we read ther Qni supra vnà cum Patre sedes hic vnà nobiscum inuisibiliter Chrysâ—an Liturg. versaris Dignare potenti manu tua nobis impartiri impolutum corpus tuum preciosum sangninem tuum per nos toti populo Deinde sacerdos adorat Diaconus in eo in quo est loco ter secretò dicentes Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori Et populus similiter Omnes cum pietate reuerentia adorant Thowe that sittest aboue with the Father and also arte with vs here inuisiblie vouchesaif with thy Preist deacon and all the people adored the Sacr. in Chrysaime mightie hand to geue vnto vs thy vndefiled bodie and thy preciouse blood and by vs to all the people This ys his praier After this praier he geueth this rule Then the preist adoreth and the Deacon also in the place that he ys in thrice saing God be mercifull vnto me sinner And all the people likewise with godlinesse and reuerence doo adore Perceaue ye not in this saing Chryst both to be aboue with his Father and also here with vs See ye not the rule of Chrysostome that the preist the Deacon and all the people did adore before they receaued the Sacrament These places might suffice to anie man that ys not contenciouse But that the Reader maie see plentie of matter to staie him and to confounde the Proclaimer that so vntreuly reporteth of the holie Fathers we will heare one place more of Chrysostom whiche ys this Christus suam carnem dedit Homi l. 24 10. 1. Cor. vobis vt ea saturemur quo nos in sui amorem plurimum allexit Ad eum igitur cum feruore accedamus dilectione quà m vehementissima ne grauius subeamus supplicium Quanto enim maius beneficiuÌ„ accipimus tanto magis puniemur quaÌ„do eo indigni apparebimus Hoc corpus in praesepireueriti sunt Magi viri impij barbari longo itenere confecto cum timore et tremore plurimo adorauerunt Imitemur igitur barbaros nos qui caeloruÌ„ ciues sumus Illi enim cùm id praesepe tugurium tantùm neque eorum quidquam quae tu nunc intueris viderent summa accesserunt reuerentia horrore Tu verò non in praesepi id sed in Altari non mulierem quae in vlnis teneat sed sacerdotem praesentem Spiritum per abundè super proposito diffusum sacrificio vides Nec simplex vt illi corpus vides sed et eius potentiam omnem agnoscis administrationem nihil eorum quae per ipsum facta suntignoras diligenter initiatus es in omnibus Excitemur horrescamsque maiorem quam barbari illi prae nobis feramus pietatem Chryst gaue vnto vs his flesh that with yt we might be fedde wherby he moche alleured vs into his loue Let vs therfor with feruencie and most vehement loue come vnto him leest we suffre a more greuouse condemnacion The greater benefit we take the Chryst hath geuen vs his flesh to feede vpoÌ„ more shall we be punished yf we be fownde vnwoorthie of yt This bodie did the wise men and men without God and barbarouse reuerence and woourshippe And after they had ended a long iourneie with moche feare and tremblinge did adore yt Let vs therfor at the leest folowe the example of these barbarouse we that be the cittizens of the heauens for they when they sawe that maunger and cottage onelie and did not see anie of these thinges whiche thowe doest nowe beholde they came with great reuerence and horrour But thowe seest not that bodie in the maunger but in the aultar thowe seest not a woman that holdeth yt in her armes but thowe seest the preist present That same body on the aultar that was in the maunger and the Spirit plentifullie powred vpon the proposed sacrifice Neither doest thowe see a bare bodie as they did but thowe knowest all his power and rule and thowe art ignoraunt of nothing that ys doen by him But thowe art diligently instructed in all poinctes Let vs be stirred vppe and feare and let vs declare a more godlinesse then those barbarouse men Thus moche Chrysostom Nowe haue we hearde three testimonies of Chrysostom In the first we were taught his faith as touching the honouring of the Sacrament whiche he saieth to be so honourable that not onely men But also Angells doo honoure yt In the second he declared the practise or execution of the honouring of the Sacrament by him self his ministers and his people before the receipt of the same Sacrament In the thirde he geueth generall exhortacion to all men to do the same And therunto prouoketh by the example of the three wise men that came to honour Chryst at his birth teaching vs that we honour the same bodie in the aultar that they did in the maunger These places being plain enough let vs leaue them and heare Sainct Ambrose who saieth thus evpownding a verse of the Prophet Dauid Per seabellum terra intelligitur per terram autem caro Christi quam bodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus quà m Apostoli in Domino Iesu vt suprà diximus adorarunt Neque Amb. despiritu S. li. 3. ca. 12. We adore the flesh of Chryst in the mysteries enim diuisas est Christus sed vnus By the footestoole ys vnderstanded the earth by the earth ys vnderstanded the flesh of Chryst whiche nowe also we adore in the mysteries whiche the Apostles as before we haue saied did adore in our Lorde Iesus Neither ys Chryst diuided but one what thinke you gentle Reader doth not Sainct Ambrose plainlie enough testifie and teache the adoracion of Chryst who that ye shall not be caried awaie with the wicked gloses of heretiques which to robbe Chryste of his honoure in the most holie and blessed Sacrament saie that thowe must adore Chryst in heauen teacheth you by expresse woordes that the flesh of Chryst ys to be adored and honoured in the Sacrament whiche he calleth the mysteries wher he affirmeth the same flesh to be that the Apostles did adore in our Lorde Iesus Nowe after S. Ambrose we will heare S. Augustine who in diuerse places teacheth vs to adore Chryst in the Sacrament But yt shall be best first to laie before you that place of Sainct Augustine at the lenght whollie and plainly whiche this Proclamer with sleight doth truncately and by peice meale touche that yt might appeare to his readers and heares that that place of Sainct Augustine nothing impugned his doctrine whiche in deed doth plainlie ouerthrowe yt This ys the wholl place of Sainct Augustine Adorate scabellum pedum eius quomam sanctum est Sed videte fratres quid nos iubeat adorare Alio loco scriptura dicit Coelum mihi sedes est terra Aug. in Isal 98. autem scabellum pedum meorum Ergo terram iubet nos adorare quia dixit alto loco quod sit
scabellum Dei Et quomodò adorabimus terram cùm dicat apertè scriptura Dominum Deum tuum adorabis Et hic dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Exponens autem mihi quid sit scabellum pedum eius dicit Terra autem scabellum pedum meorum Anceps factus fam timeo adorare terram ne damnet me qui fecit coelmi terram Rursum timeo non adorare scabellum pedum Domini mei quia Psalmus mihi dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Quaro quid sit scabellum pedum eius dicit mihi scriptura Terra scabellum pedum meorum Fluctuans conuerto me ad Christum quia ipsum quaero hic inuenio quomodò sine impietate adoretur terra sine impietate adoretur scabellum pedum eius Suscepit eium de terrae terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem assumpsis Et quia in ipsa carne hic ambulauit ipsam carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedi◠Nemo autem carnem illam manducat nisi priùs adorauerit inuentum est quemadmodum adoretur tale scabellum pedum Domini non solùm non peccemus adorando sed peccemus non adorando Adore ye the footestoole of his feete for yt ys holie But marke ye bretheren what he commaundeth vs to adore In an other place the scripture saieth Heauen ys my seat and the earth ys my footestoole Then he commaundeth vs to adore the earth For he hath saied in an other place that yt ys the footestoole of God And howe shall we adore the earth seing the scripture openlie saieth Thowe shalt adore thy Lorde God And here saieth Adore his footestoole And expowdding to me what ys his footestoole he saieth The earth ys my footestoole I am doubtfull I feare to adore the earth leest he damne me that made heauen and earthe Again I feare not to adore the footstoole of my Lorde bycause the Psalme saieth to me Adore his footestoole Thus wauing vppe and downe I turne me vnto Chryst for I seke him here and I finde howe withoute impietie the earth maie be adored howe withoute The flesh born of the Virgen ys geuen vs to eate whiche we must also adore or ells we do offende impietie his footestoole maie be adored For he tooke earth of earth for flesh ys of the earth and he tooke flesh of the flesh of Marie And bicause he liued here in the same flesh and the same flesh he gaue vs to eate to our saluacion and no man eateth that flesh eycept he first adore yt yt ys perceaued howe soche a footestoole of our Lorde maie be adored And we shall not onely not sinne in adoring yt but we shall offende in not adoring yt Thus haue ye hearde S. Augustine at lenght Yf ye haue marked ye maie perceiue a goodlie and pleasaunt discurse howe he trieth oute the footestoole of God and howe yt maie be adored The footestoole of God at the last he findeth to be the flesh of Chryst the same flesh that he here liued in the same flesh also that he geueth vs to eate This flesh then ys the footestoole of God This footestoole ys to be adored saieth Sainct Augusten that in heauen yt aught to be adored at all times no man doubteth But forasmoche