A Confutation of a cerTEN BOOKE CALLED á defence of the true and Catholike doctrine of the sacrameÌ„t c. sette fourth of late in the name of Thomas Archebysshoppe of Canterburye By Rycharde Smyth Docter of diuinite and some tyme reader of the same in Oxforde TAke this booke I hartilie besech the christian reader in good worth coÌ„siderynge hou that Iam in à strange contrey without quietnes bookes helpe of learned men sufficient loiser and tyme and without also many other necessaries that are requyred vnto such an interprise as this is If any thinge be amysse it shal be hereafter amended by goddes grace Oure lord Iesus Christe kepe the in his true fayth and religion Amen I haue putte good reader both the leafe and the page also of the bysshoppes booke yn the margen of my confutation that thowe maist the better compare my confutation with his sainges and perceaue also the matter with lesse labours and peynes Multò melius est vera rustice quà m falsa diserte proferre Hieronymus in expositione primae visionis Esaiae The preface to the christen reader with an exhortation to moue al men to leaue disputinge and reasonynge vpon the highe and vnsearcheable mysterie of te sacrameÌ„t of the aulter geuynge euer fyrme credence vnto christes catholike church therin which neuer errethe yn our fayth whollie THe first consel good reader holden at Ephesus aboue M. C. yeres passed yn which S. Cyril was president wrote thus in an epistle vnto one Nestorius an heretike which theryn was condemned for his heresie We do offre an vnbloudie wourshipinge of à sacrifice and so we do also come vnto the holie sacrament and are made holie beinge partakers of the holie bodie and precious bloud of Christ which was made the redeamer of vs al not receauinge it as common flesh god forbid that nor as the fleash of à maÌ„ made holie and ioyned vnto the sonne of god by an vnite of worthynes or els as beinge à mansion of god but as that which verilie geueth lyfe to mans soul was made propre vnto goddes owne sonne hym selfe Hytherto this auncieÌ„t and great councel yn which were assembled cc. bysshoppes and which is one of the foure general concels that S. Gregorie sayed that he esteamed no lesse then the foure gospelles Wherfore Lib. 1. 24. seinge that this couÌ„cel hath so playnly sette fourth botb the holy sacrifice of the masse and also declared by the iÌ„spiratioÌ„ of the holy goost the auâ—thâ—â— and gouernour of such leful and godly conseylles that we do receaue yn the sacrament that flesh which is adioyned to goddes owone sonne and wbich geueth lyfe to them that do worthilie receaue it what wisdome were it to beleue the bisshoppe of Canterburies doctrine which denyeth both of these twoo Is it not muche meter to beleue al those fathers rather then this bisshoppes teachynge the contrarie Promysed not Christ that he wold be in the middes of ij or Matth. 18. iij. assembled in his name Hou then was he not with these cc. learned men that they erred not yn their iudgemeÌ„tes Wherfore lette vs beleue steadfastly as this councel teacheth vs plaineie that christes owne very natural bodie is in this sacrament althoughe this bysshoppe and such other carnal preachers and writers do barke neuer so muche against that our belefe and do make neuer so manye argumeÌ„tes and natural reasons to subuert it for as stronge and much stronger reasons may and heretofore hath bene made of heretikes against al the articles of our faith as it appreareth in dyuers old and late writers bookes Lette vs Ceasse thy reasonynge vpon the holy sacrameÌ„t not dispute and reason vpoÌ„ this matter which can not be compased nor perceaued by any natural reason or witte of man but by faith only as S. Damascene and many other holy Lib. 4. c. 14. doctours do testifie but lette vs steadfastly beleue christes wordes which sayeth this is my bodie that shal be geuen to death for you which wordes no mà can truelie vnderstand of bread Matth. 