound doctrine and other some heretical as S. Ambrose S. Ierome Haimo c. Others the good workes of one part and the veniall sinnes on the other as S. Gregorie Others the good and euill hearers as Theophilact Oecumenius c. Againe by the day S. Augustine and Saint Gregorie vnderstand this present life or the time of tribulation which causeth the good to be known from the wicked others and those in greater number the day of iudgement yet differing herein that some will haue it to be the great day of the Lord as Theodoret Theophilact Haimo Anselme c. The others that iudgement which passeth vpon euery person so soone as he is dead as Caietanus many of this time Againe this fire which shall trie the worke of euerie man by some is taken for tribulations as S. Augustine and S. Gregorie and by others for euerlasting fire By some for the consuming of the whole world by fire By other for Purgatorie and by others for the fire of the iust iudgement of God c. who examineth and trieth say they but punisheth not And in this opinion may S. Ambros in Psal 118. August in Enchirid. ad Laurent c. 68. Ambrose seeme to be And finally by this fire whereof it is said But be shall be saued as it were by fire Some vnderstand the tribulations of this life as Saint Augustine and S. Gregorie S. Augustine by name who saith that this place darke and obscure in it selfe must bee expounded by diuers others that are cleare and plaine in which fire doth signifie the triall of tribulation Others the euerlasting fire as Chrysostome and Theophilact and certaine also Purgatorie and amongst them some after the manner and fashion of the Church of Rome others after a certaine particular opinion such namely as was then common Which was that in the verie moment of the vniuersall Iudgement euerie one without exception should bee tried and proued by fire By these so variable and differing coniectures euerie one may iudge with what face our aduersaries can take this place and the interpretations thereof for the foundation of their Purgatorie Seeing also that Bellarmine a thing worth the noting is constrained by reason of the absurdities that hee meeteth withall therein to leaue and forsake all and to refute them euerie one for this or that inconuenience that would insue that so hee may lay some one particular and speciall sence and that such as may be sound Now we cannot
is to come it is meete that hee should throughly weigh and consider of the same c. Cardinall Hugo likewise dooth obiect the same doubts about the same that Saint Augustine doth vpon Purgatorie and so keepeth himselfe to the taking of it for the fire of tribulation and the losse of temporall things And in deede Erasmus of our time hath declared in his Commentaries that this place affordeth not any thing that may belong either to Purgatorie or to the veniall sinnes Index Expurg as they pretend For which his plaine dealing they haue commanded the place to bee raced and blotted out In the 1. Corinthians 15. The Apostle speaking of the resurrection saith 1. Cor. 15 29. Else what shall they doe which are baptised for the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the dead rise not againe To bee baptised say they for the dead that is to afflict themselues for them that is to doe all such things as may seeme to serue for the satisfying and purging of their sinnes Wherefore they are yet in some place where they may bee relieued and succoured Therefore in Purgatorie Now this is nothing else but to make themselues continuall breakers of that Rule which saith That a man ought not to reason or gather any arguments from the places which are darke and doubtfull Now they dare not denie that there is any place in all the new Testament more obscure euen for the litterall sence then this And notwithstanding they will presuppose and set downe any Exposition thereof after their owne fantasies whereas all the Diuines that were for the space of fifteene hundred yeares were to seeke therein And hardly are there as yet any found that can satisfie themselues therein For one saith that the Apostle speaketh of them who seeing some die without Baptisme caused others that were aliue to bee baptised for them so well assured they were of the resurrection Epiphan ad ucrs haeres l. 1. tom 2. Haimo in Ep. ad Cor. c 5. August de Ciuit Dei l. 20. ca. 9. Chrysost Ambr. in 1. Cor. c. 15. Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 7 Tertull. de Resurr carn Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 15. in 1. Cor. hom 23 Epiphanius reciteth this opinion And Saint Ambrose vnderstandeth it after the same manner and after him Haimo saith And yet such a custome as the Apostle onely alleadgeth without approuing it and that onely to shame the Corinthians with their incredulitie and vnbeliefe And the ordinarie Glose dooth note the same An other saith that this is to bee vnderstood of such as were bed-rid or sicke in their beds and could not arise or such as were baptised lying vppon their death bed or in extreame perill of their life An other of those which were dead and after baptised to shew that Baptisme was not onely a signe of the resurrection of the body but also of the soule And thus Tertullian may seeme to vnderstand it in his Booke of the Resurrection Chrysostome referreth it to the words of Baptisme saying If there be no resurrection then all that wee doe in Baptisme is but a play Namely because in it is contained the figure and resemblance both of death and of the resurrection together And Theodoret after the same manner that he which is baptised is buried with the Lord In vaine saith hee if the body be not to rise againe with him And Saint Thomas is not farre off from the taking of it in the same sence In a word there are some which referre it to the custome of celebrating of Baptismes in Church-yardes wherein the ordinarie exercises of the first Christians were wont to be kept Out of which of these old and auncient Expositions is it that they collect and gather this Purgatorie Or by which of the olde writers doe they approoue their owne these men are they whome I aske which make such accompt of the Fathers which thinke them all to bee on their side So that it will suffice vs onely to denie their interpretation Namely that to be baptised is to bee afflicted is to pray for the dead and in steade thereof we will hold and affirme that to be baptised in the text of the Gospell which they pretend is to die for the name of Christ and to suffer Martyrdome Chrisostome vpon these words Luk. 12. Mark 10. Chrysost in Math. hom 66 You may saith the Lord be baptised with the Baptisme wherewith I am baptised c. Here saith he I promise you many good things you shall purchase the Crowne of Martyrdome and by a violent death you shall depart out of this life as I myselfe c. The ordinarie Glose He speaketh here of the Baptisme of his passion And yet notwithstanding this is the place from whence they would drawe their Exposition What shamelesse and impudent dealing is this to expound to be baptised to signifie to be afflicted and that to bee afflicted should signifie to pray for the dead and that for those dead which are in Purgatorie Let them tell me if this manner of reasoning can bee vsed in any good Schoole without shame But yet after all to what end had it beene for Saint Paul to haue attempted the prouing of the resurrection of bodies by the soules tormented in Purgatorie And what would his argument haue beene in the end And why at the least did they not hold themselues either to Cardinall Hugo who saith Pro mortuis that is to say for their sinnes although verie darkly or yet for the better Caietan in 1. Cor. c. 15. to the Exposition of Cardinall Caietan For saith hee in that that they which are baptised are dipt into the water it is to bee vnderstood that they are dead vnto the world And whereas they professe to die vnto the same that so they may enter into newnesse of life they represent the resurrection of the dead The Apostle saith to the Philippians Philip. 2.10 To the end that euerie knee may bowe of those which are in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth These last are they which liue in Purgatorie for the Diuels say they doe not worship The sence is cleare That our Lord hauing humbled and abased himselfe to the taking of the forme not of man onely but euen of a seruant God hath lifted him vp on high and giuen him a name about all names these are the words going before that is to say an absolute power and Soueraigntie ouer all creatures acccording to that which he saith himselfe elsewhere All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And in the Apocalips he addeth thereto Math. 28. Apocal. 5. The creatures which are in the Sea c. Now the question is not here of an adoration but of a subiection not of the confessing or acknowledging of a Father but of a Iudge Hebr. 1. according to that which is said And hee hath made him Iudge of all things They make a great matter of the bowing of the knee
one and the humbling of God Chrysost in 1. Cor. hom 18. Saint Chrysostome in many places That God punisheth not his faithfull children either vpon any pleasure that he taketh therein neither vpon any creditor-like rigour which he exerciseth vpon vs. In that he chastiseth vs saith he it is rather for the admonishing of vs then for the condemning of vs for the curing of vs then for the correcting of vs for the amending of vs then for the punishing of vs. The Apostle saith he saith not 1. Cor. 11.31 if wee punish and afflict our selues if we take punishment of our selues but if wee iudge our selues that is to say if onely wee will acknowledge our sinnes wee shall not bee iudged Chrisost in Genes hom 44. Againe I do require saith the Lord but one thing which is that men woulde confesse their sinnes and that they would abstaine from committing them any more and then I will not lay any more punishment vpon them for their sinnes And in another place Idem in â—roem in Isa I will not saith he that thou shouldest say vnto me I haue sinned how may I be freed from so many sins Thou canst not procure the meanes but thy Lord is able who will in such sort blot out thy sins as that there shal not remaine any marke or print thereof for otherwise then it is wont to fall out in the bodie for in the bodie after the healing of a wound there remaineth a scarre God bee pardoneth the sin God remitteth and forgiueth the punishment God giueth righteousnes therewithall he maketh also the sinner equall with him that hath not sinned c. S. Ierome Hieronym in Esa c. 66. Idem in Daniel c 7. in psal 31. God is called a consuming fire to the end he way consume all the vices that are in vs our hay our woode our stubble I thinke that it was that fire that did sit vpon the tongs of the Apostles Againe Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered because saith hee that that which is hidden is not seene and that which is not seene is not imputed that which is not imputed is not punished c. The schoolmen affirme the like Lombard saith Lombard 3. D. 19. If we looke vpon and behold with a right faith him that was hanged vpon the tree for vs we are set free from the bonds of the Deuill we are deliuered from sin Sathan in such sort as that after this life there is not any thing to be found in vs to be punished for our Lord by his death by this onely true sacrifice hath put out and extinguished all those sins that were in vs whereby the Deuill had power to hold lay hands vpon vs to punish vs. Whereupon also Scotus saith Scot. in l. sent D. 15. Glos in c. 1. de poenit D. No man can satisfie for sinnes saue in the power and vertue of the passion of Christ And the Glose of the Decree Sinnes are not forgiuen either for the contrition of the hart neither yet for the confession of the mouth but by the grace of God And yet the contrition of the heart is a signe that the sins are remitted the outward satisfaction a signe of the contrition of the hart for grace goeth before contrition c. Now let our aduersaries agree and reconcile these Maxims here set downe with those of purgatorie whose foundation they will haue to be a necessitie of satisfaction the forgiuenesse of the sin but not of the punishment and an insufficiencie of that purgation which the blood of Christ hath made c. The second and it affordeth as little fauour to the aduersarie as the first Iust Mart. in quaest â—espons q. 10. Iustin Martyr The historie of Lazarus and the rich man goeth through stitch with this doctrine namely that after the separation of the soule and the bodie men cannot possibly receiue any succour or reliefe by any manner of carefull prouidence whatsoeuer The same Quaest 75. After that the soules are seperated from their bodies there is presently a distinction made betwixt the good the euill the one to bee conueighed into Paradice and the other into hell c. Iustin in Tryphon Cypr. contr Demetr tract Againe in his Tryphon This is a sentence of Christ In quibus vos deprehendero in ijsdem vos iudicabo And S. Cyprian expoundeth it Such saith he as God findeth thee when he calleth thee out of this world vnto himselfe for such a one will he iudge thee Againe We exhort you to make satisfaction whiles you haue any of these worldly things left you c. Againe After that a man is departed hence there remaineth no more place for repentance there is not any further vse of satisfaction thereupon followeth either the losse of life or the sauing of it c. Thou although thou be vpon thy departure vpon the laying downe of this life pray vnto God for the pardoning of thy sinnes confesse them to him in faith he pardoneth those which confesse he letteth loose such as belieue that they may be saued and from the path of death men passe into the place of immortalitie What a cold comfort had it beene vnto them if he had said Athanas in variis quaest quae cius utulo seruntur q. 19. Men making an end of this their walke doe passe into the torments of Purgatorie Athanasius The soules departed hence it is a profound question and hidden from vs to shew whither they go and in what condition they are for neuer did God permit it vnto any man to returne make report of these matters onely wee learne from the scriptures that the soules of sinners go downe vnder the earth into such place as wherein they neither see the light nor the maner of the liues of men but that those of the iust and righteous since the death of Christ went into Paradice which our Lord hath set open not for the theefe onely but for all the soules of the Saints Basil in Moral reg 1. c. 2. 5. Gregor Nazianz in laudem Caesar Saint Basill The time whiles men liue here is the time of repentance for so soone as wee bee gone hence the time of doing well is cut off and taken from vs. Gregorie Nazianzene The words of the wise leade me to belieue that euerie soule that is excellent and beloued of God so soone as it is departed hence being loosed out of the bodie receiueth an vnspeak eable delight and pleasure of the liuely feeling of that felicitie which is appointed for it and betaketh it selfe with a ioyfull flight to the Lord. How agreeth this ioy with griefe and paine this flight to God with purgatorie Ambros de Bono mortis S. Ambrose Dauid laboured to attaine to the blessed communion of the saints crauing by reason of the filthinesse cleauing vnto vs in this worldly pilgrimage that his sinnes
are aliue that so the Church may sing Gaudeamus in Domino c. Let vs reioyce and be glad in the Lord c. In this sence hath the greatest part of the auncient Fathers prayed Dionysi de Ecclesi Hierat c. 7. and that will be the more clearely vnderstood by themselues S. Denis speaketh not of Oblations neither yet of yearely feasts but how that they kisse the dead and poure Oyle vppon his head These diuers fashions taken from the customes of diuers Countries doe shew the indifferencie The prayer followeth That it might please God to pardon him his sinnes and to place him in the light and region of the liuing in the place from which griefe sadnesse and sighing are banished and vtterly excluded c. Was this because he doubted No for on the contrarie hee maketh but two rankes and so consequently but two places of abode after this life one for the prophane who die and depart out of this life desperate and without all hope in as much as they goe hence vnto miserie and an other for the Saints who haue liued well who in their death doe shew themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of good hope and dying doe require of God pardon for their sinnes These men saith hee depart out of this life full of ioy perceiuing themselues now to bee come to the end of all their fights and conflicts and drawing neerer vnto the crowne of glorie They possesse in hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rest conformable to that of Christs Prayers doe call them blessed and offer thankes vnto him who hath giuen them the victorie The high Priest prayseth God who hath ouerthrowne the rule and soueraigntie of death The Ministers read in the assembly in the Scriptures the promises of the resurrection to the end they may serue for an exhortation to stirre vp those that are liuing to the like vertues they recite them in the end amongst the Saints in the commemoration which is made in the Church as those that are alreadie partakers of the same glorie with them c. Is it possible that a man should belieue them that all this is spoken of a Soule in Purgatorie or of any of whom the least doubt that is may be made Origen We doe not celebrate saith he the birth day Orig. l. 3. in Iob. for that it is an entrance into paine and griefe and manifold temptations but the day of death as the day of the laying downe and ending of all griefe c. And this is the cause why we vse the renuing of the memorie of the Saints and of our kins folkes dying in the faith as well to reioyce our selues for their ease as for to become humble sutors for a holy finishing and knitting vp of our end in faith Note well and obserue the end of griefes ease and rest the giuing of thankes for their rest and ease c. Againe Wee celebrate the memorie of the dead feasting Religious persons together with the Priestes the faithfull with the Cleargie feeding the poore the fatherlesse and the widdowes to the end that our feast may be for a memoriall of the rest of the Soules that are deceased whose memorie wee solemnize therein Note here also The distributing of almes the memoriall of their rest c. Then this cannot be a sacrifice to purchase vnto them ease or rest and yet notwithstanding this is that which first brought in Purgatorie but such a one as is not able to stand with these propitiations seeing that it taketh no hold but at the howre of iudgement So vnsound and vnsure it is to reason either from Purgatorie to the making of prayers for the dead or from these to goe about to proue their Purgatorie Greg. Nazian hom 7. Gregorie Nazianzene in his seuenth Homily O thou which art the Lord of life and of death saith he receiue Caesarius for we commit and commend him now vnto that course and order by which thou gouernest the world whereunto likewise we recommend as laid vp with thee both our owne Soules and theirs which haue gone before vs. Now hee had said before That he did alreadie enioy saluation that his soule receiued the fruit c. S. Ambrose commeth in with these words Blessed saith he are you both Ambros de Obitu Valent. he speaketh of the Emperour Valentinian and his brother If my prayers saith he be any thing worth for there shall not one passe from me wherin I will not haue an honorable remembrance of you Omnibus vos oblationibus frequent abo I will make mention of you in all my offerings that is to say in all my seruices Againe speaking of Theodosius Graunt rest O Lord saith he to Theodosious thy seruant let his soule enter into the place Ambros de Obitu Theod. where there is not any sence or feeling of the sting of death I loue this man and will not giue ouer the following of him into the land of the liuing I will not leaue him vntill my teares and my prayers haue brought him into the place whither his merits doe call him Namely into the mountaine of the Lord where there is euerlasting life without any sighing heauinesse or griefe c. And doe you tel vs still that they were in Purgatorie Yea rather saith he of Valentinian in the same place wee belieue and that by the testimonie of Angels that hee is ascended and gone vp into heauen washed from the defilements of sinne that his faith hath washed him c. that hee inioyeth the ioyes of eternall life Yea and this he saith of that Valentinian who was as yet but learning the principles of Religon that is to say as yet vnbaptised in which case Purgatorie was meetest to haue had place And in like manner of Theodosius He is deliuered from this doubtfull fight and warfare he inioyeth an euerlasting light eternall tranquilitie c. Hee is glorified amongst the companie of Saints there he embraceth Gratian he beholdeth in the kingdome of Christ the temple of Christ c. And he speaketh saith he full assuredly and confidently For as much as they are dead in the faith of Christ seeing the Lord was made sinne to the end that he might take away the sinne of the world to the end that wee might be all in him the righteousnesse of God no more saith he the slaues of sinne but sealed vp for the reward of righteousnesse In like manner his prayers could not possibly be vnderstood of his Purgatorie in as much as we haue seene as he gaue it no place vntill the day of iudgement With the same intent and mind S. Augustine praied for his mother saying I pray thee O Lord for her sinnes heare me by the medicine of his wounds which was hanged vpon the Crosse and sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for vs Pardon her and enter not into iudgement with her And I doe verily belieue that thou hast done this which I haue prayed thee
