thereto and some iniury to hym also whose liberalitie to the hynderance perhapps of some I should by thys meanes abuse Thus much thought I necessary good Readers to sygnyfye to you concernyng thys enterpryse of myne Where in yf happely I seeme to some ouer sclenderly to haue excused my self them referre I to hys iudgement for my meanyng herein who shall once iudge both me yf I haue not gonne vpryghtly but troden a wrye and them yf they haue not iudged syncerlye but demed amysse Fare ye well at Antwerp the. 26. of Iuly Anno â—564 Thom. Dorman THE ARTYCLES VVHICH THE AVTHOR HATH TAKEN APON HYM TO PROVE AGAYNST M. IVELLES NEGATYVE THat the Bishop of Rome is the head of Christes vniuersal churche here in earth and that within the first six hundred yeares after Christes departure hence he was so called and taken That the people was then taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament That the communion was then ministred vnder one kinde That there was Masse saide at that tyme although there wer none to receaue with the priest A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCTION TO THE FIRST PROPOSITION THe blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian wryting to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese wordes Iâ—tia hae reticorum ortus atque conatus schisâ—aticorum malâ—e cogitantium haec sunt vâ— sibi placeant vt praepositum superbo tuâ—ore contemnant Sic de ecclesia receditur sic altare prophanum foris collocatur sic contra paâ—em Christi ordinationâ—m atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur Which is in englishe thus much to say The beginning of heretikes the first springing vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinking amisse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that they take in them selues and of that that being puffed vp with pride they contemne ther head and gouernour appointed ouer them By this meanes stray they from the churche Thus is a prophane altar placed wythout the dores and thus rebell they agaynst Christes peace gods ordinaunce and vnitie And agayn in an other place he writeth thus Vndâ—e enim schismata haereses obortae sunt nisi dum episcopus qui vâ—us est ecclesiae praeest superba quorundam praesumptione conteÌ„nitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus iudicatur Where of sayeth he doe heresies and schysmâ—s spring but of this that the bishop which is one and gouerneth the church is thorough the proude and arrogaÌ„t presumption of certeine contemned and set at nought and being the man by goddes approbation alowed and honored is of vnworthy men iudged The very same thing although in other wordes doeth S. Basile in an epistle written by him to the bishoppes of Italie and Fraunce bewailing there in the estate of his time most plainelie declare Whose wordes because they doe liuely represent vnto vs the most miserable face of this our age I haue thought good to alleage and set before your eyes Ambitiones eorum qui dominum non timent praesidentias inuadunt in propatulo de caetero impietatis praemium proposita est prima sedes Quare qui grauiores blasphemias protulit ad populi episcopum potior habetur Periit authoritas sacerdotalis populi admoneri nolunt praesides dicendi libertatem non habent Silent piorum ora permissum est autem dicere omni blasphemae linguae Prophanata sunt sacra that is to say The pride and ambition of them whych feare not our lorde doeth inuade and set apon ther heads and openly the chiefest place is proposed as a rewarde for wyckednes And therefore he that can vtter against the bishop of the people most grieuouse and slaunderouse blasphemies is accompted of gretest price and had in moste estimation The authorite of priestehood is lost The layte will not be admonished The rulers be restreined of liberte to speake The mouthes of good men kepe silence Euery blasphemouse tongue is set at libertie All holie thinges ar made prophane Hetherto S. Basil. To be short there was neuer yet any heretike emongest so many as from time to time haue continually troubled the churche of god that made not his first entry into his heresies by the proclaiming as it wer of open war against the beautiful ordre of the churche which they haue alwaies forsene to be to them terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as is the froont of a battell well set in ordre and ageinst the bishop of Rome appointed by god to be here in earthe the laufull gouernour and head thereof not lacking also therein greate poliâ—ie that by striking the shepherde they might the easelier scatter the flock Thus did in the time of S. Cyprian Nouatus that greate herety k who as Nicephorus reporteth of him holding betwene his hands the handes of such as minded to receiue of him the blessed sacrament of th' altar vsed to them these wordes Adiura mihi per corpus sanguinem domini Iesu Christi nunquam te a me discessurum ad Cornelium Romanus is Episcopus fuit rediturum esse Sweare to me quoth he by the body and bloud of our lorde Iesus Christ that thow wilt neuer forsake me nor return to Cornelius who was then bishop of Rome So did in our time the scholers and folowers of Martin luther So did Iohn Caluin with his congregation at Geneua So doe euen at this time in oure infortunate countrey those wicked men apon whome I beseche almightie god to extende his mercie who occupieng the places and 〈◊〉 mes of catholike bishops being them selues indurat heretikes ceasse not daily most cruelly to practise that lesson learned of ther auncestor Nouatus For what man admit they to any liuing of whome they exact not first this othe Whome suffer they to continue in his liuing if he giue not this othe For the onely refusall hereof how many notable men of the cleargie bothe for life and learning suffer they