whiche arte in heauen hallowed be thy name WE cannot comprehend in our mynde the great goodnes of God towardes vs in that he hath taughte vs here in the begynnyuge of oure prayer to cal hym Oure father Of truthe this was not vsed in the tyme of the olde testamente amongeste the Iewes for they lyued vnder the bondage of Moyses lawe as seruauntes and durste not call God theyr father but Lorde whych is a 〈◊〉 of maiestye and power but we Chrysten men are taughte by oure Sauioure Chryste hymselfe the author and maker of thys prayer boldelye to call God oure father whyche is a name of be 〈◊〉 mercy gentlenes and greate loue And yf the holy pa triarche Abraham who was called the frend of god dyd call GOD his Lord whan he made hys prayer vnto hym sayinge in the. xviii of Genesys Shall I speake to my Lorde seynge I am but dust and 〈◊〉 Howe muche lesse durste we haue called God our father except that he had so taught vs and commaunded vs to 〈◊〉 In why the hys doynge he hath gyuen vs ryghte great cause to put our hole con fidence in hym and to loke and truste for all good at his hande But ye wyll percase aske howe hathe almyghtye God made hym selfe to be oure father Trulye it is not by natural generation for after that sorte he onelye is father vnto Iesus Chryste but he hath made hymselfe to be our father by adoptinge vs 〈◊〉 hym throughe faythe in Chryste Iesus whych thyng he doth in the tyme of oure baptysme accordyng as it is wrytten in the fyrste of S. Iohn 〈◊〉 eis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dei fierihijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 He Chryst gaue vnto them power to be made the sonnes of God to thē who beleue in hys name And in the. viii to the Bomaynes S. Paule sayeth 〈◊〉 haue receiued the 〈◊〉 of Adoption to be the sonnes of God in whych 〈◊〉 we doo crye Abba father And in the 〈◊〉 to the Ephesyans S. Paule sayeth Be ye folowers of God as mooste dearelye beloued sonnes and walke in loue as Chryst hath loued 〈◊〉 And in the fyft of Mathew our sauiour Christ saieth Be ye perfit as youre heauenlye father is perfit And here is to be noted a lesson that as 〈◊〉 worde father doth declare the greate 〈◊〉 mercy and loue of GOD towardes vs as well in creation as also in the redemption of man so it 〈◊〉 sheth vs agayne of oure duetye towardes hym and howe we be bound to shew agayne vnto hym our hole harte loue obedience and redynes to fulfyll with all gladenes and humilitye all hys preceptes and commaundementes And therefore whosoeuer presumeth to come to God with this prayer and to call hym father and yet hathe not full intente and purpose to vse hym selfe in all thynges lyke a kynde and an obedyente Sonne he commeth to him as Iudas came to Christ wyth a kysse pretendyng to be his frende and hys ser uaunte in callynge hym mayster and yet he was in dede a traytoure to hym and a deadelye enemye And for thys consideration euerye chrysten man that intendeth to make thys prayer ought inwardly and throughly to searche and examyne hym selfe and yf he fynde in hymselfe anye notable cryme for the whiche he oughte to be ashamed to cal GOD his father let hym accuse hym selfe therefore to God and recognyse hys vn worthynes saying as the prodygal sonne sayde father I haue offended the I am not worthye to be called thy sonne And wyth due repentaunce 〈◊〉 purpose and intente to amende hys naughtye lyfe let hym lyte vppe hys harte to God and callynge for hys grace of reconciliation let hym humbly say Oure father c. Neyther is it wythoute greate cause that oure sauyour Chryste teacheth vs to saye Oure father and not My father For thereby he geuethe vs clerly to vnderstande that as we our selues be the sōnes and chyldren of God by adoption throughe faythe so are all other Chrysten men and women the chyldren of GOD by the same faythe and therefore we ought to loue them all with perfecte loue and charytye as brethen and systers in God Oure heauenlye doctoure in thys worde doeth geue vs instruction of vnitye concorde and peace and to praye to God for all chrysten people knowen and vnknowen for and frende And for that purpose and effecte he hath not learned vs to saye My father whiche art in hea uen but he hath taught vs to saye Oure father whiche arte in heauen Lykewyse we saye not gyue me thys daye my daylye breade but Giue vs thys daye oure daylye breade nor we say not forgiue me my synnes and trespasses but forgyue vs oure synnes and trespasses Lykewyse we saye not delyuer me from euyll but Delyuer vs from euyll To sygnyfye that throughe faythe in Iesus Christe we are all the sonnes of God and therefore shoulde not the gentleman dyspyse the yoman nor the ryche the poore Malachye Malach. 