of the geuing of his blessed bodie and blood in the Sacrament as Chrysostome saieth Propterea id prius fecit miraculum vt per illud non essent ampliùs increduli his quae postmodum diceret Therfore Chrysost hom 45 in Ioan. saieth Chrysostom did he woorke this miracle first that by yt they shoulde be no more vnbeleuing in those thinges whiche he wolde afterwarde tell them For as the same Chrysostom saieth Ex eo haec credere oportuit ei facilia factu esse By that miracle yt behoued them to beleue that these thinges also were easie for him to do Ibidem This miracle then beinge doen as a preparatiue or induction to the belief of that great miracle that afterward he wolde tell them that he wolde do manie people did folowe him though drawen by diuerse Spirittes Some by the heauenlie Spiritte mouinge the minde Some by the fleshlie Spiritte moued of the bellie whiche our Sauiour Chryste did note when he saied Sequimmi me non quia vidistis signa sed quia manducastis ex panibus saturati estis Ioan. 6. Ye folowe me not bicause ye haue feen the miracles but bicause ye haue eaten of the loaues and were filled And so proceding nearer to entre into the matter whiche he chieflie entended saied vnto them Operamini non cibū qui perit sed qui permanet in vitam aeternam quem filius hominis daturus est vobis Labour not for the meat whiche perisheth but for that whiche endureth into euerlasting life whiche meate the Sonne of man shall geue vnto yowe The Iewes nowe by this aduertised perceaued that they were moued to woorke for the heauenlie life and therfore asking howe they shoulde woorke the worke of God receaued aunswer that yt was to beleue in him whō god had sent Yet nowe forgetting the miracle so lately doen in feading so great a multitude with so feweloaues for the whiche then they coulde saie This ys the verie Prophete whiche shoulde come into the worlde and wolde haue taken him and made him king they saied nowe vnto him Quod ergo facis signum vt videamus credamus tibi c. What sign shewest thowe nowe that we maie see and beleue thee What doest thowe woorke Oure fathers did eate Manna in the desert as yt ys written he gaue them bread from heauen to eate Here our Sauiour Three sundrie breades mencioned by Chryst Joan. 6. Chryste hauing iust occasion entreth into a large disputation with thē whiche continueth to the chapiters end In the whiche he maketh mencion of three sundrie breades that ys of the bread Manna of the bread the Sōne of God and of the breade the flesh of Chryste Whiche three breades as they be distincted in nature So dothe the Euangelist distincte them by the distinction of their times in the whiche they were geuen And therfore speaking of Manna whiche was geuen long before he dothe distincte yt by the time that ys past saieng Patres vestri manducauerunt Manna Ibid. 6. in deserto yowre fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse By whiche saing ys declared not onelie a distinction and difference of the thing yt self being Manna but also of the time and place that yt was eaten of their fathers The seconde bread ys the Godhead of Chryst whiche as yt ys distincted from the first bread in substance So ys yt distincted by the difference of the geuing of yt And therfore our Sauiour Chryste vttereth yt in the present tence as then presentlie geuen saing Non Moyses dedit vobis panem de caelo sed Pater meus dat vobis panem de celo verum Moyses gaue you not that bread from heauen but my Father geueth yowe the true bread from heauen Where note that Chryst saieth that his Father geueth the true bread He did not saie that he did geue or will geue but presentlie geueth And who ys this bread he declareth saieng Ego sum panis vitae I am the bread of life And whether this be spoken of his manhead or of his god head he immediatelie openeth Qui venit ad me non esuriet qui credit in me non sitiet in aeternum He that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth in me shall neuer Beleif ys directed to God alone thirst Beleif ys directed to none as to beleue in them but to God alone We beleue in Iesus Chryst God and man not by the consideracion of his manheade alone do we beleue in him but in that his Godhead and his māhead be ioined in vnitie of person so as God and man ys one Chryst Wherfore in this place he must be vnderstanded of necessitie to speake of his Godhead The thirde bread he beginnith to speake of when he saied Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est quam dabo pro mundi vita And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh whiche I will geue for the life of the worlde In the whiche woordes he teacheth a manifest diuersitie of this bread here spoken of from the other spoken of before For here by expresse woordes he nameth the bread his flesh whiche yet more plainlie he teacheth to be his verie reall and substanciall flesh when he saieth that he will geue them that same flesh whiche he will geue for the life of the worlde He gaue not his flesh spirituallie to suffer death for the life of the worlde But the verie reall flesh of his verie bodie Wher nowe note that wher I saied before that in this chapiter besides the bread whiche our sauiour Chryst fedde the people then with miraculouslie therwere three breades spokē of by Chryst These three breades be distincted not onelie with difference of time as ys before declared but also with the differēce of substāce as being three seuerall and diuerse substances as in this sequele it shall appeare As for Manna that yt was a diuerse substance from either of the other two ye will easilie graunt me That these other two be different in substance also yt ys partlie proued allreadie for that the one of the same ys the God head of Chryst the proof wherof ys that he moued the Iewes to beleue in yt The other ys his flesh whiche he gaue for the worlde And here note that speaking of the bread of his Godhead he moueth the Chryst moued the Iewes to beleue in hys Godhead and to eat the flesh of hismāhead Iewes more then once to beleue in him But speaking of this other bread he neuer moued the Iewes to beleue in yt but allwais to eate yt Ther he saied Ego sum panis vitae I am the bread of life Here as yt were disseueringe his flesh as being one of the substāciall partes of his person from the wholl he saieth Panis c. The bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh whiche ys a different Substance from the substance of the Godhead of Chryst although bothe theise
esse demonstrat Paulo quoque Apostolo concordante qui ait Quotiescunque panem hunc manducabitis calicem Domini bibetis mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat Saincte Augustine saieth that owre Lorde seemeth to bidde an eueldede or a great offence not that he bidding his flesh to be eaten did bidde Obiectiō of the Sacramentaries anie euell dede to be doen or great offence but that he semed to bidde that ys to saie to them whiche thought that he bidding this did necessarelie bidde his flesh to be slain and to be cutte one membre from an other and so at the last his fllesh either rawe or sodden to be eaten Therfore saieth he ther ys a figure in this saing Here nowe peraduenture the shadowe Aunswer man meening the heretike doth reioice here nowe he maketh his noise Reioice thow not shadow teacher oute of ordre reioice not to hastilie Of what thing yt ys saied to be a figure patientlie and diligentlie take hede Yt ys a figure saieth saincte Augustine commaundinge what commaunding or what figuring For yt doth figure that that yt doth commaund that we saieth he shoulde partake the passion of oure Lorde and swetelie and profitablie kepe in memorie that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs. God bethanked What soeuer yt be then that saincte Augustine here calleth the Sacrament a figure not of Chrystes bodie but of his death figure for what he doth call the figure in these his woordes yt ys not so harde to be knowen yt ys not the figure of the bodie of our Lorde but of his crucifieng and wounding that ys of his death and of owre communicating with the same that ys to saie that we shoulde folowe Chryst and communicate his passion suffring withe him that doth he most manifestlie shewe to be a figure Paule also the Apostle agreinge with him who saieth As often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke ths cuppe ye shall shewe furthe the death of our Lorde vntil he come Thus farre Guitmundus In this aunswer which although yt be long yet I thought yt necessarie to bring yt not truncatelie but whollie to satisfie the Reader ye maie perceane that this Authour manifestlie proueth that saincte Augustine saieth not that the flesh and blood of Chryste be figuratiuely in the Sacrament whiche the Aduersarie cheiflie pretendeth and seketh But sainct Augustine saieth that this sainge of Ghryste Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. ys a figuratiue speache For the eating and drinking of Chrystes flesh and blood in the Sacrament ys a figure of Chrystes passion and blood sheding for vs and a signe for the continuance of the thinge in our memorie and also for the mouing of vs to take our crosses and to suffer with Chryste Whiche thinge yet this Authour both more plainlie and breiflie dothe sett furth in that that foloweth sainge Quòd si quaeramus quid hic figuram Augustinus dixerit nihil hic vtique tam congruè videtur occurrere quà m id quod paulò superius Guitmūd Jbidem Doctor idem iam dixerat id est celebratio corporis sanguinis Domini Quas obres stultè insipientissimè Berengariani librum de Doctrina Christiana nobis obijciūt cùm cibus altaris Domini nusquam ibi figura nusquam ibi signum dicatur Et quicquid illud sit quod signum ibi vel figura dicitur non vtique figura corporis sanguinis Domini sed passionis Domini nostrae communicationis cum ea certissimè demonstratur Yf we aske what saincte Augustine here calleth the figure ther ys nothinge here that ys perceaued so agreable to occurre as that whiche a litle before the Berengariās foolishlie obiected S. Aug. So do the Sacramentaries now same doctour had nowe saied that ys the celebracion of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde For which cause the Berengarians foolislie and most vnwiselie do obiecte the booke of the chrystian doctrine to vs seing that the meate of the Altar of our Lorde in no place ther ys called a figure in no place ther ys called a signe And what soeuer ther ys called a figure or a signe yt ys most certenlie shewed not to be a figure of the bodie and blood of our Lorde but of the passion of our Lorde and of our communicating with the same Thus moche Guitmundus I nede not to note here to yowe anie thinge wher euerie thinge ys so plain neither after my rude maner to trauaill to saie any more for aunswering this argument where the aunswere of this learned man ys so full that yt hath fullie and perfectelie aunswered the Aduersaries and that by the same saincte Augustine whom they obiected and oute of the same booke oute of the whiche the obiection was taken Yet raither to confirme the sainge of this learned man then to open and declare that the hath saied and that the Aduersarie maie perceaue that yt was not the minde of saincte Augustine to make the Sacrament a bare figure voide of the reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode I will asscribe a sainge of the same saincte Augustine whiche semeth to allude to this his sainge here This yt ys Quamuis horribilius videatur humanam carnem manducare quà m perimere humae Aug. cont aduers legis Prop. ca. 9 num sanguinem potare quà m sundere nos tamen mediatorem Dei hominū hominem Iesum Christum carnem suam nobis manducandam bibendumue sanguinem dantem fideli corde ore suscipimus Although yt maie seeme to be more horrible to eate the flesh of man then to kill a man and to drinke the bloode of man then to shedde yt yet we for all that do receaue the mediator of God and men Iesus Chryste geuing vs his flesh to be eaten with a faithfull heart and mouth and his bloode to be dronken Thus saincte Augustine Remembre nowe gentle Reader the rule of saincte Augustine before geuen for the vnderstanding of the scriptures and conferre this his sainge with that other and ye shall perceaue that the figuratiue speache that he speaketh of ther ys not soche as shoulde take awaie the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament and leaue but a bare figure a signe or a token of that bodie and blood as the Aduersarie wolde haue yt For wher he saieth ther that Chryst willing vs to eate his flesh and drinke his bloode semeth to commaunde an euell dede to be doen and therfore to be a figuratiue speache here he saieth that though yt seme to be an horrible facte to eate the flesh of man and drinke his bloode yet do we with faithfull heart and mouth eate the flesh and drinke the bloode of the mediatour of God and man whiche ys the man Iesus Chryste Ye see that though yt seme to be an horrible facte so to do yet saincte Augustine here maketh not the figuratiue speache soche as to take awaie the
but still closed and shett howe coulde that bodie hauing as ys saied flesh and bones enter into the disciples the doores still being shett So doth yt also saie Howe can a man receaue the wholl bodie of Chryst with his mouth But as these two former thinges be made possible to thee by faith let this third so be also For yf thowe beleue them bicause the scripture teacheth thee beleue the scripture and the holie Fathers also which teache thee that this bodie of Chryst ys so present and so receaued And yf yt be present yt must nedes be that same bodie that was born that was crucified But not as yt was born and crucified That same bodie in substance not the same in qualitie and condicion But yet the verie same wholl bodie So did Chrystome teache that we shoulde take In 10. 