against any sacrament of the church of Christ mentioned in the gospel and practised among Christians but only against the inventions of that pernitious Apostata vvhich hovv soeuer he terme by the honorable name of the church sacraments as likevvise he every other heretike calleth his proper devised heresie by the name of Christs gospel yet I esteeme them no othervvise then the devises of the poorest carter in Scotland then the devises of Robin Hood and litle Iohn auncient rank riders in the borders of Scotland and England yea much vvorse for that their deuises ended only in robbing mens purses and at the farthest in killing temporally their bodies vvhereas these SacrameÌ„tarie devises tende to robbe men of their Christian faith and to kil eternally vvith their bodies their soules also And therefore vvhereas I esteeme them such as such also vvil I speake of them and vvith gods assistance by the gospel of Christ and doctrine of Christs Catholike church refel them And for distinction sake and to separate their toyes from the true sacraments I vvil so far as commodiously I can cal them by the names vvhich M. B. and the Sacramentaries better allovv that is signes and seales not sacraments vvhich is the churches word and not so meete to be applied to the signes and seales of their congregations albeit oftentimes especially in this first Sermon I shal be constreyned to cal them sacraments as they do His definition of sacraments taken from Caluin is this The sacrament is a holy signe and seale that is annexed to the preached word of god to seale and confirme the truth contayned in the same word This definition thus he more at large declareth I cal not only the seale separated from the word a sacrament For as there can not be a seale but that which is the seale of an evidence and if the seale be separated from the evidence it is not a seale but what it is by nature no more so there can not be a sacrameÌ„t except it be hung to the evidence of the word But looke what the sacrament was by nature it is no more VVas it a common peece of bread it remaines a common peece of bread except it be hung to the evidence of the word Therefore the word only caÌ„ not be a sacrameÌ„t nor the elemeÌ„t only can not be a sacrament but the word the element coniunctly That to the making of a sacrament is required the word is out of controversie among al Catholikes But vvhat meane yovv by the word not that vvord of god vvhich the Catholikes do For that is in these mens Theologie magical but they meane by the word the vvord of a minister a sermon preached by him For so it solovveth By the word I meane the word preached For the word preached distinctly and al the parts of it opened vp must go before the hanging to of the sacrament and the sacrament as a seale must folow and be appended there after Then I cal a sacrament the word and seale coniunctly the one hung to the other But here some vvil perhaps obiect vvhat need such hanging of seales to the vvord vvhereas the vvord of god is by it self of sufficient autoritie and needeth no such seales for confirmation thereof To this M. B. answereth with Calvin that the seales be annexed to the word for our cause For there is no necessitie on gods part but the necessitie cometh of vs. There is sicke a great weakenes in vs and inhabilitie to beleeue that to helpe this wonderful weakenes whereby we are ready to mistrust god in every word he hath hung to his sacraments Thus much for the general nature of sacraments as they are vsed in the Scottish congregation vvherein there is scarce any one vvord vvhich carieth not vvith it very sovvle absurditie even against the first principles of Christian faith For to examine a litle the definition vvhereon dependeth al I demaund hovvamong Christians can bread or wine or vvater vvhich be the signes of baptisme and the Supper confirme the faith of the preached vvord Is it in respect of the vvord it self or of Christians to vvhom the vvord is sent Not of the vvord it self For that vvere iniurie to god vvhose vvord it is therefore of sufficient credit vvithout such confirmation as Caluin first next M. B. here graunteth Then it remayneth to be in respect of Christians and here againe I must demaund in respect of vvhat sort of Christians strong or vveake perfit or vnperfit â—â—r so vve find them in scripture and in the church generally divided Truly of nether sort if they be right Christians and setled in their Christian faith For is there any true Christian a Christian I say rightly brought vp in the faith of Christ that beleeveth in one god almighty maker of heauen and earth a god vvhom every peece and parcel of his faith teacheth to be most iust most potent most true yea truth it self vvho possibly can not vtter any salsitie is there any Christian thus beleeving and thus he beleeveth or els he is no Christian for vvhom only the sacraments are appointed vvho beleeveth the vvord of god any thing the more for that he seeth bread and vvine and vvater in the ministers hands The Apostles first disciples Martyrs of the Primitiue church replenished vvith the holy ghost vvho being most assured of every vvord and sillable that Christ had taught them vpon confidence and warrant of such invincible and vnmoveable faith ventered them selues in a thousand dangers and perils of death perils on the land perils on the sea perils among Iewes perils among Gentiles c. vvho 300. yeres space together suffered al kind of prisons of miseries of banishments of torments of rackings of fier of being torne in peeces cast to beasts devoured of Lyons c. of vvhom it is vvritten that some thus vvished and prayed Come fier come gallowes come wild and savage beasts breaking of my bones renting in sunder of my quarters come on me al the torments of the devil so that at length I may enioy Christ they who being condemned to be devoured of beasts vvhen they heard the Lyons and Tigres roring for greedines of their pray exclamed VVe are gods wheate let vs willingly be grinded with the teeth of these beasts that we may be made cleane flower these men vvho as S. Paule speaketh died every day for Christs gospel and the truth thereof vvhen they resorted to the sacrament resorted they for this end that vvhereas othervvise they mistrusted god by receiuing these seales of bread and vvine they might confirme their faith towards him vvhich vvas alredy a thousand tymes better confirmed then it could be by any such vveake seales Doubtles as Calvin saith of them that they are signes memorials to helpe weake memories if a maÌ„ were otherwise myndful inough of Christs death this helpe of the supper
three or fovver bretherne eating and drinking their symbolical bread and vvine hovv can ether that confirme to vs the child to be saved or this that such eaters and drinkers eate spiritually Christs flesh and thereby shal haue eternal life Certainly if the minister out of the vvord did not tel them so much before the bread and vvine vvould neuer confirme nor scarce signifie such spiritual eating much lesse eternal life ensuyng thereof So that vvhereas ordinarily in common practise vvhence these men take their Theologie in this point seales confirme words and vvritings among men and vvithout a scale the vvord and vvriting is of no great force or value in lavv to make a bond and obligation the seale geuing al strength force thereto here it is cleane contrarie For al dependeth of the vvord and the vvord geueth strength vertue and force to the seale not the seale to the vvord and the vvord vvithout the seale is altogether sufficient carieth vvith it ful entier and perfit authoritie vvhereas the seale vvithout the vvord is nothing at al but as M. B. truly saith a common peece of bread so that truly to speake the vvord is rather to be accompted a seale to the bread then the bread a seale to the vvord Again these men in making such comparison vvaigh not the true nature and difference of vvords and seales as they are vsed in things diuine humane In humane because men are mortal and mutable and false so that vve can not take hold of their vvord vve are enforced to vse other meanes for our assurance and certification as first to put their vvords in vvriting and then to ratifie both vvord and vvriting by sealing But in God and things diuine it is not so But for so much as God is immortal immutable and constant vvhose vvord is vvorking and vvhose vvord once vttered is as sure certaine infallible and irreuocable as if it vvere vvritten in faire velem in a thousand exemplars confirmed by as many seales here can be no vse of any such seales as is amoÌ„g men because no such seale can add any more authoritie or certaintie to his vvord as it doth to ours How beit it pleaseth him some times to vse some kynd of confirmation vvhich may not vnfitly be compared to a kind of sealing as vvhere the Euangelist saith that vvhen Christ was ascended his Apostles preached euery vvhere our lord working with them and confirming their dostrine and preaching with signes and miracles of vvhich kynd of confirmation the storie of the Acts of the Apostles is ful But these were miraculous noâ— sacrameÌ„tal seales applied truly properly to speake not to coÌ„firme gods vvord or promises but to confirme vnto the heaâ—ers the authoritie and credit of the preachers the prophets Apostles and disciples of Christ as euery vvhere appeareth both in the old testament nevv And therefore as S. Paul teacheth such miraculous signes and seales properly are not for faithful men Christians but for faithles and infidels to dravv them to faith and Christianitie And this is a far different kind of seales from the sacraments vvhereof vve here entreat vvhich neuer any learned father or vvriter called seale in the Protestant sense For albeit sometime S. Augustin vseth the vvorde and applieth it to the sacraments as also do some other Doctors yet they neuer meane nor applye them as do the Protestants but cal them seales ether because they signe the faithful vvith such a marke vvhereby they are distinguished from the vnfaithful or because they conteyne in them a secret holy thing that is inuisible grace in vvhich sense the booke of the Apocalyps is said to be signed vvith 7. seales in both vvhich senses S. Austin S. Gregorie Nazianzene calle them seales or because they geue perfit and absolute grace vvhereby a Christian being vvashed from his sinnes and made the child of god in baptisme receiueth farther strength to persist and stand fast in his Christian prosession and fight constantly against the enemies of Christ and his church the deuil and his ministers is confirmed in hope and hath as it vvere a pledge of eternal life in vvhich sense S. Cornelius an auncient Pope and martyr and after him S. Leo the Great calle the sacrament of confirmation a seale The vvords of the first are VVhereas Nouatus the heretike was only baptised but afterward tooke not such other things as by order of the church he ought neque Domini sigillo ab Episcopo obsignatus suit nether was signed with the seale of our lord by the bisshop in the sacrament of confirmation how I pray â—ow receiued he the holy ghost to strengthen him in his Christian saith S. Leo in his 4. Sermon de natiuitate Domini Stand fast in that faith in which after yow were baptised by water the holy ghost yow receiued the Chrisme of saluation the seale or pledge of eternal life In these senses and perhaps some other tending to like effect the auncient godly fathers calle the sacraments seales as questionles euery sacrameÌ„t and especially that of the most blessed Eucharist is a most admirable signe and seale and confirmation and demonstration of gods infinite mercy and Christs infinite loue towards mankynd But the sense of the Protestants as it is foolish fond nevv vvithout al vvit and reason and not only so but also wicked impious heretical Anabaptistical as hath bene shevved neuer taught by the holy scriptures of god by any Apostle Evangelist auncient father or Councel so I can not greatly enuy at Bezaes glorious triumph vvhich he maketh to him self and his maisters for the first invention thereof wherein he so flattereth and pleaseth him self that hauing expressed the same in such sort as here M. B. doth and I before out of Beza haue alleaged he suddenly from explication of the scripture breaketh out in to admiration of him self and his companions in these vvords This my exposition coÌ„cerning circumcision a seale of iustice al other sacraments seales in like maner if a man compare with such things as not only Origenes but also sundry other of the auncient fathers albeit for godlines and learning most famous haue written vpon this place he shal doubtles find what greâ—â— abundant light of truth the lorde in this time hath powred out vpon vs of al other men most vnworthy thereof No doubt a vvorthy doctrine for such Doctors and in deed to be vvondered at vvhich being so necessarie for the church as these men make it for it conteyneth the true faith of the sacraments vvhereas Origen S. CypriaÌ„ S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Leo. S. Basil S Gregorie Nazianzene and sundry other for holines and learning most famous as he confesseth could neuer find it out and yet these men Caluin Beza and Iohn Cnox for learning not very famous and for horrible filthines and abomination of life not to be named and not heard
they are the children of God and his â—eyrâ—s And by this firme hope vvhich the Apostle significantly calleth the confidence and glory of hope not of â—aith they patiently expect and attend that which yet they see not Thus vve speake and thinke of Christian and Catholike faith and never cal this imagiâ—ation or fansie But if yow aske vvhether we make so light account of the Protestant â—aith that vvhich was invented by Luther vvith the help of his old man after received by Zuinglius and set forth by Iohn Calvin this in deed vve account a very imagination and fantasie or rather a most vvicked presumption and damnable arrogancie And what can yow say to the contrarie or reprove vs for thus thinking and thus saying Mary say yow the Apostle describing it Hebr. 11. 1. cals it a substance and a substantial ground Looke how wel these 2. agrees an imagination and a substantial ground They cal it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the brayne and fantasie of man he cals it an evidency demonstration in the same definition Hereof M. B. concludeth See how plat contrarie the Apostle and they are â—â—â— the nature of faith If a man should aske yow in vvhat Apostle yow find this definition of â—aith I suppose your answere would be in the Apostle S. Paule vvhom by the name of the Apostle we commonly meane and who is vniversally of Catholikes esteemed the author of that epistle If yow answere so as of necessitie yow must then by the vvay yow may note and hate the rashnes of your felow-ministers of England vvho in their late editions of the new testament have taken away S. Faule or the Apostles name from that epistle Yow may note and condemne the wickednes and impietie of Beza vvho in Calvins life making a register of Calvins Comments vpon the new Testament â—aith that he hath written Vpon the Actes of the Apostles Vpon al the Epistles of S. Paule Item Vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes as though this vvere none of S. Paules so both Calvin Beza labour to persuade both in the argument also in their comments vpon the same Epistle But let this passe Come we to the Apostles definition vvhich is this Faith is the substance or substantial ground of things which â—â— to be hoped for an argument or sound firme probation and persuasion not as M. B. wil have it an evidence and demonstration for evidence and demonstration is against the nature of faith of things which appeare not noâ— are comprehended by reason and therefore are not evident as demonstrations are to reason and vnderstanding and yet for obedience to God and his vvord which passeth al humaine evidence and philosophical demonstration we frame our wil to obey it and by the same make out vnderstanding to geve firme assent and beleefe vnto it how so ever humaine reason or argument suggest the contrarie As for example in the Catholike Church vpon Christs vvord assuring that in the sacrament is his true natural body the same vvhich was delivered crucified for vs to al Catholikes how so ever they live wel or il faith is a substance ground and foundation of this veritie a â—ound firme and vnremoveable probation and persuasion that thus it is although it appeare not evident to them nether can they prove it by any demonstration or manifest reason if they be once removed from the word of God authoritie of â—aith By such faith â—aith the Apostle we beleeve the creation of the world and al things vvhich are therein By such faith Abraham and Sara old and barren received power to have a child because they beleeved he was faithful who had promised vpon vvhich promise and word of God they so rested that they hoped against hop For which cause of one man even dead by common estimation there rose thousands in multitude like the sand of the sea This faith vvas the right cause why Abraham at Gods vvord was fully resolved to have offered in sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac in vvhom the promise of such infinite posteritie and the Messias to come was made And though he could not see by ordinarie reason or discourse how the performance of that promise could stand vvith the death of that his only sonne in whose life and by whose life the promise was to be fulfilled yet thorough this substantial ground of â—aith he persuaded him self that albeit he could not reconcile those two points which seemed to him contrarie yet God vvas able to do it vvho could rayse him vp after death and so after death make him to beget children and multiplie as he had promised To this end the Apostle Paule referreth his examples and discourse of faith that by it as by a sure certain and infallible rocke ground worke or foundation in al adversities we are susteined borne vp and confirmed in assured beleef of vvhat soever God hath said promised ether touching this life or the life to come And vvhat maketh this for the Lutherish or Scottish special faith vvhereby every Protestant Lutheran Zuinglian Anabaptist or Caluinist vvarranteth him self that his sinnes are remitted that he is an elect he is iustified he is the sonne of God and as sure of heauen as Christ him self VVhat one sentence worde or peece of vvorde findeth he ether here in this place of S. Paule or in the whole corps of scripture to coÌ„firme this special faith S. Paule a 100. times speaketh of faith of diuers fruits effects of â—aith but among theÌ„ al what one place is there where faith signifieth that every particular man is bound thus to beleeve that such beleef is necessarie as an article of his Creed vvithout vvhich he can not be iustified nor communicate vvith Christ Let any such text of Apostle or Euangelist be shewed and I yeld If there be no such place as questioÌ„les there is none and this kind of faith being but lately inuented by Luther and his old man and never heard of before and lest of al among the Apostles therefore can not be mentioned in any part of the Apostles vvritings it is as vnfit to applie the Apostles speaches of the Catholike faith to this Lutherish CalviniaÌ„â—aith as it is to applie the EuaÌ„gelists words spokeÌ„ of Simon Peter prince of the Apostles to Simon Mag prince of al heretikes or to interprete of Beelzebub the god of Accaron the duties honors sacrifices appointed for the God of the Hebrues the creator of heaveÌ„ earth And this place which M. B. meÌ„tioneth is so far of froÌ„ approving that Lutherish faith or presumption that it cleane overthroweth and destroyeth it not only in the iudgement and verdite of a Catholike man but even of M. B. him self For the faith whereof the Apostle speaketh is a sure substantial grouÌ„d for that it is built vpoÌ„ gods word which is most certaine infallible and so vvith that there can
this to good life by necessarie sequele faith decaieth vvith good life and conscience But how matcheth this vvith his former preaching that the best and most sincere Christians fal every day seuen tymes yea seuenty times seueÌ„ tymes and that in to grosse sinnes Is not this as much as if he said that the best Christians every howre of the day become infidels can not haue faith in the mercy of god to vvhom their coÌ„science vvitnesseth that daily hovvrely Gods wrath is kindled against them for that their conscience shewes then to be giltie of many offences against God and al those offences grosse deadly and damnable after the Calvinists Theologie Much more this doctrine repugneth to that vvhich Calvin Beza the vvhole church of Geneva and M. B. him self preacheth aftervvards in this self same sermon in these vvords It is sure certain that faith is never wholy extinguished in the children of God Be it never so weake yet shal it never vtterly decay and perish out of the hart where once it makes residence A weake faith is a faith and where that faith is there man ever be mercy Again Faith once geven by God can not be revoked again Faith when it is geven by God is constantly geven neuer to be chaâ—nged nor vtterly tane from them Again This gift of faith where ever it be and in what hart so ever it be it is never idle but perpetually working and working wel by love charitie VVhere ever it be it is not dead but lively How oppoâ—ite and most evidently repugnant is this to the former preaching If saith vvhere ever it be be never idle but perpetually working wel by love and charitie how saith he that they haue faith vvhich oppresse the poore keep deadly feid and so forth vvhich are no vvorkes of Christian charitie how soever they be esteemed among the Calvinists as vvorkes perhaps of their sole iustifying faith and hote love If vvhen â—aith is once geven it can never be lost never revoked by God never vtterly tane from them vvho are once possessed of it how saith he that it is lost by evil life and that God spoiles them of faith hope of mercy vvhich commit such mortal sinnes But a most vvicked barbarous sensibly false paradox it is to say that faith once had can not be lost the contrary vvhereof vve see by lamentable experience of thowsands vvho depart daily not only from Catholike faith to heretike in heresie from one to an other from Lutheran to Zuinglian or Calvinian from Caluinian to Anabaptistical from that to Triuitarian Antitrinitarian c. but also from the general name and pretence of Christian faith to plain Apostasie to Iudaisine to Mahoâ—â—ctisine to Atheisme VVith professors of vvhich gospel as by vvitnesse of my Lâ— of Canterburie the English church is vvel replenished so M. B. him self signifieth the like of his Scottish congregation of vvhich he vvriteth thus Alas we are come to sic a loath disdain ofâ—asting of this heavenly food he meaneth Gods vvord in this country that where men in the beginning would have gane some 20. myles some 40. myles to the hearing of this word they wil searcely now come fra their howse to the kirk and remayne one howre to heare the word but bâ—des at home This being true if as he in this same place teacheth faith formed in our harts by the holy spirit vvil decay except it be nurrished and if to the nâ—â—risâ—ing of this faith it be requisite that we heare the word of God preached and preached not by every man but preached by a lawful pastor by him that is sent vvhich point he doth inculcate diligently without which preaching it is not possible saith he that a man continue in the â—aith how can it be avoyded but vvhere this vvord is not thus preached as it is not in a number of places of England nor perhaps of Scotland there the faith among the bretheâ—â—e not only may but also must of necessitie decay vvhich vvithout this kind of preaching can not possibly continue And if there be no such preaching preaching I meane by pastors lawfully sent as in truth there is noâ—e nether in England nor yet in Scotland amongest al the ministers as of the English ministerie is best proved by the Puritanes by Caâ—twight by Calvin by Beza by Knox by the Scottish communion booke and election of ministers appointed there and for the Scottish ministerie to let passe my L. of Canterbury and the English Pontifical it is very clearly proved by Buchanâ—â— in his storie and the first original and foundation of this new Scottish kirk in our age layd by that seditions and infamous man Iohn Knox his comparteners in despite and against the vvil of both magistrates as vvel temporal as spiritual that I mention not Catholike vvriters vvho have made demonstration of this against both Scottish and English in sundry writings how can there be remayning any faith among them vvhere is no orderly preaching of the vvord by any such lawful pastor orderly sent vvho is so necesiarie to preserve this faith And how plentifully is this most barbarous fansie refelled in the holy scripture by a nuÌ„ber of examples facts and sentences vvhere vve find that Simon Magus beleeved Christs gospel as other Christians did vvho yet after became an Arch-heretike or Apostata as likewise did Hymeneê° Alexander vvhere the Apostle forewarneth that in the later dayes many Christians shal depart from the faith vvhereof vve see daily experience vvhere he reproveth the Galathians for that they receiving the spirite and for a vvhile continuing in the spirite afterwards gave over the spirite and ended in the flesh vvhere is declared that some vvho vvere sanctified by the blud of the new testament afterwards despised trode vnder their feete the sonne of God the same blud by which they had bene sanctified being washed from their sinne afterwards as vncleane swine returned and wallowed in their former filth vvhere the Evangelist vvriteth plainly and our Saviour him self teacheth vs that some there are vvho gladly receiue the word of God and beleeue for a tyme but vvhen trial and persecution cometh then they depart and geve ouer their faith And to vvhat purpose is it that the Apostles exhort Christians to stand fast in their faith that S. Paule threatningly vvarneth some Christians to become humble and thinke lowly of them selves and to feare lest God who spared not the natural branches the Iewes spare not them but cut them of also reiect theÌ„ as he reiected the Iewes If it vvere then an article of faith that faith once had can never be lost that God vvil never take faith from them on vvhom he hath once bestowed it vvhat vvit or vvisdom vvere there in these ether exhortations or threats As much as if M. B. should exhort his ministers