25. because that it was not crucyfied for vs as that bodie which he gaue his apostles to eate was To these wordes Hom. 93 in Matthaeum sayeth holy chrysostom lette vs geue fyrme credence yea thoughe our seÌ„ses natural wytte vnderstandynge and reason be clerely al against yt for christes wordes can not be false nor disceaue vs but oure senses are easye to be disceaued The carnal iewes Note reader Lib. 4. in 10. as wytnesseth S. Cyril lackynge fayth as this bysshoppe I 〈◊〉 hoper Ridley ponete â–ª and such oâ—her do and leanyng only to natural argumentes and reasons asked hou christ could geue them his fleash to eate They remeÌ„bred not sayeth he that Lucae 1. nothynge is impossible to god and therfore they iudged that this mysterie was but mere follye and that it was but manifest madnes to beleue that Christ would or could geue them his oune flesh to eate bodily with their mouthes as my lord of Canterburye hoper ponete Ridley coxe and many such other do now thinke and also teach to their owne damnation and many others besides our lord ameÌ„de theÌ„ yn tyme for his blessed names sake These men do now euen as the vnfaythful iewes did yn christes tyme when he intreated of this matter For they measured it by natural reasoÌ„ witte wold not beleue tâ—at christes very bodie was in this sacrameÌ„t reallie bodilie because they could not perceaue hou it so myght be by any natural reasoÌ„ because the senses of man do iudge the contrarie They do forgaette that the prophete Esaie Isaiae 7. sayeth Excepte ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand They sette the carte as they saye before the horses when they putte reasoÌ„ afore fayth after For is not fayth the fundation of our 1. cor 3. religion Why do they not remembre that reasoninge and fayth agree not Cicero wel together Cotta sayed to Lucilius why doest thou requyre à reason yf thou doest beleue for yf thou doest be leue thou doest aske no reason which may cause that thou shouldest not beleue Saith not also S. Paule that Lactantius Heb. 11. faith is the fundatioâ— and thinge that holdeth vp the thinge that appeareth not and is the profe of thinges not seane What follie is it then to laboure and studâ— for to trie out by reason the trueth yn this controâ—ersye of this holy sacrament which is vnsearcheable and appertayneth onlie to our faith excedinge al mans witte and reason Are there not à thousand thinges and moo which god hath Damasce 4. lib. ca. 14 done that no reason of man can perceaue by what meanes they were done but onlye by fayth Also cannest thou I praye the tel me hou god made Gene. 1. by his word al thinges of nothing Did not the natural reasoners and studentes denie this point of our fayth because they sawe that yt was directelie contrarie vnto al
apostles tyme and wrote saynt peters and paules passion wytnesseth euidently that saynt peter saw christ and talked wyth hym when he was goyng out of Rome for fear of persecution and that peter sayed to hym lord whyther goest thou To whom christ anusweared I go to Rome to be Crucyfied agayne Then anon after christ departed away from peter and peter vnderstandyng that Christment he wold be crucyfied agayne not in his oune bodie but in hym retourned to Rome and there was crucified for christes sake Of this Lib. 5. coÌ„meÌ„ storie wrote Egesippus which was very Lib. 5. epist nighe to the apostles tyme and also S. Ambrose This storie declareth that Christ ascended in to heauen and yet he is also iÌ„ the blessed sacrament of the aulter bodilie althoughe christ departed hence at the tyme of his ascension yn to heauen and sitteâ—hâ— at the right hand of god his father yet he may be also here yn the blessed sacrament of the aulter This is the very catholike fayth which christes church that caÌ„ not whollie erre yn the fayth hath euer taught doth and shal euer vntil the worldes ende Wherfore leaue reasoniÌ„g reader vpoÌ„ this matter and geue credence to this oure mother the churche and than thou shalt neuer be disceaued yn any point of thy fayth because she neuer The catholyke church erreth not yn the faith Matth. 16. erreth whollie theryn For promysed not christ that hel gates which are synne and heresies by which men do entre yn to hel should not preuaile agaiÌ„st Matth. vlt. her Sayed he not also that he wold be with the churche vntil the worldes ende Hou then could she erre so shamefullie these M. ccccc yeres and mo as to beleue that christ was bodilye in the sacrament and to honoure hym therin and yet he was not there but bare bread wyne What cal ye Note my lord this yf it be not hel gates to preuaile against christes church Hou could she be disceaâ—ed so many yeres in this weightie matter of our fayth with whom christ the trueth it selfe euer was as he promysed to be Did not christ saye that he