to pyne away in prison I remembre not heare the greate nombre of gentlemen and other mere laye men not included in the statute of pooer yong scholers of bothe th' vniuersites who witheout all face of lawe for for th' other theie pretended a colour being not so much them selues spoiled of ther colleages as ther colleages vniuersitees yea ther country self which had of the most parte of them byn likely to hauereceiued bothe help and comfort spoyled and robbed of them wander now abroade in dispersion lamenting th' estate of ther miserable countrie Of the whych they maye and we all iustlie now say much more then did S. Basil of the persecution in his time He onely complained that the churche dores wer shut vp that th' altars lacked that spirituall worship that should haue byn doen apon them that there wer no assembles of Christian men that lerned men bare no sway that there was no wholesom doctrine taught that the feastes and holidaies wer not
saieth This is my bodie and not contented there with least some man might otherwise construe his wordes because he had at other times spoken by figures addeth the selfe same which shalbe betraied for yowe then which wordes if all the worlde would lay their heades together to deuise howe he might haue spoken more plainelie theie shall neuer finde the waie they bring vs a glose cleane contrarie to the texte that it signifieth his bodie that it is a figure thereof But what seing as S. Ambrose saieth oure lorde Iesus witnesseth vnto vs that we truly receaue his body and bloud shall we dout of his credite and witnes Naie we haue other councell and better by Cirillus who biddeth vs not to doute whether this be true or no but to embrace in faith the wordes of our Sauior who for as much as he is the truthe it selfe we maie well be suer can not lie Thus maie yowe see good Readers what it is to deale with heretikes whose propertie is alwaies to crie for scripture and in whose mouthe there is nothing so coÌ„mon as verbum domini verbum domini the worde of the lorde the worde of the lorde and yet when all is done and their request satisfied that is scripture brought to them theie ar not asshamed such is their impudencie either to saie that it is at all no scripture or that it maketh nothing ageinst them or to call that euident for them that in the iudgement of as manie as either ar wise or learned is moste euident ageinst them And of this disease if yowe had not M. Iuell bene daungerouslie sicke yowe would neuer haue put me or anie man elles to the paine to labour anie farder in the boulting oute of that truthe wherein Christe hath so plainelie opened him selfe as neither hath he nede by anie other to be expounded nor easelie can anie such I trowe be founde as shalbe hable more plainelie to expresse the same then hath Christe him selfe our maister allreadie doen. Notwithstanding because bothe yowe and your compaignions like cauilling Capernaites stande apon Christes meaning which as yowe saie was not all one with his wordes and also on this that we haue no olde writers to mainteine as it pleaseth yowe to terme it oure newe doctrine of Christes reall presence in the sacrament I shall assaie to make yow vnderstande at the least those good people whome yow haue so far abused that we haue agreate sorte more that saie with vs that Christes blessed bodie after the wordes of consecration duelie by the priest pronounced is reallie substantiallie and corporallie the same that was borne of the virgin Marie the same that he walcked in here in earthe the same that as him selfe witnesseth was deliuered for vs to be crucified on the crosse present in the sacrament then euer yow or the best that taketh your parte shall in susteining the contrarie be hable of them all to giue a right answer to anie one And here I shall first alleage that auncient writer Tertullian in whome writing aboue thirtene hundred yeares sence I finde to this purpose these wordes Caro corpore sanguine Christi vescitur vt anima de Deo saginetur non possunt ergo separ ari in mercede quas opera coniungit that is to saie Our fleshe feedeth on the bodie and bloude of Christe that the soule also maie be made fat by feading on god theie can not therefore be separated in rewarde which haue bene ioined and coupled together in worcking Note here I beseche yow good readers ageinst our aduersaries that would shift of this place with their olde accustomed answer that the breade is called his bodie for that it signifieth and representeth no lesse vnto vs those wordes of Tertullian where he saieth that the bodie and the soule can not be seuered in receauing their rewarde whome one office oâ— ministerie ioineth together If the bodie fede apon bare breade as our aduersaries affirme and not apon Christes blessed bodie and blood as Tertullian saieth howe then caÌ„ theie be saide to concurre in one ministerie where as either of them fedeth diuerâ—lie on diuerse thinges Or will yowe saie M. Iuell that flesh can fede apon signes or figures Trulie whether it can or no I durst referre the resolution hereof to your selfe if being shut vp without meate or drincke two or thre daies in some close roume it might be my chauÌ„ce to come to your speâ—he at the last I thincke yow would beâ—hrowe him that would râ—ake yow such an aâ—gument Yowe haue thought earnestlie apon meate all this while therefore yowe haue eaten your fill And would con him but little more thancke that would painte on the walles of your chambre the signe of a fat capon and bid yow eate and spare not But was Tertullian thincke we of this minde alone No trulie For besides him we haue to confirme the faithe of the churche in this pointe all the auncient writers as manie as by occasion make anie mention of this moste blessed Sacrament Emongest whome I â—hall next