An Apologie of priuate Masse spred a broade in writing without name of the authour as it seemeth against the offer and protestacion made in certayne Sermons by the reuerent father Bisshop of Salsburie with an answer to the same Apologie set foorth for the maintenance and defence of the trueth Perused and allowed by the reuerent father in God Edmonde Bisshop of London accordynge to the order appoincted in the Quéenes maiestes Iniunctions LONDINI Mens Nouemb. 1562. ence before God and you to discouer certeine vanities of yours that the catholike church once your mother misliketh in you And so much the rather because god of his infinit goodnes hath called me backe againe from all suche lewde fansies by the godly instruction of the learned in the whiche I was ones so fully perswaded by euil bookes that all that time I neither regarded God nor good religion nor any good conscience besides And therfore trustynge to doo some good with suche as simplicitie without malice hath perswaded to stay consciens pricked me to giue the aduenture nothyng doubting but that God will bring that to a good ende the beginnynge whereof had no euill meanyng 1. Cap. â—gainst his refusall in the first Epistle to Dâ— Cole And to make mine entrie with you maister Iewell whiche are counted the greatest clarke on your side I meruell not a litle why you beyng reputed a man of such learnyng vtterly refuse to proue the doctrine you teache A. Allegyng very slender causes of your refusal that serue the contrarie side rather then yours Your vocation to so highe a rome the place where you taught the honorable estate of the audience which hard you the doctrine you taught auctorised by the realme as you alledge doo not vnburden you from the proufe of your doctrin but rather bourden you more to proue the same because your estate is now suche that is bounde to rendre accompte of that you teach Nor it is any dishonour to the realme if you be able to certiuÌ„e that by learning that they as you say haue passed by lawes nor want of discretion at all in you to teache them that wold so gladly learn at your hande For if a man may proue by conference of scriptures any article therin comprised either in the letter or by argument boulted foorth without anie dishonour to God or blemish to him that taketh the matter in hande as a man in déede may shall you counte the Realme dishonoured or want of discrecion in your self to proue suche doctrine as your selfe doo publishe because it is auctorised by man and by thassent of the Realme whiche in time of your baptisme assented to the contrarie as al other christian realmes did without any contradiction at all amongest the learned whereas in this assente as many learned clarkes well knowen to the worlde said nay and more to then hitherto hath sayd yea And if the chief proufe of your doctrine be the assente of this realme shall not other christian realmes that teache quite contrarie vnto you rest in doctrine auctorised by them and al christian realmes besides Here you ar driuen if you rest so stoutly vpon thassent of realmes to confesse that the doctrine taught here is trew because this realme hath auctorised it and the doctrine in straunge realmes is â—rew beyng quite contrarie to yours because by like reason the realmes ther hath auctorised it You haue no refuge in this case but to say that this realme folowed the scripture in suche doctrine as they aucthorised and that other realmes folowed not the scripture in auctorisinge the contrarie I am wel contented with your answere But where be the scriptures wherby the realme auctorised your doctrine You may not say it shall be greate dishonour to the realme to haue such scripturs knowne for want of discrecion in you to vtter them as you séeme to say in your letters Let vs know suche scriptures as your trust is most vppon to proue your doctrine by and we wil depart quietly And as all wise men will counte it the office of a discrete man either to stay such as stagger or to perswade suche as verily thinke otherwise So shall I not onely so thinke but also if you giue me good cause why yelde you greate thankes and my poore seruice to In your silence herein if you haue ought to saie you shall doo nothyng els but hide the candell vnder the busshel where as the order is to set it vpon the candelsticke to light all suche as are within the house If you haue no scriptures to lay for you then trouble our mother the holy catholike churche no longer You stande in negatiues you saye against priuate Masses and certaine other which as you pretende cannot be proued Haue wée not here good cause to maruell that you whiche studdie so maruelous reformacion of all doctrine to the touche stone of scripture will openly professe bearyng suche a personage in suche places of honour suche doctrine as can neither bee proued by scripture nor any other substancial record and all because it standeth in negatiues May not children in this sort deuise negatiues conteinyng false doctrine and when they are called vpon to proue it B. say they are not bounde to proue their assercions because they are â—egatiues This dare I be bolde to say Agaynst his stayinge vpon the negatiue â—f you had sentence or halfe sentence woorde or halfe woord in the scriptures â—lde doctoures generall counsels or example of the primatiue churche against priuate Masses al England had runge of it ere this day But you haue none as your silence importeth It were either great folly to kéepe that secret the whiche without any damage may doo good to many or meruelous enuie to enclose that without gaine which law and reason woulde haue to be commen Quicquid dando non deficit saieth sayncte Austin Quamdiu habetur non datur non dum habetur quomodo habendum est All that decay not by bestowynge as long as they are had and not bestowed they are not yet had as they ought to be had The lawes may in diuers speciall factes not restrained to time and place teach perhappes that a negatiue can not be proued But to say that a negatiue in doctrine as yours is can not be proued vpon only consideracion that it is a negatiue as your shifte is that I am well assured no learned man hitherto euer taught either in law or in any other science besides Ye the contrarie rather appereth in Logicke the whiche teacheth the generall groundes of all disputacions Where wée haue in euerie figure negatiue conclusions And for other short kinde of argumentes there are as many places dialectical of the negatiues to destroy as there are affirmatiues to builde on So that shifte of descant can not serue your turne Doeth not the scripture many times ioygne issue in the negatiue and proue the same Wée are not iustified by Moses law and so the like
in his wordes He sayde not absolutely no negatiue proposition coulde be proued neither doeth D. Cole finde so muche faute with him for deniyng that a negatiue might be proued for him selfe had so saide before but with this that to gréeue his aduersarie he woulde stay vpon the negatiue and put you of the contrarie parte to proue the affirmatiue Whiche was vpon good reason donne at that time to the ende as I thinke that he might presse vpon you somwhat narre then other before had vsed to doo The cause why hee might iustly rest vppon the negatiue For whereas you haue vntruly borne the worlde in hande and make your auaunte continually that the church hath taught as you doo these xv hundred yeres that the holy scriptures aunciente fathers counsels doo make altogether for your doctrine against ours he both wisely and learnedly did sée that there was no way so fitte either to driue you from this auaunte or to declare it euidently to be false as to rest vpon this true negatiue that you haue no sufficiente proufe out of the aucthoritées before rehearsed For therby he should either force you to shew what you haue whiche in effecte is nothynge or els to confesse that the chiefe poinctes of your doctrine by him recited be as they are in déede cleane beside the worde of god and example of the primatiue churche or if you would not for shame confesse it yet that all men in the ende might perceiue it is so when that you neither woulde nor coulde bring any sufficient confirmation of the same by the scriptures olde fathers auncient counsels or alowed example of the church by the space of vi hundred yeres I will declare the mattier by example of those thinges that your self taketh in hande to proue All the preachers of this time teache that the right vse of the lordes supper is to be celebrated in maner of a communion or feast with companie and that as well the laytée as clergy shoulde receiue vnder bothe kindes This doctrine