1 Co. Hom. 24. yt saing thus Et quando id propositum videris dic tecum propter hoc corpus non amplius terra cinis ego sum hoc corpus crucifixum verberatum morte victum non est Hoc idem corpus cruentatum lancea vulneratum fontes sanguinis aquae vniuerso orbisalutares scaturiuit When thowe saieth Chrysostom speaking of the Sacrament seist that thing sett furth saie with thy self for this bodie I am no more earth and ashes This bodie crucified and beaten was not ouercomed with death This same verie bodie bloodied and wounded with a speare hath lett runne oute fountains of water and bloode holsome to all the worlde Thus he Note Reader that Chrysostom willeth yowe when ye see the Sacrament The same bodie ys in the Sacr. that was crucisied sett furth to saie with your self This bodie being crucified was not ouercomed with death This same verie bodie wounded with a speare sent holsom streanies of water and bloode to the worlde Wherby ye are taught that the same bodie ys in the Sacrament that was crucified And therfor are ye not willed to saie at the seight of the Sacrament This ys a signe figure or token of the bodie that was crucified but this ys the self same bodie and none other For Chryste hath but one bodie and that same one bodie ys in the Sacrament substanciallie whollie and perfectlie And therfor as that Chryste was incarnate we knowe and by whose worke yt was doen we knowe but the maner howe that flesh was wrought we knowe not That Chryst did rise from deathe and that his soule was in Hell we knowe but howe yt came to his bodie again we knowe not yet by whom yt was doen we knowe So that Chrystes bodie ys in the Sacrament we knowe and by whom yt ys wrought that yt ys ther we knowe but howe yt ys ther more then ys saied we knowe not Nowe yf ye will not beleue his bodie to be in the Sacrament bicause ye knowe not howe yt ys ther howe will ye beleue that Chrystes soule returned to his bodie seing ye knowe not howe yt came ther. Chryst made the water wine in Cana Galilaeae But howe we knowe not Joan. 2. For he spake no extern woord neither did anie extern facte toward the turning of yt appeare more thē that he did bid the ministers to drawe and geue the stewarde The fiue loanes and two fishes the seuen loanes and the fewe fishes we knowe to be multiplied and by whom but howe whether by Ibid. 6. Matt. 15. putting to of an other substance or they thē selues were encreased or otherwise we knowe not That Lazarus was dead and so certēlie that he being foure Joan. 11. daies in the graue did stinke we knowe but howe the soule came to that putrisieng bodie and from whence and howe that stinkinge bodie was made hole and swete we knowe not but by whome yt was doen we knowe Therfor the maner of these and manie mo being wrought by the diuine power for somoche as the scripture saieth that they were doen though the maner of the doinge be vnknowen we beleue them So forasmoche as the scripture saieth that the slesh of Chryst ys meate in deed and that we must eate yt yf we will haue life Let vs beleue yt though we knowe not howe yt ys so made nor can comprehende howe soche a bodie shoulde entre into a VVe maie not be curiouse in the workes of God mans mouth Let vs not be curiouse in searching the wonderfull workes of God Yf he did saie yt yt ys knowledge enough for a Chrystian man to beleue that yt ys so I tarie to long here but the chrystian charitie I beare to them that haue erred that they maie be reduced and staied hath thus caried me THE THREE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER endeth the exposition of this text by Theophilact and Beda THe last coople whiche shall be brought furth for the expownding and vnderstanding of this text of S. Iohn shall be Theophilact and Beda Whome I will breiflie alleage bicause I wolde be gone from this to other in same chapiter Theophilacte saieth thus Non enim nudi hominis caro est quae manducatur sed Dei quae deificare valet vtpote contemperata Deitati Ista etia vere est cibus eò quòd non ad paruum tēpus duret neque corrumpatur sicut corruptibilis cibus sed aeternae vitae sit subsidium Similiter et potus sanguinis Domini verè est potus quiae Jn 6. Joan. non ad tempus sufficit siti sed semper absque siti conseruat nec indigere permittit bibentem sicut et ad Samaritanam dicebat Qui bibit ex aqua quam ego dabo non sitiet Nam quisquis grattam sancti Spiritus per sumptionem diuinorum mysteriorum susceperit neque famem spiritualem neque sitim patietur qualem incredult Yt ys not the flesh of a bare man whiche ys eaten but of God and whiche ys able to make vs as yt were Goddes as contemperated to the Godhead This flesh also ys meat in very dede bicause yt endureth not for a litle while neither ys yt corrupted as the corruptible meat but yt ys the helpe of eternall life likwise also the drinke of the bloode of our Lorde ys drinke in dede bicause yt sufficeth the thirst not for a time but allwaies yt conserueth from thrist and suffreth not the drinker to lacke as he saied to the Samaritane He that drinketh of the water whiche I shall geue him he shall not thirst so as do the vnbeleuers Thus moche Theophilacte I shall not nede to trauaill here to shewe that he vnderstandeth this text of the Sacrament For that ys all readie made so manifest that yt can not be denied And for the presence I will not trouble the reader to make any farther proofe or declaracion here seing yt maie be well perceaued by that that ys allreadie saied what this Authours meening ys in this matter I will therfor passe him thus ouer and come to Beda who breiflie writeth thus Dixerat superiùs Qui manducat
but must also geue to other So likewise yt proueth aswell that forasmoche as Chryste reserued no parte of the Sacrament no more shoulde the Churche nowe Yt ys a great libertie that this man taketh vnto him self to make soche expositions as liketh him self and vpon his owne exposition to grownd an argument to condemne the practise of the wholl Church as though yt were Locus Topycus a sure grownded argument when yt ys fownded but vpon his owne authoritie I haue not redde this maner of exposition in anie catholike Authour auncient or of the later daies that these woordes of Chryst do this shoulde be a charge and commaundement to celebrate the memoriall of Chrystes death in the same sorte and maner that Chryst did but raither that his bodie and blood shoulde be receaued in the Sacrament as the Substance whervpon the memoriall should be grownded withoute anie charge geuen of the maner and forme So doth Saincte Hierom expownde these woordes referring the commaundement to the doing of the thing and not to the doinge of the maner for the memoriall of Chryste This ys his saing Ideò hoc Saluator tradidit Sacramentum vt per hoc semper commemoremus quia pro nobis est mortuus Nam ideò cùm accipimus à sacerdotibus commonemur In 11. cap. 1. Cor. quia corpus sanguis est Christi vt beneficijs eius non existamus ingrati Therfor our Sauiour deliuered this Sacrament that by this we shoulde allwaies remembre that he died for vs. For therfore also when we receaue we are putte in minde by the preistes that yt ys the bodie and bloode of Chryste that we shoulde not be vnthankfull for the benefittes receaued Thus sainct Hierom. Chrysostom also dissenteth not from this maner of exposition For thus he saieth Deinde de coena illa referens praesentia his quae tunc fuerant copulat vt quemadmodum in illa ipsa vespera mensa dispositi ab ipso Christo hoc acceperunt Jn 11. 1. Co. sacrificium it a nunc disponerentur inquit Quotiescunque comederitis panem hunc sanguinem hunc biberitis mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat Quemadmodum Christus in pane in calice in commemorationem hoc facite dixit causam nobis aperiens quare mysterium daret cum alijs hanc esse dicens sufficientem noâ—…s ad pietatem Nam cùm intelliges quid propter te Dominus passus est sapientior efficieris Ita ipse iterum inquit Quotiescunque manducaueritis mortem eius annunciabitis Et haec illa Coena est Afterward speaking of that supper he coopleth thinges present to those that then were that as in the same euentide and table they being disposed did receaue of Chryste him self this sacrifice euen so nowe also they shoulde be disposed and saied As often as ye shall drinke this bloode ye shall declare the death of our Lorde vntill he come For as Chryst both at the bread and at the cuppe saied Do this in my remembrance opening a cause why he wolde geue the mysterie among other saied this to be sufficient to godlinesse For when thowe shalt vnderstande what our Lorde hath suffred for thee thowe shalt be made the wiser Euen so he also saieth again As often as ye shall eate ye shall declare his death and this ys euen the same Supper Thus farre Chrysost In whose woordes as well as in saincte Hieroms we see this commaundement of Chryst Hocfacite do this to be referred to the Substance that Chrystes woordes This do ye c. Be referred to the substaÌ„ce not to the maner ys to the bodie and bloode of Chryste to be receaued for his memoriall and not to the maner of receauing And by the waie gentle reader note and beare awaie these woordes of saincte Hierom that he saieth that when we receaue we are admonished of the preistes that yt ys the bodie and bloode of Chryste wherby we are taught both wherunto tendeth the commaundement of Chryste and also what we receaue in that holie and honorable Sacrament I wishe also that Chrysostome might be noted howe he vttereth the woordes of saincte Paule Sainct Paule saieth thus As often as ye shall eate What S. Paule calleth the cuppe Chrysost calleth yt to bloode this bread and drinke this cuppe Chrysostom thus As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this bloode not reporting euery wher the verie woordes of saincte Paule but raither the sense and vnderstanding So wher saincte Paule calleth yt the cuppe of our Lorde this maÌ„ expownding S. Paule calleth yt the blood of Chryst wherby we are taught what ys in the cuppe of our Lorde eueÌ„ the bloode of Chryste and not bare wine yf yt be so in that parte of the SacrameÌ„t theÌ„ in the other ys the bodie of Chryst and not bare bread But to return to our pourpose Euthymius also expowndinge the saied woordes of Chryst vnderstandeth them not of the maner but of the SubstaÌ„ce These be his woordes Ait autem Lucas hoc quoque dixisse Christum Hoc Euth in 26 Matth. sacite in mei recordationem hoc inquit nouum mysterium non illud vetus illud mysterium in recordationem inductum est salutis Hebraeorum primogenitorum in Aegypto ac libertatis Hebraeorum hoc autem in recordatiouem Domini Per tale enim sacrificium reminiscimur quòd corpus suum in mortem tradiderit sanguinem suum effuderit ac ita continuitate memoriam renouamus Luke saieth that our Lorde also saied Do ye this in my remembrance This newe mystery saieth he and not that olde For trulie that olde mysterie was instituted in the remembrance of the sauing of the first born of the Hebrues and of the deliuerance of the Hebrues But this ys in the remembrance of our Lorde By soche a sacrifice we remembre that he deliuered his bodie to death and shed furth his bloode and so by continuance we renewe memorie Thus moche Euthymius Who as the other Fathers aboue alleaged vnderstandeth Chrystes commaundement of the substance of the Sacrament no mencion made of the maner After these to see some of the later writers howe they vnderstood these woordes yt shall not be amisse that hauing the mindes of men of diuerse ages what the true vnderstanding ys yt maie the better appeare Sainct Thomas among learned and holie men that haue ben with in these foure hundreth yeares a man right famouse saieth thus Hoc facite c. Iniungit vsum huius Sacramenti dicens Hoc facite quotiescunque sumetis in meam Tho. Aqui. in 11. 1. Co. commemorationem id est in memoriam meae passionis Do this c. He commaundeth the vse of the SacrameÌ„t saing This do ye as often as ye shall receaue in my commemoracion that ys in the memorie of my passion And again he saieth Mortem Domini annunciabitis repraesentando eam per hoc Sacramentum Ye shall shewe furth the death of our
Lorde representing yt by this Sacrament Hauing no regarde of the contempt of the Aduersarie contemning the learned men of the later age I will among manie that maie be brought for the auoiding of tediousnesse and yet to shewe the conformitie of doctrine in this age with the auncient age bring the exposition of one named Hugo whose saing ys this Dixerat quòd sumerent corpus Domini sanguinem in commemorationem eius hic determinat in quam quia in Dominicae passionis Hugo Car. in 11. 1. Co. He had saied that they shoulde receaue the bodie and blood of oure Lorde in the remembrance of him Here he determineth in what remembrance In the remembrance saieth he of our Lordes passion Nowe ye haue heard diuerse expownding these woordes Hoc sacite do this all agreing that they are to be refered and vnderstanded to and of the substance and vse of the Sacrament that ys that yt shoulde be receaued in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and deathe But that we are by those woordes commaunded to obserue that maner and forme that our Sauiour obserued in his ministracion otherwise then ys saied both in the The Proclamer vseth his owne authoritie in expounding the scriptures for he hath none other last chapiter and in this also ther ys no one title in these Authours By this then yt maie well be thought and supposed that this man vsing his absolute authoritie for lacke of other helpe had iuuented and framed soche an exposition vpon this scripture as was not knowen to the auncient expositours nor yet to them of the later time and so verie like neuer seen written or heard spoken hefore this time And yet with a pretense of simplicitie and synceritie yt ys commended to the people as the trew syncere woorde of God when yt hath neither Gods woorde nor aide of holie Fathers to bear yt but ys a plain inuencion of his owne void of all trueth Thus moche being doen by authoritie I shall also by good reason proue The Proclamer his exposition im pugned by reason his exposition false For he him self graunteth that for fiue or sixe hundreth yeares after Chryste the Churche vsed the institucion of Chryst purelie and well withoute the breach of Chrystes woorde or commaundement But for the most parte of that time they did not obserue the practise of Chrystes institucion in soche forme and sorte as he did him self Wherfor to practise that that Chryste did in his last supper in some other maner or sorte then he did ys not the breach of his woorde Yf yt be not the breach of his woorde then ys this mans exposition false That the primitiue and auncient Church vsed an other forme and maner in the ministracion of the SacrameÌ„t then Chryst did in the institucion of the Masses in the primitiue church varied freÌ„ the forme and maner of Chrystes institucion same the Masse of saincte Iames of the whiche this man maketh mencion the Masse of saincte Basill the Masse of Chrysostome the Masse vsed in Millan by sainct Ambrose with the wholl practise as well of the Apostles as of other doth moste manifestlie testisie And these Masses vsed in the primitiue and auncient Churche did all agree in the Substance of the Sacrament But in the forme maner and sorte of ministracion ther was great diuersitie one moche varieng from an other and euerie one of them varieng from the maner that Chryste vsed and yet euery one godlie and good We maie then conclude that either the primitiue and auncient Churche varieng from the forme and sorte of Chrystes ministracion did offende which ys not to be thought or ells that this Proclamer so wresting the scripture to maintien his false Docttine hath offended which I dare auouche maie well be saied We maie also impugne this exposition by this mans owne practise who Proclamer his reason impugned by his owne practise being soche a precise reformer of the abuses of the Church as he termeth yt will not in his doinges committe anie notoriouse abuse howe so euer he doth in his woordes Yt ys notoriouse that he ministreth in other sorte and forme then Chryst did Wherfor yf ther be no abuse in his doing ther ys abuse in his sainge For his saing and doing in this matter be plainly contrarie He saieth we must practise in soche sort and forme as Chryste did but his doinges be not in soche sort and forme as Chryst did That his forme ys not soche as Chryst vsed yt ys more manifest then I neade to make rehersall For Chryst ministred when the Apostles had eaten this man when the people be fasting Chryste in the euening this man in the morning Chryste I am not certen but Jâ—udge the best with vsuall vuleauened bread this man withe wafer cakes Chryste withoute any other straung garment then his owne vsuallie worn this man in other garmentes appoincted to that pourpose Chryst did sitte with the twelue this man standeth with an vncertain nombre with manie other like And here yf this expositour will haue his exposition streictly laied to all the forme sorte of Chrystes doing in his supper I wolde learn of him whether I knowing a man to be farre vnworthie to receaue the blessed Sacrament shall admitte him to the table and ministre vnto him notwithstanding his vnwoorthinesse bycause that Chryst did knowe Iudas to be vnwoorthie and yet ministred to him But to return ye maie perceaue that the forme and sorte which this man vseth in his communion ys moche in many thinges discrepant from the doinges of Chryst in his supper And yet I suppose that he thinketh Chrystes maner in ministracioÌ„ of the SacrameÌ„t neuer since vsed well of him self in his so doing Yf then his doing be good then ys his exposition naught And to coÌ„clude seing the Apostles the Fathers of the primitiue Churche the auncieÌ„t doctours that were within three foure and fiue hundreth yeares of Chryst obserued not the forme and sort that Chryste vsed in the ministracion of his Supper nor any other age since that time neither this man himself hath or dothe practise the same we maie boldelie saie that yt ys no charge geuen of Chryste to do all thinges in the ministracion in soche sorte and forme as he did but the substance doen the other thinges be of no necessitie but be at the libertie of the Churche to dispose and ordre as yt hath doen. Then as manie thinges haue ben doen aboute the ministracion whiche Chryst did not So maie reseruacion be doen though Chryste did yt not This argument then being as I trust fullie solued I finde nothing in his sermon that he obiecteth against this matter of reseruacion directlie But I finde a prettie sleight that he vseth as therby to make his audience beleue that to reserue the SacrameÌ„t ys an abuse whiche sleight when I haue opened to the reader he shall I trust perceaue that vnder the pretence and cowntenance of synceritie and
