are spoken vnto Peter thei are spoken vnto all Priestes or Ministers Beda plainly saieth these wordes Potestas ligandi soluendi quamuis soli Petro a domino data videatur tamen absque vlla dubietate noscendum est quod caeteris Apostolis datae est The power of bindyng and loosyng notwithstandyng it séeme to bee giuen onely vnto Peter yet without all doubte wee muste vnderstande that it was giuen also to the reste of the Apostles Sainct Augustine saith Petrus quando accepit claues ecclesiam sanctam significauit Peter when he receiued the keyes signified the holy Churche Therefore saieth he when thei were all asked Peter alone doeth make an aunswere and it is saied vnto him And I will giue thée the keyes of heauen as though he alone had receiued aucthoritie to binde and to loose whereas he had spoken that for theim all and receiued this as bearyng in hym self the persone of vnitie with them all The meanyng is this when our Sauiour Christe did aske his Apostles whom thei thought hym to bee Peter alone did make aunswere whiche did serue for theim all For though one alone had aunswered yet Christ tooke it as if thei had all aunswered like to a Iurie of twelue men one maketh aunswere for all and the Iudge accepteth it as though euery one had spoken And as the aunswere of one did serue for them al so the promise that was made vnto one was made vnto them all Whiche thyng is moste true For looke what he did promise to one the same doeth he performe vnto them all saiyng these wordes As my father hath sent me so doe I sende you And when he had spoken these words he did blowe vpon thē saiyng Receiue the holy ghoste whose synnes soeuer ye dooe forgiue shal bee forgiuen vnto hym and whose synnes soeuer ye doe retaine thei shal be retained vnto hym Whiche doeth plainly agree with the woordes that he speaketh vnto them in the .xviij. Chapiter of Sainct Matthewe But I thinke it expediente and necessary for the instruction of the vnlearned and ignoraunte people to shewe what our sauiour doeth vnderstande by the keyes And here will I bryng nothing of mine owne but Chrisostome an auncient writer of the Greke churche shall discusse all the whole matter The keye saieth he is the knowledge of the worde of the scriptures whereby the gate of the truthe is opened vnto men And the kepers of the keyes are the ministers vnto whom charge is giuen to expounde and declare the scriptures Saincte Tertulian also saieth Quam clauem habebant doctores nisi interpretationem legis What key had the doctours of the lawe sauyng the exposition of the lawe Sainct Hierome also hath these wordes Duces ecclesiae habent claues scientiae vt aperiant scripturas creditis sibi populis Vnde praecipitur vt magistri aperiant discipuli ingrediantur The capitaines of the Churche haue the keyes of knowledge to open the scriptures vnto the people to them committed Therefore commaundemente is giuen that the Maisters should open and the Scholers should enter Sainct Ambrose saieth Remittuntur peccata per dei verbum cuius leuites est interpres Synnes bee forgiuen by the worde of God the expounder whereof is the priest Saint Augustine agreyng with them all saieth Claues est dicenda qua ad fidem pectorum dura reserantur That ought to bee called the keye wherewith the hardnesse of mens heartes is opened vnto faithe Here maie wee see that all the true preachers of Goddes worde are the kepers of those keyes and not the Bishoppe of Rome onely for of hym Christes woordes maie bee verified when he saieth Ye haue taken awaie the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and neither dooe you enter your selues nor will you suffer others that would enter Of the Popes keyes it is well saied of Veselus Claues Pape praelatorum non aperiunt regnum dei sed claudunt potius The Popes and the prelates keyes dooe not open the kyngdome of God but rather shutte it It was saied generally vnto theim all Go ye into the vniuersall worlde and preache the Gospell vnto euery creature he that beleueth and is Baptized shall bee saued and he that beleueth not shal be condemned In these fewe wordes of our Sauiour Christe twoo thinges are to be considered and marked Firste we doe learne by them that the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen that is to saie the preachyng of the Gospell is committed vnto them all I meane vnto all the Apostles and not to one more then an other Secondly wee learne by theim that to loose is none other thyng but to certifie by Gods woorde the consciences of the true beleuers that their synnes are freely forgiuen thorowe faithe in our Sauiour Christe iesu Whiche thyng beyng doen by the true and faithfull ministers of