alleage S. CipriaÌ„ that holie and blessed martir Who in his worcke De duplici martyrio touching this matter hath these wordes Reliquit nobis edendam carnem suam Reliquit biâ—â—nduÌ„ sanguinem vt per eadem alâ—remur per quae sumus redempti Christ hath left vs his fleshe to eate â–ª and his bloude to drincke to the entent we might be noorished by the same thinges by the which we wer redemed Trulie if we be noorished by the same thinges by the which we haue bene redemed then ar we not noorished we maie be bolde to saie with a signe or figure of his bodie which onelie and nothing elles these newe founde vpstartes would make vs beleue to be in this Sacrament The same holie martyr in an other place hath to the same purpose these wordes The breade which our lorde deliuered to his disciples being changed not in forme or shape but in nature by the omnipotencie of the worde is made fleshe This place of S. Cyprian serueth me to double vse For bothe it manifestle proueth the reall presence and which yowe also denie and call a newe inuention vâ—knowen to thauncient fathers and first harde of in the councell holden at Laâ—er 〈◊〉 vnder Innocentius the thirde the transubstantiation of the breade into Christes naturall fleshe Your coÌ„mon answer that the base creatures of breade and wine be after the consecration changed and transmuted from common breade to be a Sacrament to be a signe a remembraâ—nce a signification of Christes bodie and bloude yea to be in the steade of his bodie it selfe whereas before the consecration it was no such thing can serue yowe no longer For all this induceth no change in the nature or substance of the breade no more then if a cartar to daye should be turned into a kinge to morowe or placed in his seate of maiestie to represent his parson he coulde be saide to be
infirmities sake to auoide that horror and feare which if we should receaue theÌ„ in their owne likenes and not vnder the for me of thiÌ„ges wherewith we ar better acquainted we wer of all likelihood suer to fall into I caÌ„ not here passe ouer in sileÌ„ce that notable and euident testimony of this worthy bishop and learned father vttred to this purpose by him in an other place in thiese wordes Antequâm coÌ„secretur panis est vbi auteÌ„ verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Ante verba Christi calix est vini et aquae plaenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficitur qui plaebeÌ„ redemit that is to say before that it be coÌ„secrate it is breade but wheÌ„ the wordes of christ ar come vnto it it is christes body Before the wordes of Christ there is a cup filled with wine and water as sone as Christes wordes haue wrought their effect there is made that bloud which redemed the people If these auctorities alleaged out of S. Ambrose be not able to stop the mouthes of our aduersaries if they will yeat nedes presse vs with their faithelesse howes and whies and will deale with almightie god so streightly that they will graunt him to be hable to doe no more theÌ„ their simple wittes caÌ„ atteine to the maÌ„ner of the doing whereof I shall yeat moste humblie desier them to beare with me if I alleage once againe the same excellent and learned bishop S. Ambrose I meane most plainely refelling all such faitheles Caparnaites as leaning more to fraile reason then firme faithe haue their doubtefull mindes euer waltering and tottering in the truthe of this sacrameÌ„t His wordes ar these Nunquid naturae vsus praecessit quum Iesus dominus ex Maria nasceretur Si ordinem quaerimus viro mixta foemina generare consueuerat Liquet igitur quôd praeter naturae ordineÌ„ virgo gener auit hoc quod coÌ„ficimus corpus ex virgine est Quid hic quaeris naturae ordinem in Christi corpore cum praeter naturam sit ipse D. Iesus partus ex virigine That is when our lorde Iesus was borne of the virgin Marie was naturâ—s vsage practised If we seke after her ordre women haue first the companie of men and then so conceiue and bring furth after It is manifest therefore that the virgin brought furth besides the course of nature and this bodie which we doe consecrate is the same that was borne of the virgin Whie demaundest thow here in the sacrament the order of nature to be kepte in Christes bodie where as besides nature oure lorde Iesus him selfe was borne of the virgin Hetherto haue yowe harde of what minde holye S. Ambrose was touching the controuersie moued in these our infortunate daies about the moste blessed sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud In whome I haue taried somewhat the longer for that that bothe he proueth moste manifestlie the presence when he affirmeth that Chrstes fleshe in the sacrament is so verilie his true fleshe as Christe was the true sonne of his father and excludeth all figures all signes all representation when Christ was in none of these senses his fathers sonne and also the chaÌ„ge and alteration of the breade and wine in to the true substaÌ„ce of Christes fleshe and bloud by alleaging th'examples which had otherwise bene in vaine of Moses rodde turned in to a serpeÌ„t the yron flotting aboue the water the bitternes of the waters of Marath turned into swetenes and such like with answer to such carnall obiections as ar wont to be commonlie made ageinst this truthe and last of all for that of all other he giueth moste plainelie vnto vs the cause whie in this greate miracle our lorde god chaungeth not the accideÌ„ts but onelie the substance By all which thinges he giueth vs moste manifestly to vnderstaÌ„d that he ment no lesse theÌ„ he spake For otherwise if Christes bodie had not bene trulie there but a signe thereof not in veritie but in imagination all his proufes to proue the same had bene nedeles whereas he might and for his greate wisdome and learning no doubte would to