replieth saying The holy oblation whether Peter or Paule doe offer it or any other priest of what so euer goodnes he be is the same which Christ did geue vnto his disciples and which priestes euen now to these daies doe consecrate And S. Ambrose He is saieth he our Bishop which offered the sacrifice which purged vs the same we also now offer vp which then being offered can not be consumed Wherfore seing that priestes how so euer they be in their liues are honorable for the sacrifice which they offer And wheras Christ did offer vp him selfe according to the order of Melchisedech in his last supper and thirdly wheras priestes do the same very thing which our master did before it is ignoraÌ„ce not to know these thinges or dissimulatioÌ„ to passe by them it is impiety to speak against the church and it is blasphemy in deed to reuile or taunt at Christ his bodi But yet M. Iuel wil proue his saing For contrariwise Christ presenteth vs and maketh vs a swete oblation in the sight of God his father Ergo sayeth he the priest offereth not Christ. which is open blasphemye or els he should say that he vnderstandeth not the matter For what contrariety is betwen Christ and his church or betwen the head and the body All this which I shal say is true Christ offereth vp vs Christ is the oblation it selfe the churche offereth Christ and Christ doth offer his church and in all this ther is no contrarietie witnes hereof is S. Austen saing Bicause of the forme of a seruant which he â—oke Christ is also a priest him self being the offerer and him self the oblation Of which thing he would the daily sacrifice of the church to be a Sacrament wheras he is the head of her the body and she the body of him the head she aswel being accustomed to be offered by him as he accustomed to be offered by her So that euery man may see whith what lerning and truth the Canon hitherto hath ben reproued But let vs coÌ„sider the rest More ouer the priest desireth God to accept the body of his soâ—ne Ihesus Christ â–ª as he once accepted the sacrifice of Abell or the oblatioÌ„ of Melchisedech And think we that Christ the soune of God standeth so far in his fathers displeasure that he nedeth a mortal and miserable man to be his spokes man to procure him fauor Haue you seen a man somtimes for wantones or dronkenes or plaine 〈◊〉 to fight against his owne shadow 〈◊〉 M. Iuel here streketh that kind of men which I haue not read of and none I think which beleueth in Christ did euer dreame that his father was angry with him and that he needeth to haue not onely a mortal miserable man but any most glorious creature to speake for him Yet this preacher so sowndeth as though all the whole number of Catholikes which these nine huÌ„dred yeres by his owne coÌ„fession vsed the Canon haue praied to God for Christ his soule Now God haue mercy on his sowle which so loudly belieth so many blessed and lerned men This obiection hath in part been answered before yet I say now again that the church desireth God to loke downe vpon his sonnes body and to accept it either for vehemency of loue and deuotion which causeth men to repete again and again that which they are sure of or els bicause all flesh is weake and vnclean and vnworthy to come so nigh vnto the most high mysteries therfore the church desireth that God will accept at her handes and looke fauorably vpon the body of his soâ—ne fearing lest perchaunce the wickednes of her be such that God turneth away his face from her euen at that time when his most dearest soune is present After which manner albeit the Ghospell and the actes of Christ be alwaies liked of God yet of som it is saied by the Prophet VVy doest thou declare my righteousnes and takest my testament in thy mouth Which men wel might praye after this sort which M. Iuel so gretly wondreth at and say Lord behold with a merciful couÌ„tenance the wordes of thy owne Ghospell and turne not away they face from thy owne testameÌ„t And so likewise that which foloweth in the Canon that God wold accept the sacrifice of his sonnes bodye as he accepted Abell Abraham or Melchisedechs oblations it is not spoken as M. Iuel faineth as thowgh the bodye of Christ were to be receaued no otherwise then shepe or lambe and bread or wine but the church declareth therin her wish that as concerning her seruice not as concerning the price of the thinges offered in the old time and these daies of grace it wold please God to receaue at her handes the sacrifice of Christ his body so thankfully as he receaued the oblations of those good fathers And that her seruice in this part may be no worse vnto her then those of old time were to Abell Abraham and Melchisedech But let vs now coÌ„sider by this obiection what one may do which is disposed and what euil example is geuen vnto Ethnikes by the lokes of Christians to speake against the Christian faith Arise o Lord sayeth the Prophet why doest then slepe Remembre Dauid o Lord