as the same footstoole the same flesh of Chryst ys geuen vs to be eaten we must also remembre our duetie before we receaue yt that we adore yt and honourelyt For yf we do not honour yt omitting then our duetie we offende saieth Sainct Augustine This flesh we receaue in the Sacrament wherfore we must honour yt in the Sacrament Yf Sainct Augustin ment not this adoracion to be doen to the Sacrament he wolde neuer haue spoken of this slesh of Chryst as eaten in the Sacrament but as exalted in glorie and sitting at the right hande of the Father Yt ys an easier waie to induce vs to honour a thing for that yt ys in heauen glorified then for that yt ys here in earth receaued But bicause this adoracion of the Sacrament was in vse among chrystians and gaue him light to vnderstande the Prophet Dauid Therfor he spake of yt That the adoracion was in vse yt appeareth in sondrie places of the whiche I shall bring furth one or two Sainct Augustine declaring the godlinesse of his mother lieng in her Li. 9. confe cap. 13. death bedde saieth thus of her Illa imminente die resolutionis suae non cogitauit corpus sunm sumptuosè contegi aut condiri aromatibus aut monumentum electum concupiuit aut curauit sepulchrum paternum Non ista mandauit nobis sed tantummodò memoriam sui ad altare tuum fieri desiderauit cui nullius diei praetermissione seruierat vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam qua deletum est Chirographum quod erat contrarium nobis qua triumphatus est hostis She when she perceaued the daie of her departinge to be at hand she had no care to haue her bodie sumptuouslie buried or to be spiced with swete spices neither did she couet a speciall monument or cared to be buried in her owne contrie She did not charge vs with those thinges but she desiered that her memorie might be made at thie aultar which she withoute anie daies missing had serued from whence she knewe that The mother of S. Augu. serued the aultar dailie holie sacrifice to be dispensed by the which the obligacion that was against vs was cancelled wherbye the enemie also was ouercomed Thus he In this that Sainct Augustine to the comendacion of his mother before God and the woorlde saieth that she dailie did serue the aultar I Aultar wolde learn of the Proclamer what seruice yt was that she did was yt not the seruice of Chryst her Lorde God and redemer that she did yea trulie And why did she yt at the aultar and not in heauen as the Proclamer wolde that we shoulde onely dooe Bicause she knewe as Sainct Augustine S. August plain against the Proclamer witnesseth that Chryst owre sacrifice was from thence dispensed and ministred So wher this Proclamer denieth the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Sainct Augustine confesseth that same Chryste to be there that cancelled the writing that was against vs and so made vs free And wher the Proclamer discommendeth them and crieth oute against them that honour Chryst in the Sacrament Sainct Augustine writeth yt to the perpetuall commendacion and praise of his Godlie mother The Proclamer wolde yt shoulde neuer be vsed Sainct Augustin declareth that his mother dailie did vse yt And as she so likewise her doinge argueth the vse of the like honowringe and seruing of Chryst amonge and chrystian people Besides this the opnion that manie had of the chrystian people who not knowing the hidden mysterie of Chrystes presence in the Sacrament The fame that the Chrystiās did honour Ceres and Bacchus Proueth their adoracio of the Sacr. in the Primitiue
oblacion woorthier then this but this excelleth all other whiche ys to be offred to our Lorde with a pure conscience and to be receaued with a pure minde Among the Chrystians ther ys no sacrifice to be offred and with pure minde to be receaued but the sacrifice offred on the aultar And thus of necessitie yt foloweth that this Authour graunteth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and that yt ys a sacrifice and that the woordes of Chrystes supper are to be vnderstanded without figure The thirde note ys that when he had taught that the sacrifice must be of Adoracion of the Sacrament auouched fred with a pure cōscience and receaued with a pure minde he teacheth also that yt must be woourshipped and honoured and that with no lowe degree of woorshippe and honour but as this sacrifice saieth he doth precel al so it ys aboue all to be honoured By whiche doctrine yt maie appeare that yf the thinge of the sacrifice dothe excell all other and ysaboue all other to be honoured and the onely sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood excelleth all other ys to be honoured that then that blessed bodie and blode are there present to