they say is accordyng to Gods worde and vse of the primatiue churche and not the contrarie For proufe thereof they alledge out of the scripture the Euangelistes and saincte Paule in whiche appereth euidently that company was and bothe kindes were indifferently vsed and no significacion at all of the contrarie For the primatiue churche they bringe Justine Dyonisius Cyprian Chrisostome and other ther hée did of purpose seeke a shifte to cauille or els in déede had nothinge to saye Or if you doo thinke it reasonable I will learne at your hande howe you coulde proue that negatiue by all your lawe or logike I doo scante thinke you wyl say that a man may be orderly required to proue suche mere negatiues When a negatiue or what kinde of negatiues may bée proved I leaue to bée discussed in some other place as a question more mete for Sophisters in the paruise schoole at Oxforde then for dyuines in matters of weight and importance After your reasoninge againste the causes 2. Cap. that as you saye were alleged not to proue the negatiue An aunswere to the distinction of priuate as it were to lay the ground of your controuersée for priuate masses ye beginne with a distinction that this terme priuate may be taken after dyuers sortes Eyther as contrary to common to many for the commoditie therof or els as sole receiuing by a priest aloue without any company In the firste way A. you saye ye neuer affirmed masse to be priuate but to pertaine to the behalfe of all states and sortes of men whatsoeuer they be In déede I were to blame and very iniurious vnto you if I woulde dente that ye haue ben very bountifull in bestowinge the benesite of your masse and especially when money was broughte in aboundantly For then ye applied it vnto highe to low to Princes to priuate persons to absent to present to quicke to deade to heauen to hel ye and to purgatory to Ouer and beside that ye made it a saliâ—e for all sores and a remedy for all misâ—heffes Here were a large feeld for me to deseant vpon the diuers abuses that you applied it vnto contrary to Christes institution and ordinanâ—â— but that any Christian hart may rather yerne and lamente to remember so vngodly prophanation of the holy Sacrament then to séeke occasion pleasantly to daly in the rehersall and deluding of the infinite vanyties therof The other signification of priuate in sole receiuing by the priest not imbarringe any that is willynge and ready to be partaker with him ye say the Catholike Church doth and alway hath taught And here vpon makinge your proposition ye require a profe of the affirmatiue included in the negatiue that is that euery priest or any other ought when he receiueth to haue a company to receiue with hym Why sir is this the truste that you would séeme to haue in the trueth of your cause is this the plaine and sound dealinge that ye after professe to vse is this the leauing of all shifts where by ye may séeme to cauill rather then staye vppon the chéefe profes of your matter Who séeth not that euen in the very entrance mistrustinge your quarel ye seke a shiste as it were by policy to helpe that whiche in the open féelde is not able to defende it selfe This was no parte of the challinge as you terme it This is not that ye pretende so earnestly to proue The matter is of priuate masses and you make your issue in sole receiuing Is there no difference thinke you betwene sole receiuinge and priuate masse doeth euery one that receiueth alone say a priuate masse Then may not only priestes say masse but also by your owne authorities after brought in lay men and women also And yet your reasoninge in the residew of your treatise is suche as if it were a sufficiente profe of priuate masse to shew that some men and women in certaine cases receiued alone in the primatiue Church But of your argumentes afterwarde In this place ye shall geue me leaue to finde that faute in you that Tussy in the beginning of his offices layeth to Panetius who intending to write of dutie in behauiour omitteth the definition of the same where as euery reasonable discourse ought to procede of a viefe declaracion of that whiche is in controuersée If ye had this done I doubte not but ye would rather haue plucked your pen from the paper thâ—â— haue medled with the matter that ye are now entred into What priuat masse is I will therefore thewe you oute of your owne aucthours what I take your priuate masse to bée B. It is a sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ vsed in the Churche in place of the Lordes Supper by one prieste alone offered to God the father for the sinnes of quicke and deade which without any to participate with him haâ— may apply to the benefite of what persons
sillables in one sentence but compare the same with diuers other places as well of the same doctour as of other and al together with the common vse and maner of that time and therby gather a perfit conclusion If you will skanne and stay vpon euery worde or clause in the Doctours as you doo of the holy scriptures and not consider them by conference with them selfe and other you may easely erecte infinite new doctrines that hitherto were neuer hearde of in the churche The reason 6. Cap. that you bring in grouÌ„ded as you say vpon our principall is euen of as muche force as the other before mencioned A. That is not euidently determined in scripture say you ought to stande as indifferente but the necessitie of coÌ„panie to receiue with the priest is no where determined ergo it ought to remaine indifferent Your seconde proposition is not true For I say and partly before haue proued that it is determined in Christes institucion In Luke he saith Accipite hoc diuidite inter vos But how can it be taken at the ministers handes and deuided or distributed amonge theÌ„ vnlesse there be a companie I se no sufficient warrant that ye can brynge vs for the discharge of this commauÌ„demente If ye wyll say Diuidite is no commaundement but a counsell that may be vndoone and yet the substance of the sacrament remaine then bylike ye will say Late drinke is no commaundement nor yet do this in remembrance of me But all be indifferent couÌ„sels that may bee altered as you after say by spirituall gouernours So that your spiritual gouernours may by this meanes cleane alter Christes institution and leauinge out eatinge drinking distributinge doinge in remembrance of Christes death as they haue done deuise a a new fashion of their owne braynes more fitte for the churche to vse then that order which Christ hath lefte But as he taketh away the right vse of the sacramente that taketh away from it eatynge drinkynge and doynge in remembrance c. So I say that hee taketh away the same that leaueth out distributynge Whiche because it can not be without companie I conclude the Sacramente can not bee vsed in the celebration without companie Cyprian teacheth you that Christes institution should be of more authoritie with you than so lightly to change it at your owne pleasure Only Christ saieth he is to be hearde in the order of this sacrament And we must not in any wise departe from the preceptes of the Gospell The Apostle also more constantly and stoutly declareth in an other place that the disciples ought to obserue and doo the same thynges that their maister taught and dyd before them saying in this wise If either I or an angell from heauen teach you otherwise then I haue taught you before accursed be he Seyng therfore neither the apostle him selfe nor an Angell from heauen can tell vs or teache vs otherwise then that Christe hath once taught vs already and the Apostle declared to vs I meruayle how this came in vse to doo contrary to that whiche Christe dyd And what I pray you can be more contrarie then when Christe had them drinke to take away the cup and whan Christe bad them distribute amonge them and S. Paule willed one to tarrie for an other vntill they came together yet contrarie to this as you doo to minister and receiue alone Therfore I say with Cyprian that in alteryng the sacrament either by soole receiuyng or géeuing vnder one kinde ye worship God in vayne with mens tradicions The mattier that Cyprian wrote against that is vsinge of water alone in the Sacramente in stéede of wyne might perhappes in case of necessitie be graunted to some that of nature coulde not abide wyne Neuerthelesse the necessitie of a few is not to be drawen to a general example in the common vse of the Lordes supper Euen so it may be graunted that in cases of necessitie one may receiue alone and yet that is not to be taken for a common maner and fashion in the churche when the sacrament is celebrated as you vsed in the priuate Masse