whether they bee of force for all those that are in purgatory A certaine Praepositiuus answered affirmatiuely For said he it is like a candle which giueth light vnto many and as a lecture which teacheth many and that without doing of any wrong or iniurie vnto one by helping of another The schoolemen then and the Monkes foreseeing that the whole trade and trafficke of Masses was lost and gone if this resolution tooke place doe consequently muster and band themselues together with all their might against the same They dispute and argue that the suffrages are specially of force for them for whom they are made and not otherwise That of two condemned to bee either of them a hundred yeares in purgatorie the one by multitude of suffrages may come forth the first day and the other for lacke of them shall there endure and finish his appointed tearme Magist senten l 4. D. 45. Bernardin in Rosario Albert. Magn. de Off. Miss c. 15. t. 3. K. And the same thing is taught by the Maister of the sentences And thereupon their Monkes crie aloude and say That then it is a worthie thing to haue them that shall succeede in the inheritance verie deuout and such as will come off readilie and liberally for the ransomes of their deceased kinsfolkes c. And that then the Condition of the rich is a great deale better then the condition of the poore in Purgatorie c. a point of diuinitie vnknowne vnto all former ages and farre off from that of our Sauiours O how hard and difficult a thing it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Another question followeth whether the suffrages made for the dead Other questions by men which haue committed mortall and deadly sinnes can help them And herein many were moued to belieue that they could not Where it is to bee noted that the laitie were wont vntill now to make these suffrages by prayers beades rosaries c. And for this inconuenience they found a verie safe conueyance namely that all men are sinners that Nemo sine crimine viuit c. And that therefore it was the surest course that these suffrages should be made by the mouth and ministerie of the priestes who although they were sinners yea and that hainous sinners as the rest of other men yet they were not considered accompted of as the lay men according to their priuate demerites but as aduocates and dealers for the Church according to the desert of the vniuersall Church And againe vpon this resolution great aduantage doeth rise vnto the Priestes viz. a notable multiplying of Masses for the dead Neither is there in all this any let but that the Canonistes may set the wethercockes vpon the highest pinacles of this building brought to his present hugenesse by another inuention which is that there are in hell certaine that are not extreame wicked ones whose paines and torments may be mittigated and much eased by such suffrages and this in the end hath brought them beyond any limitable point And for the confirmation thereof they would gather it out of a place in Augustine his Enchiridion heretofore alleadged but they cannot agree with the schoolemen The fire of purgatory blowne and stirred together by the Mendicant friers Now the Mendicant Friers assoone as they were once receiued did husband this doctrine more thriftily then all the rest drawing all men euen against their willes to the deuotions of their order The Gray friers to the end that they might haue men deuoted to them begin to preach that S. Francis descended once euery yeare into purgatorie to free and set at libertie such as did affect his order The Iacobines after the manner that is vsed at Portsale proclaime how that S. Dominicke performeth this worke euerie moneth The Carmelite or white friers that the virgin Marie for whose sake they looke to be accompted and held for famous and renowned did the same euerie Saturday The Augustines contradicted all the other shewing by the scriptures against S. Augustine himselfe That who so belieueth in Christ commeth not into iudgement but passeth readily from death to life according to that which the Lord had said to the theefe To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradice Thus were Christian soules distracted and drawne into vncertainties by these varieties not knowing any longer to whom they ought to acknowledge as due the worke of their saluation And amongst all the opinions then broached none but that which was true in deed was held for heresie So deeply had deceitfull errour rooted it selfe and so largely had it ouerspread the world being borne vp by the authoritie and power of man Dominc And yet Frier Dominick a Soto durst say within the memory of this age That it is not credible seeing that purgatorie is not for any but the faithfull that God should leaue his friendes so long a time in the fire and that he thinketh that there is not any one that abideth there twentie yeares A great crack in the groundworke and yearely funerall feastes of the Church of Rome Bellarm. de purgat l. 2. c. 9. But Bellarmine with as much speed as may be buckleth himselfe to the repairing thereof by goodly and glorious reuelations Nay saith he it appeareth plainly by such and such that such a thing there hath beene these hundred two hundred fiue hundred yea these nine hundred yeares And such a thing there will be euen vnto the day of iudgement Now the Churches of Fraunce and Germany haue propounded within these 200. yeares many articles to the Popes which they called Grauamina wherein they complained themselues grieuously of these abuses which notwithstanding they haue not regarded to make any redresse therein in as much as the landes and liuinges of the Cleargie resteth principally vpon this protended fire a fire as wee haue a little seene without any ground or foundation either from the scriptures or in the auncient Church In so much as that the Monks began to preach in the beginning of the age wherein we liue That the soules which were there did leape at the sound of the money when it was cast into the basen for them That there was no so grieuous or hainous a crime no so great abhomination no so heauie or rigorous punishment from which men were not acquit freede thereby c. Against these enormities many great persons haue beene moued to ring the popes such round and loud peales as that they haue thereby beene almost shaked besides both seat and sea and therevpon it is that euerie one of them hath not ceased neither doth as yet to labor and do his vttermost endeuour by a thousand wiles and as many shiftes to nestle and settle himselfe both sure and fast without retracting or departing from any thing of all that whereof he is become seazed and possessed So farre is it off that he should grow ashamed of any of his iugling trickes and cosenages how
creature The creature whatsoeuer or whosoeuer it be that cannot moue him liuing here below saue onely to wrath otherwise then in that he hath beene vouchsafed grace in Iesus Christ and who likewise when he is exalted and taken vp into heauen acknowledging no glorie due to him saue in that that God is glorified cannot but take it an iniurie doue vnto him when any thing is attributed vnto him and cannot but bee readie to say as the Angell said vnto S. Iohn Apocal. 19. 22. Beware and looke well to thy selfe I am thy fellow seruant pointing also out vnto vs with Iohn Baptist the greatest that euer was borne amongst the sonnes of men and saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world the propitiation for our sinnes is onely in his blood turne and betake your selues to him And moreouer our God will be praied vnto in his onely begotten In that grace and fauour purchased through that sacrifice of the Crosse in the vertue and power of his one onely sacrifice made vpon the Crosse for as much as it is hee onely that may and hath power to be both the sacrifice and the sacrificer together all the sacrifices washings purifying of the law hauing relation to no other but this of his which was without spot or blemish all their blood to his blood and all their deathes to that one death and passion of his who likewise alone could as being God and man suffer and ouercome cast downe himselfe into the center of the earth and raise vp himselfe againe farre aboue the heauens be a curse and a blessing and finally laid prostrate by death and raised vp to life all at once And therefore is it said by the Prophet Esay 53. Esa 53. He hath offered his soule an oblation for sinne The good will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper preuaile in his hand He was pearced for our misdeedes Esa 63. He hath taken vppon him our iniquities c. Againe He alone hath trod vppon all our enemies in his wrath No one of the people hath helped him he was alone to treade the wine-presse Heb. 10. Hebr. 9. 2. Ioh. 1. c. And he did it saith the Apostle When in the fulnesse of time he abolished sinne by the offering vp of himselfe He was made a propitiation for our sinnes Hee hath sanctified vs by the oblation of his bodie once offered and hath consecrated for euer those whom he hath sanctified Which thing all the blood of all the Saints from righteous Abell vnto the last Martyr could neuer haue accomplished No not though it had beene but for the sinnes of one onely man no not for the least sinne of that man not although this bloode had risen to the hugenesse of a great floode seeing there is no remission but in the blood of the Sonne of God and to seeke it any where else is to shed his blood againe Act 4.12 is to hold the same shed in vaine and this is to be guilty of it For S. Peter saith There is no saluation in any other There is not any other name giuen vnto men by which they may be saued That the fathers of the old Testament neuer sought for helpe or succour by praier but at the hands of the one onely God Eckius in Enchird And therefore we see proportionablie to this doctrine that the fathers of the old Testament did neuer offer vp or direct their prayers vnto any but to one God alone And this our aduersaries subscribe vnto for so also was it held for a point of sound diuinitie amongst them that seeking of helpe at God by prayer was a part of his seruice and worship due vnto himselfe alone They say that this was for feare that the people who otherwise were readie and apt enough of themselues therevnto should turne aside vnto idolatrie but this is to gesse and not to answere But at the least they confesse that this is the way to slippe into idolatrie The rest say That the fathers prayed not vnto the Patriarkes and Prophetes because they were as yet in the Limbes But this is a thing to bee disputed and debated by vs if here were any place But at the least there were Angels and those oftentimes conuersing and keeping companie with men and hauing therewithall the charge of countries and nations Henoch and Elias also had beene rapt and caried aliue vp into heauen and the latter of them in the sight of Elizeus And yet notwithstanding we do not reade that any people or particular man in so many ages did euer pray vnto any Angel or made choise of any to make intercession to God for him No more then euer Noe or his Sonnes did to Enoch or Eliseus to Elias the sonnes to the father or the disciples to their maister albeit as we know Eliseus were zealously affected to Elias My father the chariot and horsemen of Israel In the new Testament God alone is prayed vnto In the new Testament likewise as little notwithstanding that they hold That the fathers by the descending of Christ into hell were deliuered out of the limbes and caried vppe into heauen Fit matter for the children of Abraham the father of the faithfull to flie vnto him to call vpon him for aide and succour and so of the rest Notwithstanding also that many of the Apostles and disciples suffered presently after for our Lord as Iames Steuen c. during the life time of Saint Peter Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Matter sufficient to serue that it should not bee kept close from vs that besides Iesus Christ wee haue them for our aduocates with God and for intercessors by vertue of their sufferinges and merites And the same may bee said of the holy virgine whome Saint Iohn ouerliued many yeares the aduocate at this day if wee will belieue them of the Church of Rome who at the least should haue beene excepted from these generall rules And here againe they say that the Apostles feared that this might be held for arrogancie in them And why on the behalfe of the Saintes of the old Testament and of the holy virgine Againe That they stoode in doubt least the Gentils should returne againe to their idols But that there might not so many duties of deuotion be lost and let slip could they not make some maner of dispatch or dispensation could they not deuise some way to cure and remedie the same And would they that these babish excuses should passe for currant reasons with vs and that against so expresse textes of the scripture What then say they doe you make no more accompt of the saints of those which haue suffered here on earth for the name of Christ and which now are ascended triumphantly with him vp on high c The honour that is due vnto the Saints 1. Cor. 12. Gal. 2. 2 Cor. 3. Act 9. 14. Tim. 4. Yes verily we honour them more then
owne sonnes as in deed they drew lots for two But and if they belieue not vs yet let them at the least belieue their owne writers Cardinall Hugo saith To the end they might haue tribes as the sonnes of Iacob had And in the same sence hee expoundeth this word Esay 4. Lyranus Et inuocetur c. quia vocati sunt because they are called the adopted sonnes of Iacob and are become heades of two tribes after the manner of his owne children The annotation also of their Fonseca vpon Caietan This is a phrase of speech familiarly vsed of the Hebrewes that the name of this man is called vppon by that man when their meaning is that that man is called by this mans name And thereupon he alleadgeth the fourth of Esay and Daniel 9. Let them also remember themselues of their owne doctrine How that the fathers were in the Limbes that in the Limbes they did not see God neither by consequent know the affaires of men whereupon it followeth by their owne sayings that they could not be called vpon And yet notwithstanding Bellarmine in the time of the cleare light of learning is not ashamed to alleadge this place Eliphaz saith to Iob Iob 5. Call now and see if there be any that will answere thee and turne thy selfe vnto some one of the Saintes c. Which place other expositors doe reade with an interrogatiue point And the summe of the text is That no man when he is chastised of God can say that it is any wrong or iniustice seeing hee hath found as hath beene said before matter of reprehension euen in his Angels And how much more saith hee in them which dwell in these houses of clay c. And thereupon hee addeth Cast thine eies round about and see if thou canst find any amongst the most holy who hath beene punished causelesse But and if they will haue it that by Saintes the Angels are vnderstoode besides that it standeth not with the scope and purpose of the text it is as quickly denied as affirmed and such figures doe not proue or conclude any thing But and if they simplie take it to bee vnderstoode of the Sainte then so much the lesse seeing that they in the Limbes could neither heare norse according to their owne doctrine And certainly S. Ierome if he be the author of those commentaries was not aduised of this doctrine notwithstanding that he three handle this verse by name In the Psalmes saith Cocleus it is said Psal 32. Pro hac orab ad te omnis sanctus The Hebrew saith For this shall euerie holy man pray vnto thee c. The Chaldie For this shall euery good man pray vnto thee in time conuenient that is Because thou art readie to forgiue them which confesse their faultes And so S. Paul hir selfe doth expound it Romaines 4. But in euerie place where they find the name Saiâ—t there they will find inuocation or intercession of the Saints August Hieronym Theodor. in Psal 32. But without any longer staying vpon the matter Sant Augustine intreating vpon this place saith Euery holy man shall pray vnto thee because of impietie and for the remission of sinnes because thou fâ—â—giuest them and otherwise no holy man would pray vnto thee And when In due and conenient time when the new Testament shall be come when the grace of Christ shall be manifeted when in the fulnes of time God shal haue sent his Sonne to redeeme them which were vnder the law c. And this is spoken saith he of all Christians of Saint Paule himselfe who being prickt with the sting of the law cryeth vnto God wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Saint Ierome saith The Saintes doe pray in this life for the remission of their sinnes seeing the most holy are not exempted now is the conuenient time for to obtaine Theodoret in like manner I will not pray vnto thee alone for mine impietie but all those that shall haue the knowledge of thee shall make the same prayers vnto thee Seeing saith he that vnder the new Testament Haimo in Psal 32. Bernard serm 73. in Cant. the faithfull by sea and by land shall praise God by the singing of the Psalmes of Dauid c. Haimo The remission of iniquitie is good and for the obtaining thereof euerie holy man will pray vnto thee in a time conuenient that is to say in this life in which alone prayer can obtaine the same Saint Bernard For this saith he c. Seeing saith he that the Saintes haue need to pray to God for their owne sinnes to bee saued by his mercie they being nothing able to trust and leane to their owne righteousnesse c. And againe Pro hac orabit O misericors c. Idem in ep ad Henric. Senens Archiep. Euerie Saint whosoeuer saith hee shall pray vnto thee O most mercifull father for his iniquitie becomming a humble suter for the sence and feeling of his sinne and miserie and yet notwithstanding a Saint for that he consenteth not vnto it in that be delighteth and taketh pleasure in the law according to the inward man c. And Cardinall Hugo saith For all the Saints and holy men haue need to pray vnto God for the remission of their owne sins c. And in a couenient time that is to say in this present life according to that which is said labour whiles it is day c. Farre enough off then from the exposition of our aduersaries That the saintes deceased doe pray for vs. And Lyranus followeth Saint Ierome Cardinall Caietanus and Arias Montanus translate it Super hac not Pro hac that is saith Caietanus That euerie Saint shall pray vnto God for to obtaine the blessed fauour of his diuine righteousnesse c. Here is no question then of praying for another in an other life And as little proofe is there to bee gathered out of Psalme 121. Psalm 121. I haue lifted saith Dauid mine eies towardes the mountaines from whence succour shall come vnto me c. By the hils they will vnderstand the Saintes This is a figure And by these hils some vnderstood the scriptures as Saint Augustine others the heauens as Euthymius some the Saintes as Caâ—siodorus Of such sortes of speaking there followeth no good argument But let vs take them in whatsoeuer sence they will If it bee to the Saintes they were according to their owne doctrine in the Limbes and therefore in vaine for that purpose they had more need to haue cast downe then to haue lifted vp their eyes But they should at the least haue considered what followeth My succour commeth from the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And then not from all or any of these creatures bee they neuer so high and eminent And this is that which Saint Augustine saith No man can vnderstand by these mountaines great personages August in psal 121.