sayeth the same Prophet and all his gentlenes and that Dauid is Christ. And in an other place of the Psalmes it is writen that God did arise like one which had ben a slepe and like a valiant which had well dronk of wine Yea it ys expresslie sayed for Christ I pray God to heare the in the tyme of thy tribulation and so furth thorowgh the whole Psalme Shall Christians in these places play the Ethnikes partes and aske whether God be a slepe or forgetfull or well tipled what doe they meane which pray to obteine any thing for Christ his sake do they not say in effect all this behold o Lord how thy blessed soun take flesh vpon hym for our sakes remembre his obedieÌ„ce remembre the scourges the prickes of thorne the nailes the crosse the death which he suffered remembre and doe not forget how deepe is S. Bernard and S. Bonauentura and thousandes of blessed men in the coÌ„sideratioÌ„s of our Sauior his passion what lamentations what questions what wisshes what thoughtes haue they O blessed fault sayeth S. Gregory which deserued such a redemer what saye we to the auncient hymnes of the church which are song in the lent the sense I remembrâ— although I keepe not all the wordes Bowe downe thy bowes o tall high tree and slake thy hard stiff graine That with soft stretching his bodye thou ease the high kinges paine what place is left for the fong of the three children All the workes of our Lord blesse our Lord And the Psal. Praise ye our Lord which is in the heauens in which Psalmes sonne and moon thunder lightning haile snow hills fildes riuers seas all beastes of the earth
all foules of the aire and to be short all creatures are called vpon to praise God may you wisely now obiect and say the moone can not heare me the wild beastes be neuer the soner obedient for me the birdes will sing no louder for all me with princes of the earth what is ther to doe for me yong mâ—n and virgins old men with younglinges let them praise the name of our Lord and who made me an officer to commaund so many I will goe no further but breifly will I conclude there was neuer kind of argument more pernicious then this one to examine the deuotions and praiers of good men by the rules of worldly ciuilitye and to iest at the homlines and hartines of Catholikes when they speake to God as one frind would vnto an other familiarly or wheÌ„ they speake according to the world childishely or according to the nature of thinges absurdly Off all which poyntes yow may fynd examples in the boke of Cantica Canticorum if euer yow haue either reade them or can with al your wit vnderstand them and then to bring those sayinges before the people to be iudges therof which haue no tast almost of heauenly thinges it is most vaine and vnreasonable Besides this he dosireth God that an Angell may come and cary Christ his bodye away into heauen VVhat a fable is this that Christ should be born vpon an Angel and so caried vp away into heauen It is besides the person of him which hath ben brought vp among lerned men and for opinion of learning and grauity is called a Bishop so to dissemble and so to counterfaict the vice in making of sporte with a fable of his owne And first the Canon is not truely Englished in this parte which he iesteth at For the wordes of the Latin CanoÌ„ be these Iube haec perferri per manus Sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum which is to say coÌ„maund o Lord these thinges to be brought by the handes of thy holy Angell in to thy high altar Yet M. Iuell to make more sport englisheth perferri to be caried away not to be brought or caried vp as the truth is And bicause the Canon maketh mention of the Angells handes he fableth as though Christ should be caried vpoÌ„ an Angells back or shoulders or as though the Catholike did meane that Christ should be borne vpon an Angels backe and caried vp away into heuen But what a fable is this sayeth he for soth a very folish grosse fable in deed inuented by the diuell and vttered by Melhoserus and translated in to english by M. Iuell A folish grosse fable I say bicause the church of God hath no such carnall base vnderstanding of the place But desireth God that by the ministery of Angells which wait vpon vs and his misteries he would commaund the body of his soune our Lord to be caried vp not according to the changeing of place but according to his gracious acceptation of our seruice in to his high altar which is heauen For thinketh M. Iuell that when the Angells doe cary vp good mens almes deades or their praiers or fastinges or teares or any such like in to the sight of God that they make those thinges vp in fardels and cast them vpon their backes and make hast to heaueÌ„ warde and there vndoe their packes for the worde of carying vp soundeth in the eares of a carnall man as though there were changeing of place ther about or heuines of a burden or vse of armes sholders or back or some stay vpon which the cariage might rest