That many circumstancies of place person and time B. may be altered or taken away for good considerations without impeachement to the right vse of the sacramentes wée graunte you but that company in receiuyng is one of those circuÌ„stances that wée can not graunte as well for the reasons before declared as also that wée haue no aucthoritée or example of the Apostles or primatiue churche that wée may so doo as wée haue in all other thynges that you recite with moe wordes then néedeth Wée dare minister in other places then Iurie because wée se in scripture that the Apostles did so Wée minister to women and lay men because S. Paule applieth Christes institucion to the whole congregacion of Corinth where were both lay men women We celebrate vpon any day indifferently because the Apostles did so Actum 20. vno die sabbatorum Wée minister to fewer or moe then twelue by the example of the Apostles in .20 of the Actes and of Paule in .10 and .11 to the Corinthê Wée receiue in the mornyng both because time is a thyng indifferent in this sacrament and also for that wée haue plaine examples in the primatiue churche without case of necessitie or extraordinarie chaunses Christe sayd not doo it after supper as he sayde Deuide it amonge you He did it after supper him self because he wolde institute the Sacramente of the new law in place of the sacrament of tholde law that at the same supper he had celebrated Neither is it so muche of the substance of the sacrament to be doone after suppper as it is to be celebrated with companie because of the significacion of vnitie and charitie amonge christian men receiuynge together Whiche is one cheefe poincte in this sacrament of the Lordes supper The very proporcion and likenesse of that ceremonie of the olde lawe in place whereof the Lordes supper is ordeined may teache vs the right vse of it The Passeouer was a solempne eatynge of the Pascale lambe together in remembrance of Godes great benefite of their deliuerance and passyng of his plague from them This ceremony they coulde not solempnice alone but if they had not companie of their owne house they shoulde take of their neighbours Euen in like maner Christ hauyng finisshed at his laste supper the celebracion of that ceremonie of the Passeouer ordeined for his euen a lyke sacramente a supper a feast wherin they beyng together might celebrate the remembrance of their redemption by his body and bloud géeuen and shed for them And euen as the Iewes in solempnisinge their sacrament had a communitie of the remembrance of that benefite when their coÌ„panies were in sundry howses seperate and yet might not one alone eate the pascall lambe in his owne house for that god had ordeined it to be done with company so all the churches in the worlde haue communitie
shall sit in them Mountaines woddes marriceâ— prisonâ— denneâ— are more safe for me For in those the Prophetes either vosuntarely abydinge or cast thether by violence did prophesie by the spirite of god How could a man more plainely declare that the true churche both then was and after shuld be vexed and persecuted by those that in sight and power of external gouernment were taken for the church At is notable also that Augustine hath Deciuit dei lib. 20. speaking of Antichriste Rectius putant etiam latine dici sicut in graeco est non in templo sed in teÌ„plum dei sedeat â—â—nq ipse sit templum dei quod est ecclesia Some thinke it were better spoken in Latine as it is in the Greâ—e as to say that Aâ—â—ithriste shoâ—th sit not in thâ— temple of God but as the temple of God aâ— thoughe himselfe were the temple of God â–ª which is the churche What Bernarde dyd thinke of the churche in his time aboue 400. yeares agoe it appereth in viuers places There is no sounde parte now faith he in the clergie it remaineth therfore that the man of sinne be reuealed And in an other place All my friendes vt now become my foes all my mainteinere â—â—e now become aduetsariâ—â— â–ª The 〈◊〉 of Christe â—o seruice so Antichrist If I should â—â—eite out of authourâ— and Histories al such testimonies as serueth to this purpose I shoulde be a greate deale longer then this place requireth I will therfore at this time omitte them Seting therfore it doeth euidently appere that in the latter time they shall beare the name of the churche whiche in déede be not the right churche wée must booke diligently that wée gene not ouer to euery power that wil claime the name of the churche but consider whither the true marke of the holy churche be amonge them What is the true marke of Christes churche Christe the true pastour noting whiche were his shéepe faseth 〈◊〉 sheepe will here my voyce And as by his worde and voyce he calleth them into his folde so by his sacramentes there he marketh them The right churche therfore as the folde of Christe hath the true worde of God and vse of his sacramentes accordyng to the same for the due markes therof So much then as the worde of God and vse of the sacramentes be corrupted amonge ady people or congregacion so farre shall that company be from the shate of the true and perfit churche of Christe Therfore it is easie to iudge what is to be thought of them that leaue the worde of God and worship him well nere altogether with their owne deuised phaÌ„tasies That the scripture which is the voyce and worde of God is the true triall of the church wée haue good authoritie in the auncient fathers S. Augustine contra PetilianuÌ„ cap. 2. The controuersie is betweene veâ— the Donatisteâ— saith he where the churche is Therefore what shall wee dot shall wee seeke if in our owne wordes or in the wordes of out forde Iesus Christe the head therof thinke wee ought rather to seeke it in his wordes that is trueth and best knoweth hie body Therfore they be not to be compted the churche that with their owne wordes will san they he the churche but they whose doctrine â—â—â—réeth with the worde of Christe that is head of the churche In like maner hath Chrisostome in Mat. cap. 14. wherfore saith he in this thâ—â— off chaifâ—ouâ— men ought to resorte to the seâ—â—â—â— tureâ— â—ecause in this time since theresie is come into the churches there can be no other proufe of true christianitie nor any other refuge for christian men desyryng to know the tune faith but onely the holy for iptureâ— for before it was she wed by many meanes which was the churche of Christe which was gentilitie But now to them that will knowe whiche is the right churche of Christe there is no meanes but only by the scriptures S. Augustine hath the like in many wordes in the. 16. cap. contra epistolam Periliani whiche I let passe here for breuiries sake The place beginneth in this wise Vtrum Donatistae ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinatu scripturarum canonicis libris ostendant Quianee nos ppterea dicimus nobis credere oportere quod in ecclesia Christ sumus c. Wherfore a Christian conscience that in this daungerous time wyll walke safely must take the word of god to be his only state must â—ake the holy scripture to be as well the rule whereby his shall measure the true paterne of the church as the very touchstone wherby he must trie al the doctrine of the same For god in time paste spoke by his prophetes many and sundry waies but last of all by his dere sonne Whose doctrine how perfite it was the woman of Samaria witnesseth sayinge When Messias commeth he shall telâ—â— all thinges And the same Messias hym selfe saieth I haue made knowen to you all that I haue heard of my father And therefore sendinge his Apostles hee saith Teach them to obserue all that I haue commaunded As if he had sayd ye shall declare vnto the gentils not whatsoeuer shal seeme good to your selfe but those thinges that I haue commaunded you Those thinges therfore are to be hard those thinges we must stay vppon In those we must séeke our saluation and life What soeuer is not agreinge with them must be cast of and compted of no forse So saieth Origine Wee must nedes cal the holy scriptures to witnes In Hierem Hom. 1. For our senses and declaracions withoute those witnesses haue no credite So saith Hierom. That hath not aucthoritie in the scripture in euen as lighily contenmed as it is spoken And againe in psal 86. Consider what hee saith Which were in it not which be in it So that except the Apostles whatsoeuer should be spoken afterwarde let it bee cutte of let it not haue authoritie Therfore be one neuer so holy after the Apostlee bee hee neuer so eloquent he hath not authority Because the lord wyll make his declaracion in the writinge of people and princes that were in it In that place Hierome at large declareth that the doctrine of god must bee proued by such wrytinges as were in the churche vntil the Apostles time and those that after folowed to bee of no sufficient authority were they neuer so holy Let vs stay therefore vpon the canonical scriptures and holy worde of god For saith S. Cyprian Hereof arise schismes because we selâ—e not to the head nor haue recourse to the springe nor kepe the commaundementes of the heauenly maister Let he aske Peter saith Ambrose let vs aske Paule if we wyl finde out the trueth And Christ him selfe biddeth vs searche the scriptures and not presume of our owne spirite vppon vnwritten verities beside the worde of god What credite is to bee geuen to those that so speake Chrisostome teacheth vs. As Christ saith he when hee vnderstode that they sayde
