neither if any manne should ryse from death would they beleue him Or howe did they which had the writings of the Apostles onely when neyther bookes nor commentaries were written of thesame But whereas my Lord Cardinall woulde haue that taken for an Apostolike tradition whiche hathe bene receiued of the church at al times in all places and of al men I see not howe these iii. pointes maie be proued For how great diuersitie shal we find in the bookes of auncient fathers yea and euen in the verye articles of oure faith If these wordes should be weyed at all tymes and of all men wher shall we beginn but at the Apostolike church Who shall be firste in order but onely the Apostles Whose liues and doings are partly faithfully written by Luke and partly gathered out of their owne writinges To be shorte we returne at the last to the first foundatiō of the scriptures sith all truthe came from god who cōmaunded the prophets and Apostles to bee interpreters messengers of oure saluation In the meane time we dooe not reiecte the councels of the fathers as farre as they be confirmed with the testimonies of the holye scripture For them as Austine sayeth the holy◅ ghost hath so tempered that it which◅ in some place is obscurely spoken in some other is expressed more plainlye and more at large And that rule chiefly amonges others he geueth whereb◅ we may vnderstande the scriptures i◅ that booke whiche he wrote of christia◅ doctrine yet there remaineth som◅ doubt in this question Some mē hau◅ thought that the will of God in these thinges whiche pertaine to oure saluation is not fullye declared in those writinges whiche the Prophetes and Apostles haue lefte vnto vs. Whiche doubte if it should take any place what a gap wer ther opened to all mischefe And certes this was the breache by the which Sathan first pearced into the vine yard of the lord to destroy it God truely before the tune of Moyses with visiōs reuelatiōs directed his church in like maner yeapostles before thei put theyr doctrine in writīg taught yesame by worde of mouth But because the nūber of men encreasing their noughtynesse encreased also the lorde would y◠this doctrine shoulde bee contayned in writinges and monumentes Whiche might be vnderstoode and perceiued of al men why so that he might confoūd the impudence and rashnesse of suche as wil set foorth cloke their dreames with the name of tradition reuelation and custome But if the doctrine of god be written onely in some part to what purpose is this remedy Truely it can not be so Iohn spake of the scriptures when he sayeth that those things which are written are written to that ende that we beleuing them may haue life euerlasting Iohn xx ◅ ◅xi whiche he had falslye sayde yf thei themselues had concealed any doctrine necessary to life and saluation But Paule when he declareth the vse of scripture vnder the person of Tymothe teacheth all ministers yf anye thing should haue ben added to the scriptures wuld not haue affirmed that by them the man of god is made perfecte i. Timo. ii d. xvi Neither do we denye but y◠at all times there haue ben somtraditions of the apostles which be not written But those were suche as pertained to the ciuil order of the churche But forasmuche as many men haue abused this name this great while I thinke good to shewe what traditions ought to bee counted Apostolike Whiche shall not be hard yf in iudgyng and discernyng them we vse the markes For fyrst we must consyder whether they doe agree with the doctryne of the woorde and then whether they bee apte and meete to edify◅ For it is certayne that the Apostles dyd neuer institute any rites and ordinaunces whiche eyther directly or els in anye parte were contrarye to theyr owne doctryne or myghte withdrawe menne from spirituall worshippyng whereof theyr owne wrytynges beare sufficiente recorde If thys rule be obserued bothe doctrine shall easilye be discerned frō traditions also false traditions frō the true Neyther are you ignorant how foolishe Tertullian iudgeth their opinions which think that the apostles haue ouerpassed an◅thīg necessary to saluatiō which ether by word of mouth or writīgs thei haue not taught but we will adde more hereto Namely that those things which herein the Apostles decreed were not continuall Truelye their instytutions passe all exception yet neuerthelesse by the rule of charitye they yelded somewhat to the weaknes of men As when the eating of suffocatorū and bloud was forbid the Iewes Also those thynges which Paule himselfe taught and obserued in Timothe and his own persō Ac. 15. f. 25. Act. 16. a. ◠i Co. 16. d. xxix i Co. 11. a 7 Which now truly shuld haue no place but by the generall rule of charitye whereby we are willed in things indifferēt to apply our selues to our neighbours Other such like may be gathered of their rytes as of kissing vncouering the head which was the signe of authority and other such lyke whiche at this daye are contrarye to y◠customes of many nations amōg whō it would seme most folish the men should kisse the one the other to talke with the heade vncouered is commonly a signe of y◠lowest state and condicion These thinges therefore ought to be considered before anye custome be thought Apostolyke Also no man must grounde vppon the authority of the Apostles to trouble the church As it hapned in the cōtrouersye of the daye in the which Easter should be kept whiche bred miserable deuision and euē in the Apostles tyme by those that did abuse the authoritie of the churche at Ierusalē to myngle Iewishnesse wyth Christian religion Of whom it is writen in the Actes of the Apostles where it was decreed by a councell that no man should lay that yoke on mennes cōsciēces Wherby it may easely be perceiued that the Apostles could not be the authoures of so many ceremonies to the which afterwardes Satisfaction merites and remission of sinnes wer attributed For they taught far otherwise And so much they dissented from makyng newe ceremonies that they gaue no place to those of Moses lawe of the whiche God was the author Of thys yoke of traditions obseruances Austine long since writing to Ianuarius much cōplained if he had liued in our tyme how would he haue lamented thē Wherfore to be shorte we desyre that the Scripture whiche herein is playne maye iudge good traditions frō euil holy from prophane profitable frō hurtful necessarye frō superfluous When of these articles we are once agreed this question shall easily be dissolued whether the authoritie of the church be greater thā of the woorde of god which certes is no lesse fonde than if a man should doubte whether the sōn ought to be aboue his father the wife aboue her husbande or man aboue god And sure neuer the true church or any godly mā woulde moue such
for the layiÌ„g on of haÌ„ds but to proue himself an apostle he did not so much cite his miracles of the which he had great store as yâ— fruite of his preachyng the coÌ„uersioÌ„ of those people whoÌ„ the lord had turned at his calling For writing to the CorinthiaÌ„s he saith You are the seale of my apostleship in that lord Cor. ix Thesame truely say of so gret a nuÌ„ber as by our preching haue receued the gospel agaiÌ„st al the power of maÌ„ nether seke we any other coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of our calling ministery For the power vertue of god hath sufficieÌ„tly shewed it self forasmuch as nether prysoÌ„ fier banishmeÌ„t nor death could stay yesame But quoth SpeÌ„sa shew me but eueÌ„ one example wtin these .xv. C. yeares like to your case Although quoth Beza al hystories are not writteÌ„ yet I donbie not but there may be fouÌ„d som But if ther be none it is no incoÌ„uenience to say that god in our daies hath done yâ— which he neuer did afore Afterwards we cam to traditioÌ„s which SpeÌ„sa made equal with that scripture â—…aÌ„tus preferred aboue it as more certain thaÌ„ it But to the place of Paul which reuoketh vs to yâ— scripturs SpeÌ„sa aÌ„swerd that Paul speketh generally of doctrine Which forth w e was aÌ„swered not of vs only but of an other singularly wel learned maÌ„ which was there preseÌ„t that it is writeÌ„ ther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moreouer we said it was new straÌ„ge that XaÌ„tus wold haue the traditioÌ„s more certain thaÌ„ the scripture for yâ— by reasoÌ„ of many interpretatioÌ„s may be vncertayne For what fouÌ„datioÌ„ shal our faith haue if we doubt of it neither is it therefore incertain bicause many times meÌ„ misapply it mangle it abuse it For the truthe abides alway one which though it be somtymes darkned yet continueth her force euen to the last Neither bicause heretikes abuse it ought we therefore the lesse to fly to it What wroÌ„g he doth vs in coÌ„paring of Anabaptistes other diuelish sectes our writings wel testify They admit onely som part of the Scriptures We accept allow the whole they credit new reuelations We say that suche thynges are out of place sithe Christe hath manifested al things fully vnto vs. As to the place of TertulliaÌ„ wherof â—…antus warned Beza twice or thrice to read it I quoth Beza haue read it more than xx tymes am so well assured that you shall finde it as I saye as I perfectly know that you shal neuer finde in Chrisostom that which you in his name haue falsely alleged But do not deny that Tertullian did manye tymes passe his bondes Neuerthelesse if we coÌ„sider towhat ende he spake it you shal perceiue how lightly this which you thynke to make so much with you shal be answered For this was his purpose that we should not in vaine reason with heretikes As Paule couÌ„saileth vs after the first or seconde admonition to leaue them But what maner of heretikes were those Suche as beig conuicted of their heresy by the worde of god tryfled in vayne What were the traditions whiche he layde against them Such as are conteyned in the writinges of the Apostles and pertayn to the chiefe articles of our fayth and which the whole church professed Fyrst therfore we should haue ben coÌ„uicted by the same worde that if we be in any erroure we might thereby bee withdrawen from it But to bee confuted by tradition whiche is neither Apostolical nor yet grounded on their writings that truely is asmuch as to opeÌ„ the gate to all deceite and vtterly to ouerturne the certaintye of oure faith But why doth Tertullian himself vpbrayde the heretikes saying Let them beleue the scriptures if they can do it beleuig agaynst the scriptures except we ought to flye to them and by them confute all errors If these rytes whyche at thys daye our aduersaries haue brought in were Apostolike the churche would alwayes haue vsed them Neither should they haue had so late beginning Now forasmuche as the authors of them are wel knoweÌ„ described in histories certainly it cannot be said that they came first froÌ„ the Apostles Falsly also is the name of traditions refrained to those things which are deliuered froÌ„ hande to hande in as muche as this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is referred eueÌ„ to those things that are writen TertulliaÌ„ refuteth those that taught that the apostles had not sufficiently instructed vs in al things that thei might leaue a place for new traditioÌ„s as things reuealed by the holy gost Thei are