a swete sauoure to God were not the sacrifices of the olde lawe soche Doth not Moises from Gods mouth so terme them Yt can not be denied but the scripture doth so call them But as Chryste saieth Nemo bonus nisi solus Deus Ther ys no man good but God alone And yet again he saieth Bonus homo de bono thesauro prosert bona The good Man oute of good treasure bringeth Luc. 18. Matth. 12 God good by nature man by participacion furth good thinges So though God alone of him self and of his diuine nature be onlie good yet men be good also not of them selues nor of their owne natures but by participacion of the goonesse of God So ther ys one sacrifice whiche onely ys pure for that yt ys pure of yt self whiche sacrifice ys the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Iesus Chryst Other sacrifices that be called pure and clensing sacrifices they be so called by participacion that they doo please God and purifie men by the vertue and merite of that pure Sacrifice Iesus Chryst who ys the lambe that was slain from the beginning of the worlde geuing vertue to all sacrifices that were yet offred from the beginninge of the worlde And therfore when the Prophett putteth Apoc 13. this difference to this sacrifice that shall succead the sacrifices of the Iewes that yt shall be a pure sacrifice Yf yt were pure but by vertue of other as the sacrifices of the Iewes were then were this woorde pure no woorde of difference but raither a superfluouse woorde making no distinction betwen the two sortes of sacrifices But for so moche as the Prophet hath put yt as a difference seing the other were pure by vertue of other this must nedes be the sacrifice that ys pure of yt self whiche as ys before said ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst Neither maie this nowe be drawen to that most blessed Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst vpon the Crosse For that Sacrifice in that maner was offred in one place onelie that was vpon the mounte Caluarie But this Sacrifice saieth God by the Prophet ys offred in euery place Wherfore of necessitie this must be vnderstanded of the pure Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood offred on the Altar which ys offred not in Hierusalem not on Sacrifice of the crosse and of the altar al one in substāce but diuerse in maner Caluery but in euery place where Chryst ys knowē and receaued Whiche sacrifice although in maner of offring yt differeth from that offred vpon the Crosse yet in substance yt ys all one Nowe ye maie perceaue that the expositions of the stāderd bearers of the wicked armie of the enemies of gods trueth ys but a violēt or a wrested exposition and will not be born of the text THE FOVRE AND THIRTITH CHAP. EXPOwndeth the Prophecie of Malachie by Martialis and Irenaeus THat the Aduersaries shall not saie that I am iudge in mine owne cause although I am certen that I builde vpon the rocke Yet to the better contentacion of the Reader and more manifest confutacion of these Aduersaries I will reporte the Iugement of the right auncient Elders of Chrystes Parliamēt house as touching the enacted trueth of this matter by their owne woordes Sanctus Martialis a great auncient in Chrystes house as being one of Chrystes disciples and after the death of his and our master almost continuallie in the Companie of the Apostle Peter ys a notable wittnesse of this trueth and wourthie to be credited This holie man maketh menciō of this prophecie of Malachie after this maner S. Martialis Martyr epist. ad Burdegalē cap. 3. Sacrificium Deo creatori offertur in ara non homini neque Angelo Nec solùm in ara sanctificata sed vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut restatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aternam offerimus dicentes Spiritus est Deus eos qui adorant eū in spiritu veritate oportet adorare Ipse enim corpus habens immaculatum sine peccato quia conceptus est de Spiritu sancto natus ex Maria virgine ipsum in ara crucis permisit immolari Quod autem Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam The sacrifice ys Chrystes bodie and blood ys offred euerie wher a pure oblacion to euerlasting life offred vnto God our creatour on the altar not vnto men nor vnto Angell nor onelie on halowed altar but euery wher ys offred to God a pure oblacion as he hath wittnessed whose bodie and blood we offer to euerlasting life sainge God ys a spirit and they that adore him must adore him in spiritte and trueth For he hauing an immaculate bodie and withoute Sinne for he was conceaued by the holie Gost born of the virgen Mary he suffred that same bodie to be sacrificed on the altar of the Crosse And that that the Iewes did sacrifice by enuie thinking to abolishe hys name from the earthe we for cause of our health doo sett furth in the sanctified altar knowing that by this onelie remedie life ys to be geuen and death to be driuen awaie Thus moche this holie Martyr Martialis What a notable sentence ys this Do ye not see that he maketh mencion of the saing of the Prophet Malachie saing Euery wher ys offred the pure oblacion or sacrifice And perceaue ye not that immediately he saieth that we offer the bodie and blood of Chryst vnto euerlasting life And that this his mening should not be wrested nor mystaken he declareth what bodie of Chryst we offer and what bodie we offre in what place and to what effect wher The bodie of Chryste whiche we doo offer ys that bodie that the Iewes offred by enuie The place that we offer yt on ys the halowed altar The effecte that the Iewes sought by the offring of Chrystes bodie was to take life from him and therby to abolish his name from the earth The effect that we chrystians seke by the sacrificing of his bodie on the altar ys to magnifie hys name and by that sacrifice as by the only remedye to gett vs life and to driue awaie death Note well that this holie Martyr and auncient Father teacheth that pure doctrine that the primitiue church of the Apostles did professe and teache And iudge yf the church that nowe ys which the Aduersaries haue so vilely reuiled and so maliciously railed on hath taught anie other doctrine then this holie disciple of Chryste hath taught The Churche hath taught and doth nowe teache that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament of the altar reallie This holie man teacheth that the same whiche the Iewes crucified we sett furth vpon the holowed altar The Iewes crucified the reall bodie of Chryste Wherfore we sett
when ye see yt broken remembre that Chrystes bodie was broken vpon the Crosse for yowe And likewise take thys wine as a sign or token of Chrystes bloode shedde for yowe vpon the Crosse But vnderstande that yt ys not in verie dede the bodie and blood of Chryst but signes and tokens of them Thys were a maner of speache mete to teache yong ones yf the trueth of the thing were agreable but bicause the trueth ys not so therfore S. Augustin taught them by soche plain speache as the truth wolde beare that ys that they wolde take in the Sacrament that bodie that hanged vpon the Crosse and in the cuppe that blood that was shedde oute of Chrystes side Yea and that they shoulde so take he addeth a cōminaciō that they should Chryst ys made a liar when his woord ys not beleued take death and not life which think Chryst a lyar Why What saied Chryst Take eate thys ys my bodie He then that dothe not beleue Chryst herin but saieth yt ys not his bodie but a figure of hys bodie he ys the Aduersarie of Chryst the reprouer of Chryst And he maketh Chryst a lyar as S. Augustin saieth and therfor shall haue death and not life In time therfor take hede yf thow beest in errour thow cannest not make Chryst a lyar but thow thy self shalt be fownde a lyar And therfore thowe shalt not be admitted to the blessed companie of the master of the trueth but to the cursed and damnable companie of the Father of lyes Repēt thee therfore of thine heresie and embrace the trueth that by yt thowe maist atteign to the true life Nowe to this learned Father shall be ioined S. Cyrill who saieth thus Ca. 22. sup 6. Ioann Ex imperitia multi qui Christum sequebantur verba ipsius non capientes pertur babantur Nam cùm audissent Amen amen dico vobis Nisi comederitis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis Ad immanes ferarum mores vocari se à Christo arbitrabantur incitariue vt vellent crudas hominis carnes manducare sanguinem bibere quae vel auditu horribilia sunt nondum enim mysterij huius formam dispensationem pulcherrimam cognouerant Illud etiam adhoc cogitabant Quomodò caro huius hominis aternā nobis vitam largietur aut quomodò ad immortalitatē adducere poterit Quae cùm intelligeret is cuius oculis omnia nuda sunt atque aperta alia eos re mirabili ad fidem impellit Frustra inquit o vos propter verba mea conturbamini Quòd si credere non vultis vitam vobis à meo corpore dari quid facietis quando in coelum me volare conspicietis Non enim ascensurum me solummodò profiteon ne rursus quomodò id fieri possit quaeratis sed oculis etiam ita fieri vestris cernetis Quid ergo hoc videntes dicetis Annon erit hoc magnum Capharnaites howe thei vnderstood Chryst. Joan. 6. vestrae dementiae argumentum Si enim putatis carnem meam vitam vobis afferre non posse quomodò tanquam volucris in coelum ascendet quomodò per aëra volabit hoc enim similiter generi humano impossibile est Quod si praeter naturam caro mea in coelum conscendet quid probibet ne similiter praeter naturam viuificet For lacke of knowledg manie that did folowe Chryst not vnderstanding his woordes were troobled For whē they heard verily verelye Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke hys blood ye shall not haue life in yowe They thought themselues to be called of Chryst to the cruell maners of wilde beastes and to be moued that they shoulde eate the rawe flesh of a man and drinke hys bloode whiche thinges are horrible euen to heare They had not yet knowen the goodly forme and dispensacion of this mystery Moreouer also they thought Howe should the flesh of this man graunt vs eternall life or howe can yt bring vs to immortalitie Whiche thinges when he did vnderstand vnto whose eyes all thinges are naked and open with an other merueilouse thing he driueth them to the faith O yowe saieth he vainlie are ye troobled for my woordes For yf ye will Chrystes flesh besiae nature ascendedin to heauen beside nature yt geueth life in the Sacra not beleue life to be geuen yow of my bodie what will ye do when ye shall see me flie vppe into heauen I do not saie that I will onely ascende into heauen least yow aske again howe that maie be doen but ye shall euen so see yt with yowr eyes What therfore wil ye saie seing this shal yt not be a great argument of yowr madnesse Yf ye thinke that my flesh can not bring life vnto yow how shall yt as a slieng thing ascende into heauen howe shall yt flie by the ayer for this likewise ys vnpossible to mankinde Then yf my flesh shall go vppe into heauen beside nature what dothe let that yt likewise beside nature maie not geue life Thus moche S. Cyrill Yow maie in this goodlie and liuely expositiō perceaue two vain thoughtes that the grosse Disciples had one that they shoulde after the cruel maner of wildes beastes eate the rawe flesh of Chryst as yt were tearing yt or cutting Two vain thoughtes of the Capharn yt oute by peices and so Chrystes blessed flesh as other thinges that be eaten to be consumed The other vain thought was how that flesh which they accompted but as the flesh of a naturall man onely and not as the flesh of God ioined to the Godhead in vnitie of person and therfor supposed yt to be a mortall and a corruptible flesh howe I saie that mortal and corruptible flesh coulde geue vnto them immortalitie and incorruption Nowe to answer bothe these vain thoughtes and to reforme thē Chryst saied what yfye see the Sonne of man ascende vppe wher he was before By which one saing he answereth bothe their thoughtes and teacheth as concerning the first that wher they thought that his bodie shoulde be cutte or torne in peices that they had an euell vnderstanding For yt shoulde ascende vppe into heauen and that wholl as S. Augustine saied And that they might the better beleue yt they shoulde see yt as S. Cyrill here saieth The other vain thought ys also answered in that he saieth his bodie shall ascend vppe to heauen which ascension ys aboue the order of nature Therby instructing them that as his bodie aboue the course of nature shoulde ascende So yt aboue the course of nature shoulde geue life How the flesh of Chryst shoulde geue life S. Cyrill heretofore hathe declared vpon the sainges of Chryst that yt ys by the eating of Chrystes flesh And therfor he saied of the power of Chrystes flesh Non verbo solùm verumetiam tactu mortuos excitabat vt ostenderet corpus quoque suum viuificare posse Quodsi
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