so muche to be blamed for mistrustynge the almightie power of God whiche wée confesse to be in all thynges that his pleasure is to haue it shewen as you are for presuming vpoÌ„ the same to haue miracles wrought beside his will and without necessitie For by the meanes of your manifolde miracles without the expresse woorde of God whervpon mens faith in suche mattiers shoulde bee grounded you make that sacrament a torment to trie mens weake and féeble consciences which Christe ordeined to be a comfortable and spirituall féeding to increase and strengthen the consciences of christian people This haue I thought good to answere your defence of priuate Masse and as a champion not méete to matche with any greate clerke yet in suche sorte as I coulde to resist your assaute that you make vpon the foresayde protestacion not as good Dauid valiantly assauted Goliath in defence of his Prince and countrey but as amorous Paris traiterously shotte at Achilles in the behalfe of his loue Helena For neither is it Goliath that you fight against in his brauerie as you say braggynge agaynst the people of God but rather Achilles manfully reuengynge the inceste committed with the spouse of Christe which with your amorous cuppê you haue allured from him nor yet doo you come stoutely as Dauid did in the name of the liuynge God before the face of both the armies to hurle your stones but priuely out of a corner shoote your arrowes agaynst him as Paris against Achilles You were afrayde perhappes if he had séene you that with shame enough he wold haue wronge your bowe and arrowes out of your hande but truly I thynke hee woulde not haue so doone but rather knowyng that in this quarell he coulde not be wounded he would haue suffered you to shoote your in and with his naked hande receiuing your blount arrowes in suche forte woulde haue picked them at your face as for shame either you should haue runne out of the place or at the least submitted your self yelded to the truth that you protest your self to haue forsaken Wherfore as you haue the feare of God as you haue care of your soules health I most earnestly exhorte you to leaue studie of contencioÌ„ and with a single harte diligently to ponder the reasons on bothe partes as the weight of the mattier requireth Consider as the holy father Cyprian counsaileth of what authoritie Christê institucion ought to be that wée should not be so bolde to alter any parte of those weightie greate preceptes that so nighly touche the sacramente of our saluacion Consider that neither Christê ordinaunce nor the testimony of S. Paule maketh any signification of soole receiuyng or ministrynge vnder one kinde but all contrarywise Consider that Iustine Dyonisius Cyprian the holy counsel of Nice withal other the auncient fathers testifie the common maner of the primatiue churche to haue ben in forme of a communion that in both kindes Consider that Chrisostome other so earnestly call the people beyng present vnto it as they affirme them to doo impudently that do refraine Consider that the maner of the primatiue church was as Dyonisius witnesseth that none did remaine in the church but those only that woulde communicate Consider the Anacletus Sixtus the cannons of the Apostles Antioch counsell threatned excommunicacion punishment to such as being present at consecration readyng of the lessons of scripture woulde not receiue Consider I say and vnfeinedly weigh these thynges with your selfe and ye cannot choose but se that the aucthoritie of Gods worde and consente of the primatiue churche maketh wholy with vs in these mattiers And on the contrarie parte you shall perceiue that you haue no coullor in the scripture for priuate Masse that you are fayne to séeke defence in the churches aucthoritie beside Gods word that your reasons be grounded on false principles and suche as haue no proufe at all That your aucthorities out of the doctours be either abuses of the primatiue churche or such extraordinarie cases of necessitie contrarie to the coÌ„mon maner as they can not be rules to shew either what was then orderly done or what now ought of right to be done Be not these gaye reasons thynke you to builde mens consciences vpon Priuate Masse is nothyng but soole receiuyng in case of necessitie therfore it is lawfull The Priest may celebrate alone in thassemble of the people because diuers in necessitie and extremitie receiued alone in their priuate houses The priest may receiue alone when the people will not because he is bounde to offer and the people is lefte frée The priest may do it when he wil because he may doo it in necessitie when the people will not The minister may receiue alone for companie is but an ornamente and not of the substance of the sacramente The Doctours in diuers places name one kinde Therfore one kinde only was receiued of the people How will you be able to proue that priuate Masse is nothyng but soole receiuyng in necessitie How wyll you be able to proue that it is al one thing for the minister in the congregacion and a laye man at home in peril to receiue alone How will you proue that the priest is bounde to the frequentyng of the sacramente and the people leste frée How will you proue that companie is but an accident or ornamente to the sacramente or that one kinde onely was receiued because one kinde onely was named And yet these argumentes muste be good or els those prouses and testimonies that you wold haue to séeme vnuincible shall indéede be of no force Oh sir for the loue of God weigh the mattier more indifferently Do not dissemble that you must néedes know If you will haue your doctrine tried by the balance of the scripture and primatiue churche adde more weight to your side of the balance or els confesse that your parte is the lighter Let not the vayne sounde of the holy churches name where the thynge is not leade you to be enemie to that doctrine whiche you se to haue more force in the worde of God Remember that the true churche is ruled and guided onely by Christes worde and doctrine If you abyde sayth he in my worde then be you my true disciples Christe is the good shepparde and the churche is the folde of his right shéepe Christe is the wise maister and the churche is the companie of his diligente scholars Christe is the bridegrome the church is his derely beloued spouse The true churche therfore will not go rangynge what way she lusteth she will not learne of hir owne braine she will not folowe hir owne phantasie They be wilde Goates they be not tame shéepe that when the shepardes voyce calleth one way will runne headlonge an other way They be selfwill moichers they be not diligent scholers that leauyng their maisters teachyng will folow their owne interpretacions She is a frowarde and presumptuous woman she is not an obedient wife that will make light of hir husbandes commaundementes and thinke she may alter them at hir pleasure The true shéepe of Christe therfore the diligent scholars the obediente spouse that is the right and true churche will harken onely to hir good shepardes voyce will folow hir maisters preceptes will obey hir housbandes commaundementes How then can you excuse your selfe by your holy mother the churche if you teache otherwise then Christe hath taught and make suche interpretacions of your owne head as haue no grounde in his holy woorde You doo vnder that name mainteine your owne errour ye folow not the churches aucthoritie If you will harken to Christes churche to the Apostles churche to the olde fathers churche neither Christe nor the Apostles nor the fathers teache you any suche thyng And so ye séeme your selfe in a sorte to confesse or els ye woulde neuer striue so muche for vnwritten verities and authoritie of the churche in doctrines beside Gods worde You needed no suche helpes if your teachyng had iust proufe in the scripture and auncient fathers as indeede it hath