tranquillitie of his realme as in the storie hereof set forth by them selues at large appeareth Which iudgemeÌ„t of that king their notorious sauage and barbarous behauiour in many countries of Europe hath since that time continually more and more verified and the writings of the ministers for defense of their opinions which daily they invent hath much more abundantly iustified whereof this smale booke geveth also some proofe demoÌ„stration In publishing whereof vnder your Maiesties name if any man shal reproove me as bold presumptuous for my excuse laying aside the examples of most auncient fathers whose footesteps herein I haue folowed if former reasons satisfie not I appeale to your clemencie for pardon protesting before God that the cause which hath moued me hereunto next vnto his honour defence of the truth is my faithful dutyful and seruiceable hart to your Maiestie to whom I wish as large dominion and ample monarchie as ever had any king of that Iland for whom I pray that with them and aboue them yow may be victorious in warre fortunate in peace amiable to your subiects dreadful to your enemies that it may please our Lord to heape vpon yow your posteritie al blessings spiritual and temporal that finally hauing gouerned your subiects in such quietnes pretie godlines and rule of faith in which your worthy predecessors haue lead yow the way yow may at length with them to your eternal ioy felicitie render vnto God a comfortable accompt for the great charge which he hath committed to your hands Which that your Maiestie may happily persourme with al honour prosperous successe according to my bounden dutie I shal not cease continually to pray Your Maiesties Most bounden Orator and humble seruant VVilliam Reinolde A table of the chapiters Chap. I. The Catholike and Apostolike faith concerning the Sacrament pag. 1. Chap. II. Of Berengarius heresie renewed in this age pag. 36. Chap. III. Of Calvin and the Calvinists opinion concerning the Sacrament pag. 67. Chap. IIII. Of the vvord SACRAMENT and the Calvinists definition thereof pag. 117. Chap. V. The Scottish Supper compared vvith Christs Institution pag. 145. Chap. VI. Of Christs body truly ioyned and deliuered vvith the Sacrament pag. 163. Chap. VII Of Christs body no vvayes ioyned nor deliuered vvith the Sacrament pag. 172. Chap. VIII A further declaration of that vvhich vvas handled in the last chapiter pag. 191. Chap. IX Comparison of the Sacramental signe vvith the word pag. â—07 Chap. X. Of the VVORD necessarily required to make a sacrament pag. 215. Chap. XI M. B. contradictions The Scottish Supper is no Sacrament of Christ pag. 233. Chap. XII Of names attributed to the Sacrament pag. 243. Chap. XIII Of the ends for which the sacrameÌ„t vvas ordeyned pag. 259. Chap. XIIII Of vertue remayning in the sacrament reserved of private Communions pag. 276. Chap. XV. That evil men receive Christs body pag. 287. Chap. XVI Of tuitching Christ corporally and spiritually pag. 309. Chap. XVII Manifest falsities vntruthes against the Catholike faith pag. 333. Chap. XVIII ArgumeÌ„ts against the real presence answered pa. 342. Chap. XIX Other arguments against the real presence answered pag. 357. Chap. XX. Answere to places of scripture alleaged for proofe that Christs vvords spoken at his last supper must be vnderstood tropically pag. 366. Chap. XXI Of contradictions and the Zuinglians impietie in limiting Gods omnipotencie pag. 379. Chap. XXII A brief confutation of the last two Sermons concerning preparation to receive the Sacrament pag. 398. The Conclusion The conclusion conteyning certain general reasons vvhy the Calvinian Gospel now preached in Scotland can not be accounted the Gospel of Christ pag. 429. This is the summe and effect of the chapiters in general Ech one of vvhich in his place is divided in to several parts and braunches by considering vvhereof the reader may forthvvith perceive the particular discourse and matter of the vvhole chapiter ensuing A NOTE FOR THE READER WHEREAS M. Bruces SermoÌ„s are printed without any figures distinguishing ether page or leafe which no booke lightly omitteth I haue good reader for plain dealing the more easy notifying to others that which I cite out of him added figures to ech page beginning the first next after the Epistle dedicatorie so coÌ„tinuing on by pages 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. vntil the end of his booke which is page 296. Thus much I thought good to warne thee of that if thow please to see his words in his owne booke thow maist with so much the more facilitie find them THE CATHOLIKE AND APOSTOLIKE FAITH CONCERNING THE SACRAMENT The Argument Christ at his last supper instituted both a Sacrament also a sacrifice consisting in the true real presence of his pretious body blud This is proued partly by graunt of the aduersaries who confesse Christ in that supper to haue made his new testament partly by particular examining the nature of a testament and conferring the new testament with the old The same is proued by the Paschal lamb which was a figure as the aduersaries also graunt of Christs Sacrament finished in the same therefore this must needs be a sacrifice as that was according to the plaine scriptures al auncient fathers The same is most clearly proued by the sacrifice of Melchisedech which albeit most Protestants reiect withall reiect the whole primitiue Church of Christians as also the auncient synagogue of the lewes both which church sâ—nagogue confessed the same yet some acknowledge it thereof is the holy sacrifice real presence briefly inferred The same faith was reterned practised by the first primitiue church in the time of the Apostles The same faith was continued in all Christendom from tâ—e Apostles tyme without any great trouble or contradiction the first thousand yeres as appeareth by consent of the fathers general Councels stories of the church Berengarius the first notorious father of the sacrameÌ„tarie heresie conuinced by learning condemned in sundrie Councels gathered out of al Christendom abiured his owne wicked invention died penitent therefore from whose time to this age the Catholike faith hath bene clearly acknowledged and mainteyned by al Christians both in the Latin Church also in the Greeke Berengarius when he was a sacramentarie he was also a damnable heretike euen by the Protestants iudgement for sundry other heresies besides this So were all they which since Berengarius haue taught this heresie as Peter de Bruis the Albigenses Almaricus and Ihon VViâ—lef a pernicious heretike flatterer who yet recanâ—ed his heresies twise or thrise is condemned for an heretike by the Protestants Out of the premisse is gathered a generall sure rule the same confirmed by manifest scriptures to know an heresie to proue that Berengarius his opinion al that folow him is heretical And the summe of this chapiter touching the principal contents thereof is concluded with the authoritie of Erasmus a
man much extolled by the aduersaries THE FIRST CHAPITER BEFORE I come to examine the particular points of error false doctrine contayned in these sermons I thinke it convenient first in a chapter or two to declare the true Catholike faith concerning this sacrament as it hath alwaies bene receaued and acknowledged in the church of Christ and withal historically to note when an in what sort the Zuinglian heresie that I 〈…〉 which at this present beaâ—eth greatest sway among the Protestants of England Scotland for the Protestant coÌ„gregations preachers of Germanie from the beginning of this schisme in Martin Luthers time vntil this present day condemne it for heresie no lesse then do the Catholiks at some tymes endeuored to put forth it self but hath evermore bene repressed by the pastors of Christs church vntil this present age wherein faith decayng Christian beleefe being in many men for many points measured by carnal reason vpon such ground ether of prophane infidelitie or great decrease of faith the true beleef of this sacrament hath amongst many other necessarie articles fayled in the harts of a number ¶ Our sauiour Christ therefore when at the tyme of his passion he was to finish consummate the worke for which he was incarnate that is to redeeme mankynd abrogate the old law begin the new into this to transfer the sacrifices and priesthod of that former as the Apostle Paule teacheth vs in his last supper for a perpetual memorie of that high and infinite sacrifice offered on the crosse which was the persite absolute redemptioÌ„ and consummation of al the ful price and raunsom for al sinnes done or to be done from the first creation of the world vntil the last ending of the same to continue I say a perpetual memorie of that bluddy sacrifice to ordeine the true vvorship of god in the nevv lavv or testament which worship in euerie law consisteth principally of sacrifice to leaue his people a peculier meane whereby that infinite vertue grace procured by the sacrifice on the crosse might be in particular diuided applied to them in his last supper instituted this sacrifice sacrament of the altar as comonly among Catholique Christians it is called the sacrifice sacrament of his owne most pretious body blud a sacrifice for that it is offered to the honor of god for the benefite of christian people in coÌ„memoration of Christ his sacrifice once done and now past as al the old sacrifices of the law of nature Moses were offered for the benefite of that people in prefiguration of the same sacrifice of Christ then to come a sacrament for that it was also ordeyned to be receiued of Christians in particular to feed our bodies to resurrection immortalitie to geue grace vertue sanctification to oursewles This to be the true sense meaning of our Sauiour in this institution and that principally especially concerning the sacrifice for the sacrament is more euident confessed by the more learned of our aduersaries it shal be proued plainly hereafter is sufficiently expressed in the wordes of our Sauiour vvhich according to the recital of al the Evangelists S. Paul yeld plainly this sense For when Christ nameth his body broken or geuen for vs which is al one as if he termed it sacrificed for vs his blud of the new testament shed there in the supper mystically for vs for remission of synnes these words as truly import a sacrifice as any words which the holie scripture vseth to expresse the sacrifice of Christ on the crosse especially those words of S. Paul Corpus quod frangitur the body which is broken most properly directly are to be referred to the body of Christ as in the sacrament vnder the forme of bread in which it novv is then was truly brokeÌ„ so it was not on the crosse as S. IhoÌ„ specially recordeth VVhe â—of S. Chrysostom writeth very liuinelâ— expounding this same word Hoc in Eucharistia vi lere liceâ— in cruce autem minime c. This we see done in the sacrament but not on the crosse For there ye shal not breake anâ— bone of him saith the Euangelist Iohn â—â— But that which on the crosse he suffered not that he suffereth in the sacrifice for thy sake o man is content to be broken And so this word being by S. Paâ—le incuitably verified of Christs body in the sacrameÌ„t draweth by like necessitie al the rest both touching the body and blud therevnto although al the rest are also most truly spokeÌ„ of the same body of Christ as geuen for vs on the crosse which no ways impayreth but rather much streÌ„gtheneth the veritie real presence of the same body in the sacrament VVhich sense is yet more clearly necessarely confirmed if we coÌ„ferre these words of Christ vsed in delyuering the chalice of the new law with the vvords of Moses vsed in sprinkling the blud of gotes calues which was appointed by gods ordinance to ratifie establish the covenant betwene god and his people the synagoge of the Iewes in the old lavv For as then Moses gathering that blud in to some standing peece or cup sprinkled the people therevvith saying This is the blud of this old testament which god hath made with you euen to our Saâ—iour ordayning this new testament most euidently making relation to those former vvords of Moses and transferring them to his new ordinance vvhen he deliuered the chalice to his Apostles in them to the vniuersal Catholike church said This is the blud of the new testament as that vvas of the old this here conteyned in the chalice is the selfe same which is to be shed for yow as that was sprinkled vpon the Iewes VVhere S. Luke referring these later vvords shed for yow to that vvhich vvas conteyned in the chalice meâ—utably convinceth that vvhich was in the chalice to haue bene the very real blud of Christ as truly as that vvas his real blud which the next day vvas shed on the crosse as truly as that was real blud with vvhich the people vvere sprinkled in the old testameÌ„t in steed of vvhich blud this is succeded the truth in place of the figure as witnesseth S. Leo S. Austin S. Chrysostom other most auncient fathers All vvhich proue not only the real presence of Christs most pretious body blud but also that it is present by way of a sacrifice as in order to be sacrificed ¶ My intent is not to make any long discourses of this matter vvhich hath bene so learnedly treated dy diuers excellent men of our Iland within our memorie that I gladly confesse my selfe vnable to adde any thing to their labours Yet because this point of Christs testament is the ground of al and for denying the real presence of Christs blud in the sacrameÌ„t the Lutheran Protestants theÌ„ selues charge the
so taught the new sacrifice of the new testament which the church receiuing from the Apostles doth offer to god through the whole world Of which sacrifice the prophete Malachie foreprophecied thus I haue no liking in yow saith our lord almightie nether wil I take sacrifice of your hand o ye Iewes because from the rising of the Sunne to the going doune of the same my name is glorified among the Gentils incense is offered to my name in euerie place and a pure sacrifice The same argument and dedustion I haue noted before out of S. Cyprianâ— First that Christ our lord and god him selfe was high priest of god the father and he first of al offered him selfe a sacrifice to his father â—â—â—â—s last supper and commaunded the same to be done in commemoration of him Next that such priests occupie the place of Chist truly who do that which Christ did and then in the church offer they to god the father true ful sacrifice if they so offer as they see Christ him selfe to haue offered About some 100. yeres after S. Cyprian vvas gathered the first general Councel of Nice and about a hundreth yeres after that of Nice vvas the first general Councel of Ephesus in vvhich the bishops there assembled thus vtter their faith that is the faith of the vniuersal catholike church in this matter The vvoids of that most auncient Apostolical Councel of Nice are On the diuine table let vs not basely regard the bread and cup set there but lifting vp our myndeâ— let vs by faith vnderstand that on that holy table is placed the lamb of god which taketh away the sinnes of the world who there is without effusion of blud sacrificed by the priests and that we truly receiue his preticus body and blud beleeuing these to be the pledges of our resurrection The vvords of the other general Councel of Ephesus are to the same effect thus VVe confessing the death of Christ according to his flesh his resurrection and ascension into heauen confesse withal and celebrate in the church the holy liâ—eâ—â—uing and vnbluddy sacrifice beleeuing that which is set before vs not to be the body of a common man like to vs as nether is that pretious blud but rather we receiue that as the proper body blud of the word which geueth life For common flesh can not geue life as him selfe witnesseth saying flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirite that geueth life For because it is made the proper flesh of the word for this reason it is lifegeuing according to that our Sauiour him selfe â—aith As my liuing father hath sent me I liue by the father he that eateth me he shal liue by me This faith I say of Sacrament sacrifice in al sinceritie simplicitie thus passed on so vniuersally knovven beleeued that as vvriteth S. Leo in Italie S. Augustin in Africa very children vvere taught to acknovvledge the true flesh and blud of Christ to be offered in the sacrifice of the masse Tovvards 800. yeres after Christ one Bertram a litle before him one Scot â—s vvrote darkly of the truth of this sacrament Of the vvritings of the one of these nothing I thinke remayneth of the other a litle doth but the same vttered so doubtfully that as the Zuinglians vse his authoritie against the Catholikes so the Lutherans vse him to the contrarie yea they in maner reproue him as fauoring to much the faith of the Catholikes For of him Illyricus vvith his bretherne say that he hath in that his litle booke semina transubstantiationis the seedes original ground of transubstantiation But vvhat soeuer his priuate opinion vvere his publike speaches and vvriting â—ounded soâ—il in the eares of the Catholiks of that age that Paschasius an Abbat in France made a verie learned booke in refutation of him And al vvriters vvho about that age vvrote of this mysterie vsed more expresly to denâ—e the sacrament to be a signe trope figure image symbole c. in such sort as vvhereby the veritie of the real presence might be excluded as appeareth in the seuenth general Councel in Alcuinus scholemaister to Charles the great in Rabaâ—â—â— archbishop of Ments lib. de diuinis officijs Theophilact in Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Ioan. 6. Aâ—alarius Arch-bishop of â—reuirs lib. de mysterijs missae cap. 24. 25. Haymo bishop of Halberstat in 1. ad Corinth ca. 10. Remigâ—ê° bishop of Antissiodorum in Canonem missae Fulbertus bisshop of Chartres in epistola ad Adelman episcopum in lib. Paschasij Stephanus bishop in high Buâ—gundie Tom. 4. bibliothâ—cae Sanctorum patrâ—m and briefely al other that vvrote betvvene the time of Bertram Berengarius ¶ For after Bertram the next that appeared in fauour of this heresie vvas Berengarius vvho put forth him self a little after the yere of our lord 1000. vvhen as S. Ihon vvriteth in his Apocalyps the deuil was let lose to trouble the church This man as vvitnesseth our martyr-maker M. Fox like to those first heretiks in the Apostles tymes toke away the veritie of the body blud of Christ from the sacrament For vvhich cause he coÌ„mendeth him as a singular instrument whom the holy ghost raised vp in the church to ouerthrow great errors VVhat instrument he vvas vvhom he serued shal best appeare by his ovvne behauiour confession In the meane season this old heresie he published vvith greater industrie shevv of learning then his predecessors countenanced it with more credit assistance of many vnstable sowles and sinful persons as is noted by the godly and learned writerâ— of that tyme vvhich only kind of men ioyned them selues to him and that because his doctrine seemed to yeld them some quietnes securitie in their sinne from vvhich they vvere much withdravven by a reuerend feare and dread vvhich they had of Christs presence in the sacrament to the receauing vvhereof they vvere by order of the church at certaine times induced But as the heresie of this man spread farther then any of that kind in any age before so the church vsed more diligence in repressing the same by sundry publike disputations had vvith the same Berengarius by a number of most excellent vvriters against him among vvhom Lanfâ—ancus archbishop of Canterbury in England Guitmundus bisshop of Auersa in the kingdom of Naples Algerus a monke in Fraunce in that verie time excelled the supreme pastors of the church assembled sundry great synodes meetings of byshops and other doctors to discusse that opinion instruct those that erred after him first at Tours in Fraunce next at Vercellis in Italie then againe at Tours vvhere Berengariê° him selfe being manifestly conuicted 〈…〉 a solemne oth neuer to maintaine his former heresie VVhich oth vvhen as yet he performed not but returned to his former filth an other Councel vvas gathered in Rome of 113.
bishops in vvhich he againe vvas confuted and yelded so that with his ovvne hands he burnt the bookes vvhich he had made in defence of his heresie But not persisting in his faith and oth geuen after certaine yeres he vvas againe persvvaded to come to Rome there to defend his opinion by such learning as he could in a great synod of bishops gathered for that purpose vvhere being convinced by al maner proofe vvhich he desired by scriptures by fathers by Councels by vniuersal and vncontrolled tradition and vniforme consent of al Christians and christian churches that euer vvere since Christ be being then an old man hauing some more feeling feare of death of hel of his ovvne damnation then before acknovvledged his impietie requested pardon of the supreme Pastor and other bishops there present and as it may be credibly thought vvithout al fiction or hypocrisie abiured his heresie in these vvords Ego Berengarius corde credo ore confiteor c. I Berengarius beleeue in hart confesse with mouth that the bread and wine is conuerted into the true propre and life-geuing flesh and blud of Christ our lord that after consecration there is the true body borne of the virgin which suffred on the crosse and sitteth at the right hand of the father the true blud which issued out from his side that it is present not only in signe or vertue but also in proprietie of nature and veritie of substance As here in this writing is conteyned as I reade it and as yow vnderstand it so I beleue wil neuer teach contrarie And aftervvards being at the point of death vvhich befel on the day of the Epiphanie vvhich is as much to say as the Apparition of our Sauiour remembring by his hererical preaching what numbers of poore ignorant sovvles he had seduced vvith great sorovv and repentance he vttered these vvords This day which is the day of Christ Iesus his Apparition shal he also appeare vnto me for my glorie as I hope because of my repentance or for my eternal punishment as I feare because of so many as I haue deceaued I verelie beleue that after the consecration those mysteries are the true body and blud of our Sauiour And I am induced so to beleue both by the authoritie of the primitiue church by many miracles shewed of late And â—o vvith great signes of sorovvfulnes and repentance died a true Catholike man as is recorded by good autentical vvriters From Berengarius tyme vntil this present albeit there haue not bene any such great numbers as vvere in Berengarius tyme yet scarce any one age hath missed some notorious heretike vvho among other heynous he resies hath vpholden also the heresie of BereÌ„garius As on the other side there hath not vvanted great Clerks and Saints of excellent holynes learning vvho haue maynteined the Catholike and Apostolike faith deliuered to them from their fathers Such vvere in the age of Berengarius besides those before named Adelmanâ—us bishop of Brixen Hugo bishop of Langres Iuo bishop of Chartres Hildebertus first bishop of Mantes after archbishop of Tours S. Bruno and sundry others After solovved S. Bernard Petrus Clumacensis Petrus Lombardus Hugo Richardus de S. Victore Euthymius S. Thomas S. Bonauenture the general Councel of Laterane vnder Innocentius in vvhich vvere present as vvitnesseth M. Fox 61. Archbishops Primates 400. Bishops 800. other men of great learning an other general Councel holden at Vienna item a third general Councel holden at Florence besides that of Constance vvherein the Greeke church and Latin professed their consent and vniforme faith touching the veritie of this diuine sacrifice and sacrament as likevvise many Greeke Bishops vvrote sundry treatises in iustification thereof Samonas Bishop of Gaza Nicolaus of Methone Marcus of Ephesus Nicolaus Cabasilas Bessaâ—ion the Cardina ' as likevvise of late they haue testified the same in their ansvvere to the ProtestaÌ„ts of Germanie vvho sued to enter in to some communion vvith them against the Romaine church But the Greekes vtterly refused them as condemned heretikes both for other their sundrie heresies namely for this of the sacrament vvhereof I speake vvherein the Greeks very constantly hold the same faith vvhich al Christians heretofore haue and euer ought vvhich is deliuerâ—d in the late general Councel of Tient ¶ Thus much is to be noted in this discourse that from Berengarius vnto Luther no one man hath bene a patrone of this opinion but he hath bene also defiled vvith some very sovvle grosie heresies beside such as the Protestants them selues hold for heresies count the defenders of them heretikes As for example to begin vvith Beregauê° him selfe vvhen he maynteined this sacramentarie heresie he his partakers denyed withal the grace of baptisme denyed that men coÌ„mitting mortal sinne cou'd euer obtayne pardon therefore Besides this he was an enemie to mariage and al stayned from meates which god had created and from fat as things vncleane VVhereby it appeareth that he vvas not only a Sacramentarie but also an Anabaptist a Ievv and vvhich in the Protestant gospel perhaps is greatest of al an enemie to mariage and good fare For vvhich cause Occolampadius though in the matter of the sacrament a right Berengarian yet iudgeth him to be an heretike vvorthely condemned Berengarium a Concilio Romano non iniuste condemnatum arbitror c. I saith he am of opinion that Berengarius was iustly condemned by the Councel holden at Rome For besides the matter of the Eucharist he defended some things against mariage the baptisme of children in the verie matter of the Eucharist he seemeth hoâ—ely to haue set him selfe a worke rather desirous of victorie and vaine glorie theâ— of opening the truth ¶ Next ensued one Petrus Brusius and Henricus author of the sect called Albigenses vvhich so horribly for many yeres tormented Fraunce as novv do the Caluinists and these in many articles agreed iust vvith the Sacramentaries of this tyme. For vvhich reason Ioannes Crispinus him self a sacrameÌ„tarie one that hath gathered together in to a storie the french sacramentarie mar tiâ—â— as M. Fox hath done the English the like vvhereof euerie sect especially the Lutherans and Anabaptists haue done for the Martirs of their peculiar Gospels this Crispinus of Geneua in his Martyrologe acknovvledgeth them for bretherne of his congregation and for martyrs those that dyed in defence of their opinions as also M. Fox in his Acts monuments greately aduaunceth them And vvhat men vvere they In matter of the Sacrament so far forth as now it is ministred in the church for in an other point they differed they vvere of Berengarius faith beleeuing that the body of Christ was present there no otherwise then it was in any other bread VVithal they denyed prayer for the dead and Purgatorie defaced Images brake downe