be honoured wher they be offred They be offred wher they be receaued they be receaued in the Sacrament wherfore they are to be honoured in the Sacrament Now when all this disputacion of this holie Father ys graunted vpō these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie this ys my bloode yt can not be but that these woordes of Chryst must be vnderstanded simplie and plainly in their propre sense with oute figure or trope And thus to conclude for these two great Seniours of Chrystes schoole and Parliament house ye perceaue that they vse Chrystes woordes in ther propre sense And also thervpon testifie to vs the enacted trueth of Chrystes very presence in the holy Sacrament whiche ys the cheifest matter here sought THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BY occasion of the woordes of Alexander treacteth of the adoracion and honouring of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament BVt occasion being geuen by this holie Father Alexander to speake of the adoracion of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament I can not ouerpasse somewhat more to saie of yt to the confutacion of the most impudent and blasphemouse vntrueth spoken and vttered by this Proclamers woordes against adoracion recited and cōfuted Proclamer for thus he saieth Chryst that best knewe what aught to be doen herein when he ordeined and deliuered the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode gaue no commaundement that anie man should fall dowen to it or woourshippe it S. Paule that tooke the Sacrament at Chrystes hande and as he had taken it deliuered it to the Corynthians neuer willed adoracion or godlie honour to be geuen vnto it The olde doctours and holie Fathers of the Churche S. Cyprian S. Chrysostom S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Augustine and others that receaued the Sacrament at the Apostles hands and as it maie be thought continued the same in soche sorte as they receaued it neuer make mencion in any of all their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament Yt ys a verie newe deuise and as it ys well knowen came but lately into the Churche oboute three hundreth yeares past Honorius then being Bishoppe of Rome commaunded the Sacrament to be lifted vppe and the people reuerentlie ta bowe downe vnto yt After him Vrbanus the fourth appoincted an holie feast of Corpus Christi And graunted oute large pardons to the kepers of it that the people shoulde with the better will resorte to the Churche and kepe it holie This ys the greatest antiquitie of the wholl matter aboute three hundreth yeares ago it was first fownde oute and putte in practise But Chryst and his Apostles the holie Fathers in the primitiue Churche the Doctours that folowed them and other godly and learned men what soeuer for the space of a thousand and two hundreth yeares after Chrystes ascension into heauen this woourshipping of the Sacrament was neuer knowen nor practised in any place within the wholl catholike Churche throughout the wholl worlde Thus moche the Proclamer Whē I readde these his woordes I staied as one astoined considering that they coulde not proceade from anie man but either by ignorance or ells by peruerse malice that wittinglie wolde al shame set apparte vtter soche an vntrueth as the meā learned I suppose of all the catholike Churche knoweth it so to be And the more did I merueill that it was so impudētly setfurth with a repeticiō as therbie with moch boldnesse to auouche the matter Nowe for that the Authour of the woordes ys not vnlearned I coulde not asscribe thē to ignorance And considering his callinge ther shoulde be in him no soche peruerse malice But remembring howe Macedonius Nestorius and diuerse soche other leauing the doctrine of the catholike Church and the mociou of the spirit of God in the same and folowing the doctrine of priuate men according to the mocion of the spirit of Sathan did forget their calling and peruersedlie vsed them selues So likwise I perceaue this man doth the more ys the pittie But that we maie perceaue howe farre wide he ys from the trueth we will examen his woordes His first argument ys that Chryst neuer gaue commaundement to woourshippe the Sacrament Ergo yt ys not to be doen. To this first I saie to him as to one exercised in schooles that an argument of negatiues concludeth The ngatiue argumēt of the Proclamer concludeth nothing nothing But for more large declaracion to the vnderstanding of the Reader yt ys not redde in the Gospell that Chryst commaunded anie bodie to adore him while he here liued in the earth yt ys therfore a good argument that he was not to be adored The three wise men of the east came with