not This haue I framed my answere vnto you in suche sorte as I truste the indifferent reader may iudge that my minde and purpose is rather directly and playnly to consute the summe of your vntrue doctrine thou as you do to séeke shiftes by cauelynge to discredit my aduersarie For if I should haue scanned euery sillable worde or sentence that in this writing hath passed you and indeuoured capciously to haue taken aduantage at euerie trifle as your sorte is wonte to deale with vs for faute of better mattier bothe I shoulde haue fallen into that faute that I proteste my selfe to mislyke in you and my answere would haue growen to suche a length as it might iustly haue weried the reader I haue therfore medled onely with the principall poinctes of this your Apologie whiche may séeme to be of chiefe force in those matters that you touche And of purpose haue let passe many small trifles wherin bothe you might iustly haue béen reproued and some men I know will thinke meete and worthy to be answered I wyll now ende and cease any further to exhorte you to a more diligent examinyng and discussyng of the residue of your doctrines trustynge that your owne conscience hauynge now more feare of God then you say you had before wyll driue you to the same Whiche I pray God may be if not by this occasion yet by some other when his holy wyll shall be FINIS ¶ Imprynted at London in Fléetestréete by Thomas Powell
the sacrament the whiche are nothinge els but very accidentes the alteracion wherof doo lie in the discrecion of spirituall gouernours without damage or hurte doone to the substance of the sacrament or the vse there of and are to be compted amongest suche thinges as saincte Paule speaketh of when he wrote Cetera cum venero disponam I wil set the other thynges in order when I come But the greate matter you harpe on to haue companie together in one place to receiue at any time with the priest is because that in the vse of this sacrameÌ„t ther ought to be a coÌ„munioÌ„ 7. Cay And I pray you is not there a coÌ„munion among all christians in praier A. For in our praier we say our father not my father which arte in heauen thy wil be doon in earth as it is in heauen not in mée as it is in heaueÌ„ geue vs this day our daily bread wée say not geue mée this day my daily bread forgeue vs our trespasses wée say not forgeue mée my trespasses c. Whereby wée know that wée communicate in praier with all christendome beyng members of one misticall bodie of Christe And will you inhibite mée to say my Pater noster when I am alone in my chaumber voyde of companie to say with mée or will you shutte vp al christendome in some narow roome that thei may be togethers at one time to say the Lordes praier Or will you graunte that there may be a Communion in praier amongest all christians without any respecte to haue them together at one time in any one place and that there can be no communion in the vse of the Sacrament vnlesse all the communicantes be together in one place and at one time Haue you any scripture to leade you to say that the communion in the vse of the sacrament must of necessitée haue all the communicantes in one place at one time closse vp more then the coÌ„munion in praier One of the articles of the Créede is B. Credo sanctorum communionem I beléeue the communion of sainctes I beléeue wée haue communion in Baptisme in penance in confirmacion in extreme vnction in praier in fastyng in almes déedes And must all they that practise any of these be driuen to doo it at one place in one season or els to haue no parte of such a communion as there is comprised in these holy sacramentes Is this your doctrine Wher haue you these in scripture There is an olde doctour called Dionisius that teacheth vs why it is called a communion Not because it requireth vnitie and idemptitée of time and place in the communicantes but because al christians therby beyng liuely members of one body first are brought to an vnitée with Christe their head and then euery member with the misticall body and then euerie member with other So that in the workynge of this meruelous vnitée number time and place are no principall dooers but foreners and very strangers in déede And the place of Saincte Paule meaneth no lesse in the first to the Corinthes QuoniaÌ„ vnus panis vnuÌ„ corpus musti sumus omnes quideÌ„ de vno pane de vno casice participamus wherby wée here the christians are pertakers of one lofe and yet there is no one particular place able to receiue theÌ„ nor yet no one particular lofe able to serue theÌ„ Surely as touchinge your fancie to haue of necessitie the communicantes closed vp in one place there to be serued at one especial time C. or els to be no partakers of the communion it wil fal in processe of reasoning to so many follies that we must know how large the place muste be and how longe you wil appoinct the time apperteining to one communion And as for the place when the multitude of the communicantes are verie greate whether may be a communion betwixt him that receiueth at the Aulter in our Lady chapell in Paules and him that receiueth in the lowest place of the west ende of Paules church It there may why are they not partakers of one communion that receiue in twoo diuers churches in London not so farre distante the one from the other as our Ladie chappel is from the west ende of Paules And if they can not let vs knowe why and haue some scripture for proufe therof If they may why may not the communicantes be partakers of one communion in thrée churches and why not be partakers of one coÌ„munion in foure or fiue churches no further distant If not limit you then the furthest distance that a communion may be had in and bringe in scriptures doctours or any counsels to proue the limitacion and wée wil crie creake And in like maner wée may reason for the appoinctmente of time Appoincte you the longest time that a communion may be had and shew some good euidence for your limitacion And likewise we wil crie creake You driue men to these trifels that the worlde may know you hange in nifels Erasmus Roterodamus in his epistle that he wrote against false gospellers 8. Cap. reporteth how they were wonte in the olde time in the primatiue churche A. to deliuer euery one the sacrament in their handes to beare home with them and receiue it when their deuocion serued Obim saieth he corpus domini dabatur in manu vt domi cum vellent sumerent qui accepissent The Lordes body in olde time was deliuered into folkes handê to the entente that they who hadde taken it might receiue it when they woulde When diuers people tooke the Lordes body in their handes to receiue it at home in their seuerall houses when their deuocion serued them to receiue it are any yet so vnwise to thinke that they that so receiued it were either in one place coÌ„sidering their houses werâ— seuerall or at any one time consideringe the varietie of their deuocions willes purposes and trade of life Do you not se in these few wordes that the partakers of any one communion were not-wonte to be clogged to receiue it in any place or at any one especiall time Do not you manifestly heare a reseruacion of the sacramente confessed here And where as it was deliuered in their handes as wine is not vnderstande you not thereby a communion vnder one kinde But you will say it was but Erasmus reporte But I say he reported it as he founde in auncient writers And Erasmus pardie was wont to be a great man amongest you and do you so litle estéeme him now You haue ouerrun him I graunte as you haue doone Luther that was once your God B. Erasmus is not the first father of this reporte But Tertulian him selfe whiche florisshed not long after the Apostles time in his seconde â—ooke that he wrote to his wyfe reporteth no lesse How that the christian wife kepte it close from hir husbande beyng a Panime that she receiued euerie mornynge secretly before meate And if it so happed that he espied
