why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he veryly thought and beleued that no one beynge broughte vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at anye tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speaketh but of those foresayd three degrees of vncharitablenes for that it is not lykely christen men being traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at anye tyme procede in the violatyng of charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauiour hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise any man may so doo but thereby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For aunswer to thys question it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs all kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els Forasmuch then as in the third of Mathewe Math. 3 S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scrybes and pharisies adders brode and S. Paule calleth the Galathians fooles Gala. 2. and men without vnderstāding in the second chapiter of his epistle wrytten to them Luc 24 yea Chryst himselfe in the .xxiiii. of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and sloo of belefe and the thyng which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must saye that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassours and offenders thereby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that thys kynd of rebuking is laweful and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth no good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wysheth hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharitable mynde doth thou hym or tushe at hym or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him foole idiot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs lette all accustomed rancor and malyce from henceforthe be vtterlye banyshed from emongest vs that we dwellyng in charitie may dwel in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen with hym for euer which graunte vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghost to whome be all honor and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce the inestimable goodnes of almightye God and his inestimable mercye towardes vs nothing deseruing the same yf ther be any spotte of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankefulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fal downe in body and soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his transgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of God you haue a sufficiente and moost euident declaration in these godly and deuoute homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation and redemption of mā Neuerthelesse for your further instruction ghostlye comforte in this behalfe I haue thought good to lette you vnderstande an other hye benefyte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauynge perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenlye benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whiche our deare and dreadfull Sauyour both before and after his paynefull death dyd ordeyne and appoynt to be for euer to vs a moost louynge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyllar of truth in al oure doubtfull daungers Whiche churche forsomuche as it hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that many more is the pytie hath separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue runne a straye beynge ledde and caried with euery waue and wynde of newe lernynge I purpose by Gods grace to open shortely to you what this churche is ☜ what maner of churche it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professynge one fayth of God and one vse of all the holy sacramentes whiche churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauyoure Iesus Christe it is moost derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent names as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum coelorum c. that is to saye The bodye misticall of Christe the spouse of Christe the kyngedome of heauen For S. Paule speakynge of Chryste fayth Ephes 4. That he hath appoynted sundry officers to maintayne the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the body of Christ And kynge Salomon taught by the holy ghost did forsee the dignitie and beutye of this holye churche and sayde in the name of GOD therebye Vna est columba mea perfecta mea That is to saye One is my dooue Cantic 4. and my perfyt one With many other such louyng wordes as my syster my spouse c. And saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue there wyues Ephes 5 euen as Chryst loued the churche Lykewyse in the holy Gospell our sauiour Chryste doth compare the churche to sondry thynges vnder the name of the kyngdome of heauē Math. 20 as vnto a king which made a maryage for his sonne sometymes to tenne Vyrgynes Math. 25 and many such other by al which names and callyngs we may lerne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and dearely beloued to almyghty God who for hys churche sake dyd giue hys onely sonne to most vyle death and for the which also he hath prepared the kyngdome of heauen Nowe forasmuche as we rede of an other churche in the holy scrypture which is called Ecclesia malignantium Psalm 25 The churche of the malingnant noughtye people And yet of late a great number of scismaticall persones being in verye dede members of thys malygnant churche haue vsurped to thē selues the name of the true churche I intende to gyue you sufficient instruction to dyscerne and know the true churche of Chryst from all hereticall and scysmaticall congregations Fyrst this holye and true churche of Chryst is called in our Crede as it is in dede the catholyke churche That is to saye the vniuersal church bycause it is not lurkyng in anye corner or any one country but is in all countryes dyspersed neyther is thys catholyke churche hid from vs or inuisible or vnknowen but we may easely dyscerne and know the same For christ doth call it Ciuitatem supra montem A citie vpon an hyll Math. 5.
Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe also saye Math 23. that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he woulde the people should obey theyr lessons Euen so thoughe some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet oughte no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are sufficiente to declare the holye Churche what it is and howe it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and carye awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the catholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryghte godlye father in Christes Churche He sayth There are thre meanes to trye a churche Vincentius Lirenensis or doctryne the fyrst is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the thyrde is vnitie By the fyrst we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Christ and his apostles and hath contynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true fayth or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vnyuersallye in all countreys hath ben taught beleued By the thirde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or fayth of the church doth alwayes agre and is alwayes one Nowe those three thinges well noted may instruct and teache any Christen man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euer synce the Apostles tyme and in all countreys with one consent in al thinges concernyng our fayth hath shewed her self the worthy spouse of Chryst Contrary wyse false doctryne and heresye euer hath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende lately arise lurke in priuat corners neuer agre with itselfe Which thyngs I myght easelye at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstration But because in the nexte homelie I intende to speake of the aucthoritie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wyll make an ende Roma 12 besechyng all you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble and holy sacryfyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we may be altogether lyuelye membres of oure sauyoure Iesus Chryst and of his catholyke churche here vpon earth and after this lyfe partakers of the ioyfull kyngedome of heauen through the same our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen H. Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homely of the aucthoritie of the churche declarynge what commoditie and profit we haue thereby LYkewyse as in the laste homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the churche is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholyke church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beynge members of the same churche Fyrste whan oure sauioure Iesus Christ dyd send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheife and pryncipall pyllers of this catholyke churche he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathewe beareth wytnes Math. 10 sayinge Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they shoulde cast them out and shoulde heale all maner of diseases and infirmities And sondrye tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryste doth speake to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit That is to saye He that heareth you Mathe. 10. heareth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanynge Iohn 13. and wyllynge thereby that all the worlde shoulde know and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholyke church whiche Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holye Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to them Iam non dicam uos seruos sed amicos c That is to say Nowe I wyll no more call you seruauntes Iohn 15 but frendes for al thinges that I haue herde of my father I haue declared to you Iohn 20 And agayne he sayth As my father sente me euen so I sende you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louynge sauiour dyd giue greate aucthoritie to his Apostles But nowe it is expediente and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthorytie doth consyste and that the same aucthorytie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Christe but also to theyr successours in the catholyke churche euer to endure Whiche aucthoritie thoughe it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that hereafter doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power The churche hath the true sence of the scripture and is iudge therof and aucthoritie to the catholike churche to haue the true sense and vnderstandynge of the holye Scripture yea and to approue also or reproue al wryting as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye cal to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the churche that is to wit the holy Ghost as Christe dyd promyse sayinge Ego rogabo patrem et alium paracletum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum ineternum Iohn 14. that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye abyde wyth you for euer And after that our Lord and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also Iohn 20. after hys ascension into heauen accordynge to his merciful promise he did sende downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles Act. ii as saincte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not gyuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manyfest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat vobiscum inaeternum That he should abyde sayeth he wyth you for euer Nowe we are mooste certayne Iohn 14 that the Apostles of Christe dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze sayd to thē Math. 28. Ecce ego vobiscū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consūmationê seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beynge promised to the Apostles to abyde for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shall abide for euer Now
