writers haue condemned for turning the scriptures from their naturall sence by his allegories But I appeale vnto their owne consciences whether this place make any thing for purgatorie And why do they not rather hold themselues to S. August S. Ierome Theodoret who do not acknowledge any other thing in that place but Dauid his humiliatiō for his sins being cast vnder the mighty hand of God The glose saith Thou hast instructed my soule in infirmity and humilitie that so it might not presume through any strength or pride and hee compareth it to a spiders web because there is nothing more rotten then it Saint Ierome Hieronym in psal 38. The soule melteth when the concupiscences of the flesh are repressed and snubd when sinne is so worne away as the threed which hath not any substance left in it either to make it hard or thicke S. August ibid. Augustine Thou hast dried it vp through the insatiable thirst it hath after vertue and knowledge thou hast caused the iniquity thereof to be pressed and wrung out of my heart Theodor. ibid. as are the entrailes of a spider Theodoret In pressing and rubbing vpon the most hidden and secret corners of my exulcerated parts and inward sores thou hast healed me like a good phisition rather then with great paine and griefe Halmo This falleth out when as man by Gods chastisements and corrections being vpon him doth humble himselfe and turne vnto God Lyranus Thou hast made my life vile and abhominable vnto me Caietan The moth fretteth through and destroyeth the thing whereof she is bred and so we are pearced and fret away through our owne concupiscences and desires And thus he referreth this to the punishment of all mankind in the person of Adam Of all the translations they haue made choice of that which is furthest from the sence of the text and of so many expositions that which is furthest from the purpose and yet they can come by nothing for their purgatorie In the Psalme 49. God will redeeme my soule out of the hand of the graue or out of hell Psal 49.16 for the word signifieth both the one and the other when hee shall take mee vnto himselfe The shot is by their reckning he will deliuer mee from purgatorie whereas they should haue noted that in the verse going before it is spoken of the men of this worlde That death shall feed vpon them in the graue and that the vpright men shall haue dominion rule ouer them c. Where the selfe same word is vsed If the men of this world bee not threatned with any greater punishment then purgatorie then what priuiledge or preferment haue Dauid and others the workers of righteousnesse in whose persons he speaketh more then they If it do signifie hell in the one verse and in the other purgatory then let them shew vs some reason of such diuers construing of it that so wee may admit it The Chaldee Paraphrast God will deliuer my soule from hell because he will teach me his law and will take me to be partaker with him of the life to come But what will they then say to all the old fathers S. Ierome saith God being made man made himselfe of no reputation euen to death that thereby hee might repaire the ruines of mankind that is it which hee would say Cum acceperit me S. Augustine God will redeeme and deliuer my soule shall it be out of prison from oppression from the waues of the sea c. Nay rather saith he from hell and this is that redemption which hee hath shewed and set forth in himselfe Chrysost t. 1. de Dauidicis Cant. What wee haue seene in the bead the same shall we find in the members he descended into hell and ascended vp into heauen c. Chrysostome And that there is a freeing from eternall death he teacheth thee it in these wordes God hath deliuered my soule out of the power of hell c. Theodoret dealeth more plainely This certifieth and assureth vs that God doth giue counsell consolation to the poore which are oppressed of the mightie Haimo Out of the power of hell that is to say out of the power of the deuill when he shall haue taken me Caictan in psal 49. Psal 66.11 12. that is to say put vpon him my humanitie and so Cardinall Hugo Caietan in like maner He wil deliuer my life from the power of hell when he shall draw mee from out of this life into eternall into Abrahams bosome c. In the Psalme 66. We were saith Dauid entred into fire water Et eduxisti nos in refrigerium and thou hast brought vs forth into a place where wee find reliefe Otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a plentifull and fruitfull place Yet once againe here is purgatorie and that with an imagination that it worketh vpon men by casting them out of an extreme heat into an extreame cold c. From the fansying and good liking of an allusion in Origen Orig. hom 25. in Numer who yet medleth not any thing at all with this text which besides euen with the bare reading is easily refuted seeing therein he speaketh simply of diuers crosses and aduersities out of which God had extraordinarily deliuered Dauid The old writers haue vnderstood it cleane otherwise then they The Paraphrast Thou hast made the oppressor to go ouer my head Thou hast condemned vs to the rage of the flaming furnace and deuouring water and afterward hast set vs at libertie herein alluding very strongly vnto the seruitude of the people of Israell in the land of Egypt Lyranus Through the fire made to burne brickes through the water which we caried to temper the matter and make it fitte for the forme And if wee may lawfully moralize S. Augustine saith Through aduersitie and prosperitie through the scorching heat of tribulation the filthie puddle stinking waters of noysome corruption that which seemeth the least saith he being no lesse to be feared thē the other Hugo in psal 65. Hieronym in psal 65. And Hugo the Cardinall followeth his collection and interpretation S. Ierome Thus haue the Martyrs passed and come ad refrigerium to Christ who is their true reliefe and rest by the crosse by stripes by fire by water and diuers punishments and by them they haue become acceptable well pleasing sacrifices Hillar ibid. Chrysost t. 2. in c. 4. Mat. no. 5. Theod. in psal 66. Haimo in psal 66. Bernard de transitu S. Malachiae c. And S. Hilarie writeth thereupon after the same manner Chrisost Theodoret do deale somewhat more simply plainly take it to be vnderstood of the ordinary afflictions of the faithful Haimo Of Martyrs that haue passed through fire water of trauellers that haue indured the heat and cold yet giue not ouer their iourney Saint Bernard Such as die in the Lord fellow citizens with the Saintes and are of the
of the obseruations of the Primitiue church seeing that a verie strong preiudicate opinion hath seazed the spirites of the greatest part that nothing is done now a dayes in the church of Rome but after that sort maner that to require any reformatiō therin is nothing else but a longing after nouelties and a remouing of the ancients their markes and limittes and lastlie seeing that they which make their aduantage of such abuses are not without store of colours thereby corrupting and disguising the olde and auncient monumentes and writinges and besmoking the new and latter ones that so they may carrie the greater shew of antiquitie amongst which that of making as to receiue the thinges for olde and auncient which haue meerelie regarded the succeeding times of the church is verie newe and latelie hatched This I say is the taske and text which we are now to finish and make plaine by the grace of God that so wee may prouide helpes for the strengthning and supporting of some simple men and preuent the malice of the contrarie minded to the end that antiquitie may shew it selfe antiquitie and noueltie may appeare to bee but noueltie and also to the end that the superstitious and long obseruation of some ill established noueltie may not carrie away the title of antiquitie from olde and auncient veritie That truth which is of all other most ancient may not grow out of date by reason of the antiquitie thereof That the disagreements in religion are for the most parte aboute traditions established without the warrant of the word carelesly and negligentlie looked vnto Ne inquam antiquissima illa veritas vel ipsa antiquitate antiquari videatur Certainelie hee that shall weigh and consider with sound and vpright iudgement the controuersies which are at this day in christian religion shall not finde them to be anie such things for the most part as are founded vpon any doctrine that is trulie auncient vpon anie doctrine I say that is taught or mentioned in the holie Scriptures notwithstanding that the Scriptures bee the true and proper boundes of whatsoeuer may fall into mens fansies and the olde and authentike Registers and Maisters of the church to line and square out whatsoeuer is the proper due and true possession of any one And further we doo freelie declare testifie that whosoeuer shall dare to remoue the same though neuer so little shall worthilie fall into the curse pronounced by the Prophet against them which remoue auncient boundes and markes But the question is of Traditions which haue insinuated themselues and are sprung vppe together with the time by the industrie of men and that to the choaking of the true plantes of Christes fielde Of Traditions which by the reading of Antiquities wee see and behold first in the bare and naked seede then in the bud putting forth growing and rising vp into a stalke bearing fruite ouergrowing in the end the good corne ouerspreading the earth watred with the vanitie and ordinarie curiositie of men manured and fed with the ignorance of the most darke and ouershadowed ages Of Traditions one marke or step whereof for the most part we cannot espie or finde out eyther in the holie Scriptures or in the Primitiue church but which from age to age we finde and see to haue sprung vp of some crosse or ouertwhart word or else of some vnexpected action as hearbes cōming by chance wherof there is no great regard or reckoning made or else to grow by a priuation or negatiuelie in some doubtfull question from thence proceeding into some affirmatiue not well and firmelie grounded and finally ending in a full and absolute conclusion from whence is drawne within some space of time after and so throughout euerie age such strange increase and ouerrunning measure such consequences so far differing from the first steps and footinges as that they which first cast the seede into the grounde not thinking of any such haruest would not bee able as it falleth out with the fowles of the aire letting fall some nut or acorn euer to auouch the same for theirs if they should returne to beholde them yea which would rather haue smothered and stifled them in the birth if they had foreseen anie shew of such monstrousnes to haue eusued And finallie of Traditions which smoothlie conuey themselues vnder the habite of indifferencie and a certaine kinde of pretended seemlines into thercome and place of profite of necessitie of subiection yea and that greater then any Iudaicall seruitude and of the Articles of faith Articles I call them seeing that men now a dayes such as are our aduersaries are farre more tenderlie affected and deeplier doting vpon their owne inuentions then vpon faith it selfe And for the which they let not to stand and contend a great deale more in the church of Rome to maintain the same then they do striue and seeke to root out Atheisme notwithstanding it iet vp and downe like a Lord and spreade it selfe into euerie coast and quarter vnder the name of Philosophie priuilie vndermining and thereupon forciblie ouerturning the foundations of the church of Christ the holie Scriptures and the holie Sacramentes Articles againe for the strengthning whereof they are not ashamed to weaken so much as lieth in them the force and authoritie of Gods word and for the procuring of authority thereunto they defend the sufficiencie integritie and simplicitie of the same they make no conscience to call the ministerie of death the ministery of our life and to pronounce as imperfect and vnsufficient vnto Saluation the Scriptures whereof the essentiall worde did say vnto the Iewes and then by a stronger reason to vs Examine the Scriptures diligentlie and carefullie for you thinke to haue eternall life by them and they are those that beare witnes of me Now it were no hard or difficult matter to demonstrate and shew foorth the same throughout all the Articles which are in controuersie and indeede the matter hath beene performed by diuerse alreadie But I will rest my selfe for this time in shewing the truth thereof in the matter of the Masse and the appendances thereof because at this day it occupieth the principall place of Diuine Seruice in the church of Rome because it seemeth vnto them the badge cognizance to distinguish betwixt the good and euill Christian because that in not going thereunto or in going thereunto is as they hold in their opinion to worke a mans damnation or saluation And lastly because that it containing comprising in it eyther the doctrine or the practise of the principall pointes which are in controuersie betwixt vs it shall stand for a full reuew of the whole bodie of their religion or not want much thereof if it bee throughlie examined and sifted If then it be of such moment and importance vnto saluation as they would make vs belieue we need not to doubt anie thing at all but that we shall finde it so most clearelie and euidentlie by the holy Scriptures
Lord God The people It is meete and conuenient c. And then the Minister did handle in manner of a briefe preface the causes why they gaue thankes as namely for that he had created man after his owne image for that he hauing reuolted and forsaken him it pleased him to recouer and recall him in Iesus Christ for the giuing of his Law vnto him for hauing admonished him by his Prophets for hauing sent them his onely begotten Sonne in the fulnes of time to fulfill the law in his owne person for quickning by his death those that were dead in Adam to make them capable of eternall life and for that to this ende hee had dyed risen againe and ascended into heauen and for that also hee gaue himselfe freene to the death readie to deliuer vp his life for the life of the world and for hauing left vs a liuelie representation of this so great a benefite and for that he had taken the bread in his holie handes blessing sanctifying breaking and distributing it vnto his Disciples and Apostles saying Take eate This is my bodie c. and for hauing done in like manner with the cuppe saying Drinke yee all This is the cup of the new Testament in my blood c. And in this place in the processe of this goodlie Preface was read in a briefe manner the institution of the holie Supper as it is to be seene also in all the Lithurgies The Lithurgie of S. Basill The Lithurgie of S. Denys and this action was shut vp and ended with the answere of the people in these wordes Lord wee remember herein thy death and passion and do emfesse thy resurrection vntil the time of thy comming or as it is read in S. Denys with a protestation Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast said Do this in remembrance of me which done the bread and the wine were held consecrate sanctified and for sacraments by vertue of the institution of our Lord which is alwaies powerfull and hath his efficacie and not by vertue of certaine wordes spoken ouer the elementes Of which thing as shall bee declared in his place the purest old Churches neuer dreamed Then there followed a praier that it would please God to shew them all the mercie as that they may communicate the bodie and blood of his Sonne by a true and liuelie faith and not to their condemnation and iudgement as also that it would please him to knitte them altogether in true charity and loue in the communion of his Sonne by his holy spirit euen in so effectuall a manner as they did certainely eate and drinke all of the same bread and cuppe then the conclusion followed with the ioyning thereunto of the Lordes Prayer and after that for a signe of this holy vnion of their spirites and wils in Christ a mutuall kisse the signe and testimonie eyther of true and vnuiolate amitie or else of an vnfained reconciliation and that they had not vainely and for a fashion spoken The kisse of peace Forgiue vs our sinnes as wee forgiue them c. and thereupon also it was called Osculum pacis the kisse of peace as also further to signifie that this knot of the vnitie of the faithfull did not end in this world After this peace there was mention made of them who either had liued wel or which were dead in Christ especially of the Martyrs whose names were read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is out of a certaine register or catalogue partlie sayeth S. Denys to signifie that they were not dead but verilie liuing and therefore the Primitiue Church called the death of man by the name of birth natiuitie and partly to stirre vs vp to the same constancie by their example Now when this was finished the Pastors and Deacons which were to distribute the holie Supper did first communicate themselues and after deliuered the bread and the cuppe to the faithfull and gaue it them in their hands speaking the significatiue wordes of this holy Mysterie but so as that they did not all binde themselues to vtter them in the same tearmes And during this whole action Psalmes were sung by the people and that such as concerned the thing in hand and the same in the end was shut vppe with a solemne thankesgiuing and before that it was not lawfull for anie man to depart and goe away and all this was alwaies done in a tongue which the people vnderstoode and with so loude a voice as might be that so the people might bee able to say Amen And this order will wee runne ouer againe particularlie according to euery parte of same Of the Preface speaketh Chrysostome saying when we beginne to say The Lord bee with you Of the Preface Chrysost in 1. ad Corint hom 36. in 2. hom 18. Chrysost hom de Eucharist ad Heb. hom 22. the people doth aunswere And with thy spirite Againe In the holie and reuerende Misteries the Pastor praieth for the people and the people for the Pastor for these wordes and with thy spirit can not tell vs or giue vs to vnderstand any other thing The councell of Nice 1. sayth Let vs not rest our selues in the bread and wine which are set vpon the Table but let vs lift vp our heartes on high that is Sursum Corda namelie to the Lambe of God c. Chrysostome Hast not thou promised to the Priest who saieth Lift vâ—â—o your hâ—artes and mindes on high we haue them fixed and setled in the Lord This table is altogether furnished with mysteries the Lambe of God is offred for thee c. And in an other place Wee lift vp our mindes on high This is a table for Eagles and not for Crowes to feede at c. S. Augustine August de bono perseuer cap. 13. de vera elig c. 3. de bono vid. cap. 16. Epist 15. in Psalm 85. c. Chrysost in hom 26. in Genes That which is saide in the sacrament of the faithfull namely that wee should haue our heartes raysed vppe to God on high Vt sursum corda habeamus ad Dominum sheweth that it is a gift of God as also in asmuch as the Pastor saieth vnto vs afterwarde that we are to yeelde him thankes and that wee make answere that it is meete and right that we should so doe c. And these wordes are repeated in an infinite sort of places And yet sayeth Chrysostome not because hee hath neede of our thankes doe wee say vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c for who is able sufficientlie and worthilie to performe such a seruice seeing the Cherubius cannot attaine vnto it but he willeth it to the end that the gaine may redound to our selues c. And the reasons of this thankesgiuing laid downe by the Minister of the Church in the short abridgement of the historie of the redemption of mankinde or rather of the Church are no lesse to bee noted and marked of vs. Chrysostome We
Additions to the Masse which hath of so long time accompanied the Romish church hath cast it off and forsaken it in these latter times for we haue manifest marks and signes to the contrarie All the curious ouerlookers and expounders of the Romish order are of one mind and consent that betwixt the offering and the Canon or the secret as they call it there was not any prayer wont to be said But now we find within the space of these foure hundred yeares or there about fiue to be placed and put in as they themselues also doe acknowledge and it is the same which they call the pettie Canon that is to say Suscipe sancte Pater hanc hostiam or els as it is in some others Suscipe sancta Trinitas hanc oblationem Belarm de Canon receiue O Lord God this oblation or host which I offer vnto thee for my sinnes which are innumerable and for those of all them which are present and for all faithfull Christians either aliue or deade to the ende that it may be profitable vnto mee and them vnto saluation and eternall life Againe O Deus qui humanae substantiae Offerimus tibi Domine calicem salutaris in spiritu humilitatis c. Ven Sanctificator Spiritus Then the blessing of the incense Anno 1065. wherein there is mention made of a propitiatorie sacrifice and of the intercession of Saint Michael new praiers cast and molded according to the mettall of the time vpon new and straunge doctrines Alexander the second put the Alleluiah out of office from the time called Septuagesima Herm. Gigas vntill Easter albeit that by an epistle written frō Michael of Constantiple Anno 1090. 1165. 1200. 1370. 1250. Nauclerus Gezer 42. Vnder the Emperour Rodolph The Councell of Colen it may seeme that that decree was more ancient Vrbane the second ordained a Masse to be said vpon euerie Saturday in the honour of the Virgine Marie Calixtus the third ordained the office of the transfiguration Innocent the third commanded that the Psalme Deus venerunt Gentes should be sung after the Agnus Dei Gregorie the ninth brought in the Salue Regina with the ringing of the bell Albert the great compiled the sequences for the most part And Thomas of Aquin the Office which they call the Office of the feast of God A Councell held at Colen ordained how the host should be chosen namely round and verie smooth and sleeke not too old of what bignes how it should be couered how it should be eleuated what manner of wine it should be and what water in what proportion and quantitie how the priest should discerne and iudge of them by their odor and smell what manner of ones the hallowed linnens should bee what cautions prouisoes and remedies are to bee vsed in respect of the sowring and moulding of it as also to keepe it from the rats mice cobwebs c. that is to say according as the errour of Transubstantiation increased An. 1165. so likewise the errours in ceremonies accompanying the same increased Whereupon it came that Innocent the third in the Councell of Laterane willed that the host should bee kept in some coffer or casket appointed of purpose for the same Anno 1216. Blond l. 7. dec 2. and declareth how that the wordes of the Canon are equall to the wordes of the Gospell And Honorius the third enioyned euerie man to kneele downe at the eleuation of the host and that it should be caried in decent habites vnto the diseased and sicke And Grergorie the ninth for notice or warning sake added the ringing of the bell It was likewise instituted and ordained in these latter times that the Canon shoulde bee vttered in a lowe voice whereuppon it is called a secrete And Hugo de Sancta Victoria Durand l. 4. c. 35. Beleth cap. 44. Durandus Honorius and Beleth doe yeelde a reason Because say they that euerie man can it by hart and because that some of the Pastors abused it to transubstantiate their bread into flesh as it came to passe and yet they were neuerthelesse miraculously punished by fire from heauen Gabriel Biel. contrarie to the auncient vse of the East and West Churches as appeareth by all their lithurgies in which the wordes of the consecration are pronounced with a loude and audible voice And yet notwithstanding it is to be noted The prescript formes of the Masse were diuers and not all one till the yeare 1200. that it was a long time that is to say more then 600. yeares after Gregorie the first before it could bee obtained that there should be but one prescript forme of the Masse throghout all the latine church For we reade about the yeare 1000. and Bellarmine confesseth the same that Bruno the brother of Otho the Great Archb. of Colen did as then reforme the office and order of the Masse in his diocesse according to that of Rome And likewise in France they had Masses which they called two faced three faced and foure faced Masses bifaciatas trifaciatas c. becaused they respected three or foure diuers subiectes as namely diuers Saints for that they were to diuers ends saue onely when they came to the offertorie and notwithstanding they concluded with one Canon which time hath at length abolished Petrus Cantor in verbo abbreuiato Such as haue spoken against these abuses or rather the good husbanding of the priestes who would haue dispatched all at twice or thrice Tantae molis erat saith one speaking to that purpose Romanam condere Missam Loe here you may see how that the Masse would take his foundation root from the holy Supper hath in the end cast it quite out of house harbor so that now the place thereof doth not know it or any the signes markes therof any more And therefore they need not to maruaile if Petrus Cantor more thē 400. yeares since did taxe confute the multiplying profaning of Masses blamed the priests for hauing left the preaching of the word for to sing Masses for hauing sewed and set together again the vale of the Temple Petrus Cantor in verbo abbreuiato citat per Cardinal Alliac rent in sunder by the death of our Lord to bring Iudaisme again by their ceremonies in summe saith he for hauing neglected the commandements of God to follow the inuentions of men Neither yet if Arnoldus de Villa noua one of the most famous men of his time and age saide that for these three hundred yeares the Masses and sacrifices for the deade haue not beene any thing but abuses and departinges from the veritie of Christ that the Priest in his pretended sacrifice doth offer nothing vnto God and that the Deuill by succession of time hath turned out of their right way and caused to erre all Christian people from the truth of our Lord and Maister If the Waldenses and after them the Albigenses which haue replanted
