Gentiles to offer vnto him in euery place whereas it is cleare it is meant of the whole spirituall worship and seruice of GOD vnder the Gospell which consisteth of preaching praying and thankesgiuing as may plainely appeare by these auncient Fathers interpretations vpon the same place of the Prophet Tertullian saith z Tertullian in his Exhortation vnto Chastitie The pure Sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of that should be offered in euery place is the preaching of the Gospell to the ende of the World Saint Hierome saith a Hierome vpon the first of Malachie The Prophet Malachie meaneth heereby that the prayers of holy people should be offered to God not onely in Iewrie but also in all places Also Iustinus Martyr saith b Iustinus Martyr in Dialoguo cum Triphone Esaias promised not the restoring of a bloudy Sacrifice but the true and spirituall Sacrifice of Praise and Thankesgiuing Therefore we see that the spirituall Sacrifice vnder the Gospel is preaching praying and thank esgiuing To conclude whereas they would haue made the world to belecue that their Masse and the vse thereof is but the application or applying of the Sacrifice of Christs Death and Bloud vnto vs wee see it tendeth to the vtter destroying of Christs Sacrifice for that they make their Sacrifice of the Masse the very substance of the thing it selfe CHAP. X. Tending to resolue all men that the words of Christ in the sixt Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud are onely but figuratiue speeches as also those his other words when he instituted the Sacrament and deliuering the Bread to his Apostles said Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you 1 OVR Sauiour Christ Iohn 6.59 teaching in the Synagogue at Capernaum deliuered these words vnto the Iewes saying I am the liuing Bread that came downe from heauen If any man eate of this Bread hee shall liue for euer and the Bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Verse 51. Againe Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of Man Verse 53. Verse 54.55.56.57 and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you And againe Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day For my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeede he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me 2 Now in these words Christian Reader we are chiefly to obserue these three things First that the scope and drift of our Sauiour Christ was to enduce the Iewes to haue vnderstood that he was the second person in the Godhead equall with the Father and that it was of necessity vnto saluation that they should eate and feede on him as he was God And this is it which he said I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Secondly he would they should haue knowne that he being the second person in the God-head had taken into his diuine nature flesh and bloud and that it was also of as great a necessity vnto saluation that they should eate and drinke the same and feede on his flesh and bloud And this is it which he also said Christ must be eaten as he is God as hee is man and as he is both God man Except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Thirdly he would they should haue perceiued that as he was both God and man so it was also of as great a necessity vnto saluation that they should feede on both his natures vnitedly together And this is it which hee further said vnto them He that eateth me euen he shall liue by me By which we see it euident and plaine that none can be saued but those that doe eate Christ not onely as hee is God but also as hee is man and also as he is both God and man Eaten then he must be of necessity as both the Papists and we confesse but the manner how hee must be eaten is all the matter in question whether spiritually by faith or corporally with the mouth and teeth 3 The Iewes supposing Christ had beene man onely when they heard him say hee was the bread of God that came downe from heauen to giue life vnto the World To eate feed on Christs flesh is to beleeue that by the suffering in his flesh hee tooke away the sinne of our flesh and that he that did eate thereof should not die they were offended but when he added further and said And the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World of which whosoeuer shall eate shall haue euerlasting life they raged and murmured among themselues saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate This is an hard saying who can heare it But when our Sauiour perceiued their carnall vnderstanding in which they so grossely erred in the manner of eating by imagining they should haue eaten him with their mouthes and teethes as their Fathers did eate Manna then in the 58. verse fully to resolue them that he meant no such kinde of eating he said The Iewes erring in the māner of eating could profit nothing by the matter they should eate Not as your Fathers did eate Manna And yet more fully to resolue them that indeede he meant a spirituall kinde of eating in the 57. verse he said plainely thus As the liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me By which words he declared vnto them that as he did not liue carnally by the Father but spiritually so should they liue spiritually by him Howbeit The cause was they would none of his interpretations such was their peruersenesse that they would none of his interpretations but because he had said they must eate his God-head they would no otherwise vnderstand but that hee meant they should eate it carnally and also because hee had said they must eate his man-hood they would no otherwise but that they should eate his flesh corporally then said Christ further vnto them It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Meaning as they vnderstood it should bee eaten for otherwise his flesh was as profitable as his Godhead vnto those that did eate it after that manner as hee meant else would he not haue said Whosoeuer eateth my flesh hath eternall life and except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you But therefore they failing in the manner could profit nothing by the matter they should eate The manner wherein