the Churche here vpon the earth taketh no lesse effecte in all true repentaunte synners then if it were dooen in heauen in the sacred counsaile of the holy and blessed Trinitie And for this cause doeth Christ our sauiour saie What soeuer ye loose here vppon the earth is loosed in heauen Therefore saincte Hierome accordeth herewith saiyng Quaecunque solueritis super terram erunt soluta in caelo Soluant autem eos Apostoli sermone dei testimonijs scripturarum exhortatione virtutum What soeuer thynges ye loose vppon earth thei shall bee loosed in heauen but the Apostles loose them by the woorde of God and by the testimonies of the scriptures and by exhortation vnto vertue Sainct Augustine also saieth Now are you cleane bicause of the worde that I haue spoken vnto you Quare non ait mundi estis propter Baptismum quo loti estis Nisi quia in aqua verbum mundat non quia dicitur sed quia creditur Wherefore saieth he not you are cleane because of the baptisme wherewith ye are washed Sauing that euen in the water it is the worde that maketh cleane Not because it is spoken but because it is beleued Againe he saieth Fides nostra est clauis regni coelorum Our faithe is the key of the kyngdome of heauen Ambrose saieth these woordes Remittuntur peccaeta per verbum dei cuius leuites est interpres Sinnes be forgiuen by the worde of God the expounder whereof is the Leuite or Prieste Therefore S. Paule calleth it Verbum reconciliationis the worde whereby we be reconciled to God. Againe he called it Potentia dei ad salutem omni credenti The power of God vnto saluation to euery one that doeth beleue And on the contrary parte to binde here vpon the earth it is none other thyng but to certifie by the same worde the vnfaithfull synners whiche will giue no eares vnto the glad tidynges of the kyngdome of heauen their synnes are stil in remembraunce before God vnto euerlastyng condemnation because thei will
howe that their obiection is friuolous and vaine and to no purpose but onely to deceiue the symple and ignoraunt All the foure Euangelistes doe also witnesse vnto vs that these are christes wordes from hencefoorth the sonne of man shal be sittyng on the right hande of the power of god And I went out from the father and came into the worlde and I leaue the worlde againe and go vnto the father The blessed Euangeliste saint Marke doeth write on this maner When the Lorde had spoken vnto them hee was receaued into heauen and sate hym downe on the right hand of god These wordes haue we written in Luke he led them out into Bethanie and lift vp his handes and blessed them And it came to passe as he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen But he doeth so liuely set out the matter I meane the ascendyng vp of Christ into heauen in the booke of the Actes of the Apostles that thei may be ashamed to open their mouthes for to saie that the body of Christe is still here in earth whersoeuer their holy annointed do blowe vpon a peece of bread or vpon a wafer cake Againe when the blessed Apostle saint Paul doeth byd vs to seeke Christe he biddeth vs not to seeke for hym in the Sacrament but aboue in heauen where hee sitteth on the right hande of the father If ye be saith he risen againe with christ seeke those thynges whiche are aboue where Christe sitteth on the right hand of God. And in a nother place Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lorde Iesu Christ whiche shall chaunge our vile bodies that they maie be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie By these wordes we do plainely learne that Christ is not onely in heauen touchyng his manhoode but that he shall also when he cōmeth againe make our vile and corruptible bodies like vnto his glorious body Whereby it shoulde folowe if the body of our Sauiour Christe beyng glorified and immortall can be euery where or in mo places then in one at once that our bodies also sith that they shall be made like vnto his glorious body could be euery where and in all places after the generall resurrection whereby the same that the Apostle doeth speake of here shal be performed and fulfilled But this absurditie is so greate that no christian euer is able to heare it Christe hym selfe willyng that we should seeke hym none other where but in heauen and also armyng vs against those false Prophetes that should go about to perswade vs that he is here styll vpon the earth doth saie these wordes Take heede I haue tolde you before if they shal saie vnto you beholde he is in the deserte go not foorth beholde he is in the secrete places beléeue not Why should we then at these antichristes bidding runne from aulter to aulter and from pixe to pixe