almost S. Ambrose sentence and woordes S. Ambr. li. de myst c. 9. Ambrose saieth Quid hic queris naturae ordinem in Christi corpore cùm preter naturam sit ipse Dominus Iesus partus virgine What doest thowe here seke the order of nature in the bodie of Chryst sith the same Lorde Iesus Chryste was beside nature conceaued of a virgen This authour saieth what doest thowe seke the cause or ordre of the transmutacion of the nature of breade into the bodie of Chryst and of the wine and water into his bloode sith he aboue nature and reason was born of a virgen So farre wide was yt from the mening of this authour to varie from the mindes of the auncient fathers that he vseth their woordes To end yt ys easie to perceaue that this man teaching transmutacion or transubstancion and soche creditte to be geuen to the plain woorde of Chryst for the verie presence of his bodie in the Sacrament vnderstandeth Chrystes woordes withoute figure as also Rupertus did THE THREE AND SIXTITH CHAP. TARIETH IN the exposition of the same wordes by Innocentius and Germanus IN this proceasse we are descended to Innocētius the thirde who liued the yeare of our Lorde 1300. and therfor about 362 years agon In this matter he writeth thus Agnus Paschalis siue dubio figurabat Jnnocen de offic Miss Dominicum corpus sed panis azimus sincerum opus Sicut autem Ioannes Baptista qui dixerat Eccè agnus Dei per adiunctum determinauit Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi Sic Christus qui dixerat Hoc est corpus meum per adiunctum determinauit quod pro vobis tradetur Sicut ergo corpus Christi veraciter tradebatur sic verè demonstrabatur non in figura quaeiam cessauerat sed in veritate quae iam aduenerat The paschall lambe without doubte was a figure of our Lordes bodie but the vnleauened breade signified a sincere worke As Iohn the Baptist The bodie of Chryst both deliuered and demonstrated not in figur but in trueth who saied Behold the lambe of God by a clause adioined did determine yt saing Behold him that taketh awaie the sinnes of the worlde So Chryste who had saied This ys my bodie by a clause adioned determined the same saing which shall be deliuered for yowe Therfor as the bodie of Chryst was verilie deliuered so was yt verilie demonstrated not in a figure whiche nowe had ceassed but in trueth which nowe was comed This authour minding to expownde Chrystes woodes doeth first declare that the Paschall lambe wherof we haue at large spoaken in the first booke was vndoubtedlie a figure of Chrystes bodie wherbie the geueth vs to vnderstand that nowe the figure being taken awaie which can not other wise be ceassed but by the cominge of the veritie that nowe the bodie of Chryst ys not onelie as in a figure as yt was in the paschall lambe but yt ys nowe in veritie He prooueth yt by Chrystes owne woorde who saied and spake nothing but trueth This ys my bodie That he spake yt by his owne naturall and substanciall bodie he prooueth by the determinacion that he put to yt which was this Which shall be deliuered for yowe This particle added determineth his sainge to be of his naturall bodie For he deliuered not his siguratiue bodie neither his spirituall bodie nor his misticall bodie Wherfor yt was spoaken of that bodie whiche might be deliuered for the sinnes of the worlde whiche was onelie his owne naturall bodie Then he concludeth vpon these two partes that as Chrystes bodie was verilie deliuered to deathe so was yt verilie spokē of Chryst in the supper not in a figure which ys nowe past and hoen but in veritie which ys comed To be shorte as he breislie concludeth the trueth so with asmoche breuitie Figure of the Sacramentaries flatlie denied he excludeth the vntrueth He sendeth the emptie figure to the olde Lawe he appointeth the fullnesse of the veritie in the newe Lawe Thus the Aduersaries figure being also denied by this authour as yt hath ben by manie other the conclusion maie be made that Chrystes woordes are to be vnderstanded not figuratiuely but in their propre sense simplie and literallie Nowe on the other side shall geue testimonie the holie man Germanus Germanus epis Constantin Bishoppe of Constantinople who did write an exposition vpon the Masse of the greke church wher in he writeth thus Ipse dixit Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus Ipse Apostolis iussit illos vniuersae Ecclesiae hoc facere Hoc enim ait facite in meam commemorationem Non sanè id facere iussisset nisi vim inditurus fuisset vt id facere liceret He saieth This ys my bodie this ys my blood He also commaunded the Apostles and by them the wholl Church this to doe For saieth he This doe ye in the remembrance of me Trulie he wolde not haue commaunded them so to doe except he had geuen them powr that thei might doe yt What ys their power afterwarde he declareth saing Spiritus sanctus qui semel egressus est in posterum non dereliquit nos sed est nobiscum erit in perpetuum aeuum haec per manum sacerdotum linguam mysteria conficit Ac non sanctum Spiritum dumtaxat misit Dominus noster vt maneat nobiscum sed ipse policitus est se mansurum nobiscum vsque ad consummationem seculi At Paracletus inconspicuus adest quia ipse corpus non gestauit Dominus verò conspicitur tangi se patitur per tremenda sacra mysteria vt quinostrā naturā acceperit eamue gestet in secula The holie Gost The holie Gost consccrateth the Sacr. by the hand and toung of the preistes who once came furth to vs and neuer hereafter doeth forsake vs but shal be with vs for euer to the worldes ende dothe consecrate these misteries by the hand and tounge of the preistes And our Lorde hath not sent his holie Spiritte that he onelie shoulde abide with vs But he himself also hath promised to dwell with vs vnto the ende of the worlde The holie Gost ys with vs but not seen bicause he had no bodie But our Lord ys both seen and suffreth himself by the fearfull and holie misteries to be touched as one that hath taken our nature vpon him and will beare yt for euer The power thē of the ministres of Chryst ys that they be the instrumētes of holie Gost by whose hād ād toung these mysteries be cōsecrated In that he saieth the holie Gost doeth woork this great work by the toūg of the preist he meneth at the pronunciacion of Chrystes woordes by the mouthe of the preistes at the whiche the holie God inuisiblie woorketh the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode agreablie to the woordes of Chryst Li. 4. de Sacr. spoken by the preist in the person of Chryst saing
wherof note gentle reader as before ys saied that as S. Iames and S. Clement directe their communicacion in praier to God the Father so doth S. Basill Chrysostom and S. Ambrose so also doth the catholique Church The schismaticall Church of the Proclamer and his felowes doth not so but reherseth historicallie the woordes of the scripture Yf yt should be asked whie the Proclamer and his likes refuse to folowe herin the auncient maner of the primitiue Church the imitaciō of whiche Protestāts why they folow not the maner of primitiue Church they so moch pretend and so often haue yt in their mouth yt ys easie to aunswer that they so doo bicause innouaciō which delighteth yt self with thown inuencions and desiereth nouelties and liketh allmost nothing that before was fownded ād setled by the Fathers which also pleaseth the people thursting chaunges of thinges occupieth their heades Other cause whie they shoulde not kepe the same forme maner and order of consecracion as the Apostles their Disciples and the Fathers did whie they should not cōtinew their peticion and praier in the time of consecraciō to god the father as they did whie theie vse not soch phrase and maner of woordes as all or most or some of thē did whie they put not water to the wine as all they did I cā none assign But to conclud hitherto yt maie be perceaued that the catholique Church in nothing varieth from the Apostolique primitiue and auncient Church and that the hereticall Church in nothing as touching consecraciō agreeth THE SIXE AND THIRTETH CHAP. DEclareth what was the intencion of the Apostles and Fathers in and aboute the consecracion in the Masse THe order by me appointed now requireth that we search what was the faith ād intenciō