which members are not in Angels and yet the scripture speaketh after the fashion of men testifying our almes dedes fastinges and prayers to be caried vp before the face of God in heauen and presented before his maiesty by the ministery of Angells now if one did not vnderstand the sense of those wordes rightly it were wisedom for him to hold his peace rather then to vtter his grossenes in vnderstanding them so basely and folishelye Especiallye wheras Sainct Ambrose so blessed and lerned a doctor hath like wordes vnto these which M. Iuell contemneth saing in his boke which he made of the sacramentes VVe besech the and pray the that thou wilt receaue this oblation vp to they high altar by the handes of thy Angells as thou hast vouchsafed to receaue the giftes of thy iust seruant Abell and the sacrifice of our patriarch Abraham and that which the high priest Melchisedech offered vp vnto the. Loe Sir if it please you to shew the finenes of your witt you may find fault with Sainct Ambrose and aske of your audience more folish then your selfe what a tale is this that the oblation of the church should be borne vpon an Angell on pick packe perchaunce and so caried vp away into heauen but see the good nature of the man he confesseth his folies and saieth he would not stand so long vpon them if force draue him not ther vnto But what force trow ye I think bicause a wanton audience is most delited with iesting against other and bicause a grosse audience conceiueth thinges spoken after a carnall sort and thinketh that preacher which so doth to be a very 〈◊〉 that to serue his audience he could not leaue of so plausible a matter Therfore saieth he after he had done his worst I leaue to speake farther of the Canon geuing you occasion by these few thinges the better to iudge of the rest Which wordes I note bicause in deed as the whole CanoÌ„ might haue ben mistrusted if any certain faultes had been noted in it so when with all his power and cunning he hath spoken the worst and yet hath reproued nothing but his owne misunderstanding an imagination which he fained to be in the Canon therfor we may iudge all well of the rest when no euill is found in those pointes which he toke to be farthest from the best The â—owerth matter that remayneth to be towâ—hed is the adoration It is agreable withe the rest of their doctrine and it foloweth coÌ„sequentlye that no bodye of Christ being in the Sacrament there should be no adoration vsed at all So that the very sure way to disproue adoration were to disproue the reall presence Which bycause they can not doe against so manifest wordes of our Sauior therefor how so euer the matter of the presence doth stand yet will they assaye to take away the worshipping or adoring of Christ in the Sacrament But that is done with so light and vnfytt argumeÌ„tes that they may serue by changeing of a few wordes against all kynd of orders in the church and consequentlye of owr fayth For what is it that you say good master myne against adoratioÌ„ Christ sayeth he which knew best what owght to be done when he ordeyned and deliuered the SacrameÌ„t of hys body and bloud gaue no coÌ„maundement that any man should fall downe to
dayes telleth How the Byshop after he hath ended his folie praier vpon the diuine altar beginneth at it to burne incense so goeth rounde about the whole church An other witnes to lett goe the liturgies or masses of S. Basile and S. Chrisostome shal be S. Ambrose which in his coÌ„templation of the comyng of the Angel vnto the highe preist Zacharie sayeth And I wold to god that whiles we inceÌ„se the altars and bring sacrifice thither the Angel shold stand by vs and geue hymself to be seen of vs. Now these testimonies M. Iuell being gathered out of the fiue huÌ„dred yeres after Christ you were not so wyse vndoubtedlye as you were bold in saying your coÌ„munion to be of that forme and fashion which the Apostles delyuered and their next folowers receiued Furthermore in the primityue church goodlye tapers and lightes were vsed how read you in the old doctors were they not If they were how be you not a shamed of the darknes which is generallie in you and your coÌ„munion If you can find no mentioÌ„ of lightes in any good auncient doctor read then S. Augustyne in his sermons vnto the people declaring what is the best kynd of vowe and vttering by that occasioÌ„ the manner of good folke in his time of whoÌ„ some did vowe oyle some wax to keep light in the night some a pall or robe c. Which although he aloweth yet these are not the best vowes sayeth he Read also Paulinus which vpon S. Felix holidaye sayeth Clara coronantur densis altaria lychnis The altars bright Are rownde I dight With lampes thick sett and light Read to be short S. Hierome and not onlie read but regard hym Read what he iudgeth of Vigilantius and read what the heretike VigilaÌ„tius iudged of churchlightes and tapers Did not he lyke a singular and blind Protestant