the communion was there Thy body O Lord which we haue taken thy blood which we haue drunke let cleaue vnto our inward parts let not any spot of vncleannes abide in vs which haue beene refreshed with so precious Sacraments Beda in the homily vpon these words of S. Iohn An. 700. Beda in hom Vidit Iohan. c. Iohn sâ—â— Iesus comming vnto him c. Iesus Christ saith he doth wash vs dayly in his blood when the memorie of his death passion is vnfolded vpon the Altar when the creatures of bread and wine by the vnspeakable power of the sanctification of the holy Ghost is translated into the Sacrament of his flesh and of his blood for then his bodie and his blood are no more slaine or shed by the infidels to their destruction Concil Tolet. 11. c. 11. but taken by the mouthes of the faithfull to their saluation And the eleuenth Councel of Toledo of the same time witnesseth that the one and the other kinde were caried vnto the sicke when it excuseth them from excommunication which through weaknes did cast out of their mouthes the one or the other Beda l. 4. c. 3. Vincent l. 23. c. 7.81.97 Vadianus in Aeoli Troade Anno 800. Carol. Mag. l. 2 3. de imaginibus Gregor 3. Pap. And Beda maketh mention of Ceadda a king of England and Vincentius of Bauon Furseus Richarius that they did receiue both the one and the other at the time of their death Charlemaine saith We take the flesh of our redemption for the remission of our sinnes we escape the stroke of the Angel being besprinckled with his blood And again The misterie of the bodie and of the blood of the Lord is daily receiued by the faithfull in the Sacrament c. And Pope Gregorie the third at the same time saith That there is neede that two or three cuppes should be prouided to set vpon the altar at such time as the Masses are celebrated that the people may communicate And thus likwise do all the great men of this age witnesse and testifie vnto the same Rabanus Anno 900. Rabanus l. 1. c. 33. de Instit Cleric Lib. 1. c. 29. The water and the wine in the cup doe shew the sacraments which did run out of our Lord his side vpon the crosse wherwith we are watered Again the faithfull in the church do dayly eat the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood And in another place he teacheth by the comparing together of corporall food which consisteth in meates and drinkes that we haue neede of both kindes likewise he commandeth that all those which are baptised doe communicate in the bodie and blood of our Lord. Paschasius saith O man as oft as thou drinkest this cup Pasc de Euch. c. 15. c. 48. think not that thou drinkest any other blood then that which hath beene shed for thy sins And afterward he addeth Take and drinke ye all as well the ministers saith he quaÌ„ reliqui credentes as the rest of the beleeuers And againe The flesh is well accompanied with the blood because the flesh cannot bee by good right communicated without the blood neither yet the blood without the flesh And therefore he saith in another place We are refreshed with the flesh c. 7. Anno 1000. Haimo l. 1. c. 2. in Apoc. super haec verba Ecce Agnus Dei Super haec verba In Cana Galil Item tum venit Iesus in partes Caesar Philip. In 1. Cor. c. 11. Conc. Worm 1.36 Rup Abb. Tuicens in Mat. c. 27. in Ioh. c 6 De Offic. Diui. l. 6 c. 9. 22. Vincent l. 24. c. 75. Regino Monach c. 119. de discipl eccl Radulph Tungrens in Leuit. lib. 14. c. 4. Anno 1100. Ansel in epist ad Cor. c. 10. Lanfranc de Euch. Alger de Euch. l. 2. Damianus in Apol. ad Nicol Papam Berno in serm de purific Mariae S. Bernard in Psalm 90. ser 9 Ser. 3. de Ram. palm Serm. 2. de Coen Dom. Serm. 3. super Cant. of the diuine word and we haue our thirst quenched with his blood Haimo the Bb. of Halberstat writing vpon the Apocalips The faithfull doe daily eate in the Church the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood Againe The cup is called the communion because of the communicating therein for all doe communicate thereof And in like manner vpon S. Iohn ch 1. 2. and vpon S. Math. Chap. 16. The Councell of Wormes speaking of the incestuous Let him abstaine for the space of three yeares from the communion of the bodie and blood of our Lord. And moreouer that about this time Gisilbert vpon the ensuing of the reall Transubstantiation taught the doctrine of concomitance that is to say that vnder one of the kinds there is comprised as much as vnder both and further inferreth that it were more to the purpose not to be in daunger of shedding that the people might not communicate of the cup at all howbeit that continuall and dayly vse bee to the contrarie Witnesse Robert Abbot of Duits who maketh mention how that the Sacrament in his time was giuen and taken vnder both kindes purposely handling this matter And Vincent who saith that a certaine holy Lady named Elgyfa receiued them at the time of her death Regino the Monke The soules of the infirme and weake must be refreshed with the bodie the blood of our Lord. And Radulphus Tungrensis yet more plainely The people receiue the sacred body of Christ and drinke a holy draught of his blood c. Anselme Archb. of Canterbury All we which take of the same bread and of the same cup are made one body And Lanfranc The host of the Lord is broken when the blood is powred out of the cup into the mouth of the faithfull And Alger The bodie and blood of our Lord are taken of the faithfull together to the end that hauing receiued the bodie and soule of Christ the whole man in bodie in soule may be quickned together with Christ And Damian How may we thinke that the Lord is agreeued when a wicked man commeth to the holy altar to receiue his body his blood And Berno Abbot of Reichenaw We are not onely fed euery day with the bread of Christ whem we are refreshed by the nourishment of his flesh by the Masse of the altar but we haue also our thirst quenched with his blood as he hath promised vs He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood c. And so are all those aboue named especially they that writ against Berengarius Saint Bernard He that soweth nigardly and sparingly shall not be without a haruest but it shal be but a poore niggardly haruest for this reaping is to receiue hire But we know him who hath promised that he that shall giue a glasse of cold water for his sake shall not bee without his hire reward but this is to be knowne whether that it shall
Carth. called the Doctor of trances said vpon the same place In the primitiue church the sacramēt was giuē vnder both kinds to al the faithful afterward the church did forbid the distributing of the kind of wine vnto the people propter periculum effusionis And now wee are come to the notable opposition that Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage made against this abuse about the yeare of our Lord 1400. At the same time I say that the taking away of the cup gained and got entrance in Church after Church throughout Christendome by the practises of the ingrossers amongst the Cleargie And it is to be noted that this Iohn Hus as Pope Pius the 2. Aeneas Syluius hist Bohem. c. 23. maketh mētion in his historie of Bohemia was a mā Lingua potēs mūdioris vitae opinione clarus mighty powerfull in speech as also in being reputed to liue a holy life and which is more one that was called to the function of the ministrie for besides that he was principall of the Colledge erected at Prage by the king Wenceslaus according to the foundation of that of Paris hee was called to preach the worde of God in the vulgare language in the Church of Bethelem as they call it This man then began to preach against the abuses of the Romish Church and namely against the profaning of the holy supper and the taking away of the cup contrarie to the institution of Christ and practise of the Primitiue Church and he was seconded herein by Ierome of Prage and followed of many But whereas the Romish Church should haue reformed what was past and returned into the olde and auncient way repenting her selfe and correcting her by-waies and doctrines by the originall of all wholesome and sound doctrine the holy Scriptures she calleth a generall Councell at Constance at the instant request of the Emperour Sigismund and summoneth or calleth to appeare there before them vpon warrantize of being equally and vprightly heard by the pawning of their faith and faithfull promise thereupon the said Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage they against the publike and sacred oath and promise passed both by the Emperour and Pope did condemne them before they had heard them the one of them forthwith and the other after long imprisonment to be burned quicke leauing in the end a writ for the posteritie succeeding to learn hold that there is no faith or promise to be kept with pretended heretickes to the end that from thence forward all hope of reforming the Church or curing and reconciling of the pretended schismes by that Councell might be cut off Wee haue not any to beleeue or giue credite vnto concerning the matter of their martyrdome saue Pope Pius or his Secretarie Poggius who in their owne persons did sit iudicially vpon them in the same Councell Pertulerunt saith he ambo constanti animo necem quasi ad epulas inuitati ad incendium properarunt nullā emittentes vocem quae miseri animi possit facere indicium Vbi ardere caeperunt hymnum cecinere quem vix flamma fragor ignis intercipere potuit Nemo philosophorum tam forti animo mortem pertulit quà m isti incendium Poggius Florentinus aetatis nostrae nobilis scriptor de morte Hieronymi ad Nicholaum Nicol conciuem suum elegantem scripsit epistolam c. Both of them suffered death very couragiously and went as merrily to the fire as if they had been inuited vnto some great feast or banquet without vttering of any one word that might argue a sorrowfull heart when they began to burne they sung a hymne which could hardly by flame or noise of fire be kept from being heard Neuer did any Philosopher suffer his death so constantly as they indured the fire Poggius in Epist ad Leonard Aretinū Fasciculus rerurn expetendarum Poggius a Florentine a worthie Secretarie of our age hath written an excellent epistle vnto Nicolas Nicol his fellow cittizen of the death of Ierome c. And as for this Poggius alleadged by Pope Pius the second who was Secretarie to the Councell writing to Leonardus Aretinus his Epistle deserueth to be read vpō that place or els to be here set downe at large It is not credible saieth hee how hee defended himselfe by arguments how well he was furnished both with scriptures and Doctours c. He neuer vttered one word misbeseeming a good man If he beleeued as he spake he was so farre from being worthie of death by iust desert as that indeed there was not any cause of offering him the least discourtesie that may be Euery man tooke his case heauilie in bewailing him euery man desired that he might be saued but he desired rather to die than to vnsay any thing that he had deliuered Was there neuer Cate Scaeuola or Stoike that inaured with such courage and patience the losse of one member as he did of his life nor that so went to his death as he to the fire But this saith he deserueth a more large discourse c. But the Councell kicking against the pricke and hardning their hearts of a custome brought in by sufferance made a law and in stead of restoring the communion excommunicated all those which were vrgent and earnest suters for the same The very words are let euery man iudge whether the spirit of Christ or Antichrist did speake in this Councel Seeing we are giuen to vnderstand that in many Churches there is continued the administration of the Sacrament vnder both kinds vnto the laitie wee pronounce and declare that although Iesus Christ hauing supped did institute and minister this reuerend sacrament vnto his disciples vnder both kinds and that since then it hath been receiued a conficientibus by those which haue administred it that is by the Priests vnder both and by the laitie vnder that onely of bread yet notwithstanding all this the laudable authoritie of the holy Canons and the commendable custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that for the avoiding of certaine daungers and scandals this sacrament shall be onely administred vnder one kind Thus then you may see the Pope his Canons opposed to the institution of Christ the onely Canon and rule of all sacraments the Church of this time opposed to the Primitiue howsoeuer it be the patterne by which all others ought to square fashion themselues throughout all ages And therefore he addeth wee commaund vnder paine of excommunication that no Priest doe administer the communion vnto the people vnder both the kinds of bread and of wine contrarie to that hee had reserued and kept in the power of the Church and Pastors to iudge of the discretion of them to whom they were to administer as wee haue alreadie seene out of Thomas Waldensis who writ at this very same time yea and it is a worke of this time which our maister Gerson drew into a treatise against the heresie of the cōmunion vnder both kinds therby condēning of
the cōmunion of the laie people no not vnto the death which is likewise affirmed afterward of all haynous crimes for the seueritie of the old Church did excommunicate all such as had committed any criminall trespasse from the holy supper Concil Sardic c. 1. for the reuerence they had of the sacrament and detestation of malefactors according to the qualitie of their offences for ten yeares for twentie yeares for the whole time of life and sometimes so as that they would not giue it them no not to the death Whereupon at this time riseth that practise which wee see of not giuing it to such as are conuicted of any enormous crimes nor vnto those which are going to execution But in the meane time they lay amongst the penitentes in a place seperated both from the Cleargie and laitie And of them if they bee laye people speake the Councels Ne in fine quidem iis communionem dandam that they should not haue the communion no not to their dying day If they were Clearkes then there is added no not the Communion amongst the laitie Ne laicam quidem for tenne twentie thirtie yeares yea not to death And when they did graunt it vppon the manifestation of their repentance and shedding of their aboundant store of teares yet it was not to any other effect but to accompt and take them as laye men without any inabling of them to their former places of dignitie that so the Ministers of the Church might bee the better brideled and kept in the doing of their duties For as for that which Bellarmine sayeth That there was nothing giuen them but bread because they durst not touch the cuppe what appearance of truth is there in it that they should take the bread in their hand a thing that some doe agree vnto and durst not touch the cuppe that they durst not touch the vessell and yet touched the Sacrament Againe what punishment had it beene to giue the bodie and not the blood and the bodie according to their concomitancie which extendeth to the containing of the blood And had not this rather beene an iniurie to the sacrament then a punishment to the crime In briefe it is apparant by many examples that both the one and the other was giuen to the sicke Iustinus saith Iust in Apol. that the one and the other was carried to those that were absent Saint Ierome speaking of Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa saith De canistro vimineo de vase vitreo out of a wicker basket for the bread and out of a glasse for the wine The historie of Serapio vseth these words to runne and to poure into the mouth which cannot be vnderstood but of licor But euen as we haue said before that wheresoeuer they find Eucharist Iustia Apol. 2. they haue translated it Masse so now they will vnderstand by this word Eucharist nothing but the sacrament of bread against all antiquitie which speaketh it both of the one of the other And this food we call the Eucharist Againe When the word commeth to the wine mingled the bread broken they are made the Eucharist of the bodie blood of our Lord. And as for the sicke the old fathers did not carrie it indifferently vnto all Irenaeus lib. 5. but vnto them which were neare vnto death hauing beene suspended from the Sacraments as may bee seene in the historie of Serapio that so there might effectually be declared vnto them their reconciliation with God and their peace with the Church to the establishing of their consciences vpon their departure out of this life into another which otherwise should haue beene diuersly tossed and perplexed in this agonie dying vnder the censure of the Church To this purpose S. Cyprian saith In the extreame perill of death the excommunicate must not stay till he be reconciled by the Bishop but let him testifie his vnfained repentance before the Deacon August ep 180 and so depart in peace Saint Augustine When it is come to that point say they they runne to the Church some desire to bee baptized others to bee reconciled others the testisying of their repentance c. And if the Ministers faile into what daunger do they cast them which depart from the church either not baptised or bound with the censures ecclesiasticall But the historie of Serapio cleareth this matter In the time of persecution he had sacrificed to an Idoll the Church had excommunicated him deliuering him vp vnto Sathā then he was as a heathen idolater shut out not only from the communion of the sacraments but from the societie of Christians Hauing in the end beseeched his brethren with teares hee fell sicke through sorrow and heauines of heart losing his speech within three daies which he recouered againe vpon the fourth and said How long will ye hold me in this case bring me hither a minister that I may be reconciled vnto God and restored vnto the church before I die And then the sacraments were administred vnto him in token that the Church was at peace with him againe Against the ordinarie vse of the Church which we propound and stand vpon they continue to oppose the extraordinarie abuses of certaine women or priuate persons There are found say they such as did take the cup in the Church and notwithstanding carried home to their houses the sacrament of bread And thereupon they alleadge vnto vs the example of Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene Tertul. lib. 2. ad vxorem Ieronym aduer◠Iouinian Nazianz. in funere Gorgoniae of Satyrus the brother of S. Ambrose c. of a certain infidel woman who stole the bread from Chrysostom c. as also of S. Ambrose himself who died after he had taken the sacrament of bread c. what can the authoritie of these priuate examples doe against a publike law and custome these examples of poore sillie women of infirme and weake persons or such as had beene slenderly taught against the institution of the Sonne of God And if these examples be so infalliblie certain why then did they not rather depraue them of the bread seeing they all agree that they caried it home with them tooke the cup in the Church And afterward why did they not call to mind what is said of Gorgonia that shee kept both the one and the other kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the signes of the precious bodie and blood And that in the historie of Satyrus there is mention made Haustionis fusionis in viscera of the shedding and poowring of them into the entrailes which cannot be vnderstood but of licour And that this pretended Paulinus which hath written of S. Ambrose is he as saith Erasmus Which hath marred all S. Ierome and S. Augustine borne saith he onely to spoile good writers But as we do not denie vnto them that these superstitions tooke place at the least amongst some particular persons so they should not haue
to quench the same in the welspring of life this reuiuing water gushing out vnto eternall life this precious blood of our Lord which is made our iustification yea our iustice Againe in the holy Supper all the faithfull did communicate together in bread and in the cuppe in the bodie and in the blood of our Lord being taught thereby that they were but one bodie euen the bodie of Christ but diuers members quickened moued and gouerned by one spirite euen by his spirit liuing one life and consequently taught mutually to loue one another mutually to imbrace one another the greater becomming seruants to the lesser the strong vnto the weake the learned to the ignorant and the wise and prudent to the foolish and simple referring all their actions to the glorie of their head to the seruice of the bodie and to the saluation of his members In the Masse what is there that may imprint this brotherly loue and charitie in vs or expresse and teach vs any such instruction yea on the contrarie which doth not suppresse and burie charitie which doth not oppresse and smother that in all dispightfull manner such lessons and doctrine where the Priest if hee may be lawfully so called communicateth alone one for all where the auncient bread of the communion of the bodie of Christ great according to the proportion of the communicants is brought to one wafer that in some places no greater then a penie being for the priest alone whereas our Lord deliuered himselfe to death for all and gaue himselfe to all where also so oft as any are admitted thereunto they are depriued of the cup of the communion so much as in them lyeth of the blood of Christ Then what proportion holdeth it with the supper yea what opposition and contrarietie is there that it maintaineth not against the Apostle We are one onely bread 1. Cor. 10.17 and one onely bodie c. To be short in the holy supper man was taught how he was indebted vnto one onely God for his creation as likewise that hee was not bound to any for the work of his regeneration iustification sanctificatiō saluation but to one only Christ the eternall son of God the beginning midst and end of our spirituall life in so much as that he which doth regenerate vs in baptisme and doth nourish and feed vs in the holy supper is made our meat himselfe and in so much as that he which washeth vs from our sinnes doth cloath and couer vs with his righteousnesse In the Masse what shall wee say where of the holy table of our Lord they haue made vs an Altar of all sortes of saints where of the remembrance of his death they haue made vs a legend of the Saintes their sufferinges and passions where in stead of his blood the onely propitiation for our sinnes they pretend to administer vnto vs their praiers intercessions and merites where to shut vp all in a word is pretended to sacrifice in honor of the Saints him for whose glorie and names sake all the Saintes haue offered whatsoeuer they haue sacrificed yea and for whose names sake they ought to sacrifice themselues To bee short let vs set before vs on the one side an assemblie of faithfull people praying vnto God singing his praises hearing his worde and attentiue to the expounding of the same a seruant of God in all simplicitie so ripping vp their sinnes as that hee maketh them to haue a sence and feeling of the same by the worde declaring thereupon the remission thereof in the death and passion of our Lorde distributing vnto them rounde about the table his bodie and his blood in the sacrament of bread and wine which he hath instituted and prouoking and stirring of them vp to the giuing of all heartie and euerlasting praise vnto him for this so great a benefite This was the holy supper of the faithfull in the old Church this is ours And now set before your eyes on the other side a Priest with a straunge garment his face fixt vppon an Altar with a Clearke standing behind him muttering in an vnknowne language interlarded with signes lifting vppe a Wafer in an affected and ceremoniall sorte causing it to bee worshipped dippping it in his wine eating it alone vsing no word of interpretation or exhortation neither yet giuing the people any other taste thereof by any manner of instruction perswading them notwithstanding that by thus much as hath beene done being at their or his request and bought with some peece of money he hath sacrificed our Lord for them or him that hee hath with this his one labour set his father in Paradice drawne him out of Purgatorie c. This is the Masse of Rome that same which wee so greatly complaine of and whereof there is so much talke but how differing and disagreeing both for manner and effect I call their owne soules to witnes from the seruice of the fathers how farre off then from the institution of Christ and how farre off from the order of the Apostles But it is now time to finish this discourse let vs leaue the partes and looke into the circumstances and so we shall come to behold the truth of this matter in more cleare and euident manner The end of the first booke The Second Booke WHEREIN ARE HANDLED THE CIRCVMSTANCES AND APPERTINANCES BELONGING TO THE Diuine seruice as those also which belong vnto the Masse CHAP. I. Of Churches and Altars and of their originall and proceeding IT followeth after wee haue spoken of the parts of seruice their first originall and beginning as also of their increase and proceeding deprauing corrupting c. that we now examine the circumstances thereof And therefore let vs beginne with the Churches Altars and images and therein consider how by the good husbanding of the matter by the Sea of Rome the circumstances haue taken the place of the substance and the accidents of the subiect in such manner as that in Papistrie there is more regard had of a pretended adorning beautifying of places thē to the forme substance of that which is to be done therein for the saluation instruction of men The ancient Iewes by the commandement of God had built a temple for sacrifices Act. 2.5.21 Act. 9.13 after that many Sinagogues like parish Churches therein to reade and expound the word of God Our Lord did often vse to go into the same to draw the Iewes to the knowledge of the truth his Apostles likewise did imitate his example But in as much as it was not lawfull for them to doe the seruice ordained in the new Testament therein they are content to doe it in their owne priuate houses Act. 1.2.4.5.10.12.20.28 no lesse consecrate and dedicate then the temple and the synagogues seeing it is the seruice that sanctifieth the place and not the place that sanctifieth the seruice yea so much the rather in that the voice of Gods owne Sonne manifested in