what schoole he was in he was certen that ther was no respondent that presentlie wolde return his argument into his lappe I beleue he wolde not for shame haue made soche argument in a schoole except yt had ben to haue occupied the time while he might haue studied a better or ells for lacke of other kinde of argumentes in the matter that he impugneth as I dare saie he do the here as yt well appeareth in the processe of his disputacion For the next argument ys of like force but of more vntrueth this yt ys S. Paule that tooke the Sacrament at Chrysts hand an as he had taken yt deliuered yt to the Corynthians neuer willed adoracion or godly honour to be geuen to yt Leauing this argument as a thinge of no force to conclude that the Authour The proclamers argumeÌ„t oute of S. Paule faileth for waÌ„t of trueth therof intendeth let vs examen the trueth of yt This Proclamer first alleaging Chrystes institucion wherin he saieth Chryst made no mencion of adoracion ioineth S Paule to yt as one receauing of Chryst no other order then in the ministracion of Chryst was vsed and deliuered also to the Corynthians no other nor no more then Chryst did whiche thing howe false and vntrue yt ys S. Paule him self shall declare S. Paule deliuered to the Corynthians that the vnwoorthie receauer shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Chryst who to vse the woordes of this Proclamer knewe best what aught to be doen when he instituted this Sacrament gaue no soche lawe Sainct Paule geueth a rule or commaundement that a man must examine him self and so eate of that bread Chryst in the institucion gaue no soche commaundement but raither admitting Iudas to the receipt of the holie mysteries whose wicked intentes and pourposes were not vnknowen neither was he ignorant that he nothing examined himself semed to practise the contrarie of that S. Paule setteth furthe to be obserued Wherfor this disputer referring the maner and all other circumstances of the deliuerie of the Sacrament by Sainct Paule to the Corinthians to the maner and circumstances of the deliuery of the Sacrament by Chryst in his supper ys foulie deceaued in his argument taking therin as yt dothe appeare an vntrueth for a trueth and so deceauing his Auditorie geueth them chaffe for good corne Thus ye maie perceaue that S. Paule deliuered diuerse doctrines to the Corynthians concerning the receipt of the holy Sacrament which Chryst ys not fownde by the testimonie of anie of the Euangelistes to haue deliuered to his Apostles and yet who being a chrystian doubteth that yt ys the doctrine of God and of our Sauiour Chryst In this argument this disputer also saieth that S. Paule neuer willed adoracion or godlie honour to be geuen S. Paule willed adoracion to be geueÌ„ to the SacrameÌ„t to the Sacrament yf he speake of the woorde adoracion I consent vnto him for trueth yt ys that S. Paule hathe not these woordes Adore the Sacrament But yf he speake of the thing I dissent from him For that I iudge to be vntrue Manie thinges are spoken of in verie dede when the propre vocable appropriated to the same thing to signifie yt to a mans vnderstanding ys not spoken or vttered As yf I saie Plato was a reasonable liuing creature Though I applie not the propre vocable of a man to Plato yet to the vnderstandinge I signifie as moche in deed as yf I had called him a man So though S. Paule speake not in the deliuerie of the Sacrament to the Corynthians of these woordes adoracion or honour yet he speaketh of the thing in deed For when he geueth this rule Probet seipsum homo Let a man examen him self and so let him Yt ys great honour to the SacrameÌ„t to examen our selues er we presume to receaue yt eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe Dothe he not will vs to geue moste singular honour to the Sacrament What more honour can be doen then to fee that our faith towarde the Sacrament be firme and stable voide of all sinistre opinions thinking nothing of so great a mysterie but that that ys semelie Howe great an honour do we to the Sacrament also that to receaue yt we examen and search our consciences and what we finde filthie and fowle we purifie clense and make clean by earnest contricion by pure confession and humble penaunce S. Augustine saieth Placuit enim Spiritui sancto vt in honorem tanti Sacramenti in os Christiani prius Dominicum corpus intraret quam exteri cibi Yt hath pleased the holie Ad Jan. Epist 118. Gost that in the honour of so great a Sacrament the bodie of our Lorde shoulde entre the mouth of a chrystian before worldlie meates Yf the holiÌ„e Gost doeth esteme yt as doen to the honour of the Sacrament to receaue yt Yf corporal abstinence be to Gods honour moch more spirituall abstinence fasting before al meats how moch more ys it to the honour of the SacrameÌ„t that we fasting from all vices from all horrible sinnes and crimes come with pure conscience hongring and thirsting righteousnesse to receaue in the Sacrament the Lorde and geuer of righteousnesse Yf any honour be doen to God by corporall abstinence or fasting howe moche more ys doen by spirituall abstinence from sinne But the Aduersarie will saie that this honour ys not doen to the Sacrament but to God and to his grace receaued in the receipt of the Sacrament Wherunto I saie that the verie woordes of S. Paule ouerthroweth this saing For S. Paule by expresse woordes speaketh of the Sacrament saing Let a man examen himself and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe He saieth not Let him examen himself and so he shall receaue the grace of God and the vertue of the meritte of Chrystes passion and deathe whiche ys a matter moche and almost generallie taught thorowoute all the Gospell For what ys more taught then remission of sinnes to true penitentes by the vertue of Chrystes passion But here S. Paule speaketh of the Sacrament by a speciall maner and therfor saieth And so let him eat of that bâ—ead and drinke of that cuppe For more manifest proof of this note that S. Paule referreth the honour or dishonour that ys doen by woorthie or vnwoorthie receauing not 1. Cor. 11. Honour or dishonour doen by the receauer ys referred to the Sacrament by expresse woordes of S. Paule immediately to the grace of God or meritte of Chrystes passion But to the Sacrament and therfor saieth Itaque quicunque manducauerit panem biberit calicem Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Who soeuer therfore shall eate the bread and drinke the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthilie he shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde so that the vnwoorthie receauing ys referred to the bread and the cuppe of our
damnacion but not to the hurte of the people if they knewe yt not And here also to saie I beleue that if any catholique preist had ben knowen to this man so to haue doen as he saieth he wolde without all dowbte to the helpe of his cause wher vnto he hath none haue named him But forasmoche as he speaketh yt of him self and his conspired complices which secretly Conuenerunt in vnum adnersus Dominum aduersus Christum eius haue conspired against our Lorde and against his annoincted when they durst not vtter what they had wickedly conceaued he ys a shamed to name him self to haue committed so heinouse a facte Yf yt be not so yt ys like to be a feigned matter to supplie when certen and true matter lacketh But to returne to the matter and to moue the same scruple to him that he moueth against the catholique Churche What if some that ministre the communion after the sorte that ys nowe receaued do neither speake the woordes of Chryst vpon the bread For Richerus a Caluinist reiecteth the woordes of consecracion as not nedefull to be spoken or munbled as his terme ys vpon insensible creatures neither entende to make anie sacramentall bread what then do your people receaue Yf they receaue no sacramēt as yt ys none if bothe woordes and intencion be lacking then they receaue no promisse they receaue no remission of sinnes nor soch other benefittes for the promisses be annexed to the sacramentes howe are they then deceaued Howe then ys the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode in due forme ministred Howe ys the death of Chryst shewed furthe according to Chrystes minde whiche must be shewed furth when we eate that bread and drinke that cuppe as S. Paule teacheth vs As often as ye shall eate of this breade and drinke of the cuppe he saieth not bread generallie but this breade mening the bread of the Sacrament Thus if men shall improue the great matters of religion withe why what and howe and inuented daungers and abuses your owne religion whiche yowe magnifie as most sure and good maie be proued vnsure and weake To be short all his argumentes grownded vpon if and and are to no pourpose For if maketh no certen argument Wherfore leauing them as sufficiently touched I shall reuert to matter of more substance and proceade in the allegacion of the fathers for the exposition of Chrystes woordes nowe in hande THE NINE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. PROCEAdeth in the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes by Irenaeus and Tertullian ALlthough betwen Iustine and Irenaeus ther were some holy Fathers that haue left behinde them goodly testimonies for the proofe of Chrystes very presence in the Sacrament Yet I finde Irenaeus li. 4. cap. 32. cont heres none that doe alleage Chrystes woordes and therby geue vs light to vnderstand them vntill we come to Ireneus who writeth thus Sed Discipulis suis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre ex suis creaturis non quasi indigenti sed vt nec ipsi infructuosi nec ingrati sint eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meum Et calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Geuing also instruction to his disciples the authour speakethe of Chryste Sacrifice of the new Testament instituted ād taught by Chryst in consecraciō of his bodie and blood to offre to God the first fruictes of his creatures not as to one hauing nede but that they shoulde be neither vnfruictfull neither vnthankfull he tooke that breade whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise whiche ys a creature as we be he confessed to be his bloode and of the newe Testament taught a newe oblacion whiche the Churche receauing of the Apostles offreth to God in all the worlde Thus Irenaeus who when he had declared howe allmightie God instituted and appoincted sacrifices and oblacions in the olde testament as thinges to be geuen to him not as to one that neaded soche thinges or giftes but for the exercising of their obedience and faithe in the whiche God ys delighted not yet that God had anie profitt or aduantage therbie but that they doing these thinges profitt and aduantaie might ensewe to them from God for whose commodities sake God did institute them So he declareth that in the newe Testament also the people of the same might exercise their faith and obedience New sacrifice of the new Testament what yt ys and therbie pourchase gain and profitte and for benefittes receaued be fownde thankfull Chryst also taught his Apostles to offre sacrifice And what the sacrifice ys he teacheth saing that yt ys his bodie made of the creature of bread and his bloode made of the creature of wine Howe this thinge ys brought to passe he sheweth when he saieth that Chryst tooke the bread whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And likewise the cuppe which also ys a creature and confessed yt to be his bloode In whiche woordes wher he hath expressedly saied that Chryst confessed yt to be his bloode and the like ys ment of the bread to be his bodie what more plain speache wolde we desire of anie authoure Yf Chryst confessed yt to be his bodie Li. 4. de Sacramēt c. 6 and his confession ys allwaies true howe then standeth the sainge of the Aduersarie that yt ys not his bodie Shall we doubte of the trueth of Chryste as S. Ambrose saieth Ipse Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quod corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem Nunquid debemus de eius fide testificatione dubitare Owre Lorde Iesus testifieth vnto vs that we receaue his bodie and bloode ought we to doubte of his treuth and testimonie Seing then this authour saieth that Chryst confessed his bodie and bloode Jrenaeus auoucheth both reall presence ād sacrifice to be present and that by these woordes This ys my bodie This ys my bloode yt ys plain that he vnderstandeth them in their propre sense withoute figure or trope and so acknowledgeth the very reall presence of Chrystes bodie ād blood in the Sacramēt For farder proof wherof the woordes that immediately in the same authour doe folowe do make very moch wher he saieth Et noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblacionem And of the newe Testament he taught a newe oblacion This newe oblacion of the newe Testament ys the bodie and bloode of Chryste as before in the first booke ys declared and prooued And here to the pourpose farder to saie yf the sacrifice that Chryst instituted to be the newe oblacion of the newe testament were but a peice of Sacramentall breade yt were no newe oblacion For then yt were the same that Melchisedech offred who offred bread
infunditur irrorat mentes piorum obdulcat fauces corum Thowe askest me why the Lord God did rain Manna to the people of the Fathers and nowe he doth not rain Yf thow knowest he raineth now and dailie he raineth Manna froÌ„ heauen vnto them that serue him And in diuerse places the same corporall Manna ys nowe fownde but yt ys not nowe a thing of so great miracle for that ys comed that ys perfecte But that perfecte ys the bread from heaueÌ„ Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed whiche ys the bodie born of the virgen of the whiche the gospell sufficient lie teacheth Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed Who soeuer did eate that Manna that ys that bread they are dead But this bread whosoeuer eateth shal liue for euer But this ys a spiritual Manna that ys the spirituall rain of wisdom whiche ys powred into them from heauen that be wittie and do seke yt and yt dothe dewe the mindes of the Godlie and maketh swete their Iawes hitherto S. Ambrose Of whom we maie learn as ys before saied that not onelie the woord and Oecolap his shaÌ„ful abusing of the auncieÌ„t Fathers namelie of S. Ambr. wisdom of God ys called Manna but also the bodie of Chryste whiche was born of the virgen whiche he calleth perfecte Manna And here yt ys not to be ouerpassed that Oecolampadius the enemie of this Sacrament who of indurate malice wrote a booke against the same in the whiche to the entent he might more easilie deceaue the vnlearned and simple as to make them beleue that the holie fathers were of his side he vseth to alleage diuerse of theÌ„ but so that somtime he doth wrest them shamefullie some time he falfifieth them somtime he corrupteth them somtime he truncateth them somtime alleaging them and taking vpon him trulie to reporte them he doth mutylate them in the middest of their sainge as impudenilie and wickedlie he doth vse S. Ambrose here in this place last alleaged of the whiche for that he perceaued yt made against him he left oute a sentence whiche I haue noted in the margen both the latin and the english to the entent ye shoulde perceaue the sentence alone and with all see howe that wicked man ioined the rest of the sentence to gether mutilating and cutting this awaie This ys the sinceritie of heretikes in handling of matters of faith and religion And thus maie ye see what credite they be wourthie of By this ye maie perceaue also whether they offende of ignorance of simplicitie or ells of deuelish malice Ys not this deuelish malice that seing a sentence in the middest that impugneth his heresie he cutteth yt of and peiceth yt together again as though ther were nothing lacking Did not his conscience trowe ye reprehend him wheÌ„ he did yt Ys not he the childe of his father Sathan that seeth and perceiueth that this waie ys naught and wicked and yet by gile and crafte will trauaill to induce men into yt and bringing manie to damnacioÌ„ aggrauate his owne euen as his father doth I haue thought good reader here to aduertise thee of their impostures that though they sett oute their doctrine with neuer so good a countenance of holinesse learning and consent or testimonie of holie Fathers yet be well assured that vnder the faire countenaunce of the enemie of mankinde tempting our mother Eue ther was a mortiferouse serpent vnder his swete woordes which to well liked the hearer was most bitter falshood and vntrueth Vnder the sweet woordes of Heretiques lieth bitter poisoÌ„ of falshead In that goodlie pleasaunt and delctable aple was cruell and horrible death and damnacion so in their faire countennance ye shall finde serpentine infection in their woordes falshead errour and heresie and in the taking of their doctrine or consenting to yt plain damnacion But nowe that ye maie perceaue howe moche this sentence whiche denelishlie he cutt of dothe impugne his doctrine and make for the trueth I