not able to counteruaile the glorie that is to come and which is to be reuealed in vs. But in the meane time they are not ashamed to oppose vnto so cleare a doctrine so plainly handled by all the Apostles by Saint Paul in all his Epistles a place of Saint Paul himselfe I reioyce saith he now in my sufferings for you Coloss 1.24 and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body which is the Church Whereupon it followeth say they that men by their afflictions and sufferings may satisfie for the sinnes of others And we will obserue by the way that it is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertul. aduers Marcion l. ◠c. 19. Timo. ◠15 which Tertullian and S. Ambrose translate with vs Reliqua the rest and not that which lacketh But here againe what will they dare to say vnto vs That S. Paul by his afflictions hath satisfied for himselfe Not so For it is a sure thing saith he that Iesus Christ is come into the world to saue sinners whereof I am the chiefest Againe To shew in me the chiefest all manner of clemencie for an example to them which shall belieue in him vnto eternall life c. I doe saith he the ill I would not but the good that I would that I doe not Philip. 3.6 Notwithstanding that I find not my selfe guiltie of any thing yet know I that I am not iustified thereby Howbeit that according to the righteousnesse which is in the Law J am vnreproueable yet I haue accounted all this to be losse vnto me I haue accompted it as dung for the loue of Christ that is to be found in him not according to mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law 1. Cor. 2.2 but according to that which is of the faith of Christ. And of Christ saith he elsewhere crucified What hath hee in these speeches that may sauour of pharisaicall righteousnesse That dooth holde any thing of the doctrine of our Masters concerning supererogation Againe the words of the place it selfe are repugnant thereunto For it saith In my sufferings for you in mine afflictions for the body of Christ which is the Church What then Shall he haue satisfied for an other For the temporall punishments of the Colossians For the Church of Christ And how should he possbly doe it for an other when he findeth not himselfe able and sufficient to pay his owne debt And that not in the way or words of Christian modestie or humilitie but in good sooth earnest Philip. 3. 1. Cor. 15. ◠Who haue whereupon to boast saith he in the flesh more then any other circumcised the eight day of the race of Israell of the Tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew borne of the Hebrewes a Pharisie in Religion vpright according to the Law and after all this called of Christ to bee an Apostle and yet notwithstanding as one borne out of time and notwithstanding an vnprofitable seruant And how then for the Colossians Reconciled on the contrarie saith he in the body of the flesh of Christ by his death Coloss 1. 2. when they were enemies and straungers redeemed by his bloud for the remission of their sinnes quickned by his grace when they were dead in their iniquities by the blotting out of the Obligation of eternall death which was betweene them fastning it with him vnto his Crosse But how in the end for the body of Christ which is the Church Which God saith he in an other place hath purchased vnto himself by his own bloud reconciling to himselfe the world in Christ Acts. 20.28 2. Cor. 5. in not imputing vnto it her sinnes making the Church one bodie wherof he is the head gathering and ioyning together into this bodie vnto God many nations by his Crosse c. If they say that the sufferings of S. Paul do supply the want of that of Christs but dare they say it And what shal that be I pray you that shall fulfil become a sufficient supply of that which of it selfe is infinite Shal man become the supply to the Son of God Ephes 2. Falsehood vntruth vnto verity sin vnto iustice mans infirmitie vnto the power might of God vnto saluation c. Nay verily not so S. Paul did neuer thinke of that but saith he I am a Minister of this Gospel by which you are reconciled vnto God And notwithstanding that I must suffer much in my ministerie for you yet I reioyce neuertheles in my sufferings Philip. 2. partly because that I suffer for the name of Christ. As he saith in an other place If it be requisite that I be offered vp a sprinkling vpon the sacrifice I reioyce together with you c. Partly because he himselfe suffreth in me who vouchsafeth to allow our afflictions as his own for that we are his members And therfore he saith in an other place Ambros in Epist ad Colo. As the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so likewise our consolation by Christ c. And this is it likewise which the old writers haue deliuered vpon this place altogether otherwise then our late writers Saint Ambrose He confesseth saith he that he reloyceth in his sufferings because he seeth the belieuers profiting in faith c And these sufferings saith hee he saith that they are Christs Hieronym in Ep ad Colos Chrysost in Ep. ad Coloss c. 1. in 2. ad Cor c. 1. ho. 1. because it is his doctrine which they persecute And S. Ierome by the sufferings of Christ vnderstandeth the sufferings for Christ c. Chrysostome The Apostle saith hee seemeth to haue spoken something arrogantly but it is nothing else but an exceeding great measure of good will that he beareth towards Christ. That which I suffer saith he to the Collossians J suffer it for him and therefore it is not to me that you owe any thankes but vnto himselfe Theodoret Because that hee suffereth for the preaching of the Gospell vnto the Gentiles Occumen ex Photio procuring their life by the same c. Oecumenius All that we suffer saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rest or remnant farre differing from the sufferings of Christ For how should it possibly bee matched and fulfilled A master his suffering for his seruant by a seruant his suffering for his master What equalitie is there therein Or any thing neere thereunto He who is without sinne suffering for sinners And those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obstinately set against him How will it bee made vp by a sinfull people suffering for their benefactor and the same without sinne c Far differing from the arrogancie of our aduersaries who will that S. Paul did merite by his sufferings and that both for himselfe and an other and for the Church also c. It is sufficient therefore that hitherto we plainely and clearely see that inuocation intercession and the imployment of the merits of the Saints
assist him Afterward the Deacon nameth The holy mother of God S. Michael S. Gabriel S. Raphael and S. Iohn The people answereth O Christ heare them Anno. 1000. c. In the yeare 1000 wheras it had beene accustomed to denounce their Excommunications in the Church in the power and authoritie of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost they began to mingle therewithal the Virgine Marie and the Saints And this is apparant by the Councell of Rhemes C. 12. By the authoritie saith he of the Almightie God Concil Rhemens c. 12. c. and by the mediation of the Virgine Mary c. We Excommunicate curse condemn c. In Germanie notwithstanding this forme was not as yet receiued as is to bee seene in that which Barnard Bishop of Halberstat pronounceth against the Emperour Otho neither yet in the other agends of the same age and time But afterward all the Saints were put into it and so it passeth for the common and ordinarie forme The absoluing likewise of penitents by the loosing key as they cal it Anno. 1100. Anselm in lib. de excellent Virg Mar. was conceiued and vttered in these tearmes to wards the yere 1000. The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the merits of the blessed Virgine of S. Peter of S. Paul and of all the Saints and furthermore whatsoeuer good thou shalt doe or whatsoeuer ill thou shalt suffer worke and procure the remission of thy sinnes About the yeare 1100 Anselme reasoned strongly in a treatise made of purpose of the excellencie of the Virgine Mary Christ saith the Apostle is the power and wisedome of God in him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge but Christ is in Mary therefore all the treasures c. are in Marie And by the same argument may be concluded the verie same of all the faithfull for hee is said to dwell in the belieuers In the meane time it is from hence that hee gathereth all these goodly consequences Quòd Domina quòd Mediatrix quòd Saluatrix That shee is the Ladie of heauen and earth in the right of a mother Queene of Angels the repairer of mankind and by consequent the Mother as God is the Creator by consequent the Father And it was at this time also that Hermanus Contractus Conte of Vringhē in Germanie did make the Salue Regina which notwithstanding was not receiued into the church of Rome Anno. 1250. til about 150. years after in the time of Pope Gregory the ninth But would we see in the meane time a memorable example The Inuocating of God alone by Iesus Christ retained in the cōforting of the sicke and neere vnto death Anselm in Epist manuscript shewing that these abuses came not in all at a blow how this Inuocation of the Saints insinuated and crept into the Masse was not as yet growne to the corrupting of that consolation which men had that were in the extremitie of death and how God mercifully sparing his people after all these impieties reserued and kept vntoucht their consolation in their saluation by one onely Iesus Christ to be soundly taught and deliuered vnto them at the howre of their death It is found in the Epistles of this Anselme that there was a forme of comforting the sicke which I haue thought worthie to bee set downe here euen whole and intire such as it was Doest thou reioyce and cheare vp thy selfe saith the Priest to the sicke partie that thou diest in the faith of Christ The aunswere yea Doest thou confesse that thou hast liued so wickedly as that nothing is due to thy deserts but euerlasting punishment A. yea Art thou hartily sorie and grieued for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that our Lord Jesus Christ died for thee A. yea Doest thou giue him thankes for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that thou canst not bee saued but by his death A. yea Wherefore then whiles thou possessest thy soule repose thy whole saluation in this his only death put not thy trust and confidence in any other thing trust and commit thy selfe wholly to this death couer thy selfe with it onely with it onely wrap thy selfe all ouer And if the Lord God would iudge thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of Jesus Christ our Lord betwixt thee and my demerits I offer and tender vnto thee his merites in stead of that which ought to bee in me and is not If hee yet further replie vpon thee saying that he is angrie with thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt me and thine anger And this being ended let the sicke partie say three times Lord I commend my spirit into thy hands Of the same veine is the difference which we obserue betweene the life Bernard in paruis Ser. 23. Idem Serm. 15. Psal 91. the extreame sicknesse of S. Barnard He saith verie excellently well sometimes He that will come let him come after me let him come by me let him come to me After me saith the Lord for I am the truth by me for I am the way vnto me for I am the life c. Againe I will deliuer him because he hath trusted in me Not saith hee in Sentinels or Nightwatches not in man not in any Angell but in me expecting good from none but me onely For preseruation and deliuerance must not onely be of me but from me And of the Virgine Marie hee saith Idem Ep. 174. She hath no need of false and counterfeit honour being as shee is in the midst and vpheaped measure of true and sound honour It is not to honour her but to take her honour from her The feast of the Conception was neuer well instituted c. But it is as true that in other places hee helpeth forward and setteth vp this abuse euen so farre as to say Thou hast O man a sure accesse to God where the Mother is before the Sonne the Sonne before the Father the Mother shewing vnto the Sonne her bosome and her brests the Sonne shewing to his Father his fide and his wounds Vpon the point of death notwithstanding seeing himselfe drawne before the iudgement seate of God and Sathan before him his accuser he remembreth not any thing but the wounds of the Sonne hee hath quite forgotten the bosome of the mother Gothfrid in vita Berr ard l. 5. I confesse saith he that I am not worthie by my merites to obtaine the kingdome of heauen but my Lord doth hold it by a double title both as his inheritance from his Father and as his purchase by the price and merite of his death and passion he will content himselfe with the one and bestow the other vpon me And so by vertue of this gift I giue it to my selfe I am not confounded As likewise he hath said verie excellently in an other place I seeke my salue in the wounds and stripes of my Lord my merites in the mercies
thing was said to be done And here it is not to be forgotten that Bonauenture saith that when he was dead these scarres and printes were seene and acknowledged by many in so much as that some of them put nailes into them And Mathias Paris on the contrary a Monke that liued at the time of his death of a longer standing and more auncient by fortie yeares then Bonauenture writeth in his Chronicle that there was not any manner of print to be seene after his death And yet the man was not to bee suspected for the matter Dominick for he speaketh as superstitiously as any of the rest And haue they said any lesse of Dominick Nay rather it belonged to them to incroach dayly enter deeper into blasphemy And so much the more because of the emulation raised betwixt these two orders because that Dominick who was the formost in time seemed to come last in reputation account Anton. Archicp in tit 23. c. 11. the Archb. Antonine therefore that was of this order peiseth his miracles not against those of S. Frauncis but against the miracles of our Lord giueth them the start prerogatiue both for number for greatnes Christ saith he raised but three from death at all Dominick at Rome onely raised as many and 40. neere to Tholosa which were drowned on horsebacke in the riuer Garona besides infinite others Christ after his resurrection went in to his disciples the dores being shut Dominick whilet yet he bare about this mortall bodie which is much more went into the temple the dores being fast Now by the way let vs note that this was by their owne speech either by the proprietie of a spirituall and glorified bodie or els by an Almightie power And thus he goeth through all the miracles of our Lord alwaies preferring and giuing S. Dominick the vpper hand To be short Christ said after his death All power is giuen to me in heauen and in earth and verily saith he this power was not in a small measure communicated bestowed vpon Dominicke ouer all things in heauen earth or hell and that euen in this life for he had Angels to attend vpō and serue him the elements obaied him and the deuils trembled vnder him And this he laieth downe in many examples He addeth further that at Rome there were two images the one of S. Paul and the other of S. Dominick that at the feet of the former was written Per istum itur ad Christum by this men go to Christ and at the feet of the latter Facilius itur per istum but more easily and readily by this man that is to say by Dominicke That is saith Antonine Because that the doctrine of Paul and the Apostles induced and persuaded men to belieue but Dominicks to obserue and keep the councels Which is a shorter course and cut And thus you may already see that he was more then S. Paul and all the Apostles But what shall we say now of that which followeth Quia saith he Domino nostro similis est Dominicus aptissimé denominatus est verie fitlie and rightly was he called Dominicke because he was like Domino to our Lord. And he was possessiuelie in possession that which our Lord was authoritatiuely in authoritie for the Lord said I am the light of the world and the Church singeth of Dominick you are the light of the world The Prophets beare witnesse Domino vnto the Lord and to Dominicke also Zacharie 11. I haue chosen me two roddes the one I haue called Decorem beautie that is to say the order of Saint Dominicke the other Funiculum a corde or band that is the order of the Gray friers thus they abuse the scripture Dominus that is to say our Lord was borne on the bare earth but the virgine for feare of cold laid him in a manger Dominicus from his swathing clothes abhorring the pamperinges and tender delightes of the worlde was found oftentimes by his nurse lying all naked vpon the bare earth For our Lord there appeared a starre in beauen in token that he did lighten the whole world In the forehead likewise of Dominicke as he was baptised the Godmother espied a star signifying a new light to be borne into the world c. The praier of our Lord was euer more heard when he would for in the garden that which he asked of a fleshlie desire hee would not obtaine according to reason But Dominick neuer demanded any thing of God which he did not whollie enioy according to his owne desire Dominus that is our Lord loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood Dominicke through a perfection of charitie tooke euerie daie three disciplines or corrections from his owne hand not with a corde but with an iron chaine euen to the causing of his blood to runne downe One for his faults though they were verie small another for those that were in Purgatorie and the third for them that liued here in the world c. And thus this Archbishop Antonine draweth this comparison through all the parts of the life of our Lord. In a word our Lord being to depart out of this world promiseth the Comforter vnto his disciples And Dominick saith vnto his Be not grieued for I wil do you more good in the place whither I go then I haue done here for there you haue me a better aduocate then any other that you can haue there c. And what shall now become of that which S. Iohn saith vnto vs If we haue sinned we haue an aduocate euen Iesus the righteous c. And notwithstanding these blasphemies are authorized by the Church of Rome for the good establishment that they haue procured vnto the Popes their authoritie for Gregorie the ninth canonized Dominicke in the yeare 1223. ordained a festiual day to be kept vnto him authorized also his rule and order and bestowed priuiledges vppon the same Now hee that writ these thinges was an Archbishop of Plorence high accounted of amongst our aduersaries Albert. Krant in hist Saxon. l. 9. c. 7. Abb. Trithem in Chronic. Hirsaughtiens But in the meane time they are warie enough not to tell vs any thing amongst the rest of their miracles of that which Krantzius reporteth vnto vs That one Bernard a Iacobine Confessor and Chaplen to the Emperour Henrie the 7. did poison him in the host Whereupon saith Trithemius the Abbot Pope Clement the fift inioyned them for a marke of reproch and ignominie that the Priests of their order from thence forward should neuer receiue or deliuer the communion but with the left hand An example for the Popes of these times to ordaine by the same reason that they should as yet be restrained from the vse of their right hand in detestation of the murther committed by frier Clement a Iacobine vpon the person of K. Henry the third In a word to come to our purpose Bullae fraternitatum ordinis