wold be in the middes of twoo or three asseÌ„bled in his name Was he not theÌ„ emonge In concilio lateranensi the M. ccc xv fathers which were gathered together out of al costes of christendome and determyned that the Matth. vlt. bread and wyne were yn their natures and substances vtterly turned yn to christes very natural bodye bloud and that there remayned only their qualites and properties The apostles Act. 15. with the elders were assembled together at hierusalem yn à councel for the decysion of à question touchynge the chargynge of the Gentyles with the keping of Moses law and wheÌ„ they had done finyshed that their counsail Actorum 15 S. Iames ponounced their sentence and sayed that it pleased the holy goost and them that the gentyles should not be burdened with that ceremonial law by which it appeareth playnly that the holy goost ruleth and directeth the councels lefullye assembled that they erre not yn the fayth why then doth he not euen so nou to Marke reader the councels and hath euer done Hath nowe christ forsaken his deare IoaÌ„ 14 16. spouse the church Dyd he not promyse to send his holy spirite to the churche whiche should teach her al trueth and abyde stil with her for euer Hath he not then yet performed this his promyse which he made to his apostles and yn them to the whole churche at al tymes being Of did he not fulfil it vntil Berengarius came BereÌ„gariuâ— which about M. yeares after that promes Was the first autour of this heresie which he did penytently abiure and recante was made first of al men taught and maynteyned this heresie which sayeth that christes very natural bodye is not reallye in the blessed sacrament of the aulter Was this promes made onlie to hym and his scholers Was it made to a feu carnal vnlearned men yn any one countrey not rather to al the whole catholike churche and to al christen nations Was berengarius which was an hereretike in many other pointes as stories do wytnesse of hym and also à man of à very il lyfe a meter man and more worthye to receaue the performance of that highe pròmes than any of the apostles were or than any other parsoÌ„ which then lyued or els sense yea thaÌ„ al the churche of christ But lette vs graunt that this promes was not fulfillyd nor the trueth in this matter declared vntil BereÌ„garius came that the Marke wel reader this holy ghoost the spirite of the trueth was geuen vnto hym and first did sette furth by hym this verite Tel me then hou it chaunced that the holy goost forsoke hym suffered hym to recante to abiure forswaere for euer that opinion departinge out of this world with great repentance for that his heresie Did not Christ saye that the holy goost should euer abyde with them to whoÌ„ he was promysed Did not Berengarius which first wrote against this our fayth of the sacrament Li. de gestis regum fâ—aÌ„ corum in vita Henrici Regis Franciae recaÌ„te his heresie wyllyngly as Gagwinus testifieth and dyed wyth great repentaunce for yt For this was his last recantation I Berengarius do beleue BereÌ„garius later recantation wyih my hert and confesse wyth my mouth that the bread wyne which are set vpon the aulter are throughe prayer and the wordes of christ in substance turned in to our sauiours body and bloud which he toke of his mother offered vpon the crosse and that nowe doth sit in heauen at the fathers ryght hand and that this is not done only by á signe and the vertu of the sacrament but in the propriete of nature and the veryte of substance This was his confession and beliefe euen vntil his death Our lord gyue al theÌ„ that haue foloued his errour in this matter grace to forsake it by his exaÌ„ple and to dye in the true fayth of christ as he did After this mans death by the space of c yeres and more no man wrote against the very real presence of Christes natural body in the sacrament Then at the length came Almericus heresie one Almericus à wycked man which sayed that christes body was as wel in al manier of bread and in euery other thing els as in the blessed sacrament of the aulter After hym noman spake as much as we can fynde yn wryting against the catholike faith of this matter the space of more then á hundred yeres Then rose vp one Ihon wyclefe our countrey man which of mere malice that he could not obteyne the bysshoprych of worcetur and because he Wyclefes heresie was excommunycated and banyshed out of oxford sowed many heresies in England emong which this that my lord defendeth in his booke was one