their giftes and offringe them adored the babe Chryst They had no cōmaundement of Chryst so to do shoulde they not therfore haue doen yt or did they offende in so doing Diuerse that were cured of Chryst came and adored him but not commaunded of Chryst so to do Yt ys not redde in the Gospells that the Apostles during their familiare conuersacion withe Chryste before his passion that they fell down and adored him Shall we therfore frame an argument that Chryst in his mortall state was not to be adored by cause the Apostles be not readde to haue adored him And that Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan and the Leeper that did adore him did offende Yt ys a faint kinde of argumentacion I will in like maner reason with this disputer in his owne kinde of disputacion Chryst gaue the Sacrament of his bodie to his Apostles onelie and gaue no commaundement that all people indifferentlie shoulde receaue the same as nowe they doe Wherfor yt aught not to be doen. Yf this argument be good then ys his good But the trueth ys this argument ys naught and so ys his but this disputer knewe well
Church Cont. Fau. li. 2. cap. 13 saied that they did honour Ceres and Bacchus Gods among the gentiles dothe prooue the vse of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament For yf the chrystians had doen no more but eate their bread and drinke their wine soche reporte had not risen of them But bicause they were perceaued to honoure the Sacrament therfore they were so reported Of this same opinion fame and reporte speaketh Sainct Augustin writing against Faustus sainge Quomodò ergo comparas panem calicem nostrum parem Religionem dicis errorem longè à veritate discretum peius desipiens quà m nonnulli qui nos propter panem calicem Cererem Liberum colere existimant Howe doest thowe compare our bread and wine and saest errour farre diuided from the trueth to be like religion plaing the foole woorse then manie whiche for the bread and the cuppe thinke vs to honour Ceres and Bacchus And again in the same place he saieth Sicut a Cerere Libero Paganorum Dijs longè absumus quamuis panis calicis Sacramentum quod ita laudastis vt in eo pares nobis esse volueritis nostro ritu amplectamur ita patres nostri longè fuâ—runt à Saturniacis catenis c. As we are farre from Ceres and Bacchus the After the maner of oure religioÌ„ we honoure the Sacr. saieth S. August Gods of the Pagans although after the maner of our religion we honoure the Sacrament of bread and wine whiche ye haue so praised as in yt ye wolde be equall to vs Euen so our Fathers were farre from the bondes of Saturn although for the time of the Prophecie they haue obserued the vacacion of the Sabboth Thus the vse of the honouring of the Sacrament in and before the time of Sainct Augustine being perceaued we will heare one place more of him and so for this matter ende him Thus he writeth Edent pauperes saturabuntur Quid edunt Quod sciunt fideles Quomodò saturabuntur Imitando passiones Domini sui non sine causa accipiendo precium suum c. Diuites quid Etiam ipsi edunt sed quomodò Jn psal 4â— edunt Manducauerunt adorauerunt omnes diuites terrae Non dixit manducauerunt saturati sunt sed manducauerunt adorauerunt Adorant quidem Deum sed humanitatem nolunt exhibere fraternam Manducant illi adorant Manducant isti et saturantur tamen omnes manducant The poour shall eate and be satisfied What eate they That the faithfull do knowe Howe shall they be satisfied In folowing the passions of their Lorde and taking their price not in vain What do the riche They also eate but howe do they eate All the riche of the earth haue eaten and haue adored He saied not they haue eaten and be satisfied But they haue eaten and haue adored They doe in deed adore God but they will not shewe furth brotherlie humanitie They doo eate and adore these doe eate and be satisfied yet all doo eate hitherto he As the scripture ioineth eating and adoring together saing They haue Eating and adoring both referred to the Sacrament eaten and adored So Sainct Augustine expownding the scripture and declaring that the thing that ys eaten ys our price a thing knowen to the faithfull which our price and thing knowen to the faithfull ys the bodie of Chryst he ioineth also adoracion to the same And so bothe by the Scripture and by Sainct Augustine eating and adoring be referred to the Sacrament Whiche thing although he dothe plainlie enough here setfurth yet handling the same scripture in an other place he doth more plainly open the matter saing Neque enim frustra it a distincts sunt vt de pauperibus suprà diceretur Ad Honorae tuÌ„ Epi. 129. Edent pauperes et saturabuntur Hic verò Manducauerunt et adorauerunt omnes