they erred Christ himselfe sheweth Verse 64. and the manner wherein they failed hee declared in the 64. verse was because they did not eate him spiritually by faith For said he But there are some of you which beleeue not 4 Thus then we may be fully resolued that the manner of eating which Christ meant was spiritually by faith which hee made plaine vnto them not onely in that 64. verse but almost throughout the whole Chapter for wee may there see that whensoeuer he spake of eating still hee added beleeuing onely to manifest vnto them that by eating Eating and beleeuing is both but one thing he meant beleeuing Also that they might the more plainely haue vnderstood that by eating and beleeuing he meant but one and one onely thing he expounded it vnto them by that one onely effect which he declared both eating and beleeuing hath For as in the 54. verse he said Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day So in the 40. verse he said This is the will of him that sent me that whosoeuer seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Wherefore seeing he shewed them so plainely that the effect of eating and beleeuing was but one and the same thing they might the more easily haue vnderstood that by eating and beleeuing he meant but onely one and the same thing and so consequently that they should eate him spiritually by faith and not after a carnall and corporall manner 5 And thus Christian Reader haue we found out the true meaning of those words of Christ touching the eating and feeding on him euen by conferring place with place and verse with verse which is doubtlesse the most surest way for the bringing the truth to light euen by expounding one Scripture by another For as Saint Chrisostome saith a Chrisost in his 12. Hom. Genesis The holy Scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the Reader to erre And as Saint Augustine saith b August in his Bocke of questions 83. the 69. quest The circumstances of the Scriptures is wont to giue light and to open the meaning As also in another place c 3. Booke 29. Chap. of Christian doctrine Darke places are to be expounded by more plaine places The surest way of expounding the Scripture is to expound one Scripture by another But the Papists refusing to take this course haue most grossely erred in the true vnderstanding of Christ and also most ignorantly charged vs to hold that heresie of those obstinate and blind Capernaites whereas indeede themselues hold the heresie For their heresie was as we see that Christ meant a corporall kinde of eating euen as they hold but we hold cleane contrary and therefore not we but they are of the fellowship of those first Authors of that heresie who as the Text declareth did therein so fall from Christ as that they forsooke his company Wherefore all that will wilfully fall away from Christ let them with those cauilling Capernaites hypocriticall Disciples and our counterfait Catholiques hold that heresie 6 But now forasmuch as it is an vsuall thing with them whensoeuer they see themselues conuicted by Scripture to tell vs that no Scripture is of any priuate interpretation and therefore vnlesse we can shew them that the same Scripture is so expounded by the ancient Fathers they will not admit it be the sense made neuer so plaine Let them therefore heare how the ancient Fathers testimonies doe expound those words of Christ 7 Saint Origine writing vpon those words Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you saith d Origen in his 7. Hom. vpon Leuiticus Consider that these things written in Gods Booke are figures and therefore examine and vnderstand them as spirituall and not as carnall men for if you vnderstand them as carnall men they hurt you for euen in the Gospell there is found a letter that killeth for if you follow the letter or words of this that Christ said Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud this letter killeth Againe Origine vpon the same words saith e Orig. in his 7. Booke vpon Leuiticus This letter killeth but if thou take it spiritually it killeth not but in it is a quickning spirit vnderstand therefore spiritually those things that be spoken Also Saint Augustine vpon the same words saith f Augustine in his 3. Booke of Christian doctrine Now this saying of Christ Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you seemeth to command a haynous and a wicked thing therefore it is a figure Againe writing vpon those words It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing thus he expoundeth them g Vpon the 98. Psalme Ye shall not eate this body that ye see neither shall ye drinke that bloud that they shall shed which crucifie me I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacrament being spiritually vnderstood it will giue you life Againe h In his 27. Treatise vpon Iohn When you shall see the Sonne of man ascend vp where he was before then shall you vnderstand that he giueth not his body in such sort as ye