for that his death passion is then called to memorie and thanks are yelded for so great a benefite Thus VVestphalus and much more to this purpose may the learned reader see in the same place Yet one other interpretation Zuinglius geueth of this vvord body vvhich VVestphalus mentioneth not vz. that the body of Christ in the Eucharist signifieth the church His vvords are VVhen as Paule 1. Cor. 10. saith that the bread which we receiue is the coÌ„munication of Christs body here it standeth for the coÌ„munication of the church for that by this meanes euery man approueth him self to the church and ingraffeth him self therein as it were by geuing an othe The same exposition he auoucheth in his Commentarie de vera falsa religione cap. de Eucharistia Thus Zuinglius VVestphalus in the place before noted alleageth one more exposition taken not from Zuinglius but Ioan. a Lasco whom our late king Edward the sixt created Superintendent of the congregation of straungers in London VVhich exposition is so much the more to be regarded because Caluin him self highly esteemeth it vvhereof thus vvriteth VVestphalus Albeit Caluin in his coÌ„mentarie vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians putteth it out of doubt that THIS HOC in Christs supper pointeth the bread yet that notwithstanding here he defen leth the contrarie opiof Ioanne a Lasco who in his booke of the sacraments of the church assureth that it pointeth not the bread but the whole forme and ceremonie the verie external action of the supper This glose of his reuerend brother that HOC doth not demonstrate bread but the external action of the supper Caluin honoreth as an Oracle from heauen VVhere by the vvay VVestphalus geueth vs a good example hovv much vve may esteeme the conference of places of scripture and interpretation there after made by the Zuinglians and Sacramentaries For saith he let this stand for good that the first particle HOC this according to Caluiâ— Ioannes a Lasco signifieth the external action Next vve must by like reason confesse that Est doth stand for Significat vvhich Zuingliê° proueth by a number of textes of scripture as before hath bene shevved and is after likevvise proued by M. B. Thirdly vve may not deny to Occolampadius like grace vvho saith that scripture al Antiquitie expounded the vvord Body corpus by a figure or signe of the body Let vs now in fine conioyne al together and thence wil arise this prodigious proposition Haec formâ— seu actio câ—nae significat figuram corporis Christi This forme ceremonie or action of the supper signifieth a figure of Christs body And if Christs body stand for the Church as the same Zuinglius sometimes affirmeth or his Passion or his Deitie then the sense is This action signifieth a figure signe of the church of Christs passion or Deitie so forth Al vvhich dravveth to this point first that from the sacrament Christs body is quit remoued and no maner of Christs presence least there at al more then in any other common action place or assembly of Christians Next that concerning any vvorke effect vertue or operation vvrought in the elements of bread and vvine by force of Christs vvords there is nothing done at al. Only in the mynd and vnderstanding of the còmunicants if they be vvel instructed somvvhat there may be perhaps For they coÌ„ming to receiue some perchance remember Christ other geue thanks for his death other thinke vpon his Deitie other vpon the church his mystical body and so â—orth ech hath some imagination one or other according as the preacher ether then at that instant warneth them or as euery man by some fore-conceiued opinion directeth him self and so the bread becoÌ„meth to them a symbole a memorie a signe a thankes-geuing c. according as euerie man is affected ¶ For this the discrete reader vvho coveteth to knovv truly the opinion of our aduersaries whereof in a maner al dependeth must diligently note remember that as the auncient Primitiue church bishops thereof which in most plaine and sincere maner confesse the real presence of Christs body and blud in the Sacament attribute that grace operation to the force of Christs vvord so the Zuinglians or Sacramentaries vvho denie that presence ake the contrarie course flatly resolue the vvords of Christ to vvorke nothing but to be as idle and vnprofitable as if they vvere neuer vttered that for any thing added to the supper by them as good it vvere to reade no chapter at al or any chapter of the bible that if ye please of Christs genealogie in the first of S. Matthevv as the 26. vvords of Christs InstitutioÌ„ Concerning the fathers and auncient church their faith is sufficiently knovven by their manifold most plaine confessions For instruction of the simple I vvil recite the sayings of a fevv Iustinus the martyr in his second Apologie for the Christians made to the Romain Emperour Antoninus vvriteth thus As by the word of god our Sauiour Christ Iesus was incarnate and for our saluation toke flesh and blud euen so by the worde of God with prayer we are taught that of vsu il bread wine is made the flesh blud of the same incarnate Christ Iesus S. Ambrose in a long chapiter by many examples proueth this force and povver of Christs vvord to conuerte the elements of bread and vvine in to his body and blud His vvords are Thou wilt say perhaps how is this the body of Christ whereas my eyes teach me the contrarie He ansvvereth How many examples do we bring to proue that not to be in the Sacrament which nature hath framed but that which benediction hath consecrated And after a number of examples taken out of the old Testament wherein the nature of things hath bene altered of Aarons rod turned in to a serpent of the riuers of Aegipt turned in to blud of the red sea diuided and standing stedfast like a wal of the riuer Iordan turned backe to his fountayne of these he inâ—erreth If then the blessing or prayer made by man were able to chaunge nature what shal we say of the Diuine consecration where the very words not of man but of Christ our lord and Sauiour do worke For the Sacrament which thou receiuest is made by the word of Christ And if Elias speach were of such force that it caused fier to come from heauen shal not Christs speach be of suficient force to alter the nature of these elements bread and wine Thou hast read in the works of al the world He spake the word and they were made he commaunded and they were created Then the word of Christ which was able to make somwhat of nothing can it not change that which already is and hath an essence in to that which it is not c. And this self same reason taken from the creation he vseth
and therefore the Lutheran churches of the Counts of Mansfeld in Germanie in the Confession of their faith put a great difference betwene the old Sacramentaries the new saying that the old Sacramentaries that is the Carolostadians the Zuinglians the Anabaptists and such like alwaies taught the Sacrament of the altar to be nothing else but an external idle signe without the body and blud of Christ that it serued only for a token to distinguish Christians from Pagans whereas the new teach otherwise and Caluin to continue and mainteine such a conceite of al other seemeth to speake of this matter most diuinely and mystically and with straunge affectation of high speach may make vnlearned and vnstable sowles beleeue that he hath a wonderful deepe fetch in this case aboue the rest of common ministers writers whom M. B. in these sermons much foloweth yet who so thoroughly fifteth and examineth Caluin shal find in the end that he hath no other opinion of their supper then hath Carolostadius or Zuinglius or Occolampadius or the Anabaptists or the Scottish and English martyrs or who else so euer thinketh of it most basely and beggerly For let vs by articles consider how he runneth vp and downe praiseth dispraiseth maketh and marieth it at one time mounteth alost flieth in the ayer like a bird straight waies creepeth on the ground like a beast but in â—ine falleth headlong in to the coÌ„mon dongeon with the rest of his bretherne and whether in deed the very course and sway of their whole doctrine carieth them At some times he speaketh and writeth so supernaturally as though he were a very Lutheran defending the real presence as for example I say saith Caluin that in the mysterie of the supper by the signes of bread and wine Christ is truly deliuered vnto vs I meane his body and blud to the end we may grow in to one body with him he thereby refresh vs with the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blud And although it may seeme vncredible that in so great distance of places as is heauen from earth he should passe downe to vs and become our food yet let vs remember how far the power of the holy ghost excedeth our sense and how fond a thing it is for vs to go about to measure his infinite power by our smale capacitie VVherefore that cur mynd or reason can not comprehend let our faith conceiue VVhat Lutheran wold require more then here Caluin coÌ„fesseth Or what more pregnant and effectual words can be desired to declare the veritie of Christs real presence not in figure trope or signification which wit and reason can castly comprehend but truly verely so as Christ I say Christs body and blud notwithstanding so great distance of place as is betwene the highest heauen this low vale is here truly deliuered by the inexplicable force and strength of the holy ghost which only is able to worke such a miraculous coniunction Againe If any man demaund of me how this is done I am not ashamed to confesse the mysterie to be higher then that I can ether comprehend it with my wit or declare it with my tonge to speake the truth I rather find it by experience then vnderstand it Therefore the truth of god wherein I may safely rest here I embrace without scruple He pronounceth his flesh to be the meate of my sowle and his blud the drinke To him I offer my sowle to be nourished with such foode In his holy supper he willeth me vnder the symboles of bread and wine to take eate and drinke his body and blud I nothing dout but he truly geueth it and I receiue it And that his meaning is Christs true body to be not sigâ—â—atâ—uely or tropically but most really and truly present vvith the bread he expresseth in his litle booke De caena domini by an apt similitude ExempluÌ„ valde propriuÌ„ in re simili habeâ—â—u c. VVe haue a maruelouâ— apt example in a like matter VVhen the Lord wold that the holy ghost should appeare in the baptisme of Christ â—e represented him vnder the figure of a doue Iâ—â—n Baptist rehearing the storie saith that he saw the holy ghost descending If we consider the matter wel we shal fynd that â—e saw nothing but a douâ— For the essence of the holy ghost iâ— inuisible Yet because he wel knew that vision to be ro emptie figure but a most sure signe of be â—resence of the holy ghost â—e doubteth not to affirme that â—e saw him because he was represented or made present in such sort as he could beare So in the communion of Christs body blud the mysterie is spiritual which nether can be seene with eyes nor comprehended bâ— mans wit Therefore is it shewed by signes figures yet so that the figure is not a simple bare figure but ioyned to his veritie aâ—d â—â—stance Iustly therefore is the bread called the body of Christ because it doth not only figure it but also present or offer it vnto vs. This is a plain declaration that novv Caluin vvil not separate Christs body from the Sacrament as far as heauen is from earth but ioyne it thereto as truly as the holy ghost vvas to that doue vvhere he vvas vvithout doubt present truly really substantially And this being so is it not a great shame vv â— some say to charge Caluin and the Caluinists vvith contempt of the Sacrament and to say that they haue no other opinion of it then Zuinglius Carolostadius and those other forenamed Protestants Doubtles so he complaineth The aduersarie slaunder â—e â— â—aith Caluin that I measure this mysterie with the squire of humaine reason and gods power by the course of nature But who so euer shal tast our doctrine herein shal be rapt into admiration of gods secrete to ver VVe teach that Christ descendeth vnto vs as wel by the external signe as by the spirite that the flesh of christ entreth in to vs to be our foode that Christ truly with the substance of his flesh and blud doth geue life to our sowles In the e few words who so perceiveth not many miracles to be â—onteâ—â—ed is more then a dolt These words and other to the same effect are common with â—aluin as that the symbole doth not only signifie râ— figure but truly also deliuer the thing which it figureth that it bath the veritie which it signifieth conioâ—ned with it vere exhibet quod figuraâ— adiunctam secum habet veritateâ— Vbi signum est ibi res signata vere exbibetur VVhere the signe is there also the thing signified thereby is truly deliuered Nether must we suppose the signe to be destiâ—uâ—e of the truth signified except we wil make god a deâ—eâ—uer â—or true it is and we must needs confesse that the sacrament compriseth the visible signe
can not comprehend vet let our faith beleeue For true it is though most miraculous in these sacramental earings of the Ievves who so perceiueâ—h not many miracles to be coÌ„teyned is more then a doâ—t vvere he not if not in vvit a very dolt asse yet surely in diuinitie a very simple one vvho vvould attribute such miraculous excellencie to the ceremonies of Moses lavv vvhich them selues notvvithstanding al their hyperbol cal lâ—ing florishes meane not to be true no not in the gospel And vvhat so euer they meane the vniuersal scope and drift of scripture denieth refuteth it in the old lavv most effectually For although the good men vnder the law which vnderstood their ceremonies and sacraments to be shadowes and darke presignifications of a Messias and by vsing them were kept in an obedience and orderly subiection and expectation of a Sauiour to come by such obedience faith pleased god and were therefore rewarded at his hands yet that those ceremonies and sacraments velded them any such grace as is here declared much lesse the participation of Christs true flesh blud which is the supreme soueraine grace of al that euer was or euer shal be in this world the old testameÌ„t it self and also the new in many places denyeth especially the Apostle S. Paule in whole chapirers of his epistle to the Hebrewes where he most expresly treateth discourseth of their sacraments and state of the old testament in comparison of ours and state of the gospel For to omit sundry textes apperteyning to this purpose in the Prophets Euangelists to rest only vpon S. Paule when he saith that circumcision the principal sacrament of the law was nothing of no effect to conferre grace and that Abraham him self vnto whom singularly circumcision was a sâ—â—â—e of the iustice of faith was not yet iustified in circumcision nor by circumcision but otherwise when he disputeth that no worke no ceremonie no sacrament of the lâ—â— was 〈◊〉 to iustification but only the faith and grace exhibited in the new testament when he calleth al those Iudaical sacraments infirma et egena elementa weake and poore elements or as the English bibles translate it weake and beggerly ordinances when he teacheth the vvhole lavv and al the ceremonies sacraments thereof to haue bene reiected and altered because of their weakenes and vnprofitablenes that those sacrifices baptismes and meates drinkes blud of oxen and goates were only iustices of the flesh sanctified those that vsed them no otherwise then in taking away legal pollutions and so purified men only according to the flesh and therefore were instituted by god not to remayne for euer but only vntil the time of correction or new testament and then other maner sacrifice and Sacrament should succede in their place briefly when he teacheth the law to haue had a shadow of good things to come not the very image of them much lesse the body which is geuen by Christ in the nevv testament that it vvas impossible for the blud of those sacrifices to take away sinne and purifie the comscience for vvhich cause also god foretold by his prophets that he vvold reiect those hostes and oblations sacrifices and that they pleased him not vvhen the Apostle thus vvriteth thus teacheth thus disputeth against those legal sacraments vvhat Christian man vvil say that vvith them vvas exhibited and conioyned the true flesh and diuine blud of our god and Sauiour as before according to Caluins first preaching the same is conioyned vvith the sacraments of the nevv lavv If vnder those elements of bread and wine as novv in the supper the body and blud of Christ were not only figured but also truly deliuered if vvhen they vvere eaten of the Ievves by the omnipotencie of god and miraculous operation of his holy spirite Christ Iesus I meane as Calvin teacheth me the flesh blud of Christ yea the very substance thereof as Beza also with the consent of a whole Caluinian Synode speaketh were receiued vvithal then truly S. Paul in calling such a Sacrament a weake and beggerly ordinance had bene a very vveake Apostle an vnfit instrument to publish Christs name before nations and Princes of the vvorld vvho of Christs diuine person of his pretious flesh and blud the price raâ—â—â—om of the world reconciliation of al things in heauen and earth had had so meane and beggerly aâ— opinion But because most sure it is that b. Paule was â—â—â—nom any such beggerly or rather beastly ethnical â—og 〈◊〉 the Calumâ—â— who in this deteâ—â—able â— aâ— pâ—â—mous conâ—cite â—oloweth Calâ—in know that tâ— hâ—m S. Paule speaketh and he shal once to his eterna payne vnlesse â—e in time repent â—â—ele true that which S. Paule threatneth in eueÌ„ for this particular blasphe â—â—â—s heresie of matching the base Iewish ceremonies with Christs most heauenly and diuine Sacraments A man making frustrate the law of Moyses is adiudged to death therefore by the verdite of 2 or â— witnesseâ— How much more deserueth he more extreme punishmentâ— which thus treadeth the sonne of god vnder foote and esteemeth the blud of the new testament polluted by making it nothing superior to the blud of beasts and so hath done contumelâ—e to the sp rite of grace beyond al measure abased most vily and contemptuously the diuine state and maiestie of the new testament Let the discreete reader know that against this Iudaisme the Christians euer from the begâ—nning of Christianitie haue had touching their sacraments a more excellent faith and diuine perswasion as who vpon warrant of Christs words haue euer beleeued that in the one sacrament was deliuered the body and blud of Christ the same in veritie and truth of substance that was sacrificed on the crosâ—e as before more largely hath bene deduced And for the other sacrament for I mention no more because thâ—se men acknowledge no more the holy scriptures and writings of the Apostles and the church ensuing haue yelded vnto it as to an instrumental cause higher grace vertue then to any sacrament of the Iewes law or al their sacraments and sacrifices ioyned in one For proofe whereof when Christ was baptized the heauens opened and the holy ghost descended to signifie that by baptisme the way to heauen shut before is made open to is the holy ghost powred in to vs as Christ him self by word and deed taught most manifestly except a man be borne of water the spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of god And to testifie that aâ—â—uâ—â—dly and that in baptisme Christians are made partakers of the holy ghost in the begin â—â—â—g of the church the holy ghost â—â—sibly deseended rested on them that were baptized by the Apostles and first preachers of our faith And the gospel Apostolical writings euery where teach that â—â—bert the baptisme of Iohn
Vniuersitie who saith he by good reason proved that the word Sacrament and Sacramenâ—ally were not to be vsed in treating of the Eucharist because of their divers and doubtful signification This may serue for a very notable example to the Christian reader to teach him vvith vvhat impretie vvicked conscience and iugling al bent to circumvent and coosen their poore folovvers these ministers handle the sacred vvord of god They confesse the vvord Sacrament not to be vsed of their supper nether by Christ nor his Apostles they dislike it them selues they acknovvledge it to be ambiguous doubtful they protest to reverence the vvords of Christ the true sease vvhereof they solemnly protest to geue to their scholers and in â—ine after al these preambles like most detestable hipocrites mockers of god man they make their resolutioÌ„ vpon the same vvord Sacrament vvhich they haue so improved vvhich they can not be ignorant that to Luther is as much as bread and the real body of Christ present vvith the bread to Calvin in some places bread vvith a vertue of Christs body in others a signe in others a sâ—ale But generally to the Zuinglians and Calvinists and this self same expositor is nothing but bread vvith a tropical signification of the body of Christ vvhich in truth and really they account no more ioyned vnto it then heaven is ioyned to earth or the North pole to the South And this self â—ame is M. B. his determination behaviour For so he preacheth Come on How is the body of Christ coÌ„ioyned with the bread He answereth VVe can not crauâ— any other sort of coniunction nor may stand with the nature of the sacrameÌ„t Againe There can not be here any other sort of conâ—unctiâ—â— then the nature of the sacrameÌ„t wil suffer Againe The nature of the sacrament wil not suffer but a sacramentâ—â— coniunction Thus M. B. after the example of Caluin Musculus forgetting his manifold sober admonitions geuen before forgetting him self and his ovvne teaching that this word sacrameÌ„t was not vsed in scripture forgetting that it was inuented by the wit of man which is mere folly forgetting that it was and is the cause of much strife coÌ„tention digladiatioÌ„ forgetting the Apostolical vvord of signes seales vvhich should be vsed in steed thereof briefly neglecting his ovvne Euangelical rule that nâ— flesh should presume to be wiser then god but should stoupe keepe the names appointed by god him self vvil novv prâ—sume to be wiser then god and leauing the names which gods vvisdome appointed and resting vpon the vvord which mans folly inueÌ„ted teacheth his auditors to beleeue sacramental coniunctions vvhere as he should be plain and preach to vs that Christs body being as far from vs as heauen is from earth is conioyned with the bread and vvine in the supper as vvith a signe significatiuely oâ— as vvith a figure signâ—atiuely or as vvith a rude image imaginarily he stil doth inculcate his sacramental coniunction that Christs body is in the sacrament conioyned therewith sacramentally and vve can haue no other coniunction then the nature of a sacrament wil suffer Al vvhich as I graunt it is very true the Catholike euer hath confessed the same so these men very shamefully abuse such speeches as I haue said to blind the eyes and vnderstanding of the poore sovvles that trust them others that reade them so as nether vve nor they can lightly tel vvhere â—o find them For if a man go no farther then to these vvords the vvords may seeme to be vttered by a Catholike man Againe they may wel be the vvords of a Lutheran although in deed they be spoken in the sense of a sacramentarie or Caluinist vvhom both Lutheran Catholike detesteth I omit here to speake of this coniâ—nction vvhereof somvvhat hath bene sayd already more shal be hereafter For the present the Christianâ— reader careful of his salvation is to be warned that he haue diligent regard to these mens words and maner of speeches for that never as I suppose any other heretikes vsed more craft and false meaning in their words â—â—hen these do They for the most part wil not stick in speech in preaching in writing to vse the very same words and maner of vtterance as the Catholike church doth when as yet they being heretikes haue no part of the meaning But as some man that inteâ—deth to poison an other tempereth his cup with pleasant suckets or sweetneth the brim of it whence it must be drunken vvith some delitious confiture in like maner these impoisoners of mens sovvles because their heresies proposed in their ovvne rude termes vvould not so soone be swalovved of their hearers therefore they coÌ„mend set them forth vvith the sacred and holy vvords vsed by the Catholike church as vve haue had some examples in Calvin before and a number vve haue in our English Ievvel a perfit Zuinglian vvho yet vvil not let to say vvrite that by this sacrament Christs body dwelleth in ours and that not by way of imagination or by figure or fantasie but really naturally substaÌ„tially fleshly in deede VVhich his Cambridge interpreter rendereth in latin very Catholikely Christus per sacramentum corporis sui habitat in corporibus nostris idque non tantum imaginatione figura aut cogitatione sed realiter naturaliter substantialiter carnaliter eâ— reipsa VVhereas yet M. Ievvel as likevvise his interpreter meaneth that Christs body by the bread vvine of their vvorshipful Supper is communicated to vs and received in to our bodies nether in deede â—or substantially nor naturally nor really but only figuratiuely by imagination for that forsooth by their broken bread our mynd is moved to remember Christ crucified and so as the church of Zurick declareth the matter in their Confession albeit the thing signified be corporally absent yeâ— a faithful imagination and sure faith renewéth or remembreth that worke once done ¶ Let vs novv returne to M. B. vvho having disliked and condemned the vvord Sacrament because it is not in scripture preferreth the vvord seales and signes for that so the Apostle calleth them VVhere In vvhat Epistle In vvhat chapiter The devise being so nevv straunge vvhy is not the place quoted Truly I know no such place in any Epistle of those that be extant in our Catholike church And therefore except the Scottish Seignone haue some secret Apocâ—phal Epistles and chapiters of the Apostle I verely beleeue that he findeth no one place or sentence in the Apostle Paule or any Apostle vvhere the sacraments of baptisme or the supper are called signes and seales No â—aith M. B Looke in the Apostle to the Romanes chap. 4. v. 11. there shal yovv find both signe and seale True it is there I find them in that only place of the Apostle vvhere he vvriteth that Abraham by his good and fruitful faith being iustified before â—e was