all such as either had doubted of the presence or traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ with much more facilitie haue answered with our aduersaries that there was no chaÌ„ge at all in nature or substance nor no presence there of Christes true bodie then to haue heaped together a nombre of examples whereof euerie one conteined a true chaunge in nature to haue proued that which was not or to haue alleaged the miraculouse conception of Christe or to giue anie cause why his bodie appeareth not like a bodie wherebie to bring the simple people in to a perniciouse and damnable errour But forasmuch as his greate trauailes taken in the defence of Christes church ageinst the wicked Arrians doe well witnes to his posteritie how far he was from all such impietie we must nedes conclude that S. Ambrose did not onelie so write but also beleue that in the blessed sacrament after the wordes of consecration is the verie true and naturall bodie of our lorde Iesus Christe the substance of breade and wine passing into the substance of his fleshe and his bloud From S. Ambrose let vs goe one steppe farder to S. Austen He in a certeine place examining these wordes of the Prophete A dor ate scabellum pedum eius worshippe ye his fotestole psalm 98. hath these wordes Suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem accepit Et quia in ipsâ— carne hiâ— ambulauit ipsam carnem ad manducandum ad salutem dedit nemo autem illam carneÌ„ manducat nisi prius adorauerit inuentuÌ„ est queÌ„admoduÌ„ ado retur tale scabelluÌ„ non solum non peccemus adoraÌ„do sed peccemus noÌ„ adoraÌ„do That is to saie for he toke earthe of earthe because fleshe coÌ„meth of earthe and of Maries fleshe he toke fleshe And forasmuch as he walcked here in that fleshe and hath giuen to vs the same fleshe to be eaten to our saluation and no man eateth it but he first worshippeth it the meanes is founde how such a fotestole of our lordes maie be worshipped and we not onelie not sinne in worshipping it but sinne in not worshipping it Heare yow M. Iuell S. Austen telling yow that Christes fleshe is here giuen to vs to be eaten the same that he toke of the virgin Marie the same that he caried about with him in this worlde Heare yow not your selfe vanquished which take from it all manner of worship in the sacrament and violentlie wrest these wordes of S. Austen to Christes bodie in heauen which interpretation how far it goeth from the minde of the author to omit all other proufes your owne selfe haue well declared when you graunte that there he must be worshipped where he is eaten which seing it is here in earthe what moued
th'apostles time there was priuate masse in the church although there wer none to receiue with the priest That this learned doctour with other priestes saide Masse when none did communicate for that I am suer yow will denie by this coÌ„plaint of his vttred in these wordes it may moste euidently appeare Frustraâ—â—betur quotidiana oblaâ—io frustra 〈◊〉 ad altare Nemo est qui communicat thâ— daily offering is had in vaine we stand at th'altar in vaine There is none that receiueth with vs. Yf there wer daily oblation yea when none receiued why beare yow vs in hand M. Iuell thâ—t for that long space of six hundred yeares the priest might neuer offer the same without company to coÌ„municate with him Yf that were true how did Chrisostome and the other priestes of Antioche offer yt and that daily that yow may vnderstand a necessitie that enforced them thereto whether the people came or no Yf they receiued not them selues how could he haue said that there was none that did receiue with them But here yow will aske me perhapps how I dare alleage this place which saieth that the oblation was had in vaine because there was none to communicate To this I answere that being first taken for graunted which in no wise you can denie that is that daily this oblatioÌ„ was had whether any came or no that this holy doctour in this place is not to be vnderstand as though simply he ment the oblation to be in vaine but in a respect forasmuch as they came not who wer loked for to haue byn partakers thereof concerning this expectation it was had in vaine and the priestes stode in their churches not at the table but at the altar in vaine Aâ—d that this was the very â–ª meaning of Chrisostomes wordes and not as you falâ—lie surmise there nedeth no other reason to perswade any reasonable man then the learning the vertue and great wisedomâ— of the man him selfe For if the sacrifice had byn offered by him in vaine so often as there was none to be partaker thereof with him what a heynouse act had this bene of him especially staÌ„ding at liberty without any more necessitie to offer theÌ„ the laie man hath to receiue if it were true that yow and your compani affirme Shall we not rather thinck if he had so ment that he would vtterly haue absteined before he would by celebrating and receiuing practise the abuse of so preciouse a iewell Woulde he not rather when he came to the altar haue sent the people awaie with a drie communion when he sawe none redie to receiue Would he not at the least haue bene as circumspect in procuring warning to be giuen to him by them that were disposed to receiue if offering without communicants he should haue offered in vaine as yow and yours our new Rabbins ar about your apishe communion No no Let no man thinck but that he was well ware that to offer the bodie and bloud of Christ in vaine had bin a fault nothing inferior to the receiuing of it vnworthily whereuÌ„to he was not ignoraÌ„t that S. Paule threateneth damnation If he would giue his owne life as he saide him selfe before he would giue our lordes bodie to an vnworthy man and that he would haue his blood shedd out of his bodie rather then he would giue to