all be it such then were not called Protestantes but knowen well inowghe by the bare name of heretikes but did not he iest tawnt at the maÌ„ner of Catholikes askyng them whi they lighted tapers at myd noon the sonne faire shinyng and askyng further whether the martyrs which dwell in heauen neede any of our tapers which tarye on earth Whose madd brayne for theis and other lyke sayinges S. Hierome noted to require some cure and remedie and emong other thinges he answereth Vigilantius with these wordes Neither Christ needed the oyntment which Marye Magdalene powred vpon hym Nor martyrs the light of tapers and yet that woman did that thing in the honor of Christ and the deuotion of her mynd ys taken and who so euer do light tapers they haue theire reward according to their faith Agayn Thorowgh all the churches of the East when the Ghospell ys a reading the tapers are lighted euen when the sonne now shyneth Not trulie to putt darknes awaie but to shew furth and declare a token of ioye and gladnes For this matter therefore M. Iuell I will leaue you vnto holie S. Hierome to see whether you and he in this â—â—ynt can agree any thing togeather and whether he can patientlie suffer you after so euident customes to the contrarie to crake that you haue browght the communion vnto that forme which it had at the begynnyng Shal I make any more exceptions against you or haue I sayd to much allreadie for your profite and credite emong the ignorant Many surelie wil think and saie vnto them selues that if my Lord Iuell preached these thinges in open pulpite he was well aduysed before what he would saye and vndoubtedlie he hath how to answer how so euer these papistes alleage the Doctors Which felowes verilie haue to greate an opinion of the man and they may seeme to offend of purpose which wil not see most manifest thinges and such which are coÌ„prehended by the owtward and carnal senses Many heresies of old were verie subtile and of much shew of vertue in so much that right lerned and good men might haue ben deceaued in them but the heresies of this tyme are for the most part all so grosse so vnreasonable so vnnatural so folish so much crakyng so litle performyng that it ys a wouÌ„der how any man of coÌ„mon sense doth preferr the new before the old religion For to note .ij. pointes more which the church obserueth as delyuered by the Apostles and which the coÌ„munioÌ„ boke hath not in it for all the bost that is made of it what honest hart can abide to here those bolde wordes that the coÌ„munioÌ„ is restored to the vse and forme of the primityue churche when he shall perceaue that praying to the Sainctes and praying for the dead which the new Ghospellers do vtterlie neglect was generallie of old obserued Is it not sayed manie tymes and oft in S. Basils masse lett vs commend our selues one an other and all owr life vnto Christ owr God hauing in memorie owr most holie and vndefiled ladie the mother of God and allwaies virgin Marie with all the Sainctes Doth he not make an expresse mention of owr ladie of S. Ihon the Baptist and of the sainct whose memorie is kept that daye in the churche sayinge QuoruÌ„ postulationibus visita nos at whose praiers and requestes visite vs Doth not Chrisostome in this article agree with Basile the catholike faith O Michael saieth he which art the cheife captaine of the heauenlie armie vnworthy we beseech the to defend vs by thy intercessions vnder the shadow of thy wynges Agayn O ye Apostles do your message vnto owr mercifull God that he may geue vnto owr sowles remission of sinnes The lyke praier he maketh in effect vnto S. Nycolas and to all the sainctes And whereas holye Sainctes and Martirs are mentioned in the rest of the masse especiallie yet thei are at the tyme of oblation for it is great honor to them to be named when their Lord ys present wheÌ„ that death ys celebrated and that dreadfull sacrifice and vnspeakable sacramentes Which was so ordinarie and common a matter that S. Augustine in few wordes sayeth It is well knowen vnto the faithfull at whatâ— place the martyrs and religiouse women or Nunnes departed are rehersed at the Sacramentes of the altar And agayne that we vse not to offer sacrifice to Martirs but that in that sacrifice which we offer vp vnto God the martirs in their place order are named Yf yow aske to what purpose the catholike and true coÌ„munion should vse the inuocation or namyng of martyrs althowgh it be argument sufficient against your coÌ„munion that it foloweth not the lyke maner which we find to haue ben receiued in the awncient churche yet to yelde much herein vnto you I say either with Chrisostome in the place forenamed in the that it is the Martirs honor to be remeÌ„bred in the presens of their lorde his pretiouse bodie Or I saie with S. Augustine applying that to our purpose speciallie which he spake generallie of all