will somwhat open the same and so shall ye perceaue that of sett pourpose and of very malice he left yt oute S. Ambrose answering Irenaeus saieth that Manna nowe a daies though yt be fownde in many places at this present time yt ys not a thing of so great miracle He addeth the cause bicause saieth be that ys nowe comed that ys perfect as who might saie The figures of the lawe though manie of theÌ„ when they were in vse were great thinges and semed to be merueilouse yet when the thinges came of the whiche they were figures they were not so merueilouse like as the light of a torche in the night time semeth to be a great light a very perfect light yet in the daie the brigth beames of the Sunne shining and glistering yt ys but an vnperfecte and almost no light so the figures of the olde lawe compared to the thinges figured in the newe lawe Wherfor Manna being but a figure of that perfect thing the bodie of Chryst when that once came in place Manna appeared to be but an vnperfect thinge When S. Ambrose had made this comparison of the figure to the thing figured and sawe the perfectioÌ„ of the one and the impefection of the other the excellencie of the one and the weaknesse or basenesse of the other he brought in this senteÌ„ce which OecolaÌ„padius left oute Quanto sunt praestaÌ„tiora haec superioribus Howe moche more excellent are these then the other aboue rehersed howe moche more excellent ys the bodie born of the virgen our verie true Manna and the right bread of heauen whiche we feade vpon in the Sacrament then Manna whiche the Iewes did eate And here note SacrameÌ„taries to maintein their heresie denie the excellencie of the Sacramentes of the newe lawe again gentle reader that this wicked man and other his complices who denie as ye perceaue the presence of Chryst in the blessed Sacrament do also as wickedly teache that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe geue no grace And to maintain these two euell and wicked opinions they take the third against the trueth that all Chrystes Churche receaued whiche ys that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe are of no more excellencie then the Sacramentes of the olde lawe For yf they shoulde graunt that they were more excellent then must they nedes also admitte the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode to be more theÌ„ a bare sign figure or token of his bodie And so must be enforced to graunt the presence Nowe by cause Oecolampadius impugneth that presence and fowde in S. Ambrose that he taught that the Oecolamp his best soliâ—cion to S. Amb. argumet thinges of the newe testament are more excellent then thinges of the olde and sawe that he was pressed with the weight of S. Ambrose his argument he had no better solucion then clean to leaue yt oute and so to shippe yt ouer I trust ye perceaue that this litle
marke them that ye maie conferre them with the praier of the catholique Church that now ys declaring the intent and faith of the same The praier of the Church ys thus Facere digneris hanc oblationem tu Deus omnipotens in omnibus quesumus benedictam ascriptam ratam rationabilem acceptabilemue vt nobis corpus sanguis fiat filii tui Do. n. Iesu Christi Vouchsafe we beseche thee o God Almightie to make this oblacion blessed allowed approoued reasonable and acceptable that yt maie be made vnto vs the bodie and blood of thy beloued Sonne oure Lord Iesus Chryste Yf ye note the first part of this praier yt agreeth almost woord for woord The praier in the Masse now vsed agreeth with the Apostolique ād primitiue church with the praier of S. Ambrose yf ye note the second part wher yt saieth and desiereth that yt maie be made the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ yt agreeth with S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill and Chrysostom all whiche desiered the like So that the praier of the catholique Church declaring the intent and faith of the same agreeth fullie with the Apostolique primitiue and auncient Church euerie one of them desiering that the bread and the wine maie be made the bodie and blood of oure Lord Iesus Chryste But the intencion withoute faith of the newe feigned Church ys sooen perceaued to dissent and disagree from all these princes pillers and Fathers of the Church for soch a countenaunce of praier they make Heare vs o mercifull Father we beseche thee and graunt that we receauing these creatures of bread and wine according to thie Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christs institucion in remembrance of his death and passion maie be partakers of his most blessed bodie and blood Thus they Here first let vs before we haue of other make conference of this praier with the praiers of the Apostles woordes of the Communion and primitiue Church and then after we shall examen the treuth of yt and of their intent Remembre gentle reader obserue and note that S. Iames S. Clement in remembrance of his death Yf anie place be yt must be the place of the S. Basill S. Chrysostom S. Ambrose and so of all the Churche which they liued in both greks and latines for the space of foure hundreth years immediatlie The praier of the newe Church varieth from all the praiers of the Apostolique ād primitiue Churche after Chryste praied not that they might receaue the creatures of bread and wine but that the creaturs of bread and wine might be made the bodie and blood of Iesus Chryste Wherfor the newe Church making to them selues a newe fownd praier so farre dissenteth here from the Apostolique and primitiue Churche that I can not proprelie make a conference betwene them but raither shewe the great difference of them The Apostolique and primitiue Churche desire the bread and wine maie be made the bodie and bloode of Chryste The newe Churche that the bread and wine maie remain to be receaued and so of consequent contrarie to the other church desiereth that they maie not be made the bodie and blood of Chryste See ye not then howe farre these two praiers are different They are so farre different as two contraries euen as yea and naie I will and I will not so neerlie and iustlie doth this newe fownde Church folowe the primitiue Church of the which this Proclamer so moche braggeth The Apostolique and primitiue Churche desiereth not to receaue the creatures of bread and wine in the B. Sacrament but the verie bodie and blood of Chryste as their plain woordes do plainlie testifie This erring Churche desiereth not by expesse woordes to receaue the verie bodie and blood of Chryste in the Sacrament but the creaturs of bread and wine and then to be made partakers of the bodie and blood of Chryste but howe or whiche waie wher or by what means what maner of bodie spirituall or corporall reall or phantasticall they ourpasse with silence Thus still ye see that they in all these weightie matters alltogether dissent frō the Apostolique and primitiue Churche and do no lesse varie from yt then they do from the catholique Churche nowe being whiche they so feercelie persecute And that they so doo this shall well prooue yt that neuer yet did anie catholique Father or authour greke or latin young or olde vse this phrase The praier of the newe Cōmunion neuer vsed nor heard of before of woordes of theirs either in praier sermon or writing Whiche if yt had ben agreable yt must nedes haue ben fownde in some of them and learned of some of them But this newe praier of this newe churche ys so newe that the like of yt could neuer vntill this newe degeneraciō be seen heard or knowen Yf yt were let the Proclamer and all his complices learned and vnlearned bring furth some president Yf they can I will ioin this issue with them that I will praie and receaue with them Yf they can not as I am sure they can not let them praie and receaue with vs. We haue brought furth presidents for oure praiers let them bring furth presidents for theirs I prouoke them to yt What autoritie hath the Proclame or all the Protestants to shewe that the eating and drinking of bread and wine ys of Chrysts institution Thus moche being saied of the difference of the praier of the newe Churche from the praier of the Apostolique Churche let vs nowe examen the trueth of the same praier Their praier hath these woordes that we receauing these they creaturs of bread and wine according to thy sonne our Lord Iesus Chrysts institucion in remembrance of his deathe c. I wolde learn of the masters of this Churche wher that institucion of Chryste ys that we shoulde eate the creatures of bread and wine in remembrance of his death The proclamer requireth some plain and expresse sentence of the Catholiques to proue what they affirme against his articles I require of him and his companie some plain sentence in the scriptures to prooue that that he and his companie affirme that Chryste by expresse woordes cōmaunded vs to eate bread and drinke wine in remembrance of his death Yf anie place be yt must be the place of the institucion of the Sacrament in whiche place although yt be testified that he tooke bread in his holie hands yet yt testifieth withall that he sanctified and blessed the same bread and when he had so doen yt was so farre chaunged from the nature of bread that Chryst who ys the trueth and in whose mouth was no guile might and did boldlie saie Take and eate not a peice of bread but my bodie euen the same that shal be deliuered for yowe And likewise of the cuppe he said Take ād drinke ye this ys not a cuppe of wine but euē my blood that shall be shedd for yowr sinnes and the sinnes of manie This eate ye and this
drinke in the remembrance of me What should they eate That that he tooke vnto them what did he take vnto them The Euangelists do testifie Take eate this my bodie They shoulde drinke in the remēbrance of him What shoulde they drinke ▪ That also that he did take them What did he take them The Euangelists likewise declare Drinke ye all of this saieth Chryste for this ys my blood of the newe testament c. Here be the woordes of the institucion Here ys instituted that the bodie and bloode of Chryste should be receaued in By Chrysts institucion we shoulde receaue his bodie and bloode in 〈◊〉 c. the remembrance of his passion and death that bread and wine shoulde be so receaued here ys not one title Chryste saied not eate this bread and drinke this wine in my remembrance Wher then be we commaunded to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine according to the institucion of Chryste yf yt be not commaunded here As touching the institucion of Chryste yt ys at the full treacted of in the second booke wher be produced xii cooples of the higher house of Chrystes Parliament and vi cooples of the lower house of the which a great nombre declare the verie substance of Chrystes bodie and blood to be verilie dispensed and geuen in the Blessed Sacrament The newe church chargeth Chryst with an vntrueth and a good nombre of them denie the same Sacrament to be a figure onelie Yf yt be not a figure then ys yt not bread and wine Yf yt be not then we eate not bread and wine as they saie according to Chrysts institucion Beholde thē the impudencie of these mē see their notable vntrueth that fear not before mē onelie which in so weightie a matter were to moche but also as yt were euen to the face of God to make a stoute lie against his onelie begotten sonne charging him with that that they be not hable to prooue But that this their vntrueth wher with they charge our Sauiour Chryst maie more fullie appeare and the trueth of the catholique Churche clerelie be seen ye shall not onelie when ye come to the next chapter note what ys doen according to Chrysts institucion but also here the practise of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche shall teache yowe what Chryste instituted to be receaued for the remembrance of his death S. Iames praied thus in his Masse Misericors Deus dignum me fac gratia tua vt citra condemnationem particeps fiam sancti corporis preciosi sanguinis in remissionem peccatorum c. O mercifull God make me by thie grace wourthie that withoute my condemnacion I maie be made partaker of thie holie bodie and preciouse blood to the remission of sinnes S. Basill thus Nullum nostrum ad iudicium aut condemnationem facias accipere sanctum corpus sanguinem Christi tui Make none of vs to iudgement or condemnacion to receaue the holie bodie and bloode of thie Chryste S. Chrysostom praied thus dignare potenti manu tua tribuere nobis immaculatum corpus tuum preciosum sanguinem per nos omni populo Vouchsafe with thy mightie hand to giue vnto vs thie vndifiled bodie and thie preciouse blood and by vs to all the people Thus they Yt ys not to be doubted but that all these and the Churche that they liued in receaued the sacrament according to Chrystes institucion But these creaturs of beead and wine omitted they shewe thē felues by expresse woordes to receaue the bodie and bloode of Chryste Wherfor Chrysts instituciō ys to receaue his bodie and blood and not the creaturs of bread and wine And that they speake not of the spirituall bodie onelie but of the reall bodie in the blessed Sacramēt two thinges in these fathers prooue yt in uinciblie The one ys in S. Iames and S. Basill They both desire that thoy not to cōdēnaciō maie receaue the holie bodie ād preciouse blood of Chryst That 〈…〉 bodie thē ys here receaued that maie be receaued both to saluaciō and damnacion The spirituall bodie can be receaued but to saluacion the reall bodie both to saluacion and damnacion wherfor they receaue the reall bodie of Chryste that maie be receaued to condemnacion The other ys in Chrysostom who desiereth Chryste that he wold vouchsafe both to imparte vnto him his bodie and blood and also by him and the preists to the people Wher vpon we maie thus reason That bodie was receaued of Chrysostom and the preistes which by them also might be deliuered to the people But thereall bodie of Chryste and not the spirituall might by them be deliuered to the people Wherfore Chrysostom and the preists receaued the reall bodie of Chryste That the spirituall bodie of Chryste or Chryste spirituallie cā not by the preists be deliuered to the people yt ys so manifest that yt nedeth no probacion yt standeth thē certē and sure that Chrysostome receaued the verie reall bodie of Chryste To conclude then this disputacion vpon the principall part of that that here ys intended S. Iames S. Basill S. Chrysostom receaued that that was according to Chrysts institucion to be receaued in the remembrance of his death But they receaued not the creaturs of bread and wine but the verie reall bodie of Chryste Wherfor they receaued according to Chrysts institucion his verie reall bodie in the remembrance of his passion and death Yt ys euident then that yt ys not Chrysts institucion to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine in the remembrance of his death wherfor we maie conclude that the pretensed praier of the lare erected Churche hath a foule and a wicked vntrueth in yt and for the maintenance of an abhominable heresie doth vntruely report and saie of our Sauiour Chryste and that not onelie Of intēciō of the newe ministres to the world but euen as yt were to the face of God Nowe remaineth the last thing appointed here in this chapter to be spoken of which ys the intencion and faith of the ministers of this newe Churche in the whiche a sewe woordes maie and shall suffice The intencion and faith of this Church ys not onelie perceaued by their cōmon professiō Two sortes of ministres of the Communion but also by this their praier Their common profession denieth the presence of Chrysts bodie in the Sacrament their praier confirmeth the same For desiering to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine they exclude the bodie and blood of Chryste into whose substance as Euseb Emis saieth the inuisible creaturs are turned Vnderstand that in this newe fownded Church be two sorts of ministres that doo minister this Communion One sorte ys of preists whiche lausullie consecrated in the catholique Churche haue fallen to heresie who although they haue authoritie by their holie orders to consecrate the bodie and bloode of Chryste yet nowe hauing neither right intencion nor faith of the catholique Churche they consecrate not The other sort ys