woÌ„t to say quoth he that the apostles knew al but neuertheles put not al in writing In both pointes blaming christ as though he had either insufficieÌ„tly instructed his apostles or els had choseÌ„ such simple meÌ„ as were not able to vtter their mindes in writing For what sober maÌ„ would beleue that the apostles wer ignoraÌ„t in any thing whoÌ„ the lord appointed as maisters â–ª c. To the Apostles therfore we must fly whoÌ„ christ seÌ„t to preach But how shall we be assured of their doctrine but by their wrytings Was not vnctioÌ„ geueÌ„ vnto theÌ„ for this cause that they might deliuer and write vnto vs al things necessarye for our saluatioÌ„ not to leaue vs douting or vncertain And herby is that place of Chrisostom easily discussed which was earst aleged where he saith that Christ left nothing in writing to his apostles Wuld he therfore that thei shuld write nothing No sure But therfore he taught them therfore he reueled it vnto them by his spirit that the same doctrine once written might remain for euer But thei taught somâ—…things which are not coÌ„tained in their writings Neither that truely do we deny But we saie that there is nothing pertaining to our saluation Whyche they haue not left in writing other thiges which coÌ„cerne rites ciuill dyscypline they might easily teach by worde of mouth But because yesame chaunge according to time place they woulde not buâ—… then our consciences therwith As to the obiection of the names of vnbegotten consubstaÌ„tiality trinity baptisme of children although the playne names wordes be not in the scriptures yet the thinges themselues that is to wit the sence and grounde Whereof the names are gathered is playnelye expressed and shewed in the scripture These thinges were long debated and sometymes the talke interrupted Xantus spake muche and affirmed a great while that the virginitie of Mary after her deliuerance coulde not bee proued by the scriptures Neither yet that yong children ought to be baptised Neuerthelesse bothe were proued by the authoritie of the scripture But he ceassed not to bable after the maner of the Sorbonistes as though he shoulde wynne the victorie with triflyng and talking His talke litle liked so honorable anaudience as it that was full of bitternes sharpenesse and stomake Our men in the meane tune modestly stayd themselues And albeit manye of our aduersaries spake at once confusedly
A TRVE report of all the doynges at the assembly cōcernyng matters of Religion lately holden at Poyssy in Fraunce Written in Latine by Mayster Nicholas Gallasius minister of the Frenche Churche in London and then present one of the disputers in thesame trāslated into English by I. D. ◠Seen and allowed accordyng to the order appoynted by the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions ¶ To the ryghte honorable the Lord Frauncis Russel Earle of Bedford and one of the Queenes Maiesties priuye councell Nicholas Gallasius IMmediatly after my retourne into thys Realme ryghte honourable I thought nothyng more requisite than to shewe the cause of my lōg pylgrymage That bothe all menne maye vnderstande why I haue bene so long absente from my churche and also what was the ende of that assemblye where I was and eke what fruite I reaped of my trauayle therein For I vnderstande that sondrye rumours haue bene spred thereof and that manye haue easilye perswaded themselues that whiche they most desired So that in these oure tymes I fynde it most true which long synce was spoken Namely that the people iudgeth and now measure most thyngs accordyng to there owne opynion and very fewe accordyng to the truth Whiche foolyshe iudgements to withstand I counted it paine well spence not onely by word of mouth to certifie my frēdes and familyers but also to put in writting to the sight and reading of al mē the late doinges betwixt vs and the prelates at Poyssye Whiche as symply playnelye so I protest to doe truly and faythfullye As they themselues which were presēte at the doynge therof can witnesse Great sure was the expectacion of this assemblye and cōference And not with out cause For neuer hereto fore in Fraunce were we quyetlye heard or admitted to the defence of our cause but rather without cause condēned banyshed and imprysoned Now therefore it was no maruell yf with thys straūge and sodayn chaūce mens myndes were in greate expectacion had conceyued good hope Especiallye forasmuche as the truthe shyneth of itselfe waxeth so much y◠more mighty as men with greate force and suttelty assay to suppresse it But they must not thynke that we were heard of them which were dryuen thereto for the most part agaynst there willes altogether enforced thereto by the necessirye of common commaundemente For they woulde alwayes either haue vs put to sylence oure mouthes stopped or els referred to there greate God at Trent only necessitye therefore made vs audience Bycause no otherwise the feare of imminent peryls could be repressed nor they thēselues which hate vs most haue prouided for their own quietnes Wherfore al be it they fayned that they were wiling to come to cōference yet they cōtinued with vs only so long as they hoped in the meane tyme they myght well content the Kynge and the nobles and appease the cōmons For to leaue of the seueral discourse al theyr doinges generally but chiefly their departure whereby they brake the conference sufficiētly disclosed what their purpose was Whiche if we consider certainly we shall maruell that we dyd so often come to talke and wer suffred so long to pleade our cause But wtout respecting the councels or iudgements of men we must weye the prouidēce of God wherby he preuenteth al perilles and geueth a happy and lucky ende to doubtfull beginninges For god which neuer faileth those that are his hathe farre exceded our hope and expectatiō For who thought that albeit we wer sent for yet many beyng vnwilling some striuing against it we should be heard at all who sawe not a thousande wyles prepared for vs wherby we myghte eyther be put to death or silence After that we weronce heard with the great grudge of all the bishops who wuld haue hoped for the seconde or third meetyng Who thought not that we were led as prysoners to pleade oure cause And where as moste vniuste condityons were offered vs whereby the Byshops mynded to shame vs and win themselues a glorious victory who thought not that we woulde streyght haue broken of and hauing so good occasyon offered vnto vs woulde foorthwith reasse from conference Yet we chose rather to abyde al perilles yea and to muche wrong rather than we woulde geue any occasyon to breake of y◠conference We gaue vp a confession of oure fayth that is to say of all the churches in Fraunce that professe the ghospell To maintain and defends thesame we wer alwayes readie Or if the bishops would haue shewed forth any of theirs we promised oftē to conferre therof to confute it if ther were in it any thyng not agreable to the woorde of God But we coulde neuer get them together withoute great entreatye or continuall callyng on them At the laste when they neyther coulde nor durste openly to breake of the conference once begonne by the Kyngs cōmaundement they thoughte good by litle and litle to loose breake of For firste from the great audyence in the whiche we were first heard wyth greate companye restrained in a more narowe place we were admitted onely to the number of .xii. where they had a greate companye of their monkes and doctours Neither yet did this order please them long For at the laste the matter was referred to fiue on ether part and yet afterwardes those that wer chosen for them bicause they wer graue and quiet men they said wer neuer appoynted therto by their consent For they thought thē to much bent to peace concord which they hate All these pollicies attempted as it semed in vayn without any aunswere geuing vs or any parte of theyr mindes signified vnto vs they departed But although this labor may seme emploied in vain wherof their apeares eyther no end or els no certain conclusion yet neuertheles herby is made manifest to al men howe great is the power of truth which can be suppressed by no might of mē by no wile nor guile For she feareth her aduersaries she constraineth her defēders and patrones maketh thē to be feared albeit thei are few and smal of force she vanquisheth and rooteth out all error be it neuer so depe rooted she detecteth and chaseth deceites and lies euen as the light with her beames doth the darknesse to conclude although manye yeares she hath lien hydden and suppressed yet at the last she becomes vanquisher of all her foes Which forasmuche as the lorde dailye proueth before our eyes truely we are vnkinde and vnthankefull vnlesse we mindefully weye it Least therefore the fame of these doynges should dye least they shuld be falsified with lyes or blotted with false tales immediately after my retourne I wrote the note thereof and described all thynges euen as they wer done But whiles I doubted vnder whose name I might best publishe the same your honor cam forthwith to my minde to whom for great fauoure and gentlenesse I am much bounden and not I onely but as many els as beyng true worshippers of god are fled hither
remedy foūde for so great cōtronersies as dayly ryse of benefyces Of the excommunicatyō censure of the Churche and such lyke With the which hard weighty questions the Bishops occupyed had so litle leasure the they could scarse findeany tyme to employ in the hearyng of vs. What meanes they sought in the meane time to preiudice our matter it is not to the purpose here to tel I wil shew onely this one Which some thought in maner the prologe or preamble of the conference that should ensue that hereby mē may know what credite they ought to geue to such rumors as our aduersariesfalsely spred vpon vs. For immediatly vpon the departure of Theodore Beza a rumoure ranne that he being conuycted by the Cardinall of Lorayne was turned to the Catholikes as they cal themselues and agreed with them as coucerning the Sacrament as they terme it of the aulter Of thys tale what was the couloure and occasion I wyll shortly shew Whē Beza the day after hys comyng came to the Queenes presence in the palayce of the kyng of Nauarre by whom he was sent for there beeyng presēt the Prince of Conde the Cardinal of Borbon diuers other the Cardinall of Lorayne emonges others being there began to entreate and exhort him to encline to peace and concorde saying that as being absēt he had troubled the kyngdom so now being presēt he might wel appease it Hereto Beza first shewing what good wil he had alwayes borne to the kyng and hys natiue countrey aunswered that he was not of power to trouble so great a kingdome but muche lesse of purpose to do it whiche mighte well appeare by hys wrytinges hopyng also that they should perceyue greater proofe therof in hys talke Then the Queene demaunded of hys wrytynges Wheruppon the Cardenall takynge occasyon sayd that he hadde a booke publyshed in the name of Beza in the which he red one horrible incōuensēce Namely that Christ is now so to be lought in his Supper as afore he tooke vpon hym our flesh and was borne of the virgin I haue heard also quoth he that you wrote in a certaine