sayeth VVe are fed with that thing which the Angels seeing do tremble at and can not loke vpon it without â—ear bycause of the brightnes which reboundeth from it Agayn the same blessed Doctor in the .24 homylie vpon the .10 chapâ—ter of the first to the Corinthians sheweth at large that at the least we should doe towardes the Sacrament of the altar that which the Magians dyd towardes owâ— Sauyor lying in the maynger which dyd come vnto hym with great reuerence and horror Which example he repetyng in an oration of his vpon S. Philogoâ—ius sayeth As thou doest receaue and intertayn God here menyng in earth with much honor so will â—e receaue the there vndowbtedly in heauen with much glorye Lykewyse S. Ambrose most playnly reasonyng with hym self how the Prophet Danyd in the Psalmes willeth vs to worshipp the footestole of God which by the interpretation of an other Prophet ys called the earth at the length he concludeth Therefor by the footstoole let the earth be vnderstanded and by the earth the flesh of Christ which also at this daye we worship in owr misteryes and which the Apostles dyd worship in owr Lord Ihesus Marke the worde which Sainct Ambrose hath That to this day we worshâ—pp Christ in owr misteries Because M. Iuel will haue vs to ascend vp I can not tell how in to heauen to worshipp Christ there as thowgh there wer no â—ote stoole of his that is to saie no flesh of his in earth For where as S. Augustyne hath these wordes manifestlye Christ toke earth of earth for flesh is of the earth he toke flesh of the flesh of Marie and because he walked here in that very flesh and gaue that very flessh vnto vs to be eaten for owr health and no man eateth that flessh except first he adore and worshyp it it is found owt how such a fotestoole of owr Lord may be adored and that we not onlye do not oâ—â—end in worshipping it but in not worshipping of it we doe offend M. Iuell doth expouÌ„d hym after this sort that the eating of hym and worshipping of hym must ioyne togeather but we eate hym in heauen sayth he ergo we must worshipp hym there But how much better doth it folow we eate hym on earth ergo we must worship hym on earth where we eate hym or els to ioyne bothe sayinges togeather we eate hym in heauen and in earth ergo we must worship hym in heaueÌ„ and in earth For as concernyng those testymonyes which are alleaged by M. Iuell that we must lift vp owr hartes And Yf we be rysen agayn with Christ let vs seeke those thinges which are aboue And agayne Owr conuersation ys in heauen By which testimonies he would conclud that Christ his body is to be sowght for only in heauen verely as the wordes doe sownd diuinelie and trulie so is the coÌ„clusion inferred very madly and miserablie Bicause those textes do no more disproue Christ his body to be on earth reallye then they proue owr bodies to be now reallie in heauen As in this short example Owr conuersation ys in heauen sayeth S. Paule and yet when he spake those wordes was he not on the earth in presence of bodie Doth M. Iuels hart goe owt of his body when he doth lift it vp to God Or when I am coÌ„maunded to seeke those thinges which are aboue must I make a ladder for my bodye to clyme vp to heauen All blessed men doe counsell the receauers of the Sacrament to ascend in their hart to loke vp to heauen to worshipp Christ sittyng at the right hand of the Father Which they doe not therefor counsell that we should not beleue owr Sauior to be present in his misteries but bicause they couet to withdraw our imaginations from all earthlines and to geue vs warnyng that we doe not make rekonyng to see with our eâ—e or perceaue by tast or smell or grosslye to conceiue by any bodilye sense the manner of Christ his being in the Sacrament For euen then also when owr Sauior hanged visiblie vpon the crosse it might haue ben well sayed to the faithfull lift vp yowr hartes and ascend with your myndes in to heauen not fastenyng your eyes so much vpon this present forme most pytiefull but rysing with yowr faith to apprehend that infinite maiestie and diuinitie and wysedom and power of Christ which is the glorie of his Father in heauen and comfort of all the holie Angells and thus presentlie yet now ys tormented and defaced vpon the earth As S. Augustyne sayeth very wysâ—lye in the Psalme which I haue fornamed entreatyng vppon the adoration of Christ his flessh It is the spirite which quickeneth the flessh profyteth nothing And therefore when thou doest bowe downe thy selfe and â—al prostrate before any such earth meanyng the flessh of Christ looke not vpon it as it were earth but looke vpon that â—oly one whose fotestoole it is which thou doest worshipp So that the bodye of Christ being present vpon the altar bycause we are all very prone to grosse cogitations and sensible loues therefor may it be sayed most iustly vnto vs lift vp yowr hartes goe vp towardes heauen with them there lett yowr thowghtes be occupyed As who should saye bycause good people yow here that this is his