imagine neither that he is to be consumed by bits and morsels Also fully to resolue all true Christians that Christ meant that none could eate him effectually vnto saluation but such onely as eate him spiritually he saith i In his 26 treatise vpon Iohn He that eateth inwardly not that eateth outwardly he that eateth in heart not that presseth with the teeth to beleeue in Christ that is the eating the bread of life prepare not your mouthes prepare your hearts And againe he saith k In his 26 treatise vpon Iohn Our Lord called himselfe the bread that came downe from heanen exhorting vs to beleeue in him for to beleeue in him that is the eating the bread of life he eateth that beleeueth in him Also in reprouing all those in particular that would eate Christ carnally he saith l In his Booke against the Iewes 9 cap. Why doest thou prepare thy belly and thy teeth beleeue and thou hast eaten Therefore saith Saint Chrisostome m Chrisostome in his 46. Hom. vpon Iohn If any man vnderstand those words of Christ carnally he shall surely profit nothing thereby for what meane these words The flesh profiteth nothing he meant not his flesh God forbid but hee meant of all these that fleshly and carnally vnderstand those things which Christ spake and what is carnall vnderstanding else but to vnderstand them as they be spoken And therefore it is which in another place he saith n In his 14. Hom. vpon Iohn God will not that we vnderstand the words of holy Scripture simply and plainely as they lie but with great
but saue his life For if Saint Paul should haue spoken those words to haue maintained a place of purging sinne then should hee haue vtterly confounded all his owne doctrine throughout all his Epistles where he so laboureth to proue that our sins are wholly purged by the bloud of Christ onely For first in the third Chapter to the Romans he saith thus of Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.9 And in his 5. Chapter thus Being now iustified by his bloud we shall be saued from wrath through him And in the first to the Colossians thus Colos 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and hath translated vs into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne in whom wee haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenesse of sinnes And in the same Chapter Verse 19.20 For it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in Heauen And for a full conclusion of this point namely that wee are absolutely made perfect by Christs death and bloud he saith verse 22. In the body of his flesh Verse 22. through death he made vs vnblameable and without fault in the sight of God Now then this being true to wit that we are fully and wholly reconciled to God by faith in the bloud of Christ and our sinnes cleane washed away thereby so as that we are made vnblameable and without fault in Gods sight how absurd had it beene for Saint Paul to haue taught any other kinde of purgation Therefore it is cleare that those his words in the third Chapter to the Corinthians cannot be vnderstood of Purgatory 9 Furthermore as touching the truth of this doctrine namely that our sinnes are washed and cleansed onely by the bloud of Christ Saint Paul is not singular in this point for as we heard before out of the seauenth Chapter of the Reuelation that it was confirmed to Saint Iohn by the Angell of God from Heauen so likewise whosoeuer will reade the first Chapter of that Booke shall finde these words set downe concerning Christ Vnto him that loued vs Reuel 1.5.6 and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father be glory and dominion for euermore Amen And in the 1 Chapter to the Hebrewes thus Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his person and bearing vp all things by his mighty Word hath by himselfe purged our sinnes And in the first Epistle and the first Chapter of Saint Iohn thus Iohn 1. Epist 1. chap. 7. The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Wherefore then seeing that of the bond slaues of Sathan we are made Kings and Priests to God by the bloud of Christ and that Christ of himselfe and by himselfe hath so purged our sinnes as whereby wee are made vnblameable and without fault in Gods sight why should we nay rather how dare we beleeue it is done by Purgatory Againe seeing the holy Ghost saith By the bloud of Christ Verse 9. wee are cleansed from all sinne and in the verses following From all vnrighteousnesse And that Saint Paul saith Titus 2. Titus 2.14 He redeemed vs from all iniquitie why should we suffer our selues to be so deluded to thinke that there is any sinne vnrighteousnesse or iniquity at all left to be purged by their imagined Purgatorie or that there can be any vse at all thereof or be any such place 10 Saint Cyprian speaking of the matter of our purging saith thus m Cyprian of Christs passion Thy bloud O Lord seeketh no reuenge thy bloud washeth our sinnes and pardoneth our trespasses Also to shew that there can be none other purgation nor any place for the purging of sinne after this life he saith else-where n In his first Treatise against Demetrian After we be once departed out of this life there is no more place of repentance there is no more effect or working of satisfaction life is here either lost or wonne Also to the very same effect are those words of Saint Augustine o August vpon the 25. Psalme Let onely the price of the bloud of my Lord auaile me to the perfection of my deliuery And in another place thus p In his 10. Booke 22 Ch. of the City of God The victory is gotten in his name