booke that Christ is in such sort in his Supper as he is in a dunghil With these sayings al those that were present were greatly offended But Beza sayd As for the bokes if they were present I myght more certainly aunswere whether they were myne or no. But as to the first sentence it may wel seeme vnreasonable as it is rehearsed of my Lorde Cardinal But well vnderstode and those thinges considered which go afore it and folowe it we shal fynde it most true But the last is not onely shamefull but wycked also and blasphemous And I am well assured can neyther be founde in my wrytings nor any others of our part Ouer passing therfore this last in the which whosoeuer was the author of it he vttered to playne and manifest a lie the Cardinall returned to the first It were very hard quod he that we should haue no more than those olde fathers Furthermore how could Christes fleshe be geuē afore it was Then Beza asked of the Cardinall whether from the beginning of the world there had ben any Church he graunted Also was not the same Churche a Church by him which is the Mediatour betwixt God and mā There to he agreed also Is not Christ the true God and mā thesame Mediatour He confessed that also Then quod Beza the communicating of the faythful with Christ is not to be limited to y◠tyme in the which in dede he ioined his diuinity to our nature For that which was not as yet by the course of nature was alwayes by power and effect present to the eyes of our fayth Is it not sayd that Abrahā saw the day of Christ and reioyced Also Paule sayeth that our fathers did eate the selfe same spiritual foode and dronke the selfe same spirituall drynke out of the spirituall rocke which folowed them which rocke was Christ Hereunto the Cardinall agreed also and adioyned here to that which is written in the Apocalips that the lamb was slayne from the beginning of the world Then Beza entreated somwhat of the difference of the olde and newe Testament From thys question as it haps many tymes they fel into the reasoning of the presence of the body of Christ in his supper We do not agree quoth the Cardinal in the exposition of these wordes of our Lord. This is my body I graunt quoth Beza and I am sory that we agree no better But I had rather plainly to graunt it than to dissemble it I quoth the Cardinall doe teache the children of my diocesse when they are asked what is the bread of the body of our Lord to answere that it is the body of Christ Do ye disalow that No quoth Beza For it is the sayinge of Christ But the question is after what sort the bread is called the body of Christ For of those thinges which are sayd to be all are not sayd to be after one selfe same sort And there with he touched somewhat of the Sacramental maners of speaking Wherin the Cardinal did not much repugne against the sayings of Beza onely against that place but the rocke is Christ whiche Beza cyted he set this The worde was made flesh But he was sone made to leaue that hold For y◠which is spokē of a natural and essential cōmunion far differeth from the Sacramental speach At the laste this questiō quoth Beza cōsisteth in foure pointes The first is of the signes The other of the thing signifyed The third of y◠cōioyning of the signes with the thing signified The fourth of the participation of the signes y◠thinges signified by thē As to the first quoth he we do not agree that in the lords Supper you do appoint onely accidentes in stede of the signes Wheras we continue there the nature of bread wine as both the nature of Sacraments requires also the holy Scripture teacheth Here the Cardinal interrupting hym Truly quoth he I thinke my selfe able enough to defende transubstantiation But I thynk the deuines might well inough haue left out y◠doctrine Neyther would I y◠vpō that poynt should rest any diursiō of our churches As to the second poynt quoth Beza we do not only say y◠the meryte of Christes death passion is signified vnto vs by the signes of bread and wyne But also the true body that was crucified for vs and the true bloud which was shed for vs and to be short that Christ himself true God and man is signified vnto vs by these visible signes that oure myndes and vnderstanding may by fayth spiritually beholde hym in heauen where he now ascēded resteth And so haue the fruition of all hys goods and giftes to lyfe euerlastyng And that assone and as surely as we see take eate drynke those corporall and visible signes The Cardinall agreed hereto signifying that he was glad to vnderstande it For that he had
heard afore that we taught other wyse As to the thirde quoth Beza we graunt that there is great difference betwixt common water it wherwith we are washed in Baptisme betwixt breade and wyne whyche we vse commonly and those which we receiue in the Lordes Supper For the water in Baptisme and bread and wyne in the Lordes Supper be Sacramentes that is to wyt visible signes and testimonies of the body and bloud of our Lord. But this chaūge we do not admit in the nature of the elementes But in thys that they are seuered to an other vse farre distant from it whereto naturally they be appoynted For whereas naturally they serue to the nourishment of the bodye when they become Sacramēts they represent that whiche spiritually fedeth and refresheth our soules Furthermore this sacramentall chaunge we attrybute neither to the Vertue of the worde whiche any mā pronounceth neither to his purpose intention as they terme it but to the power and vertue of god Whose wil ordināce is declared to vs by his worde In that respect therefore that the thinge signifyed is offered and geuen vnto vs of the lord and that as trulye as the signes therof are geuen vnto vs in that respect and no other we acknowledge the coniunction of the signes which y◠thinge signified And so also we saye that the body and bloud of Iesus Christ in that they are truly geuen vs and cōmunicated vnto vs to be trulye present also in the vse of his supper neither yet is it therfore to be sayde that that body is ether vnder the bread or in the bread or with the bread or in any other place than in heauen to the whiche Christ ascended Wher accordīg to his humane nature he remaineth till he shal come to iudge the quick and the dead Then the Cardinall once agayne affirmynge that he forced not Transubstanciatiō sayde that Christ in deede was to be sought in heauen Neuertheles he mixed therwith somewhat of the locall presence of Christe the opinyon of certayn Germans therof And so confounded these matters together that it well appeared he had not bin muche occupied in that article Which he him selfe witnessed also saiyng that he had spente the most part of his tyme in other businesse I graunt ye quoth Beza that we agre not with certayne of the Germans in this third article But in this one thing the grace of god is fauorable to vs al a like that with on consēt we condemne Transubstanciation and whatsoeuer dependeth thereupon And all alyke graunt and confesse the liuely communicating of the body and bloude of Christ Graūt ye then quoth the Cardinall that we in the supper do truely and substanciallye Cōmunicate with the body bloude of Iesus Christ that remainth quoth Beza For the fourth poynte We do saye in effect That the visible sygnes which naturally are eaten and dronken are touched with our sences but the thing signified namely the body and bloud of Christ truely and wtout any coloure or deceit is offered to al men but can not otherwyse be receiued but spiritually by fayth For thei be not receiued with one hande or mouth Yet neuerthelesse thys communicating is so certayn that it which we see wyth our eyes touche with our hāds cā be no surer Although the misery of this cōmuniō of the vertue of the holy ghost nether cā by sence be perceiued nor by the cōpasse of oure wit comprehended The Cardinall affirmed that he was satysfied wyth these reasons And that openly testifyed to the Queene Geuing good hope that there shoulde ensue some happye ende of thys conference He entreated also and desyred Beza that he would oftener talke and conferre with him of these matters that so at last they myghte make some waye to peace and concorde So those that heard thereof were in greate hope of better successe But therewithall some came to the Cardinall willing hym to cōtinue in hys first purpose easely suspecting that which afterwards happened For the next day there was a rumour spred not only in the court but also in Poyssye yea and afterwardes caryed into farre countreyes that at the fyrste meting Beza was ouercome cōuerted by the Cardinals labour And to cōclude that we had now taken the foyle These and diuers suche other tales as custome is were forged spred abrode which although they might be cōfuted with the witnesse of many credible persons yet now at last in tyme prouing themselues lyes to their great shame y◠first fayned them are vanished awaye Whē as the tyme was thus prolonged and no answer made vnto vs we came to the nobles of the realm and earnestly desyred thē that we myght be heard Least in ouerpasting so mete an occasion those by whō we were sent mighte seme to sustayne any shame or reproch But chiefely we required that those cōditions which we first proposed might be obserued and that we myght not otherwise couple with our aduersaries But chefely that they might not be their owne iudges in the matter And that whatsoeuer shuld happen might hereafter appeare more certain we required an answere in writing Which whē it was denied vnto vs we came to the Queene desiring and beseching her to graunt to our requestes There wer present the king of Nauarre the prince of Conde the admiral the Chancelour The Queene answered that the Bishops shuld in no wise be our iudges And that such thigs as wer done one of the kinges secretaries shuld register which was one of thē whō we call secrytaryes of cōmaundements And if we would our selues pen our disputatiōs we might lawfully doe it And whereas in decreeing of doctrines we would groūde only vpō the authority of the Scriptures that we might opēly proteste And that the kyng which had takē vs into hys tuycyō would be present at it with the rest of the nobility But she cōmaunded vs to do al thyngs moderatly and wisely respecting onely the glory of God of the aduauncement wherof she thought vs desyrous But that these thinges should be geuē vnto vs in writinge she thougth it was not expediente for many causes Neuerthelesse she promised we shoulde haue it if we had nede thereof Willing vs to credite no lesse her worde thā her writing Forasmuche as if she meante to deceiue vs her writing could not let her Immediatly after our departure came the doctours of the Sorbonistes desiring the Quene that she woulde not vouchsafe to heare vs. But if she were determined to heare vs at the least that she should not suffer the kyng to be present therat For that it was great perill as they sayd least the king in this his tender age shoulde be seasoned wyth vnsounde doctrine from the which afterwardes he should hardly be withdrawen And that we forasmuchas we were already condemned of heresye were not to be heard at all Then the Queene aunswered that she woulde doe nothing withoute her councell Whereby they well perceiued that