of the Apostles and Fathers of the primitiue Church aswell Grekes as Latines in and about the cōsecracion Yt ys a world to see how the Proclamer like a commōiester trifleth with soch a weightie matter Ah mercifull God that wise men can not see the deuelish wicked intēts of this heretical brood Brentius and Caluine contemne the woordes of the formes of Sacraments The Proclamer mocketh and skorneth the intencion of soch as mynistre the sacraments Yet when these two be taken awaie what sacrament haue yowe But that I tread not oute of my path leauing to entre the disputacion of intencion and faith generallie in all sacraments I will onelie here declare the intencion of the consecracion of the B. Sacrament by the practise of the Apostles and fathers And without all circumstances breiflie to entre into the matter we will first see the intent and faith of S. Iames what he thouht to be wrought in the consecracion of the Sacrament Which his goodlie praier wilfullie declare wherin he praieth thus Miserere nostri Deus omnipotens miserere nostri Deus seruator noster misere nostri Deus secundùm magnam misericordiam tuam demitte super nos et super haec dona proposita Spiritum tuum sanctissimum Dominum viuificum S. Jacobus in Missa vnà tecum Deo Patre et vnigenito Filio tuo assidentem simul regnantem consubstantialem ac coeternū qui locutus est in lege et Prophetis et in nouo tuo testamento qui descendit in specie columbae super D. n. Iesum Christum in Iordanis stuuio mansit super eum qui descendit super Apostolos tuos in specie ignearum linguarum in coenaculo sanctae gloriosae Syon in die Pentecostes Ipsum spiritum tuum sanctiss demitte nunc quoque Domme in nos in haec dona sancta proposita vt superueniens sancta et bona et gloriosa sua praesentia sanctificet et efficiat hunc panem corpus sanctum Christi tui et calicem hunc preciosum sanguinem Christi tui vt sit omnibus ex its sumentibus in remissionem peccatorum et in vitā aeternam Haue mercie vpon vs o God allmightie haue mercie vpon vs o God our Sauiour haue mercie vpon vs o God according to thie great mercie and send downe vpon vs and vpon these proposed giftes thy most holie Spiritt our liuing Lorde sitting and reigning and euerlasting together with thee S. Iames beleued by the worke of the holie Gost the bread and wine to be consecrated into the bodie ād blod of Chryste God the Father and thy onelie begotten Sonne who hath spokē in the law and in the Prophets ād in thie new testament which came down in the shape of a done vpon our Lord Iesus Chryst in the floud of Iordane ād abidde vpon him who came downe vpon thy Apostles in the shape of sierie toungs in the parlour of the holie and gloriouse Syon in the daie of pentecost The same thy most holie Spiritt o Lorde sende down also vpon vs and these holie proposed gifts that he coming vpon them maie with his holie good and gloriouse presence sanctifie and make this bread the bodie of thy Chryst ād this cuppe the preciouse blood of thie Chryst that yt maie be to all that receaue of yt remission of sinnes and life euerlasting c. Allthough in this praier of S. Iames manie things might be fownd woorthie of note yet yt shall suffice for this present that we obserue that he vpon the consecracion had the same maner of intent and faith that the catholique Church how hath that ys that the bread and wine set vpon the aultar by the miraculouse woork of the holie Gost be made the bodie ād blood of Chryst Which thing ys so liuelie and fullie spoken and vttered that yt nedeth no farder declaraciō This onelie maie be added that yf ther were no more doē by the consecracion but that the bread and wine be made a sacramentall bread and wine that ys onelie figurs and tokens of the bodie and blood of Chryst S. Iames wold neuer haue so earnestlie praied for the coming down of the holie Gost to sanctifie that bread and wine he knowing that the bread and wine might without the speciall sanctificacion of the holie Gost verie well be figurs of Chrystes bodie and blood as manie other things were in the olde lawe Neither wolde he haue praied that the holie Gost by his holie presence should make the bread and wine the bodie and blood of Chryste yf he had entended or beleued Chrysts institucion to haue but figures Yt were in my iudgement a mockrie of God to desire that the bodie and bloode of Chryste might be ther and wolde not haue yt in dede but onelie the figurs of yt But whie do I saie so moch in so plain and clere a mater As ye nowe perceaue by S. Iames his praier that his entent and faith was that Chrystes verie bodie and verie blood were consecrated on the aultar so shall ye see that S. Clement came to the aultar with the same faith and entent wherupon he praied thus Rogamus vt mittere digneris sanctum tuum Spiritum super
bodie of Chryste sacramentallie So also according to their duetie with godlie deuocion holie conuersation and spirituall meditaciō they might receaue him spirituallie withoute the whiche maner of receipt the other was nothing profitable but raither hurtfull and damnable And therfore in the end of the sixt of S. Iohn shewing his pourpose to be as I haue saied and that the people shoulde perceaue that as he knewe that they did beleue well so also they might receaue well he concludeth the wholl matter thus Hoc ergo totum ad hoc nobis valeat dilectissimi vt carnem Christi sanguinem Christi non edamus tantùm in sacramento quod multi mali sed vsque ad spiritus participationem manducemus bibamus vt in Domini corpore tanquam membra maneamus vt eius spiritu vegetemur non scandalizemur etiamsi multi modò nobiscum manducant bibunt temporaliter sacramenta qui habebunt in fine aeterna tormenta All this therfor most wellbeloued let yt auaill to this ende The flesh of Chryst eaten in the Sacr. of euel men that we eate not the flessh and bloode of Chryst onelie in the Sacrament whiche also manie euell men do but let vs eate and drinke to the participacion or partaking of the spirit that we maie abide in the bodie of our Lord as membres that we maie be made lustie and strong by his spirite and not be slaundered though manie do eate and drinke with vs temporallie the Sacramentes whiche in the ende shall haue eternall tormentes Thus S. Augustin Here maie ye clerely perceaue the scope of S. Augustines treatises vpon S. August doth acknowledge both spiritual and corporalreceauing S. Iohn that he wolde the people shoulde not onelie receaue the flesh and blood of Chryste in the Sacrament sacramentallie but also by the partaking of the spirit spirituallie In which his conclusion as ye maie perceaue that he teacheth two maner of receauinges so wolde he both to be vnderstanded in Chrystes woords and neither of them to be banished as a thing not intended or ment by Chryste Wherbye ye maie perceaue the great folie of the Aduersaries that bicause saint Augustine dothe exhorte vs to the spirituall receauing of Chrystes bodie and blood therfore we must contempne the sacramentall receauing therof And yet saincte Augustin wolde we shoulde do bothe and teacheth aswell the one as the other But ther doing herin ys moche like to their doing in the matter of iustificatiō that bicause sainct Paule did so moche extolle faithe to the Romans therfore they contemned the woorkes of charitie sett furth to the Corinthians The effecte wherof hath well appeared in their practise For not onely Luther did cōdemne saincte Iames epistle for the fetting furth of workes but also he and his sequaces haue maliciouslie separated cutt of and diuided Luther cōdemned S. James epist them selues from the vnitie of Chrystes Churche and felowshippe with yt And then being so separated haue withoute all measure and ende blasphemed railed at and reuiled the same and odiblie and cruellie persecuted yt which was towardes them frendlie and blamelesse But God kendle in them that be liuing the fire of his lowe that by yt they maie returne to vnitie whiche by malice haue made lamētable diuision not onelie among the people but betwen God and manie a soule And Reader beholde thow the trueth nowe laied before thy face and see that nowe taught of S. Augustin that before thowe hauest seen taught by Chrysostom and Cyryll Chrysostome saied Vt autem non solùm