relieued if by grace we bee not borne againe in Christ. What then and what shall become of so many goodly vertues of the Pagans Let it neuer be imagined saith he that there can be any true vertue in him that is not iust let it neuer bee imagined that there is any truely iust if he liue not ex fide by faith Fabricius his torments shall be more easie then Catilines not because he was a good man but because he was not so wicked Without faith it is impossible to please God but they haue not expressed anie faith in their workes neither therefore had they anie in their heartes c. The man saith he in another place must first be changed before his workes be changed Antequà m iustificetur impius quid est nisi impius Idem serm 12. de verb. Dom. Idem cp 106. Before the wicked man bee iustified what is hee but a wicked and vngodly man c. Can there then be any thing in man whereby he may help himselfe to come vnto God except he bee first changed and regenerate by his spirite And where becommeth then our free will Hearken Man saith he abusing his free will Idem in Enchilid c. 30. hath lost both himselfe and his free will for as he which killeth himselfe in killing of himselfe liueth no more nor hath any power to raise himselfe to life againe hauing once slaine himselfe so man in sinning by his free wil and sinne becomming conqueror hath lost his free will For of whom a man is ouercome his seruant hee is and therefore man cannot be free and at libertie to worke iustly if he bee not deliuered from the thraldome of sinne and made the seruant of righteousnesse But how shall this libertie be purchased and restored to man againe being solde giuen vp and captiuated c. if he be not ransomed by him who hath said If the Sonne deliuer and set you free you shall be truely free that is to say if he cast you not in a new mould by his grace to be new creatures in Christ Idem de spirit liter tom 3. Tu non poâ—uâ—sti in te nâ—si perdere te Idem ad Bonif l. 1. c. 3. Idem de fide ad Petr. Diaco c. And therefore these are his ordinarie Maxims Free will auaileth vs nothing neyther standeth it vs in any stead it hath no power at all except it be to sinne Thou hast nothing resting in thee but the meanes of destroying thy selfe neither doest thou know to finde thy selfe except hee that made thee doe seeke thee vp Yea saith hee if he doe not draw thee that is to say if he giue thee not to belieue in Christ a power that hath no iotte of free will a power which is not but from God alone For hee concludeth in another place Euerie man is borne in originall sinnne by consequent the child of wrath and from that wrath no man can be saued but by the faith of the Mediator And no man can repent himselfe here if God doe not inlighten him if by his free and vndeserued mercy he do not conuert and turne him vnto him Prosp Aquit ad Capitul Vincent Prosper Aquitanus By the wound of originall sinne the nature of all men was corrupted and killed in Adam whence is sprung out the disease of all concupiscences and lustes and against the which there is no other remedie but the death of Christ c. Yea saith he a disease that he would needes haue and which by him was needfull for vs. For saith hee to him not to sinne was no other thing then not to be willing to sinne Idem de vita contemplat c. 2. but it is not enough for vs to be willing to liue without reprehension our will being vicious and hindered by our feeble and faint possibilitie that which was in him of pleasure choise is become to vs a necessitie euen to sinne And if you say any thing to him of the workes of infidelles hee aunswereth you in these verses Idem in epigram 81. in l. de ingrat passim Per omnes calles errat sapientia mundi Et tenebris addit quae sine luce gerit This light which he calleth faith when he saith in another place Omne etenim probitatis opus nisi semine verae Exoritur fidei peccatum est nique reatum Vertitur stirilis cumulat sibi gloria poenam Cyrillus Alexandrinus He that is become thrall to the seruitude and slauerie of sinne although that he haue cast himself of his owne free wil into this miserable slauerie cannot notwithstanding shake off this yoke when he pleaseth he must seeke deliuerance in another that is in the Sonne of God Let vs neuer make triall of or attempt any other way for the recouering of our libertie for by him alone is graunted our full freedome from sinne to the ende that sinne may not rule or raigne anie more in our mortall bodies and that in the world to come it may not find any place in vs. From whence in two wordes wee gather thus much That in our owne nature we are the seruants of sinne That it raigneth in vs without any gainsay to the procuring of the punishments that are after this life if we bee not renewed in Christ Petr. Diac. c. Episc Orient ad Fulgen. c. Episc Afric Damnatur mortis paena Petrus Diaconus ad Fulgentium Adam hauing willingly transgressed the law of God is by his iust iudgement condemned to suffer the punishment of death and is allâ— holly throughâ—ut that is to say both in bodie and soule changed into worse and hauing lost his owne freedome is become a slaue to serue the filthie drudgerie of sinne Thereupon it is that no man commeth into this worlde free from the bondes of sinne except hee who for the vnloosing of these bondes was begotten after a new kinde of conception the Mediator of God and men Iesus Christ. For what can base and vile man beget but that which is base and vile And therefore as euerie man is of Adam â—oret Pighius so by Adam euerie man is the seruant of sinne Rom. 5. c. And such deceiue themselues as say that death but not sinne hath passed throughout mankind when as there is not one of all the sonnes of men which is deliuered from this damnation death but by the grace of the redeemer c. without this grace a man might think and desire humane things but he could not either thinke of or haue any will vnto the things concerning God For the first principall foundation thereof is to belieue in the Lord of glorie crucified This commeth not from the libertie of our free will or naturall will for flesh and blood doe not reueale the same but the heauenly father to whom he will drawing him vnto this true libertie not by a violent necessitie but by a gentle infusing of his holy
counteruaile eternal life and of too shallow and short a measure in respect of infinite blessednesse yea though it were the merite of the holy Virgine and that conceiued or not conceiued be it as you will in originall sinne For if shee were conceiued in originall sinne shee is freely redeemed as well as any other and regenerate and borne againe of meere grace as well as any other But and if shee were not which yet the holy Scripture denieth that was also of the worke and operation of the same grace and furthermore the greater shee is the deepelier is shee bound vnto God and the further off from merite as also from hauing any occasion to be proud beeing on the contrarie so much the more to carrie her selfe in a greater measure of dutifulnesse and humilitie in respect of so rich and aboundant mercies bestowed vpon her so freely and vndeseruedly by the high and mightie God According to that which is said Vnto whome much is giuen and committed Luk 12.24 of him shall so much the more bee required againe c. CHAP. XVII That the Regenerate man cannot merite eternall life either for himselfe or for anie other LEt vs come to the condition of the regenerate man to the state of grace Proofes out of the holy Scripture as it is called and let vs see if any one standing in that state before God can merite of him by his workes either his owne saluation or an other mans The Scripture speaketh verie highly of mans Regeneration it setteth him before vs as a man new moulded and cast by the effectuall power and working of the holy Ghost in all and euerie one of his parts and members Now what better way to comprehend and conceiue the fall and ruine then by the reedified repaired parts Coloss 1.3 Acts. 15. Ephe. 1. Coloss 2.13 Gala. 5. Rom. 6. Coloss 7. Rom. 8.14 For the spirit of Christ deliuereth vs from the power of darknesse being dead as we were in sinne he quickneth and maketh vs aliue he purgeth our hearts by faith he inlightneth the eyes of our vnderstanding by the knowledge of God He destroyeth the bodie of sinne He mortifieth yea crucifieth the old man with all the diseases concupiscences and affections of the flesh He maketh vs the children of God and as we are such to crie Abba that is to say father But dooth it follow of all this that after Regeneration we are either cleane from all sinne or that we can attaine vnto it in this world Such as doe flatter themselues in making their sinne small should therewithall thinke that a small thing should repaire and make vp the breach But what then will they say when as of necessitie for the sauing of this miserable flesh the word must be made flesh When for the deliuering of vs from the seruitude of sinne hee must needes become sinne himselfe who had neuer knowne any sinne Or will they thinke that the flesh bee it neuer so wholly and throughly regenerate will bee able to doe all things Or would they flie vp with their owne wings to heauen without Iacobs Ladder the helpe of the Lord or his merite More readie as yet by their pride to loose the benefit of Regeneration then our Father was to loose the excellent gifts he had by his Creation at the suggestion of the woman But let vs heare how the Scripture speaketh J am saith S. Paul crucified with Christ I liue Gala. 2.16 no more I but Christ in me and the life that I liue now in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and who hath giuen himselfe for me What could he haue spoken of more excellencie And where is that regenerate man that can vtter any thing more boldly then hee hath done this And yet therewithall heare him comming from the setting foorth of the praises of the grace receiued by God to the consideration of his owne infirmitie I see saith hee an other Law in my members Rom. 7. fighting against the Law of my vnderstanding and making me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members c. That is to say I feele concupiscence the bud of the flesh c. And this Lawe this concupiscence if thou be in doubt doe not thinke that it is good For I know saith he that in me that is to say in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing To will well is readie with me but J doe not find the meanes to performe or doe it Nay this concupiscence is euil for he addeth thee hereunto The euill is readie with me and fast sticking vnto me I doe the euil that I would not euen the euill that I hate that is to say which I condemne in my mind and such euill as is repugnant vnto the Law of God which cannot be called any thing but sinne according to that which S. Iohn saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All whatsoeuer is against the Lawe is sinne euen to the obeying of my flesh and not the Law of my God which J consent vnto and agree to be good but vnto the Law of sinne which I condemne and dislike of in my spirit And againe This sinne is sinne in such a manner and degree as that it forceth me to confesse that it is sinne in deed For if the Law had not said Thou shalt not lust I had not knowne sinne but now I knowe it And it hath such a deepe roote in me as that I am constrained to crie Miserable man that J am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Yea and it hath fruit also which it beareth and bringeth forth in me Sinne dwelleth in me euen the sinne which begetteth death which hath no other wages but death which also in stead of being brought vnder by the Law of God is lifted vp by the nature thereof and armed to rebell against it taking occasion from the same to multiplie and increase Rom. 8. Gala. 5. Coloss 3. Ephe. 4. It is prouoked and enraged like a maligne Vlcer against the salue Thus speaketh S. Paul of this sinne and not as it is in the Infidels but as it is in the regenerate and those not of the weakest sort of the regenerate but as it was in himselfe concluding generally and euerie where that he hath need to spoyle destroy kill and crucifie the same and that yet notwithstanding all this doe what he can 2. Cor. 4.10 it will not all be vanquisht and subdued at one blow For Howbeit saith he that our outward man be decaied and cast downe yet our inward is renued euerie day And yet notwithstanding not in any such measure of perfection as that any man can vaunt or boast himselfe to haue wholy put on the one and put off the other in this world For In this world wee shall neuer grow vp together and become perfect men Ephe. 4 13. according to the measure of the perfect stature of Christ
Serm. de verit mater 27. by the same grace the meanes to cause it to become and prooue such And therefore saith he Man is not onely said to haue the grace of God because he is beloued of God vnto eternall life but also because he giueth him a gift by the which he maketh him wore thie of eternall life which we cal gratiam gratum facientem Grace which maketh a man acceptable that is to wit this faith infused by the holie Ghost into our hearts by the which saith he all the fathers of the olde Testament became acceptable to God and iustified and whereby wee also are deliuered from sinne and death And this fayth saith hee quickeneth the soule by grace Galat. 2. It purgeth it from sinnes Actes 17. c. It giueth righteousnesse vnto the soule Rom. 3. It betrotheth and affianceth vs vnto God Osee 2. Iden in 1.2 q. 102 art 5 Idem in expos 1. Decret In offic de corp Christ In Hymno Tert. summ q. 4.49 arr 1. AEgid Fom c. 12. l. Examer l. 2. c. 4. It adopteth men to be the sonnes of God 1. Iohn 2. It causeth vs to approch and draw neere vnto God Heb. 11. Finally by it men attaine the hire of eternall life Iohn 6. c. Againe To establish and strengthen a sincere heart onelie faith sufficeth c. By faith the passion of Christ is applied vnto vs that so wee may be able to receiue the fruits thereof Rom. 3. It is vnto vs both the beginning and cause of righteousnesse Rom. 8. That righteousnesse which is by the faith of Christ c. Yea and yet Aegidius saith further That all our good workes are the workes of God Thou hast O Lord saith Esai wrought and brought to passe our workes And wee are not sufficient saith the Apostle to thinke anie good of our selues it is he which maketh vs righteous and which effecteth in vs the workes of righteousnesse Nowe were it not better to holde him to these Maximes and to the conclusions necessarily insuing heereof as that wee owe vnto the infinite grace of God our iustification to the perfect and absolute righteousnesse of Christ our righteousnesse to God by Iesus Christ the beginning middest and ende of our saluation according to the Scriptures then according to the curious Meditations which happen vnto the most excellent wittes when the drie and barren veine ouertaketh them to seeke our saluation in our selues in whome there is nothing to bee found but destruction or for any thing wherewith we may pay God or wherewith we may purchase eternall life both for our selues and others out of our owne stocks and prouision In the meane time wee see howe the succeeding ages learned to build vpon these strawie and stubblie foundations Thomas had said That free-will mooued by the grace of God proceeded vnto good workes and became fellow-worker with his grace These men say That free-will of his owne nature dooth such workes as that they merit that God should illuminate the worker with his grace giue him faith c. In such sort as that the vnbeleeuers doe merit of God by their workes not any more the gift of faith and righteousnesse but faith and righteousnesse for a hire which they call Meritum de congruo as a man would say of well beseeming meaning thereby that if not for righteousnesse yet at the least for seemlinesse sake God is bound to giue them his grace See I pray you how this matter agreeth with the Scripture Whatsoeuer is done without faith cannot please God With Saint Augustine The workes of all vnbeleeuers considered in them are sinnes As also with Thomas Whereas God is mooued to distribute his grace it is not in consideration of ante merits gone before or to come but of his free grace and good will sed ex mera gratia And this is the same likewise which the Schoole-men say in their dunsicall doctrine That man by his naturall power doing that which is in himselfe without faith and without the holy Ghost is able to merit de congruo that God should giue him grace And Gabriel Biel expoundeth these woordes Gab. Biel. in 3. sent d. 27. In 4. Sent. d. 14 q. 1. d. 14 l. 3. q. 2. That which is in himselfe louing God saith he aboue all things And this he affirmeth that Man may doe of his owne naturall power Whereas notwithstanding in deed the case standeth thus that loue proceedeth from knowledge and that imperfect knowledge cannot beget perfect loue Yea hee passeth further for saith he as no subiect receiueth anie forme except it be prepared and fitted thereunto euen so it is requisite that our soule should bee prepared for the infusion of grace which is our formall righteousnesse before God and this it commeth to be by the meanes of free-will which maketh a man to know his sinne and to be displeased with himselfe for the same which he calleth dispositionem praeuiam after which he resolueth to loue God aboue all which he calleth dispositionem concomitantem which maketh the soule apt to receiue the stampe and marke namely the infusion of his grace by this act so meriting the same euen so farre foorth as that grace of necessitie and that verie speedilie is infused into it Neither more nor lesse saith hee then in naturall things vltima immediata dispositio necessitat ad formam Which is as much to say in plaine English as that our free-will dooth not onely merit grace at Gods hande for seemelinesse sake but euen of necessitie and perforce Quite contrarie to that which Saint Paule repeateth so often times By grace Thomas likewise Mera liberalitate meragratia c. As also cleane contrarie to that that hee maketh Grace the beginning of our saluation in intention and the effectiue in the execution c. Thomas againe had saide That free-will deliuereth by the grace of God and worketh certaine actions auailable to the purging and taking away of veniall sinnes as also to the stirring vp of the increase of grace But such as come after staie not there For this infused grace of God by the merit of the free-will of man is turned by them into a state and disposition of the spirit made conformable to the Law and will of God by which Man saith this Gabriell also is not onely deliuered from bond of damnation but also is made worthie of life and eternall glorie And the soule saith he informed and taught by this grace by an action drawne partly from this grace and partly from a mans owne will doth merit eternall life not any more de congruo that is to say of congruitie or for seemelinesse sake but de condig no for hauing done a deed worthie of the same that is to say by righteousnesse For euen so doe they define it That the workes of the regenerate done in charitie in this life deserue eternall life in as much as it is to be rendred and giuen to good workes