Idols which they haue learned of their Fathers That wee must cleaue and sticke to God as hee is manifested vnto vs in his Scriptures August l. 3. de doctrin Christ Idem de locu ad Genes As for that which is obiected of the Cherubins they answere it by S. Augustine That there is a commaundement from God for the making of them and that it is the taking of the signes for the thinges To the annointing of the pillar of stone by Iacob they likewise answere from the said S. Augustine That Iacob did it to signifie a mysterte in the annointing of this stone and not for to honour the pillar of stone Comming in the end to that point as to affirme That when there had neuer been anie Images in the Church that then faith hope and charitie were no whit in worse plight and that when they are in the same for monuments and remembrances simplie that then the same vertues are not thereby embased or made worse But that they may not be forced vpon them who would not haue them nor permitted them in any wise who would haue them to worship them in any maner or sort whether it be by praying vnto them kissing them or gilding them and much lesse in offering vnto them c. Now this booke is sent vnto Pope Eugenius the second by the foresaide Emperours by the hands and mediation of the Bbs. Ieremy and Ionas that they may impart the same vnto him being therewithall inioyned to beseech him in their names that he would examine it throughlie and shew himself willing and forward to satisfie the consciences of the Emperours of the East as also that hee would vouchsafe to send his Legates together with the saide two Bishoppes vnto them with whome they shall also finde for the same purpose at the place of taking shippe Halitgarius and Amalarius in the behalfe of the Synode for the better yeelding of an answere and reason of the resolution and iudgement which they embraced and approued therein And it is to be marked that in the letters which they writ vnto Ieremie and Ionas containing their aduise how to demeane themselues they writte vnto them that they should intreate the Pope kindlie and rather to incline to yeeld and giue place then to dispute and argue the matter for feare say they of incensing the Romish obstinacre pertinaciam Romanam whereby hee might take such an opinion as from which he would neuer be remoued This was in the yeare 825. Anno 825. Of the Crosse As concerning the Crosse we haue seene what the olde Writers haue taught againe it is verie certaine that those ages were far off from that which is practised at this daye For the Synode of Francford speaketh of the Crosse after the maner of S. Paule and of the purer antiquitie vnderstanding by the same the whole mysterie of our redemption accomplished vpon the Crosse as likewise the afflictions which happen continuallie amongst the members of Christ In this sence S. Paule sayeth That he gloryeth in the crosse and woulde haue that Iesus Christ should be crucified daylie before our eyes that is that wee shoulde euerie howre remember the sham full and ignominious death which he hath suffered for vs by dying for our sinnes Chrysost ho. 1. 2 de Cruce Homil. de Cruce latrone de Cruce Dominica and so seeke for our life in him In the same sence Chrysostome sayeth The Cross is vnto vs the cause of all blessednes the hope of the Christians the resurrection of the dead and the ouer throw of the Diuell But of what Crosse doth hee speake assuredlie of the same whereof hee had spoken before To day he did hang vpon the Crosse that is of the death and passion of our Lord That Crosse saieth hee which he hath not left here vpon earth but carried vppe to heauen that is which hee hath ouercome by his resurrection which he hath garnished and cloathed with all manner of glorie that Crosse which wee must beare Not by laying sayeth hee a peece of wood vpon our shoulders but by preparing and making our selues readie to shed our blood at all occasions for his glorie c. And S. Augustine in like manner All the sacraments are perfected by the Crosse S. August For what are the sacraments both of the olde and of the new law but dumbe signes without this Crosse Likewise Honorius Bishoppe of Autun Honor August in Cemma Animae Nowise man worshippeth the Crosse but rather Christ that was crucified thereon c. notwithstanding that he liued in the midst of grosse and palpaple darkenes But what Communion or Fellowshippe is there betwixt the Crosse thus taken and vnderstood and these two crosse peeces of wood wherto Ionas doth applie the former benefits blessings or with this doctrine of Pope Adrian That when we see the Crosse we must say vnto it We worship the Crosse and we worship the Speare c. And therefore the foresaid Claudius Bishoppe of Turin and brought vp from his childhoode vnder Charles the Great Adrian in Ep. ad Constan Iren. reasoned verie well to the purpose and doubtles like vnto himselfe both for his stile and intention saying If we must worship the Crosse because that our Lord sufferd his death and passion vpon such a peece of wood then let vs worship all virgins because hee was borne of a virgin let vs also worship the maunger and swathing cloutes because hee lay therein because he was wrapped therein thornes reedes and speares for such were instruments vsed about him in his passion Asses for Jesus entred into Ierusalem sitting vpon an Asse c. But so the truth is that our Lord hath commaunded vs to beare and not to worshippe the Crosse c. And I doe not as yet see that Ionas hath deuised or found out anie thing to aunswere him withall As for the second Councell of Nice as it was in all mens sight ill begunne so it contented not the consciences of the Grecians in anie respect at all For Constantine as he grew out of his minoritie and came to age and his libertie did repeale difanull the same The Emperour Michaell did set it vppe again and persecuted the gainsayers The Emperour Leo the fourth an Armenian encouraged by the Monkes of Greece which cried out that to worshippe Images was idolatrie did pull them downe againe Michael le Begue and Theophilus his sonne Zona tom 3. did chastise and correct such as did maintaine them Theodore his wife came by his death to the Regencie and being perswaded by other Monkes did reestablish them with great seueritie Her sonne Michael Bardus being come to full age did destroy and ouerturne them againe Likewise Zonara the great patron and maintainer of Images doth tell vs that he made the Pope his Legate to consent and agree thereunto Insomuch as that pope Adrian obtained of Basill the successor of this Bardus that there shoulde a Councell
vnder the colour of certain words which their familiaritie with the Chaldeans had dropped into their language Ioh. 5.39 Act. 17 11. the truth may easily appeare for wherefore then should our Sauiour haue said vnto the people Search the scriptures And how should the Iewes of Berea haue otherwise done as they did And what will they say to that in the Actes that S. Act. 21.40.22.2.21 Paule made an oration vnto the people in the Hebrew tong that the people hearing him speake vnto them in that language made the more silence And if they did not vnderstand whence commeth it that when he spake of going to the Gentiles the people should be in a mutinie crie out Away with such a fellow let him be taken from off the earth it is not meete that he should liue Now therefore we stand resolued and firme That it was not otherwise vnder the new Testament that in the time of the old testament the seruice of God was practised and exercised in a language vnderstood of the people and who can belieue that it was otherwise in the time of the newe who will belieue that the light should be more darke then the shadow the fulnesse of knowledge more barbarous and rude then the rudiments without all peraduenture our Lord is come to dismaske the mystery concealed kept close from before all worlds to vnfold them and lay them broade open to the Iewes to the Gentiles to all nations and to all languages Gal. 3. And before him saith the Apostle there is no distinction or difference betwixt the Iew the Grecian nor yet betwixt the Grecian and Barbarian Therefore let vs conclude that whatsoeuer hath serued for the better clearing and manifestation of his holy mysteries or for the instruction of Christians hath likewise beene acceptable and well pleasing vnto him But let vs not once imagine that any thing tending to the darkning and dimming of that which is light and bright can proceed from any example giuen by him and then much lesse from his lawes and commandementes He instituted his holy Supper amongst his disciples who doubteth but that all the words thereof were vttered in the same tongue language by him which he ordinarily was wont to speake in vnto them It is his will that it should bee celebrated after his example in his Church that so we may therein shew forth his death vntill his comming What manner of shewing forth declaration doth he require to vtter it in a language which the people doth not vnderstand Now in deed in asmuch as it was decreed that his Gospell death resurrection should be preached vnto all nations and that it was hindered by reason of the manifold variety of languages that possessed men he sent his spirit in tongues of fire vnto his Apostles he graunted and continued the gift of tongues a long time vnto his Church Such as affirme that vpon the same day of Pentecost the Masse was instituted and will notwithstanding that throughout all Christendome the same should be said in Latine let them tell me I pray them in what language it was deliuered if it were deliuered but in one or what tong was excepted if it were deliuered in all There are some that come after and do abuse this gift vnto vanitie and ostentation in the Church What saith S. Paule vnto them 1. Cor. 14. Languages are for signes not to the belieuers but to the vnbelieuers they are giuen vnto vs for the gracious worke of edification and not for our ouerthrow and confusion If you vtter a language that is not vnderstood you speake in the aire you are as Barbarians one vnto an other vnprofitable as the trumpet which giueth a sound that no man vnderstandeth If thou blesse with thy spirit and not with thy vnderstanding the simple and vulgar sort of people that are there how shall they be able to answere Amen to thy thanksgiuing how can they possibly be edified by thee And the Conclusion is after all these generall propositions the least whereof all the rabble of our aduersaries are not able to auoid I loue it better to speake fiue wordes in the Church in my vnderstanding that is that are vnderstood then ten thousand in a language that is not vnderstood c. And a little after I teach so in all Churches if any man be spirituall let him vnderstand and know that what I write vnto you are the commandements of God Hieronim in 1. Cor c. 14. If they doubt of the interpretation and meaning of this place let vs heare the Doctors what they haue deliuered vpon the same S. Ierome expounding it in plaine and expresse termes Euerie word which is not vnderstood must be iudged and thought barbarons Againe The spirit signifieth in this place the tongue as when he hath said he that speaketh tongues that is to say an vnknowne speech He maketh no question whether Greeke or Latine Ambr. in 1. Cor. S. Ambrose This is spoken because of the Iewes who in their sermons and oblations did vse amongst the Greekes sometimes the Hebrew tongue And yet this was the holy tongue the language of the Patriarkes and he saith in their oblations by name that is in the administration of the Sacraments as in deed it seemeth that in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Paule would speake of the holy Supper Againe he saith If thou blesse with the spirit he speaketh of such a one as speaketh vnto himselfe in a language which he knoweth and saith that he giueth thankes well in as much as he knoweth what hee saith but another saith the Apostle is not edified so that if you come together to edifie the Church you must speake such thinges there as the hearers do vnderstand For to what end is it that a man should speake in it a language that he himselfe doth onely vnderstand and whereby the hearer doth not profit a dodkin but rather he should hold his peace in the Church to the end that such may speake as can profit the hearers And his conclusion is So the ignorant which doth not vnderstand cannot say Amen for he knoweth not the end of the prayer to answer thereto with this word Basil in reg contract which is the confirming and sealing vp of the blessing in his place S. Basill maketh this question intreating vpon this place How can the spirite of any man pray when his vnderstanding is idle and vnfruitfull This saith he must by name be meant of them which make their prayers in a tongue vnknowne vnto the hearers For when the words of prayer are not vnderstood of those that are present his vnderstanding that prayeth is vnfruitfull Chrysost in 1. Cor. 14. in as much as no man reapeth profit thereby Chrysostome S. Paul would say if I speake not the things which you may easily and plainly vnderstand but that I go about as it were no other thing but to shew that
I vnderstand tongues you cannot chuse but go away without profiting any thing for what good can there come of a word not vnderstood you altogether in like manner if you speake but not with such wordes are as significant and sensible doe speake to the wind that is to no bodie Againe Idem in ho. 36 If the vnlearned do not vnderstand that which thou prayest he is not edified he cannot giue his consent vnto thy praiers thou speakest to the wind and by consequent in vaine Againe Thou who speakest an vnknowne language if there be not any that can interpret expound it hold thy peace for in the church there is no place to do any thing that is superfluous or tending to ostentation Let such a man speake vnto God himself that is Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. in his spirit without making any noise by himselfe Theodoret The Apostle cōmandeth that euery thing may tend to edification in the church and therefore he saith hee that hath the gift of tongs let him pray vnto God that he may also haue added thereunto the gift of interpretation that so he may be able to do some seruice in the church for the fruitfulnes of the speaker consisteth in the profiting of the hearers and this cannot he possiblie haue that speaketh in an vnknowne language He therefore calleth the spirit the gift of tongs but the vnderstanding the interpretation or giuing of the sence of that which is said c. Oecumenius who hath made a collection out of all the Greeke fathers I call the spirit the spirituall gift of tongs the vnderstanding the facultie and abilitie to interprete expound that well which is said To pray then with the spirit doth no good to any but himselfe that so prayeth but to pray with vndetstanding is auaileable vnto the edifying of thy neighbour And therefore when he saith If thou blesse with the spirit it is as much as to say that thou thy selfe doost onely vnderstand and art not vnderstood of others c. Whereunto Chrysost added And there is as much difference betwixt the one and the other as there is betwixt the whole Church and one man and as there is betwixt the edifying of the whole Church and himselfe onely Iustin Nouel 123. S. interdicimus Iustinian the Emperour in his Nouelle wherein he commandeth the Ministers of the Church to doe the diuine seruice in a language that is plaine vnderstood hath not otherwise expounded this place for he saith Thus the diuine Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes If thou blesse with the spirit alone how shall the simple people be able to say Amen vnto thy blessing seeing that they vnderstand not what thou sayest And this he cōmanded with such earnestnesse as that he proceeded against them to the death which did the contrarie And yet no more then the Councell of Aix doth the Chapter which Councell saith The speech and the vnderstanding of those that sing vnto God must accord that so it may be fulfilled which the Apostle saith I will sing with the spirit I will sing with the vnderstanding also Haimo Bb. of Halberstat in the time of Lewes the son of Charlemaine saith Haimo in 1. Cor. 14. I am a Grecian and thou an Hebrew if I speake Greeke vnto thee I shal seeme to be a Barbarian I pronounce the Creed in Greeke because I haue found it so written I am a Latine I am a Barbarian vnto thee c. If then saith he an idiot be with thee a man that knoweth no more thē his mothers tong thou sayest thy Masse in a tong not vnderstood how shall he answer thee Amen when he knoweth not what thou sayest c. I had rather therefore saith he to speak fiue words in the assembly of the faithfull that are vnderstood by them then ten thousand otherwise which will do no good And Cardinall Hugo in like manner In a word Hog Cardin. 1. Cor. 14. Lyranus expounding this scripture in his place The Apostle speaketh here of publike prayer wherein if so be that the people do vnderstand the Minister his giuing of thanks he is a great deale the better stirred vp to God made the more deuout ready to say Amen And Thomas after him That in the Primitiue church seruice was celebrated solemnly done in a language that was vnderstood And S. Augustine his generall rule tendeth to the same end August l. 12. de Genes ad lit c. 8. The practise of The old church That no man can be edified by hearing that which he vnderstandeth not Now next after the institution of our Sauiour Christ his Apostles it followeth that we look into the practise of the ancient Church And first it is to be noted that the practise of the publike seruice was such as that the people did answer the Pastor whereupon it must needes follow as saith the Apostle that they did vnderstand him but which is more that all of thē did answere to all the people doing their part in the office and seruice no lesse then the cleargie which could not wel conueniently be done without vnderstanding S. Paul saith how can he qui supplet locū idiotae that occupieth the room of the vnlerned say Amē Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. l. 7. stromat Iostin in Apol 2. S. Ierome He speaketh of the laitie not of the cleargie Chryso Oecumenius after the same sort Theodoret He calleth him an idiot which is of the order of the laitie as we likewise call them idiots which are void of subtiltie craftines And all the old writers doe testifie this custome vse Clemens Alexādrinus In their praiers they haue but one cōm on speech as likewise one spirit Hieronym in 2. procem in Galat. Chrysost in 2. Cor. hom 18. Iustinus in the description of the holy Supper saith All the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speake aloude in signe of approbation Amen And the pretended Dionisius Areopagita vseth the same words And S. Ierome All the Church like a thunder soundeth out Amen Chrysostome The prayers are common both to Pastor and people they say prayer together the people pray for the Pastor and the Pastor for the people c. Againe All that which is vsed about the Eucharist is common to both all the whole bodie of the sacred liturgie is common vnto them why doest thou maruell then to see them speaking together in their prayers Basil in exa hom 4. Idem epist 63. S. Basill Men women and children cast forth their prayers vnto God you would say that they were floods beating against the shore In another place hee describeth how they sing Psalmes diuided in the halfes and intermingled with prayers meditating deeply and with a feruent zeale vpon that which they did sing And can any man in his conscience affirme this of those who vnderstand nothing of all that which they say And now what followeth
seruice were in Latine it was vulgar if it were not vulgar then had Isidore Archbishop of Seuill said in vaine Isidor de eccle Offi. c. 10. That when there is singing in the church it behoueth euery man to sing and when there is praying that euerie man doe pray for what edge or quickning to the spirit can the singing of a Psalme or the making of a praier that is not vnderstood affoord bring And so of England the language of their Iland was peculiar to themselues and no Latine amongst them saue what the Romain Colonies did speake They will haue it that Christian religion was established there in the time of Ioseph of Aremathia howbeit Chrysostome saith that it was about his time And yet neuerthelesse S. Gregory saith that in his time the tong of the ancient inhabitants of great Britaine called at this day England Gregor in Iob. c. 27. had no better a sound then a barbarum frendere a rude and barbarous kind of grunting and how then could the Latine seruice be found there But the truth is as certaine English Iesuits do confesse that S. Augustine the Monke sent by Gregorie did there chaunge and alter both the forme and tongue wherein they had before celebrated their seruice for they could not fetch or deriue the antiquitie of their religion any further off They say it cannot at the least be denyed but that the Latine seruice was vsed in the Churches of Africke then let vs adde thereto that the Latine tongue was also common there amongst the rascall and poorer sorte of people This appeareth for the sermons of Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine Bbs. of Africke were made in the Latine tongue Now wee are of the same iudgement with our aduersaries that sermons euer were so ought to be made for the instruction of the people in the common vulgar tong because say they that properly they are to be applyed and fitted for the capacitie of the people praiers directed vnto God But in another place S. Augustine saith that being borne in the Citie of Tagusta in Africa Idem l. 1. retract c. 10. he had learned the Latine tong Inter blandimenta nutricum by means of the sporting pleasing speeches which are currant amongst cockering nurses that is in his swathing clothes or whiles he was very young tender whereby it appeareth that nurses had the knowledge of it Againe he saith To the end that euen the most simple and ignorant may see perceiue that it is of purpose because of the Donatists I haue turned a psalme into Latine that it may the better remaine with them be remembred Hence is proued that it was common to the basest and coursest kind of people And for as much as that the people there did not speake good congruitie S. Augustine applyeth himself vnto their Solaecismes Idem in psal 118. saying ossum for os and sometimes taking one case for another saying Because it is far better that the Grāmarians should reproue vs thē that the people should not vnderstand vs. In a word he saith This is a Prouerbe amongst the Carthaginers I wil tel it you in latine in asmuch as you al do not vnderstand conceiue the Punicktong Hence it followeth that the Latine tong was better knowne in Afrike then the Punicke it selfe But will you further see that whereas the knowledge of this tongue was wanting in this country there they did not tie themselues to haue their seruice in it Throughout all Sclauonia they had their seruice in the Dalmatian tong Ecchius de Missa Latina S. Ierome likewise did translate it into their tong and our aduersaries are of iudgement that it is still so obserued there vnto this day In this part of Italie likewise called great Greece ouer against Sicilia it is said in Greeke because the Greeke tong was there vulgar and common In Germany to the cōming in of the pretended reformation of Boniface that is to say vntil after the yeare 800. Walasr c. 7. it was obserued after the like maner order in so much as that Walafridus the Abbot saith that euen in his time the Northern countries had their seruice in the Germaine tong Aeneas Sylu. histor Bohem. c. 13. And Aeneas Syluius after the time of Pope Pius the 2. reporteth after many others that as Cyril Methodius were conuerted to the Christian faith certain people speaking the Sclauonian tongue were come to intreate the Pope about the yeare 800. that it might be permitted them to haue their seruice in their vulgar tong whereupon the Consistorie being gathered together and standing doubtfull what to do therein there was heard a voice as it were from heauen in these words Omnis spiritus landet Dominum omnis lingua confiteatur ei let euery spirit praise the Lord let euery tongue confesse acknowledge him And in deed whatsoeuer our aduersaries do alleadge against this as done is more then 600. yeares after the death of our Lord that is to say all that which they alleadge after the time that the Popes for to establish their authority did vndertake as we haue said in another place to impose and thrust the set forme of the Romish seruice vpon all nations abolishing others as theirs came in place that in their Romaine language for so of this exploit some attribute the first attempt onset to Pope Vitalian about the yeare 700. Now this old custome of the Church is to be compared ioyned with those goodly Maxims generall rules of the ancient Doctors S. Augustine saith August in psal 18. Basil in ps 28. Let vs be well aduised looke that we take hold with a cleare inlightned heare of that which we sing with one consent of voice And Basil conformablie Let the tong sing but let the hart vnderstanding at the same time sound and reach the sence meaning of that which is sung Cassiodor in psal 46. And Cassiodorus Let vs look that the vnderstanding of the thing be ioyned with the singing of it for nothing can be done wisely without the vnderstanding of it Which things cannot concurre go together after the rules and practise of popish doctrines And Iustinian the Emperor for to remedie such abuses tooke the matter in hand about the time that the Pope laboured with might maine to bring them in in these words saying We will and command that the Bbs. and Pastors do celebrate the oblation and praiers in baptisme with a loude voice Iustin Nouel de diuers eccl c. 123. such as may be vnderstood of the people to the end they may be stirred vp to greater deuotion to praise God c. alleadging for the confirmatiō of his constitution the places of S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. menacing roughly thundring out against thē the iudgements of God if they shold do to the contrary And wheras they answer that this constitution was not