diuites terrae Et ipsi quippe adducts sunt ad mensam Christi et accipiunt de corpore et sanguine etus sed adorant tantùm non etiam saturantur quoniam non imitantur Manducantes enim pauperem dedignantur esse pauperes quia Christus pronobis The poore eat and are satisfied the riche eat and adore onlie passus est relinqnens nobis exemplum vt sequamur vestigia euis Neither are they withoute pourpose so distincted that before of the poour yt shoulde be saied The poore shall eate and shall be satisfied And here All the riche of the earth haue eaten and haue adored For they also are brought to the table of Chryst and they receaue of his bodie and his bloode But they doe adore onelie they are not also satisfied for that they folowe not For they eating the poour man meaning Chryst they disdein to be poour For Chryst suffred for vs leauing vs an example that we shoulde folowe his steppes Among Chrystian people Sainct Augustin findeth two sortes Some Two sortes of chrystiaÌ„ people that be riche that ys not leauing worldely affections but riche in heart not humble in spirit not submitting them selues to the sweet yocke of Chryst and yet beleuinge and therfor when they eat poour Chryste when they receaue of his bodie and blood they knowe by faithe what they receaue and they adore and honoure Chryste whom they receaue But they are not satisfied An other sorte ther be whiche be called poour and they contemning at the leest labouriug to suppresse wordly affections not being riche in desire of heart but poour and humble in spiritte taking their crosse and so folowing Chryst do walke vnder his holie yocke These receauing poour Chryst eating of his bodie and drinking of his bloode they doe not onelie adore but also they be satisfied they are filled For they folowe Chryste and their conuersacion declareth that the iuice of this foode the grace and vertue of that blessed meate appeareth in their actes in their deedes in their liuinges that they haue well fedde and be satisfied In which twoo sortes of men who seith not howe Sainct Augustine teacheth both the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament and the adoracion of the same when the chrystian people receaue him Thus nowe ye maie perceaue that euen of those Authours whiche the The authours named by the Proclamer make against him Proclamer did name as making no mencion of adoracion or woourshipping of the Sacrament in their bookes ye maie perceaue I saie that they make soche plain mencion of yt as yt not onely ouerthroweth his pestilent doctrine but also geueth him iust occasion to rubbe his forehead for verie shame that he shoulde so vntruely bothe speake and write THE SIXT AND FOVRTETH CHAPITER prooueth by other Doctours that the Sacrament ys to be adored I Haue first in his matter of adoracion produced some of these Authours whiche the Proclamer named Nowe for somoche as after the naming of them by a generall terme he spake the like of other doctours I shall also
alleadge some of these other that by them yt maie appeare that he spake as vntrulie of these comprised vnder his generall tearme as he did of them whom he rehersed by speciall names And yet merueill yt ys that almost anie one of them shoulde speake of the adoracion of Chryst in the Sacrament forasmoche as all they vniuersallie and constantlie beleuing Chryst verily and reallie to be in the Sacrament did presuppose that he shoulde ther be adored they well vnderstanding the scripture geuinge this commaundement Dominum Deum tuum adorabis Thy Lorde God shalt thowe adore By the whiche as we be commaunded to Deut. 6. honour him for that he ys God So haue we commaundement in the psalme 10 adore his wholl person God and man as Sainct Paule to the Hebrues teacheth vs to vnderstand yt Adorate euÌ„ omnes Angeli eius Adore him al ye his Psal 96. Heb. 1. Mat. 2. Ioan. 9. Mat. 15. Luc. 24. Angells Thus they being taught and by the doctrine of the Gospell perceauing the same by the three wise meÌ„ of the east that came from farre contries to Bethleem by diuerse also that were cured of Chryst more ouer also by the Apostles them selues being with Chryst in Galilee to be practised and put in vse they coulde not otherwise take yt But wher soeuer by faith they were taught Chryst to be their to adore him For Chryst ys Chryst whersoeuer or after what maner so euer he be in heauen or in earthe visible or inuisible Wherfor all the chrystian worlde certenly beleuing Chryst to be verilie in the Sacrament did withoute all scruple adore and honoure him in the Sacrament That the Chrystian orbe did so beleue yt shall appeare to yow by the testimonie of diuerse in diuerse ages To beginne at our age and so to ascend we will