raise him vp he meaneth Corpus meum quod comedetur my body which shal be eaten in the Sacrament shal raise him Al which sayings of Christ and those blessed Martyrs and byshops the reader must not so interpret as our adversaries cavil most peevishly as though we or they taught that no man could be saved or rise to life everlasting but such as receiued Christ in the sacrament For nether they nor we doubt but the Pa 〈…〉 s and good men in the old testament as like wise children diuers others in the new shal be saved who yet never came to the actual participation of this diuine mysterie But as our Sauiour and al the church maketh marryrdom a soveraine and principal meane to attaine eternal life not excluding for al that other good vertues as preaching praying fasting almes geving c. and on the contrary by like assured ground of Christ and al scripture heresie and infidelitie is the high and brode way to hel albeit vitious life covetousnes vsury rayling and lying and such other qualities let men thither fast inough in like maner this communication of Christs immortal and glorious body in the sacrament is a special grace and singular prerogatiue in the nevv testament whereby our bodies sovvles are set in possession of life eternal although gods infinite goodnes hath provided vs other meanes besides VVhich singular and excellent grace whereas vve see attributed not to the eating of the Paschal lamb nor to Manna not to the Iewes bread not to reading the scripture not to preaching not to beleeving that Christ dyed and rose again for our iustification in al vvhich yet we being faithful men eate the flesh of Christ spiritually and also drinke his blud but only to the eating of this dreadful mysterie hereof it foloweth invincibly that both Christ in thus speaking the church in thus beleeving the auncient fathers martyrs bysshops and Councels in thus expounding vnderstood Christs body to be truly really and in deed receiyed in this Sacrament far othervvise then by only faith by vvhich he vvas eaten in the old figures ceremonies of the lavv as vvel as in the nevv testament or any sacrament hereof according to the ProtestaÌ„ts opinion Of Christs body no vvays ioyned nor deliuered vvith the sacrameÌ„t The Argument M. B. hereticalls in words magnifieth the sacrament whereas in truth he most abaseth it making Christs body to be ioyned therewith as sâ—enderly as with any creature in the world more slenderly then it is ioyned with a word spoken Christ is more â—ighly ioyned to a picture or image then to the 〈◊〉 or Scottish sacrament Two properties appointed by M. B. to their signe the first that it reâ—embleth Christ which it doth no more then any other creature The â—â—â—â—â— that with the bread Christs body is ioyntly offered to the communicants in such sort at the minister offereth bread This is confuted first as wicked and prophane It is further confuted by order of the Scottish Communion bâ—â—ke by the doctrine of the Protestant writers and al â—â—â—â—nists Christ is no otherwise ioyned to the Geneua Supper or eaten therein then in any vulgar meate or in beholding any creature â—â—der heauen By the Caâ—u nists owne doctrine and M. B. also Christ is not as al receiued in their Supper CHAP. 7. THat M. B. were of the self same iudgement with those auncient fathers touching Christs real presence in the sacrameÌ„t I should gather out of these his words novv râ—hâ—arsed and very plainly do they import so much his speaches comparisons and similitudes vvaighed in them selves implie conclude the same nether could a man make any doubt thereof were it not that he being an heretike the nature of heresie maketh vs suspect that he speaketh not plainly roundly sincerely in simple faith as did those old good fathers And our Sauiour teacheth that the maner of heretikes is to cloth them selues with sheepes clothing to preteÌ„d simplicitie to speake Catholikely to couer and colour their impietie with the phrase words speech of the church of Catholikes Catholike pastors whereas inwardly they are rauening wolues they meane daÌ„nably they meane as heretikes Apostataes by such pleasant sweet speeches and benedictions inteÌ„d nothing els but to seduce the harts of innocents and simple plain meaning Christians and as S. Peter teacheth they being lying masters first vvorke their owne destruction after by seyned counterfeit words make marchandize of other men seeking to draw them also to like damnation whereof before I haue shewed very euident example in Caluin a chief father of this heresie and here M. B. ensueth his steppes as like him as one Protestant may be like an other For hauing by thus many arguments persuaded his auditorie that he had a maruelous high reuerend opinion of the Sacrament immediately as being possessed with that spirit of giddines which guideth al men of his stamp he geueth furth as many arguments to the contrary The first which is the around foundation of the rest is this Ye may perceiue 〈◊〉 by your owne eyes that the signe and the thing signified are not locally conioyned that is they are not both in one place Ye may perceiue also by your outward senses that the holy of Christ and the signes are not conioyned corporally Their bodies touch not one the other Ye may perceiue also they are not visibly conioyned Al this hitherto if a Iew or Pagan be present at the supper he seeth as wel as the minister and therefore thus far furth their faith is much alike But this is a negatiue and priuatiue disioyning separation of the signe and thing signified let vs heare of their vnion coniunction VVe can craue no other coniunction then may stand and agree with the nature of a sacrament â— therefore here is no other then a sacramental coniunction I graunt nether doth any Catholike require any other But what meane yow by a sacramental coniunction any thing els besides a tropical figuratiue or significatiue representation speake plainly that the reader may know where to fynd yow what yovv beleeue vvhat yovv vvould haue him to take vnto The coniunction saith he betwixt Christs body the sacrament is a relatiue coÌ„iunction Looke what coÌ„iunction is betwixt the word which ye heare and the thing signified which comes to your mind the like coniunction is bewixt the signe which yow see and the thing signified in the sacrament Ye heare not the word so soone spoken but incontinent the thing signified comes to your mynd Speake I of things past to come or neuer so far absent I can not so soone speake of them in this language but the things signified comes in your mind no doubt because there is a coniunction betwixt the word the thing signified Hauing explicated this at large in fine thus he draweth to his conclusion Alwaies
of the crosse and blotted out the offences of the world finally the same thing to be receiued outwardly with our mouth which inwardly we beleeue in hart id ore sumitur quod â—ide creditur do not these speeches declare that the body and blud of Christ is offered to the mouth of Christians Or when Christ bad his disciples to take and eate that body in the chalice to drinke that blud of the new testament meant he that they should eate and drinke only by faith Do his words import not that they should eate with their mouth but only vvith their eyes and eares which only two instruments M. B. allovveth for eating Christs body by faith the eare serving for conueyance of the audible word preached to our sovvle the eye for conveyance of the visible word that is the bread vvhen it is broken in their Communion by vvhich tvvo meanes only we eate Christ spiritually by faith as he teacheth vs If he thus say yet S. Marke wil somwhat gainsay him and if he haue any conscience make him gainsay him self reuoke his saying For that as Christ deliuered thâ—m his chalice and bad them drinke it so S. Marke testifieth that they al dranke of it vvhich drinking could no more be done vvithout their mouth vvith their only eyes and â—ares then with their heeles And therefore in the bible vve find that Christs blud both in the word in the sacrament is offered to the mouth of Christians And therefore to ioyne â—un on vvith M. B. a litle vvhereas he denieth that there is in the Bible any receiuing of Christ but by faith vvhereas he biddes vs find that in any part of the bible he is then content to turne Christ ouer to vs vve accept his offer And if he can so interprete these places of the Euangelists vvhose vvritings are part of the Bible that lie dravv them al â—o a mere spiritual eating by only faith vvithout corporal and real communion as the church teacheth I vvil confesse he hath as good a grace in interpreting scripture as euer had Carolostadi the first sounâ—â—yne of this sacramentarie heresie yea or the heauenly prophete vvhether it vvere the deuil or the deuils dame â—s Luther saith that instructed him ¶ And yet that I make not my self to sure of my vvinâ—ing before hand I must needs acknovvlege that M. B. already geueth a sâ—â—ewd presumptioÌ„ that he vvil vvring Christs words after a very straunge fashion before he yield so much as any reasonable man pressed with these â—ords must graunt necessarilie and perforce For besides that he is of one spirite vvith them that haue already geven vs vvonderful constructions of these fevv vvords This is my body vvhich body Christ vvilled his disciples to receiue and eaâ—e as that by it according to 〈◊〉 Christ meant his passion and death or els he meant faith or his deitie or a memorie or at lest a thankes geuing or lâ—st of al the churchâ— or if al this serue not he meant thereby an action as Ioannes a Lasco rather thinâ—â—eth and then the sense must needs be spiritual for â—â—oubtles vve can not take and eate nether Christs passion and dâ—â—â—h nor faith nor yet his deitie nor a memorie noâ— a thankesgeuing nor the church vvhether Zuingli meane 〈◊〉 vvals and stones of the church or the people noâ— aâ— action but after a mere spiritual or rather spiritish maâ—â—â— besides thâ—â—e I say of al vvhich he may choose any one vvhich he pleaseth with as good â—ight as they did he geueth an other of him self as vvonderful as any of al these For saith he we find in Christs institution a promise and a commaund The commaund is this Take eate which obligeth vs to obey craues obedience The promise is conteyned in these words This is my body The promise craues faith and beleefe as the commaund craues obedience VVhich exposition seemeth to me as straunge as any of the precedent as straunge it is to cal these vvords of Christ a promise as to cal it a promise if one say to a poore man Take receiue here is a pennâ— or a peece of bread if this be a promise I vvonder hovv we shal define the performance But let it stand for good for these men haue power to make al things sound as they list especially in church matters articles of â—aith with which the Eldership or as the phrase is in the Scottish coÌ„munion booke the Assembly of the ministers Elders and deacons may dispense varie and alter at their good pleasure But what shal become now of these words what sense shal vve geue them forsooth this Take eate a promise or take eate here is a promise which is delivered for yow And if he thus meane then in deed he is far from any corporal eating And if he meane otherwise as Caluin doth vvhom perhaps he foloweth for he vttering no more theÌ„ I haue set dovvne leaueth me in doubt I can but gheasse his true meaning that the vvords of Christ are a promise annexed to a condition and so not fulfilled except the condition be accomplished vvhich goeth before as Caluin teacheth even so his meaning is as straunge wil dravv after it as straunge and vvonderful a communion For saith Caluin these words Take eate is a coÌ„maundement This is my body is a promise like as the lord commaunded Cal on me and immediatly adioyneth the promise I wil heare thee If now any man would bost of this promise That God vvil heare him and not performe the commaundement annexed To cal vpon god might be not be counted a mad soole Euen so here this promise This is my body is made and geuen to them who obserue that which Christ commaunded Out of which this we may and must directly gather that if This is my body be a promise depending of that condition and commaunde Take eate which goeth before then when soeuer man on his part fulfilleth the condition commaunde God on the other side questionles performeth that he hath promised And it were blasphemous impietie to thinke or say otherwise that men doing as God appointed God faileth in performing that vvhich he promised This therefore being a most sure vnremoveable ground if these vvords This is my body be a promise depending vpon that commaund Take eate then by like assured consequence and conclusion when so euer Christian men take and eate especially if they doe it in remembrance of Christ vvhich albeit it be not in the commaund Caluin requireth it not yet I am content to adde it for more suertie then such bread to such eaters is the body of Christ and so vvhen soeuer Christian men vvith such remembrance eate they eate Christs body vvhen soeuer they drinke they drinke his blud For like as he is a mad foole in Caluins iudgement vvho thinketh he can enioye the promise of Christs body except he
no other truth then is coÌ„teined in the word Yet because it is a seale annexed to the word it perswades me better of the same VVhereof having said before sufficieÌ„tly I vvil not stand to repeate or make any nevv discourse here Only thus much wil I vvarne the reader that this nevv found doctrine of seales to confirme gods vvord and promises vvhich these extraordinarie ministers so much inculcate never before heard of in the vvord of god of the old testament or nevv never in the Gospels or Epistles Canonical noâ— yet in general Councels or auncient fathers or practise of Christs Catholike church seemeth to haue had his first original roote from the corrupt maners of these ministers and their scholers VVho continually boasting of their only faith without vvorks and hauing as false a faith as euer had any Carthaginian or Greeke because they coÌ„monly lye dissemble and circumuent and vvhen they looke most simply meane most traiteiously vvhen they counterfeite much grauitie â—obrietie and religion then are ful of craft guilefulnes falsitie as also Caluin truly vvitnesseth of them they finding this in them selues and that they can not trust one an other vpon vvords and promises but must haue seales and obligations besides from their ovvne corrupt behaviour dravv this to the church of Christ and make like reckening of Gods vvord and sacraments as they do of their ovvne vvords vvritings and obligations and as they applie seales and bonds to coÌ„firme their ovvne graunts promises because othervvise no man vvil trust them they induce like opinion vpon God his vvord as though the credit thereof depended in like maner vpon seales and obligations But as at this present there is many a simple people in the vvorld that hath not the vse of seales but trust one an other as vvel vpon their â—â—â—e word or vvriting without farther assurance and many a good plaine and honest man I knovv vpon vvhose vvord a man might veÌ„ture as much as vpon his seale and as truly infallibly vvould he performe it so much more do al true Christians make like accompt of gods word vvhich as it infinitely overpeiseth the vvord of the best man so infinitely is it lesse holpen by these fantastical seales of bread vvine VVhich vvord of God albeit M. B. tel vs that his bretherne beleeue the better by the seales of bread drinke yet shal he be hardly able to persvvade that to any vvise man For first it is a very bad and miserable faith to say no more that fully perfitly absolutely beleeueth not God vpon his only vvord that vvord vvhich he knoweth questionles to be gods and to proceed from him Again it is as vveake miserable a faith to speake plainly litle differing from vvitles foly and infidelitie vvhich casting any doubt of the vvord vvhich he acknovvlegeth to be gods is any vvhit any iote confirmed therein or mooued to beleeue it the more for these sophistical signes and seales as sure certain as vvethercocks for that as they turne here and there north south east and vvest in to euery quarter and corner of the world vvith the turning of euery vvind euen so these seales hauing al their strength grace authoritie from the ministers sermon vvhich geueth life sowle to them may be applied by the minister to signifie that is to seale things as contrary as the east is to the vvest or north to the south as hath bene in part touched before and here cometh somvvhat more to be spoken of in this place Of the VVORD necessarily required to make a sacrament The Argument Of the word which M. B. and the Calvinists require to be ioyned to their bread wine water to make them sacraments By the word they meane a Sermon VVhich opinion is refelled as wicked and vtterly false The nature of this word is farther examined and refelled by the example of Christ and manifest reason drawen thence ioyned with the authoritie of the English congregation which in this part of faith reproveth the Scottish ministerie as plainly Anabaptistical This opinion concludeth most of the communions and baptismes vsed thorough out England and Scotland to be no sacraments as is declared by 4. sensible demonstrations 5 It is the high way to abolish al vse both of Sermons and also of Sacraments CHAP. 10. HAving hetherto spoken of the general consideration of the elements saith M. B. it restes that we say somwhat concerning the word which I cal the other part of the sacrament I vnderstand and take the word for that thing which quickens this whole action which serves as it were a sowle and geveâ— life to the whole action For by the word and the appointement of Christ in the word the minister knowes what is his part the hearer what is his part and every one is prepared the minister how to deliver and the hearer how to receiue Of this vvord vvhich is principally to be attended in the sacrament and vvhich as M. B. truly speaketh if he rightly vnderstood his ovvne vvords applied them as he ought is the life of the sacrament and geveth al force and grace vnto it he afterwards somwhat more at large discouâ—seth â—hus As the Papists we agree that the word man concurre to the nature and constitution of a sacrament so when we come to know what is meant by the word we differ much Let the Papists opinion vvhereof yovv sceme to haue litle skil-as shal appeare hereafter in place conuenient â—est for this present and helpe vs to vnderstand your ovvne opinion concerning this word vvith vvhich yovv are better acquainted By the VVord necessarily required to make this sacrament we meane saith M. B. the whole institution of Christ Iesus what so euer he said what so euer he did or commaunded to be done And this whole institution ought to be intreated after this maner First there ought a lawful pastor who hath his calling from god to intreat it And this lawful pastor ought to intreat it lawfully VVhat is that He ought to preach it to proclame it and publikely with a cleare voyce to denounce it He ought to open vp and declare the â—ail parts of it what is the peoples part and what is his owne part â—ow â—e ought to deliuer and distribute that bread and wine and how the people ought to receiue it and how they ought to receiue the body blud of Christ signified by it This â—e ought to do in a familiar and homely language that the people may vnderstaÌ„d him For except ye heare Christ in such a language ye can â—â—â— vnderstand Except ye vnderstand it is not possible for â—oâ— iâ— beleeue and without beleef there is no application of Christ This is the sâ—mme of M. B. preaching touching this point the effect of al cometh to this that the Sermon of the minister to whom yet he prescribeth somvvhat like a Superintendent
fideles is ecclesiae sacrificio sciunt al which the faithful know how it is performed in the sacrifice of the church of which church sacrifice al the sacrifices of the old testameÌ„t were shadowes VVhich sacrifice of praise and thankes-geuing he in a number of places expresly calleth the sacrifice of Christs body and that it was offered not by al Christians a like but by a certaine order of priesthod as he plainly declareth in the same booke and proveth out of the scriptures ¶ VVhere M. B. saith that the name Masse came in vvhen the sacrament began to be perverted the Latin kirk to decay the Romane kirk to fal by this vve learne vvhen according to M. B. censure the Romane church fel. For euerie Protestant allovveth it a time of puritie integritie according to his ovvne humor fansie some 300. yeres some 400. some 500. And thus far our English Ievvel extended the puritie florishing estate of the Latine especially the Romane church some allovv it 200. yeres more But for the first 400 or 500. yeres fevv of the learned Protestant make any doubt but that the Romane church vvas pure and sincere in al parts of religion So taught one of our English Pâ—otomartyâ—s Ridley prelate of London in these vvords The patriarch of Râ—me in the Apostles time and long after was a great maynteiner and setter forth of Christs glorie and above al other countries regions there especially was preached the true gospel the sacraments were most duly ministred And as before Christs coming it was a citie so valiant that al the world was subiect to it and after Christs passion divers of the Apostles there suffered persecution for Christs gospel so after that the Emperors became Christians the Gospel there florished most S. Austin saith our M. Ievvel and other godly fathers rightly and wel in old time yelded great reverence to the see of Rome as for diuers other reasons so also for the puritie of religion which was there preserued a long time 600. yeres after Christ without spot For which puritie and constancie in the same that church was most famous aboue al others and might be a standard vnto them And Iohn Calvin vvriteth Because it was a thing notoriously knowen true without al questioÌ„ that from the Apostles age vntil theirs there was no alteratioÌ„ of doctrine nether in the church of Rome nor in other places the fathers tooke this for a principle and sure ground able to overthrovv al errors vvhich nevvly sprong vp that they gainsayd the truth vvhich had bene constantly preserued and maynteined by common consent from the time of the Apostles VVhich iudgement of Calvin and those other learned Zuinglians I note to control M. B. rash sentence in deputing the fal and decay of the Romane church to that time vvhen by these mens more sound more learned verdit that church vvas most pure perfit and withal hereby I can plainly convince him of falshod and heresie in preaching as he doth Touching the first the sacrament saith he began to be peruerted and turned in to a sacrifice with the falling estate of the Rom. kirke and them comes in this peruerse name of the Masse VVhen was this About 400. yeres after Christ For then vve find this name masse in the Councels Doctors vvritings applied more commonly to such signification as vve novv vse it S. Ambrose in Milan testifieth of him self that he said Masse missam facere caepi Ambros lib. 5. epist 33. â— Leo maketh mention of the same epist 81. ad Dioscorum 88. ad Episcopos Germaniae Galliae S. Austin sermo 91. de tempore 237. 251. Cassian lib. 2. Canon orat noctur ca. 7 lib. 3. canon diurn oral cap. 5. 6. 11. lib. 11. ca. 15. Yea some bishops martyrs of the Romane see far more auncieÌ„t then any of these vvriters vse the vvord though seeldoÌ„ as appeareth by S. Damasus in Pontificali in Alexandro 1. by Papirius Massonus de Episcop vrbis lib. 1. fol. 11. in Pio. 1. As for Councels in sundry very auncient as in Concilio Rom. sub Sil vestro 1. Concil Carthag 2. can 3. Carthag 4. ca. 84. Concil Agathensi ca. 21. 47. Concil 3. Arelaten cap. 3. Concil â— Aâ—â—â—lianenâ— ca. 28. Concil Milevit cap. 12. both the masse is plainly named and the distinction of masses vsed in the primitiue church is described the one called missa catechumenorum the other missa fidelium the masse of learners or novices in the faith to vvhich al indifferently vvere admitted Heretikes Iewes Paganes the masse of peâ—â—â—â—e baptized Christians from the presence and sight of vvhich masse not only the forenamed Heretikes Iewes and Pagans but also the vnchristened though otherwise favoring Christianitie yet for reverence of these dreadful mysteries vvere excluded Thus vve find that long vvithin 500. yeres after Christ the name of Masse vvas very frequent in the Romaine and Latin church vvhen as yet that church vvas far from decay and faâ— nay vvhen according to Calvin and those other famous Superintendents the church of Rome was most pure and had altered nothing of the doctrine received from the Apostles but for her constancie in reteyning the â—aâ—e might serue for a Standard and light to al other churches of Christendome ¶ By vvhich ground also and graunt of these excellent men I condemne secondly M. B. his preaching of heresie vvhereas he saith that when the sacrament was turned in to a sacrifice it was idolatrie and that forsooth began vvith the name of Masse For vvith this perverse name Masse the sacrament began to be perverted This collection I say is very foolish vvicked heretical For if in collecting the 4. names vvhich out of the auÌ„cient fathers he attributeth to the sacrament he had faithfully told his auditorie vvhat he had found he could not haue so blindly stumbled as to vvring idolatrie out of a sacrifice or preach that the sacrifice began vvith the name of Masse vvhereas the more auncient fathers cal the sacrament a true sacrifice some hundreds of yeres before the decaying and falling time of the church vvhich he signifieth that is before the name of Masse vvas practised And vvhen the name Masse began to grovv in vse even then they stil reteyned that other more auncient terme and caled it stil sacrifice both in preaching vvriting ten yea tvventie times for one more oft then Masse And therefore to make the name Masse any occasion of the sacrifice vvhich name and beleef of sacrifice vvas vniversal at lest 200. or 300. yeres before the name of Masse grevv in vse is as poore and peevish a devise as lightly might fall in to a sicke mans brayne This is to set the cart before the horse to make the river cause of his fountayne to make the child beget his father as much as to charge M. B. vvith the invention of heresies published
