theron crucified he was Buried and the third daye he rose againe assendinge into Heauen thether hath he lifte vp his body From whence he shall returne to iudge both the quicke dead and at this present there he is sitting one the right hand of God the Father then how is the bread his body and the wyne his bloud Bretherne therfore these are named Sacraments because in them there is one thing sene and another thing vnderstode therby that which you sée hath a corporall bodyly shape figure but that which is vnderstand hath a spirituall fruite and commoditie therfore if thou wilt vnderstand the Body of Christ harke what the Apostle sayth to the faithfull you are the Body of Christ and the members therfore if you are the Body of Christ and members therof then your mistery and Sacrament is set on the table of the Lorde and yet you take it for the Lordes Sacrament and you answere Amen to that which you are and by your answere therto you do subscribe therfore thou hearest the Body of Christ and in answering Amen thou art a member ther of if thy AmeÌ„ be ture why theÌ„ is this done in the figure we take away nothinge of our owne then heare what the Apostle sayth againe for when he spake of this Sacrament he sayd We beinge many are made one Body and one bread vnderstand and reioyce godlines trueth charitie and vnitie in these beinge one bread we many are one Body consider that the bread is not made of one corne but of many when you were euill intreted then you were as it were ground when you are baptised you are as it were kneded put together When you haue receaued the sanctifiing of the holy Ghost you are as it were baked Therfore be that that you sée and receaue and take that that you are This the Apostle sayd astouchinge the bread euen so bretherne consider of the wyne wherof it is made wyne for many Berries and Grapes growe in one cluster but the Ieuise and liquor therof doth runne into one vnitie and substaunce so our Lord Iesus Christ hath sealed vs And hath made vs being a misterie of peace t'apertayne vnto him and the Sacrament of our vnion he hath consecrated in his moste blessed table Whosoeuer receaueth the Sacrament of vnitie and keapeth not the bond of peace receaueth it not to his profitte but as a â—itnesse against himselfe ¶ Augustine vpon Iohn tract 26. Cap. 6. HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud remayneth in me and I in him this is to eate that foode and to drynke that drinke to remayne and abyde in Christ and to haue Christ abiding in him And by this we sée that he that abydeth not in Christ and in whom Chryst abideth not without dout doth not spiritually eate Christ neither drinketh his bloud although carnally and visible with his teath he do receaue the Sacrament of the body and most precious bloud of Christ Christ entred not into the holy place made with handes which were examples of true thinges but he assended into heauen that now he might apeare in the fight of God for vs not that he shoulde oftentimes offer vp himselfe c. Thou wast afflicted with penury and scarsenes and god gaue thée Manna for meat with both thou fathers knew not that he might shewe vnto thée that not only by bread man liueth but by euery worde that commeth out of the Lordes mouth ¶ Augustine quinquam Psalme 89. WHen the Lord spake of his Bodye He sayd vnlesse a man eate my flesh he cannot haue lyfe euerlasting and farther sayth The wordes that I spake vnto you are spirite lyfe therfore vnderstand spiritually what I haue sayd vnto you You shall not eate this body which you sée neither shall you drinke that bloud that they will shed which shal crucifie me but I haue commended vnto you the Sacrament which being vnderstand spiritually shall gue you lyfe ¶ Libro sententiarum Augustine HE eateth the Bread of lyfe and drynketh of the cuppe of eternitie that abydeth in Christ for he that is disceuered from Christ neither doth eate Christs flesh nor drinke his bloud although dayly he receaueth the Sacrament to the iudgement of his great presumption ¶ Origen in Leuiti Homelie 7. VNderstand that they are figures that are written in the holy scripture and therfore as spirituall and not as carnall vnderstand and examine that that is sayd therin for it carnally you do vnderstand them they do hurte you and not nurrishe you There is both in the olde Testament a letter that kylleth as also in the new Testament if hit be not vnderstande spiritually for if thou dost followe the letter where as it is sayd vnlesse you eate my flesh and drinke my bloud This Letter kylleth you wilt thou that I shewe in the scriptures another Letter that kylleth he sayth he That hath not a sworde let him sell his coate and buye a sword behold this Letter is of the Gospell and yet it kylleth But according to the meaning and sprite you vnderstand it it killeth not but ther is therin contayned a quickninge spirite and therfore whatsoeuer is written either in the lawe or in the Gospel spiritually vnderstand