for to seeke our Sauiour Christe Ought we not rather to doe as we reade that an olde auncient father did vnto whom the deuill did appeare in the likenes of Christe saiyng beholde thy Lorde and thy Kyng This good olde auncient father hearing this blasphemous voice did shut vp his eyes saiyng I will not see my Lorde and my Kyng in this worlde For he hymselfe euen my Sauiour and redéemer did geue me warning that if any should say that he were in the desert or in some secrete places I shoulde not beléeue it And so the foule spirite did by and by vanishe away from him If we woulde do the like when these false annoynted do most lyingly say vnto vs Beholde Christ is in this aulter or in that aulter he is in this pixe or that pixe this abominable spirite of idolatrie wherby the christian people is pluckt away from the true worshipping of God to the honouring and worshipping of a péece of bread which being a good creature of God thei make a stincking idol should seene vanishe away from vs. But heare yet what Saint Paul saith Christe hauyng in his owne person purged our sinnes sitteth on the ryght hande of the maiestie in the highest places And in another place he saith This man after that he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sitteth for euer at the right hande of God and from hencefoorth tarieth til his enimies be made his footstoole Let vs but marke this last saying of Paul. For here hée doth teache vs that our Sauiour Iesus Christ after that he had perfourmed done the thing wherefore he had put on our frayle nature he did take it vp into heauen where he sitteth down in it on the right hand of the maiestie of god not for a yere or two or for to be here at euery papistes becke almost euery houre of the day but for euer euen tyll his enimies be made his footstoole which thing shall neuer be tyll the worldes ende In the meane season let vs folowe the commaundement of the Apostle where he saith Whensoeuer ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shewe foorth the Lordes death tyll he come These wordes tyll he come must be vnderstanded either of his manhoode or of his Godhead But of his Godhead they can not be vnderstanded for touching it he is wheresoeuer two or three are gathered in his name much more where the whole congregation of the faithfull be assembled together for to heare his worde and to receaue his holy Sacramentes They must then of necessitie be vnderstanded of his manhoode which if it were there the Apostle néeded not to say tyll he come for he shoulde be there already present These places and other like whiche I néede not nowe to bring in for I haue witnesses enowe for their foure of the which yet two do make directly against them do sufficiently declare that these wordes of our Sauiour Christ This is my body ought not to be taken in that sence and signification that they will haue vs to take them for First and formost let vs marke the whole tenour of the wordes Christe our Sauiour saieth This is my body whiche is geuen for you Here he speaketh of a mortall body which in all thynges was like vnto our bodyes synne onely excepted and whiche hath a due proportion of lymmes with all other dimensions that pertaine to an humaine bodye and without the whiche it could be no humaine body And I doe beléeue that he did rise againe and was glorified in the same body hauyng his due proportion of lymmes and all other dimensions still that doe pertaine to mans bodie I beléeue also that the same body though it be now immortall is still of a iust height length breadth and thickenesse hauing a head armes handes and feete and all other members that are required in a perfect mans body Whiche thyng they will confesse excepte that they will affirme with Martion that Christe
had a phantasticall bodie whiche appeared outwardely to be a very mans body and yet was none Or except thei wil saie with Eutiches that the body of christ is deified or tourned into the godhead But I know that they would not for all the goods in the worlde be companions of heretiques Therefore I woulde fayne knowe of them howe and after what sort this body of Christe whiche lacketh nothing to the perfection of an humaine body shoulde be in such a small péece of bread I am sure that they wyll say that the body of Christ is in heauen on the right hande of the father with his due proportion of lymmes and other dimensions that apperteyne to a perfect mans body that is to witte with his iust height length breadth and thicknesse But it is in the Sacrament without any of al those things so that if we aske them where the head is where the feete be and the armes they wyll immediatly aunswere that all is