the thyrde time doest thou loue me and he aunswered and sayde Lorde thou knoweste all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him feede my shepe This processe of Scripture hath in it many circumstaunces to be noted The fyrst is that other Apostles beynge than present and amongest them euen he of whom Christ did euer make very much of that is to say S. Iohn yet our Sauiour Christ dyd dyrecte his speach and talke but to Peter onelye signifienge the matter wherof he dyd speake to appertayne to Peter chieflye and pryncipallye and not in so speciall a sorte to anye one of the apostles els Another and seconde circumstaunce to be here considered is that oure sauioure dyd aske Peter moost earnestly whether he loued him more than did the other apostles And the thyrde cyrcumstaunce is in that Christe dyd commytte both his lambes and his shepe vnto hym These cyrcumstaunces I saye and other suche like well considered doo conuince and clearelye proue that the hyghe charge ouer all the churche militant was especially committed to Peter And to this purpose maketh and serueth an other talke of our sauiour vnto S. Peter written in the .xvi. of Mathew where the texte is in this maner Venit autem Iesus in partes Caesareae Philippi Math. 16. interrogabat discipulos suos dicens Quem dicunt homines esse filium hominis At illi dixerūt Alij Ioannem Baptistam alij autem Heliam alij uero Hieremiam aut unum ex prophetis Dicit illis Iesus uos autem quem me esse dicitis Respondens Simon Petrus dixit Tu es Chrictus filius Dei uiui Respondens autem Iesus dixit ei Beatus es Simon Bariona quia caro sanguis non reuelauit tibi sed pater meus qui in coelis est Et ego dico tibi quia tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam Et tibi dabo claues regni coelorum Et quodcunque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum in coelis quodcunque solueris super terram erit solutum in coelis That is to saye Iesus came into the coastes of Cesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples sayinge Whom doo men say the sonne of man to be And they aunswered some Iohn Baptiste some Helias some Hieremias or one of the prophetes Iesus sayd vnto them But who saye you that I am Then Simon Peter made aunswer and sayde Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuinge God And Iesus answered and sayd Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ioanna for fleshe and bloude hath not this reueiled and opened vnto the but my father whiche is in heauen And I saye vnto the that thou arte Peter or a rock and on this rocke I wyll buylde my church hell gates shal not preuayle agaynst it And I wyl gyue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdō of heauē whatsoeuer thou shalte bynde vpon earth shal be boūd also in heuē whatsoeuer thou shalt lose vpō the earth shal be loosed also in heauē These wordes of Christ were spokē longe before that Christe gaue that other cōmaūdemēt to Peter to feede hys flocke and that thynge whyche is perfourmed in the other woordes is here promysed in these woordes In the other woordes oure sauioure dothe presently put him in authoritie saying Feede my Lambes feede my shepe In these woordes he dooeth but promyse the sayde authority vnto him sayenge Vnto thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngedome of heauen and what so euer thou loosest or byndest in earth shal be loosed or bounde in heauen The lyke of this did our sauiour neuer speake to any one of the Apostles els seuerally but onely generally For generally to Peter and to the reste being al together sauing Thomas who was absent Christ sayed the woordes whyche are writtē in the .xx. Iohn 20. of Iohn it is to witte Receyue you the holy ghoste whose synnes ye remyt they are remytted and whose synnes ye retaine Math. 18. they are retained And in the .xviii. of Mathew Christ sayeth vnto the twelue What so euer thynges you shal bynde vpon the earthe shal be bounde also in heauen whatsoeuer you shal lose vpō the earth shal be losed also in heauē Yf our sauiour Christ had not intended to gyue vnto Peter a speciall authoritie aboue the rest what nede was there to speake this seuerallye vnto Peter seing he had spoken it generally to them all before And what thing ment he els when in the presence of al the twelue he promised to gyue vnto Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sauing a speciall priuilige or prerogatyue to Peter Our Sauiour through his heauenly wysedome perceyuynge that it is most necessarye one to be ouer a hole multitude specially being a multytude congregated of so infinite a number of people and of so sondry nations as is the catholyke churche did appoynte S. Peter to that offyce and Peter hauinge receyued such charge at Christes handes did incontinentely practyse and exercise the same and all the rest of the Apostles dyd gyue place vnto him Act. i. And therefore in the first of the Actes it is written howe that after Christes ascension incontinently S. Peter rose vp in the myddest of the faythfull and moued them to goo to the election of one that should succede in Iudas rowme which offyce he vndoubtedly woulde not haue taken vpō him but that our sauiour Christ had Authorised him in such sorte as is before declared In the .ii. Actes 2. of the Actes it is wrytten howe that in the presence of all the Apostles S. Peter tooke vpon him to speake in all their names to the people on whitsonday in the morning streighte after that they had receyued the holye Ghoste in the likenes of clouē tunges In the third of the Actes it is writtē Actes 3. how that S. Peter healed a lame mā which was lame from his mothers wombe and that when the people wondred at so straunge a myracle the sayd Peter made an oration vnto them Act. 4.5.6 In the fourthe of the Actes and in the fyfte and syxt there is the lyke and in manye other places of the same booke All whyche places of scrypture oughte to perswade euery godlye harte to thynke that oure sauiour dyd gyue vnto sainct Peter that authoritie aboue all the reste of the Apostles vpon hys hoole churche for an vnytye and good order to be kepte in the same And yet for your better contentation herein you shal here the authorities of the Aunciente fathers in this behalfe Origene Origenes a greeke wryter whyche was wythin two hundred yeares after Christe in hys exposition made vpon the .vi. Chapiter of S. Paules Epistle to the Romaynes wryteth thus Petro cum summa rerum de pascendis ouibus traderetur et super ipsum tanquam super terram fundaretur ecclesia nullius confessio