his impenitence he debarre him self or commit some fault which deserveth excommunication And vvhereas Calvin as also many Calvinists much presse the vvord Communion as though it required a number present in one place one at an others elbow to receiue together he ansvvereth this erroneous conceit very vvel that albeit one man at home receiue the sacrament privately yet he communicateth with many in that holy supper from whom he is separated in place not in faith not in right and fruition of that common good He is by infirmitie by necessitie of busines or other occasion severed after a sort externally from the publike congregation whereas yet be remaineth a member of the church and by one faith and spirite he is in the congregation and communion of saints VVhich is as much to say as that such a man better observeth that vvhich in this communion is principal vvho communicating vvith other Christians in faith in spirite in charitie and ecclesiastical coniunction for some iust occasion receiveth yet this sacrament of vnitie alone then the Calvinists vvho being divided and distracted both among them selues from other Christians touthing al spiritual communion or communication yet forsooth care their signes and seales in great companies An other argument he taketh from Calvin him self vvhich is of like force against M. B. because he vseth the selfe same M. B. after Iohn Calvin saith the sacrament is nothing els but a visible word as the sermoÌ„ preached is an audible word Hereof VVestphalus stameth this argument If yow allow to private men the audible word why should yow deny them the visible word Yow count it lawful with the word of god privately to comfort the stike to strengthen their minds with promises of grace of remission of sinne and salvation purchased by Christ Christ comforted the man sicke of the palsie lying in his bed with most sweete consolation he absolved him from his sinnes he preached privately to Nicodemus to the woman of Samaria at Iacobs wel to the theeâ— on the crosse VVhy then may we not comfort the weake though several and alone by geving to them the sacrament of Christs body and blud This is of it self a most sufficient and firme demonstration against M. B. And his vvhole doctrine and preaching so many times repeated that the sacrament is a seale hunge to the evidence of Gods word c. proveth invincibly if there be any coherence in these mens doctrine that vvhere the word that is the euidence goeth before there the seale may folovv after vvhere the minister may preach the covenant of mercy and grace there this signe confirming and ratifying such covenant may be annexed and appeÌ„ded as M. B. speaketh Finally this to be lawful VVestphalus proveth by practise of the primitive church thus S. Cyprian counted them lawfully baptised who for cause of necessitie or infirmitie were baptised in their bed VVhy then should we be so preposterous and cruel as to deny in like case the most effectual medicine of Christs body and blud S. Austin was of an other iudgement lib. 2. de visitatio infirmoruÌ„ who wisheth and counselleth the sicke most carefully to receive that lifegeving sacrament for that it is a most wholesom vyage provision VVhereby appeareth that the auncient bishops condemned not priâ—ate communions The like witnesseth Euseb histor Eccles lib. 6. cap. 34. where Dionysius bisshop of Alexandria sendeth the sacrament to Serapion being alone and sicke in his bed VVhich storie after he hath rehearsed at large he inferreth Audis Calvine Dionysium iam olim sic iudicasse c. Hearest thow frind Calvin that Dionysius of old iudged that the sicke were defrauded of a great benefite by those who denyed them the communion of the Eucharist And thereof he concludeth that it is not the â—il of God as Calvin and M. B. say but a policie of the devil to deny the communion privâ—tly which is ordeyned by Christ to strengthen the faith of every privat man for every privat man to applie to him self the benefit of Christ and coÌ„fort him self with remission of his sinnes Thus then by this Protestants doctrine confirmed by so many textes of scripture so many good reasons vvith approbatioÌ„ of the primitive church one man alone may as vvel receive the sacrament as he alone may be preached vnto as hâ— alone may be comforted or looke to have remission of his sinnes by the death of Christ So that for these two points the first that holines and sanctification remaineth in the sacrament longer then the action or table service endureth the second that the same sacrameÌ„t may be communicated to one man alone M. B. is controlled by manifest reason by plaine and manifold scripture by the auncient fathers and primitive Catholike church and also by the late fathers of the primitive Protestant church And doubtles M. B. Caluins opinion is herein most blunt vvicked and voyd of al vvit or Christian sense Only in excuse of them it may be answered that those auncient fathers S. Dionysius S. Austin S. Cyprian Tertullian c. speake of sacrament vvhich according to Christs vvord hath in it Christs body vvhereas M. B. and Calvin speake of a Scottish Geneva seale of a late invention to vvhich Christs body is no more ioyned then the Sphere of Saturne is ioyned to the earth no othervvise then the body of Christ is ioyned to any other vulgar bread or meate signe or seale And therefore the fathers speach that the sacrament continueth vvith his grace sanctification after the communion or sacrifice and may be ministred to any Christian privatly is true as the fathers meant of the Christian sacrament and M. B. speaking of his Geneva â—oy vvhich hath only for some time a poore signification vvith it but never for any time any grace or power of sanctification in it is likewise true vz that after the table service is ended there continueth no holines in that vvherof it had in deed no dramme or iote before and therefore being ministred to one alone absent can do no good vvhich doth rather harme then good to the societie and congregation present That evil men receiue Christs body The Argument An argument which M. B. maketh for the catholike opinion out of S. Paule His answere thereto is fond and directly against the text of S. Paule which withal he fowly corrupteth The auncient fathers out of that place of S. Paule proue that evil men receiue Christs body in the sacrament so much is implied in the very forme of S. Paules speech being with indifferencie examined Another slender argumeÌ„t touching the receiving of evil men made by M. B. which yet he can not answere Against M. B. and the Calvinists denying that evil men receiue Christ in the Supper it is proved that according to the Protestants doctrine and M. B. his preaching Christ is there received of al sorts of men indifferently not
laboureth to prove very earnestly and diligently This M. B. out of Calvin and Beza preacheth very directly and expressely and by scripture wickedly perverted seeketh to establish It is sure saith he and certain that the faith of Gods children is never wholy extinguisted Though it be never so weake it shal never vtterly decay â— perish out of the hart Howsoever it be weake yet a weake faith is faith and such a faith that the lest parcel or drop of â—ssureth vs that God is fauourable frindly and merciful â—â—â— vt Minima fidei gâ—â—ta facit was certo inâ—uiâ—â— contemplari fâ—ciem Dei pâ—acidam sereâ—em nobisoâ—e prâ—pitiaâ— as writeth Caluin M. B. hauing run a good vvhile in this veyne concludeth For conformation of my argument howsoever 〈…〉 bodies â—e 〈…〉 â—o al dissolution â—et after our effectual calling within our sewles suppâ—â—e the fier be covered with â—shes yet it it â—ier therâ— wil no man say the fier is put out suppose it â—e covered No more is faith put out of the sowle supâ—ose it â—â— so covered that it shâ—w nether how nor light outwardlâ— Finally he repeateth as a most sure principle It is certaine that the faithful have never the spirit of God taâ—e from thâ—â— wholy in their greatest dissolutions though they 〈…〉 〈…〉 thâ—rers adulterers c. VVhereas then every Calvinist vvho once hath tasted of Calvins iustifying faith as hath M. B. can never possibly leese that faith but must of necessâ—â—â—â— reteyne it perpetually though he fal into never so great dissolution and filthines of life become he a murtherer an adulterer a robber of churches a sinke of iniquitie as many such iustified and elect Calvinists are vvhereas I say al that notwithstanding he is not forsaken of the spirit of God nor deprived of this special and singular faith vvhich M. B. so oft hath told vs is the only mouth of the sowle the only meane to eate and fâ—â—d oâ— Christ how can he possibly vvith any face or modestie vvith any learning or reason deny that vvicked men receive Christs body vvhereas he alloweth and that infallibly to the most detestable men the spirit of God and this special faith this month of the sowle by vvhich most truly effectually spiritually the body of Christ is eateÌ„ let him vvith better advise marke this his owne preaching and doctrine of Iohn Calvin and his Geneva church and conferre it diligently vvith his other fansie of evil men not receiving Christs body in their signe he shal find this opinion to be altogether false vnprobable and vnpossible to be conceived or beleeved and â—â—â— against their owne preaching and teaching And doubtles besides this special point of Calvinisme vvhich is so pregnant and direct to prove against M. B the general sway of their doctrine induceth the same which is it provoketh men to licentious and dissolute life in that it preacheth only faith to serve for Christian iustice so the verie issue of that solifidian iustification is this vvhen men in life are become most beastly and vitious then to make them most vaunting and glorious for this â—â—stant persuasion that by only faith in Christ they are saved and iustified for that as Luther taught nothing but only infidelitie could 〈…〉 such faithful Protestants of his sect as Zuinglius wrote al such if they beleeve as he preached they forth with were in as great favour with God â—â— Christ Iesus him self and God would no lesse deliver them from â—el no lesse open heaven to them then to his only begotâ—â— soâ—â—e as our first English Apostles and martyrs taught and â—ealed vvith their blud whâ—â— we labour in good workes to come to heaven we do shame to Christs blud For having that particular persuasion vvhereof is spoken if we beleeve that God hath promised vs everlasting life it is impossible that we should perish VVe can not be damned except Christ be damned nor Christ saved except we be saved VVe have as much right and as great to heaven as Christ vvhat soever our life or vvorks be For al they erre that thinke they shal be saved when they have done many good workes For it is not good life but alonely a stedfast faith and trust in God that may bring vs to heaven be our sinnes never so great and that it seeme vnpossible for vs to be saved c. This is the very pith substance of the Lutheran Zuinglian Calvinian English and Scottish Theologie touching only faith this inferreth cleane contrarie to M. B. that vvicked â—nd instructed in the Protestant schoole may have and by coÌ„mon reason and discourse have as constant persua 〈…〉 to be iustified in Christ as men of more honest life And therefore vvhereas M. B. saith that such bad Protestants lacke a mouth of the sowle that is lacke a constant per 〈…〉 in Christs death vvhereby Christ is eateÌ„ he speaketh l 〈…〉 man that lacketh a face that lacketh a forhead or 〈…〉 that lacketh vvit that lacketh knowledge that hath no skil in his owne Theologie in his owne religioÌ„ which by plaine manifest reason and proofe yea by expectence ocular demonstration assureth vs the contrarie The rest of this Sermon vvhich is principally in coÌ„mending and magnifying the vertue of faith that by faith vve have an interest title and right in Christ by faith we possesse Christ that true faith is a straunge ladder tâ—â—â— wil climb betwixt the heaven the earth aâ—cord that gâ—â—â— betwene heaven and earth that couples Christ and vs together c. al this and much more as it is wel spoken of â—â—â— Christian and Catholike faith so being applied to the Lutheran Calvinian Anabaptistical and Scottish presumption that rash and brainsick imagination 〈…〉 described vvhich the Protestants cal faith never I vvord of it is true By that vve have no right title oâ—â—â—terest in Christ but the devil hath a right title 〈…〉 in vs. By it we possesse not Christ but are possessed of his enemie It is no ladder reaching to heaven no cord that goes thether but it is a steep breakeneck downefal sending to helâ—a rope or cable of pride by vvhich as the first Apostata Angels vvere pulled downe from heaven to hel and there tied vp in eternal darknes so by the same pride arrogancie presumption albeit these men baptise it by the name of faith al prowd schismatiks and heretikes Apostataes from Christs Catholike church despisers of that their mother and therefore true children of that first Apostata Lucifer their father must looke to have such part and portion as their father hath vvhose example and as it vvere footesteps in this arrogant and Satanical presumption and solifidian confidence they folow Of tuitching Christ corporally and spiritually The Argument M. B. guilefully magnifieth the spiritual manducation by faith to exclude the spiritual manducation ioyned with corporal manducation in the sacrament The definition of faith geven by S.
not possibly be ioyned any falsitie as is manifest no more then god can be false in his word or promise But that Luther Calvin Beza M. B. and every Protestant is elect hath remission of his sinnes is iustified this is not only false in the iudgement of every Catholike but also of the most learned Protestants Of every Catholike because he knoweth by gods word that out of the Catholike church ministerie of the same is no remission of sinnes as the forme of our Creed teacheth vs Calvin him self graunteth By the very order of the Apostolical Creed we learne faith Calvin that perpetual rentission of sinnes resteth in the Church because in the Creed so soone as the church is named by and by ensueth remissioÌ„ of sinnes And this benefit is so proper to the church that we can not otherwise enjoy it except we remaine in vnitie of the church out of whose lap no man may hope for remission of sinnes or salvation as witnesseth Esai 37. 32. Ioel. 2. 32. Exechâ—el 13. 9. Psalm 106. 4. VVhereas then no kind of Protestaut remaineth in the Catholike Church but is departed thence vnto several particular congregations some after Luther some after Calvin some after Rotman some after other Sect-masters therefore in the iudgement of al Catholikes confirmed also by the testimonie of Calvin and authoritie of scriptures it is very salse and vnpossible that any Protestant remayning in his sect should have remission of his sinnes and be iustified It is false also for a great part in the opinion of M. B. of Calvin and the Calvinists item of Luther and the Lutherans them selves For albeit Luther the first father and inuentor of this faith reckeneth it perhaps as sure as any article of his faith that he and al his scholers the Lutherans have remission of their sinnes yet he beleeveth not so nor can beleeue so of Zuinglius and the Zuinglians nor yet of Calvin and the Calvinists al vvhich heaâ—â—ounteth for deâ—â—stable heretikes as iâ— or vvorse then Turkes For so â—â— is vvel knowen that he evermore â—â—â—l his dying day wrote exclamed against them And the like thought Zuinglius and Calvin vvith their brood of Luther his sectaries as in part hath bene signified before VVherefore this special faith and persuasion being common to every sect of Protestants Trinitarians Arrians Anabaptists Zuinglians especially to the Lutherans who vvere first possessed of it vvhereas yet M. B. if he folow Calvin must needs graunt that these sectaries divided from his CalviniaÌ„ church notwithstaÌ„ding their special faith have not remissioÌ„ of their sinnes are not iustified are not elect hereof he may learne most certainly that this false faith conteyning certain and manifest falsitie is not the faith which S. Paule calleth a substance or substancial ground as which hath in deed no substance or ground or firmenes in it but is a mere fansie a mere toy imagination taken vp by every lightbrayned heretike common to al alike by which al alike have remission of their sinnes in particular one as much as an other that is never a vvhit at al. And therefore if the chief principal eating of Christs flesh drinking his blud stand in this special faith â— he telleth vs then his chief principal eating of Christs flesh is nothing For in thus eating he eateth nothing but lyes and heresies and feedeth on them vvhich is not very good nurriture for his sowle and â—udas vvhen he sold Christ did eate Christs flesh as spiritually as any such beleeving Protestants vvhen they eate Christs flesh by such a false faith ¶ Agreably to this foundation vvhich he layeth thereoÌ„ to build the rest of this sermoÌ„ he proceedeth heaping together a nuÌ„ber of most absurd propositioÌ„s which might rather become a Iew then a ChristiaÌ„ if some Protestants bearing the name of ChristiaÌ„s were not as il as Iewes For he so runneth on in extolling his spiritual dealing with Christ by this wicked presumptuous faith so to cal it that he vvholy overthroweth the mysterie of Christâ— incarnation living and doing here in the world For see how he goeth on The carnal band whether it be the band of blud running thorough a race or the catrnal tuitchinâ— of flesh with flesh that carnal band was never esteemed of Christ in the time be â—â—â— conversant here in earth he made nothing of that band VVhat vvicked speech is this Doth God by the very singer of nature besides his writteâ— vvoâ—d vvherein we are willed to honor our father and mother imprint in the hart of every good child a reverence honor regard and estimation of his parents and had our Sauiour Christ Iesus no reverence of that carnal band vvhich him self specially commended â— VVhat scripture reacheth thus VVhere learneth M. B. this doctrine Doubtles no vvhere For albeit in the gospel wheâ— some malitiously went about to interrupt Christs preaching by mentioning his mother and bretherne he preferred the doing of his office and service of his father and preaching of his vvord and saving of sowles before carnal kinred then importunely and to evil purpose obiected shewing that we should ever preserâ—e gods service before humain respect and divine spiritual and heavenly blessings before vvordly and fleshly curtesie or civilities yet to inferre thereof that Christ esteemed not the carnal band that he reverenced not carnal coniunction that â—â—â— maner â—e denied that band this is a vvicked illation out of Christs vvord and as wel might he have inferred vvith Marcion and Manicheus out of this same place that Christ was not carnally borne of the virgin his mother but phantastically and as the English Protestants of the familie of Love teach that Christ was borne of the virgin Marie no otherwise then he is borne of their flesh and such illatioÌ„ or coÌ„sequence drawen from those words by Marcion Manicheus and these English gospellers is as right as his If M. B. had done as some times the good auncient fathers do that is preferred the spiritual cognation before the carnal because the one is vniversal the other particular the one good and availeable of it self the other not so except it be ioyned vvith the spiritual the one the right vvay to salvation ordeyned by Christ who living and preaching tended to plant in al men such spititual coniunction vvhereas the carnal cognation vvas not ordeyned as a meane to iustifie any though in it and by carnal cognation Christ vvas made man vvhereby iustification redemption salvation is vvrought in al if thus M. B. had compared them and preferred the one his preaching had not bene amisse But simply and rudely to disgrace and disanul the one as though it vvere of no moment or commendation in the scriptures this is vvicked heretical inexcusable Christ as the gospel treacheth lived vvith the virgin his mother Ioseph his supposed father erat subditus
est eos spectare ad manifestam in hoc articulo Apostastam And as it is croniâ—led by those that vvere present eye-vvitnesses Richerus vvhom Calvin sent from Geneva as an Apostle to preach his gospel in the nevv France ioyning to America among his Calvinists there preached the eating of Christs body to be peculiar and proper to the sowle as here M. B. teacheth for that hope of resurrection was only for the sowle and not for the body And being after convented examined vvhat he meant to preach so he ansvvered that he vvould stand to his preaching and iustifie it repeating againe this reason quia spes vitae non est corporum sed animarum for that the hope of eternal life apperteyneth not to the bodies but to the fowles Briefly one Pappus a Lutheran Doctor of Strasburg a dosen yeres since vvriting against Sturmius a Caluinist Rhetorike reader in the same citie rehearsing in fine the Caluinists Creed vvith this preface I wil saith he frind Starmius â—â— cite to thee the Creed of these Calvinists whom thow dost defend not as they protest openly in wordes but as their mind is and intention which also they vtter in their writing and â—â— not able to conceale in their familiar talke And beginning vvith Credo in Deum patrem multipotentem c. I beleev is God the father who can do many things c. vvhen he cometh to this article of the resurrection thus he vttereth it Credo noncarnis quae ad vitam non alitur nec sustintatur in sacra Eucharistia sâ—d animae tantum resurrectionem vitam aeternam I beleeve the resurrection and life eternal only of the sowle not of the flesh which is not â—ed and nourished iâ— the holy Eucharist to eternal life VVherevnto immediatly he adioyneth these vvords vvhich I vvish M. B. to coÌ„sider Here thoâ—r Sturmius wilt vse I doubt not al maner of exclamations and cryingâ— out against me But that skilleth â—â— For thow hast taught in thy Rhetorike that al such Rhetorical exclamations and amplifications are nothing but repetatio priâ—cipiâ— idâ—e repeating of that which is in question words and wind without matter OsteÌ„de si poâ—es si bonus es quicquam iâ— isto abominando blasphâ—mo Sâ—mbolo falso imputari ijs â—â—â—uÌ„â—u causam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defendendaÌ„ suscepisti shew me if thow be able and if thow be a honest man anything in tâ—â— abominable and blasphemous Creed which is falsely attributed to these Calvinists whoâ—e cause thow a wicked râ—etor ciâ—â— hast taken vpon thee to defend These vvords touch M. B. to the quicke For his preaching as directly tendeth to denial of the Creed and namely this article as lightly may be â—ound in any other of his false bretherne be they Calvinists never so pure and zealous ¶ One more collection and this shal be the last to like effect as the former that is to disgrace al corporal communication vvith Christ he maketh in these vvordes So it is that never no mâ—n was better for carnal tuitching iâ— Christ As the woman troubled with the bluddy issue vpon thâ—â— persuaâ—â—on that Christ may cure both body and sowle she coâ—es to him and as the text sais she preases through the multitude til she come to him and when she comes to him it is not said that she tuitched his flesh with her hand in case the Papistes would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnal tuitching O how careful this man is to vvithdraw al vertue from the flesh of Christ and real tuitching thereof but it is said she tuitched only the hem of his garment and with faith which is the hand of the sowle she tuitched Christ Hereof he concludeth To let yow vnderstand that she tuitched him by faith he saith to her Go thy way thy faith hath saued thee She tuitched him not so soone by faith but incontinent there comes a power out of him So that this tuitching of him hath ever bene is and shal be profitable as the corporal tuitching of Christ never was profitable is not nor neuer shal be profitable These vvords as the Christian reader may easely see tend to evacuate and disanul most of Christ and his Apostles actions here in this vvorld If he had said that faith vvas requisite in those that songht to Christ for helpe as Christ him self teacheth like as the phisicion of his patient requireth credit and obedience that he trust him obey him before he vvil vndertake to cure him he had spoken like a Christian and like a true preacher and one that had a litle marked the scriptures vvhereof they talke so much and for ought may appeare vnderstand so litle But to attribute al to the faith of the partie and to vvithdraw it from al other actions vnto which it is as properly yea more properly due this is dishonorable to Christ and quit besides yea against the vvhole storie of the Gospel Christ coming in to the vvorld and preaching amonge the Iewes for this end that he might plant his faith amongest them ever vrged them to this faith required of them this faith vvithout this faith seeldom did any miracles somtimes as the EuaÌ„gelists expresle the matter could not do miracles in some places because the people vvere so ful of vnbeleefe and incrudelitie for that it vvas against Gods ordinarie providence Christs vvisdome to shevv his miraculous power vvhere men vvere bent to contemne mocke and laugh at him rather then take benefite by him among vvhich people to have shevved forth any such divine operatioÌ„ had bene nothing els then to have vvatered a dead tree aud sowed corne in the sand or vpon a rocke For this reason Christ so commenly required faith as being a qualitie necessarie to make men capable of his grace and benediction other temporal or spiritual Yet the vâ—ne storie of the gospel in the same place noted by M. B. sundry the like prove other things as coming to Christ praying requesting perseverance charitie c. to have bene as requisite as such credulitie and to have coÌ„ curred as effectually to the obteyning of such graces as did this faith or good opinion of Christs person Fâ—â— that by the vvay let the reader marke that the faith here and in like places coÌ„mended is not the Catholike faith of Christians vvhich vve vniversally professe in Christs Church much lesse the Protestant faith or solisidian coÌ„ ceit or rash presumption of their particular iustificatico and remission of sinnes but only a reverend opinion persuasion that Christ as a blessed man and prophete vvas of abilitie to do such things And thus Christ him self describeth this faith in diuers places namely and most expressely in S. Matth. VVhere two blind men crying on him to have their sight Christ called them vnto him and said to them Do yow beleeve that I can do this vnto you