as spirituall for he that is spirituall iudgeth all things is himselfe iudged of no man. ¶ In the same place Homeli 9. ANd thou that art come to the true Bishoppe that hath apeased Gods wrath to thée wardes by his owne bloud And hath reconsiled thée to the Father sticke not onely to the bloud of the fleshe But rather learne the bloud of the worde and heare what he sayth himselfe for this is my bloud that shal be shed for you in remission of sinnes ¶ Bernard vpon Qui habitat Verse 3. Sermond 3. VNlesse you eate the fleshe of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud c. And they sayd this commaundment is hard and they al went backward But what is to eate his flesh to drinke his bloud but to communicate with his Passions and to follow that conuersation which he lead in the flesh which the Sacrament offered one the Alter doth signifie where we do receaue the Lords Body that as we sée the fourme of Bread enter into our bodies we knowe therby what conuersation he had one the earth that he doth enter into vs to dwell by fayth in our hartes For when righteousnes entreth into vs he entreth that of God is made our righteousnes c. ¶ Augustine of the Lorder wordes according to Luc. Sermond 8. GIue vs this daye our dayly Bread. When I spake of the Sacrament I tolde you that before the words of Christ that that is offered is called Bread but after Christes wordes be spoken then is it not called bread but the bodye where as he sayth our bread he sayth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye supersubstantially is it not the Bread that entreth
haue dayly do arise and for the better confirming of their credite I haue set before their words such textes of the holy scriptures as they do most ground vpon and in these fewe questions you may easely and wel perceaue what false and erronious opinions haue bene raysed of the rest therfore God graunt vs so to waye and diligently consider hereof that we may truely knowe his blessed will and plesure as also frame our liues and workes therafter to his glory to the helpe of our poore brothers necessitie Amen ¶ Your graces most humble seruaunt E. Crane ¶ THE EPISTLE TO the Reader SIth that gentell Reader in this our age we do plainely see many Bookes and innumerable sorte therof to be setforth which do not onely cleane ouerthrowe the mind of the Reader But also do allure and drawe thee in into schismes and most pestiferous sectes Therfore I did thinkâ— it would be a more fitte worke to renewe the olde moniments and workes of our Fathers which by occasion of tyme and rashnes of writers haue bene peruerted then to setforth any new matter And such workes ought most chefely to haue credite geuen to them which haue there original of our excelent roote and stocke and which doth flowe out of a good stone and runne out of a most excellent fountaine or welspringe as are those which be drawne out of the Buttries of the old Catholike Doctors which vnder the choyse of wordes haue powred out the deuine spirite in such sorte that all the worlde maye easely vnderstand and chuse an immortall lyfe as also knowe what is good and what is euill and as sone as like vnto diligent and paynefull Bees you haue drawne out the swete hony more precious then Rosemarie out of the swete flowers of our holy Fathers and hath layed them vppe in the hyue of your minde there is no doubte but that you shall haue floddes of water of lyfe sesoninge and with force watering the poore thirstie Church of our Sauiour Christ farthermore euery purpose or Arte hath his princes of whom it is led by as of capitaines which doth most sone and with great expidition bring our purpose to that effect which otherwise our wittes would hardly comepasse as I knowe him which is setforth or fygured to me by the shape of an other which goeth or passeth by so in our lyfe we shall sone addicte our selues to followe other mens examples as it is sayd of old liuely examples sticketh in the mind wherof as Heronimus doth witnes the Romanes did follow as leaders capitaynes the Camillians the Fabricians and the Scipians The Philosophers hath apoynted maisters of there Arte. Pythagoras Socrates Plato and Aristotle The Poets do followe Homere Virgill Menander and Terens The historians Thucidides Salust Herodatus and Liuius The Orators Licias Graccus Demosthenes and Tullie The Painters or caruers Appelles Dedalus Iason But we which labour for and seeke the moste excellent giftes of the mind and the knowledge of Christian doctrine haue so many and so great examples of our most worthy forfathers that we lacke nothing pertayning to thaugmenting or establishing of a Christian lyfe Sith that therbe an innumerable number of interpretors or Prophets of the word of God and Canonicall scriptures I thought good out of so great a number to chuse certayne which both by sinceritie and purenes of doctrine by integritie of manners by vehimens of teachinge By sharpnes of wtte doth both much affect and