when good men receaue the sacrament that they receaue the bodye and bloude of Christ both sacramentally and spiritually to but when euyll men receaue it that they receaue the body of Chryst sacramentally only not spiritually because they come vnto it vnworthely and therefore do they procure thereby to theim selues dampnation But nowe to open fardar the very meaning of those wordes of Chryst It is the spirit that geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothing you shal vnderstande that these wordes are taken of the catholyke church in two most godly senses the one is to meane by the spirite the godhed and by the fleshe the nature of man as yf he had sayd it is the godhed that causeth my fleshe to be able to gyue lyfe nether is my fleshe the fleshe of a bare man for then it beyng eaten coulde not profyt you but my fleshe is vnited in vnitie of person to the godhed so that it is thereby able to brynge lyfe to the worthy eater therof Thus doeth Cyryll Cirill vpon the .vi of Saynte Iohn expounde these wordes And to lyke purpose saincte Augustyne Augustine sayeth vppon the .vi. of Ihon that as knowledge beyng seperated from charitie maketh men proude but beynge ioyned with charytye doth edyfye euen so mans fleshe not vnyted to the Godhed and beyng eaten doth not profytte but the fleshe of Chryst which is in him in vnitie of person inseperably vnited to the godhed being worthelye receaued must nedes hyghly profyt The other sēse of those wordes to meane by the spirit a spirituall vnderstandyng of Christes promyse made in Capernaum when he sayde Iohn 6. the foode that I wyl giue vnto you is my fleshe which wordes be then vnderstanded spiritually whē they be taken to meane that thing which passeth the power of nature to doo and mans wyt by naturall reason to comprehende lykewyse by the fleshe is to be ment a fleshely vnderstandynge of the sayde promysse as to vnderstande without fayth in Christes deitie as the Capernaites did which toke Chryst but for a bare man so conceaued no otherwyse of the eatyng of his fleshe then of commen meat bought in the shambles Thys sense hath S. Chrysostome Chrisostome wryting vpon the .vi. of Iohn and S. Augustyne wryting vppon the same Chapter ¶ Obiection An other obiection is ther by occasion that this truth is not expressed in the commē crede ¶ Which obiection doth procede of an ignoraūce Aunsvver lacke of knowledge of the fyrst institution of the crede For in the primatyue church when men of all ages dyd sodenly turne from gentility to the christiā religion and yet then were not by and by vpon suche there turne admitted to any sacramente but fyrste were instructed in artycles necessary for them to beleue before they were baptised this common crede was taught them and they were for that tyme called Catechumini that is younglynges in Chrystes religion and begynners admytted but to the fyrste principles of the chrystian faythe durynge whyche tyme they were not suffered so muche as to be present at the masse but after the gospel were quyte excluded from the same as by the vndoubted wrytynges of the auncient fathers in christes church maye most euidently appeare So that this reason is fōd and to no purpose to say that because it is not in the commen crede expresly set fourth that in the sacrament of the aultar is the very bodye and bloude of our sauiour christ therfore no christian man is boūd to beleue it so to be S. Chrysostome Chrisostome and S. Augustyne Augustine hauyng occasion many tymes in their sermones made by them to speake of this Sacrament for asmuch as amōg theire audience were as wel yonglynges not yet baptysed as other faythfull already christened did vse oft to say Quod fideles norūt that is which the faithful or they that be al redy baptised know or such lyke thing and would not then expreslye declare the trueth touching the sacramente of the aultare for that it was not the maner to reueyle such misteries to those yonglinges but to them was in general as sufficient for saluation prescribed in that common crede that they should beleue the catholike churche which not onely was sufficient thā for thē beleuynge the other articles of there crede but is sufficient at this present also for vs cōfirminge oure selues in all poyntes to the common belefe of the catholyke church which is the surest pyller that men may lene vnto be they learned or vnlearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are other obiections obiection vppon .iii. particuler artycles of our crede which are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the right hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Which articles yet being rightly vnderstanded Aunsvvere should 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 mans bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of mans nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glory with God the father and fynally as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternal death and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastly beleueth al these supernaturall powers in Christ touching his manhed bicause he is both God and man and to god nothing is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowing that Christ is omnipotent credite al other thynges done or spoken by Christ and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in appearaunce 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 Sacrament also yet they must nedes be both 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 visible fourmes of bread and wine hys wysedome so ordeyning that with our hartes we shoulde beholde hys glory as he sytteth in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on his very body in the sacrament to receaue the more grace and thervpon so to be gouerned with his spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutions mighte sufffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all other common obiections made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the simple people by their folye in crediting euill and pernicious scholemaysters to theyr destruction wher giuing credite
And in the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe also teachynge the order of brotherly reconciliation he saythe Yf thy brother trespasse agaynst the go and tell him his faute betwene hym and the alone but yf he hear not the Math. 18 yet take with the one or two yf he heare not them than tell the churche Oh Lorde howe shall he tell the church yf it be not knowen as the euyll doo contende Lykewyse Saynt Paule speaking to the preystes and elders at Ephesus Actu 20. doth warne thē to take hede to them selues and to al the flocke amonge whome the holy ghost sayth he hath placed you to rule the churche of God Thus playnely the scrypture declareth that the catholyke churche is and oughte to be manyfestly knowen yet lest you should anye thynge doute of the vnderstandynge of these scryptures heare I besech you howe playnely Saynt Augustyne doth wryte hereof Sicut per uerba dei nouimus ubi sit plātatus paradisus sic per uerba Christi ubi sit ecclesia didicimus Contra Petil. lib 2. Cap. 13. As by the woordes of God we know wher paradyse was planted so by the woordes of Chryst we haue learned where the churche is Marke here good people that Saynt Austen in thys place doth write agaynst an heretike being one of the donatyste secte who denying the catholyke churche dyd ascrybe the fayth of chryst and al saluation to them selues onely being a smale parte of Aphrica lyke as all scismatical congregations in thys late tyme haue done some saying in germany here is Chryst here is the churche some in Heluetia here is christ here is the churche other in Bohem here is Christ here is the churche and we in Englande here is chryst and here is the churche Wherof euery one dyssentyng from an other and that in maters of great weyght doth declare that the spyryte of God which is the spirite of truth and vnitie promysed by Christ to the catholyke churche dothe not leade nor gouerne suche sectes neyther oughte they to mayntayne and set furth false doctryne to the people vnder the name of the churche yet sainte Austen in the same place addyth hys or rather gods threatnyng Ibidem saying Ab isto uniuerso ad partem quamlibet quisquis separat hominem ille diaboli filius homicida conuincitur Whosoeuer doth seperate one man frō thys whole to anye parte he is proued to be the sonne of the deuyl and a very manqueller Alas than in what heauy case are those that haue separate from the catholyke churche not one man onely but many thousandes surelye in heauye and miserable case vnlesse they doo speadelye and in due tyme repent and doo penance Moreouer to knowe more manyfestly the catholyke churche of Chryst we ought to consider what Saynte Paule wryteth of the foundation thereof For al scismatycall congregations though they grounde them selues apparantly vpon the holye scrypture yet haue they there profession seuerally taken of some noughty man as saynt Augustyne sayth They are called euery one by proper names August de uitilitate cred Cap. 7. whiche they dare not denye But the catholyke churche though heretykes haue named it papysticall yet receyued it neuer any other name but catholyke and chrystian but al mē that rede may se how gloriously some haue vsyd the name of Marchion Ebion Arrianus Manicheus Pelagius Donatus and in our tyme lykewyse the name of Luther Zwinglius Carolstadius wyth thousandes such other which hereticall fashion S. Paule doth rebuke in hys epystle to the Corinthyans who were euen in lyke case and bostyng vpon men sayd Ego Pauli Ego apollo I hold of Paule 1 Cor 3 and I of Apollo But the holy apostle rebuketh them saying As longe as there is amonge you enuying and stryfe or sectes are you not carnall So that euerye chrysten man and woman may playnely se by the scrypture that these hauynge suche diuision and sundrye sectes amonge them selues are by S. Paule accompted altogether carnal and farre vnworthy to vse the name of the churche whiche is the onely and chaste spouse of Christ Ephes 2 But of the catholyke churche saynt Paule sayth Now therfore ye are not straūgers and foreyners but you are citisens with the saynctes and of the housholde of God and are buylded vpon the foundation of the Apostles prophetes Iesus Chryst hym selfe being the heade corner stone And further bycause saynt Paule throughe the holy Ghost in him dyd forsee that all heretykes would callenge to them selfes the aucthoritie of the Apostles prophetes and that they wold with out authoritie or knowlege wraste theyr writinges euery one to there owne sense therefore this holy apostle Ephes 4 in the same epystle tellyth vs the order whych Chryst hath apoynted to be obserued in hys church for he