that hath taken man vpon him and that hath liued without sinne that in him and through him being both the Priest and the sacrifice remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes should be obtained and giuen that is to say saith he by the Mediatour of God and man that man Iesus Christ by whom the purging of our sinnes being made we are reconciled vnto God Well then if onely the bloud of Christ be auaileable to the perfection of our deliuerance from sinne and that the purgation thereof be so effectually made thereby as that our sinnes are washed away and all our trespasses pardoned and wee reconciled vnto God in this life and that here in this life euerlasting life is either lost or wonne and that after this life repentance comes too late and no satisfaction can be made to what end should God prouide a place after this life for the better perfecting of our saluation But therefore it is which Saint Augustine in another place saith q In his 54. Epistle to Macidonius There is no other place to correct our manners and conditions but onely in this life euery man shall haue that which he hath purchased vnto himselfe in this World And what vse then can there be of Purgatory Saint Ignatius saith r Ignatius in his 6. Epistle Alwayes reason requireth that whiles we haue space and time we should amend and correct our faults whiles in this life wee haue occasion giuen of repentance for it is truly said after death there is neither time nor place to confesse our sinnes And why then should wee beleeue that there is both place and time Saint Ambrose saith s Ambrose vpon good death He that here in this life receiueth not remission of his sinnes shall not be there in the life to come meaning Heauen Also Saint Hierome speaking of the same point saith thus t Hierome in his Booke vpon the 95. of Esay He that doth not obtaine remission of his sinnes whiles he yet liueth in the body doth perish to God and abideth to himselfe vnto euerlasting damnation And what auaileth Purgatory after this life then Saint Chrisostome likewise speaking of the same point saith u Chrisost in his 2. Sermon of Lazarus Whiles we be yet here we haue a godly hope but as soone as we are departed hence it lieth no more in vs for to repent nor
the sinnes of others Thirdly to stay their soules from death Fourthly to purchase Heauen And lastly to lift vp and place their soules in Heauen They will haue all by their owne deseruings or they will haue none all by merits or else no bargaine therefore let vs see what wee can say further vnto them touching this point 25 Our Sauiour Christ Matthew 5. saith Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Now this word Poore is a metaphor taken from a man that is so very poore as that hee hath not wherewith to sustaine his owne life but is faine to seeke to others for succour And such are they which finde themselues so greatly destitute of soules sustenance as that they are glad to seeke to others for reliefe euen to God for his mercy and to Christ for his merites 26 Such a blessed poore man was Saint Basil as may appeare by these his words h Basil vpon the 32. Psalm He that trusteth not in his owne good deeds nor hopeth to be iustified by his workes hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Augustine as appeareth by these his words i Aug. vpon the 142. Psal Lord for thy name sake shalt thou quicken mee in thy righteousnesse Not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercy on me Also such a blessed poore man was Saint Hierome as appeareth by these his words k Hier. 64. of Esay If we behold our owne merits wee shall be driuen to desperation Yea and notwithstanding Saint Bernard acknowledgeth himselfe also to be one of these poore Publicans in that he saith of himselfe l Ber. vpon the Psal qui habitat My merites is the mercy of God yet they will rather be condemned with the proud Pharises then be iuslified with the poore Publicans To be briefe whereas their Master Harding saith m D. Harding in his booke A direction of sundry soule errours lies c. in fol. 357. Wee are iustified freely without workes that may deserue the grace that God giueth Here he hath condemned their doctrine of iustification by workes to be most false and erroneous but in that that hee includeth that workes may deserue the grace that God giueth he hath proued himselfe a notable heretique For as Saint Augustine saith n Aug. in his 46. Epistle Vnderstand that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an Elder of the Church of Rome is written against the Pelagians the new heretiques which affirme the grace of God to be giuen according to merits that he that glorieth should not glorie in the Lord but in himselfe that is in man and not in the Lord. And therefore in another place hee saith o In the same Epistle Let no man say that for the merits of his workes or for the merits of his prayers or for the merit of his faith the grace of God is giuen vnto him And so that which those heretiques say be counted true namely that according to our merits the grace of God is giuen then the which nothing can be more false But as he saith in another place p In his booke of predestination of Saints chap. 9. They that glorie should not glorie in their owne merits which they perceiue to be like vnto the merits of them that shall be damned but should glorie in the Lord. Whereupon saith Saint Ambrose q Ambrose in his 1. booke and 5. chapter of the calling of the Gentiles Like as there is none so detestable outragious as can restraine the free gift of grace so can