delight as also make vs wel instructed prepared and Armed not that the doctores themselues would haue vs farther to credite or beleue them then they do agree with the holy Scriptures as Augustine doth witnes in many places but chefely in his booke of Retractiones whâ—â— he sayth I nether can nor ought to denye But as there were in my forfathers so there are in my so many and huge workes many things which by iust iudgement and without any temeritie may well be erected but they haue made Arroes and dartes agaynst these Antechristes in the Church For neuer since the dayes of the Apostles vnto this our tyme vpon whom the endes of the worlde are come the Church of Christ hath bene free from those enemies althought continually the truth remaineth inuincible yet falshood doth neuer leaue of taduaunce her selfe agaist it if in this world there might be the end of lying the Church of Christ should be in quiet But this most detestable euill and sinne doth neuer rest to knocke at the harte of man and with such argumentes as one woulde not thinke to disquiet the Catholike fayth therfore it is necessary for the folowers of the troth wisely to forsee these captious Arguments and being vncouered and brought to light with the mallet of veritie and truth to beate them downe yea and euen to the death and bloudsheding for verities sake to fight against them and chefely because the holy Scriptures doth admonish and saye Be not dismayed or asrayd to speake the word for thy soule and for the troth euen to death for Paule doth desire the Romanes to marke them which cause diuision and geue occasions of euill contrary to the doctrine which they had learned and to auoyde them for they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with sweete preaching and flattering wordes disceaue the hartes of the innocents it may be that the Apostle did admonish the Romaines that they shold not be wauering in faith and in the word that they should shonne and put away Heritikes and seducers of soules But it is commaunded vnto vs that we should preach the word and should stand to it at all times and seasons we should correcte we shoulde perswade we should chide and chasten them withall patience and doctrine for the time shall come and now it is when they shall not away with true and wholsome doctrine but shall get them masters according to their owne desires which haue itchchinge eares and which turne their hearing and sence from veritie and truth vnto fables Therfore the Apostle doth exhorte vs to watch to labour and to do the workes of true gospellers let that terrible sentence of S. Chrisostome neuer be out of our eares saying he is not onely a Treatour to veritie that doth openly setforth a lye in stead of troth but he also that doth not freely without feare speake the troth Augustine saith the like in his Epistle to Casulan who soeuer for feare of any power doth hide the truth such a one doth prouoke the wrath of god vpon him because he doth more feare man then god But gentle Readers I do besech and perswade you that do wisely and simply loue the wordes of troth that you do not contemne this treasure that you haue now in your handes but both to loue it and set it forwarde for this one little Booke doth declare that which being contayned in many volumes would be hard tattaine vnto and this shall lead
the continuall memory therof and nothing maketh man more to flye euill therfore let vs perswade our selues that we haue sinned and let not onely our tongue pronounce it but let also our conscience confesse it and let vs not only say we be sinners but let vs call to accompt and well remember euery sinne particularly I do not commaund thée that thou shouldest openly shew thy selfe and accuse thée to others but I will that that thou shouldest obey the prophet which sayth Reueyle and open thy lyfe to the Lorde therfore before God confesse thy sinnes and before the true iudge with prayer pronounce thy faultes not with the tongue but with the memory of thy conscience and then trust that thou shalt obtayne mercy if continually thou dost beare in minde and memory thy sinnes thou shalt neuer pretend or thinke euil to thy neighbour ¶ Chrisostome vpon the Psal. Miserere Home DEclare and open thy sinnes that thou mayst wash them awaye if thou béest ashamed to tell them to any man then dayly repeate and record them in thy minde I do not commaund thée to tell them to thy seruaunt which will shame thée with them but to God which healeth thée to them if thou dost not confesse thy sinnes dost thou thinke that God doth not know them will he demaund of thée whether thou hast offended when thou didest he was present when thou committest thy sinne he knoweth it thou wast not ashamed to sinne and offend yet thou art ashamed to confesse thyne offences therfore in this lyfe confesse thy sinne that in the lyfe to come thou mayst haue rest ¶ Ambros of the repentaunce of Peter th'apostle 46. Sermond PEter burst out a wepinge