faithfull and wise stewardes ād that we maie finde grace and mercie in that fearfull daie of the iust and good rewarde Thus moch S. Iames Masse Not minding to tarie vpon the beginniug of the praier wher ye maie perceaue that like maner of praier ys vsed as in the last chapter ys spokē of namelie that this sacrifice maie be receaued gratefullie acceptably c. Whiche I doe but touche wishing yt to be noted the better to perceaue the malice of the Proclamer who as ye haue heard reproueth and skorneth that in the Church that was vsed of the Apostles I minde not I saie to tarie but to hast me to note these thinges that now we haue to speake of namely that the sacrifice of the Masse ys auailable both to the quicke ād the dead which both be here testified whē the Apostle praieth that this sacrifice maie be pleasing and acceptable vnto the remissiō of sinnes ād to the rest of the soules of thē that sleape before vs. Doe not these woordes teach vs that S. Iames took this for a sacrisice propiciatorie whē he desiereth that the sacrifice maie be accepted to the propiciaciō of our sinnes And did he not thinke yt auailable to the dead whē he praieth that yt maie be to the rest of the sowles of thē that be dead The woordes be so plain that yt can not be deuied And as Caiphas though he were an euel Bishoppe spake one trueth of the S. James Masse ys full of knowlege euē by the iudgement of the Proclamer death of Chryst so the Proclamer though he be an euell mā spake one trueth of S. Iames Masse For he saieth that S. Iames Masse ys full of knowledge Yf yt be full of knowledge by the testimonie of the Aduers thē feare thowe not whether thow be catholike or other to saie that this ys good knowledg that the sacrifice of the Masse ys aualeable to the quick ād the dead For soch ys the knowledge in S. Iames his Masse And that thow maist be farder assured that the Apostles taught praier and the Masse to be profitable to the dead harken first what Dionyse the Disciple to sainct Paule saieth for the one and what Chrysostome testifieth for both S. Dionyse describing the maner Dionys eccles Hier. cap 7. parte prim of the buriall and exequies vsed in his time and before his time in the churche for parte of yt saieth thus Accedens venerandus Antistes precem sacram super mortuum peragit precaturue diuinam clementiam vt cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto eumue in luce statuat in sinibus Praier for the dead vsed in S. Dionyse time Abrahae Isaac et Iacob in loco vbi aufugit dolor et tristicia et gemitus The reuerēde Bishoppe coming maketh holie praier vpon the dead and praieth the goodnesse of God that he wold forgiue the dead person al hys sinnes which he hath through infirmitie committed and that he will place him in the place of light in the Bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the place frō whēce flieth sorowe heauinesse ād morning Thus moch S. Dynise See yowe not praiers here made for the Sinnes of the dead See yowe not peticion made for him that he maie come to the place of light to the place wher he maie feell neither sorowe nor heauinesse Yf this maner of praier was vsed in the time of the Apostles in whose time this Dionyse liued what shall we thinke but that S. Iames being one of them praied for the dead as the other Apostles did Obiection Perchaunce yt maie be saied that yf the Apostles had thought yt necessarie to praie for the dead they wolde haue left yt writtē in some of their epistles To this I saie that yt neaded not For first amōg the Iewes yt was before the coming of Chryst in vse to praie and offre sacrifice for the dead as the secōd booke of the Machabies doeth testisie Which booke although the Aduersarie doeth reiect yet S. Augustin saieth yt ys in the Canon of christē men And August de cura promortu Lib. vniuers fid Indaeorum Antonius Margarita one conuerted frō a Iewe to a Chrystian man in a booke that he made of the faith of the Iewes declareth the praier that they made for the dead which ys not moch vnlike to this praier of S. Dionyse And ouer he saieth that they haue a booke wherin be written the names of them that be dead which thrice in a yeare be redde and so praied for Which order ys yet amongest them so that then neaded not As for the Gētiles although they vsed funerall obsequies yet for that they were vngodlie after the heathē maner the Apostles gaue thē commaundement by tradicion to burie their dead and to praie for thē after the chrystiā maner Of the which cōmaundement S. Clement maketh mēciō how yt was geuē by S. Peter And so doth Chrysostome that yt was doē by the Apostles Clemens epist 1. Hom. 3. Philip. pri For he saieth thus Non frustra ab Apostolis sancitū est vt in celebratione venerandorū mysteriorū memoria fiat corū qui hinc decesserunt Nouerunt illis multū hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis Stante siquidē vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu itē sacer dotali verendoque posito sacrificio quomodò Deū non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not but to good pourpose decreed of the Apostles that in the celebracion of the honourable mysteries wherby he meneth the Masse a memorie or remē The Apostles decreed that the dead should be praied for in the Masse brance should be made of thē that haue departed hence They knew that moch commoditie shoulde come from thence to thē and moch profit For all the people standing and holding vppe their hāds into heauē the cōpanie also of preistes and the fearfull sacrifice being settfurth how shall we not appease God praing for these Thus Chrysostome As before ye haue seen the praier of the Apostle S. Iames praing for the dead so now ye see yt testified by Chrysostome that the Apostles cōmaūded the dead to be praied for in the celebraciō of the holie mysteries whiche ys the Masse wher the holie and blessed bodie and blood of Sauiour Chryst ys setfurth in the seight of the Father wherby his passiō ād death being liuelie remēbred ād hūble peticiō in the presence therof and for the meritte therof by the preistes ād people being made yt cā not be saieth Chrysost but that God will be appeased ād mercie for the soules obteined For as S. Cypriā saieth In huius praesentiae nō superuacuè mēdicāt lacrimae veniā nec vnquā patitur cōtriti cordis holocaustū repulsam In the presence of this vnderstād sacrifice teares doe adsurediebegge pardō neither doeth the sacrifice of acōtrite heart at anie time suffre repulse Ther for in this sentēce Chrysostome doeth
not these dūbe gestures and ceremonies This ys not onely an vntrueth For he knoweth that ther be learned Fathers that haue written bookes of the ceremonies of the Masse and farder haue declared what euerie p cercell or peice of the garmētes that the preist doeth weare in mynistracion doe signifie and haue fullie ād plainlie expounded euerie part of the Masse and the canon of the same as Isidorus Rabanus Hugo de Sancto Victore Gabriel Hoiffmister ād Garetius with other But yt ys also arrogantlie slaunderouse For he generallieaccuseth the wholl Church of ignorāce therbie seking to winne to himself the praise of singular knowledge and to blott all other before him with the grosnesse of ignorance to make himself to be seen wise and all other to be reputed as fooles but dicentes seesse sapientes stulti facti sunt The thirde which ys so manifest an vntrueth that euen a plain mā wolde by plain woorde call yt a lie as he maie doe the rest before mencioned ys that the Masse maketh no maner of mencion of Chrystes death Who wolde hauing knowledge so saie except he were so farre past shame that he regarded not what he saied Who wolde so saie that were not forced by Deuellish malice The Masse setfurth the death of Chryste more liuelie thē the new Communiō that wittinglie he wolde impugne the trueth and saie that not to be that ys and that to be that ys not What ys he that knoweth not that the Masse ys the memoriall of Chrystes passion and death Why ys the consecracion and oblacion of the bodie of Chryst doē but to the remēbrance of his passiō ād death Farder whē the preist saieth that the daie before our Lord Iesus suffred he tooke bread into his holie bādes and gaue thankes and saied take eate this ys my bodie which shall be geuen for yowe maketh he no mencion of Chrystes death When he saieth also This ys my bloode of the new testament which shall be shedde for yowe and for manie ys ther no mencion made of Chrystes passion and deth what hath the newe Communion to settfurth the death of Chryst more thē this but in the Masse besides this when the bodie and blood of Chryst be lifted vppe as once that same his bodie was vpon the crosse ys ther not a liuelie mencion made of his exaltacion vpon the crosse and of his death whē the preist in doing of this speaketh the woords of Chryst As often as ye doe this ye shall doe yt in the remembrance of me ys ther not good occasiō geuē to remembre Chrystes passiō and death by the rehersall of his owne cōmaundemēt After all this the preist immediatelie praieth and saieth Wherfore we Lorde being mindefull of the passion resurrection and ascension of oure Lorde offre vnto thie noble maiestie this pure sacrifice and be these woordes spoken without anie menciō of Chrystes death wher his passion resurrection and ascencion be called to minde and spokē by expresse woordes Ys not the prophecie of S. Peter fulfilled in this man and his likes when he saieth Erunt in vobis magistri mendaces qui 2. Peter 2. introducent sectas perditionis c. Ther shall be among yowe liēg masters which shall bring in sectes of perdiciō denieng the God that bought thē bringing vpon thē selues hastie perdiciō But leauing his vntrueths ād slaūders to him self and wishing this onelie here to be noted that soch vntrueths come not frō a good spirit I will returne to holie Basill of whose spirit ther ys no doubte and remembre that he in his Masse doeth both make intercession to Sainctes and doeth also praie for the soules of them that be departed Chrysostome also in his Masse praieth likewise in this maner Offerimus tibi MissaChrisost rationabile hoc obsequiū pro fideliter dormientibus pro patribus pro auis nostris interuenientibus Patriarchis Prophetis Apostolis Martyribus confessoribus et omnibus sanctis We offre vnto the this reasonable seruice for thē that sleape in faith for our Fathers and great graundfathers the holie Patriarches Prophetes Apostles Martyrs and confessors ād all saincts praing for vs. And shortlie after he praieth thus again Sancti Ioannis Baptistae prophetae praecursoris sanctorū nominatis simorū Apostolorū et sanctihuius cuius memoriā agimus et omniū sanctorū supplicationibus visita nos Deus et memor esto omniū in Domino dormientiū in spe resurrectionis vitae aeternae Chrysostō desurethin tercessiō of Sainctes ād praieth for the dead ac requiem praestaeis vbi lumen vultus tui superintendit By the supplicaciō or praiers of S. Iohn the Baptiste the prophet and forerunner ād of the holie ād most famouse Apostles ād of this Sainct whose memorie we make o God viset vs ād be mindfull of all that sleape in our Lord in hope of the resurrectiō of euerlasting life ād geue thē rest wher the light of thy coūtenance ouerlooketh all As in the other so in Chrysostōs Masse yowe see oblaciō made for the dead yowe see praier made for thē to obtein thē rest ād that also by the intercessiō of Sainctes By this then ye maie perceaue the maliciouse and slaunderouse railing of the Aduers against the Church who saieth that the Papistes haue made the Masse a sacrifice for the quicke ād the dead to the entēt they might make their merchandise therwith and so robbing the people fill their Aug. li. de heres Aerius accōpted an heretike deniengthe sacrifice of the Masse to auail the dead purseis with soule pence But ye see yt not inuēted of the Papistes as the Aduersarie termeth the catholike Chrystiās but ye see yt vsed ād practised of the Apostles and the holie Fathers in their Masses and so deliuered to vs. Now as we haue seen the practise of the aunciēt Church for the doing ād affirming the thing so let vs see the practise of the same for deniēg ād refusing the thing S. Augustine and before him Ephiphanius declare that ther was one called Aerius who as our newe masters doe nowe a daies denied the sacrifice of the Masse to be profitable to the dead for the whiche and certain other doctrines he was of the holie learned Fathers nombred amōg heretiques and of the Church so esteemed and reputed The practise of the Church then vpon them that denied the sacrifice of the Masse to be auailable to the dead was to esteem them and repute them as heretiques and this estimacion and reputacion was before the time of Epyphanius ād S. Aug. Concil Cartha 4. Let vs now proceade and see yet a litle farder In the fourth Councell of Cartage in the which S. Augustine was one soch a decree was made Qui oblationes defunctorum aut negant ecclestis aut cum difficultate reddunt tanquam egentium necatores excommunicētur they which denie vnto the church the oblacions of the dead or ells doe slacklie paie thē let them as the