of the scriptures the general conciles and the docteurs expositions of gods word to be so much blynded and so long à tyme But pride wyl haue à fal as it hath euer had heretofore espacially in theÌ„ that haue matched them selfes in matieres of religion against his dear espouse the church agaynst whom hel gates that is to say synne heresie neuer could nor neuer shal preuaile For did not Matth. 16. christ which euer was hard in his prayers as he sayth hym self praye for Peter that his fayth that is to say the fayth of the catholike church which Lucae 20. Ioan. 11. Heb. 5. he had receaued and confessed should not decaye Agayne doth not paul affirme Ephes 5. that christ loued his spouse the church so dearly that he gaue hymself for her to death for to cleanse her froÌ„ al fylthynes of synne that she should not haue one spotte therof Houe can these sainges of christ and paul stand wyth their opinion that say as my lord doth that the church hath erred yn the fayth and hath committed idolatry so many hundred yeares euen seÌ„ce the begynnyng of it Is this christ dearly to loue her Is this the office of Ro 12. 1. Cor. 11. 12 Coloss 1. à good husband towardes his wyfe Is this to purge her from euery spot of synne Wold christ which is head of the church and the church his body suffre that his oune hody runne in to heresie superstition blasphemye Marke 1. paril 9. Psal 136 such other abymynable crimes and to abide so long yn them He suffered the Synagoge of the ieues to fal yn to bodilie captyuite and to lye afflicted theryn but. lxx yeres and then he made her francke and free agayne and wold he then suffre christes church which he loued much more then he did the Synagoge to runne in to such abomynations and to continue stil in them at the least as my lord sayeth in his booke foure or fyue hundreth yeares Went not as christ sayth in Matth. 20. the parable god furth in the morning early to cal men to wourke yn his vyneyard Howe is it then true that he called not men vnto the ryght fayth of this sacrameÌ„t the space of M. yeres after this sacrament was instituted vntil berengarius came and then called but à very fewe in nombre Called not christ his church the kyndome Matthaei 13 Note of heauen Why then do these men make her the kyndom of hel by ascribinge vnto her heresie blasphemye idolatrie What blynd arrogancye and arrogant blyndnes is this Who can abide it What hart is so hard and stony that it can forbeare weapyng lamenting and mournyng for them that are this blynded do dailie make many other meÌ„ so blynd that they do fal vnwares headlong in to the den of heresie and damnation for euer Cal and crye good reader contynuallie Psal 67. nyght daye vnto god and saye Aryse ó lord aryse that thy ennymies may be dispersed and confounded Say deuoutly wyth tongue and Psal 43. mynde Aryse vp o lord why doest thou sleap Aryse vp expel vs not from the for euer Why turnest thow thy face from vs Doest thou forget our pouerte and trouble Arise vp ó lord helpe vs ó lord and delyuer vs for thy names sake Pray I say Christian reader and ceasse not that thou be not led yn to tentation and fal froÌ„ the ryght belief of the holy church but that thou maest stand theryn maÌ„ly and confesse it vntil thy death and therby obteyne that infinite and endles ioyes which god hath promysed vnto al that contynue in his loue and the kepyng of his commaundementes vntil their lyfes endes The whych our lord Iesus Christ for his deare and bytter passions sake graunt vnto vs to whom wyth the father and the holie goost be honour and prayse for euer Amen ⧠That it pertayneth onlye vnto the church of christ to expound the scripture to discusse al doubtes of our fayth Whych shal at any tyme ryse emonge vs And that also the general concils ought not to be despised but much regarded obediently receaued and foloued NOwe for as much as euery man is as Dauid and Paul Psal 115 affirme à lier of hymself and the holie spirit of god Rom. 3. was promysed of Christ vnto the church to teache her al trueth and to abide stil wyth her for euer for to rule Ioan. 14. 