yet with his mouth he sayd nothing I finde that he wept but I find not what he sayd I read of his teares but what satisfaction he made I read not truly Peter wept held his peace for that which is repented is not excused yet that sinne which cannot be defended and mayntayned may be washed awaye for teares do wash away the sinne Which to confesse in wordes weare shame therfore teares are sinnes of repentaunce and forgiuenes neither do they shame the demaunder but purchaseth his request inwarde teares are after a sorte prayers which although by outward request they demaund not for giuenes yet they deserue it they tell not there cause and yet they do obtayne mercye and teares are more profitable then babling with the lyppes for talking may erre But teares vnfayned cannot erre wordes oftentimes doth not declare the hole cause fully but weping doth fully declare the affection and therfore Peter dyd not speake with wordes by which he dyd sinne by which he dyd abanden and forsake fayth left vsing them in his confession syth he had vsed them in his denial he should not be thought to haue confessed aright from the harte and therfore he dyd rather confesse his sinne by teares and lamentation then by outwarde wordes therfore when we do sinne we must first lament and bewayle our sinnes and then praye faythfully so that by this example we do learne how to confesse our faultes so that the Apostells denyinge of Christ is profitable vnto vs and his amendment twise more profitable for our learninge and instruction ¶ S Hieron vpon Math. Chappiter 16. ¶ And I will geue the keyes of the kyngdom of Heauen to thee c. THis place the Bishops and priestes not vnderstandinge dyd somewhat ascribe vnto themselues of the pride of the Pharisies so that they thought they coulde both damne innocents and saue themselues being sinners wheras before God there lyfe is called to accompt and not the sentaunce of the priest We read in Leuiticus of leapers wher they be commaunded to shewe themselues to the priestes Not that the priest coulde chuse the Leoprosye But that by his knowledge he could desarne who was a leaper who was not ¶ Ambrosius lib. of Cayine and Abell SInnes are remitted by Gods worde wherof the Priestes and Leuites are interpreters onely ¶ Iohn Chrisostome Tom. 6. Sermond vpon repentaunce and confession NOw it is not necessarye to confesse onr selues to present witnesses and in thy cogitation and thought make confession of thy sinnes without any witnesse and let God onely behold thy confession for he will not ayde thée with thy sinnes But if thou dosse confesse them he geueth remission therof ¶ The same To. 7. Ho. 9. of Repentaunce THis is a place of medicine and not of Iudgement it giueth not punishment but the remission of sinnes that thou sholdest only confesse thy faults and offences vnto God aboue ¶ Ciprian lib. of the fall of man. THe seruaunt cannot remitte that that is committed against the Lord and Maister Turne to the Lord leaue thy sinnes and praye before thē face of the Lord and so shalt thou lessen thine offences turne to God and flye from thy selfe and from thine owne righteousnes c. ¶ Augustine vpon Iohn tract Et tibi dabo claues Regni THe Rocke was not called Petra or a Rocke of Peter but Peter toke his name of Petra That is to saye a Rocke euen as Christ taketh not his name of a Christian but a Christian of Christ therfore the Lord sayd vpon this Rocke will I build my Church because Peter sayd thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing Therfore vpon this Petra and Rocke which thou hast confessed I will build sayth Christ my Church and the Rocke was Christ ▪ vpon the foundation Peter also himselfe dyd build and no man can laye other foundation then that that is alredye layde which is Iesus Christ c. Augustine vpon the Lords words in Math. Sermond 13. THou sayth he arte Peter and vpon this Petram or Rocke which thou hast confessed I vppon this Rocke which thou hast acknowleged sayinge thou arte Christ the sonne of the liuing god Will I build my Church as who woulde saye I will build thée vpon me and me vpon thée for men buildinge on themselues sayd I am of Paule I am of Apollo I am of Cephas he is Peter But others which would not be builded vpon Peter sayd I am of Christ and the Apostle Paule when he hard that he was chosen and Christ forsaken is sayth he Christ deuided Is Paule crucified for you And are you Baptised in the name of Paule Wheras it is not so in Paule neither in Peter But in the name of Christ that Peter the man might be builded vppon Petram thy Rocke and not Petra the Rocke vpon Peter the man c. As farther he sayde Lorde if it be thou commaund me to come vppon the waters to thée for I cannot do this in my selfe but in thée he dyd confesse what his owne strenght was of himselfe and what he was of him by whose will he dyd beleue he could do that that infirmitie weakenes of mans nature could not do therfore if it be thou commaund me which when