denied them as in S. Ambrose yt maie be at large fownde testified So for that these Sermon 91 de inuent corp Geruas Protha miracles commende and coÌ„firme the catholique faith which our heretiques nowe impugn they will with the Pharisies with the Arrians and with Melancthon and Vadian for spite mocke and skorn at them call them feigned miracles or denie â—latlie anie soch to haue ben doen. But consider thowe the reporters Theie be sainct Amphiloch S. Optatus S. Ambrose S. Chrysostom S. Augustine and S. Gregorie whiche all be in time auncient in life famousely holie in learninge with moche commendacion excellent of the Church euer receaued and therfore of a vain man not to be reiected Great ys the difference betwixt the creditte of a nombre exalted to glory and of some yet liuing in sinfull miserie Ther ys great oddes betwixt them whose doctrine hath allwaies ben approued and those whose doctrine ys allwais reproued To be short yt ys more wisdom to beleue an holie sainct reporting then a wicked heretique denieng For that then these miracles be reported of soche as be reputed holie sainctes yt ys verie meet and most saiftie for vs to beleue them THE THREE AND FOVRTETH CHAPT MAketh recapitulacion of the conferences of the Masses of the Apostles and Fathers of the primitiue Church and of the catholique Church that nowe ys with a breif confutacion of the conference made by the Proclamer betwen the Masse of S. Iames and that ys now vsed FOrasmoch as a matter discoursed at large being drawen into a compendiouse and breif forme ys sooner atteigned and better kept in memorie therfore and for that also I wold take iust occasion to open and shewe the folies vanities and shamfull vntrueths of the conference that the Proclamer hath made betweÌ„ the Masse of S. Iames and the Masse nowe vsed of the catholique Church I will as yt were into a breif Summe collect that ys saied and make a shorte recapitulacion of that which of necessitie both for the opening of the matter and for answering of the Proclamer I was compelled more at lenght to setfurth The Proclamer diuided the Masse into foure parts into holie doctrine holie praier holie consecracion and holie Communion Of the first which ys holie doctrine I mene the Epistle and Gospell but that they shoulde be red and vsed in the Masse ther ys no controuersie therfore haue I entred no disputacion therof In the other three ther be by the Proclamer and his likes controuersies moued which ye haue heard by sufficient good authorities discussed and dissolued And here breislie to repete the parts as we haue treacted of them we haue A breif collection of the confereÌ„ces of the Masse now vsed and of the new coÌ„munioÌ„ with the Masse of the Apostles and Fathers first to speake of Consecracion Consecracion as yt ys vsed nowe in the catholique Churche hath ben by me conferred to the consecracion vsed by the Apostles and Fathers and ys fownd in all substanciall parts to agree The schismaticall mynistracion in most of them disagreeth The intencion of the Apostles and Fathers in and vpon consecracion ys shewed wherin they are perceaued to haue beleued that by their due consecracion the verie bodie and blood of Chryste by the almightie power of God and vertue of his woord were made present in that blessed Sacrament Wherun to the faith and intencion of the catholique Church being conferred yt ys fownd fullie to agree The schismaticall Church alltogether dissenteth and disagreed Vpon their consecracion the Apostles and Fathers made in the remembraÌ„ce of Chrysts passion death resurrection and ascension an oblacion or sacrifice Sacrificevsed of the Apostles abhorred of the Sacramentaries of the same bodie to God the Father according to the institucion and ordeinance of Chryst The doing of the catholique Church in this poinct ys conferred and fownd agreable The schismatical church ys so farre wide froÌ„ folowing the Apostles and Fathers that yt can not abide to heare soch sacrifice asmoch as once named or spoken of The catholique Church in the Masse maketh humble supplicacion and peticion for the mercifull acceptacion of their sacrifice which maner of supplicacion the Proclamer most fondlie aÌ„d vndiscretlie derideth and skorneth But by conference yt ys fownde that the catholike Church foloweth therin the phrase of scriptures Apostles and Fathers and dothe altogether as ys fownd to haue ben doen by them so neerlie that yt praieth with the same woordes that the Fathers did The Schismaticall congregacion as yt foloweth not the Apostles and Fathers in making this oblacion or sacrifice so contemneth yt their praier for acceptacion Thus moch being saied of Consecracion intencion oblacion and acceptacion we descended to the praiers in the Masse wherin be two things which Praier for the dead vsed of the Aposts aÌ„d the catholique Church dispised of the Schism the Schismaticall church impugneth that ys praier for the dead and inuocacion of Saincts As for that the catholique Church praieth for the dead the doing therof ys conferred to the doings of the Apostles and Fathers and yt ys fownd that they praied for the dead in their Masses and that they gaue ordre to frequent and vse praier for the dead wherfore yt ys euideÌ„t that the catholique Church in so doing foloweth theÌ„ and obserueth their ordre appoincted The Schismatical Church caÌ„ not wel be coÌ„ferred herin for yt vtterlie abandoneth all praier for the dead so that yt hath not one title for that pourpose and wher nothing ys no comparison can be made Inuocacion of Saincts vsed in the Masse ys also conferred with the doings of the Apostles and Fathers aÌ„d fownd to haue ben doen by theÌ„ in their Masses Jnuocacion of Sainctes likewise The Schismaticall Church as in this yt flieth the doing of the catholique Church so doth yt slie the doing of the Apostolique and primitiue Church whose doctrine and example the catholique Church holdeth and foloweth Finallie we come to holie Communion wher the catholique Churche ys accused and charged in two poinctes heinouslie to offende The one that the preist tarieth not allwais for some nombre of communicants The other that to soche as do communicate at times but one kinde ys mynistred For these two poincts as for the other before the auncient presidents of the primitiue Sole Communion aÌ„d vnder one kinde vsed in the primitiue church and auncient church are sought and laied furth and no commaundement fownde forbidding the preist in his Masse or anie other man sicke or wholl to receaue alone And the practise also of the same Church sheweth that oftentimes one kinde onelie was receaued and none offence therin iudged Whervnto the vse of the catholike Church being coÌ„ferred yt ys fownd to be agreable and to do that that in the primitiue Churche was practised The Schismaticall Church vnder pretence of singular obedience committing great disobedience and vnder the countenance of sincere imitacion vsing a wicked innouacion neither
the differēce for anie thing that he in these comparisons hath saied that as before he was borne they were in substance all one so be they still and so will remain when he shall be rotten But where I haue made comparisons betwen S. Iames Masse and the Communion of the Churche of this Proclamer and his complices yowe maie see manifest and great differences not by my woordes not by toies of rethoricall inuencion not by vntrueths but in the things them selues in their substanciall poincts in matters of weight and trueth For soche ys the Substācial dyfferēces of the Masse and the newe Cōmnuniō difference betwen S. Iames Masse whiche ys the Masse of all the holie Apoles and fathers and of the catholique Churche that hath ben or nowe ys for in substance all ys one and the newe Cōmunion of the newe Churche that first wher the Masse setting furth the matter of the Sacrament doth vse bread wine and water the newe Communion vseth no water wherin yt doth neither folowe the Apostles nor so well and liuelie set furth the death of Chryste as the Masse For as oute of the side of Chryste yssued oute bothe blood and water so the Masse in the latine Churche at the putting in of the water into the chalice saith thus of him be this water blessed oute of whose sideo ran oute both blood and water And the greke Church saieth these woordes of the scripture Et vnus militum lancea latus eius aperuit continuò exiuit sanguis aqua And one of the Soldiers perced his side with a speer and furth with ther went oute blood and water both well minding that blessed welspring of Chrysts side oute of the whiche ran that clensing water and blood that washed awaie the filth of our sinnes Here yowe see one difference in substance The Masse of the Apostles Fathers and catholique Churche as ys saied had intencion and beleued that they folowing Chrysts institucion shoulde consecrate the bodie and blood of Chryste The newe Communion of the newe Churche hath no soche intencion nor beleueth no nor mindeth nor pourposeth to consecrate the bodie and blood of Chryste according to his institucion The Masse as before ys saied foloweth the institucion and cōmaundement of Chryste who commaunded saing This do ye in the remem and consecrateth as he did his verie bodie and blood The newe Communion neither consecrateth the bodie and blood of Chryste neither abideth the name of consecracion so farre ys yt from that Church either to obeie Chryste or to folowe the church of his Apostles and Fathers The Masse according to Chrysts institucion and commaundement as ys proued offreth his bodie and blood in sacrifice to the Father in the remembrance of his passion and death The newe Communion not onelie abhorreth this to do but also detesteth both the name of sacrifice and the name of him that hath authoritie to do yt that ys A preist The Masse aswell of the Apostles as other offreth the same sacrifice as yt ys also proued for the liuing and the dead The newe Communion of the newe Churche deriding both offreth neither for the one nor for the other The Masse of the catholique Churche desiereth the aide and intercession of blessed Saincts to commende their seruice and praiers to God The newe Churche skorneth yt and vseth yt not in their Communion The Apostles and fathers with great reuerence and lowlie humblenesse came to an aultar semelie as meit yt was adorned to do this blessed oblacion and memoriall of Chrysts death The minister of the newe Communion commeth Tapster like to a pelting table onelie to eate and drinke and to deliuer to a fewe mo a bare peice of bread and a cuppe of wine so that the Apostles and catholique Churche in their Masse fedde them selues and the people with the blessed bodie and blood of Chryste the fatt and the sine flower of the heauenlie wheat and these feed them selues and the people with chaf and bran in respect euen a bare peice of bread and a cuppe of wine Soche differēce ys ther and soche maie yowe see betwixt the Apostles Masse and the newe communion And these defferences be in weightie matters and substanciall poincts soche as the doing or refusing of them bringeth life or death heauen or hel saluacion or damnacion Wherfor Reader looke well to thie doings ther ys no dallieng in Gods matters For the Masse ther haue ben brought furth without all haulting or colouring withoute all dissembling and lieng the auncient presidents of the Apostles of their Disciples and of the Fathers of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche as plainlie as truelie and as simplie as they be commended to vs by the books of our elders As for the comparisons of the Proclamer besides that they be but voluntarie deskant they are toies colours of Rethorik cloaked vntrueths setfurth withoute all authoritie Nowe therfor which ys to be embraced whether the Masse commended to vs by so good authoritie great antiquitie long and reuerend continuance or the newe Communion set furth without good authoritie and of no antiquitie and neuer yet reuerentlie continued yt ys of him that hath either grace or wisdom easie to be perceaued Wherefor trusting that I haue sufficientlie instructed and warned the reader aboute the Masse I ende and go forwarde in my matter THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAPT RETVRning to the exposition of S. Paule expowndeth this text As often as ye shall eate of this bread c. by S Hyerom and Theophilact IDoo here omitte the institucion of the Sacrament declared by S. Paule to the Corinthians as he had receaued the same of our Lorde for that in the seconde booke those woordes of Chryste and that his institucion ys largelie spoken of and expownded by a great nombre of holie learned Fathers Wherfor I thought yt wolde be to tediouse to the reader and superfluouse for me to expownde the same woordes here a gain I come therfor to the woordes immediatelie folowing in S. Paule As often as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of oure Lorde vntill he come For that this text hath ben woonderfullie abused and by soche abuse manie of the simplie haue ben deceaued and caused otherwise to thinke and beleue of the blessed Sacrament than the trueh ys I haue thought yt good to open the true vnderstanding of the same scripture to the reader that he being instructed maie withdrawe his foote from the snares of Sathan and well espie his falshoode and so eschewe soch erroure as he wolde entrappe him into Vpon this text the ministres of Sathan haue grownded two argumentes against Chrystes reall presence in the blessed Sacrament The one ys as Two arguments of the Sacramentaries grownded vpon S. Paule theie saie that by this scripture yt ys manifest that the Sacrament ys instituted for a memoryall of Chryst A memoriall ys of a thing that ys absent Wherfor the Sacrament
ys a memoriall of Chryst that ys absent and not present For saie they what neadeth a thinge present anie memoriall yt will cause yt self to be remembred The Sacrament then being a memoriall of Chryst argueth Chryst not to be present in the Sacrament but to be absent The other argument ys that S. Paule calleth the Sacrament not the bodie of Chryst but calleth yt bread For he saieth that as often as ye shall eate of this bread and saieth not as often as ye shall eate the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament wherfor saie they the Sacrament ys but breade and not the bodie of Chryst As touching the first yt ys not true that Chryst did institute this Sacrament Solucions of the same argu as a memoriall of him self or of his bodie but of his passion and death suffred in his bodies which thing S. Paule here by expresse woordes doeth teache saing As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shall declare or setfurth the death of our Lorde So that the eating and drinking of this Sacrament ys not for a remembrāce or a memoriall of the bodie of Chryste in yt self as the Aduersare falselie pretendeth but ys as ys saied a memorial of the passion and death suffred as ys saied in that bodie which passion and Receipt of the B. Sac. ys not a memoriall of Chrysts bodie but of his passion and death death be once doen actuallie ād neuer shall so be again in that gloriouse bodie but onely in mysterie Wherfor the passion and death whose memoriall ys celebrated in that solemne instituciō of Chrystes Sacrament ys and euer shall be absent and neuer present And so ys the Sacrament the memoriall of a thing absent and not present which thing ys the passion and death of Chryste As touching their second argument true yt ys that S. Paule calleth the Sacrament bread but will the Aduersarie therupon induce that S. Paule meneth materiall bread euen bakers bread Though he wolde so induce yet he neither doth nor can so prooue yt nor neuer shall Bread he calleth yt but Joan 6. S. Paulecalleth the Bl. Sacr. bread but he addeth withal the article this to signifie a speciall bread what bread euen soch as Chryst the institutour of the Sacrament called yt whē he saied Panis quē ego dabo caro mea est quam dabo pro mundi vita The bread that I will geue ys my flesh which I will geue for the life of the world Wherfor S. Paule did not barelie call yt bread but with an article saing This bread As who might saie As often as ye shall eate of this bread which ys no common bread but the bread of the flesh of Chryst which as he gaue yt for the life of the worlde So he did according to his promisse geue yt vs to eate in the Sacrament that we shoulde alwaies haue that his passion and death in minde Therfore so often as ye eate of this bread be ye mindefull of Chrystes passion and remembre his death suffred for yowr redemption Wherfor the wholl Chrystian church aswell the greke church as the latin immediatelie Woords of the Canōin the Masse after the consecracion as before ys declared doe saie this in effect Were therfor o Lorde being mindefull of the passion of thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Chryst doe offre vnto thee c. The wholl catholique Church by open profession of their duetie in the holie mynistracion declareth their obedience and the fulfilling of Chrystes commaundement in that they offring and receauing the blessed sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode be mindefull of the passion and death suffred in that same bodie at the effusion of that preciouse blood Thus ye see howe they abuse this scripture For both S. Paules owne woordes and also the practise of the wholl Church doth declare that the holie Sacrament was instituted as a memoriall of Chrystes death and that yt ys not cōmon bread by S. Paules owne woords but yt ys as ys saied a speciall and singular bread noted with an article But that this trueth maie be proued and therby their falshead the more confuted I will also as I haue vpon other textes produce the expositions ād vnderstanding of holie Fathers and doctours that yt maie be fullie perceaued Hieron in 11. 