2. doth saye Nunqui non pater unus omnium nostrum 〈◊〉 non unns deus creauit nos quare ergo unusquisque nostrum despicit fratrem suum That is to saye Haue not we all one father hathe not one God made vs all wherefore than doth euerye one of vs dyspise hys brother The prayer in dede that the proude Pharisey made Luke 18 〈◊〉 not acceptable vnto God bycause he dispised hys neighboure the publican Let vs al 〈◊〉 knowe our selues to be brethren in god through sayth equally to be hys chyldren And as concerninge these wordes whych art in heauen we maye not by theym vnderstande that God is conteyned and included wythin the heauenes as the aungelles and holy sayntes are for as Salomon sayeth in the thyrd booke of the kynges and the eyght chapyter The heauens of heauens doo not comprehende or include hym But in thys respecte he is sayde to be in heauen because he by hys almyghtye power doth conteyne kepe holde vp and mayntayne all the heauens and also all other creatures whyche are enclosed and shutte vnder the cope or compasse of heauen accordynge as S. Paule sayeth Collos. i. Omnia in ipso constant That is to saye All thynges in hym haue theyr beynge And therefore vnto god onelye we doo saye whyche arte in heauen Bycause that god onely as he hath made heauen and all thynges vnder heauen so he onely is in all the heauens and wyth hys almyghtye power conserueth and kepethe them in all theyr beyng And here must we note that we maye not thynke that god is so in heauen that thereby he can not be or is not in earth also as shall please hym selfe For truelye he is in all places by hys essence by hys presence and by hys power accordynge as he sayethe Hieremye xxiii Nonne coelum terram ego impleo That is to saye Doo not I fyll heauen and earth and he is sayde specyally to be in heauen for as muche as in heauen he
the breade wherewith he myraculouslye sed fyue thousande in the wildernes whiche was in dede very material breade and made of Barleye Secondly there is mention made of a bread called Manna whiche was a kynde of fode that God sent from aboue to the children of Israell when they in the wildernes dyd trauayle towarde the lande of promyse whyth thoughe it be there called breade yet breade in dede made of any kynde of grayne or corne it was not Thyrdly there is mention made of bread whyche is the seconde persone in Trinitie that is to saye the sonne of God sent downe by hys father from heauen hither into earth to be incarnate Fourthlye there is mention made of breade that oure Sauioure Christe promysed to geue whych is his fleshe and the selfe same in substaunce which suffe red for vs vpon the crosse and yet there called breade thoughe in dede no materiall breade in substaunce and as for the callynge of it breade it is not materyal for the godhead of Christ and also manna in the sayd chapiter are called breade and yet no breade in substaunce And here is not to bee omitted that where our Sauioure Christe speaketh of the foresayd foure kyndes of breade he doeth not speake of them all 〈◊〉 one fashion for touchynge the fyrste saythe that he hymselfe a lytel before had geuen that breade vnto the people and touchyng the seconde the Iewes dyd boaste that it was geuen by Moyses to theyr forefathers in wildernes Lykewyse concernyng the thyrd Chryst doth affyrme that it was at that presente sente from the father of Heauen downe to the Earth But touchyng the fourthe he sayd that it shoulde be of his owne gyuing vuto them and that in tyme to come yea and ferther that the same 〈◊〉 be his fleshe and least any man myght mystake this his saying in such spirituall or mysticall sense as thereby to exclude the very substaunce of his feshe and bodye he addeth to take awaye all doute and cauillation that it shoulde be the same fleshe whiche shoulde be geuen for the lyfe of the worlde as apeareth before And hereby maye you learne that by this worde breade mencyoned in the. vi chapiter of Saint Ihon as it is here taken in this fourthe acception and in the other two nexte goynge before oure Sauioure Chryste dothe meane nothyng elles but a fode and a fode may it be though there be no substaunce of materiall breade at all After which sort is the worde breade to be vnderstanded in the tenthe and eleuenthe chapiters of the firste epystle of Saynte Paule to the Corynthyans where dyuerse tymes also he vsethe thys worde Panis which ought to be Englyshed foode And that in verye dede there is not the substaunce of materiall breade remainynge in the sacramente of the Aultar ye shall besyde those thynges whyche you haue hard all redy out of the scripture hear also oute of the aunciēt and catholike fathers who do witnes as foloweth Fyrst Chrysostome in his sermon made in 〈◊〉 speakynge of the Sacramente of the 〈◊〉 wherein in dede to oure senses there do appeare the ormes of bread and wyne doth write in this maner Nunc uides 〈◊〉 num uinum num sicut reliqui cibiin secessum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nesiccogites Quemadmodum enim siceraigniiniecta illi assimilatur nibil substantiae remanet nihil superfluit Sit hie puta mysteria 〈◊〉 mi corporis substantia That is to say Doeste thou see breade doeste thou see wyne do they passe into the seage