the matter was not likely to passe as they wished Wherefore thoughe all oure demaundes were not graunted yet neuerthelesse bicause the aunswere of the Queene was tollerable we thoughte it good to take the occasion leaste we myghte seeme to detracte the conference The next day therefore whiche was the nynth of September we came to Poyssye to the cloyster of Nunnes where the king was with his brother the Duke of Orleaunce the Quene the king Queene of Nauarre and the rest of the nobles with the whole councel there were present also the Cardinalls and Bishops accompaynyed with a great number of ecclesiast call persons We ministers to the number of xii and .xx. of those whom other churches had sente came in afore them But least the people of the towne shoulde make any riot vpon vs the kinges garde brought vs from our lodginges to the Nunnery Assoone as we came to the kinges presence and wer commaunded to speake Theodore Beza which by the vniuersal cōsent was appoynted therto made an oratyon in the which thankyng God and the Kynge that nowe at the last our cause shuld he heard he shewed the causes for the which we had bin lōg before expelled and vniustly condēned Furthermore in what articles we agreed with our aduersaries in what others and how we did differ And what was the meane to appease all troubles and reforme religion Then in fewe wordes he shewed the doctrine of oure fayth and Sacramentes and bryefelye touched the chiefe errours that haue crept into religion whiche whyles he handeled grauely moderatly and wyth synguler eloquence he was heard very diligently of al men except when he treated of the presence of the body of Christ in his supper For when he shewed how we are made partakers of hym in hys Supper and taught thesame to be done by the power of the holy ghost which conioyneth knitteth thinges most farre distance in nature and that Christ could no otherwyse be receiued than by fayth and that he nedeth not to descende from heauen that we may communicate of hys body and that he is not enclosed in the bread but remayneth in heauen till he shall come to iudge the world or rather that as to that corporall presence he is as far absent from the bread as the hyest heauē is distant from the lowest earth these thinges I say Whiles he handeled sodenly the Bishops begā opēly to grudge and murmure Crying that he spake shameful blasphemy Some hissed some rose as though they would depart And the Cardinall of Turon opēly desired that either he might be licenced to depart or we put to silēce They wer sory that afore they could get no occasion to interrupte our oration And therfore it pricked them at the heartes that we were so attentiuely heard Neither is it to be doubted but ether they would haue departed or els violently haue runn vpon vs vnlesse the very presēce and authority of the king had represt their fury Silence commaunded a new Beza gently desired them that they woulde quietly heare what remained So it myghte happen that the matter ended they themselues mighte be satisfied So he had licence to conclude And not onely to declare the resydue of those thinges that pertayne to the fuller declaratyon of Chrystes presence in his supper but also all such thinges as concerne the Ecclesiasticall disciplyne and the dutye and authoritye of officers This oratyon ended the Cardinall of Turon perced with anger tremblyng and freating counsayled the king to geue no credite to our wordes nor swarue from the religion of his auncesters Wherein that he mighte obtaine his desire he prayed the gloryous virgine Marye and the blessed Saintes Then he desired to haue a copy of our oration and a daye appointed to aunswere it Saying that he hoped that oure argumentes and reasons shoulde bee so fully satisfied that if any parte thereof stucke in the kinges minde it shoulde thereby easely be rooted oute The Bishoppes tooke aduysemente with the deuines and Canonistes howe they mighte aunswere oure oration But then the Cardinall of Lorayne braste out into these wordes Would to God that eyther he had ben dumme or we deaffe The matter long weyed emōges them they concluded not to aunswere all the poyntes of our oration either bicause they would not or could not but .ii. only First that whiche we sayde of the Churche and then that which was spoken of the Lordes Supper Afterwards they desired that they might geue vp a common confessiō in wryting subscribed by euery of them Which if the ministers would not allow they myghte then procede with a solemne decree against them And so take away the disputation From the whych polecy the wysest and grauest men abhorring sharpely withstode their purpose In the meane tyme we determined to make supplication to the kyng that he woulde not suffer the conference thus to be broken of nor the Bishops to be iudges in their own cause Saying that we had not yet shewed the proofes of oure opynion but onely symplye and playnly hadde drawen the articles of oure fayth which afterwardes myght bee more largely handeled and proued with the testimonies of the Scripture if he did suffer the Bishops to proocede so at theyr owne wyll and decree their own cause it woulde come to passe that both he should be deceiued of hys good expectatiō and also no remedy hereafter founde for suche troubles as do dayly growe This supplication was geuen to the Chancelor who by his prudence prouided that the conference was not broken of and that the Bishops kept farre more moderate and quiet order than they had done before The eight day after which was the xvi of thesame moneth the Cardinal of Loraine answered our oratiō and protesting afore that he and his would alwayes submit themselues to the kinges rule and would be ready to obeye hys commaundement in al pointes yet neuerthelesse reserued place for theyr wonted immunitie and fredom wherby they are wont to quite themselues from all subiection and chalenge the chiefe authoritie And that he did so suttelly that he scarcely semed to touche that sore And pretending a coloure of concorde he protested that he would gladly receiue vs which had swarued from him if we would returne humble our selues to them To conclude that they would be as fathers towards vs. If we would shew our selues as children towardes them These such other like afore promised he sayd he would aunswere onely to the Articles of our oration Whereof the one concerned the Church the other the Lordes Supper He ymagined that we had so defyned y◠Church as though the name thereof had extended no farther thā to the elect and therfore largely reasoned agaynste it shewing out of the common similitudes of the gospel in the whiche it is cōpared to a plat of grounde and to a fyshers net that the name therof extended euen to ill and reprobate persons But he gaue it a meruaylous definitiō Saying that the Catholike
to conclude that onely God knowes his elect chosē Yet neuerthelesse we beleue that ther is a holy church whiche is conceiued imagined and beleued not seene For if we shuld otherwise saie thereof would ensue that whiche is most repugnaunt to reason For if the churche be vnknowen vnto vs to what flock shal we stickto be pertakers of saluation when to the Church only Christ extendeth his power saluatiō we say therfore that althoughe that Churche can not be discerned by sight yet when we seeke to what flocke and companye we ought to assocyate oure selues ther be certayne notes wherby we may know discerne yesame namely the pure worde of god and the syncere administration of the sacraments These be the cleare and euident marks thereof neither is there any doute but whatsoeuer these be ther is also the true Church of god Furthermore we say That al those that professe true religiō are charitablye to be counted amonge the number of the faythful vnlesse the lorde do playnely detest their hipocrisy and dessemblynge Whereof Paule giueth vs a manifest president callinge the Corinthians and Galathians faithfull i. Cor. ii a and applying to them the general name of the churche albeit in thē there was great imperfection aswel of learning as life whiche in diuers places he himselfe complaineth For all those that haue any foundation doe not alwaies builde on the same golde siluer and pretious stones onely but also oftentimes hey chaffe and sedge i. Cor. ii c xii In this maner and sort therefore we vse to speake of the church least we should seme to appoint any fantasticall thing or that should consiste in imaginations onely or least we mighte geue any colour to ill disposed persones to deeme vs suche as were in times past y◠Canthares and Donatistes and in this our age are the Anabaptistes against whō we haue oftē reasoned about this question Nowe let vs come to the markes and signes of the true churche whiche is necessary to be discerned knowen sith out of her is no saluation And for that cause Sathan that olde enemye of man hath attempted by all meanes possible to disguise and counterfayte her to chaunge her auncient sygnes and fayne newe in their places Her vncertaine and vndoubted markes we haue sayde to be two that is to wēte the pure preachyng of the woorde and administration of the sacramentes Hereto doe some adioyne ecclesiastical discipline and fruites of fayth And trulye it is necessary that euery flock should haue some head and guyde whō they oughte to obey yf they mynde to liue in safetye but forasmuche as oure owne iniquities often tymes are the cause that we wāt the two last markes let vs content our selues with the fyrst Therefore that the worde of god is the certayne sygne of the churche herby it appeareth that bothe Christe and Peter compare the same to seede Mat. xiii a. iii iiii xi i. Pet. i. d. For the whiche cause also Paule sayth that he begat the Corinthians in Christ by preachyng the worde i. Cor. iiii c. xv Therefore in dyuerse places it is called one foode and nouryshemente this also Christe hymselfe witnesseth to pertayn to his shepe saying that they heare his voice and no others Iohn x. We adioyne hereto the Sacramentes also for that Christe woulde not onelye to oure eares but also to our eyes and the reste of oure bodylyesenses wytnesse his grace And therefore he ordeyned the Sacramentes to be certain and visible signes both of oure vnion with hym and also of charitye and loue among oure selues For that cause duryng the olde Testament it was sayde that they shoulde be banyshed the companye of the faythfull whiche had not the sygne of cyrcumcision And furthermore decreed that all householders shoulde thrice in the yere appeare before the Lorde at Ierusalem by common sacrifyce to testifye the vnitye of fayth and religion Exodus xxxiiii d. xxiii Afterwardes the Vyneyarde beyng spoyled the Gentyles grewe in one bodye with the Iewes not onely by preachyng the woorde but also by the Sacramentes of Baptysme and of the bodye and bloude of oure Lord. Yea and Christe commaunded his Apostles so to dooe saying goe ye and teache all nations Mat. xx ◠xix This is the doctryne of the woorde to the which he foorthwith adioyneth the Sacramentes saying Baptysing in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost For to baptisme also must we applye that which Paule writeth of the supper saying that what he receiued of the Lorde he