per dilectionem sed reipsa in ipsam carnem conuertamur per cibum id essicitur quem nobis largitus est That we should not onelie by loue but in verie deed be turned in to that flesh that ys brought to passe by the meate whiche he hathe graunted vs Wher note bothe our turning into Chryst by loue whiche ys the spirituall receauing and our turning into his flesh in verie deed whiche ys by the corporall receauing Cyrill saieth Non negamus nos rectafide charitateue sincera Christo spiritualiter Iu. 15. Joā Corporal receauing auouched aswel as spirituall coniungi Sed nullam nobis coniūctionis rationem secùndū carnem cum illo esse id profectò pernegamus We do not denie that we be conioined to Chryste spirituallie by right faith and sincere charitie But that we hawe no maner of coniunction with him after the flesh that we earnestly denie Note here a spirituall ioininge of vs to Chryste whiche ys by spirituall receauing and a carnall ioininge of vs to his flesh which ys by corporall receauing Nowe compare S. Augustine here to these who saieth that we maie not onely eate the flesh and drinke the blood of Chryst in the Sacramēt whiche ys the corporall receauing but we must eate yt euen vnto the participacion of the spirit which ys the spirituall receauing And thus thow seest an vniforme doctrine that we must bothe receaue Chryst in the Sacrament reallie and also by faithe spirituallie And therfor thowe Chrystian suffer not thy self to be robbed of the one seing that the exceading loue of Chryste as a pledge of the same hath to thy endlesse comforte lefte thee bothe And nowe what S. Cyrill saieth agreablie to S. Augustin vpon this text let vs heare Manet enim immaculata vtraque natura vnus ex vtrisque Christus est sed inefabiliter vltrà quà m possit mens humana intelligere Verbum humanitati In. 15. Ioan. coniunctum totam in seipsum ita reduxit vt indigentia vitae possit vinificare Sic interitum à natura expulit mortem quae peccato plurimum poterat destruxit Quare qui carnem Christi manducat vitam habet aeternam Habet enim haec caro Dei Verbum quod naturaliter vita est Propterea dicit ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die Ego enim dixit id est corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum Non enim alius ipse quà m caro sua Nō id dico quia natura non sit alius sed quia post incarnationem in duos se diuidi filios minimè patitur Ego igitur inquit qui homo factus sum per meam carnem in nouissimo die comedentes resuscitabo Bothe the natures saieth he abide inuiolated and of them both ther ys one Chryst but vnspeakeablie and beionde that mans minde can vnderstande The Sonne of God conioined to the manheade hath so reduced yt whollie into him self that yt ys able to geue life to thinges lacking Chrystes bodie receaued in the Sacr. shall raise our bodies to immortall life life So hath yt expelled destructiō from the nature of man and death whiche by sinne was very strong yt hath destroied Wherfore he that eateth the flesh of Chryste hath euerlasting life For this flesh hath the Sonne of God whiche ys naturallie life Therfore he saiethe and I will raise him vppe in the last
owre minde we maie not doubte of yt in anie point We haue hearde what S. Cyrill with all his felowbishoppes gathered together in Ephesus dothe beleue what Grece doth with them What Aegipt and also Sainct Hierom the preist And therfore although some maie erre of ignorance ther ys no man yet hitherto that openlie against saieth this so to be whiche the worlde dothe beleue and confesse Wherfore derely beloued doubte nothing in this mystery which Chryst the trueth hath of him self graunted vnto vs. For although Chryst sitteth in heauē and yet ys dailie sacrificed by the preist he sitteth at the right hande of his Father in heauen he disd meth not dathe by the handes of the preist in the Sacrament as a true sacrifice not vntrulie to be sacrificed Thus farre Paschasius See ye not the faith of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament stande vntouched and not shaken with anie heresie against saing yt openlie vntill the time of this writer Perceaue ye not Sainct Hilarie Sainct Ambrose Sainct Augustine Sainct Cyrill with all the Bishopps in the Councell at Ephesus whiche were foure hundreth and eightene Sainct Hierom also all Grece and Aegipt and finallie that the wholl worlde in this writers time did so beleue and so confesse The cause why the Proclamer denieth the Sacrament to be adored ys that he The Proclamer impugneth adoraciō of the Sacr. bicause he beleueth not reall presence denieth also Chrystes bodie and bloode to be ther. But yf that blindenesse of heresie taken from his heart he coulde by pure and clere faith see that blessed bodie ther ther ys no doubte but he wolde adore yt Euen so forasmoche as all the worlde with godlie confession acknowledged Chrystes presence in the Sacrament euen the same that was born of Marie as Sainct Ambrose saieth whiche Chryst ys of all Chrystians humblie to be adored and honoured who can doubte but that they wher they beleued him to be ther they honoured him Before this Authour was Leo more then foure hundreth yeares For he liued aboute the yeare of owre Lorde 452. and so more then eleuen hundreth yeares agone in whose time what the faith of Chrystes Churche was in the matter of the blessed Sacrament ye shall heare him reporte Separentur buiu smodi a sanctis membris corporis Christi neque sibi catholica libertas infidelium Leo Epi. 22 ad Costant iugum patiatur imponi Extra enim domum diumae gratiae extra Sacramentum habendi sunt salutis humanae qui negantes naturam nostrae carnis in Christo Euangelio contradicunt Symbolo reluctantur Nec sentiunt se in hoc praeruptum sua obcaecatione deduci vt nec in passionis Dominicae nec in resurrectionis veritate consistant quiae vtrumque in saluatore vacuatur si in eo nostri generiscaro non creditur In quibus isti ignorantiae tenehris in quo hactenus desidiae torpore iacuere vt nec auditu descerene nec lectione agnoscerent quod in Ecclesia Dei in omnium ore tam consonum est vt nec ab insantium linguis veritas corporis sanguinis Christi inter communis Sacramenta fidei taceatur quia in illa mystica distributione spiritualis alimontae hoc impertitur hoc sumitur vt accipientes virtutem caelestis cibi in caruem ipsius qui caro nostra factus est transeamus Let soche maner of men be diuided from the holie membres of Chrystes bodie neither let the catholique libertie suffre the yocke of infidelitie to be Eutyches and Diose their heres putte vpon yt Theie are to be accompted oute of the house of Gods grace and oute of the Sacrament of mans health whiche denieng the nature of our flesh in Chryst do bothe speake against the Gospell and striue against the Symboll Neither do they perceaue them selues through their blindenesse to be brought into soche daunger that they can not abide in the veritie neither of our Lordes passion neither of his resurrection For both these be voide in our Sauiour yf the flesh of our kinde be not beleued in him In what darkenesse of ignorance in what sluggishnes of sloothe hath these men hitherto lien in that neither by hearing they coulde learn neither by reading they coulde knowe that in the Churche of God in the mouthe of all men ys so agreablie spoken that not asmoche as of the tounges of infantes the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst among the Sacramentes of the common faithe ys vnspoken of For in that mysticall distribution of the spirituall foode this bodie ys geuen furth this bodie ys receaued that receauing the vertue of that heauenly meate we maie be made his flesh who was made our flesh Thus Leo. Of this Authour also being both auncient and holy ye perceaue yt testified Veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst st◅en of by the tounges of babes that the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament was so certenly beleued and so commonlie receaued that yt was not onelie confested by the mouthes of all men but also yt was spoken by the mouthes of babes And here with all note that this Authour doth merueill at Eutyches and Dioscorus and their adherentes howe they coulde denie Chryst to be a verie man seing that all Chrystian people confessed the naturall bodie of Chryst God and man to be in the Sacrament For confessing the veritie of his bodie and bloode which thinges be not of the nature of the godhead yt must nedes folowe that they confesse the nature and bodie of his manheade and so Chryst to be very man Thus ye maie perceaue that the prefence of Chrystes verie bodie and The reall presence so certenlie beleued that auncient Fathers made argumēt therof to cōfute heresies bloode in those daies was reputed esteemed and beleued so certen so sure and so vndoubted a matter of faith that learned men did vse yt as a stronge argument to confute and conuince diuerse heresies For as this Authour did vse yt against the heretikes of his time So did Irenaeus and Hylarius whiche were long before him against the heretiques of their times Whiche they wolde neuer haue doen yf in their times also the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament had not ben a clere matter oute of all controuersie and receaued of all aswell heretiques as catholiques as a substanciall poinct of their faithe whervpon an argument might be well grownded Nowe ye haue hearde the presence of Chrystes bodie testified to haue ben receaued of all the chrystian Churche from this our time to the time of Leo and before his time as by Paschasius yt ys aboue reported to the time of Sainct Hilary And so to the time of Irenaeus who was the Jn catolog script disciple of Polycarpus as Sainct Hierom witnesseth which Polycarpus was disciple of Sainct Iohn the Euangelist so neare was this man to the Apostles time This discourse haue
yow here in Sainct Basill howe the Sacrament was reserued in the houses of the Chrystian people to receaue as their deuocion moued them which inuinciblie and most plainlie affirmeth and prooueth that the Aduersarie denieth namelie that the Sacrament ought to be reserued I wish yow to note for that that ys before saied that Sainct Basill saieth that in the times of persecucion the people receaued the Sacrament at home by them selues when they had once receaued yt at the preistes handes And this Sainct Basill wisheth to be taken as no straunge thing for that they in Alexandria and Egypt yea and all soche as liued solitarelie in wildernesse had the Sacrament at home with them and did communicate them selues Which thing was not latelie practised but yt ys a thing established and confirmed by auncient vse and custome long before the time of Sainct Basill And being long before Sainct Basill I trust the Aduersarie will graunt that yt was an accustomed practise of the primitine Churche to reserue the Sacrament and to receaue yt vnder one kinde for that in those whotte contries soche small porcions of wine will not be kept conuenientlie in their owne kinde soch long time as they were forced to reserue the Sacrament in the wildernesse and ells wher Yf yow desire a more plain testimonie for this receipt vnder one kinde harken to Sainct Cyprian who writeth thus Praesente ac teste meipso accipite quid euenerit Parentes fortè fugientes dum trepidi minus consulunt sub nutricis alimento Cypr ser 5. de lapsis parâ—ulam siliam reliquerunt Relictam nutrix detulit ad magistratus Illi ei apud idolum quò populus consoluebat quòd carnem necdum posset edere per aetatem panem mero mixtum quod tamen ipsum de immolatione pereuntium superat tradiderunt Recepit siliam postmodum mater Sed facinus puella commissum tam loqui indicare non potuit quam nec intelligere prius potuit nec arcere Ignoratione igitur obreptum est vt sacrificantibus nobis eam secum mater inferret Sed enim puella mixta cum sanctis precis nostrae orationis impatiens nunc ploratu concuti nunc mentis estu sluctuabunda iactari velut tortore cogente quibus poterat indicijs conscientiam sacti in simplicibus adhuc annis rudis anima fatebatur Vbi verò solemnibus adimpletis calicem Diaconus offerre praesentibus coepit accipientibus caeteris locus eius aduenit faciem suam paruulainstinctu maiestatis diuinae auertertere os labijs obturantibus premere calicem recusare Perstitit tamen Diaconus reluctanti licet de Sacramento calicis infudit Tunc sequitur singultus in corpore atque ore violato Eucharistia permanere non potuit Sanctisicatus in Domini sanguine potus de pollutis visceribus erupit Heare what happened my self being present and witnesse The parentes of a childe flienge Of a child that receaued of the wine offred to idolls aÌ„d afterward the B. Sac. by chaunce while in their feare they tooke not good adwisement lefte their litle daughter at nourcing The nource brought the litle one so left vnto the officers They before an idolle wher the people were gathered did deliuer vnto the same litle one bicause yt coulde not as yet for lacke of age eate fleshe a soppe dipped in the wine whiche remaineth of the immolacion or sacrifice of the idolaters Afterward the mother receaued her daughter But the girle coulde not speake and declare the offence comitted euen as before she coulde not vnderstand yt nor withstand and let yt yt fell oute therfor by ignorance that while we were doing sacrifice the mother brought her in with her But trulie the girle being among holie people and not able to abide our supplicacions and praiers sometime was constreigned to crie oute somtime with vehement greifes of minde tossed here and there and euen as the tortoure had forced her the ignorant soule by soche tokens as she coulde did knowleg or confesse the conscience of the facte in these her tender yeares And when the solemne seruice was fullfilled the deacon began to offre the cuppe to them that were present and other receauing yt her place came to receaue The litle one euen by the mocion The Sacr. was ministred to this childe vnder one kinde of the diuine maiestie turned awaie her face stopped her mouthe with holding her lippes together and refused the cuppe The deacon notwithstanding persisted and euen against her wil powred in to her of the SacrameÌ„t of the cuppe Then ensewed boakinge and vomit The Sacrament coulde not abide in that desiled bodie and mouth The sanctified drinke in the bloode of our Lorde brust oute of the polluted bowells Thus farre he For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of S. Cyprian obserue that in his time and so to the time of S. August yt was in vse to ministre the SacrameÌ„t vnto infantes being chrystened as to other of perfight age And yet yt was to this childe ministred not vnder both kindes but vnder the forme of wine onelie For yf yt had ben ministred before vnder the forme of bread the like effect shoulde haue folowed in the childe that folowed vpon that other kinde bothe kindes being of one vertue might and power Wherfor yt was ministred vnder one kinde that was vnder the forme of wine Of this maner of ministracioÌ„ vnder one kinde we finde a goodlie testimonie also of the practise of the Churche in the time of Chrysostome reported in the historie of Sozomenus in this maner Ioanne Constantmopolitanam Ecclesiam optimè gubernante vir quidam è Macedoniana haeresi vxorem eiusdem opinionis habebat Eccl. hist li. 8. cap. 5. Hic cùm Ioannem quomodò de Deo sentiendum esset docentem audisset dogma illius laudabat vxorem quoque vt secum sentiret hortabatur Cùm verò illa magis nobilium mulierum sermonibus quam illius consuetudini obtemperaret post frequentes admonitiones vir illius nihil effecisset Nisi inquit in diuinis consors fueris neque in vitae communione posthac eris Mulier hoc audito consensum simulatè policita rem eam famulae cuidam communicat quam fidam sibi esse iudicabat illiusue opera ad fallendum virum vritur Circa tempus autem mysteriorum sciunt initiati quid sit quod dico illa quod accepit continens quasi oratura procumbit Famula astans clanculum illi dat quod secum in manu attulerat Hoc cùm dentibus admoueretur in lapidem congelascit Mulier perterrefacta metuens ne quid sibi mali propter eam rem quae diuinitus acciderat contingeret ad Episcopum cursu contendit ac seipsam prodens lapidem ostendit adhuc morsi vestigia habentem materiam incognitam coloremue admirabilem ostendentem simulue veniam cum lachrimis petens viro suo consensuram se policetur Quodsi hoc cuipiam incredibile videtur lapis