head all is féete all is armes breast and shoulders and that we must seke there for no distinct proportion of lymmes nor any due order of the members But let them drinke water styll with the Swannes of Thamesis tyll they haue proued their monstrous doctrine by the word of God or by any aucthoritie of the auncient fathers of the true Catholike Churche and then I warrant that they shall neuer go drunken to bed Yea they are not ashamed to say that in the Sacrament the body of Christe doth occupie no place and yet they wyll haue there the same selfe body that was borne of the virgin that hong on the crosse and that ascended vp into heauen Is not this I pray you to spoyle our sauiour Christ of the veritie and trueth of a body For as Saint Augustine faith Take away the limittation of places from the bodyes and they shal be no where and because that they shal be no where they shall not be at all Sithe then that they wyll not haue the body of Christe to occupie any place in the sacrament we can conclude none other by the wordes of saint Augustine but that it is not there at all For the naturall body of Christe doeth occupie a place where so euer it be as ours shall after the generall resurrection of al fleshe So the same Saint Augustine saieth a litle after the place before rehearsed Ne dubites Christum esse in aliquo loco celi propter veri corporis modum Doe not doubte Christ to be in some one place of heauen bicause of the propertie and measure of a verie bodie Againe he saieth Christum secundum humanitatem visibilem corporem localem atque omnia membra humana veracitèr habentem credere conuenit confiteri We must beléeue and confesse that Christe accordyng to his humanitie is visible hath the substaunce and properties of a body is conteined in place and verely hath al the members the whole proportion of a man These testimonies are so manifest that vnlesse the papistes haue whorishe foreheades they will blushe and be ashamed But here they will alledge against mee the wonderous workes that our Sauiour Christe did worke in his body both afore his resurrection and after saiyng Maie not the naturall body of Christ be aswell vnder a small péece of bread as he did walke vpō the waters which is cleane contrary to the nature of an humaine bodie or aswell as he did come in to his apostles through the doores beyng shut fast Is the hande of god now shortened or is he not still almightie and able to doe what so euer he will both in heauen and in earth No man I trowe doth denie the almightie power of god For we doe all confesse with all submission due reuerence that he is able to do whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and in earth But it followeth not bicause he is almightie and able to doe whatsoeuer he will that therefore he will doe whatsouer wee shall imagine or inuent out of our owne heades and braynes besides or against the manifest and sacred scriptures We muste not thynke that his omnipotencie or almightie power will bee bounde to our vaine imaginations and phantasies Againe it hath béen alwaies counted a childishe argument and vnworthy to be vsed among the learned to reason a posse ad esse For who woulde not deride and laugh hym to scorne that would reason after this maner God is able through his omnipotencie and almightie power to doe this or that Ergo he hath doen it God was able to make vs Swine Sheepe Oxen Horses Trées Stones Frogges Lice Dogges c. Yet he hath not doen soe but of his meere goodnes and mercie hee hath made vs after his owne similitude and image for to inherite with hym his glorious kyngdome of heauen Hearken what that auncient father Tertullian saieth touchyng the omnipotencie or almightie power of GOD Some man peraduenture saieth he will saie there is nothyng vnpossible to God let vs vse this saiyng in our presumptious fancies and then may we imagine of God whatsoeuer we list as though he hath doen it bicause he is able to do it For we must not thinke bicause that god is almighty that therfore he hath doen the thyng whiche he neuer did Sed an fecerit requirendum est But we must first enquire whether he hath doone it or no. And so there shal be some thing vnpossible to GOD that is to wit whatsoeuer he will not Dei enim posse velle est non posse nolle For in God to be willyng is to be able and to be vnwillyng is to be vnable And vnto this maie be added the saiyng of Theodoretus who is also a very auncient writer GOD saieth he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will but he will doe none of those thinges that be not in hym of their owne nature Sith then that God is true of his owne nature he can doe nothyng that is against his worde