the sacrament But that you were neuer able to doo and so was it said in the protestation that you call the challenge For herein the whole number of the fathers be against you And that you may not iustly say that wee bragge of our empty boxes that haue the name only and no stuffe in them I wyll rechearse and shewe you some of the mattier which shal be directly applied to that maladie and disease that you haue brought to the right vse of the lordes holy sacrament You hard before rehearsed oute of Iustine declaringe the maner of the church of Rome in his time that both bread and wyne were geuen to companies of the towne and contrey and the same also sente vnto those that were absent Here is manifestly declared that such as were absent and receiued at home in theyr houses had both kindes sent vnto them contrary to your coniecture vpon Tertullian where you say one kinde only is mencioned and therefore receiued Tertullian and Iustine were both of the church of Rome B. and were not in time farre a sunder Therfore it is like one maner was vsed in bothe theyr ages The fleash saith Tertullian him selfe is fed with the body and bloud that the soule may be filled of god He saith not only the body wherein the bloud also may be vnderstanded but hee addeth seperately the Bloud Declaringe the maner of Christes sacrament ministred in two sundry partes Cyprian also speakinge not only of priestes but of other laye men that were like to abide persecution and martirdome for Christ saith in this wise How doe wee teach and prouoke them to shedde their bloud in confession of Christ if wee deny them his bloud or bowe make we them meete for the cuppe of martirdome if wee do not first by communion admitte them to drinke the cuppe of the lorde Is not this a playne testimony C. what maner of mynistracion was vsed in Cyprians time And wyll you then vpon a surmise gather the contrary If ye rede this father in all places where he speaketh of the sacrament you shall finde nothinge more common then Bibi sanguinem Christi How wisie thou saith Ambrose to Theodosius the Emperour with those hands receiue the holy body of our lord how wilte thou be so bolde with thy mouth to be partaker of the lords bloud This Emperour was a laye man E. neyther is it likely that he receiued any otherwayes then the other people did at that time And shall wee thinke by a vayne coniecture of the history of Satirus that the custome of that time was otherwise because your mocking head could not deuise how to cary wyne in a stole and yet they of that time as ye may perceiue by dipping a linnen cloth in the sacrament of the bloud had deuysed which way it might be done But to our purpose Withoute confusion and doubt saith Gregory Nazienzene eate his body and drinke his bloud if thou haue any desire of life in thee And yet hee speaketh to the people Oratione 4. in sanctum pascha Hilariê° also li. 8. de trinitate These thinges saith hee beinge eaten and dronke make that wee be in Christ and Christe in vs. Basile de baptismo vpon these wordes As often as ye shall eate c. What profit haue those wordes saith he That we easing and drinking may be perpetually mindeful of him that died for vs and so may bee instructed in the sight of god and his Christ of necessitie to kepe the doctrine deliuered by his Apostles Here beside the mencion both of eating and drinkinge he addeth of necessitie to kepe this doctrine of the lordes supper whiche you in many poyntes without pricke of conscience take vppon you to aulter Prystes saith S. Hieronime vpon Sophon whiche make the sacrament and dystribute the bloud of the lord vnto the people This man was priest in Rome in Ambroses time and yet he signifieth that the maner then was to mynister the bloud to the people E. And shall the history of Satyrus nothing perteining to the mattier perswade vs the contrary What can be more plaine and expresly against you then that Chrisostom hath Hom. 18. in poster ad corinth There he saieth that in this sacramente the priestes parte is not better then the peoples For it is not saith he as it was in the olde law where the priestes had parte and the people parte neither coulde the people be partaker of that was the priestes But now it is not so for one body and one cuppe is indifferently offered to all And it is notable that he saieth All be like worthy to be partakers neither doth the inferiour differ any thing at all froÌ„ the priest in that matter Why doo you then so plainly againste Chrisostome make difference of dignitie betwéene the priest and the people Is not this which Chrisostom speaketh agaynst one of the chiefest reasons that you haue for the geuynge of one kynde to the people But S. Paule to Timothie and Titus declareth other causes that shoulde make the order of ministerie honorable not to defraude the people of one parte of the sacrament Cyprian againe in the same sermon De lapsis that you afterward aledge and the same Hystorie sheweth that all the companie of lay men and women tooke the sacrament of the Lordes cuppe and dronke of it in order one after an other But I feare I shal séeme to moste men to commit muche foly in that I stande so longe with aucthorities to proue that thinge whiche of it selfe is most manyfest that is that in the primatiue churche the only maner in the common celebracion of the sacrament was that all receiued vnder bothe kindes of breade and wyne Seynge therefore Iustine saieth that on sundaies breade and wine consecrated were distributed to companies of the towne and countrey seynge Gelasius calleth it sacrilege to deuide the sacrament seynge Cyprian counselleth that lay men should be admitted to the communion of the Lordes cuppe and by an Hystorie sheweth that in his time they vsed it seynge Chrisostome affirmeth no difference to be betweene the priest and the people in vse of this sacramente seyng all the residue of the fathers of al countreyes and all ages of the primatiue churche agrée to the same were it not more then willfull blindenesse not to se that holy men at that time in celebracion of the sacramente ministred both partes to the people accordyng to Christes institucion and the doctrine of S. Paule to the Corinth Were it not almoste desperate stubburnesse to perswade the contrarie to ignorant people and by libelles priuily spred to deteine the vnlearned in errour But it stoode you vpon to say somewhat least you shoulde séeme to haue nothynge to say And yet in very déede it had been better for the confirmacion of your doctrine to haue sayd nothyng For then perhaps such as of simplicitie depende vpon your aucthorities woulde haue thought that you had had farre better prouision
for your defence in so weightie mattiers Which now seyng your selender and féeble groundes will beginne I doubte not as they haue the feare of God to mistrust your dealyng and more diligently examine the residue of your doctrine It is not good for them any lenger to walke on other mens féete nor to be guided by other mens eyes but them selfe to se what way they go least their guides either by ignorance or wilfulnesse leade them into the pitte of continuall errour Of reseruacion The third poincte that you gather out of these testimonies is reseruacion of the sacrament which to deny say you is extreame impudencie I thinke you haue not mette with any whiche haue flatly denied that in the primatiue churche diuers vsed reseruacion But it foloweth not therevpon but that a man may deny without any impudencie at all either that wée haue any testimonie in the worde of God to iustifie it or that all the holy fathers did approue it Or if ye wyll say the contrarie I wyll not doubte to make the crime of impudencie that you charge vs withal to rebounde vpon your self But you will say you haue witnesse that it was vsed and that of good men whiche is sufficient Indéede it is sufficient to shew that it was then vsed but it is not sufficient to proue that it must therfore be alwayes vsed or that all did well at that time in vsing of it Oh ye will say this is your olde maner so longe as the fathers make with you you wil admit them if they séeme to be any thynge agaynst you ye will reiecte their aucthoritie What authoritie is to be attributed to the doctours Because you cōmonly take holde here and through this odious reporte often vse to stirre mens stomackes agaynst vs before I answere your reseruacion I will protest what aucthoritie wée attribute vnto the olde fathers This will I doo not with my owne wordes but S. Augustines in his epistle to Hierome I confesse that I haue learned to attribute this reuerēce and honour only to the canonical scriptures to beleeue stedfastly without controuersie all that is written in them As for other I so reade them that be they neuer so excellent in great holynes and learnyng I do not therfore counte it true because they were of that opinion but because they coulde perswade me either by scripture or good reason that it was not against the truth Here you may obiecte that men of such learning holinesse and deuocion woulde neuer haue written any suche thynge if they had not thought it to be agréeable with Gods worde Ye sir I thinke they as good men were so perswaded but that they did leaue in writyng many thynges not onely beside the worde of God but also against it I thynke it is not vnknowen to you And that other also may know it and therby holde vs excused when wée doo not in all poinctes agrée vnto them I will recite some proufes therof Clemens Alexand. with Iustine and diuers other taught that Angels fell from their estate for the carnall loue of earthly women Whiche doctrine I thinke you wil not say riseth of true interpretacion of the scripture The same Clement Strom. 