the pronouncing and vttering of the principall part thereof according to their construction which is that which containeth the consecration to bee done secretlie and closelie thereuppon they call it a secret and that of purpose in such sort as that neither the wordes nor the sound thereof can be vnderstoode of the people learning the same of the Pagans who vnder the muttering of certaine strange and vnknowne wordes concealed and priuilie couered their mysteries Whereas the glorie of our Maister is to publish and make open proclamation of his this great secret especiall which hath laine hid from before all worldes of the saluation purchased for mankinde by the blood of his Sonne whereof he saith vnto his Apostles Preach my Gospell this good tidings vnto all creatures which by name hee would haue published and repeated at all times in his holy Supper instituted of purpose for this end in these wordes You shall shew forth the death of the Lord vnto his comming But what meaneth this shewing forth but to vtter and speake it so lowde as that it may bee heard and so plainely as that it may be vnderstood And what then is there more contrarie to the institutiō of the holy supper of our Lord and to the renewing of the remembrance of his death passion in the Church then this pretended mysterie this strange and vnwonted kind of muttering and whispering Concil Coloniens yea and yet furthermore the Councell of Colen about the yeare 1300. hath added That the Priest must hasten as fast as he can in the saying of the Canon for feare of being interrupted by some hicket yexing neesing or otherwise as if it were the propertie of our God to take vs at a word or at a halfe sillable or as if this mysterie depended and had his whole force vpon the bare pronunciation after the manner of the conceiued words of the Pagans their sacrifices whereas indeed our God worketh therein by his holy spirite which cannot be interrupted and looketh therein at the faith as wee shall see afterwarde and yet so as that hee examineth and tryeth the same in great mercie of him who presenteth himselfe vnto this holy Table But let vs heare notwithstanding what the Fathers will say vnto vs. Saint Paule will that the people should bee able to aunswere Amen which they cannot doe as wee haue already seene except they vnderstand and yet a great deale lesse if they do not heare So also it was obserued and noted by all the auncient Writers Clemens Constit Apost l. 8 Their Clement whom they so much alledge vnto vs testifieth aswell in his Lithurgie as in his Apostolike cōstitutions that after the vttering of the wordes which they call the wordes of consecration that is of the institution of the holy supper the people saide Amen a signe that they heard and vnderstoode them Seeing then that the Apostles had so ordained Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 5. by whome and by what authoritie is this change and alteration S. Denys sayeth of one who had beene baptised by the Heretikes That hee heard the Eucharist and saide Amen together with the rest S. Ambrose sayeth And after these wordes thou sayest Amen August in Psa 33. Cardinal Bess de Sacrament Euchar. that is it is true S. Augustine Our brethren likewise do celebrate the Sacraments aunswere the same Amen S. Basil S. Chrisostome and all the Greeke Churches do the same to this day in their Lithurgies whereupon also the Cardinall Bessarion sayeth The Priest according to the order of the East Church vttereth with a lowd voice these words This is my bodie c. And Iustinian the Emperour in his new constitution before alleadged commaundeth the same vpon paine of grieuous punishment adding therto the threatning of Gods iudgements grounding the same vpon the precept of Saint Paule and rendring this reason thereof saying To the end they may bee the better vnderstoode of the faithfull people and that the heartes of the hearers may bee so much the more pricked with repentance as also moued and stirred vp so much the more to praise God And all are of that minde that in the Primitiue Church it was neuer practised otherwise Where then will these our aduersaries grounde this their newe deuise Gab. Biel. in Exposit Can. l. 15. Lit. D. And of what time by what Scripture Tradition or Councell They say we must haue a reuerent regard of the Sacrament And our Lord will say vnto them who hath taught you this pretended reuerence Who hath required this honour at your hands And that S. Basill sayeth That contempt is companion vnto that which is common From whence Innocent the third doth ground his speech Ne sancta verba vilescerent Laicis nota for feare that these words being vnderstoode should become vile But why doe they not rather say with Moses Would to God they had all prophesied with S. Paul Labour aboue all thinges that you may prophesie that is that you may vnderstand your selues and make others to vnderstand But and if S. Basil would haue stretched this rule to this Sacrament and to this kinde of pronunciation wherefore hath hee left vs a contrarie example And why doe wee not as quicklie call to minde the saying of Lactantius Lactanc l. 5. c. 20. That these mutteringes so greatlie recommended haue beene deuised and ordained by wilie and crafty Marchantes to the end that the people might not vnderstand what they worshipped Concil Laod. c. 19. They are not ashamed to alledge the Councell of Laodicea but yet so as that they will not seeme to know that there is any thing spoken of the Canon nor of the consecration made by the Priest but rather of the first praier of the seruice of the faithfull which euery one of them being exhorted therunto by him made vnto God with a lowe voice praying him that it would please him to blesse this holie action and ministerie the steppes and printes whereof are yet to be seene in the Lithurgies In the ende when they can say no more they flie vnto miracles as that certaine shepheardes who had learned these wordes by heart did abuse them in saying them ouer their breade for which they were presentlie punished of God and from thence forward the church ordained that these words should not be spoken otherwise then in secret But where may wee read this historie Where is the councell or decree that followed vppon this so euident and important a miracle And what other thing do they herein but oppose set a tale made for sport and in a word the whole shepheardes Calender against the institution of Christ the vse and custome of the whole Church the constitutions of Emperours and the testimonie of all the Fathers Yea and therewithall our aduersaries are not ashamed at this day to say that who so doth vse them otherwise Harding doth fulfill the saying of our Lord In giuing pearles vnto swine and casting
chiefe amongst the Apostles because he had begotten children And we must not say that he had had one but that after his calling he had not any for froÌ„ this example in the same place S. August concludeth thus And for this cause the Apostle sheweth that hee that hath a wife Fieri posse debere sacerdes Clem. l. 7. stro prouided that in other things hee keepe the commandementes ought and may be made a priest vsing by name the word Sacerdos In a word Clement and Eusebius witnesse that Saint Peter liued to lead his wife vnto death for the name of Christ and comforted her being ioyfull that shee was called thereto Of Saint Paule the place of the 9. to the Corinthians alleadged by Clemens Alexandrinus doth giue a sufficient and most euident note and marke howsoeuer our aduersaries by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would vnderstand Mulierem a woman not Vxorem a wife and as for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ioyned therewithall they weigh it not But yet notwithstanding Clemens Alexandrinus neere vnto the time of the Apostles vnderstood it of mariage And Tertullian alluding thereunto Tertul. in exhor ad castir c. 8. Hillar in Psal 118. sgnat ad Philadeph saith It was allowed the Apostles to marrie and to leade their wiues about with them And Saint Hillarie concludeth That virginitie and abstaining from mariage is of free will and not of necessitie These are the oldest writers But Ignatius the disciple of S. Iohn cutteth off all saying Virgines I reioyce with you because of your holines euen as I reioyce in Elias Iosua Melchisedech Elisaeus Ieremie Iohn Baptist S. Iohn Timothie Titus Euodius and Clemens all which liued vnmaried But not saith he afterward that I would detract or withdraw any thing from the rest of the Saintes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for liuing in mariage For on the contrarie I long and earnestly desire that God would make me worthie to sitte at their feete in the kingdome of heauen euen at the fecte of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Ioseph Esay and other the Prophets of Peter also and Paule and other the Apostle who ledde a maried life Note this word Leade or keepe company to signifie that they had not put away their wiues as also it is to be noted how he putteth them in the number with Abraham and Isaac who continually without ceasing kept houshold together with them Then he concludeth If therefore any man confesse God and Christ Mixtionem legitimam vz. copulam Habet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 3 c 30. ex Clement Act. 21. and notwithstanding call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawfull bedde vncleannes or pollution or abhorreth any kinde of meates by the same name such a one is inhabited and possessed by the Apostate Dragon that is by the Deuill Clement saith of Philip the Apostle that he was maried had children and maried his daughters The Actes make mention of Philip the Euangelist how that he had foure daughers In a word Platina maketh mention that S. Luke liued a married man hauing his wife in Bithynia till hee were fourescore and three yeares old And the Nicolaitans do take their name from Nicolas the Deacon companion to S. Stephen of whose wife there is so oftentimes mention made in the historie of the church And likewise Clement the pretended successor of S. Peter Eusâ—b l. 3. c. 29. in the Epistle which is attributed vnto him speaketh of wife and children in such sorte as that it is likelie that he was maried himselfe To be short Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus saith to Pope Victor that hee is the eight Bishoppe of his race being come of seuen predecessors Bishops Our aduersaries do make great account of the Canons of the Apostles though they be declared to bee Apocrypha by Isidore himselfe Notwithstanding let vs heare them If the Bishop priest or Deacon c. do abstaine from mariage flesh or wine Canon Apost 50. not for to haue his spirit raised higher and lifted vp in the exercises of pietie but as hauing them in detestation let him be deposed and reiected of the Church and let him remember himselfe that God created them male and female c. They will say that this is meant against heretickes which absolutely condemned mariage and that they are no such But listen what is said vpon the same matter Let the bishop say they Priestor Deacon CanoÌ„ Apost c. 5. D. 28. Si quis docuerit D. 31. quicunque declar C. 11. in â—ecret Clem Alex. l. 2. c. 10. Paedag. 3. strom haue no cause to put away reiect their wiues vnder the colour of religion but and if they do it let them be cut off from the communion and if they perseuere continue let them be deposed Let vs go on see further of the old writers Ignatius his opinion is well enough witnessed vnto vs by the place aboue alleadged As also the opinion of Clemens Alexandrinus who teacheth that the maried vnmaried life haue both of them their diuers gifts meanes to serue God by that to liue well whether it be in the one or in the other is his gift so that he maketh theÌ„ equal Irenaeus maketh mention of a certain man named Mark an heretike who had corrupted defiled the wife of a certaine Deacon being a very faire womaÌ„ wherby it apeareth that the orders of those times did not forbid them to marrie Hieronym de eccles script Tertullian was a priest as may appeare by that which Saint Ierome saith and maried as it may appeare by his bookes to his wife and yet a Martyr notwithstanding if we credite some men But the matter is that he falling to bee of Montanus his heresie did likewise embrace Montanus his opinions against mariage the steps and signes whereof are verie manifest and euident in his latter bookes but in so doing Tertul. in exhortat ad castit c. 8. he giueth some more scope vnto the word aboue alleadged Licebat Apostolis nubere vxores circumducere Licebat de euangeliis viuere c. It was lawfull for the Apostles to be maried and to lead their wiues about with them it was lawful for them to liue of the Gospell c. ioyning these two lawfull thinges together although he conclude that whatsoeuer is lawfull the same is not expedient And although hee condemne second mariages in all persons yet he teacheth vs that the Catholikes or Orthodoxes of his time did not so when he vpbraideth them with their Bishops which were not once onely Tertul. de Monogam c. 12. but twice maried saying For it seemeth that all things amongst you are lawfull for Bishops how many are there that rule ouer you haue beene twise maried which are not ashamed of themselues when they reade the wordes of the Apostle the husband of one onely wife Euseb l 4. c. 23. Dionysius Bishop of Corinth in an
making intercession to God for vs. Ambros ad Hebr. c. 8. S. Ambrose saith It is necessary that our sauior in the daies of his flesh should haue something that he might offer for vs therfore he took vpon him our flesh Theodor. ibid. Haimo ibid. that he might offer the same And Theodoret This is the cause why the only begotten Son of God hauing takē our nature did offer it to God for vs. Haimo He took of vs that which he hath offered for vs namely mans flesh euē himselfe whom he hath offered vpon the altar of the crosse Hugo ibid. Thom. ibid. c. being himselfe both the sacrifice sacrificer And thus also write Cardinal Hugo and Thomas For it behoued that Christ haberet quod offerret might haue something that he might offer hee offered himselfe c. all of them hauing relation to the thing done and not to do Caietan That is himselfe who is offered the Saints which are made such by heauenly grace But what need was there of any other expositor then the Apostle himself when he setteth downe how that he doth not offer himselfe oftentimes And againe For by one onely oblation he hath consecrated for euer those which are sanctified They go forward Hebr. 9. The Apostle saith It is necessarie that the patternes or figures of heauenly things shold be cleansed by these things but the heauenly things themselues be better oblations and sacrifices then these are He speaketh say they in the plural number wherefore it argueth that there are many oblations many sacrifices and those are our Masses But let vs alwaies carrie in minde that the Apostle hath infinite times said That there is but one sacrifice that is Christ and that there is but one oblation offered vppon the Crosse by Christ And let vs also distinguish Hostiam seu victimam from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing sacrificed from the oblation that is to say from the action of sacrificing Now the Apostle vseth in this place the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sacrifice not of offering of the thing not of the action And what will they then inferre or conclude that the Christian Church here opposed and set against the Iewish Church ought to bee cleansed by many sacrifices will they dare to bee so bold and that seeing it is such a blasphemie or by many offerings of this verie same sacrifice And is not this to come all to one thing and directly contrarie to so many places of the Apostle And againe it is not said in this place Oblations but Sacrifices But say they it is spoken in the plurall number Sacrifices but this is because the Apostle had spoken in the plurall number of those of the law so in setting downe the opposite part doth retaine likewise the plurall number Non quia victimae plures sed quia in vna plures vel potius illae omnes because that in this onely one sacrifice all others are contained And in deed to the end they may not find any starting holes Thom. ad Heb. c. 9. we will not giue credite vnto any others in this point but vnto their owne Doctors S. Thomas Hostus in plurali he saith sacrifices in the plurall number and contrarily he saith afterward that there is but one sacrifice euen that of Christ for by one onely offering he hath accomplished for euer all those which are holy and sanctified Hebr. 10. I answere that though it were one in it selfe yet it was shadowed out by many sacrifices vnder the old law The interlineall Glosse Meliores hostiae better sacrifices namely Christ all those of the old law in as much as it was signified by them all Hugo the Cardinall that is the sacrifice of Christ Anselm ad Heb. c. 9. Caietan by which all those of the law were signified and sanctified Anselme These better sacrifices are but one that is Christ Caietan Christ crucified is here called the better sacrifices because that virtualiter that is in effect and operation it hath the power of all the rest But in the end they say the priesthood being translated it must needes follow that the law is translated also Et vicissim wherefore it must needs follow that there must be a priesthood in the new Testament And who goeth about to denie it them Hebr. 7. for otherwise it should fall out that to haue one which liueth for euer should bee to be without a priest and that to haue an euerlasting sacrifice should be to bee without one And on the other side are we not saith the Apostle all priests in as much as we haue all accesse to the father through him euen to offer vp vnto him through him our sacrifices euen for to offer vnto him himselfe in our praiers a sacrifice for vs But we deny that there is in the new Testament any order of people appointed ordained to sacrifice him a new and we on the contrarie affirme that throughout the whole scriptures there is not one word spoken of any such as likewise there is not of the reiterating of the sacrifice of Christ neither haue any of the fathers interpreted it as our aduersaries doe at this day We affirme also that in all the holy scripture speaking of the Ministers of the Church of Christ they are neuer entitled priestes in whatsoeuer language that a man shall take them And that if the same holy scriptures of the new Testament doe make any mention of sacrifices that they entitle and call them presently for the preuenting and taking away of errour sacrifices of the preaching of the Gospell sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing spirituall sacrifices the calues of our lips the works of charitie c. offered partly by the Ministers of the holy Gospel who hold their particular place and ranke in the Church to dispense vnto vs the word of God sacraments to shew forth vnto vs our destruction in our owne nature our condemnation by the law our grace and fauour purchased in the death of our Lord the greatnes by consequent of our sinne and of the mercy of God in the greatnesse of this remedie whereupon there followeth in vs a loue towardes God a hatred towardes our selues c. Partly likewise by all the Christians in whom this loue bringeth forth spirituall sacrifices peace offeringes in as much as we haue by this meanes peace with God sacrifices of thanksgiuing for that we giue him thanks in euery kind of seruice whether of the heart the mouth or hands for so great a benefite receiued of his meere mercie and let vs also say propitiatorie in some sort by a great deale better right then in the Masse in as much as wee confesse vnto him our sinnes with a contrite and humble heart intreating him that the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ his onely Sonne may procure vs fauour and mercie by the true and onely propitiation purchased by
the same Amen CHAP. IIII. That the old fathers haue not acknowledged any other propitiatorie sacrifice then that onely one made vpon the Crosse THus you cannot deny say they that the old fathers haue called the Masse a Sacrifice yes we haue flatly denyed them the whole plainly proued that the olde fathers did not so much as knowe it by name But they reply at the least they doe vnfold vnto vs the celebrating of the sacrament of the Eucharist or holy Supper of the Lord. And surely vpon good cause warrant seeing it is a holy consecrate action and that the spirituall sacrifices of our heartes are thereby sacrificed to God vnto repentance as also seeing that the incense of our praiers and the calues of our lips and the Gospell the word of God as saith S. Paul is therein sacrificed seeing that our bowels tanquam per viscerationem doe therein open inlarge and spread abroad and distribute themselues by our almes deedes vnto our neighbours seeing likewise that the death of Iesus Christ is therein declared the onely sacrifice of the Crosse and that by the expresse commandement of the sacrificer And thus and no otherwise haue they all vnderstood it But we denie that euer they said any thing of it as a sacrifice properly so called of the new offering vp of the Sonne of God to God by the priest of his bodie and of his blood vpon an altar for our sinnes Neither must they here go about to abuse vs with a distinction of Sacrificium cruentum aut incruentum of a bloodie or vnbloodie sacrifice For this distinction wil not be receiued or admitted of against the vniuersal propositions of the scripture which tell vs that where remission and forgiuenes of sinnes is purchased there needeth no more sacrifice or offering Againe that there is no remission purchased where there is no shedding of blood But so it is that wee haue forgiuenesse in the blood of Christ much more then an oblation But so it is that in their pretended sacrifice there is no shedding of blood and therefore much lesse pardon and forgiuenesse or any effectuall grace that may procure vs Gods fauour But yet it is further to be considered that the old fathers did neuer name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloodlesse or vnbloodie sacrifices to make distinction thereby betwixt the sacrifice of the crosse and the sacrament or pretended sacrifice of the altar but rather to set downe a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the law and the sacrifices of Christians Whereupon Oecumenius saith Oecumen ad Heb. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Sacrifices without blood those saith he of the lippes as praiers hymnes and supplications vnto God by Iesus Christ c. And others after the same manner which wee shall see farre better by tracing them from age to age Clemens Alexandrinus next succeeding the time of the Apostles saith Clem. l. 3. Paedag c. 2. in strom We sacrifice not vnto God and that vpon good consideration for he hath no need of any thing but hath giuen all thinges vnto vs and therefore we do glorifie him who was sacrificed for vs in sacrificing offering vp of our selues Againe God would be honoured though he haue no need of any thing and therefore doe we honour him with our praiers and this is the best and most holy sacrifice when wee send them vp into his presence in iustice c. Our Altar then is the congregation of such as are attentiue in prayers and haue all of them one common spirit and one common voice c. Againe Our Altar that is one holy soule our perfume and incense euen our praiers So that he doth not acknowledge or make any mention of a Sacrament properly so called when he saith We do not sacrifice hee acknowledgeth another manner of fashion namely the prayers of the faithful the sacrificing of themselues vnto God c. And yet herein hee is not behind with speaking honourably of the Eucharist For saith he this is that speciall good grace whereof those are partakers which communicate therein in faith and are sanctified both in body and soule Ireneus we haue seene heretofore how he speaketh Iren. l. 4. c. 34. and yet you may perceiue him to deale more plainly We must saith he offer vp a sacrifice to God and in all thinges bee found to acknowledge our creator by a pure and vpright opinion and iudgement by faith without hipocrisie by certaine hope by feruent loue offering vnto him the first fruits of his creatures And this is that pure oblation which the Church onely doth offer vnto the creator offering vnto him of his creatures with thankesgiuing Therefore saith he he would haue vs to be continually offering our oblations vpon the altar And what Altar This also he teacheth saying There is an altar in heauen thither our prayers and sacrifices are directed and in the temple according to that which Saint Iohn hath said in the Apocalips and the temple of God was open and the tabernacle For behold saith he the tabernacle of God where hee will dwell with men Here then is no sacrifice but that of man vnto God in the acknowledgement of his benefits by continuall prayers as also of the first fruits of the goods which he giueth him and that by communicating them charitablie with his brethren Iustinus Martyr speaketh highly honorably in commendation of the Lords Supper he describeth and setteth out vnto vs the holy ceremony wholly intirely Iustin Martyr in Tryphon and yet not a word of the propitiatorie sacrifice in all that he saith But on the contrarie he saith I dare be bolde to affirme that there are no other sacrifices that are perfect and acceptable vnto God then the supplications and thankesgiuing of good people and Christians haue learned that they are not to offer any other c. Againe Idem in exposit fidei Tertul. aduers Iud. We sacrifice vnto God without ceasing the sacrifice of praise sincere praiers and of the sweet sauour of good workes c. We haue heard heretofore what Tertullian hath said vpon the first Chapter of Malachie but yet behold what he saith further It behoued that Christ should be made a sacrifice for all the Gentiles who was led as a sheepe to the slaughter Behold here the onely sacrifice Idem aduers Marc. l. 4. ad Scapul Againe The prophecies of the lawe did signifie that man otherwise a sinner presently after that hee was cleansed by the worde of God did offer an oblation in the Temple that is praier and thankesgiuing in the Church and congregation of the faithfull by Iesus Christ the catholike that is the vniuersall Priest of the father Behold now and see here an vniuersall and onely priest by whom wee offer vnto God our sacrifices and our praiers And therefore hee saith Wee must not sacrifice vnto God any thing but that which is spirituall for it is written a
houshold of God doe sing in their psalmes of thankesgiuing we haue passed by fire and by water c. meaning that the hard measure of aduersitie hath not beene able to breake their course by causing them to faint neither the soft bedde of prosperitie make them to become slacke cold through delicacie c and he speaketh by name of the blessed death of S. Malachie Archbishop of Ireland Cassiodorus Because a vessell saith he well hardned and baked in the fire doth hold water better Another saith As S. Laurence passed through fire S. Clement and others through water And let this be set as a brand vpon our aduersaries that they alwaies take hold of the expositions that are least receiued and of all others the worst Caiet in psal 66. I could haue wished that they would at the least haue satisfied themselues in Caietanus his exposition saying He comprehendeth vnder these words of fire and water in briefe all the tribulations of Israel from their comming out of Egypt vnto Iordan that is we haue endured all manner of miseries and in the end thou hast made vs to come ad irriguam to a well watered soile that is to say into the land of promise Neither doth it auaile them Amb. in psal 118. serm 3. that Bellarmine to dasle the eies of the world doeth here alleadge S. Ambrose For this baptisme of fire whereof he speaketh setting the same at the entrance of Paradise allegorizing vpon the Cherubin that kept the passage in is but an appendance and limme of that ancient opinion that the world in that day when the end and consummation thereof commeth and all the creatures therein euen men and of them the most holy and sanctified should bee purged by fire and not in that space of time which shal be betwixt their death and resurrection It appeareth by these words This baptisme saith he shall bee after the end and consummation of the world when hee shall send his Angels to seperate the good from the euill Then shall the fierie furnace feed vpon iniquitie and burne it vp to the end that the iust may shine in the kingdome of God as the Sonne in the kingdome of his father And in deed saith he if that Peter and Iohn be there they shall haue their part in that baptisme Now in deed the truth is that Bellarmine doth not hold or meane that the Apostles haue passed or at any time must passe the fire of purgatorie In the Psalme 107. They cried vnto the Lord in their distresses Psal 107. v. 13. and hee deliuered them from their necessities from darknesse and from the shadow of death Thus wheresoeuer they reade darknesse the graue fire or the shadow of death there alwaies purgatorie must bee summoned to appeare This text is cleare and plaine wherein Dauid maketh a long catalogue or repetition of all the perils whereunto the life of man is subiect the deliuerances that God giueth vnto them that call vppon him although they should bee within two fingers breadth of death But they wil not belieue vs. Lyranus therfore telleth them They were stricken with remorce and sorrow in their afflictions called vpon God who deliuered them And these words frō the shadow of death August Hieron Theodor in psal 106. he expoundeth them by the psalme 23. the daunger of death As Caietan simplie vnderstandeth the same of the inconueniences of the prison S. Ierome did not acknowledge any such like thing to be contained therein but let it passe as he declareth by that which goeth before Et eduxit eos in viam rectam Neither yet S. Augustine who vnderstandeth it of the difficulties lets and impediments that the regenerate find when they should go about to do good and that after such time as God hath opened their knowledge Prosp in psal 107. Haim in psal and enlightned their vnderstanding except himselfe doe worke in them And thus doeth Prosper Aquitanicus also take it Neither Theodoret who vnderstandeth it of the darknes of ignorance and of the seruitude of sinne Haimo In darknesse that is in ignorance out of which no man can free himselfe in the shadow of death that is to say in the villanous and loose course of life which leadeth vnto death And Hugo the Cardinal taketh it in the same sence Darknes that is of ignorance the shadow of death that is faults transgressions bound that is the punishment c. Some others thus Of such as are inwrapped in heresie and are reclaimed by wholesome instruction But and if they wil cleaue to the plaine literall sence it is said There was no man to help them Where were then become the Masses and Suffrages Againe he speaketh of such as had beene rebellious vnto the word of God which had despised the counsell of the most high a mortall sinne and one of the most hainous ones that can be Now purgatorie by their owne speech is not but for veniall ones And yet furthermore if wee will credite the expositions of the old writers Dauid was but a simple fellow and knew nothing in the matter of purgatorie In the booke of the Preacher Ecclesiast 4.14 There is such a one saith Salomon which commeth out of prison for to raigne that is to say according to their vnderstanding out of purgatorie to go into the kingdome of heauen In this whole booke he discourseth of the courses alterations and changes of things happening in mans life and that which followeth in the same verse doth ouerthrow their mistaking And in like manner saith he there is such a man as of a king becommeth poore Now this should fall out contrarie to their owne doctrine that those which are once glorified do neuer fall away If this be not sufficient yet Hugo the Cardinall will help and afford vs some aid This is saith he Christ who from the prison of Pilate the graue and his handes is gone vp to receiue his kingdome Lyranus alleadgeth for an example of the one Ioseph taken out of prison to gouerne Egypt and Sedechias pulled downe from his throne of Maiestie to to be cast into the dungeon for the other I am ashamed to stand vpon the refuting of these fooleries Esay 4. yet notwithstanding we must go through to the end of them In Esay When the Lord shall haue washed away the filthinesse of the daughters of Sion and wiped the blood of Ierusalem from out of the midst of her by the spirit of iudgement and of zeale This iudgement and zeale are purgatorie Let them reade that which goeth before and that which followeth they shall perceiue that the prophet speaketh of the desolation of Ierusalem and of the restoring of the same in Iesus Christ But the Paraphrast saith By the word of iudgement and by the word of consummation He felt no smell of fire And the Glosse In the spirit of iudgement the lightest and least sinnes and in the spirit of zeale the more