Not bicause saieth the other catholique Fathers that he is not able to doe it but bicause that he will do nothyng against his owne nature And again bicause that it is vnméete that he should worke against hymselfe Thus farre he We may vnderstande by these auctorities now by mee alledged how we ought to reason vpon the omnipotencie and almightie power of god It is not enough for vs to saie God is almightie and able to doe all thynges Ergo the bodie of christ is really and substantially flesh blood and bones in the sacrament but first we must enquire whether God will haue it so or not If the worde of God should certifie vs that he would haue the body of his onely begotten sonne our sauiour Iesus christ after the same monstrous sorte in the Sacrament as they doo imagine and will haue other men to beleeue then ought we to beleeue it vndoubtedly and without any
Christe had meant some other thyng then the bare wordes do sounde but one or other woulde haue expounded them Againe how could it be that they that do eate of that bread and drinke of that Cup vnworthilie shoulde be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ and receaue their damnation bicause they make no difference of the Lordes body excepte the verie naturall body and blood of the Lorde were there present in the holy communion Firste and formost I graunt that the worde of the Lorde must be fulfilled and that it must néedes be as the truth saith But then we muste take the wordes of that the Lorde doeth speake in their right sence and according to the meanyng that he hath spoken them and not after the vaine imagination of of mens wittes For that holy father Tertullian saieth we must not bryng our owne sences to the readyng of Scriptures but we muste take the sence that the Scripture doeth geue by conferryng one Scripture by another and therefore he saieth Oportet secundum plura intelligi paâ—ciora The fewer places must be expounded by the mo Saint Hierome also saieth Non in verbis scripturarum est euangelium sed in sensu The Gospell standeth not in the bare wordes of the Scriptures but in the meanyng Saint Augustine also saith Solet circumstantia scripturaruÌ„ illuminare sententiam The circumstances of the scriptures is wont to geue light and to open the meanyng Else it will bee verie straunge as when he saith I am the dore I am the true vine we might by as good reason imagine that hee is a materiall dore and a material vine and that his Apostles are vine brauÌ„ches because that he saieth and ye are the braunches Againe ye are speakyng to his Apostles the Salte of the earth Againe when Paul did saie and the rocke was christe men readyng or hearyng the same might haue surmised that the Apostles were verie Salt that the Rocke whiche the Isralites dranke of in the wildernes was very Christ in deede why bicause that the wordes doe sounde so and seeme vnto the ignoraunt to signifie so Therfore if we will haue the true and liuely worde of god to take effect we muste with diligent conferryng of the Scriptures searche out the meanyng and right sence of it as wee haue saide a little aboue out of the Fathers else we may saie long enough euen vntil our heades do ache this is gods word thus and thus did the Lorde say before that we can proue any thyng And whereas they doe boast and crake so much of their witnesses which do al with one consent rehearse these words of the lordes institution This is my body after one maner and fashion they do in that point but deceaue the poore simple and ignoraunt people For although thei doe nothyng varie in the repeatyng of these wordes This is my body yet when they rehearse the wordes of our Sauiour Christe whiche he spake touchyng the Cuppe they doe sufficiently declare howe these wordes of Christe ought to be taken and vnderstanded and what is the true sence and meanyng of them For where Matthewe and Marke doe saie in the persone of Christ This is my blood both Luke and the blessed apostle S. Paul as faithfull interpreters of our sauiour christes wordes doe saie This cup is the newe Testament in my blood Which wordes if they be well considered and marked doe open the vnderstandyng of all the whole matter For as the Cup or that whiche is in the Cup is the newe Testament by the newe Testament hee doeth vnderstande the frée remission of our sinnes that we haue through the merites of his death passion and bloodshedding so the bread is the body of Christe But the cup doeth onely signifie and represent vnto vs the newe Testament that is to say the forgeuenes of our sinnes whiche we haue in the blood of Christ whereof we are made partakers in his holy and blessed Sacrament therefore we can