sayth that Chryst ascending into heauen dyd gyue gyftes to men and that he made some apostles some prophetes some Euangelystes some shepardes and teachers declarynge thereby that in the catholyke churche there are orders and offycers some hyer some lower whom the rest ought both diligently to heare and humbly to obey So dyd the same S. Paul 1 Timot 4 Tit. 1 before hys death apoint Timothe to the offyce of a Byshoppe and also Tite he dyd leaue in Creta that he shoulde ordeyne prestes in euery citie whiche preistes and Byshoppes should not be dysdained or litle regarded as in this tyme of manye they are but they shoulde dooyng there duetie haue double honoure and faythfully gouerne the church Actuo 20 Tit. 2 as saint Paule sayeth And writyng to Tite he byddeth him exhort and rebuke with al feruentnes of commaūdyng by these places of the holy scrypture you may easely see and vnderstand that in the catholyke churche there are and ought to be degres and orders and that whosoeuer doth breake contemne or deny the same he denieth and forsaketh the verye truth and ordinaunce of Chryste and his Apostles Nowe further we oughte to consider that as S. Paule dyd ordeyne Timothe and Tyte yea and other byshoppes and Preistes in his tyme so they by his commaundement dyd in theyr tyme ordeyne other delyueringe also to them the doctryne whiche they haue receaued of Paule and by contynuall discurse of tyme euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vpper hande accordynge to Christes promyse Math. 16 neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll and wicked synners For Christ hym selfe Math 13 doth compare the churche to a nette caste into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at the ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by
lyuely faythe oute of whyche wyll sprynge in vs muche holynesse of lyfe and quietnes of conscience and yf at any tyme throughe our frailnes we happen to fall we haue readye to rayse vs vp agayne the holye Sacramentes throughe the comfortable helpe whereof we be made stronge and so daye by daye more able to procede in al kynde of vertue and thus hauynge vpon earthe oure mother the holye churche whiche is the spouse of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God we maye be bolde to call vpon GOD our father and be assured that he wyll heare vs as hys dearebeloued chyldren and gyue vs the inheritaunce of heauen whyche is prepared for vs through our sauiour Iesus Christe To whoÌ„e wyth the father and the holy ghost be honour prayse and glory world without ende Amen H. Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homelye of the Primacy or supreame power of the highest gouernor of the militant Churche AS in euery naturall and polytyke body so in the churche militaÌ„t which is a misticall body superioritie and inferiority must nedes be amoÌ„gest the members thereof or ells it cannot endure And for thys cause speciallye our Sauiour Chryste when he was here conuersaunte on the Earth dyd hymselfe appoynte his Apostles Disciples and there successours to haue the ouersyght cure and high gouernement of his church to the worldes ende And to the intente that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie he doth saye in the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon Amen Amen Dico vobis qui accipit si quem misero Iohn 13 me accipit Qui autem me accipit accipit eum qui me misit That is to say Veryly Veryly I saye vnto you who that receyueth him whome I sende receyueth me And he that receiueth me receyueth hym that sent me And in the tenth of Luke he sayth Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit Qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui misit me Luce. 10. That is to saye He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth hym that sent me Of the Apostles also and theyr successours and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke doth Saynt Paule speake in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans saying Ephes 4. Ipse dedit quosdam quidem Apostolos quosdam autem Prophetas alios uero Euangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii in edificationem Corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei agnitionis filii dei in uirum perfectum in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut iam non simus paruuli fluctuantes neque circuferamur omniuento doctrine in nequitia hominum in astutia ad circumuentionem erroris That is to saye He meanyng Chryste hath giuen or appointed some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some pastores and teachers to the perfytynge or consummating of the holyons to doo the worke of the mynistery to edyfye the body of Chryst vntyll we all come together in one vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto the estate of a perfecte man after the measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst that from henceforth we should not be as babes waueryng neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne in the wickednes of men in the wylynes of them who go aboute to deceyue vs This place of Saynt Paule most playnelye setteth before our eyes the authoritie and gouernemeÌ„t which our sauiour hath appoynted to contynue to the ende of the worlde in his churche and howe the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Preachers and teachers are giuen of Chryst to his people to gouerne them And therewith al Saynt Paule in the sayde place sheweth to what ende suche gouernement and authoritie is instituted it is to wytte for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body in the fayth for the defense of the hole bodye from the poyson of heresye And in dede no one thing can so muche suppresse heresye as yf the Authoritie and gouernment Ecclesiasticall be accordingly