the vnworthy oure lordes blood we may easely coniecture how hardlie he would haue bin brought to haue offred the same in vaine To this testimony of Chrisostom shall I adde one more and so after come to those obiections which yow bring for the maintenaunce of the contrary Leontius a bishop of the Grieke church writing almost a thousand yeares sence the life of that vertuouse Patriarke of Alexandria Iohn the almoisner or almoise geuer for that name obteined he for his charitie towardes the pooer reporteth emongest other thinges of him how that he being on a certeine time at Masse perceiuing after the reading of the ghospell that the people went out of the churche and fell to talking and babbling in the churcheyarde went also out of the churche after them and spake to them being all amased in this wise Filioli vbi oues illic pastor aut intrate intro ingrediemur aut manete hic ego quo que manebo Ego propter vos descendo in sanctaÌ„ ecclesiam nam poteram facere mihi Missam in Episcopio Children that is to say where the shepe ar there is the shepherde either therefore get yow into the churche and we will goe to gether or bide yow still here and I will tarie with yow It is for your sakes that I come to the holy churche for to my selfe coulde I haue saide Masse in my house at home Here I trust you will at the length yealde and graunte M. Iuell that priuate Masses wer laufull and in vse in the primitiue churche For first that the Masse here spoken of was priuate the worde mihi missam facere say or ceâ—ebrate Masse to my selfe doeth well declare He saide not I might say Masse to my frindes to my kinsfolckes to my household seruauntes but mihi to mine owne selfe And when you heare him sâ—ie that he might doe it I trust yow thincke it was not vnlaufull But now I come to your obiections ageinst the priestes sole or alone receauing of the sacrament After yow haue taken your pleasure in triumphing ouer oure pouertie as yow thinck yow bring furth your store And because yow will make the matter sure and out of all doubte yow vse our owne friend as a witnesse against vs the Masse booke forsothe where yow saie the priest according to the direction of that booke turning him self to the people saith Dominus vobiscum item Oremus Orate pro me fratres sorores what then M. Iuell Ergo what so euer praiâ—rs be vsed about the ministracioÌ„ of the sacrament ought to be the coÌ„mon requestes of all the people What inferre yow hereapon Ergo the priest maie not saie Masse without he haue some to communicate with him That ergo is false M. Iuell and not trulie deduced out of the premisses But I crie yow mercy this is yow saie but by the waie before yow entre into the matter Here yow did but dribb and flurt your other arrowes taken oute of the same quiuer Accipite edite Habete vinculum charitatis vt apti sitis sacrosanctis misteriâ—s that is take eate haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the holie misteries And last of all other those wordes that ar spoken by the priest after the Agnus dei Haec sacrosancta commixtio c. This holie commixtion and consecration of the bodie and blood of our lorde Iesus Christ be vnto yow and to all that receiue it health of bodie and soule these ar they that paye home and cleaue as a man would saie the verie face of the white I shall now rehearse first your wordes as in
worckes to be founde worde for worde in englishe This breade saieth hâ— is breade before the wordes of consecratioÌ„ after the which of breade is made the fleshe of Christe Let vs therefore proue that which we saie How can breade be made the bodie of Christe By consecration But this consecration with what wordes or with whose is it done By the wordes of our lorde Iesus For thorough all the rest which ar spoken thanckes ar offred vnto god praiers ar made for the rulers for the people and for other thinges But wheÌ„ the priest is come to the consecration nowe vseth he no longer his owne wordes but the wordes of Christ. It is therefore Christes worde that maketh this sacrament What worde of Christe Trulie that wherebie all thinges wer made that whereby our lorde commaunded and heauen was framed that wherebie the sea and lande was created and euerie other creature fourmed Seest thow therefore of what power Christes worde is If it be of such force that of nothing it is able to make some thing howe much more is it able to turne those thinges which wer before made in to some other thing Thus far S. Ambrose The same S. Ambrose in an other place hath these wordes Thow wilt perhappes saie I see an other thing howe doe yow tell me that I take the body of Christe And this remaineth yet for me to proue Howe manie examples vse we therefore to persuade that it is not that which nature hath fourmed but that which blessing hath consecrated and that the force of blessing is greater then that of nature because by blessing eueÌ„ nature it selfe is changed Moses helde in his hande the rodde he cast it from him and it becam a serpent againe he toke it by the taile and it returned to the nature of a rodde And after this example with manie other to this ende by him out of the holie scriptures alleaged he coÌ„cludeth in this sorte If mannes blessing wer of such force that it was able to conuerte nature what siae we to that diuine consecration where the verie wordes of our sauior doe worcke This thought S â–ª Ambrose a proufe strong ynough to coÌ„uince the truthe of this sacrament And although the substance of the rod being turned in to the substance of the serpent lost also there with all his first outewarde nature the accideÌ„tes I meane which in this miraculouse change in the sacrameÌ„t is otherwise where theie remaine for our infirmities sake saufe and sounde yet was this in his iudgement no let why he might not well reason