saied Nisi abiero Paracletus non Ibid. 16. veniet ad vos si autem abiero mittam eum ad vos Except I go the comforter shall not come to yowe but yf I go awaie I will sende him to yowe At the whiche coming he promised them saing Accipietis virtutem superuementis Spiritus sancti in vos Ye shall receaue powre after the holie Goste Acto 1. ys comed vpon yowe yet nowe they receaued certain giftes of the holie Goste as Chrysostom wittnesseth Non erraret quispiam si tunc eos potestatem quandam gratiam spiritualem accipisse diceret non tamen vt mortuos suscitarent virtutes In. 20. Joā ostenderent sed vt peccata dimitterent Differentes enim sunt gratiae Spiritus Quare addidit Quorum remiseratis peccata remissa sunt ostendens quod virtutis genus largiatur A man shoulde not erre yf he saied that they did receaue a certain power The holie Gost was geuen by Chrystes breathing and spirituall grace not yet that they shoulde rayse the dead and shewe wonders but that they shoulde forgeue sinnes The graces of the Spirit are different wherfore he added Whose sinnes ye remitte they are remitted declaring that he graunted a kinde of power Thus Chrysostome By this then yt ys manifest that at that breathing Chryst gaue vnto his Apostles the holy gost Let vs nowe examin the fourth scripture which Oecolampadius alleageth to proue a trope in Chrystes woordes whiche ys that Chryst saied of Iohn the Baptist that he was Helias The woordes be these Omnes Prophetae ac ipsa lex vsque ad Ioannem prophetauerunt si vultis recipere ipse est Helias Iqui venturus erat All the Prophetes and the lawe yt self hath prophecied vnto Iohn And Math 11 yf ye will receaue yt This ys Helias whiche was for to come For the better vnderstanding of this text yt ys to be noted that the Iewes vpon the prophecie Opinion of the Iewes of the coming of Helias of Malachie which prophecieth that Helias shal come before the Iudgement of Chryst mistaking and mysvnderstanding the same that he shoulde come before his coming into flesh were in doubte whether Iohn the Baptist were Helias and therfore sent Messengers vnto him asking whether that he was Helias or no. Wher in dede the prophecie speaketh of the coming of Helias before the seconde coming of Chryste whiche shall be to iudgement as the woordes do declare Beholde saieth allmightie God by the Prophet I will sende yowe Helias the prophet before the coming of the great and fearful daie of the Lorde He shall turne the heartes of the fathers to their children and of the children to ther fathers Mala. 4. that I come not and smite the earth with cursing Two things in this prophecie ther be which do teache vs that Helias shal be the percursour of the iudgement of Chryste and not of his natiuitie The one ys that he shall come before the daie of the great and fearfull Lorde Chryste at his natiuitie came as Rex pacificus a king a peacemaker he came as Zacha. ◠Rex mansuetus as a lowlie kinge as Zacharie prophecied that he shoulde do Reioice saieth he greatlie thowe daughter of Syon be glad o daughter Hierusalem Forlo Math. 21. Mar. 11. Luc. 19. Jbid. 2. thy king cometh vnto thee euen the righteouse and sauiour lowlie and simple ys be he rideth vpon an asse and vpon the fole of an asse This to be fulfilled in Chryste the holie Euangelists do wittnesse At his birth also as the prophet willeth Syon ād Hierusalē to reioice so the Angell appearing to the sheperds saied Beholde I bring yow tidinges of great ioie that shall come to all people And streit waie ther was with the Angel a multitude of heauenlie soldiers pray sing God and saing Glorie to God on hight and peace on the earth and vnto men a good will By this yt doth well appeare that the first coming of Chryst ys not fearful but peaceable lowlie and Ioyfull The first coming of Chryste was ioifull the second shall be terrible The seconde thing be noted ys that the Prophet shall come to turn the heartes of the fathers to the Sonnes c. Lest when that Lorde cometh he smite the earthe with cursing Chryst at hys first coming came not to smite punish and curse as he himself not a fewe times doth testifie Non veni vt iudicem mundum sed vt saluificem mundum I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world Again Venit filius hominis quaerere saluum facere quod perierat The Sonne of man came to seke and saue that that had perished In so moch that when his Disciples moued him that Luc. 19. fire might descende from heauen to consume the Samaritanes that wolde not receaue him he saied The Sonne of man came not to destroye but to saue mens lifes All whiche places declare that Chryst at hys first coming came not to Luc. 9. iudge nor to punish but to seke and saue But hys seconde coming in dede shall be fearfull and terrible For then he shall come to iudgement at which time yf the heartes of the people be not turned he shall then be a seuere iudge and shall greuouslie smite the wicked nesse of men and shall pronunce the sentence of cursing vpon earthlie men saing Go ye cursed into the euerlasting fire whiche ys prepared for the Deuell and hys Matth. 25 Angells Of thys iudgement ye maie read in sainct Matthew more at large Forsomoche then as Chryst at that his seconde coming shall be a fearfull Lorde and shall smite the earth with cursing yt must nedes be that Helias must be a precursour of that coming and not of the first Nowe for that the Iewes where in that errour that they loked that Healias shoulde come before that Messias shoulde come in to the worlde Chryst saied vnto them Si vultis recipere ipse est Helyas qui venturus erat Yf ye will receaue yt this ys Helias which was for to come Whiche woordes Euthymius expowndeth thus Si vultis recipere quod futurum esse dictum est de boc tempore ipse est Helias Jn 1. Math qui venturus erat vtpote ipsum illius ministerium perficiens Yf ye will receaue that that ys spoken to be doen hereafter to be of this time present He ys Helyas whiche was for to come as one perfourming euen his very mynisterie and office As who might saie Wher as ye thinke that Helyas who shall be the percursour of my seconde cominge to prepare the heartes of the people that they maie eschape my terrible iudgement ys the precursour of this my first cominge to prepare the heartes of the people to receaue me and my faith as touchinge that office yf ye will so take yt Iohn ys Helias For to that office ys he by the prophetes appointed as Helyas ys to the other
sacrifice For in these two all that be faithfullie and deuoutlie present lifting vppe their heartes to God and ioining with the preist in godlie affection be communicantes And so yt commeth to passe that both the praier and the sacrifice made and offred by the preist as by the common mynister of the Church ys common to all the people of gods church I will not stand vppon this being so plain but leaue yt to the farder consideracon of the Reader and come to his conclusion of the Masse booke wher he saieth shus And to conclude the preist by his owne Masse booke ys bidden to saie these woordes immediatelie after the Agnus Dei. Haec sacrosancta commixtio consecratio The Procl corporis sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat mihi omnibus sumentibus salus mentis corporis That ys to saie This commixtion and consecracion of the bodie and blood of our Lorde Iesus Chryst be vnto me and to all that receaue yt health of bodie and soule I perceaue this man kepeth his profession For yt ys apperteining to mēof his calling either to diminish and take awaie or to adde and put to somwhat The Answer from or to most of the sentences that they allcage For where before he cuttof from the places which he alleaged here he putteth to For wher the Masse booke hath but these woordes Haec sacrosancta commixtio corporis sanguinis c. He putteth in this woorde consecratio which the booke hath not But ouerpassing yt let vs see the force of the argument that he maketh oute of our owne Masse booke as he tearmeth yt and verie well For in dede yt ys our booke that abide and remain in the catholique Church not his that hath cutte himself of from yt and ys become a cast awaie But our Lord chaunge his minde that the lost shepe maie be fownde and brought home to the folde again The praier ys that the cōmixtion of the bodie and blood of Chryst maie be to