there betwixt this and purgatorie saue that wheresoeuer there is fire there purgatory also must needes bee found This is the same that S. Ierome saith God will not take pittie Hieronym in Esa l. 4. c. 10. either vppon small or great amongst this people neither of the fatherlesse nor of the widow neither of any other person c. For euery mouth hath spoken follie c. And S. Cyrill saith He vnderstandeth the common people which he calleth iniquitie and not vniust to shew the grieuousnes of their wickednesse It shall burne therefore that is to say it shal be fire vnto it selfe as it fell out saith hee by reason of their factions in the siege of Ierusalem by Vespasian and Titus c. And after this manner doe Haimo and Procopius take it Lyranus saith Haim in Esa c. 9. The impietie of the people of Israel prouoked the wrath of God and pulled it swiftly vppon them like a burning fire to consume them euen vnto the briars and thornes that is to say the smallest and vilest amongst the people And Cardinall Hugo draweth it to an allegorie The wicked saith hee shall bee set on fire with an euerlasting fire for those whome the fire of transgression hath deuoured and swallowed vp those shal be deuoured and swallowed vp of the fire of hell c. vnderstanding it of eternall damnation As colde is that which followeth Esay 54. I haue hidde my fauour and my countenance from thee for a while in the moment of mine indignation But I haue had compassion of thee in euerlasting mercy Here God speaketh vnto the Church as vnto his spouse reiected and forsaken for her sinnes in his iust displeasure but receiued againe into grace in his mercie Which hee saide before in the former verse I haue forsaken thee for a small time but I will gather thee together in great compassion and mercie Nowe they will haue this moment of indignation to bee Purgatorie and the euerlasting mercie to bee paradice In steade whereof it doeth manifestly and plainely appeare that hee speaketh of the scattering and dispearsing of Israel gathered together agayne in the redemption purchased by Iesus Christ yea greatlie augmented and multiplyed by the calling of the Gentiles And this is it that the Glose saith I haue hid my face from thee for thine idolatrie but I haue gathered thee together againe c. in redeeming thee Lyranus otherwise Because saith hee that the tribulations of this present life not of purgatorie are not to bee compared with the glorie that is to come And thus Cardinall Hugo I haue giuen thee ouer into thine enemies handes but my mercie in freeing thee from them againe shall bee greater then mine anger hath beene in reiecting of thee And mystically for a little that is in respect of the temptations of this worlde which are nothing in respect of the glorie to come In euerlasting mercie that is in respect of my purpose to vnite and couple thee vnto my selfe in my glorie c. But the verse following cutteth off all the controuersie This saith he shall be vnto me as the daies of Noe for I haue sworne that the waters of Noe shall not any more ouerspreade the face of the earth as likewise that I will not bee any more wroth with thee Here saith Iustine hee compareth the redemption of mankind to that which was in the daies of Noe c. If this bee not enough Hieronym in Esa c 54. Cyrill l. 5. orat 2. in Esa Haim in Esa c. 54. Saint Ierome interpreteth it of the multiplying of the Church by the calling of the Gentiles Saint Cyrill of the Gentilles forsaken for a little but espoused for euer c. Haimo vppon Esay taketh it in the same sence Which saying S. Ierome layeth in ballance to weigh against the Iewes who would haue this prophesie to belong to themselues alone But of all these there is not one that hath taken the smallest or least sent of Purgatorie from this place Ieremie the first What seest thou Ieremie J see a potte boyling and the forepart thereof is towarde the North. Ierem. 1.13 This potte signifieth Purgatorie The vision is expounded in the verse following The plague shall breake out from the coast of the North ouer all the inhabitantes of this countrey So then this potte is Ierusalem the fire that maketh it hotte is the king of Babilon And thus Saint Ierome and Theodoret doe expound it Hieronym in Ierem. Theodor. ibid. August ad fratres in Eremo serm 12. Gregor l. 33. c. 27 in Iub l. 18. Moral But if a man bee disposed to make an Allegorie of it Saint Augustine saith This potte is pride which the Deuill bloweth vp wherein boile and seeth all the Princes and Pastors of darknesse as those which onely count precious and like of these temporarie goodes honours and riches couet the chiefe seates in sinagogues and cause themselues to bee called Rabbi in the market places c. Saint Gregorie This pot is the heart of man boiling with the firie affections of the flesh c. the North that is the Deuill which bloweth vp the same So that neither can this maister-builder of purgatorie finde any foundation to settle the same vppon in this place No more then Cardinall Hugo could Hugo Card. in Ierem. c 1. Orig. hom 11. in psal 38. Ezech. 11.3 7. who likewise in a mysticall sence taketh the potte for the Church or els for the sinner assailed with the temptations of the Deuill And as for Origen he hath no fellow or partaker with him in his allegorie But Ezechiell doth expound it most clearely This is the caldron and wee are the flesh that is to say Jerusalem set on fire by the Babilonians and the people thereof consumed in the same because of the murthers by all manner of calamities and in the end of all this forced out of the same and led into exile Michea the 7. Mich. 7.8 Reioyce not neither yet comfort thy selfe in me O thou which art mine enemie if I bee fallen I will raise vp my selfe againe if I haue laiue in darknesse the Lord will enlighten me I will beare his wrath because that I haue sinned against him hee shall draw me forth into light and I shall see his iustice Here againe darknesse must needes signifie Purgatorie and light Paradice c. But it is most cleare and euident that these wordes proceede from the Church of God speaking vnto Babilon and other nations of the Heathens that they shoulde not glad and reioyce themselues at her miseries because God will reestablish her againe So said Esay 9. The people that lay in the shadow of death a light is risen vnto them Saint Mathew which hath cited the same said not This people is gone out of Purgatorie into Paradice but rather out of the darknesse of ignorance into the knowledge of saluation from out of the way of sinners into the way of
you like to him in the parable whome he deliuered to the executioners vntill such time as hee had paide the whole debt that is to say for euer for he had vtterly disabled himselfe before for paying of it Orig. hom 35. in Luc. But yet let vs heare the Doctors speake Origen saith They will exact thy debt and looke for it at thy hands by labours and works by paines and punishments c. But he speaketh after his manner properly of hell and not of Purgatorie For Origen as we shall see hereafter did not acknowledge any other paines or punishment for the Diuels themselues then Purgatorie Saint Ambrose distinguisheth betwixt S. Mathew and Saint Luke Ambros in Luc. c. 1◠in the one vnderstanding by the aduersarie the Law in the other Sinne or the conscience and in both God by the Magistrate Christ by the Iudge and the Angels by the Executioners But to cut off Purgatorie he putteth off the execution vnto the end of the world applying himselfe in this point to the opinion of Origen Then here is no Purgatorie of the Papists as yet to be found Tertullian saith Tertull l. de anima That first and chiefely we must take this text in his simple sence that is to say that if we will wee neede not make any Allegorie of it And afterward he saith The heathen man he is the aduersarie with him we walke and haue to doe in the common affaires of this life but wee should goe out of the world if it were not lawfull to conuerse and haue any dealing with them Let vs then requite them with the goodnesse of the spirit Let vs loue our enemies saith Christ Let vs pray for them that curse vs least that being prouoked by any iniuries hee draw vs before his Iudge and the Iudge deliuer vs into prison Idem de Resurroct Carn c. 42. And this Allegorie swarueth not farre from the sence of the text But elswhere hee vseth some that are further fetchte calling the way our discipline and this reconciliation the entertaining of our couenant and bargaine with the Diuell that wee should not take any thing of his but renounce his pompe and all his Angels But still hee speaketh of hell Ne inferos saith he expertatur In a word this prison is taken of some for the place wherein the Magistrate shutteth vp malefactors and thus Chrysostome of others for hell and thus S. Augustine Hieronym in Lamen Ierem. Tertullian as also S. Ierome who expoundeth it of eternall punishment Now who is hee that dare build an Article of Faith vpon such contrarietie of Allegories Who would not rather content himselfe and cleaue to the letter Assuredly their owne proper Glose saith In prison that is to say in darknesse that is to say in hell And Donec vntill that c. that is to say for euer And hee expoundeth it by an other Donec Psal 110. Hugo Card. in Luc. cap. 12. August de 8. quaest ad Lulcit Vntill I haue made thine enemies thy footstoole c. And Lyranus Cardinall Hugo and Beda in like manner As also Saint Augustine ad Dulcitium in treating of Purgatorie maketh conscience to apply this place for the prouing thereof and confesseth that this Donec is of the same nature with that in the Psalme 110. But Theophylact dealeth better who not being ignorant that this place was haled and pulled to and fro by diuers Allegories leadeth vs as it were by the hand to the simple sence thereof That wee should not goe to Law that we shouldrather suffer iniurie that so we may not be letted or hindred from holy matters And Cardinall Caietan after the same manner But Ferus a Doctor of theirs after all the rest dealeth better then all the rest Ferus in Mat. Diuers men haue written diuersly of this aduersarie but in the litterall sence they doe not agree But in a word the sence of Christ is that in outward things it is better to yeeld to vniust and vnequall conditions with his aduersarie then to goe to Law because in Sutes there is much losse of time we must bee subiect to the infirmities and faults raigning in Lawyers to labour and plie the Iudges and after all this when we are come before them yet we stand in doubt of the euent yea and we haue not any power to dispose and determine of it then though we would but the greatest point and most worthie of consideration is that wee loose the tranquilitie and peace of mind as also that loue and peace which we should haue with our neighbours c. But let vs admit of their Allegorie and vnderstand the Diuell to be the aduersarie God the iudge and the prison to be Purgatorie Is it possible saith S. Ierome that Christ should commaund vs to fall to an agreement with the Diuell And likewise to be watchfull and warie of him For hee vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea and shall not become debters to the Diuell to satisfie his demands When as the whole Scripture doth bind vs to make satisfaction to God And what shall the death of Christ haue auailed vs by this Allegorie if we stand answerable for euerie farthing either to God or to the Diuell Out of the same Chapter they alleadge an other place Matth. 5 2◠It hath beene said to them of old or by them of old Thou shalt not kill and he that shall kill shall be punished by iudgement But I say vnto you that whosoeuer is angrie with his brother without a cause shall be guiltie of iudgement And who so shall haue said vnto him Racha shall be guiltie of a Counsell And hee that shall say vnto him foole shall be punished with hell fire This last degree say they is punished in hell and therefore the two former must bee punished in Purgatorie The sence of the text is cleare that our Lord to correct the false gloses of the Scribes who bounded the breach of the Law within the compasse of outward actions doth labour throughout the whole Chapter to bring them backe to the inward motions and affections shewing vnto them that the faults which they iudged sleight as to be angrie with their brother to giue crosse and reproachfull speeches c. doe come before the soueraigne Iustice of God which he signifieth by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement and Consistorie tearmes that are vsual about the setting forth of humaine prerogatiues and Iurisdictions Who is he then that doth wish vs to vnderstand these words of a Purgatorie But further how can it stand and agree with their rules Seing that mortall sinnes as they call them haue no doore open to enter in there But so it is that he that hateth his brother saith our Lord is a manslayer Againe in Purgatorie there is no medling with the fault but with the punishment Now in this place the question is of the fault And againe their Purgatorie is a place
Hell by all the old writers But yet they fall to worke vpon the words contained in the same Chapter Luk. 16.9 Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon to the end that when you shallwant they may receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles In so much as that here Bellarmine taketh vppon him to crie victorie on their side because that Peter Martyr hath past this place without answere Our Lord warneth vs by the example of the vniust Steward to make vs friends of our riches to the end that as hee did make him friends that did receiue him when he was out of office and credite so likewise we should doe the same by our Almes that so when we shall be called from our stewardship for wee are no better then Stewards they may receiue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles And this is according to that which is said in an other place That euen a cup of cold water giuen in the name of Christ is not without his reward These friends they are the poore but together therewithall honest and vertuous These Tabernacles are eternall life These friends they themselues doe vnderstand that they are to die before vs and there is not any one of the Fathers that haue expounded it otherwise this is verie farre from staying behind to helpe vs with their suffrages Or that it resteth for them to gather vs to heauen and therefore also farre enough off from being able to draw vs out of Purgatorie But and if we must allegorize to whome shall we cleaue and sticke Tertullian saith Tertull. de fuga in persecut that our Lord exhorted the Iewes who had not plaid the good Stewards with the goods that God had committed vnto them to make them friends therewithall De Mammonae hominibus with the men of Mammon that is of the Gentiles saith he by raysing them from the debt of sinne that so grace wasting they should receiue them into the Christian faith S. Augustine and S. Ambrose doe vnderstand it Ambros in Luc. August de Ciuit Dei l. 21. cap. 27. That wee must giue vnto the Saints in this world that they maey pray for vs in the other Who doubteth of their charitie who liue with him that is charitie it selfe or that they doe desire the kingdome of God and the saluation of the elect and chosen But what is there of all this that hath bene said Hieronim ad Algas quaest 6 that agreeth with Purgatorie As for S. Ierome who handleth this question of purpose in writing vnto Algasia after that he hath examined all the words in particular he alleadgeth likewise a certaine Allegorie of Theophilus Bb. of Antiochia who of this steward maketh S. Paul begetting and winning Christians with the learning which he had got vnder the Law that they might receiue him into their houses c. that is to say into heauen And in the end he commeth to this point That wee must make vs friends of our goods and those not of all sorts of poore but such as may receiue vs into heauen that is such as are honest and godly to the end that hauing giuen them a little we may receiue much and giuing to an other may enioy the things that are ours sowing blessedly and bountifully Chrysost in Ep. ad Hebr. Bernard in de clam Ecce nos rellquimus omnia that wee may also reape blessedly and bountifully c. Chrisostome also who toucheth this place sundrie times doth likewise expound it at large vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes but draweth no other doctrine from it And as for Purgatorie not a word of it Neither yet Saint Bernard Cardinall Hugo Cardinall Caietan nor Ferus himselfe Bellarmine saith Remember me O Lord when thou commest into thy kingdome this good man saith he had neuer spoken this Luk. 23. if he had not belieued that sinnes were forgiuen after this life But yet what maketh this to Purgatorie Seeing it cannot stand with the doctrine of the Schoolemen who affirme that Purgatorie is for such as whose sinnes are alreadie remitted But Bellarmine dooth except the small and pettie sinnes But in this place the question is of the greatest And of whome would he desire to be better assured in that respect then of the good theefe himselfe Who saith Remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Or of our Sauiour himselfe who aunswereth him To day thou art not in Purgatorie but in Paradice with me And is hee able to name any one of the Fathers euen of the latest who hath gathered this doctrine hence In the Actes 2. Acts. 2.24 Whome God hath raysed againe hauing vnloosed the paines of hell or of death because it was impossible that he should be held of it From hence Bellarmine frameth this conclusion Christ after his death could not suffer paines therefore this place is not to bee vnderstood of his paines but of those of the Fathers and not of those which were in Hell for out of Hell there is no redemption Neither of those in the Lymbes for they suffered not it remaineth then that it must needes bee spoken of those that were in Purgatorie The truth is that this text may bee read two manner of waies in the most part of the Copies there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the paines of death not of hell Epiphan in anchorat in anacephal And if Epiphanius whome Bellarmine alleadgeth haue read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one place in an other he hath read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this being so he will neuer bee able to find his Purgatorie in this hell Let vs graunt them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth both the Graue and Hell but without all doubt in this place the Graue for it is alleadged for the resurrection of our Lord together with the place of Dauid alleadged by Saint Peter Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Graue And whereas he saith that it cannot bee vnderstood of Christ for that he indured no paines after his death I answere that it cannot be vnderstood but of him because it was said that it was not possible for him to bee held either of death or of the Graue which cannot bee said of the Fathers which cannot be spoken but of our Sauiour God and man Seeing also that which followeth For Dauid saith of him I saw the Lord alwates c. But Dauid neuer said this of any of the Fathers So that to deliuer our selues from the doubt and difficultie that is in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may receiue a good Exposition wee fall into such a sence and signification as cannot by any meanes be raised or drawne from it And as concerning that we say that the paines of death are vnloosed not onely in that our Sauiour is risen againe but also in as much as in his resurrection the rule and dominion of death is destroyed and laide waste And here it is not lightly to bee
passed ouer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath beene obserued by the most learned that the Hebrew words which signifie paines and bands doe not any thing differ Psal 18.6 2. Sam. 22.6 but in one small pricke And this might verie well bee referred to that which Saint Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing loosed and made an allusion to these words of Dauid The snares of Hell or of the Graue haue compassed me about Where the Septuagints haue translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the paines of child-birth And the Paraphrast goeth not far from them and it may bee that one and the same word without any let by reason of scruple caused through the prickes doth signifie them both And this might very wel come to passe through the custome they had to binde the bodies of their dead according wherunto we read in the storie of Lazarus Wherupon our Sauiour saith vnto his Apostles Vnloose him c. And it is not to bee forgotten that neuer a one of the Fathers hath found out Purgatorie in this place neither yet any of the late writers Caiet in Act. c. 2. Fcrus Hofmester in Act. c. 2. Caietanus expoundeth it of the penalties for such a word hee vseth which the Soule of Christ suffered being separate from the body Ferus vnderstandeth it of Christ his loosing of the paines of death for the faithfull in so much as that he which belieueth in him tasteth not of death but is alreadie past from death to life Hofmester by these paines of death or Hell all the sufferings that Christ hath indured for vs c. According to that place of the Psalme The paines of death haue compassed me and the daungers of Hell haue enwrapped me c. And these are the most noted and best esteemed Expositors amongst them Now commeth their maine argument No man saith Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. can laye any other foundation then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ. But if any man build vpon this foundation Gold Siluer c. The worke of euerie man shall be manifest for the day will declare it because it shall bee disclosed by fire and the fire will proue what euerie mans worke is c. But he shall be saued as concerning himselfe as it were by fire This last fire they will haue to bee Purgatorie by which we are to bee saued Here let vs call to mind againe that which hath beene so often spoken of That Symbolicke Diuinitie or that Diuinitie which is deliuered in Similitudes doth not proue that there is no disputation or argument to bee held from Metaphors that no Article of doctrine is established by darke and obscure places For these bee the Maxims of the old writers whereunto we doe willingly subscribe Now the case so standeth as that all this text consisteth of Metaphors as foundation frame building Gold Siluer c. Wood haye strawe c. August de fide opcrib c. 15. 16. Idem in quaest ad Dulcit q. 1. that it is likwise obscure and difficult In so much as that S. Augustine doth accompt it amongst those whereof Saint Peter speaketh saying In the Epistles of Saint Paul there are certaine things that are hard to be vnderstood c. And after that hee hath giuen his aduice and iudgement I desire saith he to heare the wise and learned vpon this place c. This is to make way that wee may come to this that vpon a doubtfull and darke Exposition we ought not to ground any certaine doctrine much lesse an Article of our Christian faith Idem de fide oper c. 16. Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Hieronym in l. 2. in Ioh. Thom. in 1. Cor. c. 3. Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 3. Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Heronym in Esay c. 5. Haim in 1. Cor. 3. Greg. li. 4. dial c. 39. August l. de fid oper c. 16. Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. This also is the thing that hath begot so many and so diuers interpretations almost vpon euerie word For by builders some vnderstand all Christians as S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoret c. Other some the Doctors and Pastors as S. Ambrose Saint Ierome Thomas and others Againe some by the word foundation do vnderstand true doctrine by Gold Siluer c. good works by wood haye c. mortall sinnes as Chrysostome Theophilact c. Others the preaching of faith wherupon euery man buildeth his expositions some of them being Orthodox and according to sound doctrine and other some heretical as S. Ambrose S. Ierome Haimo c. Others the good workes of one part and the veniall sinnes on the other as S. Gregorie Others the good and euill hearers as Theophilact Oecumenius c. Againe by the day S. Augustine and Saint Gregorie vnderstand this present life or the time of tribulation which causeth the good to be known from the wicked others and those in greater number the day of iudgement yet differing herein that some will haue it to be the great day of the Lord as Theodoret Theophilact Haimo Anselme c. The others that iudgement which passeth vpon euery person so soone as he is dead as Caietanus many of this time Againe this fire which shall trie the worke of euerie man by some is taken for tribulations as S. Augustine and S. Gregorie and by others for euerlasting fire By some for the consuming of the whole world by fire By other for Purgatorie and by others for the fire of the iust iudgement of God c. who examineth and trieth say they but punisheth not And in this opinion may S. Ambros in Psal 118. August in Enchirid. ad Laurent c. 68. Ambrose seeme to be And finally by this fire whereof it is said But be shall be saued as it were by fire Some vnderstand the tribulations of this life as Saint Augustine and S. Gregorie S. Augustine by name who saith that this place darke and obscure in it selfe must bee expounded by diuers others that are cleare and plaine in which fire doth signifie the triall of tribulation Others the euerlasting fire as Chrysostome and Theophilact and certaine also Purgatorie and amongst them some after the manner and fashion of the Church of Rome others after a certaine particular opinion such namely as was then common Which was that in the verie moment of the vniuersall Iudgement euerie one without exception should bee tried and proued by fire By these so variable and differing coniectures euerie one may iudge with what face our aduersaries can take this place and the interpretations thereof for the foundation of their Purgatorie Seeing also that Bellarmine a thing worth the noting is constrained by reason of the absurdities that hee meeteth withall therein to leaue and forsake all and to refute them euerie one for this or that inconuenience that would insue that so hee may lay some one particular and speciall sence and that such as may be sound Now we cannot