body and yow see it yet in a simple forme as lying vppon an altar and caryed in mennes handes broken also and deuyded yow may perchauÌ„se haue to base and lowe cogitations But I tell yow ascend in yowr myndes dilate yowre hartes and enlarge yowre thowghtes This is his bodye in deed as he hath spoken hymself the word which can not be false and this ys his bloude But whose body and bloud lyft vp yowr hartes now The body of the second person in trinite the onlye begotten of the Father the maker of the world the wisedome of God the ouerlooker of all creatures good and badd angells and diuells men and beastes the sercher of owrâ— hartes the disposer of tymes the iudge of the worlde the felicytie and ioye of the good the terror and feare of the condempned Lyft vpp yowr hartes I saye Thinke you that here ys present a bodye or flessh onlye And that as in diseases some whott meates doe cumfort the bodye so that yow haue but a lyuely peece of his â—lessh onlye Or els doe you conceaue the matter after this sort that as one fâ—nde sendeth to an other a morsell of good meate which the other had not that so Christ in this banket geueth vnto euery man a tast or els a portion onlye of his pretious bodye as it were a most excellent gyft but yet baser then his sowle and diuinitie O lift vpp your hartes You must not seeke Christ so grosselye looke not to haue hym so vpon the earth Christ ys one perfect person God and man maker of all tymes and borne according to flesh in tyme euerlasting lyfe and yet putt
to most shamefull death reignyng at the right hand of God his father and present among men vpon the altar Stick not therefor I say vnto the body lett not your thoughtes and desires rest in the flessh onlye but goe hyer by your faith and coÌ„sider that blessed sowle of his so chast patient wise charitable bright glorious and yet hyer and hyer in to the very heauens and aboue all heauens beholding and wondering how the maker of them all whom thowsand thowsandes and ten hundred thousand thousands do wayte vpon ys present here for vs to be receaued of vs and to incorporate vs in to hym selue This loâ— haue I spoken more largelie bicause M. Iuell hath no other way to answer S. Augustine but to declare as we denye it not vnto them but which thei haue lerned of vs that we must ascend with our hartes in to heauen and there honor Christ. Which being most true and grawnted vnto hym he doth vntruly and ignorantlye to say that Christ is not to be honored also in earth in the sacrament of his very bodye and bloud bycause he is to be honored in heauen For we doe not diuide Christ and make one Christ to be in heaueÌ„ an other to be on earth one bodye in heauen an other in earth but men worshipp hym in heauen one God and the Angells worshipp hym in the Sacrament here on earth as S. Chrisostome proueth And men worship hym as he lieth vpon the altar and Angells worship hym as he sitteth at the right hand of God his father And so both Angells and men doe worshipp Christ both in earth and in heauen and that not with two kindes of honors one for holy dayes an other for working but with one salfe same honor and worship The protestants wold be seen to say much when they appeale so often to heauen and receaue Christ sitting at the right hand of God as who shold saie the papistes myndes goe no hyer then the priestes handes when he sheweth the SacrameÌ„t vnto them And when they haue supposed that this is true then loe they triumph in recityng S. Chrisostome S. Augustyne S. Hierome and then are they sorye that old holie fathers be not regarded But the answer vnto them is readie that they haue saâ—ed therein very well but nothing to the purpose for Catholykes doe beleue that they must lift vp their hartes and seeke for Christ in heauen and worship hym at the right hand of his Fatherâ— but protestantes denye that Christ is reallie present in the Sacrament or that he is to be worshipped therein which I shal disproue a litle more S. Augustyne vpon the .21 Psalme The riche of the earth sayth he haue eaten also the bodye of their Lorde but they haue not been fulfylled as the poore men were in folowing of Christ but yet they dyd worship hym Now M. Iuell coÌ„fesseth that where we eate Christ there we worship Christ. ergo these riche men of whom the Prophet and S. Augustyne speak which did eate Christ on the earth did worshipp hym also on the earth for in heauen they did not eate hym bicause they folowed hym not as the poore did which worthelie did receaue hym Again how could the gentyles haue misreported the Christians in the primitiue church for honoring of Ceres and Bacchus the false goddes ouer bread and wyne except they had geuen some argument thereof in deed by reason of honoring Christ in the SacrameÌ„t For if an Ethnyk shold behold a Christian after grace sayd to eate his meate sauorlie and soberlye he could not think that he worshipped Ceres and Bacchus therein But when the panymes