remit the reader Concerning the priest who only can say the masse one thing required in him that so necessarie as without it he can not be a priest is that he have power geven by the bisshop to consecrate which power is iustified by the vnction and shaving of his crowne as truly as the ministers power geven him by the Superintendent as in England or by the assembly of ministers and Elders as in Scotland is iustified by hauing a faire long beard and a sister in the lord to keepe him companie at bed and at bourd I omit a number of other falsities vttered in this place by him for that they are not particular but general agreing to him vvith the rest of the ministerie as that a priest hath no calling nor office now in the church of God that he â—ffereth sacrifice withâ—ut a commaund that he should speake out cleerly in â—knoweâ— language so forth these are coÌ„mon lies therefore I vvil not heâ—e lay theÌ„ to M. B. his charge Albeit he may take that to him self vvhich is an vntruth ioyned vvith ignorance and I thinke not avouched by any of the more learned Calvinists that sorsooth vve make two things necessaâ—iâ— to the actiâ—n without which the action can not be VVâ—â—h uâ— the lor â—â—â—â—â—ver it can not be without the â—ive words of the institution it can â—â—â— le For if he vnderstood vvhat is meant by the action in the masse he should find that vvithout the lords praier if by it he meane the Pâ—â—â—r noster the action mâ— le and tâ—erof â—re that he falsely and ignorantly coupleâ—h together as things of like necessitie the wordes of the Iâ—stituâ—ion and the Lordes praâ—â—r Touching the forme of consecration so far as I vnderstand of it saith he it standes in these 5. wordes Hoc est enim corpâ—â—â—eum and in the whispering of them For if ye whisper theâ— not ye tine the fashion of incantation For the thing that we câ—â— sanctifying they cal whispering Here is again vntruth vpoÌ„ vntruth only somwhat excusable for that he pleadeth ignorance adioyning to his assertion so far as I vnderstaÌ„d vvhich is almost as litle as nothing For nether do they sanctifie the bread vvine nor can they by their doctrine ioyne any sanctification vnto it and M. B. him self albeit he vse the terme of sanctification yet in this very place refuteth al true sanctificatioÌ„ of the bread vvine we cal not sanctifying whispering no more then they cal it gâ—pling or halowing as hunters do a fox because after Caluin M. B. requireth and urgeth very carefully that the minister preach proclame his sermon publikely with â— cleare lowd voyce As for the vvords of consecratioÌ„ whether by a lawful priest they be pronounced a lowd vvith an audible voyce as from the beginning vntil this present hath bene the vse of the Greeke church and of old it seemeth to have bene so likevvise in the Latin church or vvhether the vvords be pronouÌ„ced as novv the vniversal custom is vvith vs in a lovv voyce and in silence the effect is al one and no Christian of any vvit ever doubted but as of old in both churches so novv in the Greeke vvhere the vvordes are vttered alovvd as vvel as in the Latin church vvhere they are pronounced othervvise the effect of consecratioÌ„ folovveth in both alike That in the auncient church the priest spake the vvords alovvd vve find in S. Clement the Apostles felovv in S. Ambrose â—â— others and that the people vvere then accustomed to say Amen and by open confession to acknovvlege for true the priests vvords VVhereof vvriteth S. Ambrose thuâ— The priest saith it is the body of Christ and thow answereâ— Amen as much to say as truly so it is That thow confesseâ—â— with they tonge reteyne and hold fast in thy hart and mind For in vayne saith Leo the great do they answere Amen to the priests words who dispute and make arguments against that which is there received The like vsage of answering Amen by the people appeareth in the most auncient Masses or Liturgies of S. Iames S. Basil S. Chrysostom and others And that at this present the same order stil continueth in the East churches it is testified by Bessarion Patriarch of Constantinople in his booke of the sacrament c. The priest saith he pronounceth the words of consecration with a lowd voyce iuxta orient â—is Ecclesiae rituÌ„ according to the maner of the East church and the people seuerally first at the consecration of the body then againe of the blud answere Amen truly so it is And by answering Amen to those words verily say they these giftes are the body and blud of Christ So we beleeve so we confesse Thus Bessarion And to ioyne hereto one 〈◊〉 example vvhich may serve in steed of many as being takeÌ„ out of the Liturgie or Masse called VNIVERSALIS CANON vsed vniuersally by al Christians in a maner over al Africa especially in the most large and ample kingdoms of Aethiopia at the consecration of ether part of the sacrifice the people likewise geve assent and approbation to the priest in this sort The priest speaketh Christ the night in which he was beâ—rayed tooke bread in to his holy and immaculate hands looking vp to heaven to thee O God his father geve thankes blessed sanctified it saying take eate ye al of this This is my body which shal be delivered for yow to remission of sinnes The people answere Amen Amen Amen truly truly truly so it is VVe beleeve and trust and praise thee O our God Hoc vere tuum corpus est This here is truly thy body The priest procedeth Christ likewise taking the chalice geuing thankes blessed and sanctified it and said to them Drinke ye al of this This is the chalice of my blud which shal be shed for yow and for the redemption of many The people answere we beleeve and trust and praise thee O Lord our God Hic vere â—â—us sanguis est this truly is thy blud This is the order of the Christian churches in the East and South in Asia Africa this vvas sometimes the custom in the VVest in Europe And if it vvere now reteyned it vvould not â—arme tyne or hinder the veritie of consecration or Christs real presence but it vvould harme hinder and discover perhaps many faithles godles and Christles Calvinists vvho now sometimes like hipocrites are present at the church sacrifice because they are not driven to make such Christian confession of their faith in this behalf as vvas the auncient custom in both churches East and VVest and at this present continueth in al churches of the East And therefore vvhen M. B. speaketh as here he doth every vvord he speaketh is a fowle vntruth It is a fowle vntruth to say that vve cal whispering that
and such like places is that Christ is not so in the world as for â—â—â— sake he was in the world 33. yeres poore afflicted mortal In this sense we truly vnderstand Christs words Me your shal not haue alwaies with yow For we haue not Christ as in the time of his dispensation be liued with his disciples and as they desired to have Christ always present in the external conuersatioÌ„ of this life Visibly as then he conuerseth not with vs he eateth not he drinketh not he sleepeth not he needeth not to be enterteyned in our howse or table or to be anoynted as Simon and Lazarus enterteyned him a certaine woman anoynted him The Apostles desired to haue in Christ carnal comforts and earthly benefites So Christ was not to remayne with them in the world So it was conuenient for them that he should depart should forsake the world and not be in the world In this sense the Apostle Paule saith that he knoweth no man no not Christ according to the flesh But these places and al other of like effect conclude no more then we graunt that Christ is not in the Eucharist after a wordly maner according to philosophical and earthly properties of a body as is to be circumscribed and shut vp in a place and such like qualities of this mortal and worldly life But yet truly he is with vs in his power and maiestie and most specially in the boly supper and that in his flesh and blud according to his owne worde Other arguments against the real presence ansvvered The Argument Five other arguments made against the real presence are answered It is not necessarie that al such things be present in the sacrament or administration of the sacrament as are signified by bread and wine the material parts thereof How it is horrible wickednes to eate Christs flesh how therefore such speech is vnderstood mystically spiritually yet without hindering the real presence but rather confirming it CHAP. 19. THE arguments proposed in the last chapter are M. B. his principal argumeÌ„ts which as very principal have bene heretofore pressed againe and againe by the greater Rabbines of the sacrameÌ„tarie synagoge and because they seeme consonant to humane reason and are beautified vvith the name of one auncient father of greatest estimation may seeme to cary some credit though being indifferently wayed they are very light and prove nothing The rest that folow are for the most part as I ghesse his owne For so the povertie and miserablenes of them maketh me to thinke One or other of them vvas at the beginning vsed by Zuinglius and Occolampadius but are al of one fashion and grace some Iudaical some heretical some founded vpon manifest lyes some plaire derogatorie to Christs glorie al sond and contemptible vvithout any pith vvhich therefore I vvil the more briefly runne ouer The first is The effect of the sacrameÌ„t is spiritual But of a corporal presence no spiritual effect can euer â—â—â—â— So this corporal presence must ay tend to a corporal end which is directly coÌ„trarie to the end why the sacrameÌ„t was instituted This argument is more meet for a Iew then a Christian It is as good against Christs real incarnation death and passion as against the sacrament For if a corporal presence of Christ can vvorke no spiritual effect then nether did his incarnation any good nor death nor passion The next If the bread â—e chaunged in to the body of Christ thâ—â— this sacrament wanteth a signe which is to nurrish vscorporally as the body of Christ doth spiritually But the accidents cannot nurrish vscorporally This argument is false in evenâ— part and parcel and flat repugnant to the last For 〈…〉 Christs corporal presence can not worke any spiritual effect vvhat need vve to have bread to signifie that And if Christs body being present can not nurrish spiritually much lesse can it absent as by M. B. his divers reasons and similitudes vve haue bene before instructed Secondarily the signe in the sacrament vvhich he and his felowes most vrge vvhich is to moue the external senses more properly is found in the external accidents then the internal substance vvhich no man can see and therefore can not be moued vvith the sight thereof by his eye to informe his mind of Christ the spiritual bread VVherefore as to a sacrament is required only that there be an external signe representing the internal gift so this is fully don by the external figure alone as the brasen serpent in the old testameÌ„t vvas a sacrameÌ„t of Christ very fully and sufficiently represented him albeit in that vvere no true substance and nature of a serpent but only the external shape Thirdly I demaund vvhere findeth M. B. in al the Euangelists in S. Paule in Christs words that this sacrament vvas appointed to signifie spiritual nurriture vvhich vvas in deed appointed to nurrish spiritually to life eternal Again it is false that the accidents in the sacrament do not nurrish and true it is that even in ordinarie food meat and drinke doth nurrish by reason and meane of the accidents Furthermore as the fathers teach vs that to the sacrament is required bread for this signification of spiritual nurriture so the same fathers tel vs and so doth S. Paule him self though not so plainly that the sacramental bread signifieth our mystical vnion and coniunction one vvith an other Our Lord saith S. Austin commended to vs his body in those things which of many are made one Of many vvheate cornes is made the bread of many grapes is made the vvine vvhich is also the similitude of S. Cyprian and very largely prosecuted in the English and Scottish communion vvhere thus the brothers and sisters singe And that vve should not yet forget VVhat good he to vs wrought A signe Christ left our eyes to tel that he our bodies bought in bread and vvine here visible c. VVhich signification is there artificially and Rhetorically thus dilated As once the corne did live and grow and vvas cut downe vvith sith And thresshed out vvith many stripes out from his huske to driue And as the mil vvith violence did teare it out so smale c. And as the ouen vvith fier hote did close it vp in heate c. So vvas the Lord in his ripe age cut downe by cruel death Again And as the grapes in pleasant tyme are pressed very sore a pitiful case And plucked downe vvhen they be ripe And let to grow no more So Christ his blud out pressed was c. Thus much for ech part in seueral now for conclusicâ— vvhat both these parts ioyntly signifie And as the cornes by vnitie in to one loaf is knit So is the Lord and his whole Church Though he in heauen sit As many grapes make but one wine So should vve be but one In faith and loue c. These significations and
prove that Christ can not be at one tyme iâ— heauen and with his church in earth VVhich if he coâ—â— not he would never so have promised So long as they bring sorth no such scripture to prove this sequele or consequent their impertinent allegation of peeces of the holy scripture proving the antecedent nothing excuseth them but that they ground their faith altogether vpon Aristotles philosophie and Galenes phisicke saith this Protestant The Arians the Donatists the Pelagians ciâ—â—l many sentences of scripture yet can any man deny but they drew their arguments from the dregs of philosophie The Anabaptists in like â—oâ—t against Christs incarnation of his mother a virgin â—uddle vp many places of scripture yet shal â—â— graunt that they fetch their doting opinion from the oracles of holy scripture and not from the ayde of prophane philosophiâ— And thus much for M. B his phisicke or philosophie ¶ The other argument taken from the qualities of a glorified body 1. Cor. 15. 42. M. B. prosecuteth in many pages That to be in many places at once is not by S. Paule assigned as any qualitie of a glorified body and therefore â—t may not chalenge it to Christi albeit glorified This argumeÌ„t Calvin in many places vrgeth and much better especially for that he concludeth by conference of S. Paule in an other place that Christs body can not have such prerogative more then the glorified bodies of other Saints for that as the Apostle vvriteth Christ shal make our bodies like to his owne and therfore if ours can not be in many places nether can Christs To this obiection although many answeres may be made and al true as that God if it so plealed him might make any glorified body in many places at once That Catholikes put not the glorification of Christs body to be the only cause vvhy Christs body is in the sacrament for so the blessed virgin his mothers body should be there also vvhich we beleeve to be in heaven most glorious glorified Christ before he vvas glorified gave the disciples his true body yet not immortal nor glorified though he gave it after an immortal and impassible maner only Catholiks shew by the supernatural excellences of a glorified body that Christs body is not subiect to the base rules of this corruptible life of humane reason and phisical prescription c. yet for brevities sake I vvil content myself vvith that one plain answere vvhich is made to Calvin obiecting the same argument vvhich is this This argument taken from the qualities of a glorified body in Christ and vs proveth nothing lesse then that Christs body can not be geuen in many places Only it proveth that our bodies shal be conformed or made like to the body of Christ in glorie but not in equal glorie That likenes or conformitie is not the cause why our bodies must after the resurrection be in divers places because Christs body is dispensed in diuers places at the ministration of the holy Supper Christ hath primaâ—ie in al things he hath more excellent glorie beyond his felowes His flesh hath this glorie which we want that it is meate geving life eternal Likewise this prerogative of glorie agreeth to his flesh that whereas it is geven for foode of life to the members of his church which are dispersed over the whole world he is present in many places which glorie our flesh lacketh Christs body sitteth advaunced and exalted at Gods right hand The conformitie of our bodies with Christ reacheth not so far that our bodies also shou'd obteyne such place at the right hand of God VVherefore the true answere to his argument is that we shal be like to Christ in conformitie of â—lâ—râ— but not in equalitie VVhich answere a meane Christian might learne of him self vvere he endued vvith a litle faith vvhich teacheth that the body of Christ is the body of God and man a body assumpted in to vnitie of person vvith God vvhich albeit it take nothing from the nature of a true body yet putteth it an infinite difference betwene the excellencie of such a body and the body of any other creature be it never so much glorified A brief confutation of the last tvvo Sermons concerning preparation to receive the sacrament The Argument M. B. straunge vncoherent and contradictorie doctrine especially concerning faith and workes in his last two sermons which is manifested by a number of particular examples Of Christ despayring Faith is not geven only to the elect Once had it may be lost Scripture abused to prove contrarie assertions His more general contradictorie preaching concerning preparation for receiving the sacrament There is no comparison betwene the sacrament and the vvord in this respect of preparation for receiuing ether Vnder pretence of preparing his auditors to worthy receiving by holy life he frameth them to most vnworthy receiuing and with manifest and direct opposition to the Apostle S. Paule setteth them headlong to all filthines iniquitie and securitie in finne geuing tâ—â—m assurance and warrant before hand that they shal never be damned but be saued iâ—â—allibly whatsoeuer their life be CHAP. 22. ANd thus much concerning the veritie and substance of the sacrament vvhich is the principal subiect of the first â— sermons There remayne yet the later 2. apperteyning to preparation requisite in those vvho are to receive the sacrament on vvhich I vvil make no long stay as for other reasons so partly because the argument is different and for some part such as a Christian man may vvel approve Only thus much I thinke good to vvarne the reader of that vvhether it be the vveaknes of the man as perhaps or course and sway of his doctrine vvhich is probable â—nough he here as in other parts of these sermoÌ„s pulleth downe with one haÌ„d as fast as he buildeth vp vvith the other He gainsaieth him self as fully and directly as possibly any his adversarie can vvhile he pretendeth to fâ—ame in his auditory vpright coÌ„science sincere life that they may vvorthely receyue the sacrameÌ„t he setteth them in the broad vvay to al iniquitie al losenes of life presumptuous coÌ„tinuance therein For to prosecute these points a litle how can these instructions stand together Thy affection and action must be examined and tried by the square of Gods law yow must see how far they agree with his law or how they dissent from it This is the rule to know sinne which severs thee from God The God of heaven he can have no societie nor can keepe companie with the sowle which is alwayes vncleane This is true Catholike doctrine delivered every vvhere in the scripture And hereof it foloweth that good men in vvhom God dwelleth are voyd of grosse and mortal sinnes vvhich sever from God and vvith vvhich so long as a man remayneth desiled so long remayneth he deprived of gods holy spirite which thing M. B. by many propositions proveth hereafter
meane wit or sense of Christianitie ever wrote or affirmed that Gods vvord could not be heard fruitfully but of such men as vvere first indued with the love of god and then vvith the love of their neighbour in and for god and had such other vertuous dispositions as here yow require in your communicants Doth not the vvhole course and scope of the new testament shew infinit dissimilitude betwene the vvord of God and this sacrament of God in this respect vvithal resel this your to grosse folie VVhereas the sacrament in the verie place by yow read to your auditors if ye read truly is peculiarly appointed for the good and holy those that have tried and examined vvel them selves contrariwise is not the vvord of God by Gods like ordinance indifferent as vvel to the vnholy as holy to the bad as to the good as vvel to correct the one as to preserve the other to illuminate the faithles as to continue the light kindled in the faithful Do not the vvritings and preachings of Christ and his Apostles confirme this â— Preached they not alike to Iew Gentil to Idolaters to Pagans to sacrilegious persons of al sorts blind for their faith and abominable for their life vvhereof many knew not God much lesse loved him and so could not love their neighbour for him And yet this preaching doubtles vvas vvithout al sinne ether in the Apostles vvho thus preached indifferently to al or in the disciples vvere they Iewes or Gentils vvho heard them In the first primitiue church vvhich vvas immediatly planted by the Apostles preaching of the vvord vvas stil publike vniversal to Heathen no lesse them Christiâ— after for the space of 400. yeres the same maner of preaching the vvord continued vvith expresse order taken by the church by hundreds of bisâ—hops in very general Synodes that nether Pagan nor Iew nor heretike should be excluded from the presence and communication thereof from hearing the word of god vvhen as by precise order both of the Apostles and their successors pastors and rulers of the church al not only heathen Iewes heretikes but also novices in the Christian faith so long as they vvere vnbaptized vvere diligently excluded from being present at or seing the administration of the holy sacrament So that most salse it is like preparation to be required for receiuing the vvord and the sacrament and so to say cleane dasheth and destroyeth both these last sermons induceth the plain opposite of that this maÌ„ vvould seeme to persuade For if no other preparation be necessarie for the sacrameÌ„t then for the simple vvorde it being most cleare and certain that Christ his Apostles al auncient Bisshops vvithout any sinne or offence of any part ether of the preacher or of the heater preached the vvord to Ievves Gentils idolaters vsurers adulterers publicans men and vvomen living in al sinne of body and sowle hereof the deduction is manifest that by like reason the sacrament vvithout sinne of ether part may be delivered and received of Iewes of Gentils of Idolaters of adulterers of vsurers of slannderers of men never so sinful and vvicked VVith vvhich qualities albeit perhaps the elect bretherne of Calvins institution be commonly indued vvho vsually as M. B. vvitnesseth fal in to such grosse sinnes not only seven times but even seventie times seven times that is almost five hundred times every day yet thus to instruct and teach them and namely at such tyme and place was a very vnfit vvay of preparation to vvorthy receiving of the sacrament for vvhich by this doctrine any preparation suffiseth to vvhich they can never come vnworthely nor receive it to their condemnation no more then Marie Magdalen the sinful vvoman or other publicans vsurers and sinners received the vvord of Christ or his Apostles to their condemnation And this may stand for an evideÌ„t exaÌ„ple of a more general repugnaÌ„ce vvherein pretending honour to the sacrament he most dishonoreth it and vvhile at large he persuadeth great care of preparation he shortly but pithily dissuadeth the same causeth his auditors to neglect castavvay al such care Now to end this matter let vs consider one other like general example vvherein he vniversally both gainsaieth him self marreth al his deuout preaching and setteth his auditors in the high vvay to al audacitie licence libertie and fleshly securitie Towards the end of his secoÌ„d sermoÌ„ thus he armeth them against al tentatioÌ„s and teacheth them how they shal find repose in their conscience be their sinnes never so great their contempt of God and despising of his commaundements never so notorious and horrible and their owne conscience never so vehemently accusing them thereof VVhen saith he the devil thy owne life and conscience accuseth thee and beareth witnes against thee go backe ouer again to thy bygane experience cast over thy memorie and remember if god at any time in any sort hath loved thee if ever thow felt the love and favour of god in thy hart c. Remember on this and repose thy assurance on this that as he loved thee ains he wil love the ay and wil assuredly restore thee to that love or thow dye The hart that felt ains the loue of god shal feele it again And looke what gift or grace or what taist of the power of the world to come that euer the lord gave to his creatures in this life to that same degree of mercy he shal restore his creature or ever it depart this life This lesson he vvilleth his audience to locke vp in their harts remember on it faithfully as a most vvorthy comfort and me â—icament for their conscience I vvil not spend time in reâ—uting this strauâ—ge doctrine nether how it contrarieth the scripture of the Apostles and Euangelists in a number of places And yet I may no let passe briefly to vvarne the â—eader that not only in the thing and substance of the matter but also in the very forme of vvords and maner of phrase most vvickedly yea like a flat Apostata enemy of the Apostles al Apostolical doctrine he directly opposeth him self to the Apostle For vvhereas S. Paule saith that such Christians as have once bene made partakers of gods graces and gifts and have taisted the word of god and power of the world â—â— come vvhen such men become Apostataes and fal from God it is impossible for them to recover their former estate and grace M. B. running ful but against the Apostle saith in the same vvords phrase that such as have once receiued the grace gift of the holy ghost or taisted the power of the world to come fal they never so desperatly in to vvhat dissolution of body and sowle soeuer most certain and sure it is that before their death they shal recover be restored to the same grace degree of mercy againe Yea vvhich is far more vvonderful and far