is to come it is meete that hee should throughly weigh and consider of the same c. Cardinall Hugo likewise dooth obiect the same doubts about the same that Saint Augustine doth vpon Purgatorie and so keepeth himselfe to the taking of it for the fire of tribulation and the losse of temporall things And in deede Erasmus of our time hath declared in his Commentaries that this place affordeth not any thing that may belong either to Purgatorie or to the veniall sinnes Index Expurg as they pretend For which his plaine dealing they haue commanded the place to bee raced and blotted out In the 1. Corinthians 15. The Apostle speaking of the resurrection saith 1. Cor. 15 29. Else what shall they doe which are baptised for the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the dead rise not againe To bee baptised say they for the dead that is to afflict themselues for them that is to doe all such things as may seeme to serue for the satisfying and purging of their sinnes Wherefore they are yet in some place where they may bee relieued and succoured Therefore in Purgatorie Now this is nothing else but to make themselues continuall breakers of that Rule which saith That a man ought not to reason or gather any arguments from the places which are darke and doubtfull Now they dare not denie that there is any place in all the new Testament more obscure euen for the litterall sence then this And notwithstanding they will presuppose and set downe any Exposition thereof after their owne fantasies whereas all the Diuines that were for the space of fifteene hundred yeares were to seeke therein And hardly are there as yet any found that can satisfie themselues therein For one saith that the Apostle speaketh of them who seeing some die without Baptisme caused others that were aliue to bee baptised for them so well assured they were of the resurrection Epiphan ad ucrs haeres l. 1. tom 2. Haimo in Ep. ad Cor. c 5. August de Ciuit Dei l. 20. ca. 9. Chrysost Ambr. in 1. Cor. c. 15. Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 7 Tertull. de Resurr carn Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 15. in 1. Cor. hom 23 Epiphanius reciteth this opinion And Saint Ambrose vnderstandeth it after the same manner and after him Haimo saith And yet such a custome as the Apostle onely alleadgeth without approuing it and that onely to shame the Corinthians with their incredulitie and vnbeliefe And the ordinarie Glose dooth note the same An other saith that this is to bee vnderstood of such as were bed-rid or sicke in their beds and could not arise or such as were baptised lying vppon their death bed or in extreame perill of their life An other of those which were dead and after baptised to shew that Baptisme was not onely a signe of the resurrection of the body but also of the soule And thus Tertullian may seeme to vnderstand it in his Booke of the Resurrection Chrysostome referreth it to the words of Baptisme saying If there be no resurrection then all that wee doe in Baptisme is but a play Namely because in it is contained the figure and resemblance both of death and of the resurrection together And Theodoret after the same manner that he which is baptised is buried with the Lord In vaine saith hee if the body be not to rise againe with him And Saint Thomas is not farre off from the taking of it in the same sence In a word there are some which referre it to the custome of celebrating of Baptismes in Church-yardes wherein the ordinarie exercises of the first Christians were wont to be kept Out of which of these old and auncient Expositions is it that they collect and gather this Purgatorie Or by which of the olde writers doe they approoue their owne these men are they whome I aske which make such accompt of the Fathers which thinke them all to bee on their side So that it will suffice vs onely to denie their interpretation Namely that to be baptised is to bee afflicted is to pray for the dead and in steade thereof we will hold and affirme that to be baptised in the text of the Gospell which they pretend is to die for the name of Christ and to suffer Martyrdome Chrisostome vpon these words Luk. 12. Mark 10. Chrysost in Math. hom 66 You may saith the Lord be baptised with the Baptisme wherewith I am baptised c. Here saith he I promise you many good things you shall purchase the Crowne of Martyrdome and by a violent death you shall depart out of this life as I myselfe c. The ordinarie Glose He speaketh here of the Baptisme of his passion And yet notwithstanding this is the place from whence they would drawe their Exposition What shamelesse and impudent dealing is this to expound to be baptised to signifie to be afflicted and that to bee afflicted should signifie to pray for the dead and that for those dead which are in Purgatorie Let them tell me if this manner of reasoning can bee vsed in any good Schoole without shame But yet after all to what end had it beene for Saint Paul to haue attempted the prouing of the resurrection of bodies by the soules tormented in Purgatorie And what would his argument haue beene in the end And why at the least did they not hold themselues either to Cardinall Hugo who saith Pro mortuis that is to say for their sinnes although verie darkly or yet for the better Caietan in 1. Cor. c. 15. to the Exposition of Cardinall Caietan For saith hee in that that they which are baptised are dipt into the water it is to bee vnderstood that they are dead vnto the world And whereas they professe to die vnto the same that so they may enter into newnesse of life they represent the resurrection of the dead The Apostle saith to the Philippians Philip. 2.10 To the end that euerie knee may bowe of those which are in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth These last are they which liue in Purgatorie for the Diuels say they doe not worship The sence is cleare That our Lord hauing humbled and abased himselfe to the taking of the forme not of man onely but euen of a seruant God hath lifted him vp on high and giuen him a name about all names these are the words going before that is to say an absolute power and Soueraigntie ouer all creatures acccording to that which he saith himselfe elsewhere All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And in the Apocalips he addeth thereto Math. 28. Apocal. 5. The creatures which are in the Sea c. Now the question is not here of an adoration but of a subiection not of the confessing or acknowledging of a Father but of a Iudge Hebr. 1. according to that which is said And hee hath made him Iudge of all things They make a great matter of the bowing of the knee
whole as that it may seeme to be nothing else then his words translated For he maketh and that by the report of Eusebius himselfe in his booke of the soule three degrees of men some that haue liued well and vertuously whom they conceiued to haue their abode in the Elisian fields as accompting them for most pure places and heauenly habitations Those whom he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past hope of amendment whome hee placeth in Tartaro in hell from whence they can neuer come out and those which haue committed sinnes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are curable and veniall whome hee casteth into burning flouds there to accomplish and make perfect their repentance to the ende they may bee purged therein and after their purgation receiue absolution And in deed he vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge and absolue Yet notwithstanding note that Eusebius who compareth the opinions of Philosophers with the doctrines of Christians doth not make any mention therein but onely of two conditions of men after death namely of the saued or of the damned A plaine and cleare testimony that the Church in his time did acknowledge no other but these two Virgill describeth it at large in the sixt booke of his Aeneidos Aliis sub gurgite vasto Infectum eluitur scelus aut exuritur igni Virgil. l. 6. Aencid Where he may seeme to haue expressed the two verbes before mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Donec longa dies perfecto temporis orbe Concretam exemit labem c. Wherefore S. Augustine needed not to be abashed when he said August de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 13. 17. That Purgatorie was one of Platoes doctrines As also That the dead may be relieued by the suffrages sacrifices of the liuing in so much as that the souls which are destitute therof are stil delaied caused in lingring manner to lie languishing in torments Homer Odyss 12. Virg. l. 6. Aenei Alcor Azo 10. as wee reade of the soule of Elpenor in Homer and of Palinurus in Virgill c. In like manner the Iesuits do not let to confesse that purgatory is sound there And we do further giue them to vnderstand that it is all whole to be had in the Turks Alcoran if that of the Paganes doe not content them The Iewes as we haue seene learned the same of the pagans vpon their falling away from their maner of worship religion and yet not so as that it preuailed with them to get a place in their Church for in the time of our Lord there appeared no markes or notes of any such thing but rather the contrary Paul Fagius in Deut. c. 14. Anton Margarita de superstitionibus Iudaic. The bookes of remembrance which they vse at this day wherin they name three times a yere those which are dead in the yeare praying to God that he would place them in his paradice with Abraham Isaac and Iacob c. are come since thē And this is made most apparant by their order for the extreame and deadly sicke was demanded if he did not perseuere to hold fast belieue the 13. Articles of their faith amongst the which the eleuenth is of the glorie to come and of eternall death the twelfth of their faith and beliefe in the Messias for want whereof they say the law is vnprofitable the thirteenth of the viuification or resurrection of the deade of Purgatorie not a worde neither yet of the Suffrages by which they should bee freed out of the same There happeneth one to die whereupon wee come to see all their ceremonies euen to the least Their neerest kinsfolkes doe rent their garmentes they eate not for that day in the house but without they eate not any flesh neyther drinke any wine except it bee vpon their Sabbath They neither wash nor annoint themselues for the space of seuen daies They lie vpon the ground and refraine the companie of their wiues They follow the bodie bare-footed They light a lampe for the space of seuen whole nightes setting it on the house floure perswaded thereto through a sottish and fantasticall conceipt that the soule commeth during the same time for to seeke the bodie c. And this is all that humane superstition had till then inuented the most part thereof being contrarie to the pure worde of the eternall God forbidding them in expresse wordes not to torment themselues for their dead And as for their praier if you obserue the tearmes thereof it will appeare to come neerer the nature of a wish then of a prayer Let his soule rest let his sleepe bee in peace let the gates of paradice bee opened vnto him by the Comforter that is to come c. And what is there in all this that is common with Purgatorie And in deed their Capitula patrum doe not make mention of any moe then two places But amongst Christians the first seedes of this doctrine are contained in the bookes declared to be Apocripha by the Primitiue Church and so by consequent the doctrine also is Apocrypha because it hath no other foundation besides them A certaine man named Hermas in his visions asketh an old woman if after the casting of certain stones there remaine any more pennance to bee done she answered that they could not come to a certaine tower but that they should be put into a lower roome where they are tormented vntill they haue accomplished the daies of their sinnes A booke of the Actes of Saint Andrew prayeth vnto God for an old Pandor and saith vnto him Iren. l. 5. We obtaine much mercie of him for the dead and why should we faile for this man which is aliue But the doctrine of the Church is to bee read in Ireneus The priestes saith he the disciples of the Apostles say that those which are translated from hence are conueighed into paradice which is prepared for iust men and such as haue the spirit whither Saint Paule was rauished and where he heard wordes that cannot bee vttered and that they abide and continue there vnto the end of the world Index expurgator p. 71. Iust Martyr in resp ad quaest Orthod q. 7. And therefore vpon good ground doth Erasmus shew that he spake as one that knew not purgatory And this obseruation the fathers of Trent haue caused to be raced And Iustin Martyr also After saith he the departure of this bodie there is presently made a seperation of the iust and vniust for they are caried into places worthy of them that is to say the soules of the iust into Paradice where they inioy the company of Angels Archangels as also the sight of our Sauiour Iesus Christ but those of the vniust and wicked into the infernall places c. They will alleadge against vs Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen Clem. Alex. l. 6 The one whereof laboureth to proue by the supposed Apocryphes of S. Peter S. Paule
other man you shall find them to haue beene of the same opinion But what maketh all this for purgatorie but onely that it may serue to dasle the eyes of men For that this was an opinion at that time helde as indifferent in the Church it doth appeare in that that Saint Augustine handling the same in his bookes of retractations leaueth it vndecided whereas Chrysostome in many places speaketh to the contrary cutting all off in a worde As that the righteous shall see God face to face and not any more by faith c. That death coupleth vs with the companie that is with Christ where the Cherubines glorifie God where the Seraphins flie where we shall see Saint Paule c. In so much as that it was pronounced hereticall and that by the name of the heresie of the Armenians by Innocent the third Benedict the eleuenth by the decree of the Councell held at Florence where it was said that the soules of the saints at their departure out of this life did inioy the presence of God Notwithstanding that Pope Iohn the 22. had made a Decree in fauour of that doctrine namely that the Vniuersitie of Paris should be restrained from admitting any to proceed Doctor or in any other degree of diuinity which did not take an oath that soules did not see God before the day of iudgement And this is verified by Gulielmus Occan in his booke intituled Opus nonaginta trium dierū And Pope Adrian the 6. vpon the 4. booke of Sentences both which do condemne it And thus as hitherto they haue not any third place where the souls are purged in the time betwixt death the day of iudgement For that of Origen S. Ambr. S. Hillary helpeth thē not a dodkin that of Augustines refuteth this of theirs and being wel looked on appeareth to be a fire of tribulation a spirituall but not a materiall fire moreouer such a one as is very doubtfull and meere arbitrarie Likewise these pretended receptacles of Soules are not places of anguish and torment but of rest and ioyfulnesse not of making satisfaction but of contentation to be receiued by the attending and wayting for of the glorie to come in like manner they are condemned of heresie by themselues And therefore it remaineth that if they will needes haue it to haue beene at this time which is fiue hundred yeares after Christ that yet they goe and find it amongst the Gentiles And great in deede is the antiquitie of that for it was before the comming of Christ many ages and yet notwithstanding it is verie young and a meere Nouice in the Church of Christ because it is without Christ and out of the Church CHAP. IX Wherein the obiections of the aduersaries whereby they goe about to proue their Purgatorie out of the old Fathers are fully answered THey say you cannot denie Of the satisfactions vsed amongst them of the olde Church but that the Primitiue Church did impose great satisfactions vpon them which had failed in the profession of the name of Christ How then could they make the same but in Purgatorie when they were dead and had left them vndone But wee rather argue quite contrarie As that if the auncient Church which imposed these Satisfactions vpon them that so they might let them goe to God in peace did as ordinarily giue them absolution then it cannot but certainely proue that it had not learned any thing of this Purgatorie But the truth is that in the times of those great and continuall persecutions which the Christians suffered for the space of three hundred yeares onely some little respite and rest giuen vnto them many did renounce and belie the profession of the faith of Christ who before in the calme and peaceable times had giuen their names thereunto becomming readie to returne to Idolatrie as the times chaunged and altered Now against this leuitie in constancie the auncient Church did not thinke any punishments that could be inflicted to be too hard or sharpe by meanes whereof it thought to find out the sinceritie or hypocrisie of the penitents as also their liuely or otherwise dull and dead sence and feeling that they had for their sinne Wherefore the end and scope of this course was to bring them to sackcloth and ashes and to suffer them to passe many daies in making humble petitions to bee reconciled to the Church who either had sacrificed or burnt incense to Idols or who had giuen the Gospels and holy Bookes to bee burned and who were therefore called Sacrificati Thurificantes Traditores Libellatici c. yea and which is yet more to the end they might adde more carefull heede to such as should offer to enter themselues into the number of the Church there were some that would not receiue Lapsos paenitentes any more then once to the taking of penance after baptisme And Nouatus proceeded yet further and denied it them altogether for the which he was condemned of the Church which also thereupon Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 2 from that time forward began to mitigate these punishments What then And now if they died before the time were they not bound by the Church And how then did they satisfie these punishments Idem l. 3. Ep. 8 Serm. 5. de Lapsis Verily the order was good that before they had fully made such satisfaction they were not to be receiued to absolution or to haue any communion with the Church But as duely was it obserued on the other side that if they were in daunger of death before the time of such accomplishment that then notwithstanding they were receiued into the peace absolution and communion of the same Assuredly not with any purpose or intent that they should euer haue gone into Purgatorie for they neuer thought of it But to the end saith S. Cyprian that dying they might goe to the Lord in peace Idem l. 3 Ep. 17. l 4 Ep 4. Euseb l. 6. c. 34 To the ende saith Dionysius That their sinne being blotted out they may depart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in good hope out of this life But here withall they ioyned say they this condition that if they should recouer their health againe that then they should fulfill this satisfaction but that otherwise they should haue any thing to accomplish in the world to come not a word Contrariwise S. Cyprian sheweth a reason of this absolution in these words saying Quoniam exomologesis apud in feros nec esse nec fieri potest Seeing there neither is nor can be any publike confession or acknowledgment amongst the dead That is to say as we haue learned to expound it of Tertullian that these Acts of Canonicall satisfaction cannot be accomplished after this life Bellarmine and others before him obiect vnto vs a place out of S. Cyprian in this same Epistle Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 4. but to no end or purpose Aliud inquit est ad veniam stare c. It is one
storie is That Iudas to incourage his soldiers being vppon the point of entering into a great fight acquainted them with this vision that had appeared vnto him But either it was a reall action or a likenesse and representation onely If it were reall and in deed where is then their Limbes become For they all agree that in the Limbes they can make no intercession neither be inuocated If representatiue or figuratiue then let them heare the exposition of their owne Doctors Gloss in 2. Machab. c. 15. That in Onias is represented the order of the priesthood and in Ieremias the Propheticall order and in the one and the other Iesus Christ the high priest and Prophet of whom Moyses hath said I will raise vp vnto you a Prophet like vnto mee of whom S. Iohn likewise saith If we haue sinned we haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Baruch Baruch 3.14 3. It is said Lord heare now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their children which haue sinned before thee Now it is to be known whether this word dead be taken for such as were dead in deed or else for a people brought vnto such an extremity as did threaten death vnto them euery moment Now the verse going before seemeth to make for the latter For it saith we perish are destroied for euer But let vs take it according to their own sence Lyranus giueth them the repulse ouerthrow He speaketh saith he of the praiers which the Patriarkes the Prophets had made whiles they liued for the good estate of their posteritie And their opinion also of the Limbes doth debarre them of the benefit of the place in their owne sence But what agreement hath this praier and intercession of the liuing Saints with that of the dead Those being commanded with promise to be heard these not mentioned in the Scripture but subiect vnto that great Woe so oftentimes repeated Woe to them which adde therunto Saint Paul prayeth for them that were in the same Shippe he praieth also the Romaines to pray for him But did he allow them to call vpon or to pray for aide vnto him or did hee himselfe inuocate the Romaines And therefore if we from these mutuall praiers of the faithfull that are liuing rise vp to the inuocation of the Saints that are dead what shall let vs then but that from the inuocation of the dead wee shall descend by consequent to the inuocating and adoring of those that be aliue to make vowes and offer vp our oblations vnto them to erect and build Churches and Altars in honour of them to burne sacrifices and incense vnto them and finally to reuiue the whole Masse of Paganisme for them which are as yet vppon earth as wee haue alreadie done for them which are in heauen And thus much for that which they can say as well for the inuocation as for the intercession of the olde Testament CHAP. XII That the inuocation of Saints hath not any foundation in the holy Scriptures of the new Testament IN the new Testament they alleadge that S. Paul ordained 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 15. Collos 4. that intercession shuld be made in the Church for all men that he praieth the Romaines and Colossians to pray for him that he hoped to be offered in the praiers of the Saints that S. Iames saith Pray yee one for an other to the ende that yee may bee saued c. What are all these places but the praiers of the Saints liuing and not of the Saints deceased whereupon there is not any thing further to bee inferred then what concerneth the dutie of charitie amongst the liuing and from which there wil not any old writer be found to gather the inuocating of Saints which are in heauen But we see that the rich man in the other life Luk. 16. praieth Abraham that his punishment may be mitigated and why not as wel here below What maner of argument is this concluding that what is done in Hel may be done here on earth And that what the damned doe the same also may the faithfull doe And what Diuinitie is this borrowed from the damned from the damned feeling in themselues the vnappeasible wrath and anger of God as not being able to comprehend him otherwise then as an angrie iudge for vs which haue accesse vnto his throne by Christ which is both the Porter and the gate which are led vnto the throne of his grace by the hand of his Sonne And what wilfull blindnesse is it to oppose vnto the cleare light of the Scriptures outward darknesse to the intercession of our Lord full of power and efficacie a parabolicall praier of a wicked rich man repelled and cast off by Abraham for the impertinencie thereof And no lesse impertinent and farre from the purpose are those places elsewhere Math. 27.47 as that of the crie of our Lord vpon the Crosse Eli Eli my God my God c. The souldiers had thought that he had called for Elias Let vs see say they if he will come This was then say they a familiar thing to call vpon the Saints But I should bee ashamed to confute it if they had any shame to alleadge it For what is this To learne the faith of the Church of Pilats souldiers the faith of Israel at the hands of the Gentils which are in garrison in Ierusalem which haue heard speech amongst the Iewes of one Elias that should come at that time which were trained vp in Paganisme to praie vnto as many Gods as they could dreame of or deuise to hold for Gods all those from whom they expected any good or feared any euill Which by reason of the ignorance of the tongue did suppose that our Lord called for Elias S. Ierome vpon this place I thinke that they were the Romane Souldiers who vnderstood not the propertie of the Hebrew tongue and thereupon did thinke that he had inuocated or called Elias But if we vnderstand and take them to haue beene Iewes then it was nothing but their ordinarie practise to speake reprochfully of the Lord accusing him of weaknesse and infirmitie and therby driuen to pray vnto Elias And the Glose and Caietanus haue vnderstoode it of the Romaines and of the Gentiles In S. Iohn 5. Thanke not saith our Lord vnto the Pharisies that I am to accuse you vnto my father Iohn 5.45 Moyses in whom you haue your hope he it is that will accuse you Thereupon they conclude that it was a doctrine amongst the Iewes that Moyses tooke the matter vppon him before God whether it were to accuse or defend them And still they forget that this dutie could not be exercised in the Limbes Wheras the text is plaine enough to those that haue any eyes Moyses that is to say the lawe and doctrine of Moses doth accuse vs is the sentence of condemnation against vs when we infringe and breake it when