1â— directe and lead her from tyme to tyme that she shold not erre in the faith and pure religion of Christ who can iustly denye but that the authorite to expound the scriptures and to determyne controuersies of the fayth rysing out of the same must neades pertayne vnto her only and not vnto one particuliere person nor to any one countrey or region For as S. Augustine A verite vnwritten sayed that he wold not haue beleued the euangele except christes De praescript haereticorum church had moued hym so to do and agayne as we knowe not which is scripture and which is not but only as Tertulian saith by the church so hou can I be certayne of the ryght sense of scripture and what I ought to beleue but by the catholike church If an heretike shold nowe denye any part of the scripture as Manicbaeus and other refused al the old testameÌ„t as MarcioÌ„ Holie scripture can not be ê“ued to be scripture but onlie by the church denyed al the gospels except lukes as Ebion wold not receaue pauls epistles and as luther repealed S. Iames epistle and the Apocalypsis what haue we to conuict theÌ„ but the churches authorite Why then ought not the church to expound scripture and to be iudge yn al matters of trauerse in religion For how tel me can the scripture be theryn iudge which euery man taketh as he lysteth and expoundeth it as lyrineÌ„sis sayeth also as experieÌ„ce doth teach after his oune mynde fantasie Did not al heretikes that euer haue bene afore our daies and that noue are alleage scripture for them as wel as the catholike men May she then Which is à wytnes alleaged vpon both sides be iudge betwene them This moued Tertulian to say that in De praescr matieres of doubt in our fayth we must not apeale vnto the scripture in which there is either no victorie or vncertayne or els but lyttle certayne but vnto the church of christ which is euer gouerned and ruled by the holie goost and so erreth not whollie in our fayth Did not this thing also stere the fathers euen at the begynnyng of the church to cal and make assembles and general concels to discusse matters of controuersie and to suppresse heresies What els but that caused S. Austen Ianuario to affirme that the authorite of general concils was very holsome good for mennes saluation that the iudgement of then ought to be preferred before any one bysshops iudgement and the
sayinge The spirite gyueth lyfe but the fleash profiteth nothinge c. Doest thow not see here reader that Saint Austen ment not to denye the corporal and real beynge and eatinge of christes bodie in the sacrament For he ment that fleash that is to say such à fleshely and folyshe vnderstaÌ„dynge of christes wordes werby they thought that christ wold that they shold eate his flesh cut out in peaces â—er 2. de verbis apost as common meates are eaten and not alyue and whole without al hurt done to it profiteth nothinge but the spirite that is to say à spiritual vnderstandinge of his wordes that they should eate his flesh alyue ioyned vnto his spirite and godhead whole and not harmed in any thiÌ„ge geueth lyfe And so he wold that they shold not thinke that they should eate that his bodie which they sawe after any such maner and as they sawe it in that same forme of fleash visibly but inuisiblye as he sayeth there nor drinke the bloud which the iewes should shed furth in that forme of bloud in which it should be shed out and visiblie This ment he as his oune wordes afore recited declare plainly and therfore those wordes which my lord alleageth for hym maketh nothinge for hym at al. The ende of the fourth booke The fyfth boke of the sacrifice of the holy masse Althoughe ye my lord do saye without any good grounde that it is à great blasphem ye against christ to saye that in the masse is made à sacrifice propitiatorie for synne yet al the eldest and best learned doctours that euer were are vtterly against your errour therin as I haue declared touching The bysshop fol. 104. many of theÌ„ in my booke of the sacrifice of the holy masse and as I wil anon by goddes grace proue by some of their saiÌ„ges briefely We make no sacrifice The confutation Luc. 22. at masse but only as ministers of christ which bade vs so to do offereth hymselfe daily for vs therin and therfore ye are disceaued at the begynninge of this your boke when ye say that priestes do make their masse à sacrifice propitiatorie for the synnes of the quycke and deade as neuer no creature made but christ alone and that ones onely for al vpon the crosse And to proue this ye alleage S. Paul which spake there to the hebrews of christes Hebr. 9. 