from vs as other meates doe God forbyd that any man shoulde so thynke for euen as the waxe whiche is cast into the fyre is made lyke vnto the fyre and no substaunce of the sayd waxe then remaineth or is lefte euen so do thou thynke here the mysteryes meanynge the substaunce of the breade and the wyne to be by the substaunce of Chrystes bodye consumed Eusebius Emissenus also a Greke aucthor and wrytinge aboue twelue hundred yeares agoo in hys fift homilye or sermon De corpore domini or De pascha 〈◊〉 thus Nec 〈◊〉 quisquam primarias 〈◊〉 potentiae praesentiamaiestatis in dominici corporis transire posse naturam Which is to say Let not man doute but that the former creature speakynge of breade and wyne euen by the wynkynge or 〈◊〉 of his power by the presence of hys maiestie are able to passe into the nature of Christes bodye And agayne within a litle after he 〈◊〉 Quanta 〈◊〉 quam celebranda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuinae benedistionis operatur attende 〈◊〉 impossibile non debeat uideri quod in Christi subantiam terrena mortalia commutantur which is to saye Howe greate then and howe notable benefites the force and vertue of the diuin benedictiō doth worke or bringe to passe do thou consider to the in no wyse it ought to seme new or impossible that into the substannce of Christe earthly and mortal thinges are chaunged And with these two anncient and notable fathers of the greke churche the blessed martyr Cypryā doth agre saying in his sermon De coena Domini in thys maner Panis istequem dominus discipulis porrigebat non effigit sed natura mutatus omnipotentia uerbi sact us est caro That is to saye That same breade or foode whych oure Lorde reached or gaue to hys dysciples beynge chaunged not in fourme or shape but in nature was by the omnipotencye of the word made fleshe And bycause Chryste hym felfe who then dyd in the foresayd maner institute this Sacramente dyd also at the same tyme appoynt and commaunde bothe his Apostles and in thē theyr successoures to do the same which he himselfe then and there dyd sayinge Luc. xxii Hoc faciat in 〈◊〉 commemorationcm That is to say Do you this in my remembraunce Therefore no man may doubte but at thys present also and soo vntyll Chryst come to iudge the worlde so ofte as the minister so aucthorised intendinge to do as the church beleueth doth take breade into hys handes and gyuynge thankes doth duely pronounce the wordes of Christe sayinge Thys is my body and takinge the cuppe and geuynge thankes doth lyke wyse duly say the wordes of Chryste Thys is my 〈◊〉 of the newe testamente so oft the substaūce of bread and wyne by the wyll and power of Chryst so commaundyng and aucthorisynge the saide minister is turned into Chrystes very reall and naturall body 〈◊〉 bloude and the sayd body and bloude is there so present vnder the fourmes of bread and wyne For it is not the visible preist thatnowe worketh thys hyghe mysterye by his owne power or strengthe but it is Christ hym selfe the inuysible preist that dothe worke it by the misterye of the vysyble preist Lykewyse as Chryst it is and not the preiste that geueth vertue in Baptysme though the 〈◊〉 of the preist both in Baptisme and also here in the Sacrament of the aul tar be requyred and that by the speciall appoyntinge and ordeynynge of
to the example of Saynte Paule declarynge in the ninth chapyter of hys fyrste pystle to the Corinthyans where he sayth of hym selfe thus Subigo corpus meum in seruitute redicd ne cum alijs predicem ipse reprobus efficiar That is to saye I chastyce or tame my bodye and bryng it in subiection or bondage leaste whyle I preache to other I my selfe become a cast awaye The fourth is to auoyde Idlenesse for Idle personnes are ful of lustes and cōcupiscence And as it is wrytten in the. xxiii chapyter of Ecclesyasticus Multam malitiam docuit 〈◊〉 That is to saye Idlenes hath taughte much euyll As maye well be exemplyfyed in Sodoma of whyche it is wrytten in the xvi chapter of Ezechyell Beholde thys was the iniquitie of Sodom thy syster pryde saturitie or eatynge to the full excessyue wealthe and the ydlenes of her and her doughters And here you shall note that when we aduyse you to flye euyll companye and Idlenes we imploye therin that you shoulde alwayes haunte the companye of honest and godlye personnes and also euer to be ententiuelye occupyed in some vertuous ex excyse or meditation And by the waye we thynke thys good to note agayne vnto you as cōcernynge concupyscence that al be it not to haue it at al in thys lyfe is a thinge to vs impossible yet to consent vnto it or by the grace of God to dissent from it is a thing wel possyble vnto vs. And in dede to dissent frō or resyste concupiscence we owghte to the vttermooste of oure power and vsyng the specyall meanes before rehearsed or some of them we by the grace of GOD shal be hable so to doo And to procede further concernynge the declaration of this tenthe commaundemente ye