they had a good motion to god ward if ever they did any good then had they faith and then are they surely elect they are sure to be saved vvhat man vvil take needles toyle to procure by painful and vnprofitable vvorks that vvhereof he is sure already VVhere it is preached for right Euangelical that a man once endued vvith faith is afterwards by no sinne by no filthines of life never vtterly forsaken of Gods holy spirite a most filthie and blasphemous doctrine is never out of Gods love favour for whom God â—ins loued he loueth perpetually wil scholers thus instructed stand in feare and horrour of sinne vvith vvhich they may satisfie their carnal delites yet hold fast stil Gods favour to and remayne indued vvith his holy spirite VVhere only faith is commended as sufficient to instification vvere it not madnes to suppose that the vulgar multitude vvil do vvorks of supererogation vvil by superfluous and vnnecessarie vvorks do shame to the blud of Christ vvil do that vvhich no vâ—ayes profiâ—eth themâ— vvithout vvhich they are assured of heavâ— of which if they did as many as did S. Peter and S. Paule yet they are persuaded that such works though never so many never so excellent are nothing regarded before God but rather in them they offend his divine maiestie against whom they sinne even when they study to do best Briefly where men are persuaded in that one point that having once had faith or any signe thereof that is to say any good motioÌ„ in their harts they are surely electe surely possessed of the holy ghost and so that they shal never be altogether forsaken of him sal they to murther to adulterie range they in any kind of sinne never so long they shal finally die the seruants of God and without fail inherite eternal ioy who is so blunt and blind as not to see that infinit presumption to commit sinne infinite securitie to wallow and tumble in sinne perpetual neglect to leave sinne or satisfie for sinne must necessarily ensue of such meretâ—icious doctrine more fit for a common bordel then for an honest howse though this man bring at forth as a special ievvel perle of his EuaÌ„gelical doctrine to honor his new kirk congregation withal If we proceed from works to faith which among Christians is first to be waighed as being the ground and foundation of al good works this faith is so wasted by these mens new gospellizing that scarce any peece of it remayneth â—ound in his integritie For let vs put for true that one article which being by Luther and Calvin by Lutherans and Calvinists advaunced as the hart and life of theiâ— Gospel M. B. also magnifieth as the specifike differeÌ„ce betwene his Scottish Gospellers and al Papists yea al â—ects of the world vz. that he with his bretherne by meanes of their firme fast peâ—suasion which is their definition of faith have their sinnes certainly remitted â—oâ—â—em they are in the number of Gods elect and stil endued vvith his spirite This one opinion vvhat a garboile what a spoile and vvast maketh it in Christian religion For first to many heretikes and schismatikes out of the church not only Catholike but also Calvinian to Lutherans Zuinglians Anabaptists Trinitarians SuenkfeldiaÌ„s Memnonists c. al and singular endued vvith this persuasion or presumption no lesse then are the Caluinists to these and a number of like it geueth remission of sinnes eternal life vvhich is against the articles of our Câ—eed and general principles of Christianitie Secondly it abolisheth the vse of the keyes vvhich Christ so expressely gave to his church to S. Peter and the Apostles VVhose sinnes yow remit they are remitted to S. Peter VVhat thow losest in earth shal be losed in hearen Against vvhich these good fellowes by that specisike difference of their only faith iustifying them can and do remit their owne sinnes though never so grosse and damnable vvhich they howrely commit vvithout help of the Apostles open heaven gates to them selves vvhether S. Peter vvil or no. Of seuen sacraments vvhich hetherto the church hath enioyed five being already by this new gospel abolished both in name and vse and two only remayning in name baptisme and the Eucharist to vvhat purpose serve they Are they not in like sort made altogether voyde and frustrate by this solifidian persuasion For doth baptisme remit sinnes vvhich is his office Nothing lesse But sinnes are remitted by this persuasion as the Caluinists teach vs not by the sacrament of baptisme The Eucharist doth it give vnto Christians the communion of Christs body and blud No. VVe eate that only by this appprehension by this solifidian conceit and persuasioÌ„ besides vvhich the sacramâ—nt yeldeth nothing but the communion of a bit of bread and a sip of vvine or ale twentie of vvhich communions altogether as good spiritual a maÌ„ may buy in the market for 2 or 3. half pence But the scripture every vvhere teacheth men to pray to God continually night and day to geve almes to vvatch to fast to do al good vvorkes that they may purchase more grace of God and obteyne from him fuller remission of their sinnes and confirme their election to life eternal and this piâ—â—ie perhaps is much amplified by this vvonderful faith Nay it is vtterly destroyed vvith the rest For before any such prayer may be made there is presupposed faith in the bretherne faith infallibly includeth remission of sinnes therefore to pray for that of vvhich by faith they are assured already is like as if vve should pray for the incarnation of Christ vvhich is already past accomplished Besides that it is against the doctrine of their gospel to thinke that ether Gods favour and grace dependeth on mans vvorks vvhich are never good but alvvaies sinful and impuâ—e or that works caÌ„ any way better or make more perfit and absolute remission of sinnes vvhich is altogether annexed and fastned only to a strong persuasion and constant faith And how can that person feare God vvho is taught evermore to beleeve as an article of his faith that God is loving friendly and most benevolent to him that vvhatsoever he doth God never hateth him never taketh his holy spirit froÌ„ him but loveth him perpetually and therefore before hand hath set him free and secure from al daunger of hel hath geven him a sure placard and vvarrant of his saluation For these and a number of like absurdities both against faith and good life issuing out of this Lutheran and Caluinian doctrine Melancthon that peerles and imcomparable maâ— and most florishing in al kind of vertue and learning as the Protestants account him a chief author of this new gospel albeit in his youth he much holpe forward this special faith vvith the dependences thereof yet in his age he woÌ„derfully abhorred detested
depends on good life and good conscience and not on faith alone that it is not sufficient for a man to leave sinne and leade a new life but he must vvithal lament for that which he hath committed and with a godly sorow deplore it and so forth in a number of the like Ipecified before VVhat vvisedome or probabilitie of reason can move a Christian to beleeve such preachers in other their assertions discredite them in these If reply be made that because they be contradictorie it is vnpossible to folow them in both is not this very reply a most sufficient and abundant cause cleane to shake them of to esteeme them for men vnsetled in any one faith and therefore very vnfit to be guides and lights ditectors and Apostles to others vvho as yet have no stayd faith of their owne And vvhat miserie is it vvhat grief of hart to a Christian of any zeale to see men vvhom God hath abundantly blessed vvith so rare gifts of nature both in body mynd as al straunge nations of Europe acknowlege to appeare eminently in the inhabitants of our Iland such meÌ„ to be mislead by so rude so savage so barbarous an heresie by so fond brutish vnreasonable ministers vvho ether vvriting vvith one pen or preaching in a maner vvith one breath at one time and place informe them vvith such contradictorie instructions S. Gregâ—â—â—â— that glorious Saint bishop of Rome vvhen he saw in Rome certain of our countrymen of Yorkeshire or the bisshoprick of Duâ—â—haÌ„ vewing their comely countenaÌ„ce good proportion of body vnderstanding that the country vvhence they came vvas then not Christened sighing from the bottoÌ„ of his hart Alas quoth he what a pitiful case is it that the autor of darknes should possesse so beautiful a people men of so fayre a face should inwardly cary so fowle a sowle But how much more pitiful lamentable is the case now that the same people indued by Gods prouidence with those gifts as largely as euer heretofore hauing by meanes of that blessed Pope or other Apostolical bisshops bene established rooted in the ChristiaÌ„ faith 1400. yeres continually as the Scottish or almost a thousand as the English should vpon I know not vvhat weake pretence vpon friuolous light persuasion vpon the word of ministers most vnstable ignoraÌ„t vngrounded fal froÌ„ the Christian faith to an heresie so wicked sowle as is the Caluinian or Zuinglian coÌ„demned not only by al ChristendoÌ„ besides but also by those very schismatikes Arch-heretikes them selues who were the first authors of this schisme heresie Much better had it benâ— for vs neuer to have knoweÌ„ the way of iustice ChristiaÌ„ faith then vvhen once vve vvere put in possession thereof so carâ—lesly to neglecte it and so shamefully reiecte it embrasing in steed thereof the vncertain sansies of 2. or â— â—oâ—e â—editious Apostataes which is to put our selues in more damnable estate before God then vve vvere in that our first infidolitie as after Christ our Sauiour S. Peter the Apostle the auncient fathers teach ¶ And yet this vvhich I write let not the reader so interprete as though I supposed the learned the sober the vvise and discrete or the general number of â—ther nation so far seduced as to beleeve this ragged Caluinian Gospel For as in England the publike practise of certain bluddy persecutors the daily murthering or imprisoning spoiling of constant Catholikes the chief Theological argument vvhich for many veres hath bene vsed there for only religion though they cal it treason maketh thousands doubtles of civil honest natured men for sauing of their lives libertie and goods to them their vviues posteritie to frequent the Protestant churches vvhose harts yet can not possibly be induced by such bluddy and butcherly argument to beleeve that their priuate Parlament religion is the publike faith of Christ his Apostles so in Scotland not only reason persuadeth the like the religion of Scotland though it come from Caluin and Beza yet being as vveakely grounded as the English devised by as meane instruments in the nonage of K. Edward the sixt but also M. B. maketh a plain and comfortable confession to the same purpose For saith he I see our hail youth for the most part geuen to Papistâ—ie as likewise our noble men for the greatest part trauailes vtterly to banish the Gospel of Luther Iohn Caluin and Bezaes inuention And vvhat maâ—ueil is it if the youth and noble men be thus affected nâ—ther of vvhich ever perhaps liked your gospel the one because even by moral vvisedome and humaine discourse they see it to be nothing els but a vvild irreligious heresie the other because being free from grosse sinne iniquitie gods merciful hand vvithholdeth them from crediting such infidelitie in to which blindnes he coÌ„monly permitteth men to fal for punishment of sinne and naughtie life vvhereas the hote and zealous bretherne them selues vvho vvere the first stickleâ—s and earnest promoteâ—s thereof are now so far altered that they also make as light account of it as other the Nobilitie or the youth I or euen so M. B. testifieth saying that such also loath disdaine ofcast the Gospel whereas in the beginning they would haue gone some 20. some 40. miles to the hearing of this word they wil scarcely come now fra their howse to the â—irk and remayne there one howre but bides at home This is the very forme and essential proprietie of this new gospel Christian reader to please the eye or tast for a vvhile but in short space to lease both beautie and sweetenes and dislike both eye and tast It glittereth at the first like a painted puppet but a very few yeres or moneths take from it the counterfeit shape and leave it to be seene in his natural deformitie VVhen Carolostadius first began it and had made a treatise or two in defense of his opinion the bretherne vvere so feruent in setting it forward that as vvriteth Zuinglius they came flocking in great numbers to Basile vvhere his bookes vvere printed carying them avvay on their shoulders dispersed them yea filled vvith them almost everie citie towne village and hamlet non modo vrbes oppida pagos verum etiam villas ferme omnes oppleusruÌ„t and vvere so earnest in setting vp that opinion that as Vrbanus Regius a principal new Euangelist complaineth they accompted him not a right Christian though otherwise a right Protestant that vvas not a Carolostadian and refused to be present at a sermon or heare the Gospel and vvord of the Lord preached by any that was not of that sect A verbo per nos prâ—dicato abhorrent vvriteth Vib. Regius hoc vno nomine quod Carolostadianus non sum Quasi vero Carolostadiani soli mysticuÌ„ Christi corpus absoluant pro quo Christus sit mortuus A few yeres after came Zuinglius on the stage
and played his part though not condemning Carolostadius yet bringing a new kynd of faith in that behalf forthwith al or the greatest number as Zuinglius him self vvriteth euen of those qui vehementer â—rant Carolostadiani who of late were marvelous eager Carolostadians forsooke Carolostadius and ioyned them selves to Zuinglius After how Zuinglius vvas put out of countenance by Calvin and at this present how Clauin is in Germanie disgraced by the Anabaptists in England by the Puritanes and Martinistes and bretherne of love other fresh â—ects vvhich bud vp every day control Caluin and draw multitudes after them for that they bring a gâ—eeneâ— and newer and more fined gospel this is so puâ—â—â—â—â—â—ly knowen that I need not to make â—lâ— herein and vvhat is the reason hereof but because this Gospel be â— of Carolosiadius or Zuinglius or Caluin or Puritans or Anabaptisis or Familie of love is a Gospel of meÌ„ a Gospel devised by light braynes vvhich go about to pervert the true and Apostolike Gospel It is not that Gospel of Christ vvhich Christ by him self first and after by his Apostles preached to continue in al ages It is not that word of God which remayneth one the same for ever but it is the vvord of a few light lecherous infamous Apostataes inuented by them selves vvith assistance of the devil to serve their owne vvanton lustes and appetites for this reason hauing his ground and foundatioÌ„ vpon the fansie of such men can not have other constaÌ„cie then haue the first founders coyners of it But the Gospel of Christ the Catholike vniversal faith vvhich he planted as it came from heauen so hath it that eternitie that heauen and earth shal passe and perish before any peece or parcel thereof As the author of it vvas god and the preachers thereof being principally twelve though diuided and scattered throughout the vvhole vvorld vvere always guided by the same God vvhich is one and indivisible so the Gospel vvhich these many preachers sowed vvas one and the same in al quarters corners of the vvorld in Iurie in Asia in Grece in Macedonia in Italie in Africa in Spaine in France vvhere ever they set their foote planted churches and left successors and so hath it bene preserued by the grace direction and internal guiding of the same God far othervvise then vve see in this new Lutherish Gospel vvhereof the author being but one as many vvil have it that is Luther or at the most two Luther and Zuinglius as our English in their Apologie like better although some loyne a third yet vvithin a short time in some one prouince hath multiplied in to not only twelve different contrary gospels but more then twelue tymes twelve as by faithful calculation of learned men is â—ccorded and by plain reason and historical demonstration may be proved Christ in that his Church ordeyned a peculiar vvorship of God his father consisting in sacrifice according as god had taught al nations ether by the very law of nature vvritten in their harts as in the old Patriarkes in the Greekes and Romanes c. or by the vvritten law deliuered to Moyses as in the politie of the Iewes In this there is no vvorshipping or acknowleging of one God by sacrifice but a prophane contempt of al such vvorship vvherein this new congregation is far more irreligious and godles then ever vvas any knowen estate of Gentils and Pagans In that Christ left divine sacraments as fountaynes conduits of his heavenly grace of vvhich the rest being altogether reiected by these reformed bretherne 2. are only in name reteyned but in effect made no iote better then the old Iewish vvasihings rites and ceremonies that is are not reteyned and â—oâ—deÌ„ at al for sacraments of the new law In that Christ appointed ordinarie meanes vvhereby his people falling might procure remission of their sinne vvhich in this new congregation is counted a matter straunge and vnpossible as though they had never heard of Christ the sonne of man in earth â—orgeuing sinnes to men and imparting the same puissance to his Apostles and disciples vvhom he made gouernors of his church Briefly to that the Apostles committed left a short epitome of Christian saith to be particularly beleeved in euery parcel and sillable of al Christians as most sure and infallible and so hath the faith thereof bene preserued from the Apostles preaching to this age and shal be for ever vvhereas in this new kiâ—k gospelling congregation scarce any one of them is beleeved a right very many are expressely denyed as in this treatise hath bene particularly declared I omit a number of fowle cankered heresies coÌ„demned vvith the authors by that primitive Church of Christ vvhich now are embraced and extolled as Gospellike by these new Euangelical bretherne I omit the gratious discipline regiment and order set downe in that church by Christ and his Apostles contrarie to which in this Synagogue is nothing but a Babylonical misâ—â—der and confusion vvhere ether the sheep coÌ„maund rule their pastors as in England some territories of Suizzerland and Germanie or an equalitie of Ministers vvithout superioritie of bisshops and prelates destroyeth the verie face of al orderly regiment obedience and discipline as in Scotland and Geneva these vvith a number of such dissimilitudes betwene that church of Christ and this of Iohn Knox or Calvin I voluntarily let passe because they are vvithout the compasse of this discourse and vvhereof there hath not bene much mention made heretofore These few may suffise to iustifie both the nobilitie the vvhole youth and every other man vvoman and child of any degree or calling vvho soever forsaketh this new Gospel and ioyneth him self to the old vvhich fault is no greater how so ever M. B. be grieued at it then it is for one that is blind to desue sight for a man that lieth in extreme danger of death to vse the meanes of procuring life one that is tossed amiddest the vvaues rocks of the raging seas to desire a quiet port and harbour in plaine termes then it is for a Christian to forsake heresie and embrace truth to forsake schismatical conuenticles to leave fantastical vayne and discordant opinions of men betake him self to the one only Apostolike Catholike Church and faith of Christ Iesu vvho is God blessed for ever Laus Deo A TABLE OF THE SPECIAL POINTS HERE ENTREATED concerning the Catholike faith and Sacramentarie heresie A A Gapâ— feasts of charitie in the primitive Church what they vvere pa. 245. 246. 251. Altar and Table vsed for one in scripture pag. 249. both are referred to sacrifice pa. 248. 249. Altars in the primitive church pag. 249. Anabaptist Martyrs pag. 305. called Martyrs of the devil by Calvin Ibi. The like iudgeth Luther of the Caluinian Martyrs 305. â— Austin vily corrupted by the
hindereth it 354. 355. Christ is absent from the world not from his church 356. 357. Christ concurreth with his Ministers in conferring grace by his sacraments pa. 183. 201. 202. Christs body glorified hath preemineÌ„ce aboue al others pa. 397. Circumcision a seale of iustice to Abraham peculiarly pa. 131. 132. The Iewes Communion pa. 100. 101. 102. Compared with Calvins 102. 103. They are after the Calvinists doctrine al one 103. 104. 105. In truth the Iewish much better proved at large pa. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 115. 116. The Calvinian Communion no sacrament of Christs gospel pa. 104. 115. The definition thereof 104. 109. Priuate Communions improved by the Calvinists pa. 277. 278. 280. Approved by al the primitiue church pag. 278. 279. 285. Item approved by the Lutheran ProtestaÌ„ts 283. 284. 285. M. B. reasons to the contrarie 280. Answered 281. by them 283. A policie of the Devil to deny priuate communions 285. 286. Confidâ—ce engendred by Catholike faith pa. 312. Presumption by the protestant faith 303. 304. Feare as necessarie to be taught as confidence 402. Sacrament of Confirmation pa. 143. 144. VVords of Consecration religiously obserued in the church 334. They are pronounced in the East church alowd 337. And of old in the VVest 336. It vvas is an evident testification of the real presence 336. 337. 338. VVhat power or vertue is in the words 339. 340. 341. Christs words of consecration beleeved to be of great force in the primitiue church pa. 49. 50. 51. To be of no force in the Protestant church 51. 52. 53. 217. 218. See VVorde VVhat is a Contradiction pa. 388. 389. D Dominica coena our lords supper pa. 245. See Sacrament E English clergy against the Scottish touching the necessitie of preaching to make sacraments pag. 221. 222. 223. S. Paules Epistle to the Hebrewes denyed by the Calvinists pa. 313. Erasmus faith touching the real presence pa. 34. His grounds reasons thereof 34. 35. F VVhat faith Christ required in them whom he healed pag. 328. Faith defined by S. Paule pa. 314. 315. No similitude betwene S. Paules faith and the Caluinists 315. 316. Their faith is no faith 308. But arrogant presumption 303. 304. 409. 410. Faith not the only iewel of the sowle pa. 312. How it worketh confidence in the hart 312. 313. Once had it may be lost 408. 409 Faith to be vrged before reason in matters of Diuinitie 391. Only faith iustifieth not pa. 401 Fathers of the primitiue church condemned by the Calvinists for their beleef of the church sacrifice 15. 257. For preferring the sacrameÌ„ts of Christs Gospel before those of Moyses law 93. For preferring Christs baptisme before S. Ihon Baptists 199. G Geneua consistorie dispenseth against Christ pa. 59. 60. 147. 361. Gospel See Protestant S Gregories coÌ„passion of the English pag. 442. Gyges ring 346. H Heretical craft to disproue one truth by coÌ„mending an other pa. 311. Heretikes deceiue by faire speeches 17â— I Iewel a eaviller vpon words pa. 15. 16. A notorious lyer corrupter of fathers 389. A shufler together of sentences out of the fathers to no end 149 150. L Liturgia with the Greekes the same that Masse in the Latin church pa. 17. 250. 251. Luther author in general of the sacramentarie heresie pa. 37. 38. His rule to interprete scriptures by â—â— M Manna and his properties pag. 111. 112. 113. Martyrs of the primitiue church most zealous pa. 136. The vvord Masse vsed in the primitiue church pa. 253. 254. But sacrifice much more 254. 255. Of priuate Masse See priuate communion Scottish Ministers much geven to sorcerie witchcraft pa. 3â—â— They condemne them selues for heretikes 196. Verie inconstant in their preaching 440. 441. Ministers in their sermoÌ„s what they handle most 219. The name Ministers 374. 375. Never found in scripture in the Calvinists sense 375. N Nabugodonosors fiery fornace hote and cold at one instant 387. 388. O Gods omnipotency denyed by M. B. and the Calvinists pa. 137. 381. And withal the vvhole bodie of scripture 381. 382. principles of Christianitie 383. P Phisical qualities necessarie to humaine bodies bind not the body of Christ 344. 345. 346. 383. 384. Priests remit sinnes in the church pa. 194. 195. 196. 197. God is honored thereby 197. They communicate Christs body to the faithful 201. 202. Protestant Gospel suggested by the devil to Carolostadius pa. 41. 42. To Luther 304. To Zuingliê° 376. 378. It overthrovveth al Christianitie 388. Protestants once indued vvith their special faith can never after leese it pa. 306. Nor yet the holy ghost howsoever they live Ibidem As sure of their electioÌ„ and saluation as of any article of their faith 303. 307. 308. 413. 414 See special faith The Protestants rule vvhereby they interprete scripture pa. 38. 39 R Real presence of Christ in the sacrament pa. 20. 21. 22. 49. 50. 51 Acknovvleged by the old fathers for a cause of our resurrection 169. 170. 171. 325. Real presence proved by scripture 202. 371. by fathers 203 204 291. 292. 364. 365. 366. 369. 391. 392. By protestant Doctors 349 354. It standeth vvel vvith the memorie of Christs death 363. Al religion grounded on two pillers pa. 430. Resurrection of our bodies denyed by the Calviâ—ists pa. 323. 324. 325. 326. 383. Rock what it signifieth in S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. 4. eagerly debated betvvene the protestant Doctors pa. 373. 374. Romain church for 500. or 600. yeres after Christ pure in faith by graunt of many Protestant Doctors 252. 253. S The word Sacrament most auncient pa. 132. Much disliked and condemned by M. B. and other Calvinists pa. 119. 1â—2 127. Yet most vsed by him and them 120. 121. 125. Their wicked sophistrie in abusing that vvord 125. Exemplified by their expounding of Christs vvords touching the Sacrament pa. 122. 123. 124. 125. 174 Divers significatioÌ„ of the word Sacrament 126. Sacraments of the new Testament never called selves in the scripture pa. 130. 132. In the Calvinists sense they are lying seales â—6 They are fondly and falsly so called 141. 142. 144. Definition of the Geneua or Scottish sacrament that it is a seale of the word preached pa. 134. Refuted 135. 136. 137. 138. 140. 214. It is plainly Anabaptistical 138. 139. 140. The word is rather a seale to the sacrameÌ„t then contrariwise 141. 142. VVhence probably this doctrine of seales proceded 213. 214. Sacraments in what sense called seales by the auncient fathers 143. 144. The SacrameÌ„t to the Calviniste nothing but a seale 〈…〉 84. 85. A lying seale 86. A signe without al grace or vertue 87. 105. A bare signe 70. 88. 89. 90. 106. No better then a Iewish ceremonie 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 104. 106. 107. See Supper and Communion The principal end substaÌ„ce of the Geneua sacrament is to signifie pa. 265. 266. It signifieth vnperfitly 267. Many other things signifie as wel or better therefore are as good sacrameÌ„ts 268. 269. 270. The Calvinists base esteeme of it 112.