assist him Afterward the Deacon nameth The holy mother of God S. Michael S. Gabriel S. Raphael and S. Iohn The people answereth O Christ heare them Anno. 1000. c. In the yeare 1000 wheras it had beene accustomed to denounce their Excommunications in the Church in the power and authoritie of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost they began to mingle therewithal the Virgine Marie and the Saints And this is apparant by the Councell of Rhemes C. 12. By the authoritie saith he of the Almightie God Concil Rhemens c. 12. c. and by the mediation of the Virgine Mary c. We Excommunicate curse condemn c. In Germanie notwithstanding this forme was not as yet receiued as is to bee seene in that which Barnard Bishop of Halberstat pronounceth against the Emperour Otho neither yet in the other agends of the same age and time But afterward all the Saints were put into it and so it passeth for the common and ordinarie forme The absoluing likewise of penitents by the loosing key as they cal it Anno. 1100. Anselm in lib. de excellent Virg Mar. was conceiued and vttered in these tearmes to wards the yere 1000. The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the merits of the blessed Virgine of S. Peter of S. Paul and of all the Saints and furthermore whatsoeuer good thou shalt doe or whatsoeuer ill thou shalt suffer worke and procure the remission of thy sinnes About the yeare 1100 Anselme reasoned strongly in a treatise made of purpose of the excellencie of the Virgine Mary Christ saith the Apostle is the power and wisedome of God in him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge but Christ is in Mary therefore all the treasures c. are in Marie And by the same argument may be concluded the verie same of all the faithfull for hee is said to dwell in the belieuers In the meane time it is from hence that hee gathereth all these goodly consequences Quòd Domina quòd Mediatrix quòd Saluatrix That shee is the Ladie of heauen and earth in the right of a mother Queene of Angels the repairer of mankind and by consequent the Mother as God is the Creator by consequent the Father And it was at this time also that Hermanus Contractus Conte of Vringhē in Germanie did make the Salue Regina which notwithstanding was not receiued into the church of Rome Anno. 1250. til about 150. years after in the time of Pope Gregory the ninth But would we see in the meane time a memorable example The Inuocating of God alone by Iesus Christ retained in the cōforting of the sicke and neere vnto death Anselm in Epist manuscript shewing that these abuses came not in all at a blow how this Inuocation of the Saints insinuated and crept into the Masse was not as yet growne to the corrupting of that consolation which men had that were in the extremitie of death and how God mercifully sparing his people after all these impieties reserued and kept vntoucht their consolation in their saluation by one onely Iesus Christ to be soundly taught and deliuered vnto them at the howre of their death It is found in the Epistles of this Anselme that there was a forme of comforting the sicke which I haue thought worthie to bee set downe here euen whole and intire such as it was Doest thou reioyce and cheare vp thy selfe saith the Priest to the sicke partie that thou diest in the faith of Christ The aunswere yea Doest thou confesse that thou hast liued so wickedly as that nothing is due to thy deserts but euerlasting punishment A. yea Art thou hartily sorie and grieued for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that our Lord Jesus Christ died for thee A. yea Doest thou giue him thankes for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that thou canst not bee saued but by his death A. yea Wherefore then whiles thou possessest thy soule repose thy whole saluation in this his only death put not thy trust and confidence in any other thing trust and commit thy selfe wholly to this death couer thy selfe with it onely with it onely wrap thy selfe all ouer And if the Lord God would iudge thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of Jesus Christ our Lord betwixt thee and my demerits I offer and tender vnto thee his merites in stead of that which ought to bee in me and is not If hee yet further replie vpon thee saying that he is angrie with thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt me and thine anger And this being ended let the sicke partie say three times Lord I commend my spirit into thy hands Of the same veine is the difference which we obserue betweene the life Bernard in paruis Ser. 23. Idem Serm. 15. Psal 91. the extreame sicknesse of S. Barnard He saith verie excellently well sometimes He that will come let him come after me let him come by me let him come to me After me saith the Lord for I am the truth by me for I am the way vnto me for I am the life c. Againe I will deliuer him because he hath trusted in me Not saith hee in Sentinels or Nightwatches not in man not in any Angell but in me expecting good from none but me onely For preseruation and deliuerance must not onely be of me but from me And of the Virgine Marie hee saith Idem Ep. 174. She hath no need of false and counterfeit honour being as shee is in the midst and vpheaped measure of true and sound honour It is not to honour her but to take her honour from her The feast of the Conception was neuer well instituted c. But it is as true that in other places hee helpeth forward and setteth vp this abuse euen so farre as to say Thou hast O man a sure accesse to God where the Mother is before the Sonne the Sonne before the Father the Mother shewing vnto the Sonne her bosome and her brests the Sonne shewing to his Father his fide and his wounds Vpon the point of death notwithstanding seeing himselfe drawne before the iudgement seate of God and Sathan before him his accuser he remembreth not any thing but the wounds of the Sonne hee hath quite forgotten the bosome of the mother Gothfrid in vita Berr ard l. 5. I confesse saith he that I am not worthie by my merites to obtaine the kingdome of heauen but my Lord doth hold it by a double title both as his inheritance from his Father and as his purchase by the price and merite of his death and passion he will content himselfe with the one and bestow the other vpon me And so by vertue of this gift I giue it to my selfe I am not confounded As likewise he hath said verie excellently in an other place I seeke my salue in the wounds and stripes of my Lord my merites in the mercies
yet notwithstanding the same hee loueth them For saith he There is not any one sinne that God iustifieth and aloweth he hateth them all but by his grace he causeth sinne to bee consumed in vs in as much as it is wasted somewhat and diminished in the liues of such men as profit but consumed in the liues of such as haue attained to perfection that is to say after this life And this he maketh plaine in an other place by S. Hillarie There is not saith he in this life any purifying and cleansing away of all sinne Idem l. 2 cont Iulianum and yet hee hopeth to attaine humane perfection that is to say a nature perfectly cleansed in the last resurrection Which thing our Lord if so be that our Aduersaries would haue belieued him hath said in one word vnto his Apostles You are now cleane because of my word And yet hee had said My father cleanseth you and purgeth you euerie day that so you may beare more fruit c. If then sinne do still dwell in the regenerate and that such sinne as begetteth infinite other sinnes in vs and these sinnes death yea so many deathes so many hels doe we purchase vnto our selues as we commit sinnes and therefore farre off from meriting of life for an other seeing we cannot doe it for our selues Neither haue wee any other exception to alleadge against it but this There is iust cause and matter in vs to condemne vs yea and more then inough but praised be the grace of our God That we are in Christ c. That there is no condemnation to such as are in him But if they say to vs that euen as the flesh worketh sinne in vs vnto condemnation if grace doe not preuent euen so the regenerate spirit worketh good workes vnto saluation yea sufficiently yea aboundantly c. We answere That the beginning and originall of good workes is altogether of God whereas the beginning and originall of sinne is of our selues so that in deed damnation doth belong to vs and saluation to God as also that these good workes proceeding from a heart not perfectly regenerate haue alwaies a spice of euill euen of the euill that is in and of vs and that sufficeth to make them displeasing vnto God saue that he beareth with them through his mercies exhibited in his Sonne the goodnesse which we cannot make our accompt and reckoning of before God seeing it is his It is generally therefore said of all men but this word is expresly and properly appointed and directed to the regenerate to the end that in their miserie and misdeeds they may seeke and search for the remedie which God hath prepared for them in Christ Eccles 6. Prou. 10. Iob. 15. Psal 143. that all are sinners There is not a man vpon the earth that doth good No man can say I am cleane from sinne yea euen amongst his Saints God cannot find any that are able to abide the triall And if we say saith the Apostle that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. On the contrarie it standeth vs vpon continually To craue pardon Psal 19. because we are continually euen euerie houre sinning and pardon Ab occultis nostris From the sinnes that we neither see nor perceiue We are so seared in respect of the sence and feeling of sinne And of all this it followeth that as God hath shut vp all vnder sinne so likewise vnder condemnation the same extending and stretching it selfe also vnto vs if he had not shrowded vs vnder the protection of his grace As concerning our good workes Without me saith the sonne of God you can doe nothing no not so much as thinke a good thought Iohn 15.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Acts. 16.14 Psal 119. Philip. 2.13 Iam. 1.17 but in that you are any thing fitted thereto it is of God of God that openeth our heart that inclineth it vnto his lawes and which strengthneth it in his waies that accomplisheth in vs both the will and the worke according to his owne free-will and good pleasure Of God the father of lights from whome euerie good gift commeth c. But principally the gift of faith without which neither we neither any thing of ours can please God Math 16. the faith I say of the Sonne of God Which flesh and bloud do not reueale but the father that is in heauen And what should God be bound and indebted to vs for that which he himselfe worketh in vs of his meere grace for these pretended good workes Osce 13. Nay let vs say rather with the Prophet Israell thy destruction is of thy selfe And thou must impute and lay it to no other but to thine owne selfe But thy saluation is of me Thou hast not any thing then to reproach or accuse But how will the case stand if these verie workes weighed in the balance of iustice bee found to be sinnes And so much the rather and more likely because that thou dost make accompt of them for holy and sanctified deedes as also so much the more cursed and damnable by how much the more thou accomptest of them for meritorious The Sonne of God said vnto his Apostles When you haue done all that is commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 But how farre off are we And next what meaneth this To do that which we ought But to doe it as we ought and to that end that it ought to be done c. And who is he that is able to obserue all that and if it were but in one onely action And that I may not presse them withall how would he bee able to doe it for Gods glorie c. without making some mixture for his owne interest as either for his owne profit or honour c. But as for sinne and that which is euill what is it that wee are not cunning inough in to doe verie well and on the contrarie where is that good thing that fadgeth not and falleth out most ill fauouredly in our hands and that in diuers respects So then we must say with the Propht All our righteous deedes are as a stained cloath Our righteous and best deeds saith he and not our vnrighteousnesse for in all our workes how good so euer they seeme to bee there doe iumpe and meete together something that is of the spirit and something that is of the fleshe as they are more or lesse strong in vs according to the saying of Saint Paul who teacheth vs not to flatter our selues When I would doe the good as if hee said euen when I buckle my selfe about it with all the power within me Rom 7. Philip. 3. Euill is readie with me to will is present but I cannot find the meanes to doe and performe it c. And for the proofe hereof wee neede no other proofe but to consider and looke into our selues and our best actions as into our praiers with what an
is the fountaine and welspring of iustification And in an other place Magniloqui dicuntur c. Such saith he are rightly called the greatest brauers who put their trust in themselues as being righteous and thereupon presume of the workes of the Law As on the contrarie those are called and are truely poore which know themselues sinners and perceiue that they can no way be iustified but by the faith of Christ. And therefore saith he it is requisite that this conceitednesse of thinking to be saued by workes should be laid downe Idem in Soph. l. 2. c. 3. Idem l. 2. in Genes c. 3. Idem in Esa c. 8. Without faith it is impossible to please God it is in like manner impossible but by faith Abraham Isaac and Iacob c. were not saued any otherwise For righteousnesse is Ex fide in fidem of faith and vnto faith Of faith that is of him who hath promised who hath sworne Vnto faith that is of him who hath belieued in him that promised and giuen credite to him that swore c. But as for such as are not true Israelites they haue no such faith for in seeking and searching after their owne righteousnesse they could not stoope vnto or vndergoe this of faith but haue toyled themselues by seeking the same from workes to workes as if Abraham had beene iustified by workes when as the Scripture testifieth of him Idem de Victor verb. Dei l. 4. c. 21. that he belieued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse c. Verie excellently therefore is it said From faith to faith for in that the Sonne of God is come c. this proceedeth of the faith fulnesse of God of whome it is written God is faithfull c. Namely herein that Dauid and others moe haue not pearced him through with their sinnes and that he accomplisheth by his exceeding great faithfulnesse what hee had promised of his exceeding great grace And this righteousnesse tendeth in fidem vnto an other faith because it is not possible that any man should be iustified before him by his workes but by faith Idem in reg l. 2. c. 39. According to that which is said If thou obserue and marke mine iniquities O Lord c. And to be briefe he oftentimes vttereth these words The onely faith of Iesus Christ is able to iustifie c. Lombard likewise Loâ—bard l. 3 d. 19. 25. We are iustified by the death of Christ that is to say cleansed from our sinnes by faith in his death Beholding him by faith after the manner of the brazen Serpent we are deliuered from the bands of sinne and the Diuell in so much as that he is not to demaunde or looke for any thing at our hands Without faith in this Mediatour no man hath beene saued either before or since no man was euer deliuered from that condemnation that came by Adam otherwise then by faith Idem l. 3. d. 26. Rupert in Ioh. c. 1. Impraegnatam mentem Lombard l. 3. d. 23 Honor. in Specul Eccles Richard in Apocal. l. 1. c. And this faith saith he is of God according to that which Saint Augustine saith The mercie of God shall preuent me the mercie of God shall follow me c. That is saith Rupertus Because that to belieue is to haue conceiued the seed of the word of God with loue in his heart as also to haue his mind and spirit conceiued and laden with the same And Lombard To loue God is by belieuing in him to cleaue vnto him and to be incorporated into him by such faith the wicked is iustified inso much as that from thence forward faith worketh in him by loue for there are no good workes but those which are done by the loue of God and this loue is the worke of faith Honorius He is most happie in deede that belieueth rightly and that together with this beliefe liueth well but faith is the foundation and the loue of God and our neighbours is grounded vpon the same And Richard Of faith proceedeth charitie and of charitie doe good workes spring and growe And what is all this but the same which we affirme daily that faith cannot stand without charitie any more then fire can without heate That the life of faith euen as that of trees is knowne because it bringeth forth fruit In a word that wee are iustified by faith onely And yet such a faith as is neuer alone but which containeth in it a certaine heate which is naturall vnto it alwayes acting somewhat neuer idle continually bringing foorth as a fountaine of water the effects of loue which it beareth towards God and the good works it performeth vnto neighbours But Saint Bernard whome we haue so oft heretofore cited goeth further then all the rest For there was in his time a certaine man named Petrus Abailardus a verie Pelagian who durst say That whereas Christ had abased and humbled himselfe euen vnto the death c. that it had not beene but to haue left vs a patterne of liuing well and that our saluation consisteth not in his death and passion but in the growth and proceeding of our good conuersation Whereupon he is not content to giue him to vnderstand that this his assertion is the same which the Apostle calleth the making of the Crosse of Christ of none effect but taketh his occasion and proceedeth further and hauing taken the beasome once into his hand he sweepeth not onely this filth out of the Church that caused him to take it into his hand but withall he applieth himselfe all vnder one to sweepe away whatsoeuer the Iew Gentile Philosopher or superstitious Monke had brought and shuffled thereinto with their vncleane feete or else was negligently looked vnto or tolerated by the sorenamed it hauing fallen out then as it doth oftentimes vnto vs now who are not moued or stirred vp to remoue put away the thing that is euill be it neuer so great And therefore reprouing the waies that S. Augustine did walke in hee dealeth vpon the true iustification in the bloud of Christ by faith more exactly then all the rest Our master saith he knew well that the Law did require more then was in our power Bernard in Serm. 50. super Cant. Idem Serm de verb orig Idem Serm 38 super Cantic Idem Serm. 11 in Annunciat Mariae Idem de milit templ c. 11. Idem Ep. 99. Idem Serm 22 super Can. fusissime but notwithstanding he would giue it vnto vs that we might be admonished of our insufficiencie and that such and so great saith he as that we are neuer able to render vnto God that which we owe him in such sort as that if we should teare and pull our skinnes from off our backes yet are we neuer able to satisfie for our sinnes But wee haue recourse vnto the voice of the bloud of Christ which hath cried farre lowder then the bloud of Abell which proclaimeth in
couenant is certaine that they in particular are comprehended and contained in the same c. And which more is they worke within a faith of the free promises of the Creator of the remission of sinne in his Sonne c. a confirmation of that most neere coniunction that is betwixt the faithfull and God an vnion with Christ by the bond of his holy spirit such as the members haue with the head from which they draw saluation and life Whereupon it followeth that they are made new men for so much as the power and efficacie of the spirit of Christ dooth conuert and turne them into his nature draw them from their owne regenerate and cast them anew by little and little and that both in their affections as also in their actions to put their trust in God through Iesus Christ to renounce and forsake themselues for the loue of him and to wish well and doe well vnto their neighbours but especially to the members of the same bodie both in him and for him Now therefore this is the office and part of the Sacraments What a sacrament is and thereupon a Sacrament to define it properly is a holy ceremonie instituted of God added to the promise of grace made in Iesus Christ to be an earnest penie and certaine testimonie vnto all the faithfull that this promise of grace expounded explaned in the word of God is particularly exhibited ratified applied to him vnto saluation And such were amongst the old people from the time of Abraham and Moyses vnto the comming of our Lord Circumcision and the Passe-ouer instituted of God to such end in stead wherof there were ordained for vs by our Lord holy Baptisme and the holy supper to continue to the end of the world It consisteth of a signe a thing and the word Genes 17.10 13. Rom. 4. Of these Sacraments the Scripture speaketh after this sort Of Circumcision It shall be vnto you saith the Lord for a signe of the couenant betwixt me and you and my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant Thus of the signe And S. Paul Abraham saith he receiued the signe of the Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seale of the righteousnesse of faith And we know that the righteousnesse of faith is that which is freely promised giuen in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now behold the effect and so by consequent a perfect Sacrament Deutr. 10. â—oâ— 2 28. Exod. 12. according to that which Moyses saith Circumcise the foreskinne of your heart And S. Paul Circumcision is not that which is made in the flesh but of the heart in the spirit Of the Passe-ouer The bloud of the Lambe is vnto you for a signe in the houses wherein you shall be 1. Corinth 5. I will see this bloud and passe ouer But this bloud saith the Apostle is the bloud of Christ Christ our Passe-ouer was slaine for vs c. Behold here againe both the signe and the thing and both the one and the other by the word that is to say by the institution of Christ who hath ordained the signe for the thing and giuen the thing with the signe otherwise naked and vnprofitable not answering the effect that is expected thereof This word in the Circumcision is this I am the Lord Almightie c. I will set my couenant betwixt thee and me Genes 17. Exodus 12. c. In the Passe-ouer The tenth day of the month let euerie man take a Lambe c. In which places God instituteth and ordaineth these Sacraments and giueth them by his institution perpetuall power in his Church as by these words once spoken Increase and multiplie he hath giuen for euer his blessing vnto holy marriage The same is that of the Sacraments of the new Testament Baptisme receiueth vs into the couenant of God in stead of Circumcision the holy Supper in stead of the Passe-ouer dooth nourish and maintaine vs therein whereupon the one is properly called Regeneration as a man would say a new birth and the other The communion of the bodie and bloud of our Lord to our nourishing vnto eternall life In Baptisme water is the signe the bloud of Christ is the thing signified water which washeth away the spots of the body bloud which cleanseth and wipeth away the sinnes of the soule namely by the mediation of the word or institution of God accompanied with his holy spirit which giueth efficacie and power vnto the Sacrament Of the signe S. Iohn Baptist saith Mat. 5. Act 1. 1 Cor. 12.13 Coloss 2.11 Rom. 3. â— Galat. 3.27 Tit. 3 5. I baptise you with water but as concerning the thing Hee will baptise you with the holy Ghost namely the Lord. Of both together the Apostle saith Wee are baptised into one spirit buried in baptisme into the death of Christ and raised againe into his resurrection and saued by the washing of regeneration and of the renewing of the holy Ghost In so much as that the word that is to say the institution of the Lord added to the element of water worketh supernaturally in our soules by the holy Ghost the same that water doth in our bodies by his naturall propertie Baptise yee in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost c. And we shall say the same hereafter but more largely of the holy Supper The new Testament of the Lord in his bloud Which being instituted to the same end is also of the same nature with the other Sacraments the bread wine for signes and tokens most fitly agreeing with the true and perfect nourishment of the faithfull that is in Christ a foode and nourishment that cannot better be expressed then by that of our bodies which turne into their substance that which they eate and drinke saue onely that the communion of the body and bloud of Christ hath this ouer and aboue because of his power which is infinitely more mightie then that of ours namely that it conuerteth and chaungeth vs into his substance maketh vs flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and causeth vs to liue in him and by him c. Whereas our bodies being stronger then the thing which they eate doe cause and make the same to liue after a certaine manner in them turning it into their substance The signes therefore are bread and wine and by that name they are continually called of S. Paul and that euen after the words as they cal them of consecration The thing that is the Communion of the bodie of Christ broken for vs and of his bloud shed for our sins 1 Cor. 10. 11. The word that is the institution of the Lord which commeth thereunto Doe this in remembrance of me shew forth the death of the Lord vnto his comming c. This is the same that the old writers say that Christ is the onely saluation of the Church The Israelites were partakers of one and tâ—e same thing with vs.