after this sorte Moses goddes seruant was able to turne a rod in to a serpent Therefore god his maister is able to turne breade in to his fleshe Neither thought he it anie iuggling because to sight breade and wine remained still as that blasphemouse tongue which of late hath taken apon him to be your champion M. Iuell ageinst a certeine treatise by a notable learned man made in the defence of the catholike faithe in certeine pointes by yow not so much by learning impugned as by malice maligned hath termed it but the miraculouse worcking of god aboue nature And yet this good man forsoothe maie not abide in anie wise to be noted one that should put anie manner of mistrust in the omnipoteÌ„cie of god but that he graunteth as freelie as we doe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob that god is able to perfourme what so euer he doeth promise that no worde is impossible to him that he hath done what so euâ—r his will was to doe And therefore he saieth that theie that so râ—porte of him and his compagnions thâ—ie must nedes doâ— it either of hatefull blindenâ—s orignorant malice Truelie good readers this man semeth to me to be like a makeshifte that falling into a companie of others making merie braggeth and boastâ—th of his purse wherein is neuer a crosse that he hath to spende as largelie as the best and will beare his parte as franâ—kâ—lie as the proudest what so euer he be and yeat for all his high lookes and greate bragges made before when it commeth to the gathering of the shotte he slippeth faire and well awaie and leaueth the honest companie to paye for all Euen so I praie yowe marâ—ke when it commeth to the reconing of this heauenlie bancket where is prepared for vs the moste pretiouse bodie and bloude of oure sauiour Christe where is required of vs for the shotte that faithe as saithe holie S. Basile that Christes wordes This is my bodie teache vs let vs I saie marcke howe well for all his bragges he paieth his parte Forso theyowe shall see If Christe had made his bodie in the sacrament to appeare like a bodie and his bloud to taste and showe like bloude if he might haue sene it with his eyes as the people of Israel sawe the rodde as thâ—ie tasted of the water if Christe had euer done anie such miracle before as this is that is to saie if he had turned the substance of one thing in to an other and left still vnchanged the qualities of th'other thing that it was before that it might not haue semed a iuggling if finally he had had anie neceâ—sitie to constreine him to worcke anie suche change then he woulde haue beleued as we doe notwithstanding all the apparence of impossibilitie to the contrarie These be the conditions requisite to the faith of this protestant But here it is a worlde to see while he would seme humblie to graunte the omnipotencie of god and to deliuer him selfe and his companions from that note of infamie whereinto by long struggling ageinst the same theie ar runne with all men while he patcheth and cobbleth with his rotteÌ„ lingells a nombre of clouted ifs and is like the false tincker that mendeth one hole and maketh two newe or craftie Couper that to fasten one whoope looseth three he tumbleth hedloÌ„g in to a greate heape of absurdities whereof euerie one is as greate as that which he thought to haue auoided and wherein yeat he sticketh not withstanding For if thow beleuedest man as thowe vainelie braggest that thowe doest that god wer omnipotent wouldest thow so limite and restreine his power that he shoulde not change the nature and substance of a thinge onlesse he change the accidentes thereof withall Wilt thow first see blood and taste it as did the children of Israel the water and then after beleue O notable faithe to becoÌ„pared with the gray ne of a mustered seede whose guydes the eyes and other fallible senses be Quid memorabile facis si videas credas what greate act doest thow to beleue after thowe hast seene I maye say to yow as Theophilus the B. of Alexandria sayd vnto one Autolicus to whome he wrote Thus saide the Iues of Christ our sauiour hanging apon the Crosse. Descendat nunc de cruce vt videamus credamus Let him come downe now from the crosse that we maye see
and theÌ„ beleue And except you may see fleshe and bloud is it iuggling what yow meane herebie I knowe not of this suer I am that greate blasphemie it is so to terme thâ— miraculouse worâ—king of almightie god besides the horrible presumption to apointe god in what sorte he shall doe his miracles and last of all extreme folly to saie that he rather iuggleth that turning the substance of one thing in to another leaueth yeat vnchanged the olde for me which no iuggler is able to doe then he that altereth the fourme although he can not the substance which dailie experience telleth vs that euerie iuggler to our sight doeth So that almightie goddes worcking is moste vnlike to iugglers iuggling and rather might yow haue saide that Moses wand was aiuggling sticke for that that commonlie iugglers seme to doe as Moses did then that in this high misterie consisting all in faithe anie such false dealing should take place Yow that call this iuggling so far vnlike theretoe if Christe I feare me had turned in this sacrament in dede the accidentes and outewarde forme which euery Iuggler promiseth and semeth to doe in his trickes your false faithe is such that yowe woulde not haue letten to haue called that plaine iuggling besides other pretie termes that yowe kepe in store But leauing yow to your trickes of liegier de main wherein considering your excellencie we will in no wise contende with yow but wisshing yow yeat like a frinde to make some more store thereof and quietly hereafter to kepe them in your iugglers boxe till yowe meete with such companie as whose eyes yowe maie be able