2. 6. writeth that mens soules are transformed into Angels and first learne a thousande yeres of other Angels afterwarde teaching other new transformed Angels at the length become Archangels Whiche can not be soundly taken out of the scriptures Iustine Lactantius Iraeneus and other wrote that good men after the resurrection shoulde liue a thousande yeres in all ioye before Christe shoulde come to iudgement And yet is that but a misunderstandynge of the scripture Tertullian séemeth to attribute a bodily substance to God and in diuers places De trinitate speaketh dangerously of Christe for whiche and like thinges many would haue had his workes counted Apócrypha Therfore he doth not alwaies agrée with scripture Cyprian would haue Heretikes to be rebaptised and speaketh so dangerously of them that are fallen from the faith that he might séeme to geue some occasion to Nouatians heresie What shall we say of Origine in whom be founde so many perilous doctrines as both I in this place am loth to rehearse them and in the primatiue churche diuers greate learned men woulde haue had his bookes burned for the same I coulde say the like of diuers other but that I feare some will maliciously gather that I rehearse these thynges of purpose so muche as in me lieth to deface the aucthoritie of the holy fathers Which God is my witnesse I meane not but onely to signifie that when wee measure their doctrine by Goddes wordes or teache not in all poinctes as they did wée be not so muche to be blamed as that men should counte vs as you doo to controlle the doctours and as it were to set them to schoole For if God hath suffered them to erre in so weightie mattiers as is before mencioned although for good cause I haue omitted the greatest it may be also that they haue taught amisse in some other lighter thinges and therfore are to be reade with iudgement as Augustine counselleth bothe in himselfe and in other Nothwithstandynge wée doo greatly estéeme the fathers not only as holy mē indued with singuler grace of God but also as right good witnesses and strong defendours of the chiefe articles of our faith at that time when Sathan indeuoured partely by crueltie of persecution partely by infinite numbers of Heresies to deface and extinguishe the same Therefore who doth not muche honour them when trueth constreineth with reuerence go from their opinion is scantly worthie the name of a christian mā Neuerthelesse I think not the contrary but if they had séene what abuses and supersticions woulde haue folowed vpon diuers thynges that they either taught or for the state of that time winked at and suffered vndoubtedly they woulde either haue recanted those thinges as Augustine did many or els would haue made a more perfit interpretacion of their mindes Before the Pelagians Herisie beganne to be spredde S Augustine so wrote of frée will as he séemed not to himselfe afterwarde sufficiently and as the trueth required to expresse the mere grace of God Therfore vpon occasion of that Herisie he writeth more perfitly of that and of predestination then either the other doctours do or then it is to be thought that himselfe would haue done if that occasion had not been So doubtelesse both he and many other woulde haue doone of diuers thinges now in controuersie if at that time they had been brought in question This much by the way haue I spoken of my opinion in the doctours so muche as I can to eschew the malicious reporte that your sorte is moste readie to spreade of vs in this mattier Now I wyll returne to reseruation Of reseruacion Wee denie not as I sayd that some in that time did vse it as it appereth by your witnes of Ciril As touchinge
this place I thinke such as fauour your assertion wyl smally thanke you for bringing in this councel But thanked be god that you are driuen so much and better to you may proue out of the same place that priestes also receiued but only the body and not the bloud because it saith Corpus christi porrigant and mencioneth not Sanguinem The like you shall reade in many places of the olde fathers where one part only is mencioned when they speake of the priestes receiuinge And yet bothe are vnderstanded If you wil vpon this gather that deacons vsed but one kind I wil inferre vpon the same place that priestes also vsed the like maner But a reasonable man wyll easely conceiue that in speakinge of one parte both is vnderstanded For in the actes of the Apostles the whole celebration of the sacrament is termed breakinge of breade wherby we must not gather that Apostes vsed only bread in ministration of the lordes supper I meruaile why you make suche courtesy to recite this for a proufe of one kinde then vsed seynge the best of your collections for this matter be euen of the same sorte Is not your coniecture out of Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose euen in the same maner gathered For that they séeme to mencion but the one parte onely And yet you make such a bragge vpon them as you count all such to lacke discretion as wil not by and by without contradiction yelde vnto them and acknowledge them vnuincible In déede it standeth you vpon seinge your proufes are of them selfe so sclender somewhat to helpe them with stoute wordes that men may bee almost afrayde to doubte of them You obiecte to vs that we dalley B. when wee presse you with the wordes of Christes institution Accipite manducate bibite diuidite and yet you wyl vrge the words of the fathers as though euery sillable in them were in like maner to be scanned as the wordes of the bible written wholly by the inspiration of the holy ghost But in déede you declare of what aucthoritie you coumpt Christes wordes that estéeme it a dalleinge to repete often his commaundementes Did Cyprian thinke you dally when in one Epistle to Cecilius hee doth well néene .xx. times repete and beate vpon this that the sacrament is to hee ministred in no other maner then Christe him selfe did vse it Did hée dally when hee pressed vpon the matter in this wise If in that sacrifice that is Christe him selfe none but Christ is to hee folowed then must wee obey and do that Christ did and willed to be done When as he in his gospel faith if you do that I hyd you then I call you not seruanies but fuendes And that Christ is only to be heard his father wytnesseth from heauen sayinge This is my deare beloued sonne hym you must heare Wherfore if onely Christ is to be heard we must not gene eare what other dyd before but what Christ did before all Neyther must wee folow mens custome but gode trueth semge he saith by his prophet in vaine they worship me teachinge mens tradicions and doctrines And againe the lorde sayth in the gospell you reiecâ—e my commaund mente for your owne tradition And in another place he that breaketh one of these least commaundements and so teacheth shall be called feast in the kingdome of god If then it be not leeful to alter one of the leaste commaundements how much lesse may we alter so great and weightie commaundements as these are so nigh touchinge the sacrament of the lordes passion and our redemption or to tourue them to any other purpose by mans tradition then the lorde ordeined them These are not my sayinges but worde by worde as they lie in that holy father and wyl you say that hée cauilleth or dalieth when hée this vrgeth Christes institution to bée kepte and would haue nothinge therin to be altered for any cause that man coulde deuise The matter that hee wrate againste was of no more effecte then these are of sole receiuinge and ministring one parte of the sacrament and yet is he so earnest as you sée with a greate number of wordes mo to the same purpose Thinke you not they could haue brought for the vse of water only the examples of holy men and also goodly considerations in apperance ful and negligent as we neither knew the place nor would séeke to examine it Or lastly that of purpose you dyd abuse the simplicitie and ignorance of them that you conueighed your wrytinge vnto which commonly beleue all that you say without examination and therfore doo you alledge for your selfe that maketh expresseâ—y againste you if the place be red which in Cyprian is in this wise The childe beinge among the holy company was not able to abide our suffrâ—ges and prayers but the ignoraÌ„t soule in the simple and younge