there be no worke so excellent that this which is freely giuen should be due vnto them by action of debt for then the redemption of Christ should in deed be no thing worth neither should the worthinesse of mans workes be inferiour to the mercie of God Whereupon their Writer Waldensis saith r Walden in his booke against Wilelesse I take him therefore to be the sounder Diuine the faithfuller Catholique and more agreeable to the holy Scriptures that vtterly denieth all such kinde of merits And thus much for the conclusion of the twelue Chapters referring the whole matter to be iudged by all that shall reade them Whether they can possibly be true Catholique Christians which in stead of one God will haue hundreds as appeareth in our first Chapter and in stead of one Sauiour to haue many thousands as appeareth in the same Chapter That will haue the Pope to be the very Vicar of Christ whom in our second Chapter wee proued to be that great Antichrist shewed by Saint Paul 2 Thessa 2. to be the Arch-enemie of Christ and all true Christians That will haue Rome to be the Mother of all Christian Churches which in our third Chapter we proued to be that Babylon which the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation calleth The mother of Whordomes and abhominations of the earth That will haue his Church as it is now Christian to be the true Church of Christ Which in our fourth Chapter we proued to be the same idolatrous Church professing Christ mentioned by the Angell in the 13. Chapter and 17. Chapter of the Reuelation That will haue their Church to be the most auncient Apostolique and Catholique Church which in our fifth Chapter we proued had no being at all for the space of sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ That will haue the succession of Vniuersall Popes to descend from Saint Peter which we proued in our sixth Chapter to descend but from Boniface the third Bishop of Rome of that name made Vniuersal Pope by that Murtherer Phocas â—he Emperour in the yeare of Christ 607. In which yeare the first Vniuersall Pope being made the Popish Church must needes first begin For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an Vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church Therefore their Church hauing her first beginning but sixe hundred and seauen yeares after Christ the antiquity thereof is ouerthrowne our Church proued to be more ancient by sixe hundred and sixe yeares That will haue the Popes supreame title and dignitie approued of by generall consent of Councells and Fathers which in our seauenth Chapter we proued to be gain said and withstood by Councells and Fathers till the yeare of Christ 607. That will haue Peter to be made supreame Head of all the Apostles by Christ himselfe the contrary whereof wee proued in our eighth Chapter by Christs expresse Commaundement and therefore the Pope cannot claime his Supremacie from Peter That will haue the true Church knowne by retaining seauen Sacraments which in our ninth Chapter we proued that to Saint Chrisostomes time which was about foure hundred yeares after Christs Incarnation it was knowne by retaining onely two Sacraments and afterwards no Christian Church knowne by the iust number of seauen till Antichrist was borne in Rome That will haue the idolatrous Masse to be the ordinance of Christ which in the same Chapter we proued cannot be because it tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of Christs death and passion as also because it was not begun to be framed till about one hundred and nineteene yeares after Christ and not finished of more then sixe hundred yeares after And confessed by their Iohannes Boemos to be inuented by certaine Bishoppes of Rome whose names wee haue produced in the same Chapter as himselfe nominated them That will haue those words in the sixt chapter of Saint Iohns Cospel touching the eating his flesh and drinking his bloud to bee meant of a corporall kinde of eating which heresie wee proued in our tenth Chapter Christ reproued the carnall Capernaites for As also will haue those words in the sixe and twentieth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel Take eate this is my Body to be literally vnderstood that they might worship the bread for Christ and make an Idoll of it That will haue Saints prayed vnto and worshipped which as we proued in our eleuenth Chapter is to robbe God of two speciall parts of his glory Lastly that will haue men to make a better satisfaction for sinne then Christ hath made for them be better purged from their sinne in the fire of Purgatory then Christ hath by his bloud or be holden from life and libertie for euer which as we proued in our twelfth Chapter tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all that Christ hath done for the saluation of man kinde To conclude we see in this Chapter of Conclusion they will haue men to seeke iustification by the workes of the Law that so they might be brought vnder the curse and condemnation of it for not fulfilling all that the Law requireth They will haue men to purchase heauen by their owne deseruing thereby to proue his death to be needlesse and faith in him of none effect And notwithstanding that case to stand cleare that these be paâ—â— of those Antichristian lies wherewith Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. shewed the great Antichrist should deceiue those that loued not the truth But had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They bash not to say The Pope cannot be holden with any Religion of a lie FINIS