1. Cor. how this scripture ys to be vnderstanded not by phantasie but by their sownde doctrines And first we will heare sainct Hierom vpon the same text who saieth thus Ideo hoc saluator tradididit Sacramentum vt per hoc semper commemoremus quia pro nobis est mortuus Nam ideo cùm accipimus à sacerdotibus commonemur quia corpus sanguis est Christi vt beneficiis eius non existimemur ingrati Therfor our sauiour deliuered this Sacrament that by this we shoulde allwaies remembre that he died for vs. For therfore also when we receaue yt What S. Paule calleth bread S. Hieron calleth yt the bodie of Chryste we are warned of the preistes that yt ys the bodie and blood of Chryst that we be not thought to be vnthankfull for his benefittes If this saing of S. Hierom be well noted those two thinges which I before taught shall be fownde to be taught of him also I taught according to sainct Paule that the Sacrament was instituted for the memoriall of Chrystes passion and death sainct Hierom saieth that Chryst therfore gaue furth the Sacrament that we should allwaies remembre that he died forvs so that yt ys the death of Chryst that ys to be remembred I saied that though sainct Paule in this text vseth this woord bread yet he meneth not materiall bread but the heauenly bread the bodie of Chryst so ys he vnderstanded of sainct Hierom. For he saieth that when we receaue the Sacrament we are admonished that yt ys the bodie and blood of Chryst So what sainct Paule in the text calleth bread that S. Hierom in the exposition calleth the bodie and bloode of Chryste Nowe who doubteth but the expositions of holie doctours be to explain that that semeth in the text not to be plain and so plainlie and clerely to open the trueth and the true meaning of the text Forsomoch then as sainct Hierom doeth so here we must nedes saie that by this woorde bread in this text of S. Paule ys vnderstand the blessed bread of Chrystes bodie To S. Hierom we shall ioin Thcophilact to declare howe this scripture was vnderstanded in the greke Church Thus he writeth Hoc facite quottes biberitis in meam commemorationem Per poculum isthuc inquit memoriam facis Dominicae passionis Theoph. in 11. 1. Cor. Quid tu ig tur solus bibis mebriaris tremendo isto calice omnibus ex aequo tradito This doe as often as ye shall drinke in the remembrance of me By this cuppe saieth he thowe makest a memoriall of our Lordes death why thē doest thow alone drinke ād arte dronkē seeing
that this fearfull cuppe ys equallie deliuered to all Thus Theophilact Se ye not that the cuppe of our Lordes table ys receaued in the remembrance of his death But yt shall not be without profit to learn of him whie Cuppe of our Lorde a fearfull cuppe he calleth our Lordes cuppe a fearfull cuppe Yf yt be but a cuppe of wine as the Aduersarie saieth yt ys not fearfull but pleasaunt Why yt ys a fearfull cuppe yt ys declared of the same Theophilact expownding the text immediatelie going before which ys this Likewise when he had supped be tooke the cuppe saing This cuppe ys the newe testament in my bloode vpon this text he saieth thus Fuerunt in veteri Testamento calices siue pocula quibus sanguinem brutorum post victimam oblatam libarent Pro sanguine itaque brutorum qui vetus Testamentum veluti sigillo consignabat meum ego nunc sanguinem pono nouum Testamentum eo seu sigillo muniens Ne turberis igitur sanguinem audiens Nam si irrationabilium sanguinem pecorum accepisti in veteri Testamento quanto potius nunc diuinum Ther were in the olde Testament also cuppes or pottes in the which after the sacrifice they should offre the bloode of brute beastes Therfor for the blood of brute beastes whiche did signe the olde Testament as with a seale I nowe setfurth before yowe my bloode signing therwith the newe testament as with a seale For yf thowe hauest receaued the blood of vnreasonable beastes in the olde Testament howe moch raither maist thowe now receaue the blood of God In this exposition I wish yt to be noted howe the authour in the person of Chryst speaketh saing For the bloode of brute beastes I put before thee my bloode Seist thowe then whie he calleth the cuppe of our Lorde a fearfull A plain place for the Proclamer cuppe Yt ys bicause owre Lorde in that cuppe putteth before thee hys owne bloode And what blood ys yt Ys yt the blood of a pure or onelie man Naie saieth Theophilact yt ys the bloode of God For saieth he yf in the olde testament the blood of vnreasonable beastes was receaued moch more nowe receaue thowe the blood of God Perceaue thē that yt ys the blood of God that ys in the cuppe of our Lord. Wilt thowe fullie perceaue whie yt ys fearful Cōsider ād vnderstād that soch is the coniunctiō of the Godhead with the manhead in Chryst that wher the māhead ys or any part of yt if now yt maie beparted ther ys also the Godhead In the death of Chryst the soule was parted from the bodie the soule descended into hell the bodie laie in the graue the Godhead was whollie with the Soule descended into hell yt was also whollie with the bodie lieng in the graue Euen so wher the blood of Chryst ys forsomoch as Chryst ys both God ād mā that blood ys the blood of God also ād so ther ys the blood of God ād mā which now being inseparable both from the manhead and the Godhead of Chryst wher the blood of God ys ther ys also God himself Nowe then forasmoch as in the cuppe of our Loord ther ys the blood of God as Theophilact saieth and where the bloode of God ys ther of consequence ys also God doth not Theophilact well in calling yt a fearfull cuppe who maie not well feare to approche so near vnto hys Lorde God and the more that he knoweth his owne filthinesse and ther by his vnwoorthinesse As nowe yowe knowe whie the cuppe of oure Lorde ys fearfull so what so euer the Aduersarie bableth to the contrarie ye haue learned that in owre Lordes cuppe ys not bare wine but the blessed blood of God What shall I neede to alleadge anie mo of the sainges of Theophilact seing he hath allreadie opened the trueth that we seke for namelie that the Sacrament ys a memoriall of Chrystes passion and death and ys also the same bodie Theoph. Ibid. and blood of Chryst that suffred Yf any man will desyre anie other place let the same vnderstande that Theophilact expownding this place as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of our Lorde What we aught to thinke inreceauing the Bl. Sacr. vntill he come saieth thus Eo affectu debetis esse imbuti perinde quasi in illa ipsa esse tis Christicaena ab ipso Christo acciperetis sacrum istuc Illa enim ipsa coena est illam ipsam mortem annunciamus Ye should be of the same minde or so be haue yowrselues as though ye were in the selfsame supper of Chryst and shoulde take of Chryst himself this holie thing Yt ys euen the same verie supper and we shewe furth the verie same death Yf ye will learn of Theophilact what Chryst gaue in his last supper expownding Chrystes woordes rehersed by S. Paule What Chryst deliuered in his last supper he saieth thus Ille verò in cōmune generatim omnibus dixit Accipite edite idue corpus suum quod pro omnibus ex equo fregit in mortem tradens But he in cōmon and generallie saied to all Take and eate yea and that his bodie which he brake equallie for all deliuering yt to suffer death Thus Theophilact Here ye perceaue by him that Chryst gaue his bodie in his last supper And if this doe not satisfie yowe know that this Theophilact as before ys shewed in the second booke and ells wher wher he expowndeth S. Matthewe Marke Luke and Iohn saieth that Chryst gaue in his last supper his verie bodie ād not an onely a figure of his bodie By all this then yt ys euident that Theophilact vnderstandeth by the woorde bread in S. Paule the bodie of Chryst and not materiall bread and that that bread and cuppe are to be eaten and dronken of not in the remembrance of that bodie in yt self but in the remembrance of the passion and death suffred in the same bodie THE FIVE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. ABIDETH in the exposition of the same text by sainct Basill and Rupert I Wolde haue staied my self ād ceassed to haue produced aniemoauthours for the exposition of this text but well knowinge that manie as is saied haue abused it and deceaued manie I thought yt expedient and necessarie for the helpe of the vnlearned somwhat more to saie vpon yt by the expositions of S. Basill and Rupertus And whether we take a peice of bread in the remembrance of Christ or whether we receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst in the remembrance that he suffred for vs in that bodie and shedde that preciouse blood we will Basilius de Baptismo first heare S. Basill who writeth thus Oportet accedentem ad corpus sanguinem Domini ad rememorationem eius qui pro nobis est mortuus ac resurrexit non solùm purum esse ab omni inquinamento carnis ac spiritus ne ad
iudicium edat ac bibat sed euidenter ostendere exprimere memoriam eius qui pro nobis mortuus est acresurrexit Yt behoueth A plain place for the Proclamer him that cometh to the bodie and blood of our Lorde to the remēbrance of him that hath died for vs and risen again not onely to be pure from all vnclennesse of bodie and soule least he eate and drinke to his owne condemnacion but he must also euidentlie shewe and declare the memorie of him that hath died for vs and risen again Thus moch S. Basil Nowe wher S. Paule saieth that as often as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe we must declare the death of Chryst S. Basill saieth that he that commeth to the bodie and blood of Chryst must remembre him that What S. Paule calleth bread and cuppe S. Basil calleth the bodie ād blod of our lord died for vs. So that what S. Paule in termes called this bread and this cuppe S. Basill geuing vs to vnderstand what S. Paule meneth by these termes speaketh by plain woordes calling those thinges as they be in dede the bodie and blood of our Lord. Likewise yt maie be perceaued that S. Basill folowing S. Paule teacheth that the Sacrament ys a memoriall of Chryst as suffring for vs ād not of Chryst in himself or absolutelie without respect of passion and death suffred for vs which ys asmoch to saie as a memoriall doen in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and death agreablie to the sainges of other before alleadged Rupert also whom we ioin at this present with S. Basill doeth euen likewise vnderstand S. Paule Thus he writeth Sacramentum hoc quo mors eius annunciatur quemadmodum Apostolus dicit quotitscunque manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis Rupert in cap. 26. Matth mortem Domini annunciabitis donec veniat quando debuerat condi dari nisi sub ipsius articulo passionis This Sacrament by the which the death of our Lord ys declared as the Apostle saieth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of thys cuppe ye shall shewe furth the death of our Lorde vntill he come when should yt be made and geuen furth but euen at the verie poinct of the same passiō In thys saing of Rupert the one parte of our saing namely that the Sacrament ys a memorial of Chrystes death ys clerely by expressed woords testified The other part that in the Sacrament the verie bodie and blood ys eaten and dronken Rupert in a Joon We cate the flesh and drinke the blood of Chryst in the remembrance of his death to and for the memoriall of the same death ys not here manifestlie spoken Wherfor we shall heare him in an other place vttering his knowledg in thys matter Thus he saieth Quod fecit ipse hoc idem in commemorationem ipsius scimus et bene scimus nos facere id est carnem ipsius manducare sanguinē bibere That which Chryst himself did we know and we wel know that we doe euen the verie same thing in the remembrance of him that he did that ys to eate his flesh and drinke his bloode Marke now the learning of Chrystes catholique Church note nowe well what we eate and drinke in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and death Iudge nowe whether S. Paule ment materiall bread as the Sacramentaries wolde haue yt to be vnderstanded and not raither the heauenlie bread of Chrystes bodie to be eatē in the remēbrance of his passiō ād death I haue now produced but fower two of the greke Church and two of the latin Church to geue vs vnderstanding what we ought to remēbre in the receipt All the rable of the Sacramentaries cannot bring one coople of catholike authours that saie S. Paule spake here of materiall bread of the Sacrament and what in that Sacrament we doe receaue wherupon they all conclude that we receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst in the remembrance of his death and so S. Paule ys to be vnderstāded in this place Now let all the whol rable of the Aduersaries side bring furth but two wheras we might as the Aduersarie himself knoweth haue brought manie mo which for the auoiding of more prolixitie wherin we haue allreadie offended we doe ouerpasse and omitte that shal by expresse woordes expownde S. Paule in this place that he ment not the bodie of Chryst but plain materiall bread Let them I saie bring but two catholique approued authours ād they shall haue the victorie So weake ys their cause besides their owne asseueracion that yt ys verie certen they can not bringe one Although then this ys a trueth receaued of all the holie Fathers of Chrystes Church and ys the doctrine of S. Paule that the bodie and blood of Chryst be receaued according to commaundement in the remembrance of his passion and death and so yt also cometh to passe that the bodie of Christ euen the self same bodie in substance vnder the formes of bread and wine ys Jnexpositiō verborum caenae Obiectiō of Oecolamp a figure of the self same bodie hanging vpon the crosse and suffring passiō ād death yet Oecolampadius after his Sicophants maner he himself either of malice not willing to knowe or ells plainlie ignorant doeth accuse the learned men of Chrystes Church of ignorance that they make the bodie of Chryst both the exemplar and the thing exemplified the figure and the thing figurated the sign and the thing signified for that saieth he relacion must be betwixt two thinges distincted and not of one thing to ytself For euery relatiue must haue a correlatiue To answere him for that I write to the vnlearned to instructe them in the faith I will not vse the quiddities of schooles neither with schoole tearmes The nnswer so darken the matter that the reader shall not vnderstand me but I will vse plain examples And first wher Oecolampadius saieth that relacion must be betwixt two thinges distincted did he not knowe that in the diuine persons Matth. 17 were sundrie relacions grownded vpon the one nature of God But to come to examples in Chryst of whome we nowe dispute was not Chryst transfigured in the mount and shewing himself in a glorionse maner was he not an Theoph. in 17. Math. Chryst one and the same in substāce hath ben ys and shal be a sigure of bim self in diuer se maners exemplar or figure of himself now in glorie and of his gloriouse cominge to iudgement Theophilact saieth that Dignitas secundi aduentus in splendore faciei Christi ineffabili claruit The dignitie or excellencie of the second cominge of Chryst did appeare in the vnspeakable brightnesse of the face of Chryst So that Peter Iohn and Iames sawe now in his first coming an image of the glorie of Chryst that he shall come in his second coming Then maie we see that the self same bodie in substance after one maner