therevnto estemed obeyed as witnesseth Saynte Ciprian the blessed Martyr in hys fyrst boke and third Epystle saieng Neque aliunde hereses obortae sunt Ciprian Lib. i. epistle â—3 aut nata sunt scismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur Nec unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex uice Christi cogitatur cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas uniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotum collegia quicquam moueret That is to saye Neyther other where or by other meanes are heresyes sprong vp and scismes rysen than hereof that obedience is not gyuen to the preist of God Nor one is considered or thought to be in the churche for the tyme the preist and for the time the iudge in Christes stede vntowhich one yf the hole fraternitie dyd according to the heauenly commaundements obeye no man woulde stirre or moue anye thinge against the Colleges or coÌ„panies of preistes Hereby you may perceyue that saynt Cypryans coÌ„clusion or iudgemeÌ„t is that the gouernment Ecclesiasticall and especially of one to be taken and reputed as Christes vicar is the best meane to let and suppresse heresies and that such one gouernor is to be obeyed of all chrysten people which thinge maye be proued very playnely and euidently by the holy scryptures themselues For the scryptures doo witnesse that our sauiour appoynted S. Peter to thys high rowme and charge ouer his hole flocke and no one of the Apostles els In the .xxi. Ioan. 21 of S. Iohn it is wrytten howe our sauiour after his resurrection appearing at the sea of Tiberias to certen of his Apostles amongest whome was Peter dyd fyrste take breade and fyshe and gaue vnto them And when they had refresshed them selues he sayde vnto Peter Simon Ioannis diligis me plus hiis Dicit ei Etiam domine tis scis quia amo te Dicit ei Pasce agnos meos Dicit ei iterum Simon Ioannis diligis me Ait illi Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ei Pasce agnos meos Dicit ei tertio Simon Ioannis amas me Contristatus est Petrus quia dixit ei tertio amas me dixit ei Domine tu omnia nosti tu scis quia amo te Dicitei Pasce oues meas That is to saye Symon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me more then these doo He answered vnto him Yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him Fede my lambes Then he spake to him agayne and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me He aunswered yea Lorde thou knoweste that I loue thee He sayd vnto hym againe Feede my lambes Then spake he vnto him the third tyme and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doest thou loue me Peter was sorie because Christ sayde vnto him now
these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spoken Besids al this we haue in S. Paule in the .xi Chapiter of his first Epystle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touchyng this Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to beleue of it than that there is in it the very bodye and bloude of our sauiour Chryst For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of our sauiour euen as the Euangelistes do as that he sayd this is my body and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuing of this Sacrament bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing herof God plageth cities and countryes with sondry greuous plages as with infirmity with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell diligentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Christ be nat in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promysse made thereof why dyd he as he did in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedly to be of all christen people beleued that in the Sacrament of the aultare there is the verye body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substaunce that is in heauen which thing for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thing most easye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for him to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in this heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he mighte be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisibly vnder the visible fourmes of breade and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadyng great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he did not refuse to suffer death and that the death of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst his wyll who of his onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for his wysedome seyng he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mother nourysheth her children wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God most hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewel that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religiō so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quyte and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the selfe same body of our sauiour Christ in substaūce which was borne of the Vyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London ¶ And Homelye of Transubstantiation THere are in the sacrament of the aultare ii thinges speciallye to be considered the one is the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ ther really cōteined the other is the fourmes of breade wine vnder whych the said body blud are cōteined Of the first parte ye hard in the last homely Touching the 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 remaining but onely the fourmes of breade and wyne the substaunce of Christes body and bloude there so contayned And yet because some haue vainely and curiously of late yeares talked of this second part and haue put many fonde doutes and scruples into peoples heades concerning the same ye shall nowe at large and fully I trust be instructed therin And fyrst this is to be noted that God hath from the begynnyng of the worlde manye tymes appeared to man some tymes in one sorte Gene. xviii and somtymes in an other In the .xviii. Chapiter of Genesis it is wrytten howe God and two Aungelles with him dyd appeare 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 Moyses in the lykenes of flamynge fyre Exod. 3. and that oute of a bushe In the .v. of Iosue it is recorded how one sodenly appeared vnto Iosue lyke a man Iosue 5. 