first heare Erasmus a man of most fame in this age Who saieth thus Hactenus cum omnibus Christianis adorani Christum pro me passum in Euchristia Nec Frasmus ad CoÌ„raduÌ„ Pellicanu adliâ—c video quicquam cur debeam ab hac opinione recedere Nullis humanis rationibus abduci potero à concordi sententia Christiani orbis Plus enim apud me valent illa quinque verba In principio creauit Deus coelum terram quà m omnia Aristotelis caeteroruniue Philosophorum argumenta quibus docent mundum carere iniiio Quid autem adferunt isti cur tan impiam tamuè seditiosam sententiam profitear Rationes stupeae sunt Semel sustulit carnem ne esset offendiculo Non admirati sunt non adorauerunt Apostoli Iubemur esse spirituales quasi caro sit exhibita officiat spiritui Caro est sed nullis obnoxia sensibus tamen hoc ipsum pignus est diuinae erga nos charitatis solatium est expectationis Hitherto with all chrysten men I haue in the Erasmus Rot his sentence of adoracion Sacrament adored Chryst that suffred for me Neither do I yet see anie thing why I shoulde go from this opinion With no humane reasons can I be sedde awaie from the full agreement of the chrystian orbe For those fiue woordes In the beginning God created heauen and earth are of more weight with me then all Aristotles and other Philosophers argumentes with whiche they teache the worlde to haue no beginning What doe these men bring why I shoulde professe so wicked and so sediciouse a doctrine Their reasons are friuolouse He tooke awaie his flesh that yt shoulde not be an hinderance to vs The Apostles did not woonder at yt they did not adore yt we are commaunded to be spirituall as though the flesh so geuen to vs as yt ys shoulde hinder vs to be spirituall Yt ys flesh in deed but not subiecte to the senseis And yet the same verie thing ys the pledge of the loue of God towardes vs and the comforte of oure expectacion Thus Erasmus Ye see nowe this mans profession he adored Chryst in the Sacrament Ye heare him saie that all chrysten people did the like Ye see that yt was not a priuate opinion of some one contrie But yt was the faith and religion of the wholl Chrysten worlde whiche can not be deceaued in so weightie a matter Ye see in this Authour a constancie which I wish to be and wolde God yt were in all chrysten men that he wolde not by mens reasons be led awaie from that that was fullie agreed vpon thoroughout all and so receaued Note with all on the other side what iudgment he hath of the Eras Rot. his iudgment of the Sacramentarie doctrine against adoracion contrarie doctrine whiche this Proclamer setteth furthe in this behalf First he saieth that he seieth nothing why he shoulde go from the faith of the catholique Churche as not to adore Chryst in the Sacrament Secondlie he accompteth the doctrine of the Aduersarie contrarie to this to be wicked and sediciouse The reasons also saieth he whiche they make to maintein their doctrine are but vain and friuolouse So that as ye see the doctrine of the Aduersarie wicked and sediciouse not pithie and weightie neuer of all chrystian people agreed vpon and receaued So maie ye see the catholique doctrine godlie and of one sort so substanciall and well grownded that all the chrystian orbe hath rested vpon yt and at all times vntill the time of Luther and Oecolampadius hath in all places with great consent and concorde accepted yt and approoued yt A good nombre of yeares more then foure hondreth before Erasmus was Algerus who also testifieth that the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament was receaued of all the catholique Churche and so beleued Thus writeth he Idem quod Christus de veritate corporis sui testatur Petrus Algerus quia pro alijs loquebatur cum eo alij Apostoli Quid ergo de veritate corporis sanguinis Christi in Sacramento dici potest certiùs nisi fortè eam ipsam oculis videre velimus In quo tamen nec ipse Dominus nobis deesse voluit sed modicae fidei nostrae per omnia consuluit Quamuis enim ipsius Christi tot sanctorum testimonijs vniuersalis etiam Ecclesiae catholica fide quae ab initio conuersionis suae ita credidit ita saluata est sufficienter astructum sit quòd vera Christi caro verusue sanguis in mensa Dominica immmoletur ne quis tamen peruersor aliter intelligeret aut exponeret facta sunt à Deo congrua huic nostrae fidei miracula quando vel vbi vel quibus reuelare dignatus est huius mysterij secreta Qnae nimirum facta esse non ignorabit quisquis studiosiùs sanctorum patrum gesta legerit quae testantur sacramentum corporis sanguinis Domini oblata panis vini specie carnem sanguinem naturali sua specie sicut esse soles exhibuisse Cùm ergo praeteriti praesentes fideles vbique terrarum hoc credant