in all the seuerall tearmes and times of the same whether before the Lawe vnder the Law or vnder the time of grace that hee is figured in all the sacrifices and exhibited in all the Sacraments as well old as new as they which are at all times vnprofitable without Christ and which cannot be fruitfull but in Christ who onely is both the foundation and the substance Saint Paul said to the Corinthians J would not saith he that you should be ignorant c. that our Fathers haue all eaten of the same spirituall meate and all drunke of the same spirituall drinke 1. Cor. 10. for they drunke of the spirituall rocke which followed them and that rocke was Christ The Apostle expressing by the words of eating and drinking the communion which they had in Christ euen Christ slaine sacrificed crucified who otherwise did not profit either them or vs. But some make answere that S. Paul meaneth that they did verily eate amongst themselues of one the same meate c. but not of the verie same that we This is the thing that wee must see and trie Certainely the scope and drift of the Apostle is plaine as to shew vnto the Corinthians that they deceiued themselues to put their trust in the vse of the Sacraments not ceasing in the meane time to prouoke God by their abuses But saith hee our Fathers had Sacraments as well as we they eate and drunke the same meate and drinke and notwithstanding such of them as prouoked God could not put off or avoide their destruction If S. Paul had not meant it by way of comparing of the Christians with the Iewes what should the force of his argument haue bene And had they not libertie to haue replied they did not eate Christ as we doe c. But the old writers shall decide vs this controuersie Tertullian This water saith he which distilled and ranne from the rocke Tertul. de Bapt aduer Marcion l. 0. which followed the people was Baptisme for if the rocke were Christ vndoubtedly we see that Baptisme is blessed through the water in Christ. Againe Marcion hath striken himselfe against the rocke whereof our fathers drunke in the wildernesse c. Origen The same which the Iewes call the way and passage through the Sea S. Paul calleth Baptisme and that which they call the cloud Orig. in Exod. c. 7. hom 5. he taketh for the holy Ghost and would haue it to be vnderstood according to that which our Lord saith in the Gospell If a man be not borne againe of water and of the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Againe the Manna which the Jewes tooke for carnall meate is called by him a spirituall meate c. And he goeth ouer it againe a litle after in the same Homely S. August in Iohannem tract 45. Augustine The times are changed but not the faith in diuers signes is signified one and the same faith as in diuers words they belieue the same things to come afterward which we belieue to be alreadie come and therfore saith the Apostle they haue drunke one the same spiritual drinke yea spiritual not corporal for they drunke of the spirituall rocke and the same was Christ thus you may behold one self-same faith but diuers signes There Christ is the rocke vnto vs Christ is that which is set vpon the Altar And they for a great Sacrament of the said Christ did drinke the water that ran from the rocke But as for vs the faithfull know what we drinke if thou regard looke vpon the outward forme which is visible it is an other thing but if thou looke vpon the inuisible signification they haue drunke the same spiritual drink c. And in another place They haue eaten the same spiritual meate What is this same but that which we our selues do also eate Idem de vtilit paenit c. Certainely I know not what should be the meaning of the same meate if it be not that which we our selues do eate For there were some that tasted Christ in their harts more then the Manna in their mouthes which made a spirituall construction of this visible meate c. and did hunger and thirst after it c. Againe expounding this place of S. Iohn This is the bread that came downe from heauen c. The Manna saith he the Altar of God c. Idem in Ioh. tract 26. in Psal 77. Epiph. l. 1.3 haue signified this bread These things were Sacraments diuers and dislike in the signes but like and the very same as concerning the thing signified Giue eare to the Apostle now brethren I would not haue you ignorant c. Epiphanius reasoneth after the same manner that Tertullian dooth against Marcion They did eate saith he the same meate and drunke the same drinke euen Christ and in truth saith the Apostle and not in shew or appearance onely They obiect and alleadge against vs in this point Saint Chrysostome who in truth speaketh of the Manna and water as figures of our Sacraments But so as that he addeth these words Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. Idem in Homil. Nolite ignorate fratres Howsoeuer these things were sensible yet in deede the truth is that they ministred vnto vs the apprehension of spirituall matters not by the consequence of nature but by the grace of the gift and nourished the soule with the bodie inducing and perswading them vnto faith c. Likewise expounding this place elsewhere in an Homely for the purpose he findeth therein in diuers considerations an equalitie and in deed the argument of the Apostle dooth otherwise lose his force Likwise the similitude that Chrysostome vseth in the same homely That one and the same king is delineated and drawne with a former and sleighter draught and afterward set forth in liuely colours and yet is euermore the same king So Christ in the two Testaments Bed in 1. Cor. 10. and in their Sacraments c. Beda vpon this place vseth the verie words of S. Augustine without changing any thing therein at all Bertram a Priest in the time of Charles the bald Thou askest saith hee what same meate Verily Bertram in l. de corp sang Dom. that same which the belieuing people of these dayes doe eate and drinke in the Church for it may not be permitted that diuers things should be meant and vnderstood seeing it is the same Christ that in the desart fed at that time with his flesh and gaue his bloud to drinke vnto the people baptised in the cloud and in the Sea and which now feedeth in the Church the beleeuing people with the bread of his bodie and giueth them to drinke of the water of his bloud c. And if thou obiect vnto him But how Seing he had not as yet taken vpon him mans flesh and seeing that as yet he had not tasted of death for the saluation of the world
c. which could not be both the signes and the things at one and the same time August ad Bonisacium Ep. 23. And therefore saith Saint Augustine The Sacraments that is to say the signes for the similitude and likenesse which they haue with the things doe take the names of the things themselues And he giueth this example To morrow shall be the passion of our Lord to day Christ is risen againe we are buried with Christ by Baptisme c. In like maner he saith not saith he we signifie the buriall but plainly and absolutely we are buried calling the Sacrament of the thing that is to say the signe by the name of the thing it selfe Againe Idem in Leuit. l. 3. q. 7. cōt Adimant c. 12 Ep. 102. The thing which signifieth hath bin accustomed to be named by the name of that which it signifieth As the seuen eares are seuen yeares hee saith not signifie the rocke was Christ hee saith not signifieth Christ as though it were that in substance which it is not but in signification c. Which thing Theodoret calleth a commutation of names of the signe or Symbole to the thing Seeing saith he that God would that those which receiue the diuine mysteries should not rest and content themselues with the things which they see but that they should beleeue through the change of names the transmutation that is made of grace Not saith he that the nature is changed but that grace is added thereunto That which is brought in as said by Saint Gregorie Gregor in Dial l. 4. may we also say together with him That in the celebration of the Sacrament the high and heauenly things are ioyned to the low and earthly and the visible to the inuisible c. But Saint Augustine giueth vs a rule which wee are not to exceede or passe August in doct Christ l. 3 c. 5. It is saith he a miserable seruitude and slauerie of the soule to take the signes for the things This is Carnaliter sapere not to taste any thing but flesh to be carnally wise which is the verie death of the soule c. The Iewes did obstinately pitch and rest themselues vpon the signes Christian libertie reuerenceth not a profitable signe instituted of God but that whereunto such signes are to be referred c. that is to say for that the signe and the thing are Correlatiues And as saith he it is a slauish weakenesse and a point of seruile infirmitie to take the signes for the things signified Idem de Trin. l. 9. quaest ex Nou. Test c. 59. Idem cont Maxim l 3. c. 22. Idem in 1. Cor. c. 10. Idem in 2. Cor. 3. Tho. in tract de differ verb. diuin Lum Summ. q. 1. art 6. vbi allegat Petra erat Christus so it is a verie deepe deceipt and errour to interpret them vnprofitably And by name he taketh for an example the Sacraments of the Christian Church especially Baptisme in an other place We see therein saith he water but the spirit which is not seene worketh therein which washeth away the sinnes of the soule and as visible things becom profitable to such as are able to see so the spirit to the spirituall c. And in another place In the Sacraments we are to regard not that which they are but that which they signifie sunt enim signa rerum saith he aliud existentia aliud significantia for they are signes of things which are another maner of thing in themselues then that which they signifie And Anselme in the same sense The holie Scriptures call the things signifying as the signified for that the signes seeme to make representation of the things they signifie whereupon it is said The rocke was Christ which was onely by the way of signification and not of substance And in another place It must bee carefully anoyded that a figuratiue speech be not expounded and taken according to the letter for this were carnaliter sapere to haue a carnall taste c. and Thomas in like maner And indeed the difference betwixt them is so great as that they cannot be made one For Saint Augustine saith oftentimes God onely giueth the thing but both the good and the euill may giue the signe And Chrysostome When thou art baptised August contr Maxim l. 3. c. 22 in Ioh. tract 5. con liter Petil. l. 3. c. 4.9 Chrysost in Mat. hom 51. Le◠de Natiuit serm 4. it is not the Minister which baptiseth thee it is God himselfe who holdeth thy head by an inuisible power neither Angell nor Archangell durst once touch thee therein And Leo the first Christ gaue to the water the same which hee gaue to his mother the same that made her to conceiue the Sauiour namely the operation of the holy Ghost giueth the power of the regenerating of man vnto the water c. And Anselme who is not one of the oldest writers Wherefore dooth God alone saith hee giue the thing and men the signe Verily because that without the mediation of his worde the signe is a meere naked and bare signe yea it ought to loose and forgoe the name of signe in as much as the thing whereof it is the signe cannot bee ioyned thereto So the Circumcision of the Turkes is nothing for it is without the institution of the Lord and as little is that of the Moores worth notwithstanding they be Christians and yet the signe is there intire the ceremonie intire And so although that Manna should raine downe to morowe yea and albeit water should gush out of the rocke yet this should be but Manna and water this should not likewise bee to Christians the participating of Christ it was that vnto the Iewes In the apple which Adam did eate in the Garden there was no venime and notwithstanding it was deadly vnto him for that the transgressing of the word of the Lord doth beget and bring forth death In these Sacraments how precious so euer they be there is no gaine or good to bee got without the institution of God for his word is the life therof And this is that which S. Augustine saith The signes of diuine things are visible wherein we honour the inuisible things Signacula August de Catech. rud c 26 and yet notwithstanding we must not hold the kind which is sanctified by the blessing thereof as that which is of common vse for there must regard and consideration be had what the word doth signifie which hath beene pronounced vpon it as also that which lieth hidden in the same and wherof it beareth the similitude likenesse Iren. likewise Iren. l. 4. c. 34. The bread hauing receiued his stile of the word of God is not any more common bread but it becommeth an Eucharist which consisteth in two things the one earthly and the other heauenly And the same had beene said by him of all the Sacraments S. Ambrose What hast thou seene
by his grace with him And thus haue both the holy Scriptures as also the olde writers spoken and written Our Lord saith According to the holy scriptures He that commeth to me he that beleeueth in me he that eateth me be that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him he hath eternal life he liueth through me I will raise him vp againe at the last day c. This maner of communication participation ceaseth not spiritually to be performed and effected without the Sacrament but our Lorde as helpes vnto vs against our infirmitie hath prouided and appointed these Sacraments for vs in the eating and drinking whereof it pleaseth him to set out vnto vs the certaintie of this spirituall life which is in his bodie and bloud and that as verely as the corporall consisteth in the bread and wine And as for the bread he hath saide of it Iohn 6. This is my bodie But my bodie saith he which is giuen for you That bodie whereof hee had saide in Saint Iohn My flesh is meate in deed That flesh whereof he had saide The bread which I will giue you is my flesh and this I will giue for the life of the worlde For this bodie this flesh doe nothing auaile vs saue in that they are giuen and deliuered for vs for the remission of our sinnes and for the redemption of our soules And therfore he expoundeth himselfe vnto the Capernaites The flesh profiteth nothing the wordes which I speake vnto you are spirit and life Of the Cuppe also hee hath saide This is my bloud the bloud of the newe Testament c. And in another place This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud Not of his bloud onely but also of the Cup to the ende wee should not stay our selues or rest in the elements of this Cuppe in deede which he was to drinke for vs euen in the elements of that bitter death whereof hee had saide Let this Cup passe from me For this Cup this Passion is the newe Testament the newe couenant of God with vs. And in my bloud saith hee which is shed for you For the bloud of our Lorde entereth not into our stomackes neither yet is it shed or powred into our bowels and entrailes for to what ende should there bee any such thing done and acted in this Sacrament where the question is of the nourishment of our soules and of a feeding vnto eternall life This bloud likewise simplie considered maketh not for the profite of our soules neither as it is bloud neither as yet in that it is the bloud of Christ but herein onely for that it is the bloud of Christ crucified for vs the bloud of the sonne of God shed for the remission of our sinnes and for the saluation of our soules To eate this flesh to drinke this bloud is to draw by faith our spirituall life out of the fountaine of his flesh broken for vs of his blood shed for vs of Christ the sonne of God crucified for vs. This is to liue by him this is to liue in him this is to be with him that is to say to liue by his righteouâ—nesse whereas wee die by our owne sinne by the redemption which hee hath wrought where as wee lay in bondage and thraldome and finallie to bee iustified by him and sanctified in him that so wee may bee quickened and glorified also in him Neither haue the ancient fathers otherwise vnderstoode this communicating of Christ Saint Cyprian Our coniunction with Christ doth not make any mixture of persons According to the old writers Cypr. de Caen. Dom. it vniteth not substances but it effecteth a fellowship and correspondencie in affections it bindeth the willes togither by a firme and faithfull league c. He had said that if wee eate not his flesh c. we shall not haue life in him Teaching vs by a spirituall instruction and opening vnto vs the spirit to the conceyuing of so hidde and secret a thing to the ende that wee might know that our abiding in him is an eating of him and our incorporating into him a drinking of him And all this is wrought by our submitting of our selues in obedience ioyning of our selues vnto him in will and vniting of our selues vnto him in our affections Wherefore the eating of this flesh is a greedinesse or a feruent desire to abide and dwell in him As by eating and drinking the substaunce of the bodie liueth and is nourished euen so the life of the spirit is nourished by this proper nourishment For looke what eating is vnto the bodie the same is faith vnto the soule And looke what meate is vnto the bodie the same is the worde vnto the spirit accomplishing and working for euer and that by a more excellent power and efficacie that which carnall nourishment woorketh but for a time c. And again In the celebrating of these Sacraments wee are taught to haue the Pascion alwayes in our remembrance Again Wee are made of this bodie that is to say of the bodie of Christ in asmuch as by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament wee are ioyned and knit vnto our head Nowe it is most certaine and true that such doe liue as touch the bodie of Christ Saint Hillarie These thinges taken and drunke Hylar de Trinit that is to say the bread and wine doe cause and bring to passe that Christ is in vs and wee in him Not verilie as he there teacheth that his bodie entereth into ours but by a similitude drawne from nature for that wee are ioyned together as members to the heade to his humaine bodie holie and glorious And this vnion is wrought by the faith of the death and passion of the Lorde in his spirit Saint Augustine August Ep. ad Iren. De Consecr D. 2. Christ is the bread whereof who so eateth liueth eternally and whereof hee hath saide And the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the worlde Hee determineth and setteth downe howe hee is bread not onely according to the worde by the which all thinges liue but according to the flesh taken for the life of the worlde For man which was dead in sinne being vnited and made one with the fleshe which is pure and vndefiled and incorporated into the same doth liue by the spirit of Christ as a bodie liueth by his soule but he that is not of the body of Christ doth not liue by his spirit c. Of this body Christ is the head Idem Ep. 57. ad Dardan the vnitie of this bodie is recommended vnto vs by this sacrifice c. By our head we are reconciled vnto God because that in it is the Diuinitie of the onely begotten Sonne made partaker of our mortalitie to the end that we might also become partakers of his immortalitie Again Idem de ciuit Dei l. 21. c 25. Compage He that
such sort as that they are not apparant or to bee discerned notwithstanding that they be there neither yet any manner of distinction to bee made of them by reason of their incorporation euen so are we all incorporate both amongst our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also with Christ for wee are not nourished and fed this man of one bodie and that man of an other but all ioyntly of one and the same These are then the two principall endes of the Sacrament euen the growth and helping forwarde of our vnitie with Christ our head and of our vnitie with the brethren which with vs doe make one body in him which cannot bee accomplished more effectually then by the remembrance of the death of Christ which stirreth vp in vs a loue towards him who hath loued vs so much as to giue himselfe to death for vs euen that death which was due and iustly belonging to sinners c. So that wee not being able either to liue or die for any his emolument or profit for what good can there arise from vs to him we are incited and stirred vp to liue and die for his body which is the Church and not to spare any thing that is in vs no not our owne bloud for the edifying of the same or for the good and saluation of our brethren either begotten of Basil de Baptis in Moral or redeemed by the same bloud And this is the cause why Saint Basill saith What profit is there in these words Take this is my body To the end that drinking and eating we may euermore bee mindfull of him which is dead and risen againe for vs Who so calleth not to mind this remembrance is said to eate vnworthily c. And in another place What is the dutie of such as eate the bread and drinke the Cup of Christ Verily saith he to keep the remembrance of him which is dead and risen againe for vs perpetually c. Seeing saith likewise S. Ambrose Ambros de iis qui myst intiantur c. 3. That the Sacrament serueth not for any vse vnto saluation without the preaching that is to say the remembrance and commemoration of the crosse of Christ. And hitherto it may be that both wee and our aduersaries are of one mind in as much as we both the one and the other say That the bodie and bloud of Christ are in the Supper celebrated according to his institution and are truly and verily drunken and eaten in the same by the faithfull members of Christ in assurance of remission of sinnes and eternall life But the difference and disagreement betwixt vs is Wherein the maine difference lyeth for that wee say that they are receiued in the supper of the Lord with the Sacraments of the bread and wine They vnder the accidents of the whitenes roundnesse c. of the bread and vnder the rednesse and moysture c. of the wine the substance therof being at the verie instant of the vttering of the words by the Priest quite vanished and become nothing that so there may be place made for the bodie and bloud yea conuerted and turned into the bodie and bloud of Christ which they call Transubstantiation Againe that wee say that the bodie and bloud of Christ the nourishment of our soule which is spirituall are communicated with vs by the efficacie and power of the spirit of God and receiued of vs in like manner spiritually and by faith They that they are giuen by the hand of the Priest vnder the accidents of bread and wine and conuerted into flesh bloud by the pronouncing of the words which they call Sacramentall receiued into the mouth and swallowed downe into the stomack corporally and really c. and that not of the faithfull onely but of all both good and bad which receiue them c. So that the question or controuersie betwixt vs is not Whether there be a communicating of the body and bloud of Christ in the holy supper but How And this How is not raised by vs It proceedeth of the curiosity of our aduersaries neither yet by our incredulitie or curiositie but by our aduersaries who in stead of resting themselues in the simplicitie of the old writers haue so curiously pried into the same as that they haue wrapt themselues in an infinite sort of absurdities thereby causing doubts to arise yea and doubting themselues also of If in stead of making it plaine vnto themselues and others of the manner How Verily Saint Cyprian saith That it is an Apostolike thing and appertaining to the sinceritie of the truth to declare how the bread wine are the flesh bloud of our Lord. Saint Augustine likewise feareth not to demaund How the bread is made the bodie of Christ seeing that our Lord in the day of the Ascention caried vp his bodie into heauen But he hath also giuen vs rules by which these kinds of speeches ought to be expounded But this holy scanning and sifting out of the truth is verie farre from the prophane curiositie of our aduersaries they seeke the deciding of the matter in the nature of the Sacraments by comparing of Scripture with Scripture and by the analogie of faith and of the Creed according to the true and vndoubted rules of Diuinitie but these our aduersaries by destroying of the Sacraments the nature of Christ and the Articles of our faith our onely Diuinitie by destroying also the Lawes which God hath set in nature by a false kind of Philosophie So deeply haue they delighted and rooted themselues in an opinion contrarie to faith in the flesh which profiteth nothing contrarie to the word which is spirit and life and in the letter which is dead and killeth contrarie to the spirit which is liuing and quickning They say The literall sence neither can nor ought to be followed alwayes what is there any thing more cleare or plaine This is my bodie this is my bloud But againe is there any thing more plaine The rocke was Christ And of circumcision This is my couenant Againe The Lambe is the Passeouer These bones are the house of Israell Iohn is Elias I am the true Vine I am the bread of life which came downe from heauen c. And if the plainnesse and clearenesse of places should bee tied vnto the words and not to the sence and meaning then what clearer places can there possibly be then these Let vs make man according to our owne image and similitude And the Anthropomorphites haue heereupon concluded that God hath the shape of a man Genes 1. Luke 22 Who so hath not a sword let him sell his Coate and buy one And what then saith Origen Shall the Bishops put their hand to the sword thereupon I and my Father are one And Sabellius hath concluded thereupon that the Father hath suffered in the flesh I am the bread of life August de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 25. he that shall eate this
bread shall liue for euer And in S. Augustines time there were that taught hereupon that if a man had communicated at the Lords supper how be it he should afterward renounce the Christian profession yet hee could not possibly perish and fall away for euer Wherefore as oft as euer wee shall reade such places we ought alwayes to remember and call to mind these rules The good and prudent Reader saith Saint Hillarius doth looke for the vnderstanding of that which is said Hilat. de Trin. l. 1. Hieronym in Mat. not by fetching it from any preiudicate opinion of his owne but from the cause of that which is said And S. Ierome The discreete Reader is verie carefull to keepe himselfe euermore from all manner of superstitious vnderstanding he frameth and squareth his sence and vnderstanding according to the Scriptures August cont aduers leg Prophet l. 2. c. 9. and not the Scriptures according to it And Saint Augustine handling this same matter One peece of Scripture must be expounded by an other and all the holy Scriptures according to the soundnesse of faith if we expound any thing done or spoken figuratiuely it standeth vs vpon to see that such expositions be drawne wisely and not negligently from other things and words which are contained in the holy writings But aboue all wee haue to consider in the matter of the Sacramentes what a Sacrament is and in the matter of the holy supper that therein is handled the most excellent of all the rest that is to say a great mysterie a profound and high secret and that so soone as wee heare the word Sacrament wee must lift vp our spirits from the beholding of these outward things to the apprehending of inward things from the skin to the marrow and from of the earth vp vnto heauen obseruing the nature of the misterie the signification of the word and what the thing doth permit suffer what the letter saith and what the meaning of the spirit is Thus These words This is my body cannot bee interpreted without a figure This is my bodie according to their sence and construction what shall it signifie Hoc this If it be meant of the bread then it must be thus taken This bread is my bodie But this is not their meaning for they confesse that it cannot bee two substances at one and the same instant And when two chiefe and primarie substances that is to say two Iudiuidua as the Logicians call them are called the one by the name of the other there must of necessitie be included a figure but this they wil not yeeld vnto Furthermore they doe not pretend that it is the body vntill the last word be vttered and wee are as yet but in the verie first And in the meane time then shall it not be the same which our Lord tooke blessed brake and gaue to his Disciples that is to say bread What shall then this hoc make The accidents of bread without the subiect namely whitenesse roundnesse c And what manner of speech were it to say The accidents of bread are my body which is giuen for you or else their Indiuiduum vagum and vage determinatum This I cannot tell what in the ayre which they can neither name nor point out so as that it may be comprehended How it may bee bread in the beginning of the vttering of the words and his body in the end What a number of obscure and straunge figures to how many contradictorie designments and deuises are they driuen and all to auoide one cleare and manifest figure and that such a one as is verie often and familiarly vsed in the Sacraments Afterward This is my bloud What shal be the meaning of this Hoc in this place It is said that taking the cup he blessed it and said Drinke ye all Bibite ex hoc omnes This Hoc then is the cup whereof he saith This is my bloud But can it possibly be that the cup should be called blood without a figure seeing that according to their owne assertions it is the wine and not the cup It followeth Est This is say they a verbe substantiue Let it bee granted but is it therefore a verbe transubstantiue This is my bodie that is to say This is made my bodie It is substantially turned it is transubstantiated into my bodie and bloud This is their meaning and they call this word in their affected tearmes and gibberidge an operatiue and practicke Est But if it be vnderstood of the bread then what figure is it And how will their fond deuised fantasie stand sith they hold that the bread is not changed or turned but becommeth nothing to the end it may giue place to the bodie And what shew of any figure will there then be here Hoc est that is to say this Vagum Indiuiduum which hath no name is transubstantiated into his bodie And if it bee wandring and vnstable it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath not any substance Or els This bread is become nothing to giue place to the bodie c. But this word Est may it bee expounded by the word Fit factum est conuertitur transubstantiatur it is made turned transubstantiated Yea and also by Fiat conuertatur transubstantiatur that it may be made turned transubstantiated without a figure yea and which is more without any contradiction And of the cup particularly without acknowledging that it is transubstantiated But this they do not admit Let vs proceed Take eate but what Accidents but they are no proper obiects for the teeth to be occupied about The bodie of Christ then But as they say themselues it is not as yet there And then it is not chewed there it is not there broken What shall then the meaning bee of this word eate But to endeuour to eate to make semblance of eating c. But how much better had it been to haue expounded this place by the nature of other Sacraments whereof it is said This is my couenant as here This cup is the new Testament in my blood This is the blood of the new Testament c. all comming to the same sence Againe The rocke was Christ I am the bread of life as here The bread is my bodie the cup is my blood To expound it I say by Iesus Christ in S. Iohn My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede Where in plaine tearmes he referreth vs vnto his death when hee saith Which I will giue for the life of the world As also here Which is giuen which is shed for you But saith he to the Capernaites The words that J say vnto you are spirite and life And therefore some are of iudgement that this whole speech of his was nothing else but a resolued and purposed Commentarie and a preparatiue to the right vnderstanding of the holy supper And finally to haue expounded it by Saint Paule Who giueth vnto vs that which he