the preist and to all that receaue health of bodie and soule Vnderstād that the preist ys the cōmon mynister of the Church wherfor doing the comon The cōmon praier of the Church ys not for one angle but for the wholl vniuersall Church mynistracion he cōmonlie praieth for all that doe receaue generally he stricteth not his praier for a fewe neither doeth he limitte yt or bownde yt withtime and place but he leaueth yt cōmon and vttereth yt with an vniuer sall He praieth not that the bodie and bloode of Chryst maie be health of soule and bodie to thē onely that receaue with him at that time and in that place which ys the thing the Proclamer laboureth to proue but in vain but he praieth for all that receaue indifferenlie either in that place and time or anie other Whether yt be now or at anie other time in that place or in anie other place in Fraunce or in Italie in Spain or in Germanie in Englōdor in Hierusalem whersoeuer the catholique Church ys and the Sacrament catholiquelie receaued But be yt that the preist had praied with limitaciō of time ād place ād desiered that yt might be halth of soule and bodie to all that receaue with him in that place and time what offence should the preist cōmitte yf when none wolde receaue with him he receaued alone or howe can the Proclamer proue a necessitie by yt that neades ther must be mo then the preist or that at that time and place the preist can not receaue alone Yf the Church charitablie wishing that some people shoulde receaue the holie Sacrament with the preist had made soch a praier coulde the Proclamer turne this charitie to a necessitie Will he turne the charitie of the Church wishing vertue godlinesse and deuocion in the people to a necessitie that bicause the people wil not vse this of necessitie the preist shall not Ys this good learning Ys this hys good doctrine ys this his holie religion Yt ys as moch to saiethat yf the people waxe colde in deuociō so shall the preist to Yf the people slacke their deuocion so shall the preist to yf the people neclect the seruice of God so shall the preist to Yf the people omitte to rendre most humble thankes to God and our Sauiour Iesus Chryst for our redemption so shall the preist to Finallie if the people will but twice or thrice in the yeare celebrate that solē ne memorie of Chrysts passiō and death as the more pitie yt ys the most of them doe yt not so often no more shal the preist also Thus shall yt come to passe that the deuociō ād duetie of the preist shall hang vpon the will of the people Thus the preistes that should be the salte of the earth the light of the woorlde whose light should so shine before men that they seing their good workes might glorifie their Father which ys in heauen shall neither be salt light nor geuers of good exāple to prouoke them to doe the memoriall of Chrystes death but when the people will Yt ys a straunge doctrine that yf Math. 5. the people will not serue God the preist shall not But who ys he that wise ys that seeth not the vanitie of yt and whether yt tendeth Hitherto I trust ye perceaue that how great so euer the countenaunce was made by these allegacions As odiouse as Popes be to protestāts they can alleage their decres wher they thinke good before alleadged that yet the force ys verie small But nowe come the great argumentes nowe come they which can not be auoided as the Proclamer supposeth so great ys the force of them Where to his places before alleadged I saied and doe saie they are raither examples of vertue for the people and not lawes of necessitie for the preist nowe he produceth lawes as the Canons of the Apostles and the decrees of Bishoppes of Rome which how odible socuer they be and haue ben to this Proclamer and his complices yet nowe in this matter they are fain to praie aide of thē First he alleageth a Canon of the Apostles in this sorte Fideles qui ecclesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt Communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquà m eccle Canon 19. See this Canō cut of in the middest siastica pacis perturbatores à Communione arceantur Soch Chrystian men as come to the church and heare the scriptures ād doe not receaue the holie communion let them be excommunicated as men that disquiet the Church In the alleaging of this Canon he kepeth his profession as he did in other by him before alleaged that ys to cutte them of and to mangle soch places as he alleageth and not to bring thē wholl as they lie wherof reader I make thee iudge This ys the Canon Omnes fideles qut conueniunt in solemnibus sacris ad ecclesiam scripturas Apostolorum Euangelium audiant Qui autem non perseuerarint in
of the bodie of our Lorde To make no differeÌ„ce saieth S. Augustine ys non discernere à ceteris cibis diuinuÌ„ corpus to make no differeÌ„ce of the bodie of our Lorde from other meates but euen as wewolde with polluted coÌ„sciences eate prophane meates aÌ„d with pourpose of sin ne without repentaÌ„ce or pourpose of amendmeÌ„t of life receaue our bodilie foode so receaue the bodie of our Lorde In whiche fewe woordes again S. Augustine teacheth the bodie of Chryst to be receaued of euell persons Thus ye haue the mindes of Chrysostome and Sainct Augustine in the vnderstaÌ„ding of S. Paule which bothe vnderstand him to haue spoken of the bodie of Chryste as the catholique Churche teacheth and not of SacrameÌ„tall bread as the malignaunt Churche feigneth Thus moche being doen we shall with like spede heare other that remain that the trueth of Chrystes faith maie be seen to the confusion of the enemie THE NINE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. CONtinueth the same exposition by Isichius and. Sedulius SAinct Augustine writing against the Manicheis in whiche sect he was by the space of nine years pietifullie deteined and deluded perceaued after his conuersion one great cause of the continuance of manie in that heresie to be that they wolde not heare the holie learned doctours and Fathers of the Churche Wherfor to remoue them from that euell minde he thus wrote to them Audite doctos catholicae Ecclesiae Viros tanta pace animi eo voto quo ego vos audiui Nihil opus erit nouem annis quibus Aug. de morib Eccl. cap. 25. me ludificastis Longè omnino longè beuiore tempore quid intersit inter veritatem vanitatemue cernetis Heare ye the learned men of the catholique Churche with so moche quiettnesse of minde and with that desire that I heard yowe Ther shall not nede the nine yeares in the whiche ye mocked me In a shorter time yea in a moche shorter time shall ye see what difference ys betwixt veritie and vanitie Euen thus doe I wish that they that haue ben deluded with vain perswasions and haue ben therbie insnared and entrapped in the heresie of the Sacramentaries wolde with as good will heare the learned Fathers of Chrystes Churche as they haue hitherto hearde them that haue deceaued them And I nothing doubte but yf they will so doe aÌ„d with deuoute praier to God for grace assistent and with humblenesse of minde enkindled with feruent desire all affection sett aparte Learn and knowe the verie trueth but that they shall sooen discerne betwixt veritie and vanitie Sixe nowe haue ben alleadged of the auncient and right famouse Fathers The Proclamer required one plain senteÌ„ce he hath had nowe these sixe and manie nio before aÌ„d herester yet mo shal haue whiche all with great and goodlie consent haue expownded the woordes of Sainct Paule to be vnderstanded of the bodie of Chryst Whiche expositions be not settfurth with obscurities in doubtfull maner as they maie seme to be vnderstanded diuerse waies whiche maner of sentences the Aduersarie doth produce to maintein his heresie But they are clere plain and easie to be vnderstanded in their right sense so that they can not be drawen to anie other sense And therfor let the Proclamer looke well vpon these expositions of these sixe Fathers past and he shall perceaue that they by expresse woordes teache that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament and ther receaued both of good and euell men whiche thinge he shall see also taught of sixe other or mo And therfor let him for shame recant and call in again his arrogant sainge that the catholique Churche