113. It is in the power of man to make as good a sacrament 270. 271. 272. 273. Actions of Christ in the Institution of the Sacrament pa. 147. 148. 150. 151. 155. He mingled his chalice vvth water 151. 158. 159. He blessed the bread and chalice 152. 153. 154. 155. The Sacrament vvhy called Eucharist pa. 251. 252. Carefully coÌ„ceiled froÌ„ knowlege of Ievves Pagans in the primitiue church 262. 263. 264. No heretike could be present at the administration thereof 254. 262. The Sacrament reserved sent abrode to private men in the primitive church pa. 278. 279. Yet beleeved to sanctifie and confer grace 279. Only heretikes thought contrarie 279. To receiving the Sacrament other preparation required then to receiving the vvord pa. 421. 422. 423. Sacraments of the Law Gospel much differ in conferring grace pa. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 108. The material parts of the Sacrament signifie many things not necessarily present pa. 359. 360. substance of bread not necessarie to it 359. 361. The Sacrament not called Dominica coena the lords supper in scripture pa. 245. VVhat that word meaneth in S. Paul 245. 246. 247. Nether is it called coÌ„munion in al scripture 247. 248. A Sermon not necessarie to the essence of any SacrameÌ„t p. 218. that opinioÌ„ is refuted by the English church 221. It is plainly Anabaptistical 222. 223. It maketh voyd most baptismes in England and Scotland 224. 225. and also coÌ„munions 226. 227. 228. 229. 235. It maketh the vvord or sermoÌ„ it self superfluous of no effect 230. 231. A Sacramental speech pa. 367. Sacramentaries condemned by Erasmus pa. 34. 35. By Luther 325. 354. 438. By Melancthon 348 349. By Pappus 326. VVestphalus 121. 283. 284. 285. Hosiander many other protestaÌ„t Doctors 344. 436. Euery heretike against the Sacrament an heretike for other matters besides as Berengarius pa. 26. 27. Petrus Brusius Henricus and the Albigenses 27. 28. Almaricus 28. VViclef 29. Christ at his last supper instituted a sacrifice pa. 3. proved by vvords of the Institution 4. 16. and conference of them with the vvords of the legal sacrifice of Moyses lavv 4. 5. Christs sacrifice ordeyned in steed of the Paschal sacrifice of the law pa. 9. 10. The exact coÌ„parison of them proveth ours to be a true sacrifice 10. 11. So al the auncient fathers teach pa. 12. 51. 252. 255. 256. 257. 258. 363. It is the same sacrifice which Christ offered 201. A true sacrifice though commemoratiue 19. 20. Sacrifice of Melchisedec a figure of Christs sacrifice pa. 13. 14. 15. 363. Sacrifice vsed by the Apostles pa. 17. Proved by S. Paule 17. 18. 19. Graunted by some chief Protestants 19. Beleeved in the primitiue church 20. 21. 22. 257. 358. Confessed by both churches Greeke and Latin 26. as Calvin graunteth 257. Sacrifice of the church testified by the auncient fathers 201. 249. 251. 252. 255. 256. 257. Seales divine miracles pa. 142. 143. ProtestaÌ„t Sectes of this age to what number they are grovven pa. 445. Sinne separateth man from God pa. 399. Al sinne mortal none venial with the Calvinists pa. 30. 399. Remission of Sinnes See priests The Protestants special faith invented by Luther pa. 301. 302. putteth them in assurance of their election and salvation 303. 304. Cause of infinite pride and presumption 304. 307. 308. 402. Of vile dissolute life 306. 307. CoÌ„mon to al kind of heretikes especially Anabaptists 304. 305. 4â—4 By this faith the vvorst Protestants eate Christ spiritually in their supper as vvel as the best 304. 307. 308. It leadeth to hel 308. 309. Seâ— Protestants Special faith destroyeth al Christian faith 433. Remission of sinnes in the church Keyes of the church Sacraments of the church pa. 433. prayer to God feare of God 433. 434. This special faith refuted by S. Paule pa. 316. By Caluinists theâ—â— selves 316. 317. By Melancthon 434. 435. This special faith once had can never be lost pa. 306. VVhat is necessarie essential to the Scoâ—tish or Geneva Supper pa. 146. 239. How it is ministred 156. It is nothing like to Christs sacrament for a number of defects 157. 158. 159. 160. 162. 200. 201. 239. 240. 241. 242. and superfluities 220. 223. 224. Any vulgar dinner or repast as good as that Supper 65. 163. It is ministred as wel by wemen and boyes â—â— by their Ministers 65. How Christs body is ioyned to the Geneua or Scottish Supper pa. 174. 175. 274. As to a word spoken 176. 177. 27â— Lesse then to a picture 178. No more then God is ioyned to the devil 175. 176. Nothing at al. 175. 176. It is altogether superfluous ridiculous 179. 180. VVickedly by M. B. preferred before gods vvord 210. 211. 212. The Supper described by M. B. pa. 182. prophanely 182. 183. 184. Striving for the coÌ„munion drinke 184. It is not vvorth a straa 193. 200. 229. rather to be called a breakfast then a supper 332. It is wicked and sacrilegious 242. 243. No sacrament of Christ 229. 233. Christ no othervvise received in the Scottish supper then in any common dinner pa. 187. 206. 275. 276. Then in seeing any creature 189. Christ received no vvayes in their Supper 189. 190. The flesh of priests Catholikes more eaten in the Geneva suppers then the flesh of Christ pa. 229. 230. Divers vncertain significations of the Geneua supper pa. 177. 178. 179. Many things signifie Christ as wel as that 180. 181. 182. How long it remayneth holy 276. 277. T Table See Altar Christs Testament made at his last Supper 6 8. VVhat was required to the making thereof 6. 7. 8. The real presence and sacrifice is thereof inferred 7. 8. 9. How his blud in the chalice is called the new testameÌ„t 371. 372. Difference of the old TestameÌ„t new pa. 98. 99. V No lawful VocatioÌ„ of preachers in Scotland or England pa. 407. VV VVemen may preach and minister the Protestants communion pa. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. VVemen have in them al power ecclesiastical 64. VViclef an heretike and a parasite pa. 29. 30. An heretike to the Calvinists 30. His often Recantation 30. 31. He is condemned by the Protestants 31. 32. The VVord required to make the Calvinists sacrament is a sermon pa. 134. 216. 220. 228. The Ministers preferre their owne words before Christs 216. 217. 218. The right word wanteth in most Scottish sacraments pa. 226. 227. 228. No such word found in scripture as they require 225. Christ vsed no such word pa. 220. 221. 233. See more in Sermon Z Zuinglius an Anabaptist pa. 140. His interpretation of Christs words more fond then that of Carolostadius 43. He learned it of a sprite in the night 376. 378. FINIS A TABLE OF PLACES OF SCRIPTVRE EXPLICATED IN THIS TREATISE ESPECIALLY SVCH AS APPERTEINING TO THE SACRAMENT ARE CORRVPTELY expounded and perverted by the Sacramentaries Genes 3. 15. In the sweate of thy face thow shalt eate thy bread pa. 267. Exod. 12. 6. The children of Israel shal offer
to private â—â—â— In the Primitiue church P. Martyr contra Gardiner parte â— obiectio 213 pag. 524. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—colampad Epistol Zuingly et OEcolampad lib. 3 fol 149. Reliquia ad sanctificatione visae sunt invtiles Anthropomorphitis Hos arguiâ— Cyrillus Martyr contra Gardin vbi supra The old â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â—â— â—â— d. M. B. arguments against private communions I. pa. 1â—â— 2. pa. 129. 3. Ansvvâ—â—â—â—â— the 3. Prophâ—â—â— iâ—â—pâ—etis 2. Before pâ— 266. â— Calv. against M. B. Calâ— Instituâ—â—â— lib 4. â—â— â—â— num 5. Pag. 1â—8 â—â—9 The English congregation against M. B. In the coÌ„muâ—â—â—â— of the sicke Private communions approved by the Germans â—â—â—â—â—siants Their reasâ—â—â— Ievv Reply contra â—â—â—â—â—â—â— art 1. â— VVâ—stphal in Apolog câ—tâ—â— Calâ—in pag. 363. 364. â—â—vv vâ—i sup Divis 9. Mat. 1â— â—0 2 Iâ—â—â— â—â—â— sâ—â—â—a Divis â—â— VVestphal â—â—â— sup pag. 364. 365. The vvord â—ommun implieth single receiving Quaâ—â—vis vâ—â—â— admiâ—titur 〈…〉 〈…〉 coâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—nâ— 3. Iâ—vv vbi supraâ— Div. 13 VVestphal pa. 3â—4 36â— Private communions proved by the Caluinists ovvne doctrine 4. Before pa. 174. Ibi. pa. 366. Matth. 9. Ioan. 3. Ioan. 4. â—uâ— 23. Before pag. 134. Priâ—ate communions approved by the auncient fathers 5. Cyprian 6. Ibi pa. 167. August Viaticum 7. Dioâ— Aâ—â—â— pag. 368. pag. 37â— 37â— A practise of the devil to deny private co 〈…〉 1 Pag. ◠〈◊〉 Calv Institutio lib. 4. ca. 17. num 33 â—â— in â— Cor. â—â— 11. v. 26 The text corrupted Pa. 88. 1. Corin. 11. v. 27. 28. Foâ—â—lâ— corruption This breed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioan. 6. v. â—â— â—li v. â—â— â—â— 58. Ierem. 11. 19. Ioan. 6. 32. 35. 48. â—â— Ibi. v. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cup vvhat it signifieth in S. Paul See before pâ—â— 5. â—24 M. B. 〈…〉 Evil mâ—n receive Christs bodie Aug. li. 5. â—â— baptiâ— 4â— â—â— Idem contra â—rescon lib. â—â— ca. 25. Real pro 〈…〉 IdeÌ„ epis 162 post medium Confessio lib. â— ca. 12. Matth. 26. Luc. 22. Theodoret. in â— Corinth ca. â—â— Calâ—in Institutio â—ib 4. â—â— 17. nuâ— â—4 â—a â—â— M. B. comparison nothing like Before pag. 178. 179. Pag. 180. Before pa. 18â— 187. 188. â— â—ag â—â— pa. 92. 93. The vvicked receiue not the vvhole sacrament after M. B. pa. 91. Martyr contra Gaâ—dinâ—r part 1. â—biectiâ— 220. pa. 535. Ibi. â—biâ—ctiâ— 235. Contradiction in the Calvinists doctrine VVicked Calvinists receiue Christ in their supper as vvel as the good Pag. 216. 217. c. Before pag. 174. 17â— 177. VVhat it is to â—ate Christ after the Calvinists Pag. â—â— Pag. 74. Pet. Martyr vbi suâ— a parte 3. pa. 644. 647. Beza in â— Corinth cap. 1â— v. 23. Pa. 95. Before pag. 7â— 79. M. B. definition vvhat it iâ— to â—ate Christ Pag. 94. Pag. 9â— â—â—m 6. â—â—i pa. 94. Pag. 109. 2. points required to the eating of Christ Both are souÌ„d in the vvorst ProtestaÌ„ts as vvâ—l as in the best Ioan â— 19. Matth. 1. 2â— Act. 10. 43 1. Ioan. â— â— Calvins Thelogie a mockerie of Christians Pag. â—â— Pag. â—5 â— Pâ—â— â— â—â— The ProfstaÌ„â— faith vvhereby they eate Christ Fox Acts monuments pag. 4â—â— Ibid. â— Cor. 4. 4. Psal 1â— 1â— Ierem. 17. 9. Proverb 14. â—â— ca. â—0 24. Philip. 2. 1â— Calv. Institâ—â— lib. 3. ca. â— num 7. â—â— num 15. 1â— Certitudâ— plena â—â—â—â—â—â— qâ—â—â—â—â—â— re 〈…〉 et probat is esse 〈…〉 La vit dâ—â— Calv. câ— 1â— Disputatio Ratisbon pa. 463. Vide Sledaâ— lib. 16. Pag. â—â— The Protestants iustifiing faith Sâ—â—â—â— â— pa. â—61 â— Pag. 26â— Pag. â—6◠〈…〉 Pag. 264. Infinite pride Luther Tom. â— Eâ—â—rratio in 1. Pâ—tr ca. â— fol. 44â— Tâ—â— vvâ—â—st Protestants 〈…〉 Christ as â—â—â—â—l as the bâ—st Fo◠〈…〉 supra â—â—g 401. Before pag. â— â— â—â— The strong 〈…〉 the â—nabaptists Prateolus â—â— Elenchâ— Alphabet lib. â— ca. â— See For Act. and monumeÌ„t pag. 25â— Lambeâ—t Hoâ— tens de 〈…〉 tibus Anabaptist pag. 57. c. Calv. Instruâ—â—io contra Anabapt pag. 120. 121. Vide Lavâ—ther in histor Sacrament â—ol 45. 〈…〉 25. 57. Before pag. 297. Ibid. M. B. â—â—fuâ—ed by â—◠〈…〉 doctrine â—ermo 5. pâ— â—7â— Beza in Confesâ—a 4. â—om â—0 Coâ—â—â— Institu â—â—b â— ca. 2. â—â—m 1â— 15. â—â— pag. â—7â— Calâ— vbi sâ—p 〈…〉 19. pag. â—â—â— pag. â—8â— The 〈…〉 Caluinists 〈…〉 Christ â—â— vvâ—l â—â— the 〈…〉 Manifest 〈…〉 tradiction in the Caluinists doctrinâ— The protest 〈…〉 faith a râ—â—te of dissolute 〈…〉 Luther Tâ—â— â— â—â— de Captiâ—â—t 〈…〉 ca. dâ— Baptismo Zuingâ— Thâ—â— â— â—â— Act iâ— disput Tigâ—â—r fol. 6â—8 Nâ—â—â—iâ—â—◠〈…〉 iâ—â—is 〈…〉 Christ◠〈…〉 suo 〈…〉 Foâ— Act. monumeÌ„t pa. â—335 Ib. pa. 1338. â—339 Pa. 99. 100. â—â—â— Catholike faith â— Pâ—â—ir â— 40 Iob. 41. â—â— pa. â—â—â— pa. 117. pa. â—0â— pag. â—0◠〈…〉 rafâ— Spiritual 〈…〉 tion 〈…〉 corporal Obiection Pag. 110. â—â—â— Ansvvers Pag. â—â—â— Before pag. â—â—â— Faith not the only â—â— vvel of the sovvle Galaâ— â— â—â— â— Timoth. â— â—â— â— Ioan. â— 2â— Hebr. 4. 16. Rom. â— 15. Galâ—â— 4. â— Rom. â— 16. â— Ioan. â— â—â— cap. 4. â—â— Hebr. â— 6. Rom. â— â—â— Before pag. 304. c. Pag. â—â—â— S. Paules epistle to the Hâ—breâ—â—â—â— denied by the Calvinists Beza in the end of Calviâ—â— life Calvâ—â—â— Beza in argument â—uiuâ— epistola â—â— in cap. â— v. â—â— The nature description of 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. No similitude betvvene S. Paules â—aith the Calâ—inâ—sts Before pag. â—â—4 4. Reg. â— â— The Câ—â—oinistâ— faith resuted by S. Paul â— â—l Catholikes No salvation out of the Catholike church Caâ—â— Institut â—â—â— 4. â—â— 1. â—â—â— 17. â—â—â— num â—â— â—â—â— num 4. The Câ—lâ—â— sor faith resiâ—â—d by many â—â—â—â—â—sâ—â—â—ti Cap. â— num 1. â— c. Before pag. 298. 2â—â— pag. â—â—â— Mâ—â—â—â— 1â— 4. â—â—â— 18. â—â— Sâ—â—d â—â— 12 Aâ—â—â—iction â—â—sâ—â—red Maâ—â—â— â—â— â—â— â—â—â— â— 4â— â—â—â—â— â—â— â— â—â— 11◠〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— Articles of the Faâ—â—â—â—â— of Loue pâ—â—â—â—â—d â—â— London An. â—â—78 â—â—â— 43. Christ â—â—â—â— râ—d â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â— â— â—â— â—â—â— â— â—â— Ibid. 1. 4â— Ibid. â— â—â— Ioan. â—â— â—◠〈…〉 â—7 â—â— Chrâ—â—â—â—â— â—â— Marth â—â—â—â— 4â— Pag. â—â—9 The meaning of Christs vvords Iohn â— The flesh profiteth nothing Rom. â— God â— Ioan. 6. 63. 64. 65. Matth. â—â— Basil lib. do bapts â—ca â— August dâ— doctri Christ lib. 3. ca. â—3 Theophilact in 6. Ioan Chrysost â—â— Ioan 〈◊〉 46. 1. Corinth â— 14. Ibi. â— â—â— â—2 13. Christs vvords corrupted sacralegiousâ—y Ioan. 6. â—1 Ibi v. 54. Ibid. See S. Cyril â—n â—oaÌ„â—i 4. a. 15. 16. Christs flesh sav to the vvoâ—d Rom. â— â— Ephes 2. â—â— Coâ—oâ— 1. 22. Hebr. â—â— 20 2. Ioan. â— 1. Ioan. 4. â— Pag. 11â— 116. M. B. obiecti◠〈◊〉 The flesh of Christ â—â—edâ—tâ—â—â— eternal â—ifâ— Ioan. 6. Peâ—â—re paz 169. 170. The Calvinists coÌ„demned for S 〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 â—â—lovv Protestantâ— Zuingl Tom. a in Respon â—â— Lutheri lib. aâ— sacramento â—ol 415. Luther Tom. 7. VVâ—â—â—mb Defensio vâ—rborum Canâ— fol. 408. 409. Ibi. fol. 390. Tâ—e
more be in the sacramental bread and vvine of the English and Scottish Communion And yet as I suppose nether the English not the Scottish ministers thinke it necessarie that vvhen they minister the communion there be present in the congregation reaping and thresshing grinding and baking and so forth nether yet that in their cup being made of vvine or ale there be many ale cornes or many grapes or in the bread many wheat cornes to signifie the vnitie of the lord with the congregation as also the vnitie of the bretherne and sisterne one vvith an other in faith and love but it is counted sufficient that to the matter of the sacrament these things vvere requisite before it could be made bread or vvine If he thus thinke and answere as he must of necessitie then he answereth him self that it suffiseth this sacrament in the Catholike church to be made of bread and vvine vvhich signifie spiritual nurriture though after consecration the substance of nether remayne vvhich yet nurrish even then sufficiently to performe that vvhich his argument requireth Finally this argument is condemned by Iohn Calvin him self and the vvhole consistorie of Geneva For vvhereas this man argueth that vve haue no sacrament because we want a signe if the substance of the bread be chaunged although that notwithstanding vve reteyne al properties qualities effects and operations of bread Calvin vvith his consistory as before is noted holdeth the sacrament to be perfite and absolute though there be no bread at al though there vvant both substance and qualities of bread al shape forme and nature of bread and vvine both internal and external And vvhereas against that opinion or licentious dispensation there vvas obiected belike by some minister of M. B. his conceite this argument vvhich here he opposeth the Consistorie answereth very gravely This analogie or signification of bread made of many graynes and wine of many grapes to declare our mutual coniunction although it be not to be contemned yet nether is it so precisely to be vrged but that it may suffise vs to testifie that coniunction and faith by like signes in general by other meate and drinke If then the Geneva bretherne may have a very perfit sacrament vvithout any kind of bread and vvine â—ther in substance or accident M. B. his reason proceedeth of smal vvit in denying vs a sacrament vvho reteyne the formet al necessarie properties of bread suâ—ficieÌ„t fully to signifie although according to Christs expresse vvord vve beleeve the substance of bread to be changed in to the substance of a more celestial and divine bread vvhich came from heauen Thirdly saith M. B. if there were such a wonderful thing as they speake of in this sacrament there would haue bene plaine mention made of it in the scripture VVhat playner mention can yow require then This is my body the self same which shal be deliuered for yow This is my blud of the new testament the same which shal be shed for the remission of sinnes for the redemption of the world Can M. B. vvith al his study devise vvords more plaine more effectual more significant Fourthly he much troubleth him self to find the veritie of this proposition This bread is my body vvhether it be true before the words spoken or after c. I answere first let him set downe a truth and not a falsitie and after propose his difficultie and then ether it shal be satisfied or vve wil acknowlege his deep and vnanswerable subtilitie But for ought appeareth in our testaments English Latin or Greeke Christ never vsed any such speech Christ never said This bread is my body but as hath bene declared before Christ so vttered his vvords as possibly they can not yeld that proposition Let M. B. marke vvel the words in the Euangelists and conferte them vvith his grammer rules ether in Greeke or Latin and if he can make Hoc to agree vvith panis or Hic vvith vinum then he may chaunce to trouble vs. Otherwise except he his vvil take vpon them to make vs a new Grammar a new Latin and Greeke language vvhich they may better do and vvith more reason then make vs a new faith new sacraments new Theologie as they have done he shal not find in al the testament that â—â—â—â— Christ said This bread is my body This wine is my blud ¶ Fiftly Austin saith lib. 3. de doctrina Christiana cap. 16. To eate Christs flesh and drinke his blud seemeth to commaund a wickednes or mischief Therefore it is a figuratiue speach whereby we are commaunded to communicate with Christs sufferings and with gladnes to locke vp in perpetual memorie that the flesh of our Lord was crucified and wounded for vs. For otherwise as the same Austin makes mention it were more horrible to eate the flesh of Christ really then to murther him to drinke his blud then to shed his blud S. Austins vvords answere them selues and so doth S. Austin in other places and even here the second place answereth the first because it notifieth how far forth this speach is figurative Only this may be added to the first that vvhen S. Austin saith that to eate Christs flesh is to coÌ„municate with Christs sufferings and to locke vp in perpetual memorie that Christs flesh was crucisied and wounded for vs he meaneth no other thing then S. Paule doth and the church also vvhen they vvil al Christians vvhich ether offer the mystical sacrifice or receive it to do it in remembrance of Christs bitter passion vvherein his flesh vvas truly wounded and crucified for vs as here it is not And that S. Austin thus meant and never meant by locking vp Christs death in perpetual memorie to shut out this real sacrifice and sacrament vvhich most directly and perfitly continueth that death and bluddy sacrifice in perpetual memorie let S. Austin him self be iudge in a number af other places vvhereof some heretofore have bene other hereafter shal be cited For this present this one may serue The Iewes saith he in their sacrifices of beasts which they offered after diuers sorts and fashions as was connenient for so great a matter practised a fore signification or representation of that sacrifice which Christ offered on the crosse VVherefore now the Christians also celebrate and keepe the memorie of the same sacrifice past How by vvords only or cogitations or eating bread and drinking vvine as in the Scottish and Geneua English supper No but by a holy oblation and communication or receiving of the same body and blud of Christ Peracti eiusdem sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacrosanctâ— oblatione participatione corporis sanguinis c. This S. Austin thought the best vvay to locke vp Christs sacrifice and death in perpetual memorie And this perpetual memorie of that bluddy sacrifice standeth wel and is best preserved by the churches mystical sacrifice and real presence of
Christ therein according to S. Austins teaching and the Christian faith of S. Austins tyme. Now concerning the horriblenes of eating Christs flesh vvhich S. Austin mentioneth in the other place True it is the vulgar and vsual vnderstanding of eating Christs flesh drinking his blud is horrible For it is in deed thâ—â— vvhich the Caphâ— naiâ—es vvere scandalized at that is to â—ate it cut out in sundry portioÌ„s after sod or rosted â—liâ—â— vel assa et secta meÌ„bratim as saith S. CypriaÌ„ They vnderstood Christs words saith S. Austin of his flesh cut in to peeces ioyntes sicut in cadavere dilaniatur aut in macello vendiâ—â—â— as in the butcherie a quarter of beef or mutton is cut out from the vvhole sheep or ox and so sold to be dressed eaten so far forth Christs vvords are mystical figurative and not to be taken as they lye For so according to vulgar speech and the proper vse of eating and drinking to â—ate Christs divine flesh and drinke his blud vvere horrible impietie But to â—ate Christs flesh as the Catholike church hath ever taught and practised it is no more horrible for true Christians then for M. B. and his felow ministers to â—ate their bread and drinke their vvine And if he had vvith him but a litle consideration he might remember that at this present in the Catholike church over al Christendom so likewise for these thowsand yeres at lest al vvhich tyme he wil graunâ—â— suppose that the real presence hath bene beleeved there have bene in Christian realmes men and vvomen of as tender stomakes as is him self or his vvise ether vvho yet had never any horror in eating sacramentally the true body of our saviour for that as vvriteth S. Cyril the auncient biâ—â—hop of Ierusalem it is not eaten in his owne sorme but Christ most mercifully in specie panis dat nobis corpus in specie vini dâ—t nobis sanguinem in the forme of bread geveth vs his body in the forme of wine geveth vs his blud and that to this very end as vvrite the same S. Cyril S. Ambrose Theophilact and others because vve should not account it horrible because I say it should be no horror to vs in such di vine sweete and mystical sort to eate the body of our Lord and god S. Cyrils words are That we should not abhorre the flesh and blud set on the holy altar God yelding to our infirmitie converteth the bread and wine in to the veritie of his owne body and blud vvhich yet reteyne stil the forme of bread and vvine Thus it is done by Christs merciful dispensation saith S. Ambrose ne horror cruoris sit Christ condescending to our infirmitie saith Theophilact turneth the bread and wine in to his owne body and blud but yet reteyneth the forme of bread and wine stil And thus much doth S. Austin him self signifie in the place corruptly cited by M. B. For thus stand S. Austins vvords The mediator of God and man Christ Iesus geveth vs his flesh to eate and his blud to drinke which we receive with faithful hart and mouth albeit it may seeme to prophane men in vvhich number M. B. putteth him self by this very obiection a more lothsome or horrible thing to â—ate mans flesh then to kil a man and drinke mans blud then to spil it In vvhich vvords S. Austin no vvayes improveth the real communicating of CHRISTS flesh but in plaine termes avoweth it confessing that we receive it both vvith hart and mouth both spiritually corporally And albeit this seeme absurd to grosse fleshly ministers and brutish Capharnaites vvho vvhen they heare vs speake of eating Christs flesh conceive streight vvay that vve eate it as the Anthropophagi and Canibals â—ate mans flesh yet because Christ hath a divine secret hid and spiritual vvay to coÌ„municate it other then such earthly gospellers flesh-wormes can imagin vvhereby truly and really yet not bluddily and butcherly Christ imparteth that his flesh vve confesse frankly saith S. Austin that vve receive that flesh even with our mouth corporally albeit to men that vnderstand it not it may seeme a more lothsom and horrible thing to eate a man then to kil a man VVhere vvithal M. B. may remember him selâ— answered even by S. Austin whom he so busely allegeth against the Catholike faith for one false assertioÌ„ vvhich he so confidently avouched vz that the body of Christ was never promised to be received corporally or as he expresseth it vvas never promised to our mouth For by this very place vvhich him self so much esteemeth it is plain that Christians then beleeved that they received Christs body not only by faith in their hart but also etternally by their mouth As also in other places he saith that it was ordeined by the holy ghost that the body of our lord should be received in the mouth of a Christian man before any other meates Vt corpus dominicuÌ„ intraret in os Christiani c. that ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ should receiue with their mouth that blud with which they were redeemed the same which issued â—orth of Christs â—ide and therefore doubtles Christ so promised oâ— els they could never have so received nether would the holy Ghost ever so have ordeyned Ansvvere to places of scripture alleaged for proofe that Christs vvords spoken at his last supper must be vnderstood tropically The Argument Five places of scripture cited by M. B. by comparison of which with Christs words vsed at his last supper he would prove these to be figurative The difference betwene Christs words and those other Those places are examined in particular especially that of â— Paule The rocke was Christ and withal is shewed how falsly or vnfitly they are compared with Christs words If it were graunted that these 5. were al figurative yet from them to inferre the like of Christs words is most absurd and ridiculous The principal of these places suggested to Zuinglius by a sprite in the night is answered effectually by Luther in whose words is implied also an answere to al the rest CHAP. 20. AFter this M. B. from disputing falleth a litle to rayling thus Al this notwithstaÌ„ding they hold on stil say the words of the supper ought to be tane properly So that it appeares that of very malice to the end only they may gainstaÌ„d the truth they wil not acknowlege this hoc est corpus meuÌ„ to be a sacrameÌ„tal speech VVhat vvorthy reasons yow have brought for vvhich yow so triumph let the reader iudge by that vvhich hath bene alleaged Verily except peevish assertions of your owne authoritie bare vvords vvithout any matter manifest falsities vvithout al face or shew of truth even against your owne principal doctors and maisters must stand for Theological arguments and demonstrations vve have yet heard litle stuff able to vvithdraw a meane Catholike from his faith to Zuinglianisme or