easelier to dymme tell me I praie yowe familierlie whether for all your greate bragges yowe mistrusted not the omnipotencie of god when yowe made this weake reason that it was not his will to haue his bodie present in the sacrament because in all the scripture beside yow reade of no such miracle that one thinge was changed into an other reteining still the qualities of the first Is not trowe yow god in good credite with you of whose miracles you beleue no one till he haue doeÌ„ two what neded yow to haue asked this question where he did the like before had yow not douted of his habilitie Is this Abrahams faithe is this Isaac his is this Dauid his that yoweboast your selfe to haue what scripture haue yow where anie of them did this Did our blessed ladie wheÌ„ she had receiued that strange message that she being a moste pure and immaculate virgin should conceiue and bring furth a childe desire first to see it done in an other And yeat emongest all the miracles that euer wer doen before or sence was there euer anie so strange Ar theie now blinde or maliciouse that charge yow with mistrust in goddes power Haue theie not righte good cause to saie that yow see no farder then Ismael and Agar that confesse yourselfe not to beleue this miracle because Christ neuer did the like before Your last reason is of all other moste vnreasonable and maketh me to thincke that sence the time that I last spake with yowe there is some mischaunce happended vnto yow that hath sore broosed your heade and let our your witte For who I praie yow hath made yow at anie time a councelor to god that so presumptuouslie yowe dare affirme that there was no necessitie whie Christe should worke such a miracle as to giue vs his bodie reallie and carnallie in a sacrament to be eaten Is this all the thanâ—kes that yow giue him for so greate a benefite and pretiouse a iewell that he might haue chosen being at libertie not constreined by necessitie whether he would haue doen it or no Trulie these reasons so 〈◊〉 and weake haue betraied yow and giueÌ„ vs to vndâ—rstand that the chiefe staie why yow beleue not this truthe is euen that which yow would so gladlie kepe from our knowledge that is to wit lacke and defect of power which yow persuade your selfe to be in god to the perfourmance of so greate a miracle And euen as the heretikes Basilides Cerdo and Marcion because theie could not atteine to the vnderstanding how a virgin might bring furth toke the occasion of their heresies to saye that Christ toke no fleshe of the virgin Marie and therefore suffred not in a true but in a fantasticall bodie so fareth it with yow and your companie who because yow can not see howe Christes bodie maie be in the sacrameÌ„t reallie present and in manie places at onee falle flat to the deniall thereof and bring it to a simple figure or fantasticall vnderstanding Now let vs returne againe to S. Ambrose from whome your peuish proctour M. Iuell hath made me somwhat to straie The same holie bishoppe hath touching this matter in an other place these wordes Sicut verus est dei filius D. noster Iesus Christus noÌ„ quemadmodum homines per gratiam sed quasi filius ex substaâ—â—ia patris ita vera caro sicut ipse dixit quam accipimus verus est potus c. Euen as our lorde Iesus Christ is the true sonne of god and not as men ar by grace but as his sonne of the substance of his father so is it true fleshe and true drincke which we receaue as he him selfe hath witnessed But thow wilt peraduenture obiect as euen Christes owne disciples did at that time when theie harde their maister saie Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man c how is it true fleshe I whiche see the similitude of bloud see not true bloud in deede First of all I tolde the of Christes worde which is in operation so mighty that it can change and alter yea the common and accustomed ordonances of nature Afterwarde when the disciples could not abide this communication of their maisters theie departed But onelie Peter saide Thow hast the wordes of life euerlasting Least therefore more might saie thus as though there should be a certeine horror and fearefulnes of bloud but yet the grace of redemption should remaine therefore trulie thow receiuest this sacrament in a similitude or likenes but so that thowe receiuest also the grace and force of his true nature Hetherto S. Ambrose in whose wordes two thinges there ar especiallie to be noted first that of the true presence of Christes bodie in the sacrament he toke him selfe to be so suer that euen as certeine a truthe as it is that Christe was the true sonne of god not by grace onelie or adoptioÌ„ so certeinlie and trulie he toke his bodie to be present in the sacrameÌ„t not by grace or spirituallie alone but truelie and reallie The seconde poincte that is diligentlie to be obserued is whie Christe contrarie to his accustomed maner of worcking in his miracles changeth not here in this sacrament the outewarde shape and forme but onelie the inward nature and substance which is as this holie doctour saithe for oure