the fruit and effect but by the promise If we receiue not the same thing that the Apostles receiued after the same maner to what end then shold these words of the Lord Doe this c. as also those of the Apostle I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue giuen vnto you serue And what other places are there whence we ought to learne take knowledge of the same But if it be the very same thing performed in the same maner then let vs cal to mind that it is a spiritual thing not a carnall and to be done after a spiritual not a carnal sort by faith and not by the mouth for he speaketh to them of a body broken for theÌ„ which yet was not broken and of bloud shed for them August in Psa 33. De Consecr d. 2. C. hoc est vbi Glosa which was as yet in his veines and therfore they did eate drink as the Patriarks and Prophets had done before theÌ„ spiritualy by faith And this is it which S. August saith That â—e sus Christ giuing the Sacraments of his body bloud vnto his Disciples did carie quodammodo after a certaine maner himselfe If he had done it really the quodammodo had serued to no vse for quodammodo say the Schooles is terminus diminuens a word of restraint denying the truth of the reall presence August Ep. 23 ad Bonifac. And then if this be quodammodo it is that which he saith in another place secundum quendam modum that is saith he By the similitude that the signes haue with the things not in very deede saith the canon but in signification not verily truely saith the Glose but improperly that is to say sacramentally And indeede that which he saith in one place He caried himselfe after a certaine manner in his handes hee speaketh thus in another place Idem de verb. Dom. in Euang Mat. Serm. 33. Hug. Cardin. in Mat. c. 26. in Marc. c. 14. He caried the bread in his handes in as much as he exhihibited and offered himselfe vnder these Sacraments for a spirituall meate and drinke vnto his disciples c. And the Glose expounding the wordes of the Supper saith Accipite comedite Take eate Intelligite fide comedite vnderstand eate by faith c. Cardinal Hugo likewise Take that is to say belieue with your harts and confesse with your mouthes c. In the mean time they goe about to graunt vs a larger priuilege then euer the Apostles had as though wee should receiue the body of Christ glorified and immortall whereas they receiued it as it was subiect to the death and passion But wee verily content our selues to receiue it as the Apostles did not aspiring after any more high and excellent manner that is therein to receiue the body broken and the bloud shed for vs for the Sonne of God properly doth quicken vs in that he is eternall but in that he hath made himselfe mortall neither doth he glorifie vs in that he himselfe is glorious but in that he hath abased himselfe taking vppon him the forme of a seruant and being made subiect vnto the ignominious death of the Crosse Therein I say to receiue it after the same maner the bread for a signe and certaine pledge of his body and yet notwithstanding at the very same instant also to receiue his body the wine a signe and infallible token of his bloude and notwithstanding at the very same instant to receiue his bloud by the inward efficacie of the holy Ghost and both the one and the other for the remission of sins and vnto the resurrection to life seeing that Christ is dead for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification c. And in verie deed the auncient Fathers haue not otherwise vnderstood the holy supper of Christ with his Apostles Tertul aduer Marc. l. 5. c. 40. l. 1. c 14. Ambr. de iis qui myster init c 9. de Sacr. l. 4 c. 5. Hieronym l. 2. aduers Iouini an in Mat. c. 26. August contr Adaman c. 12 Idem in Prolog super ps 3. Macar hom 27 Theodor. in Polymorph seu Euarist Dial. 1. Tertullian He made the bread which he tooke and gaue to his disciples his body that is to say the figure of his bodie And in another place The bread by which he represented his body S. Ambrose The Lord himselfe crieth This is my body Before the blessing of heauenly words an other kind is named after the consecration the body of Christ is signified And in an other place more clearely The same which is saith hee the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord. S. Ierome He offered not water but wine for the figure of his bloud And in another place speaking of bread and wine Representing saith he the truth of his body and of his bloud S. Augustine The Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body Againe He hath recommended and giuen to his Disciples the figure of his bloud Antitypes saith S. Macaire an Aegyptian Exhibiting the flesh and bloud of Christ Theodoret He that hath called his naturall body wheat and bread and which hath named himself a vine hath honoured the markes and signes which are to be seene with the name of his body and bloud not in changing the nature it self but in adding grace vnto nature Eusebius Emissenus Seing that our Lord must carrie vp into heauen the body which he had taken vpon him it was needfull that in the day of the supper he should consecrate for vs the Sacrament of his body and bloud to the end that that which was once offered vp for a ransom might continually be honored by misterie And here we must shun the confounding of these two words Truly carnally or really the one with the other being such as the old writers accompted of as much differing Cyril l. 3. c 24. in Ioh. Orig. in Gen. hom 1. c. 1. Hieronym ad Gal. c. 4. and carefully to be distinguished For Iesus Christ calleth himselfe the true Vine And Cyrill calleth him the true Manna And Origen the Apostles The true very heauens And S. Ierome the faithfull one true bread Whome it had beene verie hard to haue made to belieue that Christ had beene really the Vine or the Manna the Apostles the heauens or the faithful one loafe c. And thus you see what manner of holy supper it was that was celebrated kept of the Apostles and I verily belieue that there is not any true Christian that wisheth or desireth any other Fiftly Transubstantiation destroy eth the humaine nature of Christ Heb. 2 it destroyeth the humane nature of Christ for the truth whereof all the old Church hath so mightily striuen against the heretickes of that time and in the truth whereof likewise resteth the consolation of mankind the onely meanes of our saluation In as
to say which haue not any thing to doe with any carnall thing but bring eternall life And if then with the consent of all the fathers this place of S. Iohn do expound make plaine the doctrine of the holy supper and must be vnderstood spiritually then also must those wordes of the institution be so vnderstood if we mind not to cause the scriptures to disagree and fight against scriptures and one place thereof against many places yea and that one against it selfe if wee will not violently go about to establish quite against all analogy of scripture the matter of transubstantiation which yet is not of bread into a bodie but of I know not what as that which hath no name into a bodie not of wine into bloud but of wine or rather of the cup into bloud or rather into the new testament in bloud If likewise wee will not haue the bread and wine abased or turned into nothing in S. Mathew in S. Marke and in S. Luke after the wordes and yet continue in their sound and perfect natures in S. Paule after the verie same that is to say If wee will not ouerthrow for the retaining of the litterall sence of one only word the spirit diffused throughout the whole scriptures and make the sacraments of the Church of Christ by the hardnes of our expositions more rawe and carnall then all those of the Iewish Church These are the absurdities which accompanie the expositions of our transubstantiators whereas ours doth retaine the nature of all the sacraments the agreement of the old with the new of holy baptisme with the holy supper of the supper of the Apostles with that of the Christian Church and aboue all the principal end of the same which is the nourishment of the soule vnto eternall life by that consunction of the faithfull with Christ as also of the faithfull amongst themselues which it fostereth and cherisheth c. It conserueth in like manner the truth of the humane bodie of our Lord which the other destroyeth the excellent dignitie of his diuine nature which that abaseth and all this by keeping the Analogie of the faith of Christ and the harmony of the holy scriptures CHAP. IIII. That the Fathers knew not Transubstantiation nor the reall presence in the signes And this is prosecuted vnto the time of the first Nicene Councell the same contayned therein NOw it is also very certaine that such as hath beene the doctrine of the Church not Primitiue onely but also for a long time after euen when corruption had entered this noble and worthie parte of the Church not hauing beene touched or defiled by the first which thing wee shall bee able to proue from time to time by the Fathers saue that we will not repeate diuers places before alleadged as the course of our treatise hath caused vs to produce and cite the same Saint Clement Bishop of Rome Clem. Rom. constit l. 6. c. 6. in the mysticall thanksgiuing that followeth the consecration Father we giue thee thanks for the precious blood of Iesus Christ which is shed for vs and for his precious bodie whereof we make vp and finish these counterfeites and resemblances l. 8. c. 17. Marke this word counterfeits that is to say correspondent figures and that after the consecration Himselfe hauing ordained it for vs to the end that wee might shew forth his death c. Againe in his liturgie after the consecration We offer vnto thee O king and God according to thine ordinance this bread and this cup l. 5. c. 61. c. And in another place The counterfeites saith he and mysteries of his bodie and blood at which say the Apostles as the report is set downe by Clement Iudas was not present with vs. l. 2. c. 61. And yet notwithstanding such because of the holy mystery whereunto they are consecrated That he exhorteth men to come vnto them as into the presence of a king If this had beene the reall bodie of our Lord would he haue made any other comparison then from himselfe would he not haue said that it was requisite to worship it as God Ignatius Ignat. in ep ad Philadel There is one flesh of our Lord and one bloud shed for vs one bread also broken for all and one cup for the whole Church How was it possible for him better to distinguish betwixt the signes and the things then by these foure wordes flesh and bloud on the one part and bread and cuppe on the other Bellarmine would haue him to signifie by these wordes flesh and bloud his bodie stretched out and his bloud shedde vpon the crosse and by the bread and cup his bodie broken his bloud shed in the holy Supper But do we then eate in the holy supper an other body then that which was stretched and drinke we another blood then that which was shed vpon the crosse for vs What other thing is this then to take from vs all our consolation all our glorie And did not then the Apostles communicate Iesus Christ crucified And what becommeth of the glorie of that great Apostle who would not know or glorie in any other thing but him crucified And what other thing els is this but in most outragious manner to abuse the scripture That he did not speake in the supper of his bodie broken with griefes vpon the crosse but of his bodie broken vnder the Accidents of bread not of his blood shed for our sinnes but taken and powred out of the cuppe vnder the Accidents of wine which notwithstanding to be so is proued for that whereas it is said in S. Luke shed for you it is in S. Mathew shed for many for this cannot bee referred to the breaking or powring out which is in the celebration of the holy Supper but to that which was really made vpon the crosse The same father also vndermineth and ouerturneth the very foundation of transubstantiation by the nature of Christ Ignat. cp 8. ad Polycarp Here below saith he is the race but the crowne is laid vp in heauē Christ the son of God euen he who is not temporarie that is to say not subiect to any time in time inuisible by nature visible in the flesh impalpable and such as cannot be felt with handes and yet notwithstanding for the loue of vs become corporall and palpable c. Iustinus Martyr compareth the bread of the Eucharist Iustin in dial cum Tryphon to the cow which was sacrificed in the old law for them which were purged of the leprosie He hath giuen vs saith he to celebrate the Eucharist in remembrance of his death note remembrance which he suffered for them whose spirits are purged from sin to the end that we should render thanks vnto God Again He hath giuen the bread saith he to the end that we should beare in remēbrance that he was made a bodie for such as do belieue in him the cup to the end that we shold
Councel of Nice including it within the same CHAP. V. The continuance of the beliefe of the Fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great LEt vs proceede according to the order of time and succession of the Fathers Dionvs Hierarch l. 3. Saint Denis pretended the Areopagite for we haue said that he may seeme to haue liued about this time did not otherwise vnderstand it After saith he that the Bishop hath declared the workes of Iesus for the saluaetion of mankind according to the good pleasure of his father c. and that hee hath preached the reuerend contemplation of the same which is apprehended by the vnderstanding he taketh his way to the Symbolicall administration of the same and that according to the holy institution of God whereupon first crying vnto him Thou hast said it Doe this in remembrance of me he administreth the sacred things and setteth in open sight the things whereof hee hath preached by the pledges presented there in holy sort c. Againe By these venerable and reuerend signes saith he Christ is signified and receiued c. Where we may briefely note That the holy supper is celebrated according to the institution of the Lord and in remembrance of him That this is a Symbolicall that is to say a shadowing and figuratiue administration of the redemption of mankind represented by the signes of bread and wine the tokens of his bodie broken and of his bloud shed for vs That this institution is not tied to the fiue words where to our aduersaries would referre it for hee maketh mention by name of others Thou hast said it c. And that these signes doe signifie Christ vnto vs and neuerthelesse exhibite him vnto vs that is to say his grace Nowe what is there contained in all this tending to prooue any carnall eating They fortifie and beare themselues stout vpon Saint Cyrill Cyril Cateches mystag 4. 5. Bishop of Ierusalem but let vs see vpon what ground If you eate not my flesh c. The Iewes saith hee were offended because they did not vnderstand those things according to the spirit thinking that he had inuited them to a banket of mans flesh This should suffice to raise and lift vp our minds aboue the reall transmutation but this that followeth seemeth to them to proue their opinion very strongly Let vs holde it for a most vndoubted truth that the bread which we see is not bread although the taste thereof bewray it to be but the bodie of Christ and the wine in like manner c. And why do they not call to minde and bethinke themselues well at the least of their owne Maximes That the Catholike Church neuer saide That the bread was the bodie of Christ c. And therfore if they will haue S. Cyril a Catholike they must not haue him taken according to the bare letter But yet let vs admit him to bee the expounder of himselfe Consider it not saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as meere bread for it is the body and bloud of Christ And how Verily saith he according to the words of our Lord c. And how so euer our sences may goe about to informe vs otherwise yet let faith confirme vs therein Iudge not of these things according to the taste c. Then it is bread and wine and not accidents but not naked and meere bread and wine for they are Sacraments and sanctified instrumentes of God indowed clothed with an other qualitie that so they might cloth vs with Christ And what they are more that we receiue by faith and that grounded vpon the words of our Lord Namely that his words are spirit life But haue they then either lost or chaunged their substance Marke him yet further Verily not any more then the water in Baptisme wher of he speaketh in the same tearmes Thinke not of this water as of bare and meere water Namely Because it is not any more wawater for drinke saith Chrysostome But the water of sanctification c. Chryrost in Psal 23. Cyril Catech. 3. No more also then the vnction or oyntment whereof Cyrill saieth You are annoynted with an oynment being made partakers and companions of Christ But beware that thou accompt not of it as of a meere oyntment for as the bread of the Eucharist after inuocating of the holy Ghost is no more common bread but the body of Christ so this holy oyntment is not a bare or common oyntment after that it is consecrated but it is a benefit of Christs which by the comming of the holy Ghost hath a vigour and power of his Diuinitie Doest thou then doubt what this should meane to be no longer bare and meere bread It is as much as not to be any more common bread it is as much as to say consecrated bread Doest thou doubt how farre this chaunge extendeth it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si fiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oyntment although it bee an instrument of the grace of Christ is not changed in his nature No more is the bread and the wine of the Eucharist in theirs though instruments sanctified of God and exhibiting his grace Idem Catech. 5. For saith he further in an other place this holy bread is called supersubstantiall in as much as it confirmeth the substance of the soule It descendeth not into the bellie it goeth not into the draught but it is distributed thorough out thee throughout the whole man for the saluation and profit of the body and soule c. that is to say it goeth not in at the mouth of the body but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule distributed through all the veines of the same vnto the resurrection of life And againe Idem Catech. 4. Drinke this wine in thine heart namely this spirituall wine c. Saint Ambrose This oblation is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord c. This is not the bread that goeth into the body but the bread of eternal life which strengthneth our soules 1. Cor. 11. Againe Seeing we are deliuered by the death of our Lord in remembrance thereof in eating drinking we signified there the flesh bloud of our Lord which haue beene offered for vs. Now what should this be To be a figure to signifie to make mention of or to haue in remembrance but the same which we say That the bread is Sacramentally the body of Christ Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 4. And that which hee saith himselfe In the Sacrament is Christ But some obiect from an other place Peraduenture thou wilt say saith hee my bread is vsuall that is to say common bread know that this bread is bread before the word of the Sacraments but after the consecration of bread it is made the flesh of Christ the body of Christ c. Namely by the consecration of the