conclude none otherwise but that the bread doeth onely represent and signifie vnto vs the blessed body of christ which was broken for vs the vertue of which body is communicated and geuen vnto vs by the due ministration and worthy receauyng of the holy and blessed Communion Againe if the multitude of witnesses ought to take place three of the chéefe Euangelistes do testifie vnto vs that our Sauiour Christe did saie Ye shall not haue me alwaies with you vnto whom we may adde Peter for the fourth whose wordes are these Repent ye therefore and turne that your sinnes may be done awaie when the time of refreshyng commeth whiche we shall haue of the presence of the Lorde and when God shall sende hym whiche before was preached vnto you that is to wit Iesus Christ who must receaue heauen vntill the tyme that all thynges whiche God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophetes sence the worlde began be restored againe Here Doctour Harding with the residue of the louanistes â–ª wil replie and saie why sir this place of Peter maketh litle or nothyng for you for this worde oportet in the Actes whiche signifieth must dooth not importe so much as you woulde inferre of necessitie as may euidently appeare by Saint Paul where hee saieth Oportet Episcopum esse vnius vxoris virum A Bishop must be the husbande of one wife Here you maye see saie they that oportet doeth not importe suche a necessitie as you make that he that neuer was maried may be a Bishop Here gentle reader vnderstande thou that this place of Paul by them alledged is not alike whiche these Papisticall Louanistes goe about to compare For in comparyng of the Scriptures we must not consider the naked words but the meaning thereof for as saint Hierome saieth Ne putemus in verbis scripturarum esse euangelium sed in sensu That is let vs not thinke the Gospell standeth in the words of the scriptures but in the meanyng For this place of Sainct Paul by them alledged doeth declare of what equalitie a Bishop ought to be But in the other place S. Peter teacheth vs the place where Christe must necessarily be vntill the ende of the worlde whiche wee ought to beléeue to be true accordyng to our Creede And this comparison of this worde oportet doth no more aunswere this place of Peter in the Actes then if I woulde saie of you being here present Oportet te hîc esse You must néedes be here which importeth such necessitie for the time that you can none otherwise be but here And yet our Popecatholiques goe aboute in wordes to auoyde this necessitie with an other oportet in another sence as this Oportet te esse virum bonum You must be a good man here oportet doeth not in verie deede conclude anye such necessitie but that you may be as euill a man as a papist Thus you maie see
infirmities how muche more are thâ—â— now hearde beyng in glorie with God How muche better did the blessed Apostle Saincte Iames reason when he did saie Helias was a man mortall euen as we are and he praied in his praier that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeres and sixe monethes And he praied againe and the heauens gaue raine Doe we not rather learne by their example to praie boldely vnto God though we be compassed about with infirmitie as they were then otherwise The holy prophete Dauid doeth not saie that the fathers were hearde bicause that they praied to any of the Patriarches that were before them but bicause that they praied vnto God and trusted in him The same selfe lesson doth Iames geue vnto vs. Let vs therefore â–ª folowe their examples and we shal be hearde as they were As the arme of God is not shortened since so his mercie is not waxen lesse He is as readie nowe to heare them that call vppon hym in truth and veritie as he was then Haue we not besides al this a mediatour an aduocate that appeareth continually in the sight of God for vs It is vnpossible then but that we shal be hearde whensoeuer we call faithfully vpon our heauenly Father through our onely Mediatour and Aduocate Iesu Christ our Lorde ¶ The .xxviij. Chapiter ¶ How and wherein wee ought to honour the Sainctes NOwe when thei haue nothyng to saie for their inuocations to deade sainctes beyng conuinced by the holie scriptures thei crie out and saie beholde these newe preachers dishonoureth defaceth spoileth maketh none accompt of the holie and blessed sainctes in heauen and especially thei dishonor the blessed virgine Marie the sweete mother of Christe Iesus to whom was more grace giuen then to any other creature and maketh no more of her then of another woman c. Belie vs not ye papistes for we giue to them that honour as we are commaunded in the holie scriptures to