shall knowe that all they be transgressoures of thys commaundemement who by delyberatiō and ful con sent doo cast or set theyr myndes and bartes to accomplyshe the concupyscence and desyre whych they haue to obteyne and gette vnlawefullye an other mans wyfe chylde seruaunt house lande cattayle or any thyng that is theyr neyghboures Secōdlye also they doo transgresse thys commaundement who through enuy be sory for theyr neyghboures wealth prosperitie or be glade of theyr sorowe hynderaunce or aduersitie Thirdelye and fynally all they do transgresse and breake thys tenth commaundemente who doonot sette theyr myndes and studyes to preserue maynetaine and defende vnto theyr neygheboures as muche as in them lyeth theyr wyues chyldren seruauntes houses landes goodes and all that is theyr neyghboures And thus endeth the tenne commaundementes wyth theyr expositions whyche almyghtye God graunte that we maye obserue and kepe for then we shal be sure to haue the kyngedome of heauen and to lyue eternally in ioye and felicitie ¶ Here nowe doth folowe the praier of oure Lorde called the Pater noster deuided into seuen petytions beyng wrytten in the vi chapter of Saynte Mathewe Oure father whiche arte in heauen halowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Geue vs this daie our daily breade And forgeue vs our trespasses as we doo forgeue them that trespasse against vs. And let vs not be ledde into temptation But delyuer vs from euyll Amen ¶ The preface to the prayer of oure lorde called the Pater noster BEfore we shall enter vnto the speciall declaratiō of the petitions conteined in the prayer of oure lorde called the Pater noster we callynge to oure remembraunce the godlye coūsaile moste nedefull to be folowed in thys behalfe written in the. xviii chapter of Ecclesiastycus in these wordes Before prayer prepare thy mynde wyl for your good instruction declare fyrst of all vnto you in what sorte you oughte to prepare your mindes before you begynne to praye Knowe ye therefore that concernyng our dewe preparation vnto prayer three thynges are amongest other specyallye requisite on oure behalfe the fyrst is Fayth the second is Hope and the thirde is Charitie and as concernyng Faith Ye shall vnderstande that forasmuche as Praier is an eleuation or liftinge vppe of the hearte to God to aske of hym all suche thinges as be necessarye And to lyfte vppe ones hearte or mynde is vnfruitefull and vnpossible wythout faythe accordynge to the sayinge of Sayncte Paule who in the tenth chapyter to the Romaynes wryteth thus Howe shall they inuocate or call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued Therefore aboue all thynges faythe yea and stronge fayth must be in vs whensoeuer we doo goo aboute to praye for fayth teachethe vs two thynges the one to knowe our owne infyrmytie and miserable estate both in bodye and soule the other to knowe the maiestye of God hys almyghtye power and good wyll towardes vs. And of faythe wyth the greate vertue thereof in prayer our sauiour Chryste speakyng in the xxi of Saynt Mathewe sayinge Omnia quecunque petieritis in or 〈◊〉 credentis accipietis That is to saye All thinges whatsoeuer you aske in praier beleuinge or hauing faith you shall receyue them And as concernyng Hope Sayncte James in the fyrst chapyter of hys epystle wryteth thereof sayinge thus Si quis autem uestrum indiget sapientia postulet a deo quidat omnibus affluenter non improperat dabitur ei postulet autem in side nihil hesitans qui enim hesitat similis est fluctui maris qui auento mouetur circumfertur non ergo existimet homo ille quod aliquid accipiet a domino That is to saye Yf anie of you haue nede of wisedome lette him aske of God who giueth to al haboundantlie and dothe caste no man in the teth it shal be giuē vnto him But let him aske in faith nothing douting for he the douteth is like vnto the waue of that sea which is moued tossed of the wynde There fore lette not that man thynke that he shall re ceaue any thing at Goddes handes The propertye of hope in prayer is to cause a man pa cientlye wyth longe sufferaunce to abyde the wyll pleasure of God in the obteynaunce perfourmaunce of hys request and prayer For we may not prescrybe to God anye determynate or specyall tyme to accomplyshe oure prayer but we muste commytte vnto hys holy wyll bothe the manner howe and the tyme whē to helpe vs. Accordynge as 〈◊〉 prophete Dauyd doth counsayle vs in his xxvi Psalme sayenge Expecta dominum uiriliter ageconfortetur cor tuum sustine dominum That is to saye Looke for oure Lorde or abyde the pleasure of hym do thou manfully let thy hart be conforted and pacyentlye doo thou susteyne oure Lorde And of thys patyence in hope and of hope in prayer we haue a notable example in the seuenth and viii chapyters of the boke called Judyth where it is wrytten howe that a certayne towne of Jewrye called Bethulia was soore assaulted of the Assyryans in so much that the people of the sayd towne despayrynge of all ayde and succor
Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professors Arch London ¶ An Homelye of Transubstantiation THere are in the sacra ment of the aultare ii thinges speciallye to be considered the one is the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ ther really cō teined that other is the fourmes of breade wine vnder whych the sayd body blud are cōteined Of the first parte ye hard in the last homely Touching that second the general belefe of the catholyke Churche if there were nothing els ought and may be a sufficient grounde for euery godly man to build hys conscience vpon which churche doth beleue that there is no substaunce of material bread and wyne remai ning but onely the fourmes of breade and wine the substaunce of Christes body and bloude there so contayned And yet because some haue vainely and curiously of late yeares talked of thys seconde part and haue put many fonde doutes and scruples into peoples heades concernyng the same ye shall nowe at large and fully I trust be instructed therin And fyrst thys is to be noted that God hath 〈◊〉 the begynnynge of the worlde manye tymes appeared to man some tymes in one sorte and sometymes in an other In the. xviii Chapiter of Genesys it is wryten howe God and two Aungelles wyth him dyd apeare vnto Abraham in the lykenesse of men and howe Abraham feasted them Howe vaine a matter were it I pray you for vs here buselye to reason howe God or Aungell coulde appeare lyke man and whether they had true bodyes or no and whether they dyd eate in dede or no and yf they hadde not true bodyes in dede howe the appearaunce of bodyes coulde be where the substaunce of bodyes was not In the thirde chapter of the booke called Exodus we rede that God appeared to 〈◊〉 in the lykenes of flamynge fyre and that oute of a bushe In the. v. of Iosue it is recorded how one sodenly appeared vnto Iosue lyke a man hauynge a sworde drawen in his hand What can anye manne saye howe God shoulde appeare in a flame of fyre or what substaunce of a sworde was in that which appeared to Iosue Hereby it is easy to vnderstande howdaungerous a thyng it is to go about by mans wyt or reason to discusse that maner of that workes of almighty God Who seyth not that by the meane of such presumptuous 〈◊〉 men haue of late fallen into moost detestable errours touchyng the mooste blessed Sacramente of the aultare and haue moost spytefully rayled agaynst the same and wyth moost vyle termes haue gested thereof and 〈◊〉 moost vily haue vsed the moost precious bodye and bloude of our sauiour Chryst in the same In whych doing how can they loke for anye fauour at the handes of their heauenly father seyng in suche dispituous maner they entreate the Bodye and bloud of our sauyoure Christ his sonne But now to procede forth touchyng t declaration of the secōd thyng to be conside red in the blessed Sacramēt of the aultare Ye must knowe that the presence of our sauyoure Chryste in thys sacrament of the aultar is not to the intente that Chryste should be conuersaunt with vs here in thys Sacramēt in such sort and maner as he was with his Apostles when he liued here on earth that is to saye in the visible shape and fourme of a mā but hys presence in the Sacrament is to the intent to be to vs an heauenlye fode and therefore he is presente in the sacramēt vnder the fourmes of bread and wine so that our outwarde eyes and senses are certifyed wyth the outwarde fourmes and sensyble qualityes and the whole man with al receaueth the verye body and bloud of our sauiour Christ. S. Augustine as is wrytten in a boke called 〈◊〉 prosperi dothe say that christen men do honour vnder the for mes of breade and wine which thei see with their bodely eies the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ which they do not see Eusebius Emissenus also an aūcient father of the Greke churche speaking of the foresayd two partes conteined in the Sacrament of the aultar sayeth in thys maner This is the thing which by al menes we intend to proue that the Sacrifice of the churche doth consist and is made of two par tes that is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the elemē tes and of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloud of oure Sauioure Chryst. S Cipryan in hys treatise en tituled De coena domini doeth moste playnely saye that the bread whrch our Lord did giue to his dis ciples was by the omnipotēcie of god made fleshe was chaūged in nature but not in fourme The forenamed Eusebius in a sermō of his made of the body of Chryst dothe farder saye that Christ the inuisible priest doth tourue visible creatures 〈◊〉 his word through his secret power into the substaunce of his body blud Now for to signify this chaung to turnyng of bread and wyne into the substaūce of Christes bodye and bloude the catholyke church vseth this word Trāssubstanciatiō which is as much to say as the chaūging of one substaunce into another