hard saye that the Christians dyd eate the flesh of theyr God and when they could see nothing but bread and wyne which were receaued with all reuerence and deuotion they might not saye that is was onlie bread bycause of the honor which at the presence thereof the Christians exhibited vnto it and they could not saye it was the bodye of Christ bycause that being yet infydells they were not instructed in owr misteries it remayned then to think and to report that vndoubtedlie Christians dyd worshipp Ceres and Bacchus Which proueth that the Sacrament was then adored and worshipped Besides this it ys gathered owt of the same blessed Doctor that we doe honor thinges inuisible I meane flessh and bloud vnder the forme of bread and wyne whiche we see And we doe not take these two kyndes after lyke sort as we dyd before the consecration whereas we confesse faythfullie that before the consecration it is bread and wyne which nature formed but after the consecration it ys the flessh and bloud of Christ which blessing hath halowed But yet for all those testimonye what sayeth M. Iuell It is a verie now deuyse quod he and which as it is well knoweÌ„ came but latelie in to the church about .iij. hundred yeares past Honoâ—us being Bishop of Rome and coÌ„maunding the SacrameÌ„t to be liâ—â—ed vp and the people reuerentlie to bowe downe to 〈◊〉 After hym Vrbanus the fowerth appointed 〈◊〉 holydaie of Corpus Christ c. Threâ— hundred yeares are 〈◊〉 but a very litle 〈◊〉 with â—ow when we â—alke of the adoration of the sacrament but if we come to the glorious setters furch of the new fownd Ghospell thirtie yeares lacking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 computationem Eccelesiâ— Anglicaâ—â— doe â—â—â—ke a greaâ—â— antiquitie And then 〈◊〉 or after hym Zuinglius must be named fathers and Apostells when very blessed Bisshoppes Honorius and Vrbanus whom all Christendome assented vnto are named contemptuouslie as who should say I knew them whem thei did stand withowt the church doores and could not read any letter in the bâ—ke But goe to when Honorius did commaund the adoration of the sacrament dyd any countrey of all Christendome or Cytie or godlye man speake agaynst it Or when S. Vrbane apoynted an holidaye for it is it writen or extant by any argument that it was refused in any place The popes I am sure were not withowt counsell the Vnyuersities were not withowt great scholars religious houses and orders were not theÌ„ destroyed the holy ghost in true Catholykes was inuincible the wicked spirite in heretykes would haue been venterous a good man with the daunger of his life would haue spoken the trueth an heretyke to wynne a fame would not haue passed vpon death the dyuel also being his comforter and in these so manye causes whi the trueth should not be suppressed is it possible that withowt open coÌ„tradiction a false honor of God should be receiued among Christians therough the whole world yf the adoration of the Sacrament were in deed blasphemous being so receaued as it was in all ChristeÌ„dome so many people runnyng headlong as you ween in to their damnatioÌ„ did the holy ghost stirr vp no one good man to call them back That holy ghost which was promysed before and is now performed vnto the church of Christ which
to be cast owt of the church which was instituted by S. Alexander Bishop of Rome and Martir of Christ fowrtene hundred yeares agoe Then also in the matters of weight if that Ecce duo glagij hicâ— â–ª behold here are two swordes Doth not proue the Bishopp of Rome his both spirituall and temporall power yet must yow not make hym an Antichrist or the temporal princes page and seruant And if owr Sauyour would not vse in his humilitye the temporall sword and iurisdiction yow will not therfore I trust denie that he was Lord of Lordes and kyng of kynges And so likewise he makyng his Apostle S. Peter his leuetenant and ruler of all Christians both sheepe and lambes althowgh he put vpp his sword in to his sheath yet doth it not folow that he hath no such sword at all For as concernyng the spirituall sword no wyse heretike denyeth that vnto the Bishop the Scripture saying most plainely whose synnes you forgeue they are forgeuen whose synnes yow retaine they be retained But the temporall if he will not vse it alwaies yow may not therefor in all cases take it from hym Whereas for the coÌ„moditie of the whole church if cause so requyre he may as swell forbead concernyng the Emperors owne person that no man salute hym or regarde hym as he may excoÌ„municate the basest man in a whole citie for a fault which deserueth it which is true in a Christian Emperor that hath submitted hym selfe by promyse vnto God and the church For of them which are withowt what doth it apparteine vnto me to iudge doe not yow iudge of these which are within Therefore the temporall power ys so included in the spirituall as a lesse figure Mathematicall of neuer so manie corners