giue them And therefore sainct Cyrill saieth very truely At sanctos Martyres neque deos èsse dicimus neque adorare consueuimus laudamus autem eos potius summis honoribus quod pro veritate straenue certarunt fidei synceritatem seruarunt that is to saie in Englishe But neither we saie that the holie Martyres are Gods neither haue we vsed to worshippe or honour them but wee rather praise them with greate reuerence for that thei haue striued earnestly for the truthe and haue kepte the sinceritie of the faithe of Christe And Saincte Augustine sheweth also howe we must honour them saiyng Honorandi ergosunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem The sainctes are to bee reuerenced and worshipped for imitation that is to followe their godly doinges and conuersation and not to honour them for any religion to make them our Gods or aduocates and to haue our confidence in them this kinde of honour wée giue to the sainctes and none other And wheras you saie there was more grace giuen to Marie then to any other creature because she was the mother of Christe You maie also learne in the booke of God to bee the childe of God is a greate deale greater grace then to bee the mother of Christe Therefore sainct Augustine saieth Beatior ergo Maria fuit Percipiendo fidem Christi quam concipiendo carne Christi Materna propinquitas nihil Mariâ— profuisseâ— nisi faelicius Christum corde quà m carne gestasset Marie was more blessed in that she receiued the faithe of Christ then in that she conceiued the fleshe of Christe Motherly kindrede could haue doest Marie no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessedly in her hart then she bare him in her fleshe And in an other place he saieth Mater mea quam appellastis faelicem inde felix est quiâ— verbum dei custodiuit non quia in illa verbum caro factum est My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kepte the worde of God not because the worde in her was made fleshe Therefore Epiphanius saieth Christe saied vnto his mother woman what haue I to doe with thee My houre is not yet come Lest any man shoulde thinke our Ladie was of greater excellencie he called her woman as it were prophesiyng of the kindes and sectes of heresies that were to come in the worlde lest any man hauyng to greate opinion of that holie Saincte should fall into this heresie and into the dotage of the same For in deede the whole matter is but a mockerie and an olde wiues tale and sothely to saie nothyng els but the handelyng of an heresie Therefore Origene saieth Si mensuram transcenderit charitatis qui diligit qui diligitur in peccato est If loue passe the measure of charitie aswell he that loueth as also he that is loued is in synne The saied Epyphanius saieth further Let no man eate saieth he of this errour touching saint Marie for though the tree bee faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Marie bee beautifull and holie and honourable yet is not she to bee adoured But these women worshippyng Saincte Marie renue againe the Sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddes Fortuna and prepare a table for the deuill and not for God as it is written in the Scriptures thei are fedde with the meate of wickednesse And againe their women boult flower and their childreÌ„ gather stickes to make fine cakes in the honour of the Queene of heauen Therefore let suche women bee rebuked by the Prophete Hieremie and let them no more trouble the worlde And let them not saie we worship the Queene of heauen Thus he applied the wordes of the Prophete vnto the virgine Marie beyng Idolatrously abused by the heretiques called Collyridiani as she and other Sainctes are by the Papistes abused now in these daies This shall now suffice for to proue that Christ our Sauiour touchyng his manhoode whiche he did take of vs is and shal be vnto the worldes ende in heauen on the right hande of the father that is to saie in felicitie ioye and glorie beyng exalted aboue the heauens made lorde ouer all creatures bothe in heauen and in earth and hauyng receiued a name that passeth all the glorie that man can reporte And that as heauen muste holde hym vnto the tyme of the restitution of all thynges that God hath spoken by the mouthe of his holie Prophetes since the worlde began beyng neuerthelesse here among vs touchyng his diuinitie and godheade and feedyng vs by his eternall spirite and by the veritie of his holie institution and ordinaunce with the heauenly foode of his precious bodie and blood so he doth appeare alwaies in the sight of God for vs beyng an omnisufficiente intercessour aduocate and mediatour betwixte God and man so that we neede not to goe vnto