Neyther is it to be counted vnfyt that there should in the Sacrament of the aultare 〈◊〉 the fourme of bread yet not the 〈◊〉 of bread seyng God is the doer worker therof to whom nothing is impossible We read in the 〈◊〉 Chapiter of Exodus how that when God came downe frō heauen vnto Mounte Sinai there was heard a soūde of a trumpet and yet mate rial trumpet was there none In the fourth boke of the Kynges the. vii chapiter God caused a sounde to be heard in the tentes of the Sirians as if it had bene of horses charets and of a greate armye yet was there nother horse charet nor armye In the thirde chapiter of Daniel it is recorded howe the three chyldren were in the myddest of the flamynge furnes and yet felte no heate soo that there was the substaunce of fyre and yet it dyd not bourne whych to nature is impossyble but to GOD is an easye matter In the. xvii of Mathewe we reade howe that Chryste was transfygurated and that hys face dyd shyne as the Sonne and that hys apparel was made as whyte as snowe In the. xxiiii of Luke Chryst appered to two of hys dysciples goyng to Emaus like a straunger In al these foresayde examples we see as straunge a worke as is transubstantiation yet no man douteth of them because God is the worker nor anye man askethe howe this or that coulde be but beleuethe it and soo oughte we to doo concernynge the chaunge of the substauuce of breade and wyne into the substaunde of Chrystes bodye and bloude and not aske howe it may be The blessed martyr Iustinus affyrmeth that this questyon howe is a token of vnbelefe and S. Ciril writing vpon the. vi Chapiter of S. John blamethe the Capernaites bycause they dyd
iudgement of our senses shoulde make vs once to doute of any one trueth in Chrystes religiō were it neuer so contrarye to the course of nature neuer so farre aboue our capacities and neuer so absurde to the appearaunce of our outwarde senses But forasmuch as through the iniquitie of these later euyll yeares diuers haue hadde sondrye fonde dowtes and scruples put into theyr heades especyally agaynst the presence of Chrystes body bloud in the Sacrament of the aultare and through such dowtes haue swarued from the true belefe therein therefore here shall folowe aunsweres and solutyons to such dowtes as haue ben most commen that from hence for the no man shal nede to be seduced by them or other lyke ¶ Fyrst it hath bene obiected that our sauiour Christ immediatlye after that he had instituted and delyuered to his Apostles the sacramente dyd say vnto them Do this in remembraunce of me Upon which wordes some haue concluded that the bodye of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament ¶ But let vs duely waye that words and meaning of the same and we shall moost plainly perceaue theyr erroure and mysvnderstandyng Sainct Paule in hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians and in the. xi chapter of the same Epistle intreating of the institu tion of the Sacrament of the aultar and there ope nyng the true sense of that commaundemente of Chryst sayth in this maner As oft as you eate of that breade and drinke of that cup you shall shew forthe the Lordes death vntil he come So then the remembraunce whych oure sauyoure there requirethe of vs is the remembraunce of hys death which is past and not presente and therefore after most proper maner of speache may well be remembred Now this remembraunce can in no wise possibly be so lyuely and so effectually worke in our hartes as when we most certenly beleue that in that sacrament of the aultare is verely the selfe same bo dy in substaunce which died for vs and therefore that Prophet Dauid foreseyng in spirit this so excellēt a memory sayeth in his 〈◊〉 Psalme Oure mercyfull gratious Lord hath made a memori of all his marueylous workes and by by decla 〈◊〉 in what maner he maketh that memori he addeth those wordes he hathe geuen a foode to suche as feare hym This fode which 〈◊〉 Prophet sayeth that Christ should leaue in remembraunce of al his maruelous workes that is of his incarnatiō his passion his ascension and glorye in heauen and other lyke workes most chiefely is to be verefied of the body and bloud of our sauyour Christe in the sacrament of the aultare Besydes thys the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ as it is in the sacramēt vnder the fourmes of breade and wine may in that respecte also very weli be a remembraunce of it selfe as it honge on the crosse in the vysyble fourme of a mortal man and as it is nowe in heauen in the forme of an immortall man Farthermore when our sauiour sayd Do this in the remembraūce of me he ment they should do the whol ministratiō which he then dyd in remembraunce of hym which whole ministration cannot be accordynglye doone otherwyse but that there must nedes be present the very body and bloude of our sauyoure Christe ¶ Another common obiection there is gathered of the wordes of Christ. Mathew xxvi when he sayd Poore men ye shal