because of his blessing of it but not to be adored or worshipped as his essence or proper person In like manner none of all the East churches did euer admit adoration neither those that are vnder the gouernment and iurisdiction of the Patriarke of Constantinople Aluares nor those vnder the iurisdiction of Antioch And the Abyssines also at this day do receiue the communion standing though that with great reuerence and besides though they bee of the same iudgement with vs in the adoration and worship due to our Lord whom S. Iohn say the fathers worshipped and adored being as yet in the virgines wombe whom saith a certaine writer if the doctrine of transubstantiation had place the Church should haue in like manner worshipped in the stomackes of the Ministers and faithfull people and euery man in his neighbour But this thing neuer came into the mind of any man once to thinke or imagine What shall we say The old writers did not call the Sacrament their Lord. Cypr serm de laps when furthermore they labour to bring credite vnto the same from antiquitie as though the old writers had called the Sacrament Their Lord and their God But let vs see with what pretence or shadow of truth S. Cyprian reporteth that it came to passe in his time that a certaine man who had renounced God for feare of persecution taking the holy communion in the companie of Christians opening his hand found the sacrament turned into ashes This miracle saith he may be a lesson vnto vs that the Lord withdraweth himselfe when men denie him that is to say that he forsaketh them which renounce him They gather notwithstanding that the Lord of whome he speaketh is the Sacrament The Lord verily forsaketh such a one as denyeth him Is it then the Sacrament which hath denied him or man Verily man and not the Sacrament And God then doth not here forsake the Sacrament but man But God for an euident signe that he hath forsaken man doth also leaue him destitute of the Sacrament Paul Diacon l. 15. So as Deuterius an Arrian Bishop would haue baptised a man after his manner the water dried vp sodainly in the font Saint Cyprian might here haue said as before That God did teach vs thereby that he did withdraw himselfe that is to say that he would take away his grace when we abused it but he had not therefore gathered thereof that the water was God because he had shewed his wrathfull indignation in drying it vp Cypr. in orat Domin Again We beg and craue saith S. Cyprian that our bread that is to say Christ may be giuen vs euerie day And who doubteth that Christ is our bread the bread come downe from heauen which giueth life to the world that he may be our life our way c. But S. Cyprian saith not that the Sacrament is Christ but the wordes that follow doe make him plaine To the end saith hee that wee may dwell and liue in Christ and that we may not at any time seperate and put our selues farre away from his sanctification and bodie But this abode and dwelling as he told vs is made by faith This coniunction is not a mixture of substances Idem serm de caena Domin Se infundit Tertul. de baptism but an agreement of wils c. But they yet set his words further on the racke causing him to call it God For say they hee saith That by an vnspeakeable manner the diuine essence is infused into the Sacrament Therefore it is God And then also we will call the water in baptisme God For Tertullian saith That the holy Ghost descendeth from the father and resteth himselfe vpon the waters of baptisme Saint Ambrose That the whole Trinitie sanctifieth them Paulinus in his verses That this water doth euen conceiue God Augu. de baptism cont Donat l. 3. c. 10. l 1. c. 19. Câ—pr de vnct chrysmat or by God Saint Augustine That God is present with his word and Sacraments And there is not one amongst vs that doubteth thereof yet what one amongst them all is there that wil say that the water is God What is meant then by that which S. Cyprian saith The diuine power is shed vpon the visible Sacrament Verily the same which he saith in an other place In the Sacramentes the diuine power doth worke most mightily and powerfully the truth is present with the signe Adest signo and the spirit with the Sacrament c. Chrysostome Let vs draw neere vnto the body of our Lord with honor and cleannesse And when thou shalt see it proposed or set vpon the Table say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy selfe and not to the Sacrament not to that which thou seest set before thee for the Grammaticall construction will not suffer it because of this body I am not any more earth and ashes c. Of this body towards whom he exhorted vs in the sentences going before to flie vp on high after the manner of Eagles Of that body then which is at the right hand of the father not in the hands of the Minister Of that body in a word which is not inclosed in the bread but signified by the bread whereof hee hath said vnto thee before What signifieth the bread The body of Christ. And indeed he speaketh vnto thee to come vnto the Sacrament with reuerence but to GOD with feruencie of loue and firmenesseof faith And that thou shouldest set before thy selfe in the same at that instant thine owne miserie and his mercie that so thou maist bee a worthie partaker of this misterie Thy myserie in that thou art nothing but earth and ashes his mercie in that hee vouchsafeth to raise these ashes vnto glorie Thy miserie in that thou art nothing but sinne and corruption his mercie in that hee hath made his owne Sonne sinne for thee in that hee hath giuen his body to bee broken and his bloud to bee shed for thy transgressions And therefore comming vnto this Sacrament of the remembrance of his death August aduer Iudae c. 1. thou oughtest of good right say vnto him Because of this body I am no more earth and ashes But to approach or drawe neere thereunto saith Saint Augustine is to belieue The true and proper approaching is performed by the heart and not by the flesh by the power of faith Idem de peccat merit l. 1. c. 18. and not by the presence of the body c. As likewise to vs of Baptisme We are carried to Christ our Physition that wee may receiue the Sacrament of eternall saluation that is carried to Christ in Baptisme after the same manner that wee approach and draw neere vnto God in the Sacrament of the Eucharist who also saith the same vnto vs in the hearing of the word Chrysost hom 12. de mulier Cananaea Draw neere vnto him which is preached vnto
c. Againe The heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ is called the bodie of Christ suc modo after a sort though notwithstanding so it be that it is the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that is of that which beeing visible palpable and mortall was fastned vpon the Crosse and that this offering vp thereof is called passion death c. Not in the truth of the thing but in a signifying mysterie c. In the Glose It is called the body of Christ that is to say significat it signifieth it The heauenly Sacrament which truely representeth the flesh of Christ is called the bodie of Christ but improperly c. Thus then according to the Canons we eate in the Eucharist the flesh of Christ c. spiritually not carnally Now it followeth that we looke a little about vs C Quia corpus 34. C Qui manducant 57. C. Vt quid 46. C Credere 18. C. Tuncâ—â—s 89 C Non iste panis 55. De Consecr d. 2. to see whether it be by faith or with our mouthes The Canon Quia corpus saith The Lord hauing to ascend vp into heauen did consecrate vnto vs in the day of the Supper the Sacrament of his body and his bloud to the end that that which had beene once offered for payment and satisfaction might be continually honoured in a mysterie and that this perdurable offering might stil liue and abide in remembrance which must be waighed and considered of fide non specie By inward faith not by outward appearance and pondered by the inward affection not by the outward sight The Canon Qui manducant That which is taken in the Sacrament visiblie is in truth eaten and drunken spiritually That which is seene is the bread and cuppe c. That wherein it is needfull that the faith should be instructed is how that the bread is the bodie of Christ c. And they are called Sacraments because one thing is seene another vnderstood That which is seene hath a bodily shape but that which is vnderstood a spirituall fruit The Canon Vt quid whereto doest thou prepare thy bellie and teeth beleeue and thou hast eaten The Canon Credere to beleeue in Christ is to eate the bread of life The Canon Non iste panis It is not that bread which goeth into the bodie that feedeth the substance of our soule but the bread of eternall life The Canon In illo Christ is in that Sacrament not therefore a corporall meate but a spirituall And againe the aboue said Canon C. Quia corpus 34. d. 2. de Consecr Quia corpus when thou goest vp to the Altar to be fed with spirituall meates behold by faith the holy bodie of thy God touch him with thy vnderstanding lay hold vpon him with the hand of thy hart Against all these they haue but one onely miserable Glose to obiect which saith So soone as the kind is touched with the teeth Glos in C. Trib. de consecr d. 2. C. Qui manduc 57. Mis in sequent C. Vtrumque 71. C. vt quid 46 Câ—mutat 69. A sumente nonconscissus non confractus non diuisus integer capitur Ioh. 19. Gl. in C. Ego Bereng 41. in C. vtrum so soone is the bodie of Christ rapt and conueighed with speed into heauen c. And yet it is diuersly canuased and tossed by the Canonistes and schoolemen Of eating with the mouth should follow the chawing of it with the teeth But these Canons are contrarie to that The Canon Qui manducat When we eate it we make not any morsels or bittes thereof The faithfull know how they eate the flesh of Christ It is eaten by partes in the Sacrament that is in the signes but it is all whole in thine heart The Canon Vt quid whereto doest thou prepare thy teeth The Canon Vtrum It is not lawfull to eate him with teeth The Masse likewise in the sequences and conclusions following thereon He that taketh him cutteth him not bruseth him not neither yet diuideth him into morsels c. Contrarie to this ancient truth is only that Canon Ego Berengarius made by the Cardinall Humbert as it were in despight of all antiquitie which saith That he is broken and brused with the teeth But without alleadging against him the Gospell which saith Not one of his bones shall bee broken we will onely lay down the words of two Gloses which proclaime for hereticks both Pope Nicholas II. as also the whole Church of Rome of that time The Glose of that same Canon which saith Referre all to the kinds for we make not any part of the bodie of Christ otherwise thou shalt fall into a greater heresie then Berengarius And the Glose of the Canon Vtrum vpon these wordes Is is not lawfull to eate Christ with teeth Berengarius saith the Glose saith the contrarie that is to say Cardinall Humbert in the retractation which he drew for Berengriaus but he spake hyperbolically and so exceeded the bondes of the truth Of the eating of him with the mouth it would follow that the wicked and vngodly should eate the bodie of Christ The Canons againe are contrarie thereunto The Canon Qui discordat Hee that is at strife with Christ C. Qui discordat 64. C. Qui manduc 57. C. Quia passus 35. C. Christus 56. Fidelium dentibus atters C Prima quidem â—aeres 43. d. ead C. Non oportet 3. C. Panis 38. C. Hoc est quod dicim 47. C. Ante benedict 39. C. Panis est 54. eateth not his flesh neither yet drinketh his blood although hee should euerie day take the sacrament of so high and great a thing as a iudgement of his destruction The Canon Qui manducant They that eate and drinke Christ eate and drinke life The Canon Christus Christ is the bread of whom who so eateth shall liue for euer Likewise the Canon Ego Berengarius attributeth it as proper to the faithfull to eate him with teeth In briefe vpon the question also of transubstantiation If the bodie of Christ after the words spoken must be sought for in heauen or in the hands of the priest and if of the wine bread there be nothing remaining but the Accidents Christ say the Canons is in heauen vntil this world shall be consummate and finished The bodie of Christ must be in one place but the truth is spread abroad euerie where And as for the kinds Wee must not offer any other thing in the Sacrament then wine water and bread which are blessed in the figure of Christ Before the blessing one kind is named but after the blessing the bodie is signified The bread and cuppe are a nourishing of the resurrection by the mysticall consecration that is by the efficacie of the worde and institution of Christ That is saith the Glose A spirituall refreshing of the soule which rayseth vs vp againe from the death of sinne Againe The bread and the cup saith he continue the thing
contrarie saith that it signifieth that which is secret and hidden vnder the formes thereof What difference is heere betwixt the forme and the body the substance and the accidents Againe some say that the body of Christ is made of the bread and his bloud of the wine as of his matter others denie it And Bellarmine doth affirme and denie both together Againe sometimes vrged out of Tertullian and Saint Augustine they acknowledge that there is a figure and sometimes they doe wholly and flatly denie it c. And they speake as vncertainly of the chaunge and transmutation Sometimes Bellarmine saith that the substance of bread is turned into whole Christ body and soule God and man sometimes into the body onely c. And sometimes that hee is there hypostatically or personally and as he speaketh with his personalitie that he may not fall into Rupertus Tuitiensis his errour sometimes that hee is not And there are that say that the substance of bread is turned into the truth of the body and others into the power and vertue of the same onely Besides others which in diuers places affirme sometimes the one sometimes the other Now what becommeth of this body afterward Their answeres herein haue no lesse vncertaintie and ambiguitie For one saith after that the kindes be altered and corrupted it withdraweth it selfe Nay saith an other it still continueth and abideth there Idem tr 1 c 19 Veg assert 205 Bellâ—rm l 3 de Euchar. c. 10 24. l. 1 c. 14 Veg. de reâ—l Praesent c. 58 Turr. tr 1 c 11 19 Scarg art 12 pro sacratiss Euchar. c 6. c Cont. Vel. Vega de Miss fol. 11 thes 19. 20. Idem de real praesent thes 84 Scarg in art 11. Turr. tr 1. c. 7 tr 2. c. 11. 8 Stel. Clericor for an incorruptible seede of the resurrection and that if not in substance yet in power and effectuall operation Let vs reason thus then If the efficacie and powerfulnesse be sufficient for the seede of the resurrection and incorruption Wherefore the body in our body And wherefore doe we admit this absurditie of hauing so many bodies within our bodies a thing contrarie to reason nature and all Diuinitie An absurditie wherein as yet they infold and wrap themselues For if the glorified body be supernaturally euerie where wherefore say they that he commeth downe vpon the Altar and why doe they say that hee departeth and goeth his way in respect of his body If he come downe if he goe vp why doe they say that he is not circumscript and tied to place and that he is corporally euerie where Againe sometimes they say We set our teeth in the flesh of our Lord wee deuour and feede vpon him with our teeth c. We chew him wee breake him c. And sometimes they are angrie that one should obiect it against them as their reproach they vexe themselues they denie it To bee short for we should neuer haue done if wee should goe about to gather together all their contradictions and this shall suffice for a taste when shame seaseth vpon them they are offended that a man should laye it to their charge that they haue saide That the Priests are creators of their Creator c. And by and by they come againe to their mutuall byace and doe freely vtter it That the Eucharist is no creature That it is the Creator himselfe That it is an Hypostaticall grace That it deserueth to bee adored and praied vnto c. And yet the same neuerthelesse say they that dependeth vppon the intent and purpose of him that consecrateth Now wee haue finished the whole historie of the doctrine of Transubstantiation taught in the Church of Rome The comparing of the holy supper and the Masse together But how farre is it off from the auncient simplicitie of the Christian Church and how farre from the institution made by our Lord of the holy supper The Summe wherof is thus That in the holy supper we are seriously admonished of our bond and obligation vnto our Lord and of our dutie towards our neighbour likewise nourished and strengthned in our coniunction with Christ our head whereupon dependeth our true life which approueth and maketh it self manifestly knowne as the soule doth it selfe by his motions by our zeale towards God and our behauiour towards our neighbours Therein we cal to mind our obligation when we remember according to his commandement the death and Passion of our Lord That we were dead in our sinnes dead verily and eternally seeing it was requisite and necessarie that the eternall Sonne of God should expose and giue himselfe to death euen to the death of the Crosse to redeeme and set vs free from that death therefore eternall death And thence is that action of praise and thankesgiuing that followeth solemnely obserued and performed in this action and perpetuall in our soules if we be truely faithfull For hee that willingly belieueth this great and vnspeakable benefit how can he possibly forget it How can it possibly be but that he should occupie and as it were powre forth himselfe in a continuall exercising of praise and thankesgiuing Seeing I say he sinneth euerie moment he cannot bee without matter to humble himselfe euerie moment and to haue his eye both vpon death and also vpon hell and accordingly againe he hath matter euerie moment to raise vp him selfe againe in hope by the remembrance of this eternall Sacrifice vpon the mention that is made namely in this Sacrament How that the Sonne of God hath giuen his bodie for him hath beene broken with cares and griefes and how that his bloud was shed for the remission of his sinnes And this is the cause why this Sacrament is called both a remembrance and an Eucharist or action of thankesgiuing For of the remembraunce of this benefite of this gift of saluation and by this vnspeakable meanes there followeth in euerie Christan heart a serious and heartie Eucharist or thankesgiuing But this effect by name is wanting in the Papists their Masse For this remembrance is not practised in it at all the death of the Lord is not shewed foorth there at all vnto the people This is in steed of whatsoeuer it should bee a heape of words and a varietie of gestures neither the one nor the other vnderstood Wee are taught likewise in the holy Supper our duties towards our neighbours for wee are not only created of one and the same Masse but regenerate and begotten again but redeemed and bought with one price euen bloud but made members of the same bodie and quickned by one and the same spirit but liuing mouing and feeling from one and the same head One with him through the grace of his good pleasure and will One therefore amongst our selues both by his commaundement and by naturall dutie And if the head the eternall Sonne of God haue giuen his life for vs to make vs I say his members what do