deliuered to vs. i. Cor. xi c xxxii And thesame he testifieth in an other place also Namely that the Churche is founded vppon the foundation of the prophetes and the Apostles Ephe. ii d xx that is to wete vpon Iesus Christ who is the summe substaunce of all the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes So also must we vnderstande another texte of the same Apostle Where he sayeth that the Churche is a piller of the liuing God a bolster of truthe i. Timo. iii. d. xv Whiche meaneth that the woorde of God whiche is the truthe it selfe dothe staye and vpholde the church or els is placed in the church as in an open and sure fortresse for y◠in her god extendeth his power health to all beleuers Rom. i these are the true and visible signes of the churche Whiche therefore is called the mother of the faithfull for that they wer begotten in her by incorruptible seede and nouryshed and fed with the same fode If the preaching of the woorde and the true administration of the sacramentes be necessarily required in the churche thē muste there needes be pastours teachers to execute thesame As the holye scriptures sufficientely witnesse but chieflye Paule writyng to the Corinthians and Ephesians this was the cause that this thirde marke was adioyned hereto i. Cor. xii d. xxviii Ephe. iiii vi xi i. Timo. iii. a Ti◅ i. a vi Namely ordinary succession from the time of the Apostles Hereto we aunswer that such succession is muche to be esteemed if it be wel considered and applied after the example of the auncient fathers who groūded thereon against heretikes there newe opinions As Tertulian Ireneus and Austine againste the Maniches and Donatistes but because many lay the same against vs as though we had cōueyed into the churches new scismes and heresies it is necessarye that we should shew our minde herein We say therefore that there is one succession of doctrine an other of persōs Doctrine we graunt to be the true and vndoubted mark of the churche as it hath bene already saide For although the doctrine of the Gospell bee not therefore the more to be credited for that it is the auncientest of all other thoughe it happen many tymes for oure synnes that thesame seeme so new straunge to menne as it ought to bee familiar and vsuall yet neuerthelesse the witnesse of the continuall
succession therof is of no small force to wynne it authoritye amonges menne As to the succession of persones we admitte it but so that it be conioyned wyth the succession of the Propheticall and Apostolyke doctryne in substance and the chiefe poyntes and groundes atleaste But we speake of the doctryne it selfe not of theyr maners For albeit it be required of true and faithfull pastours that in doctryne and lyfe they be sounde and pure yet for the ignoraunce of some thynges or for the diuersitie of opinions in doctrine so that it stretch not to the substaunce of our saluation or though ther life be not of the perfectest yet for these thynges we doe not reiect them but beare them So they kepe the grounde and foundation And that we ought so to doe Christ teacheth vs saying that whē the Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moyses chayre teache vs we oughte to folowe their doctryne and not their deedes Mat. xxiii a. ii iii. Whiche place Austine writing vppon Iohn sayeth ought to be vnderstande of suche hyerlyng pastours as keepe the sounde doctrine but not of false Prophetes of whom Christ contrarywyse sayde August tracta xlvi Beware of the leauen of the Pharisees Mat. xvi a. vi vi xi Whyle they sitte sayeth Austine in the chayre of Moyses they teache the lawe of God and so god teacheth by them But yf they teache theyr owne doctryne neyther heare theyr woordes neyther folowe their deedes That also the same author expresseth more at large in hys xlix Sermon of the woordes of the Lorde Forasmuche as therefore false Prophetes and wolues maye succede to true and faythfull pastours we dooe not onelye not admitte personall succession but euen condemne it vnlesse the successiō of doctrine be ioyned with all because it is a meete cloke for anye lye or errour Furthermore if personal succession of it self shoulde be taken for a certayn mark of the church ther ought to haue ben som promis of god shewed wherby he hath limited his grace to any certayn sea or countrey Whiche in the new Testament we shal not find In deede he promised that the churche shoulde be Catholike that is to were vniuersall whiche is so called for that the particuler members thereof are here and there dispersed throughoute the whole worlde Whersoeuer it pleaseth god to shewe his iudgementes eyther vpon those whō he vtterly cutteth of or whom he chasteneth for a tyme or in shewyng mercy to them whō he furthereth better and better or whom he calleth to his knowledge and saluation For in some places the Lord iustly reuenging himself so destroyeth the churche that he seemeth euen to roote it oute and not to leaue so muche as any signe therof as it hapned amonges the barbarous nations and in the most part of all the Easte Otherwhere as in Greece and other realmes more nie to vs he hath lefte some tokens of the churche Agayne sometyme the Lorde dothe cut and breake of onely the personall succession of pastours as it hapned at Antioche in the time of Samosatenus and at Alexandria after the banishment of Athanasius and in many other churches And that we neede to seeke no further the personall succession then at the least fayled in the Romaine churche when Honorius being bishop was condemned for the detestable heresie of the Eutichians And so likewise in the time of Iohn the. xxii of that name who was also cōdemned for heresie Vnlesse perhaps some man wyll mayntayne that those that are manifestly condemned of heresye be pastours Furthermore in what case this succession stoode vnder Iohn the shee Pope through the scismes and cōtentions of diuerse striuyng for the Popes sea the histories sufficientlye witnesse Wherfore we conclude that not respectyng the personall succession of pastours we must alwayes haue regarde to the purenesse of doctrine and the sincere administratiō of sacramēts so that they onely be to be counted successours of the Apostles whiche beyng lawfully called doe buylde vpon theyr foundation Whether they deriue their succession from them or whether thesame haue fayled And contrarywyse they that neyther buylde nor teache or preache theyr owne doctrine in stede of the Apostles although they were able to shewe neuer so many and continuall presidentes of their predecessors are not to be taken for pastours but to be shūned as wolues as Christ and his Apostles teach Some manne parhappes will obiecte Is it therfore lawfull for any man to teache and mynyster the Sacramentes no. For it behoueth as the Apostle sayeth that al thinges bee done in the house of God ryghtly and orderly i. Corint xiiii g. xi Who then shall bee taken for true pastours they whiche are lawfully called It remayneth then that we vnderstande what is a lawfull callyng And here I must craue attention For we saye that some callyng is ordynarye and some extraordinarye Ordinarye is it in the whiche is obserued the order appoynted by GOD in hys churche In that order these three thinges are chiefly requyred Firste the examination of his doctrine and lyfe that shal be ordayned thē a lawfull choyse and election And lastlye the laying of handes And these we all gathered out of diuers places of the scripture As oute of the Actes of the Apostles and the writinges of Paule to Timothe and Titus Ac. i. d. xii Ioh. vi a. vi i. Tim. ii a. ii et iii. d. xxii Titus i. a. vi This therefore is the ordinarye callyng Whereby we may well discerne whiche is it that we call extraordinarye Namely it that wāteth som one or other or al these cōditions and yet the same grounded vppon the authoritie of God and lawfull That god vsed suche extraordinary callyngs it plainly appeareth throughout the whole scripture For who laid handes vpon Moyses that he myght consecrate Aaron Who gaue the gyfte of Prophecye to Esay Danyeil Amos and the rest Exodus xxviii Esa vi b. xciii Dani. i. c. ◅vii Amos. vii xiiii Yea was not this geuen them when they that ordinarilye had the charge thereof abused it For then it was necessarye that god shoulde put to his hande extraordinarilye not to trouble or confounde the order of hys churche but to correcte them whiche vnder the pretence of ordinary succession dissordred all This well proue the writyngs of the Prophets which most of al pertain to y◠orders of the priestes Ps xxviii vi vii Iere. vii a. iiii et xxiii a. xi Ezec. xxii e. xxvi Soph. iii. a. iiii But if it be obiected that suche men gaue some certayntye of their vocation as either some miracle or some heauenly signe I graunt the same to be true in some but not in all Neither can any mā say otherwise vnlesse he wil plainly denye the truth Neither do Iwel know whether we shall find many prophetes of the stocke of Aaron or vpon whom after the ordinary maner hands were layde But yf any man will take this exceptiō that those prophets vsed only to rebuke
a doubt but wil willingly submyt himself to her iudgemeÌ„t Nether doth it make agaiÌ„st vs that the church was afore the word For it is most certain that the word which afterwards was put in writing is much more auncient For by it was the church coÌ„ceued born bred But this saying of Austine is not to bee obâ—…ected that he wuld not beleue the scripture vnlesse the autoritie of the scripture moued him therto But we must vnderstand yâ— in that place Austine spake of himself as of a Maniche w e whose erroure he was once seduced I pray you if ther rise ani doubt of the truth of any writing to whoÌ„ go we to trie it but to yâ— coÌ„moÌ„ notary to whose custody al writiÌ„gs monumeÌ„ts are coÌ„mitted Neyther therfore doth it folow that the autority of the writyng depeÌ„deth on the witnes of the notarye For of it self it is true though no mortal maÌ„ beare witnesse hereof So truely must we answer theÌ„ which thynk yâ— the authoritie of the holy scripture dependeth vpoÌ„ the coÌ„stitutioÌ„s decrees of the church The decrees of of that couÌ„cels are manye tymes coÌ„trary in this question But all these things shal be more fullye opened in disputation consereÌ„ce I wil shewe only reason confirmed with the autority of certayn auncient allowed fathers Christ himself gaue so much authority to the doctrine of the prophets whom he had sent afore that by theyr witnesse he would confirme his doctrine Paul also suffred the ThessaloniaÌ„s so to do willed theÌ„ to searche the scriptures to know whether he had taught theÌ„ truly Ac. xvii c. xi Peter allowed that selfesame reason ii Peter ii d. xix They therfore which boast theÌ„selnes to be the vicars of Christ the successors of Peter Paule ought not to refuse yesame coÌ„ditioÌ„ Ca. ix li. ii Truely Ierome vpoÌ„ Hieremy sayth that nether the error of the fathers nor of our auncesters by the authority of the Scriptures is to be folowed ChrisoftoÌ„ vpon the .xxiiii. Chapter of Mathew the 49. Homelye erpounding thys place Those that be in Iury let them flye to the mouÌ„taynes sayeth that is those that be Christians let theÌ„ flye to the Scriptures And again Wherefore doth he in this tyme