haue alwayes with you but me shal ye not alwayes haue with you Some haue vpon these wordes concluded that the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament of the aulter for then say they Christ should be alway with vs whereof hymselfe saythe the cōtrary ¶ But yf those mē so concludyng wold no more but confer sainct Marke and sayncte Ma thew together tonchynge the foresayde wordes of Christ and by that the one Euāgelist sayeth would sincerely iudge what the other ment they should sone perceue this ther obiectiō to be of no force or strēgth at al to proue that they thereby goo about to proue For sainct Marke iu his xiiii Chapiter fyrst telleth the story of the woman whych cam to Chryste and brought with her an Alablaster boxe of moost precious oyntment and poured the ointmēnt on his head next he telleth how certene of the disciples did murmure and grudge at that facte of the woman and sayd What meaneth this losse and waste of oyntment Might it not haue bene sold for more then three C. pence geuē to the pore Thyrdely he telleth howe oure sauioure beynge offended wyth the dysciples for theyr murmurynge agaynst the woman and how withall he allowing and commendynge her facte dyd say iu this maner Let her alone Why are ye greuouse vnto her she hath done a good dede for alwayes shal you haue poore men amongest you and when ye shal please you may bestowe your charitie on them but me shal ye not haue alwayes amongest you This woman hath bestowed on me that she had and she hathe preuented to anoint my bodi against it shal be 〈◊〉 By this processe of S. Marke it is euydent that our sauiour in al that his talke had a respecte to the charitie whiche that womau then shewed vpon hym when she poured the precious oyntmente on hys heade the lyke whereof he sayethe no man should be able to shew on him in tyme to come meaning that when he should once ryse from death to lyfe and haue an immortall bodye that then he woulde not looke to 〈◊〉 the lyke at anye mannes handes but that then men myght at their pleasure bestowe on the poore who alwayes are in the worlde in the mortall estate and maye by charity of good folke be releued and comforted In such sorte in dede oure sauiour is not nowe amongest vs but the beynge of his body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aulter is atter another sorte For in the Sacrament he is to fede vs with his body and bloude and not vysyble to shewe him selfe vnto vs as he thē did to his apostles nor to haue ointment poured on hym as he then had ¶ Another obiection is there gathered partely of S. Paule in the. x. of hys firste Epystle to the Corinthians where he speakethe of a spirituall meate and spyrytuall drynke partelye of Christes wordes in the. vi of Ihon where he sayeth that It is the spirite whych geueth lyfe and that the fleshe 〈◊〉 nothing partely vpon the common maner of speakyng vsed of the Catholyke churche which calleth the Bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Chryste in the sacrament of the aul tar a spirituall meate and a spirituall drynke ¶ For aunswere to which obiection it is syrste to be vnderstanded that one selfe thing may be bothe spirituall and yet neuerthelesse of a corporall substuunce to As for example the bodye of man after the 〈◊〉 shall as S. Paule wytnessheth in the. xv chapeter of hys fyrst
the surest pyller that men maye lene vnto be they learned or vulearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are othere obiectyons vpon iii. partyculer artycles of our crede whyche are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the ryght hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Whych articles yet being ryghtly vnderstanded shoulde rather confyrme vs in the true catholyke belefe of the presence of christes body in the sacrament of the aultare For as it is aboue nature for a manes bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of manes nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glorie with God the father and fynallye as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternall deathe and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastlye beleueth al these supernatural powers in Christ touching hys manhed bycause he is both God and man and to god nothyng is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowinge that Christ is omnipotent credite all othere thinges done or spoken by Chryst and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in apearaunce to our reason yet in very dede they agree and stand ryghte well with those foresayd iii. articles of our crede that though we cannot by oure wittes conceaue howe Chryst is ascended and is neuertheles in the Sacra ment also yet they must nedes be bothe beleued bycause gods worde doth affyrme them bothe and the catholyke churche dothe beleue them bothe whyche churche hath alwayes taught that Chryst is in heauen in the visyble fourme of a man and in the sacrament vnder the 〈◊〉 