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 how daungerous a thing it is to go about by mans wyt or reason to discusse the maner of the workes of almighty God Who seyth not that by the meane of such presumptuous curiositie men haue of late fallē into moost detestable errours touching the mooste blessed Sacramente of the aultare and haue moost spytefully rayled agaynst the same and with moost vyle termes haue gested thereof and finallye moost vily haue vsed the moost precious bodye and bloude of our sauiour Chryst in the same In which doing how can they loke for anye fauour at the handes of their heauenly father seyng in such dispituous maner they entreate the Bodye and bloud of our sauiour Christ his sonne But now to procede forth touching the declaration of the secōd thing to be considered in the blessed Sacramēt of
the sacrament of the aulter ¶ For aunswere Aunsvvere whereunto maye be sayde that in dede it is true that Christe hathe but one true naturall bodye and where they saye that one true naturall body can not be but in one place it is also true after one the selfe same maner of beyng but after dyuerse maners of beyng one body maye be sondry where yea and at one time to it is to wyt in heauē in the visyble fourme and maner of man and in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the forme and maner of breade and wyne and in eueryche of them really and truely to in those respectes God beynge therein the doer who is omnipotent ¶ Obiection There is also an other obiection and that is this God can make man but man can not make God nowe saye they yf the true body of Christe were really and in dede in the sacrament of the aulter than the priest which is a man should therby make God but mā can not make God therefore in the sacramēt of the aulter ther is not the very true body of Christ ¶ For aunswere Aunswere whereunto is to be saied that this obiection procedeth of a greate ignoraunce for he that maketh this obiectiō taketh that the priest saying masse and pronouncing the woordes of cōsecracion doeth make God where in very dede the priest goeth aboute no suche thynges and yf he dyd neyther he ne yet god him selfe can make God but the trueth is that the preist being the minister of God and god beyng ther the worker with his worde by the preist pronounced there is caused the very body of Chryst to be ther present wher it was not ther before yet no new body ther made but that body ther presēt which lōg ago was borne of the Vyrgyn Mary the same I say in substaunce is there presente onelye vnder the formes of breade and wyne ¶ An other obiection obiection there is and that is thys S. Luke in the .xvii. chapiter of the actes doth testifye that S. Paule beyng at athens and in mars strete before the councell there did saye amongest other wordes that God doth not dwell in temples made with handes wherevpon the vnlearned vnlernedly doth gather that seyng the material temple is made with handes and the sacrament of the aultar is in the sayd materiall temple it foloweth say they that the body and bloude of Chryst can not be in it because God doth not dwell in temples made with handes And this obiection hath bene soo muche liked and commended amonges the proceding preachers abusing the ignoraunt that they thought it ineuitable therfore abusing the sayd people they caused it to be sette vp and paynted for a gaye shew in the temples ¶ For aunswere Aunsvvere whervnto this is to be tolde you that there is a great difference betwene beyng dwellyng in a place for a greate manye of you I doubte not haue bene both in the cheape syde in Paules churche yarde yea and Paules churche to wher ye haue not with moost due reuerence vsed and behaued your selues and yet I am sure that ye dwell not there In dede God is properlye sayde to dwell in heauen because he there doth shew and manifest his great glory and in the hartes of iust and good people he is also sayde to dwell by grace but as for other places he is in them beyng but not dwellyng And as concernyng the beyng of God in the sacrament of the aultare forasmuch as there is the verye substaunce of chrystes natural and true bodye and bloude taken of the Vyrgyn Mary and that the diuinitie is in vnitie of person inseperably vnited and ioyned to the sayd bodye and bloude therefore we must say and beleue that the godhed of Chryst is in the sacrament of the aultar with his humanitie in a very speciall sorte and doth not thereby dwell in the sayde sacramente and soo this obiection is not worth a good button for all the bragges that hath bene made of it Other fond and folysh obiections there are which are not worthy to be answered vnto and therefore are not nedefull to be touched exhortyng you therfore in Chryst fyrmely and stedfastly to beleue the doctrine of the catholyke churche herein and so shal you auoyde daunger please God profit your selfe and lyuinge well come at the last to ioy euerlastyng which graunte vnto vs the father the sonne and the holy gost to whom be honor and glory for euer AMEN Domine saluos fac regem et reginam et omnes qui eis bene uolunt ¶ Imprinted at London in Poules churcheyarde at the sygne of the holy Ghost by Ihon Cawodde Prynter to the Kynge and Queenes Maiesties Cum priuilegio Regiae maiestatis