wil al Christians to fly to the Scriptures Bicause in thys tyme since heresy inuaded the churche there can be no other proofe of true Christendome neither any other refuge for Christians minding to knowe the true fayth but the diuine Scriptures For afore it appeared by many signes which was the church of Christ and whiche it of the Gentiles But now whosoeuer wil seke it can by no other meanes discerne which is the true church of Christe but onely by the Scriptures Also he saieth further If a maÌ„ therfore be wylling to knowe the true church of Christ howe should he know it in so great coÌ„fusyon but only by the Scriptures Yet further therfore the lord knowiÌ„g that ther shuld be so great coÌ„fusioÌ„ in the latter dayes therfore doth Christ coÌ„mauÌ„d the those that be in christianitye such as be willing to streÌ„gtheÌ„ theÌ„selues in 〈◊〉 faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o other thing but the Scriptures Otherwise if they â—…pâ—…e any other changes they shal likely â—… 〈◊〉 â—…sh not vnderstaÌ„ding which is the true châ—…rch and so shal they faâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of defolatioÌ„ which 〈◊〉 yâ— holy places of the churche 〈◊〉 in his moralls writeth thus If whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne as the Apostle â—…ayth and faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God whatsoeuer is besides Scripture inspired of God is â—…n Also in the Sermon of the confession of faith If God be faithful in al his words and hys commaundementes â—…me and stable for euer done in truth iustice to reiect any thing that is written or to bring in any thing not written is a sweruing from fayth manifest pride Thus much was spoken of the churche her signes authority and succession afore the Lordes and Bishops and diuerse other which heard thesame very attentiuely But bicause hys oration had bin already somewhat loÌ„g it semed good then to entreate nothing of the supper Wherfore Beza medestly excusyng hymself declaryng also that we wer ready to shew a reason of that article and as much as lay in vs to satisfy theÌ„ if they would commaund vs forthwith to doe it When Beza had ended the Cardynal beckned to Spensa to speak and to answere our reasons He protestyng with many woordes that he had long wyshed for this coÌ„ference disputatioÌ„ that he neuer lyked alwaies contrary to those cruel punishmeÌ„ts which had loÌ„g tymes bene vsed toward them answered that those thinges were true which we had sayd of the churche her sygnes and succession If we had so taught and spoken at the first we should neuer haue neded to haue come to this controuersy But whereas we spake of the callyng into the churche he muche maruelled by whose authoritye or by what callyng we entred into the churche and toke vpon vs to teache Forasmuch as we wer not instituted by any ordinaryes neyther they at any tyme had layd theyr handes vpon vs. And hereof he gathered yâ— we wer no good pastors For by ordinary meanes quoth he you wer not called and muche lesse by extraordinary For extraordinarye vocation must bee proued eyther by miracles as the callyng of Moses was who was raysed vp of God to delyuer his people or els by the witnesse of the scripture as the callyng of Iohn whose vocation is plainlye proued by a terte of Malachye you want bothe Whereof it foloweth that youre ministerye is vnlawfull But as concernyng tradytions and the interpretyng of the scryptures yf there ryse any controuersye we ought to referre it quothe he to the ordinary successours as those to whoÌ„ the holy ghost is promised and are appoynted of God for the same cause He brought foorth the exaumples of the olde Priestes and Leuites whiche in tymes paste in doubtful matters gaue the people couÌ„cel to whose iudgemente the people were so bounde to stande that from theyr decree it was not lawfull for them to swarue neyther on the ryghte hande neyther yet on the left And that we had many thinges by tradition whiche no manne doubtes of no not we oure selues As yâ— the father is without beginnyng the son equall in substance to him also that yong children ought to be Baptised that Mary was a virgin after her deliuerance such lyke So he affirmed that those thinges which are descended vnto vs from the auncient fathers albeit they bee not written yet are certainelye to be beleued and no lesse to be allowed than if they were confirmed by the authority of the Scriptures That whatsoeuer is decreed by generall councels is certain and that they can not erre in doctrine But as to that which is cyted out of Austine that the first counsels ar amended by the later that he said neuer
Sacramentes And we againe aske of hym by whom he was chosen and institute Whether by the voices of the elders of his church whether he were desyred of the people whether there wer any inquisitiō made of his life doctrine He woulde soone say yea But he wuld soone be proued alter Whereof we desier no other witnes thā their own cōsciece which heare vs know that whole matter perfectly If he would obsect against vs that we are no ministers because we wante the laying on of hands we would reply again that he is no bishop because in institutions of hym those things wer not obserued which are appointed for the chief substantiall poyutes by the law of god And when our talke wer more whether perhappes we would goe farther and say in this sort You boaste of the laying on of handes which whosoeuer lacketh you thynk no perfect minister what if you wante the two other points which are the chiefest Namely inquisition of lyfe learning the election of the elders of your church may ye not then much lesse thā we bragge of the name of a pastor It was decreed by the councel of Chalcedon that the ordynation of the bishop or prtest shoulde bee frustrate of no force which is not specially appointed to some one churche And forasmuche as they would haue it doyde to the iniury of hym that ordayneth it much more may we obiect thesame agaynst the bishop that thus reasoneth with vs inasmuch he is destitute of the two chiefest conditions prescribed by the apostle i. Tim. iii a. Titus i Another thyng also may bee added hereto which we speak vnwilling neuerthelesse we are enforced therto the euery man maye perceiue that this disputation of our vocation may not be touched with out great peril If we should ask of that same bishop who layde their hādes on him or whether he bought it not with money what would he aunswer He would deny that he bought it and he would say that those bishops layd hāds on him which had autority therto of the church Again if we should enquire how much his authoritie cost hym he would say he bought it not but yet he woulde confesse that he gaue some thousandes of crownes As though he shoulde saye I boughte not the bread but the corne wher with the bread was made This reasonyng if it should be parted by the autority of the coūcels canōs of the churches woulde shame a greate many byshops pastours And sure we would not enter therein least any man should be offēded therby Neyther wyll we yet touche it or sek◅ to reuenge oure selues only we mynde to shew y◠we dyd of late purposely answere shortly briefly to those thyngs y◠wer layd agaynst vs for that we woulde haue all gently and myldly handled But as for the Lords supper we spake more sparely therof bearyng with the infirmitte of some whiche not accustomed to that doctrine are wont to be offended assoone as they heare anye thing y◠is strange or vnwōted to thē And truly we had rather that thei thēselues shuld learne thesame out of the aunciēt writings of the Doctors of the church th◅ by vs which we hoped should haue com to passe if my lord Cardinal had kepte his promisse For he promised opēly to instruct vs chiefly in this article of the lords supper out of their writings whiche wrote therof with in .v. C. yeres after Christ so that we would now agree to receyue the light if it appered that thesame was hitherto hiddē frō vs. To satisfye this our expectatiō or rather the expectatiō of an infinite nūber of mē he seperated this article frō others verye necessary gaue it to vs alone And required vs to subscribe to it saying y◠otherwise the conference would be brokē of yf we should plead our cause in prison you woulde scarce vse suche talke towardes vs as to saye subscribe hereto or els we condemne you Certainly this is no part of your charge For that office which ye now professe requyreth y◠if we walk in error you should reduce vs beyng once cōuict therof into the way and exhort vs with wholesom doctrine And chiefly those which offer thēselues to yelde an accompt of theyr fayth by the scriptures And truly if thys kinde of condemnation be straunge certainly muche more straunge is the way and meanes wherby you procede to yesame We came together here chieflye for .ii. causes First to render an accompte to god to you to the whole worlde of oure fayth Not to trauel for gods cause the kings the whole kingdom to fynde some way and meanes wherby the troubles late stirred in religion may be appeased Now if we bee reiected or dysmissed wtout leaue or liberty to dispute whatsoeuer shal be done vnto vs shal be declared to all Christendome the olde tumultes shal be nothyng appeased as thei know right wel which go about to preuēt it If the matter did only belōg to vs that are here present truly at your plesure with out peril as farre as mā may iudge you might dayly with vs. But you must cōsider that we stand here in the name of al those that professe the gospel not onely in this realme but euen in Swicerlād Poole Germany England and Scotland whiche all looke for som certayne happy end of this assēbly What may they thinke when in stede of disputatiō conference which was promised vs they shall vnderstande that the tenth part of one article was offred to vs wyth this addition Subscribe to this or els go no further And yf we doe subscrybe what shall you be the better They that sente vs wyll desyre to knowe whether we were compelled therto by force or els conuict by good sure argumente So what els shall happen of this order which you now begin to take thā gret offence and grudge wee beseche the Queene therfore that she wyll not suffer this holy purpose to be brokē of but cōmaund that certain learned mete men be chosen out that will wyllynglye conferrs with vs. Neuerthelesse least we should seme to answer nothyng to those thynges that haue ben obiected agaynst vs whatsoeuer M. Spēsa gaue vs writen out of Caluins booke we receyue allowe But as to the article whyche my Lord Cardinal offred vs take or rather gelded out of the cōfessiō of Awgspurge we say there are many thynges therin to be considred First that the whole confession should haue ben offred vnto vs. For it is agaynst reason to proffer vs one article without the reste Then we woulde knowe whether of theyr owne heads priuately whiche we are lothe to think neuerthelesse we woulde gladlye knowe the truth therof or elles in the name of all the Lords they offer vs the confusion of Augspurge that al doutes taken away we may more freely conferre For so it would come to passe the thanks shuld generally be geuē to god for y◠my