fourmes of bread and wine hys wysdome so ordeyning that wyth oure hartes we woulde beholde hys golry as he syttethe in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on hys very body in the sacrament to re ceaue the more grace and there vpon so to be gouerned wyth hys spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutyons myghte suffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all othere common 〈◊〉 made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the symple people by there folye in crediting euyll and per nicious schole maysters to theyr destructyon wher giuing credite to the catholyke churche they myght auoyde all 〈◊〉 and meryte a great deale yet to open further the 〈◊〉 and noughtines of the heretique teachers in our tyme and howe glad willinge they are to 〈◊〉 the symplicitie of the vnlerned people ye shall haue here added some moo obiections and solutions geuē to them to thys ende that if the sayde symple people haue bene infected with the sayd obiections or such lyke they maye be wel satisfied in their conscience therevpon adhere vnto the catholyke faythe maynteyned and obserued in the catholique churche out of whych there is no saluation And to prorede herein this is one othere common obiection that much troubleth the ig noraunt people it is to wite ¶ How can that bodi and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst be in the blessed sacrament of the aultar seing that not only euyll men do many tymes receue the same but fyre also maye consume it and other like chaunces may happen vn to it ¶ For 〈◊〉 to whyche obiectiō it is fyrst principally to be sayd that this obiection procedethe of a vayne curiositie of them whyche rather delyte fondly to talke of thys high mystery theu to prepare themselues to receaue the same accordyngly Sure we are that our Sauiour Chryste is nowe man incorruptible and impassible nether by fyre nor by ought els can suffer violence and therefore where it pleaseth hym of hys tender mercy and goodnes for our great comforte and soule helth by hys omnipotent word to tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into hys most prerious body and bloud in the sacramente of the aultare and yet so to make thys turne that neuerthelesse he sufferethe the fourmes sensible qualities of the breade and wine to remaine in there nature as they were before the consecratyon it is to be vnderstauded that the vyolence or force that is or in ye be 〈◊〉 to thys sacramente is done onely to the fourmes and qualities sensible which in dede are subiecte to passibilite corruption but in no wise to the vncorruptible bodi bloud of oure sauiour Chryst vnder them conteyned Doo we not read I pray you in the fourthe of Mathew how that our sauyour suffered the deuyll to take hym and carye hym vp into the pynacle of the temple afterward to the toppe of an high mountayne and yet who doth not know that he suffered no vilany therby at al The sonne beames also many tymes do shyne on thynges impure vncleane yet are they no whit thereby defyled The bodye of mā is with a greter vnion ioyned to the soule then are the fourmes of bread and wine to the body and bloude of our sauionr Chryst in the Sacrament of the aultar and yet we know that 〈◊〉 putrifaction and other such lyke thynges chauncynge to our body the soule hath in it no suche passion for that it is immortall The very Godhed of oure sauiour Chryst was in vnitie of personne vnited to hys manhod yet none of the passiōs paines or griefes which he sustayned in hys manhod broughte vyolence alteration or chaunge to hys godhed For the godhed is in alterable vnpossible The simplicity of Chrysten people in the primatyue churche was suche that they beleuynge mooste certenly the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryste to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the fourmes of bread and wine dyd without al curious talke of the fourmes accidentes bende thē selues to be 〈◊〉 at masse where in the myghtye woorke of consecratyon is wrought bi god and wherin our sauiour Christ also is in fourmes of bread and wyne offered vp to the heuenly father by the preist for the soner obteinyng of mercy and fauoure towardes vs and the sayde people beyng at masse they wyth moost feruent deuotion dyd praye and did honour the blessed sacrament of the aulter the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe and besydes this they dyd oftentimes wyth feare and tremblynge prepare them selues to the worthy teceyte therof and by suche theyr godly behauiour they dyd purchase to them selues greate aboundaunce of grace wher we by the cōtrary and moost vnchristian behauiour prouoke gods wrath dayly more and more vpon our selues and that whole realme For nothyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to auengeaunce then the presumption of such as 〈◊〉 curiously enter into hys hidden secretes and thervpon doo contempne all that whyche by theyr feble wyttes they are not