c. which could not be both the signes and the things at one and the same time August ad Bonisacium Ep. 23. And therefore saith Saint Augustine The Sacraments that is to say the signes for the similitude and likenesse which they haue with the things doe take the names of the things themselues And he giueth this example To morrow shall be the passion of our Lord to day Christ is risen againe we are buried with Christ by Baptisme c. In like maner he saith not saith he we signifie the buriall but plainly and absolutely we are buried calling the Sacrament of the thing that is to say the signe by the name of the thing it selfe Againe Idem in Leuit. l. 3. q. 7. cōt Adimant c. 12 Ep. 102. The thing which signifieth hath bin accustomed to be named by the name of that which it signifieth As the seuen eares are seuen yeares hee saith not signifie the rocke was Christ hee saith not signifieth Christ as though it were that in substance which it is not but in signification c. Which thing Theodoret calleth a commutation of names of the signe or Symbole to the thing Seeing saith he that God would that those which receiue the diuine mysteries should not rest and content themselues with the things which they see but that they should beleeue through the change of names the transmutation that is made of grace Not saith he that the nature is changed but that grace is added thereunto That which is brought in as said by Saint Gregorie Gregor in Dial l. 4. may we also say together with him That in the celebration of the Sacrament the high and heauenly things are ioyned to the low and earthly and the visible to the inuisible c. But Saint Augustine giueth vs a rule which wee are not to exceede or passe August in doct Christ l. 3 c. 5. It is saith he a miserable seruitude and slauerie of the soule to take the signes for the things This is Carnaliter sapere not to taste any thing but flesh to be carnally wise which is the verie death of the soule c. The Iewes did obstinately pitch and rest themselues vpon the signes Christian libertie reuerenceth not a profitable signe instituted of God but that whereunto such signes are to be referred c. that is to say for that the signe and the thing are Correlatiues And as saith he it is a slauish weakenesse and a point of seruile infirmitie to take the signes for the things signified Idem de Trin. l. 9. quaest ex Nou. Test c. 59. Idem cont Maxim l 3. c. 22. Idem in 1. Cor. c. 10. Idem in 2. Cor. 3. Tho. in tract de differ verb. diuin Lum Summ. q. 1. art 6. vbi allegat Petra erat Christus so it is a verie deepe deceipt and errour to interpret them vnprofitably And by name he taketh for an example the Sacraments of the Christian Church especially Baptisme in an other place We see therein saith he water but the spirit which is not seene worketh therein which washeth away the sinnes of the soule and as visible things becom profitable to such as are able to see so the spirit to the spirituall c. And in another place In the Sacraments we are to regard not that which they are but that which they signifie sunt enim signa rerum saith he aliud existentia aliud significantia for they are signes of things which are another maner of thing in themselues then that which they signifie And Anselme in the same sense The holie Scriptures call the things signifying as the signified for that the signes seeme to make representation of the things they signifie whereupon it is said The rocke was Christ which was onely by the way of signification and not of substance And in another place It must bee carefully anoyded that a figuratiue speech be not expounded and taken according to the letter for this were carnaliter sapere to haue a carnall taste c. and Thomas in like maner And indeed the difference betwixt them is so great as that they cannot be made one For Saint Augustine saith oftentimes God onely giueth the thing but both the good and the euill may giue the signe And Chrysostome When thou art baptised August contr Maxim l. 3. c. 22 in Ioh. tract 5. con liter Petil. l. 3. c. 4.9 Chrysost in Mat. hom 51. Le◠de Natiuit serm 4. it is not the Minister which baptiseth thee it is God himselfe who holdeth thy head by an inuisible power neither Angell nor Archangell durst once touch thee therein And Leo the first Christ gaue to the water the same which hee gaue to his mother the same that made her to conceiue the Sauiour namely the operation of the holy Ghost giueth the power of the regenerating of man vnto the water c. And Anselme who is not one of the oldest writers Wherefore dooth God alone saith hee giue the thing and men the signe Verily because that without the mediation of his worde the signe is a meere naked and bare signe yea it ought to loose and forgoe the name of signe in as much as the thing whereof it is the signe cannot bee ioyned thereto So the Circumcision of the Turkes is nothing for it is without the institution of the Lord and as little is that of the Moores worth notwithstanding they be Christians and yet the signe is there intire the ceremonie intire And so although that Manna should raine downe to morowe yea and albeit water should gush out of the rocke yet this should be but Manna and water this should not likewise bee to Christians the participating of Christ it was that vnto the Iewes In the apple which Adam did eate in the Garden there was no venime and notwithstanding it was deadly vnto him for that the transgressing of the word of the Lord doth beget and bring forth death In these Sacraments how precious so euer they be there is no gaine or good to bee got without the institution of God for his word is the life therof And this is that which S. Augustine saith The signes of diuine things are visible wherein we honour the inuisible things Signacula August de Catech. rud c 26 and yet notwithstanding we must not hold the kind which is sanctified by the blessing thereof as that which is of common vse for there must regard and consideration be had what the word doth signifie which hath beene pronounced vpon it as also that which lieth hidden in the same and wherof it beareth the similitude likenesse Iren. likewise Iren. l. 4. c. 34. The bread hauing receiued his stile of the word of God is not any more common bread but it becommeth an Eucharist which consisteth in two things the one earthly and the other heauenly And the same had beene said by him of all the Sacraments S. Ambrose What hast thou seene
grace And Saint Augustine That the signes are common to the good and euill but the thing proper vnto the faithfull alone That although they shut vp within their teeth tantae reâ— Sacramentum that is to say the signe of so excellent a thing Idem de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 25. In sent Prosper 318. tract 59. in Iob. yet they eate but their owne condemnaion That none abide in him but such as beleeue in him that such as abide in him eate him that the rest eate Sacramento tenus non re vera the signe not the thing That the Apostles did eate panem Dominum the bread which was the Lord but Iudas the bread of the Lord against the Lord c. Although Saint Hillarie say that he communicated not at all and the Canon Qui discordat drawne out of Saint Augustine is cleare and euident therein Wheras on the contrarie it should proue most plain and manifest that if their opinion take place that the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites shall receiue the bodie of Christ Christ shal dwell in their bodies corporally such as are dead in their sinnes shal receiue the bread of life and in it eternal life Thus then they destroy the Sacrament of the Supper both in the thing and in the signe prostituting holinesse and sanctimonie vnto the prophane casting the childrens bread vnto dogges and bestowing the spiritual life vpon the vnbeleeuers In the signes causing them to cease to be substances and signes of a most substantiall substance turning them into vaine and imaginarie accidents accidents subsisting without any subiect and yet hauing taste and apt to feed and sustaine and to beget excrements and wormes that is to say substances yea and to be turned into ashes that is to say into matter doe we consent and agree vnto the contradictions contained in these things yea and to be brused and broken in peeces For if this be not bread which is broken shall it be the bodie They are not able to affirme it Iohn 19. Exod. 12. The scripture is verie cleare and plaine His bones shall not be broken Thus then you see how they go about to make them accidents without any bodie Thirdly the nature of one Sacrament is vnderstood by the other It destroyeth the conformity and correspondency that is betwixt the holy supper and the other sacraments We haue affirmed it heretofore out of the old writers with the Apostle That in the Sacraments of the old Testament the fathers receiued the same meate and the same drinke and yet notwithstanding without transubstantiation euen Christ And namely in the comparing of the holy Supper they haue â—o vnderstood it S. Augustine The same faith abideth but the signes are chaunged There the rocke was Christ here that which is set vpon the Altar There they drunke the water that ranne out of the rocke and we the faithfull know that which we drinke c. And Bertram They did eate and drinke the same meate which the people of the beleeuers doth eate and drinke in the Church euen the flesh and blood of our Lord and infinit others Let vs speake now of those of the new Testament Of Baptisme it is said Bee baptised in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes Of the Supper This is my bodie which is broken my bloud which is shed for you for the remission of sinnes Of the one If a man be not regenerate and borne againe of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Of the other If you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of man drinke not his blood you haue no life in you In a word it is said that in the one We put on Christ we are baptised into his death established and â—ssured into his resurrection regenerate renewed saued c. That in the other We dwell in Christ and that we are in him nourished vnto eternall life c. And Saint Paule seemeth to haue ioyned them together in one verse 1. Cor. 12.13 We were all baptised into one selfe same spirit and we haue all drunke of one selfe same spirit that we might become one and the same bodie c. For the like effects proceeding from the same power and tending to the same end wherefore then wil we in these Sacraments find out diuerse natures Tit. 2. 2. Pet. 1. And why dooth water continue still to be water and neuerthelesse the sprinckling saith the Apostle of the bloud of Christ washing vnto regeneration and remission of sinnes and to saluation by the operation of the holy Ghost when as the bread and wine by the verie same cannot become instruments to nourish our soules with the bodie and bloud of Christ but that it must first come to passe that they be made of no reckoning that the bodie and bloud doe enter into and take possession of their places and that the nature of all both wordes and things holie and not holie be turned topsie turuie As though the power of God were weaker in the one then in the other And it is likewise most certaine that there is nothing more familiar amongst the fathers Epiph. cont haeres l 3. c. 2. in Anchorat Chrysost in Mat. hom 83. August in Io. tract l. 25. 26. Euseb Emiss then to reason from Baptisme vnto the Supper of the Lord. As when Epiphanius saith That the strength of the bread and vertue of the water are made powerfull in Christ c. And Chrysostome speaking of the Supper The Lord saith hee hath not giuen vs here anie sensible thing wee must see and looke vpon the same with the eies of our vnderstanding c. And thus saith hee by the water in Baptisme which is a sensible thing he hath giuen vs regeneration which is a gift apprehended by the vnderstanding And S. Augustine vpon the same matter The Christian is made fat inuisibly namely in the holie Supper as also he is begotten and borne againe inuisibly namely in Baptisme And Eusebius Emissenus labouring to declare and shew what manner of change it is that is made in the bread and wine laieth out the same in plaine sort by that which is wrought in the regeneration of man saying which continueth idem idem the verie same and yet notwithstanding quite another maner of man through the growth and increase of faith Damascene also in like maner Damasc l. 4. c. 14. D. 2. C. Quia corpus de consecr C. vtruÌ„ though one that hath written after the grossest sort in this matter Gratian likewise in the Canon Vtrum which is taken out of Saint Augustine and manie other Certes the Councell of Nice saith of Baptisme Our Baptisme is not to be considered with the eies of the bodie but with the eies of the spirit and so of the Supper Let not your eies stay themselues vpon these signes but lift theÌ„ vp on high c. And he letteth not to say of Baptisme Seest thou water
to say which haue not any thing to doe with any carnall thing but bring eternall life And if then with the consent of all the fathers this place of S. Iohn do expound make plaine the doctrine of the holy supper and must be vnderstood spiritually then also must those wordes of the institution be so vnderstood if we mind not to cause the scriptures to disagree and fight against scriptures and one place thereof against many places yea and that one against it selfe if wee will not violently go about to establish quite against all analogy of scripture the matter of transubstantiation which yet is not of bread into a bodie but of I know not what as that which hath no name into a bodie not of wine into bloud but of wine or rather of the cup into bloud or rather into the new testament in bloud If likewise wee will not haue the bread and wine abased or turned into nothing in S. Mathew in S. Marke and in S. Luke after the wordes and yet continue in their sound and perfect natures in S. Paule after the verie same that is to say If wee will not ouerthrow for the retaining of the litterall sence of one only word the spirit diffused throughout the whole scriptures and make the sacraments of the Church of Christ by the hardnes of our expositions more rawe and carnall then all those of the Iewish Church These are the absurdities which accompanie the expositions of our transubstantiators whereas ours doth retaine the nature of all the sacraments the agreement of the old with the new of holy baptisme with the holy supper of the supper of the Apostles with that of the Christian Church and aboue all the principal end of the same which is the nourishment of the soule vnto eternall life by that consunction of the faithfull with Christ as also of the faithfull amongst themselues which it fostereth and cherisheth c. It conserueth in like manner the truth of the humane bodie of our Lord which the other destroyeth the excellent dignitie of his diuine nature which that abaseth and all this by keeping the Analogie of the faith of Christ and the harmony of the holy scriptures CHAP. IIII. That the Fathers knew not Transubstantiation nor the reall presence in the signes And this is prosecuted vnto the time of the first Nicene Councell the same contayned therein NOw it is also very certaine that such as hath beene the doctrine of the Church not Primitiue onely but also for a long time after euen when corruption had entered this noble and worthie parte of the Church not hauing beene touched or defiled by the first which thing wee shall bee able to proue from time to time by the Fathers saue that we will not repeate diuers places before alleadged as the course of our treatise hath caused vs to produce and cite the same Saint Clement Bishop of Rome Clem. Rom. constit l. 6. c. 6. in the mysticall thanksgiuing that followeth the consecration Father we giue thee thanks for the precious blood of Iesus Christ which is shed for vs and for his precious bodie whereof we make vp and finish these counterfeites and resemblances l. 8. c. 17. Marke this word counterfeits that is to say correspondent figures and that after the consecration Himselfe hauing ordained it for vs to the end that wee might shew forth his death c. Againe in his liturgie after the consecration We offer vnto thee O king and God according to thine ordinance this bread and this cup l. 5. c. 61. c. And in another place The counterfeites saith he and mysteries of his bodie and blood at which say the Apostles as the report is set downe by Clement Iudas was not present with vs. l. 2. c. 61. And yet notwithstanding such because of the holy mystery whereunto they are consecrated That he exhorteth men to come vnto them as into the presence of a king If this had beene the reall bodie of our Lord would he haue made any other comparison then from himselfe would he not haue said that it was requisite to worship it as God Ignatius Ignat. in ep ad Philadel There is one flesh of our Lord and one bloud shed for vs one bread also broken for all and one cup for the whole Church How was it possible for him better to distinguish betwixt the signes and the things then by these foure wordes flesh and bloud on the one part and bread and cuppe on the other Bellarmine would haue him to signifie by these wordes flesh and bloud his bodie stretched out and his bloud shedde vpon the crosse and by the bread and cup his bodie broken his bloud shed in the holy Supper But do we then eate in the holy supper an other body then that which was stretched and drinke we another blood then that which was shed vpon the crosse for vs What other thing is this then to take from vs all our consolation all our glorie And did not then the Apostles communicate Iesus Christ crucified And what becommeth of the glorie of that great Apostle who would not know or glorie in any other thing but him crucified And what other thing els is this but in most outragious manner to abuse the scripture That he did not speake in the supper of his bodie broken with griefes vpon the crosse but of his bodie broken vnder the Accidents of bread not of his blood shed for our sinnes but taken and powred out of the cuppe vnder the Accidents of wine which notwithstanding to be so is proued for that whereas it is said in S. Luke shed for you it is in S. Mathew shed for many for this cannot bee referred to the breaking or powring out which is in the celebration of the holy Supper but to that which was really made vpon the crosse The same father also vndermineth and ouerturneth the very foundation of transubstantiation by the nature of Christ Ignat. cp 8. ad Polycarp Here below saith he is the race but the crowne is laid vp in heauē Christ the son of God euen he who is not temporarie that is to say not subiect to any time in time inuisible by nature visible in the flesh impalpable and such as cannot be felt with handes and yet notwithstanding for the loue of vs become corporall and palpable c. Iustinus Martyr compareth the bread of the Eucharist Iustin in dial cum Tryphon to the cow which was sacrificed in the old law for them which were purged of the leprosie He hath giuen vs saith he to celebrate the Eucharist in remembrance of his death note remembrance which he suffered for them whose spirits are purged from sin to the end that we should render thanks vnto God Again He hath giuen the bread saith he to the end that we should beare in remēbrance that he was made a bodie for such as do belieue in him the cup to the end that we shold
c. Againe The heauenly bread which is the flesh of Christ is called the bodie of Christ suc modo after a sort though notwithstanding so it be that it is the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ that is of that which beeing visible palpable and mortall was fastned vpon the Crosse and that this offering vp thereof is called passion death c. Not in the truth of the thing but in a signifying mysterie c. In the Glose It is called the body of Christ that is to say significat it signifieth it The heauenly Sacrament which truely representeth the flesh of Christ is called the bodie of Christ but improperly c. Thus then according to the Canons we eate in the Eucharist the flesh of Christ c. spiritually not carnally Now it followeth that we looke a little about vs C Quia corpus 34. C Qui manducant 57. C. Vt quid 46. C Credere 18. C. Tuncâ—â—s 89 C Non iste panis 55. De Consecr d. 2. to see whether it be by faith or with our mouthes The Canon Quia corpus saith The Lord hauing to ascend vp into heauen did consecrate vnto vs in the day of the Supper the Sacrament of his body and his bloud to the end that that which had beene once offered for payment and satisfaction might be continually honoured in a mysterie and that this perdurable offering might stil liue and abide in remembrance which must be waighed and considered of fide non specie By inward faith not by outward appearance and pondered by the inward affection not by the outward sight The Canon Qui manducant That which is taken in the Sacrament visiblie is in truth eaten and drunken spiritually That which is seene is the bread and cuppe c. That wherein it is needfull that the faith should be instructed is how that the bread is the bodie of Christ c. And they are called Sacraments because one thing is seene another vnderstood That which is seene hath a bodily shape but that which is vnderstood a spirituall fruit The Canon Vt quid whereto doest thou prepare thy bellie and teeth beleeue and thou hast eaten The Canon Credere to beleeue in Christ is to eate the bread of life The Canon Non iste panis It is not that bread which goeth into the bodie that feedeth the substance of our soule but the bread of eternall life The Canon In illo Christ is in that Sacrament not therefore a corporall meate but a spirituall And againe the aboue said Canon C. Quia corpus 34. d. 2. de Consecr Quia corpus when thou goest vp to the Altar to be fed with spirituall meates behold by faith the holy bodie of thy God touch him with thy vnderstanding lay hold vpon him with the hand of thy hart Against all these they haue but one onely miserable Glose to obiect which saith So soone as the kind is touched with the teeth Glos in C. Trib. de consecr d. 2. C. Qui manduc 57. Mis in sequent C. Vtrumque 71. C. vt quid 46 Câ—mutat 69. A sumente nonconscissus non confractus non diuisus integer capitur Ioh. 19. Gl. in C. Ego Bereng 41. in C. vtrum so soone is the bodie of Christ rapt and conueighed with speed into heauen c. And yet it is diuersly canuased and tossed by the Canonistes and schoolemen Of eating with the mouth should follow the chawing of it with the teeth But these Canons are contrarie to that The Canon Qui manducat When we eate it we make not any morsels or bittes thereof The faithfull know how they eate the flesh of Christ It is eaten by partes in the Sacrament that is in the signes but it is all whole in thine heart The Canon Vt quid whereto doest thou prepare thy teeth The Canon Vtrum It is not lawfull to eate him with teeth The Masse likewise in the sequences and conclusions following thereon He that taketh him cutteth him not bruseth him not neither yet diuideth him into morsels c. Contrarie to this ancient truth is only that Canon Ego Berengarius made by the Cardinall Humbert as it were in despight of all antiquitie which saith That he is broken and brused with the teeth But without alleadging against him the Gospell which saith Not one of his bones shall bee broken we will onely lay down the words of two Gloses which proclaime for hereticks both Pope Nicholas II. as also the whole Church of Rome of that time The Glose of that same Canon which saith Referre all to the kinds for we make not any part of the bodie of Christ otherwise thou shalt fall into a greater heresie then Berengarius And the Glose of the Canon Vtrum vpon these wordes Is is not lawfull to eate Christ with teeth Berengarius saith the Glose saith the contrarie that is to say Cardinall Humbert in the retractation which he drew for Berengriaus but he spake hyperbolically and so exceeded the bondes of the truth Of the eating of him with the mouth it would follow that the wicked and vngodly should eate the bodie of Christ The Canons againe are contrarie thereunto The Canon Qui discordat Hee that is at strife with Christ C. Qui discordat 64. C. Qui manduc 57. C. Quia passus 35. C. Christus 56. Fidelium dentibus atters C Prima quidem â—aeres 43. d. ead C. Non oportet 3. C. Panis 38. C. Hoc est quod dicim 47. C. Ante benedict 39. C. Panis est 54. eateth not his flesh neither yet drinketh his blood although hee should euerie day take the sacrament of so high and great a thing as a iudgement of his destruction The Canon Qui manducant They that eate and drinke Christ eate and drinke life The Canon Christus Christ is the bread of whom who so eateth shall liue for euer Likewise the Canon Ego Berengarius attributeth it as proper to the faithfull to eate him with teeth In briefe vpon the question also of transubstantiation If the bodie of Christ after the words spoken must be sought for in heauen or in the hands of the priest and if of the wine bread there be nothing remaining but the Accidents Christ say the Canons is in heauen vntil this world shall be consummate and finished The bodie of Christ must be in one place but the truth is spread abroad euerie where And as for the kinds Wee must not offer any other thing in the Sacrament then wine water and bread which are blessed in the figure of Christ Before the blessing one kind is named but after the blessing the bodie is signified The bread and cuppe are a nourishing of the resurrection by the mysticall consecration that is by the efficacie of the worde and institution of Christ That is saith the Glose A spirituall refreshing of the soule which rayseth vs vp againe from the death of sinne Againe The bread and the cup saith he continue the thing