L. Cardinal the rest of the lords reiect trāsubstātiatiō which now by y◠cōmon cōsent of al churches aswell in Germany as in other realmes is condemned If we be required to subscribe to any writing it is mete also that the Cardinal of Loraine in the name of al his should subscribe thesame also That the churches by whom we were sente may perceiue that we met not altogether vnprofitably about these matters If my Lord Cardinall wil constantlye perseuer in that mynde that he wil admit the whole confession of the Germaines we hope that we shall come nier and at the last to that point that we shal easely satisfy you And shewe a ready way to peace and concorde In the meane tyme we affirme that Christe is present in the vse of his Supper and there doth after geue and exhibite vnto vs his body and bloud by the power and operation of the holy ghost And if we do receiue eate drinke spiritually and by fayth the selfe same bodye that dyed for vs and the selfe same bloud y◠was shed for our saluation That we may be bones of his bones and flesh of his flesh And that we may be quickned thereby and receiue whatsoeuer is necessary to our saluation We desired also of the Queene if this satisfied her not bicause it is hard to entreate of so great a mystery with fewe words that we might speake therof in more large and ample sort And that we were ready to do it whensoeuer the Cardinall of Loraine would shew his authorities out of the olde doctours Moreouer we earnestly desired that there mighte bee some equall and tolerable order of conference or disputation taken suche as we desired euen from the beginning And we protest that therby it should appeare to all men that we came not thither to stirre contention but rather to finde meanes of concord in soūde doctriue For we desired nothing els but that those thinges restored to y◠Lordes Supper which were takē from it and taking away those thinges that were il added it might be restored to the olde perfection Which to compasse we decreed not to spare our liues but in so good a cause to yelde and render oure liues and heartes to God the king the nobles and the common quietnesse as well of this realme as of all Christendome With thys oration oure aduersaries were greatly amased but chiefly with the first parte thereof wherby they sawe the glory of their succession and callig stained For they could haue heard nothing more greuous or vnwelcome to them Therfore the Cardinall freatting much disquieted said we were now come to a good poynt y◠we were not content to inuade the dignine of Priestes But we muste also touche the kyngs maiestie For he priuyly wroughte to bring vs in hate as though we had accused the king for taking away the elections of Bishops Abbates as though the fault were in y◠kyng that none of them were chosen but as for themselues they sayd they were ordeined and instituted by the king to whom the people had geuen al their right and power therin Wherefore if we would disproue that we must speake to the kyng to whom it belonged to maintayne his lawes and ordinaunces And that we were ignoraunte how they were ordeined when all the people wer came together by the knolling of bells and therefore gessed of thinges that we knew not To conclude all hys talke was full of tauntes whereby he thought to kyndle the Queenes wrath towardes vs as though we accused the kyng of Tiranny But that slaunder was easely auoided For it was forthwith shewed that therby is the confusiō of the true ecclesiasticall order and state made muche more manifest For that kinges were fame to set to their handes to reforme that horrible disorder which ambition enuy contention and such like had lōgtyme bredde amonges the Canonicall Priestes Monkes and all the rest of y◠ecclesiasticall order And could by no other meanes remedy that sore than by taking from them the liberty of choyse which so long tyme they had shamefully and beastly abused And as to their common forme of ordaining Bishops and pastours it is right well knowen what a iest it is and therefore we wyll waste no time in speaking of it For we entred not into that matter to handle it at large but onely to shew that oure mynistery which in thys ruine and so great confusion of the church the Lord hath raysed is lawful and vnworthely mocked at You your selues began first to talke thereof quoth the Cardinall you first inuaded our flocke We came not into your garrisons but you into oures Neither would I wish you shuld thinke your selues as good as we nor talke as ye woulde to youre felowes Our estate is somewhat higher than yours Whē we saw him speake cruelly in this sort we thought good to prouoke him no longer least we mighte seme oure selues to haue hindered the disputation Then he began againe to be earnest on vs to know some reason why we would not subscribe to the cōfession of Augspurge We answered him againe y◠it was vnreasonable to require y◠of vs which do not allow it in al pointes But if they thēselues would first subscribe it would be the easier way to reconcile vs to thē And y◠we knowe not whether he of hys owne head or els by the cōsente of al the rest did put in that bill whiche he would haue subscribed I quoth the Cardinall am sworne to no man And therefore will I neither subscribe to the confession of Awgspurge neyther yet to you And yet I wil be ready to subscribe both to them and you if you thinke truely And y◠I offer nothing to you of mine own head these my brethrē that be present can witnesse Which when he sayd he turned his body towardes the reste of the Cardinals and Bishops Which neither graunted to his saying by word or gesture nor greatly withstode it Therfore for asmuche as they woulde not subscribe we sayd they coulde not require it of vs. This done and appeased the Cardinall entred into talke of the Lordes Supper and set his common doctors to vs. Master Spensa began to vrge the presence of the body of Christ in his Supper so that he enclosed the body within the bread And said it culd no otherwise be imagined but the body must nedes be ioyned with the bread and reproued vs as though we swarued from our master Caluine whose boke he had alleaged We sayd we differred frō hym in nothing and that we were ready to subscribe to all the contentes of that boke Then he vrged the name of substaunce whiche Caluine ◅seth We answered that we wont ◅o vse that terme least men should thinke that we fain either some new or ymaginary body or some phantastical receiuing therof but neuerthelesse that we are no otherwise made partakers of y◠body than by sayth and power of the holy ghost Hereto the right
reuerende master Peter Martiâ—… added many thinges and according to his singuler learning besides many other thinges which perteine to the order of the church he handled this question also shortlye plainly and eloquently He answered also diuers things which both the Cardinall and SpeÌ„sa had obiected in their orations in the first meting and chiefly those things which concerne the authoritie and amendmente of counsels Which so pricked the Cardinal that he would no more reply vnto hym And whyles he was handling and declaring diuers matters more playnly bicause he spake somewhat after yâ— ItaliaÌ„ maner the Cardinal rose and sayd in a great chafe that he would talke wyth hys own countrey meÌ„ And yet martiâ—… spake so plainly distinctly yâ— not only yâ— Cardinal being skilful in yâ— ItaliaÌ„ toÌ„g but also euery ignoraunt man myghte well perceiue him Spensa somewhat talked to him herefore coÌ„mending him aboue the rest that no man this day liued that had written more largely or copiously of this question than he Afore Spensa was answered a Spanyarde one of those that call themselues Ieswites desired that he might haue leaue to speake His talke was sharp bitter and nothing pleased the audience He assayed to turne al mennes myndes From hearing this cause as it whiche was already sufficiently knowen The suttelâ—…ies and craftes where with heretykes are wont to creepe into mennes heartes he applied to vs. Calling vs foxes and dogges And at the last concluded that we ought to be reiected and referred to the counsel of Trent which the Pope of Rome had proclaymed saying that we should haue free comming thither and the Popes safeconduyte that there the controuersies of fayth religion ought to be iudged of the which wemeÌ„ souldiors or other not exercised in diuine matters were not mete to be iudges Thus as it were perswading the Queene he willed her to send vs to Trent Hitherto his talke although it fauored bitter hate and malice yet to some semed graue and seuere But at yâ— laste he played the foole so kindly as if it had ben in a stage For when he entreated of the Lordes Supper promysed by a playne similitude to proue the presence therein he sayd it was euen lyke as if any Prince when he hath atchieued victory on his enemies to celebrate the remembraunce therof would institute yearly playes whereby bothe his warre and victory might be represented to al mennes eyes And if any man in those playes shoulde represente the person of the Prynce That would so much the more moue the mindes of yâ— beholders to remeÌ„ber it but if yâ— king himself would be preseÌ„t shew hymselfe there then thesame would be most noble and excellent Euen so sayd he that Christ himselfe when he instituted the remembraunce of his passion would also be present and in the same About the ende of hys oration he assaied to enflame the Queene agaynst vs and made many mournfull coÌ„plaintes faining himselfe to wepe after the maner of those iesters which ar commonly apte to counterfayte any gesture Hereto Beza aunswered that the Spaniard talked as though we were already conuict of heresy But for asmuchas no man hitherto hath shewed vs oure error he might haue done much better if he had reserued the scoffes which he bestowed on vs to hymselfe and his felowes Bicause we can not se how they touche vs. And as to his councel that that Queenes maiestie was not so bare of counsell that she neded it But that she and her councell sawe well inough what is best to be done and by what meanes they may prouide for common quietnesse But that which he sayd of the Lordes supper that he made nothing els of than a play of yâ— history of Christ bicause it was to blasphemous beastly beyng ouerpassed he turned toward master Spensa He vrged the playne wordes of the Lord. Thys is my body and the consent of the EuaÌ„gelistes whiche nothing differ therein We aunswered that thesame Euangelistes sayd thys is my bloud of the new testament And an other Thys cup is the new Testament in my bloud Whych without a figure can not be vnderstanded And hereby it appeareth that it is a Sacramental maner of speach Which Austine teacheth most plainly in his .xxiii. Epistle to Boniface If the Sacramentes quoth he had not a certayne lykenesse of those thynges wherof thei are Sacramentes they wer no Sacramentes at al. Of thys lykenesse moste coÌ„monly they take the names of those thyngs wherof they are SacrameÌ„ts Lyke as therfore after a certayne maner yâ— Sacrament of the body of Christ is the body of Christ and the SacrameÌ„te of the bloud of Christ is the bloud of christ so is also the Sacrament of fayth faith it selfe But Spensa sayde that yâ— letted not but that we ought simply without figure to credite the