shape but in nature that by a spirituall meanes the same fleshe and bloud is daily made by the handes of the priest apon the altar that before the consecration there is bread and wyne that after there is the body and bloud of Christe with such like that yet I say for all this I haue proued no thing because forsooth I haue not vouched your termes Really substantially corporally carnally or naturally If yow flee to this bare and miserable shift then shall yow doe all men to vnderstand that yow ar driueÌ„ to an Exigent when to defend your diuelish doctrine yow ar faine to cauill apoÌ„ wordes and termes which also you shall but wrangle about in vaine the thing it self being most euidently proued which those termes and wordes could doe no more then signify Besides that yow shall well showe your selues to be muâ—h either more foolishe or maliciouse then wer those faithelesse Capernaites Of whome there was yet no one emongest them all so voide of wit or fraight with malice who hearing our sauiour coÌ„mend to them the eating of his fleshe and drincking of his bloud beleued not streight waies thoroughly that he ment as he said of his true and naturall fleshe and bloud all wer it so that he neuer mencioned your termes Really naturally substantially corporally or carnally And truly to say the truthe I see no cause why yowe might not also if yow listed renew Marcion his heresie again and say with him that Christ suffered not in a true but in a fantasticall body if such pleas on your parte may be allowed that except certein termes such as yow list to demaunde can be founde otherwise let the truthe be vttred in wordes neuer so apt or propre yow will neuer graunt theretoe For the Euangelistes I pray you M. Iuell which of them euer told vs in describing Christes death and passion that his body was nailed on the crosse Really substantially with the rest of your termes And will you therefore with Marcion deny that he suffred in a trewe body onlesse we can finde to yow such termes as you demaunde Or if yow saie that in this article of our faithe you make no such demaunde but that yowe holde your selues fully contented with such wordes as you finde vttred in the scriptures for the expressing thereof Why then beleue you not as well the veritie of this article being by Christes owne mouthe first by the voice of his churche sence in all ages confirmed as you doe the Euangelistes touching the suffring of his blessed body Or why might not Marcion denieng Christes body on the crosse then haue bidden Tertullian and other that stroue against him proue it by these termes Really substantially corporally carnally or naturally aswell as you denieng it nowe on the altar driue vs to the prouing the presence thereof there by the same Especially the wordes vttered by the Euangelistes to ascerteine vs of the true suffring of Christes body on the crosse being no more manifest to that effect then ar the wordes of Christ to the other that is to giue vs to vnderstand of the true being of the same apon the altar Well yet shall I euen in this point assay to satisfie if it may be your deintie and delicat appetite Although this must I nedes by the way confesse that the auncient wryters vsed not thiese termes so commonly as the latter haue doen. For in that pure and vnspotted age of the primitiue churche when no heretike durst once open his mouthe to impugne this veritie there was not to say the truthe like occasion as sence Berengarius his time hath bin ministred Or rather the innocency and parfect simplicitie of those dayes thought it not necessary for them to vse your termes corporally carnally with the rest which had said the same body that suffred death on the crosse the same that walcked here on the earth whereas it might probably be thought that they whom such wordes should not persuade to yelde in this point to the truthe would not faile also in such wise to cauill and wraÌ„gle about the other that had they bene vsed neuer so often they would yet by one shift or other seme to auoid them and so coÌ„tinue in their olde heresie still And this I feare me will hereafter appeare by your doinges how euer for the time yow dally with your dilatory exceptions which being brought to wise meÌ„nes scanning be not all worth a blew point or a rotten rushe But nowe I come to your termes The first which is realiter Really is a barbarouse word and therefore of likelihod not to be founde in the learned eloqueÌ„t worckes of the auncient fathers Which thing maketh me to thinck that if in your chalenge M. Iuell yow ment good faith yow will not take it in euell parte if for that which caÌ„ not be had I giue you an other as good I meane for this terme really the word truly or verely For in right iudgement they signifie I dout not all one thing This being presupposed your chalenge touching this term may be answered by the words of our Sauiour where he entreateth of this most blessed sacrameÌ„t and in expresse wordes taught his disciples that his flesh which he would giue them and they should eate should be truly meate and his blood truly drinck Which if it be so then is it not by fiction or imagination as yowe and your companions dreame but in true and to speake after your manner in reall existence If yow say that the wordes of Christ be here by me racked and violently wresteâ— to a far other sense then him self had in them then turne I yow ouer to trye that matter to Hilarius that worthy Bishop of Poyctiers in Fraunce Who reasoning ageinst the heresy of Arrius as I doe now ageinst yours applieth them after this sort to the same purpose De naturali in nobis Christi veritate quae dicimus nisi ab eo discimus stultè atque impiè dicimus Ipse enim ait Caro mea verè estesca sanguis meus verè est potus De veritate carnis sanguinis non est relictus ambigendi locus Nunc enim ipsius domini professione fide nostra verè caro est verè sanguis est The which wordes in our English tongue sound thus Of the naturall veritie of Christ in vs what so euer it be that we teache except we learne it of him we teache bothe foolishly and wickedly For he saith him self my flesh is truly meate and my blood is truly driÌ„ck Of the truthe of his flesh and bloud there is not any place left to dout For now both by the testimony of our lord hiÌ„ self and by our faith it is truly his flesh and truly his bloud Hetherto Hilarius by whom in this place may be gathered good readers first that in the primitiue churche apon these wordes of Christ my flesh is truly meat c. the fathers and bishops of that age