hath not one scriptureÌ„ nor one doctour For I doubte not but by the iudgement of them that shall reade this worke that his sainge shall be prooued to be as false as vain Of these that yet remain to be alleaged the first coople shall be Isichius and Isich in Leuit ca. 26. Sedulius Isichius hath this sainge Propter quod sanctuarium eius paueamus vt nec corpus nostrum polluamus nec ad corpus Christi in quo est omnis sanctificatio in ipso enim omnis plenitudo inhabitat diuinitatis sine subtili dijudicatione nostri temerè accedamus sed potius nosmetipsos probemus reminiscentes eius qui dixit Quicunque manducauerit panem aut biberit calicem Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Wherfor Jsich vnderstaÌ„deth S. Paule to haue speken of the bodie of Chryste let vs feare his holie place that we neither defile our owne bodie nor rashlie come to the bodie of Chryst in the whiche ys all sanctificacion For in him abideth the fullnesse of the Godhead withoute diligent examinacion of our selues But raither let vs trie our selues remembring him that saied Whosoeuer shall eate the bread aÌ„d drinke the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthielie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Howe this Authour vnderstandeth S. Paule yt ys withoute great studie to be perceaued For he exhorting vs to come with great examinacion of our selues with puritie and cleannesse of bodie and soule to the receipt of Chrystes bodie vseth for the place of his authoritie the sainge of S. Paule nowe in hand WhoÌ„soeuer eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthielie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Wher in as the other Fathers haue doen before what Sainct Paule calleth the bread of our Lorde that doeth he by explaining woordes call the bodie of Chryste And that we shoulde not take yt for a figuratiue bodie but for the verie true and self same bodie of Chryst and therwith to stirre vs to haue the more regarde to our duetie as with all honour and reuerence to come to yt he saieth that in that bodie dwelleth the fullnesse of the Godhead that ys as Theophilact saieth Si quid est Deus Verbum in ipso inhabitat That that ys the Sonne of God dwelleth in him And farder expowndinge the same saieth Ne autem cùm audis Theoph. in 2. cap. ad Collâ—ss habitauit existimes quòd ageretur aut impelleretur sicut Prophetae commorabatur enim in illis Deus iuxta illud inhabitabo in ipsis inambulabo adiecit corporaliter hoc est non energia vel operatio quaedam verùm substantia ac veluti corporatus vna hypostasis existens cum assumpto Least thowe when thowe hearest this woorde Exod. 29. 2. Cor. 6. dwelleth shouldest thinke that he shoulde be moued or led as the Prophetes were for God dwelled in them also accordinge to that saing I will dwell in them and I will walke a mong them he added Corporally that ys not a certain force or operacion but a substance and as corporated and being one persoÌ„ with the nature assumpted Cyrill also by the testimonie of Theophilact expownding these woordes geueth great light to the vnderstanding of them by an example and saieth
maners of the Corinthians and not by their euell faith was moued to entre the treactise of the Sacrament S Paule corrected the maners of the Corinth and not their faith wherfor therin he correcteth their maners and not their faith S. Paule then trauailing to remoue dissension and to plant concorde to remoue glottonie and to plant temperance to remoue pride whiche the riche had in the shewe of their great suppers and to plant humilitie to remoue lacke of mercie whiche was in the riche they being dronke while their poor were right hongrie and to plant pitie to remoue disdain and contempt and to plant seemly regarde saing also that these vices being in place the supper of our Lorde coulde not well and as yt ought be eaten did he not prepare the Corinthians and in them all chrystians to the woorthie receipt of the Sacrament did he not herein folowe the example of his master Chryste goinge aboute to wassh awaie the filthinesse of their feet that ys of their earthlie and carnall affections But what stand I so long in so open a matter Finallie wher Luther saieth that if we haue faith that we shall receaue grace ther that grace alone maketh vs pure and woorthie receauers First I maie aske him by what rule he speaketh this wher ys his scripture for yt Might the Corinthians trowe ye being in the case that they were in and hauing as they had faith might they I saie receaue grace Yf they might then S. Paule was not true that saied they shoulde receaue condemnacion But to looke somwhat nearer to this saing of Luther yt wolde haue ben desined and determined seing ther be so manie faiths nowe a daies by whiche faith a man shoulde receaue this grace Yf he saie by the faith that he him self hath framed the Carolstadins Zwinglians and Oecolampadius will denie that Yf OecolaÌ„padius will saie by his faith that he hath deuised the Swenck feldians who denie all Sacramentes denie that Yf Caluine will chalenge yt to his faith that he hath inueuted the Anabaptistes will not abide that Thus leauing vs in vncertenties as manie others of his likes doe in other matters he concludeth nothing In the ende forasmoche as the Apostle speaketh of the vnwoorthie receauer signifieng therby that ther ys a woorthie receauer yt apperteineh to owre Woorthie or vnworthie reteauers of the bless Sacr. who be pourpose to discusse yf anie man maie be a woorthie receauer yt ys plain that a sinner ys no woorthie receauer And S. Iohn saieth Yf we saie that we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and ther ys no trueth in vs yea so manie be our sinnes that the Prophet Dauid saieth Yf thowe Lorde will be extreame to marke what ys doen a misse oh Lorde who maie abide yt as who might saie no man can abide yt And therfor concluding all liuing men vnder sinne saieth In thie seight o Lorde shall no man liuinge be iustified yf no man liuinge can 1. Joan. 1. be iustified then no man liuing vs woorthie to receaue this blessed misterie Psal 130. What nowe then shall we faie to S. Paule that appointeth woorthie receauers Yt ys the minde of S. Paule to pronownce who ys an vnwoorthie receauer but he describeth not the woorthie receauer For in dede speaking of woorthinesse in the propre significacion of yt no man that liueth be he neuer so iust no though he were an Angell yea if he were an Archanngell yf he were of the highest of the Angells as of Cherubines and Seraphines can be accompted woorthie in that maner to receaue this high and heauenlie misterie Woorthinesse proprelie what yt ys For proprelie that man ys woorthie of an other thing when he him self or his desertes be equiualent and doe fullie aunswere the goodnesse of the thinge wherto yt ys referred as in our coÌ„moÌ„ speache we saie that foure pence be woorth a grote And the woorkman ys woorthie his wages in this kinde of woorthinesse no man ys or can be woorthie An other kinde of woourthinesse ys by reputacion or acceptacion when one ys accepted as woorthie wheÌ„ in very dede he ys not As a queeÌ„ to maririe a lowe subiect A noble womaÌ„ to marrie her seruaÌ„t betweÌ„ whoÌ„ wheÌ„ coÌ„parison ys made ther ys neither birth nor honour nor liuing nor dominioÌ„nor richesse in the maÌ„ that can cownteruaill the womaÌ„ yet for somoch as yt liketh her so to accept him by her acceptacioÌ„ he ys made nowe woorthie of her who of himself before was not EueÌ„ so our mercifull Lorde God in power wisdome aÌ„d goodnesse infinite betwixt whoÌ„ and vs sinfull creaturs ther ys no coÌ„parison makinge through his great mercie of sinners iust meÌ„ and of vnwoorthie woorthie when he seith vs in our weake maner endeuour ourselues to accomplish his holie will when he beholdeth howe we prepare and adonrne the tabernacle of owre hearte being holden with moche desire ther in to receaue him yt liketh him though we maie still crie Lorde I am not woorthie that thowe shouldest come vnder my roofe yet he accepteth vs vpon soche preparacion as woorthie to his mercifull contentacion and to our health and saluacion Thus the text in part opened and the detestable heresie of Luther somwhat touched I shall for the farder exposition of the one and the stronger confutacion of the other after my accustomed maner repair to the holie Fathers and vnderstand also therin their mindes THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of the Fathers vpon the same text with sainct Hierom and Chrysostome IN the allegacion of the Fathers that nowe shall be produced to geue vs the vnderstanding of this text bicause manie be alleaged vpon the last scripture and this dependeth vpon that and so the one fullie expownded the other ys the easier to be perceaued I shall be the shorter both in the nombre and also in the abiding vpon them The first coople that commeth to my hande ys S. Hierom and Chrysostom S. Hierom expownding the epistles of S. Paule for the exposition of this text hath thus moche Siâ—jn lintheum vel vas sordidum non illud mitterè audet quanto magis in corde polluto quam immundiciam Deus super Hieron in 11. 