wordes of the Lord. We sayd that a Sacramentall maner of speache coulde not be withoute figure But if there be a figure in our Sacramentes quoth Spensa they shal not then muche differ from the Sacramentes of the old TestameÌ„t which are altogether figuratine And we say that they were a figure and shadowe of that truthe which was fulfilled to vs in Christ Otherwise we must nedes confesse that they were figures of a figure Which is most vnreasonable we denyed that consequence bicause yâ— figures appointed by God in the olde Testament are referred to the truth it selfe wherof the fathers wer partakers but a farre of before the commynge of Christ But we are nye at hande After he was offred for vs. Neither do we say that we are as yet vnder figures but yâ— we nede yet as long as we lyue in this body visible signes and Sacraments and in them we say ther are figuratiue or Sacramentall maners of speache which neuerthelesse proueth not but yâ— we haue the truthe notwithstandinge these signes To coÌ„clude we agree with Bernarde saying Bernard sermone .xxxiii. suê‘ â—antica The truth is set before me but in a SacrameÌ„t The Angel is fed with the meale of the corne or the perfect grayne But I must be conteÌ„t with the barke of the Sacramentes with the brauÌ„e of his flesh with the chaffe of the letter and the cloke of fayth But sure howsoeuer these be tempered and swetened with the aboundasice of spirit and fayth certainly the barke of the Sacrament and the fine boulted meale of the corne fayth and hope remembraunce and presence eternity present tyme the countenaunce the glasse the ymage of God and the forme of a seruaunt are not like pleasaunt in cast Wherby it is well proued that we truely are made partakers of yâ— truthe but do not yet fully enioy thesame bicause oure weakenesse requireth the Sacramente the barke and the cloke After thys communication with SpeÌ„sa was ended there stepte vp an other doctoure one of the Sorbonistes vrging agayne By a suttel and crafty meanes as he thought hymselfe the exposition of these the
Lordes wordes This is my body whē he asked what we thought was meant by thys pronoūe hoc we aunswered that bread was meant therby and that the body was speken therof so y◠therby we might wel perceine y◠the bread is a signe of the body They on the contrary syde Sayd y◠this pronoūe Hoc is of the neutre gender can not by the rules of Grammer be referred to the bread but was induuduum vagum And onely to note the body as if a man should saye This is oyle This is hony Thys is a building And suche lyke Therein imitating Durand Whom Gardyner also an open enemye of the Ghospell and alleaged by them dyd folowe We shewed that that repugned wyth the nature of a Sacramente forasmuche as if it lacke a signe if it be brought to nothynge or made as nothyng it ceasseth to bee a Sacrament And it is a great maruell that none of the olde fathers could see thys fiction of induuduum vagum But thys satisfied them not And therefore repeating thesame continually wyth great cryes they ceassed not after the maner of the Sorbonistes to babble til nyght Yea and one of them foolishlye impudently threatned Beza Saying Oh I would we had thee within oure colledge We in the meane tyme eyther helde our peace or modestly obiected certayne argumentes til the noise wer whusshed but bicause they wuld nedes eyther wynne or seeme to wynne with trifeling or loude crying we preuayled nothyng Wherefore to be shorte we sayd that all the auncient fathers made with vs and we woulde be iudged by them Neither did we depart tyll the Cardinal pronused vs to sende vnto vs the authoritie of Austene other auncient fathers whereby oure opinion is condemned But we could neuer haue them He meant hereafter to conferre by wrytyng bicause he saw that by our talke God opened the eares of many but chiefely of the nobles Afterwardes the order of our disputatiō was altered For there were fyue chosen to conferre with vs and those such as passed all the reste in learning witte and modestye Monluke the Byshop of Valētyne Calius Sigensis an other Bishop the Abbot of Saligne the Abbot of Botillery and doctor Spensa Agaynst those wer chosen on our part doctor Peter Martir Theodore Beza Augustine Harlorate Iohn Spina Nicholas Gallasius We agreed of the order place tyme and secretaryes whyche shoulde regyster the questions proposed and the reasons on eyther part And then the selfe same day which was the last of September we began to deliberate with what order we should begin the disputation We wished and desired that we might orderly prosecute euery article of our confession Whiche request to be reasonable they thēselues confessed saying that they coulde not allow that prosperous order that began at the last yet bicause we were alreadye entred into that article they thought it good to finish it afore we came to the rest Therfore the next daye at oure returne we entreated of the presence of the body of Christ in his Supper The Abbote of Saluine brought forth a place out of an auncient Greke copy of Cirilus a Bishop of Ierusalē wherof there was no long reasoning bicause it made much with vs. At the last after muche alteration we concluded thus That in that respect that fayth makes those thynges presente that are promysed that same fayth doth moste truely receiue the body and bloud of our Lorde Iesus christ by the vertue of the holy gost in that respecte we confesse the presēce of his body and bloude in his holy supper in the whiche he offereth giueth and exhibyteth trulye the Substauce of hys body and bloude by the operacion of hys holye Spirite And we doe receiue eate spyritually and by sayth that very body whiche dyed for vs y◠we may be bones of hys bones fleshe of his fleshe that therby we may be quickned receyue whatsoeuer is necessary to our saluatiō A copye of this conclusion those that cōserred with vs gaue to the rest of the byshops and doctours y◠were at Poyssye But they alowed it not wherefore the nexte daye another was proposed vs wherein there was somewhat chaunged For that whiche we attribute to fayth it attributed to the worde That when we perceiued was done of purpose y◠it beyng left doubtfull euery man might interprete the sense therof at his plesure least any mā should therby be deceiued we woulde by no meanes admitte for forasmuche as we came together there to prouide for the quietnes of our conscience we endeuoured as muche as laye in vs to withstand all error and doubte Neuertheles least we should seeme to stick vppon wordes we were contented that they shoulde chaunge the forme of the wryting so they altered nothing of the sense This forme therfore that folowes they thought better and promised to moue all the byshops to agre there to We doe confesse that Christe in hys holy supper doth truly offer gyue exhibite the substance of hys body and bloud by the operacion of the holy ghost and that we receyue and eate sacramentallye spirytually and by fayth hys bodye that died for vs that we may be bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe That there by we maye receyue lyfe and whatsoeuer pertayneth to our saluaciō But forasmuch as faith groūded vppon the worde of god doth make those thyngs presente whiche are promysed by thys fayth we acknowledge that we trulye and verelye receyue the true and naturall bodye of oure lorde Iesus Christe by the vertue of the holy ghost In this respect we cōfesse the presence of the bodye bloude of oure lorde sauioure Iesus Christ in his supper All thoughe thys forme litle differed from the other yet they hoped that it woulde be better alowed of the lordes And therfore they toke it with them to communicate vnto them We sayde that we woulde in lyke maner communicate it with oure brethren and reserue oure selues libertye either to adde or expoūd any thinge therin as we should thinke good When the Cardinalles had sene this forme some of thē allowēd it very well reioyced as though we were tourned to them And diuerse tales were therevppon sprede of vs. But when it was perused by the doctours as well Sorbonists as others they lightly chaūged their opinion They added therto therfore as we here say their opynion whereby they shewed what they thought wanted in it or wherefore they thought it was not to be allowed Also thei made almost a Tragedy betwixt the bishops and those which had conferred with vs and had put in y◠forme of this agremente of this article among thē ▪ as thoughe they did either agree with vs or mocke with them But bycause it is no part of my purpose to writ their cōtentions I will willingly leaue it And now I come to the declaration of oure opynion as concernynge the presence of the body of Christ in his supper which we reserued free to our selues least any doubtfulnes bycause of the shortnes of our fyrst writing myght breed any doubte or error We affirme that no distāce of place may let our coniunction with the body and bloude of Christ bycause the Lordes supper is a heauenly thinge And althought in the earthe we receiue with the mouthe of oure body the breade wyne the true Sacraments sygnes of the body and bloud of Christ yet by fayth the helpe of the holy ghost our mindes to whom this foode doth chiefly belonge caried vp to heauen feede on the present body bloude And in this respecte we saye also that the body is ioyned with the breade and the bloude with the wyne But no other wyse thā sacramentally that is to say not accordīg to place or situatiō but bycause they do effectuously signify y◠God giueth it to those that faythfullye communicate they trulye receiue it by faythe Hereby it appereth in what sorte we thinke of the presence of the bodye of Christ in the Vse and Ministration of his Supper For we admytte neither Transubstantiation nor Consubstantiation Yea we refuse all maner presence wherby Christes body is thought to be in the earth without quātity or is affirmed to be any otherwher than in heauen We vse the name of substaunce to signifye that we meante not our fayth of anye fayned bodye or phantasme neyther of the vertue only of Christs passion or his merites only which neuerthelesse we confesse to be the spirituall catyng of Christes fleshe but euen of the true and natural bodye of the sonne of God which he toke of that virgin Mary and afterwards was crucified and raised again for vs and now resteth in heauen till suche tyme as yt shal com to iudge the quick the dead And this was the ende of the Conference For they that conferred with vs beyng yll intreated of they re fellowes came not agayne Neyther were anye other chosen in theyr roomes Neyther since that tyme dyd the Bishoppes signefy any thing vnto vs but though we oftentimes desired that we myght goe forwardes handle the rest that wer yet vntouched we could vnderstād nothīg of their mindes therin but that they minded to depart wer desirous to referre all thinges to the councell of Trente Therefore ordre being taken for the leauiyng of a subsedy wherof perhaps they were more careful than of anye thing els deliuering vp to the King the articles whereof they had agreed among themselues not making anye accompte of vs but leauing vs in the court they al repaired to their homes Finis ¶ Imprinted at London in Paules Churchyarde by Luke Harryson