10. blouddy sacrifice made by his death only which he offered neuer but ones as he sayeth or els he must neades haue dyed more theÌ„ ones for as much as that kynde of sacrifice is necessarilie ioyned wyth his passion but this maketh nothynge vtterly against the sacrifice of the masse in which christ hymselfe turneth the substaunce of bread and wyne in to his owne very natural fleash and bloud and offereth How and in What seÌ„ce the masse is à sacrifice them in à remembraunce of his death for the application of his passion and the merite of it for remission of the synnes both of the quycke and the deade as al holy doctours bothe Graekes and latines do wytnesse Fo. 105. plainly of whose sentences I wil alledge some anon But here I aske of yowe my lord why may not Christ euery daie be offered in sacrifice wythout dyinge agayne for vs as wel as he was slayne as Ihon sayeth euen from Apocal. 13. the begynnynge of the world and yet he suffred death not many thousand yeres after Were not the sacrifices of Abel Isaac of the paschal lambe and many other sacrifices of the old lawe certen figures of christes sacrifice theÌ„ Exodi 12. 1 Lâ—â—â—ti 24. Gene. 4. to come vpon the crosse and were offered to put meÌ„ in mynde of it What theÌ„ should lette my lord that the masse myght not be a sacrifice for a remeÌ„brance of christes passion and death now passed as wel as they were of it to come that this sacrifice shold not as wel be an application of christes merites vnto vs for remission of oure synnes as they were I am very sure Lib. 17 ca 20 De ciuitate Dei that ye are not able wyth the helpe of althem that made this youre booke to auoyde this Austen writeth after this sorte therin Salomon sayeth A maÌ„ hath nothinge that god is to hym Ecclesiastes 8. but that thinge whych he shal eate drinke What thinge more credible may here be vnderstanded to saye than that which doth pertayne to the partakinge of this table Which that priest the mediatour of the newe testament gyueth of his bodie and bloud after Marke this reader the ordre of Melchisedech For that sacrifice hath succeded al the sacrifices of the old testament which were offered in à shadowe of it to come Wherfore we do acknowledge that voice of the same mediatour written in the Psal 39. psalme by the prophete Thowe woldest not haue sayed christ the sonne to his father à sacrifice an oblatioÌ„ but thowe madest me à perfecte body for because in the stead of al those old sacrifices and oblations christes bodie is offered in sacrifice and mynystred Three errours confuted here vnto the partakers Here are three of your errours my lord confuted The first that Melchisedech offered not sacrifice in bread and wyne for à figure of christes sacrifice made at his last soupper The secoÌ„de that christes bodi and bloud are not in the holi sacrameÌ„t but only bread and wyne The thirde that christes bodie is not offered in sacrifice at masse We do confesse that christes sacrifice made vpon the crosse was ful perfecte sufficient and did doth stil put away the synnes of al them that beleue perfectly in hym trust in goddes mercy repent their illyues and receaue the holy saeramentes by which as meanes that christes sacrifice is and neades must be applied vnto them and therfore it cometh not of any imperfection of christes sacrifice ones made for euer vpon the crosse that his blessed bodie is offered daily in sacrifice for oure synnes but only to applie that perfecte sacrifice vnto vs for to take away actually oure imperfectenes of synne This a unsweare is sufficient for the soilynge of al that is brought out of S. paules epistle vnto the hebrews Nowe ye make à distinction of sacrifices saynge that there is one kinde of sacrifices à propitiatorie or à mercyful sacrifice that is to saye such as pacyfieth goddes wrath and indignatioÌ„ obteyneth mercye for oure synnes and forgeuenes of them which is onely christes death sacrifice made ones for al vpon the crosse Which no good christian man The confutation denyeth But what then Canye therby proue my lord that christe offereth not hymselfe yet daily at masse by the priest as his ministre for an applyiÌ„ge of that his propitiatorie and most mercyful sacrifice made neuer but ones Maye not the sacrifice of the masse made in à remembrance of christes death and blouddy sacrifice be as wel