1. Cor. omnia execratur quae sola iniuria est eius corpori Nam Iosephille iustus propterea sindone munda inuolutum in sepulchro nouo corpus Domini sepeliuit praefigurans corpus Domini accepturos tam mundam mentem babere quà m nouam Yf a man dare not putte that bodie into a filthie vessell or cloath howe moche more in a defiled S. HieroÌ„ expowndeth S. Paule to speake of the bodie of our Lord. heart which vncleannesse God aboue all thinges detesteth as which ys the onelie wronge that nowe can be doen vnto his bodie For therfor did Iosph also the righteouse wrappe the bodie of our Lorde in a clean sheet and so buried yt in a newe Tumbe prefiguring that they that shoulde
offence except they were amended Thus he We learn here of Anselmus that the sicknesses diseases and deathes that happened amonge the Corinthians were bicause thei receaued not onelie the Sacrament or as the Sacramentaries tearme yt the Sacramentall bread vnworthily but bicause they did inconsideratelie receaue the bodie of our Lorde In whiche maner of faithe and speache this authour foloweth not his owne devise but the graue doctrine and iudgement of S. Ambrose whose sainge he doeth here alleage And so by them bothe yt ys manifest that the bodie of Chryst ys receaued in the Sacrament that euell men also receaue yt ther whiche prooueth the reall and substanciall presence of Chrystes bodie and that soche euell receauers for that they doe moche iniurie to that pure and vndefiled bodie of Chryst castinge yt into their bodie defiled with moche filth of sinne doe oftētimes suffre the pains in this life and also in the liue to come Of the displeasure of God against euell receauers as S. Paule maketh proofe by demonstracion and experience of the same in his time so doeth also S. Cyprian for the like in his time who bringeth three or foure exāples of Gods wrath against them that beinge defiled with sinne did presume to Cap. ser 5. de lapsis approache to or receaue the holie bodie of Chryst The sirst example is of a childe whiche beinge put to a Nource did tast of a soppe of bread whiche was offred vnto Idolls And when the mother hauinge this childe in her armes came to the Churche amonge christian people and the Sacrament amonge other was also offred to the childe the child who I saie had tasted of Idolls meat turned awaie her face from the Sacrament she stopped her She might haue receaued the newe Communion with out anie soche troble mouthe and helde her lippes harde together she refused by anie mean to touche the cuppe of the bloode of Chryste Yet though she did thus striue the deacon gaue her of the Sacrament Whiche when she had once receaued furth with she fell to boking and vomiting for as Cyprian saieth in corpore atque ore violato Eucharistia permanere non potuit Sāctificatus in Domini sanguine potus de pollutis visceribus erupit Tanta est potestas Domini tanta maiestas In a defiled mouthe and bodie the Sacrament coulde not abide The sanctified drinke in our Lordes bloode brast oute of the defiled bowells So great ys the power of owre Lorde so great ys his maiestie By this example maie we learn howe moche yt offendeth God that the bodie of Chryst should be receaued vnwoorthilie of one that hathe knowledge and reason Immediatelie after this S. Cyprian maketh reporte of a woman that was of age knowledge and reason sainge that soche one when he was offringe the sacrisice priueilie stole in among other and receauing A woman receauing the B. Sa. vnworthilie stricken with death the Sacrament not as meat to comforte her for that she was vnwoorthie but as a sworde to destroie her and takinge as yt were deadly poison in to her mouthe and breast she begā to be merueilouselie vexed and disquieted and so suffringe the heauie punishment of her offence pantinge and tremblinge she fell downe dead So saieth he was not her euell offence left long vnpunished But she that thought by her cloaking and dissemblinge of her offence to haue deceaued man felt God to whome all thinges be knowen the reuenger and punisher of the same An other woman ther was also who receauing the Sacrament into her handes kept the same and carienge yt home putte yt into her coafer But to vse the woordes of S. Cyprian Cum arcam suam in qua Domini sanctum fuit manibus indignis tentasset aperire igne inde surgente deterrita est ne auderet attingere When she wolde with vnwoorthie hands open the coafer wherin was the holie thinge of our Lorde ther sprang oute a fire wherby she was cast in soch feare that she durst not touche yt Vpon this example this maie we note that if God wolde not suffre the woman forasmoche as she was vnwoorthie not as moche as to open the coafer wher the holie thinge of our lorde was laied howe moche lesse will he beare yt that a licenciouse filthie liuinge man shoulde touche the thing ytself eate yt and cast yt into his sinfull bodie An other merueilouse thinge doeth S. Cyprian report of the blessed Sacrament A mā vnwoorthilie receauing the bless Sa in his hand whē he opened his hād ther was nothing but asshes Ther was saieth he a certain defiled or sinfull man who beinge present when the Sacrament was celebrated by the preist so doeth S. Cyprian tearme the holie ministracion he presumed priuielie with other to receaue but he coulde not eate the holie thinge of God nor handle yt For when he had opened his hande to see what he had receaued he fownde nothinge but asshes This in dede ys a meruertouse thinge wherby ys declared that God ys not willing that his holie Sacrament shoulde be receaued of a filthie sinner forasmoche as sodenlie yt pleaseth him to chaunge yt into asshes he him self departing from yt But let vs heare what S. Cyprian him self noteth vpō this miracle of God Serm. s de lapsis Documento vnius ostensum est Dominum recedere cum negatur nec immerentibus prodesse ad salutem quod sumitur cum gratia salutaris in cinerem sanctitate fugiente mutetur By the example of one yt ys declared that our Lorde departeth when he ys denied nether doeth yt that ys receaued profitte the vnwoorthie to saluacion or healthe when the holsome grace holinesse departinge awaie ys chaunged into asshes This note of S. Cyprian ys notable in dede and for that yt ys so I wishe yt so to be noted of the reader that yt neuer fall from his memorie First let the euell man note that at the receipt of the Sacrament bicause in life and conuersation God ys denied that he departeth and goeth awaie But let the faithfull herby learn that owre Lorde ys present with his Sacramēt who as he departeth from the wicked so he abideth to be receaued of the vertuouse ād godlie This also ys not to be ouerpassed that the holie Martir saieth that yt that ys receaued profiteth not the vnwoorthie to saluacion For by that he saieth yt profiteth not the vnwoorthie he argueth that yt profiteth the woorthie or ells we must saie that the state bothe of the woorthie and vnwoorthie ys equall whiche if yt so were S. Ciprian did but vainlie saie that yt did not profitte the vnwoorthie Yf then one thinge be receaued in the Sacrament that profiteth the good and auaileth not the euel we must first graunt that the good and the euell receaue one thinge profiting the one and hurting the other Nowe wolde yt be learned of the Sacramentarie what one thing that ys in the Sacrament that ys receaued that profiteth and