ys compassed within a circle It ys fynche sayed of Sainct Bernard Lib. 4. de consideratione where he speaketh of the temporall sword which the Pope hath in his sheath Ys this sword sayeth he dyd perteine vnto the by no right when the Apostles sayde behold here are two swordes owr Lord would not haue answered it is inowgh but it ys to much And therefor both are the churches I meane the spirituall sword and the materiall But the one ys to be exercised for the church the other of the church the one with the priestes handes the other with the souldiars But yet trulie at the beck of the priest and bydding of the Emperor A see now master Iuel Low much Sainct Bernard made of that argument which yow think worth the lawghing at And this is that Bernard his testimonie whom yow in pulpites doe much bring furth agaynst the pompe and vyce of Rome which as he was in deed no flatterer at all of the Bisshop of Rome so much the more yow should alowe his testimonye which he hath browght furth for the supremicie But why should Behold here are two swordes more offend Christian eares when one goeth abowt by all meanes for to proue and declare a veritie then the argument of Sainct Paule doth where he vnto the Galathians in disputing of the old law and prouing it to be voyde telleth vs that Abraham had two sounes the one by his mayde seruant the other by his wyfe which sayeth he are the two testamentes Agaynst which argument if master Iuell should vse one of his deepe and wittie confutations and bydd the people marke with see I pray yow what a worshipfull argumeÌ„t this ys Abraham had two sounes and the elder plaied the boye with the younger and the good wyfe Sara awaye quod she with this old lubber he shall not be heire with my child ergo the old law must be thrust owt of dores no doubt but this would sound so vntuneablie in the rude worldlie or fyne courtlie eares of manie that sone they might be brought vnto irreligion and contempt of the Apostles writinges But let vs come nearer sayth M. Iuel see the argumeÌ„ts vpoÌ„ which the masse is luylded Yow say well of cummyng nearer for hytherto you haue gone verie farr of and verie farr wide Yet what bring yow against the fundation of the masse I woÌ„der at the libertie of the man he maketh as thowgh he would ouerturne the masse he talketh of nothing but of the Latin tongue the corporall of lynen the altar of stone the rouÌ„dnes of the bread the mettle of the chalice and such like thinges which apperteine onlie to the comlynes and worship and signification of some good thing about the ministring and consecrating of the sacrament Are these the thinges which yow number emong owr high misteries and secret lernyng And which you were lothe to speake of as thowgh there had ben some shamefull dishonestie in the matter Or do yow call these thinges the fundacions of the masse vpon which it was builded Are these the poyntes by vttering of which you haue gone abowte to procure vs shame Grawnt vnto the Catholikes or papistes that which thei do bring in by their high misteries secret lernyng and streÌ„gth of their reasons grawnt it I beseech you good master Iuell for a while to see what will folowe Trulie no dishonor vnto God no diminisshing of Christ his passion no occation of lewdnes no breach of commaundement no thing which a quiet man shold mislike But these thinges will folow which you were lothe to ripp vpp and open that in the celebration the chalice be of siluer or gold that priestes wassh their handes in the masse that the clothes be of fyne lynen that the priest lift vp the paten and loke in to the chalice as the angell did in to the graue that the priest fetch a sigth in a certaine place of the Canon of the masse and knock his breast with remembrance of the theife which repented hym selfe of his wicked lyfe with such lyke moe which may and doe bring manye meanely disposed in to the remembrance of sundrie poyntes of Christ his passion O heauen and earth what faultes be these How much ys master Iuell to be estemed for rippyng and opening of such priuie misteries which once being knowen no man woulde euer loue the masse any more I trowe It ys wonder that Sainct Pawles church and steple were not stroken with lightning from heauen when the fierst masse was sayed within it in which masse such absurdities as the preacher telleth vs of were permitted O excellent Iuell thow hast not thy name for nawght This daye thow hast confounded all papistes this daye thow hast so ripped theire copes and opened their bosomes and Englisshed vnto vs their obseruations and rubrikes that they must nedes be ashamed for euer O the lyuing Lorde will the folissh saye how haue we ben seduced of the papistes how much were they them selues heauie loden with mennes traditions and how litle vertue was in all their doinges if a man should take awaie the number of popisâ—h ceremonies But alas for pitie and phy for shame A lerned man and browght vp