yeares sometime with wepinge and cryinge did sterile sometime wyth trouble and anguyshe of minde tossed hether and thether and as it were by a tourmentour constreininge it by such meanes as it coulde dyd confesse the gilte of the facte meaninge the eatinge of the Idolle offeringe And when the residew of the celebration was ended the dearon began to offer the cuppe to them that were present and after other had receiued and the childes course was come the babe as if we are by institucion of god tourned away the face held the mouth and lippes together and refused the cuppe Yet the deacon continued and although the infant stryued againste it poured some of the sacrament of the lordes bloud into her mouth Then folowed yeâ—ing and vomiting c. Here were gathered together with Cyprian not priestes only but lay men women and Children also and you sée the cuppe of oure Lordes bloud was offered to all and all drancke in order withoute exception Neyther is heare any thinge that by coniecture can leade a man to thinke otherwyse but that this was the common maner then vsed How than can you gather by the extraordinarie chaunce whiche you recited before out of the same Tertullian and Cyprian that the laytie then vsed to receiue the one kinde of breade onely whereas this place brought by your selfe sheweth that in celebracion they vsed the cuppe also The childe you say in this hystorie receiued but wine only and so one kinde That you make probable because the childe that had receiued the Idoll offeryng was not them to say that whiche they neuer ment In like maner you doo a litle after in Luther and Melancthon saying that they compte it a thing indifferent to communicate the laye people vnder one kinde and that a generall counsel may take order in it as a thynge of no necessitie Sir it had been plaine and sounde dealing that you shuld haue recited some place wher they had so said but that ye were not able to doo For any man that hath ben conuersante in their workes may right well iudge that it is not so I wil not trouble
commonly of hym that hee was a deceiuour to purge him selfe of that suspicion witnessed that hee spake not of him selfe because he spake out of the lawe and prophetes euen so if any man sayinge that he hath the holy ghost speaketh of hym selfe and not out of the gospele wee must not beleue him For as Christ said the holy ghost shall not speake of him selfe but shall declare vnto you those thinges that it hathe hearde That is those thinges that I haue spoken he shal confirme These wordes of Chrisostome cleane ouerthroweth the ground of all your vnwriten verities beside the worde of god much more such doctrines as be expresly against the same as is your sole receiuinge and communion vnder one kind Wherfore neither your multitude of sundry nacions and great learned clerkes neither the continuance of .ix. C. yeres if it were so neyther the name of your holy mother the churche which you so often repete can bee any sure proufe of your doctrines without the expresse testimonies of the scripture to witnes the same For the holy ghoste whiche you assure your churche of doth not speake of himselfe saith Chrisostom but confirmeth that Christe spake before After that you haue at your pleasure in sundry partes of your treatise charged him that you write against with folly rashnes arrogancie and impudency euen in those pointes that the same crimes may bee more iustly retourned to your selfe and yours in this place also you indeuour to debase and imminishe his estimation extenuatinge his age continuance in study of holy scripture and maner of life in comparison of your late holy fathers which you doo greatly extolle Such is your shiftes when the matter will not healpe it selfe to transferre your talke to the persons by scorneful disdeining of other to procure your self aucthoritie What your opinion is of him your writing declareth but they whiche haue bene of longer and better acquaintance with him then you are doo right well know and in his behalfe doo protest that .xx. yeres sence he was able fully to haue answered stronger argumentê for these matters then any that you haue brought at this time But whatsoeuer hee is to you god bee praised in him he so liueth as the most malicious of your parte cannot iustly blame him and his learnings is suche as when the matter shal be tried I doubt not but it wil fal out that he with his .xl. yeres age and such other whom in like maner you disdaine shal shewe more true diuinitie then a many of your hoare heades and greate reading clerkes as you thinke whose aucthoritie and name alone ye iudge sufficient to beare downe whatsoeuer shall bee brought against them Towarde the ende you shewe your opinion of reall presence of Christes 13. Cap. Of reall presence body in the sacramente and in that parte blame vs as though we had more acquainted our selfe with Ismael and Agar as you say then with Abraham and Isaac thereby signifâ—yng that we misdoubted the almightie power of god in bringinge that to passe whiche he promiseth or speaketh in the institution of his sacramentes But I muste néedes iudge this to bee in you eyther ignorant blindnes or hatefull malice Blindnes if you doo not vnderstande and sée that in this controuersie wée stay not vpon gods omnipotency malice if you know it and vpbrayde vs with the contrary We graunt as fréely as you with Abraham and Isaac That god is able to performe whatsoeuer he both promise Wee graunt as freely as you with the Angell Thâ—â— no worde it 〈…〉 to god We graunte as fréely as you with Dauid That god hath done whatsoeuer his 〈…〉 We grauÌ„t with the holy fathers that 〈◊〉 greate and merueilous mutation and change is made in this sacrament by the power of gode worde Wee detest euen as muche as you all such as sée no more but common bread or a bare signe in this holy supper neither can wee thinke well of you when you doo so falsely charge us with that assertion But how can you shew that it was gods holy wil to haue so many miracles wrought as you without necessitie doo make in this sacramente Yea and of such sorte as be contrary to the maner of all those miracles that the holy scrinture mencioneth to bee wrought by his diuine power Moyses turned his rodde into a serpent but all that were presente sawe that it was a serpent He made water miraculously to come out of the rocke but al the children of Israell saw and tasted of the water Christe tourned water into wine but all the company dranke and felte it to be wine The same is to bee saide of all the residew of merueylous workes And when gods power had miraculously tourned these thinges that into the whiche they were tourned reserued and kepte that nature that was agreable to suche a thinge The serpent had the very nature of a serpent the water was of such nature as it behoued water to be the wins lost not the right nature of wins Otherwise it may séeme rather a iudglinge then miraculous workinge You neuer reade in all the course of the scripture that gods power tourned the substance of any thinge and left the qualitées of the other thinge that it was before sauing onely in this case that you imagine it God is able to turne darkenes into light and light into darkenes but it were madnes to require at gods almightie power to make lighte and not to haue a shininge that is to make lighte to be light and not to be light all at ones or to make light darkenes all one This were nothing but to peruert the order of gods wisedome Doo you not this in the sacramente when you apoint the body of Christ to be without quantitée proportion and figure or to be in a thousand places at ones which is proper only to his diuinitie Is not this to take away the nature of a body from his body and in déede to affirme it to be no body And yet wee say not but that god is able to worke that also if it be his pleasure But we say it was not gods wil and pleasure in ordeining the sacrament to haue it so For neyther is there any necessitie that should constraine him to it nor doth his word teach vs that ouer hee did the like Oh ye wyll say we muste beleue Christes wordes This is my body which be of as great power now as they were in the parlour at Hierusalent to make the very body of Christe really and carnaly present and so the Catholike church say you doth teache vs. Wherefore vpon this veritie once setled diuers other thinges must of necessitie followe by drifte of reason although they bee not expressely mencioned in scripture as the adoration of the sacrament the turninge of the substance of bread and wine the beinge of Christes body in many places at onâ—â— c. In déede in such is the vanitie of mans reason in gods