kissing the same and in a worde in holding it vnmeete to pray in any other place but before an image Likewise the good Fathers of Trent proceeding in good earnest Index expurg pag. 255. as they are wont in all their matters haue not forgotten to appoint that in printing the workes of Erasmus againe this place should very diligently be looked vnto and razed out Now if the Church haue beene 500. yeares those in her chiefest flourishing without setting vp or harbouring of any images in her temples what profite could there be in receiuing of them or what perill can there now be in taking of them away what conscience in persecuting of such as remoue them what audacious and impudent boldnesse in calling such heretickes when as the first fathers called it heresie to haue any of them and a diuelish inuention to bring them in and what would they haue said of the worshipping of them But least they should be accompted as dumbe as their images The aduersaries their obiections Damas l. 4. c. 17. Niceph. l. 2. c. 7. they wil not be without some thing to reply Abgarus say they king of Edessa sent a painter to take the proportion and portraiture of Iesus Christ They reade this in Damascene and Nicephorus who writ after the yeare 800. How commeth it then to passe that Eusebius a writer both more ancient and autentike saith rather that he hath read in the records and Monuments of the commonweale of Edessa that Abgarus sent vnto our Lord to bee healed of him and speaketh not a word at all of the drawing of his portraiture And what is there in that which is common and equally fitting our question if wee must haue images in the Church to worship them and if the Primitiue Church haue had them For there is nothing to be gathered but the curiositie of a Prince strangely affecting a portraiture and that of a prince which was no Christian so that here can nothing be concluded for Christians And why do they not remember themselues at the least that Pope Gelasius in his decree as also Isidore do place this historie amongst the Apocrypha whose originall is vnknowne They charge vs a fresh with the Veronique that is the liuely picture that hath no manner of testimonie or approbation saue onely in their Legenda Aurea What will they say to Viues where he saith The golden Legend consisteth for the most part of Iron or Lead so as the authour thereof could not but haue a hart of leade or a mouth of Iron And then with that of Nicodemus But how will they answere the vntruthes clearely proued freely confessed euen by themselues of the pretended treatise of Athanasius which onely maketh mention thereof yea rather for all these images of Christ how will they salue themselues of the Epistle written by Eusebius to Constance the Empres saying Seeing thou hast commanded me to send thee the image of Christ Euseb in Epist ad Constant Augustam I desire to know which it is that thou meanest whether the true vnchaungeable one which carrieth with it the characters ingrauen formes of his diuine nature or rather that which he tooke vpon him for vs clothing himselfe in the shape and habite of a seruant that is the humaine nature c. But without all peraduenture thou desirest the image of this carnall bodie which he tooke for vs and yet notwithstanding the same ioyned with the glorie of his deitie rather then subiect to passions and mortalitie But who shall be found able to expresse in painting with dead and liuelesse colours the shining brightnes of so great an excellencie of so great a glorie But and if they were not in the time of Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea in Palestina vnder Constantine the Great where were they then found out afterward And further what a vanitie is it to go about by false and counterfet images to proue the truth of images The like is that of the image of the virgine Marie painted say they by S. Luke And this is told them by one Theodorus Anagnostes who writ after all the rest one Simon Metaphrastes the compiler and gatherer together of the Legendes Maister of the schoole at Constantinople and a verie late writer But the Apostle S. Paule telleth vs that S. Coloss 4. Luke was a Phisition and not a painter and being a Iew what likelihood is there that it should be he if you do but marke that Origen saith that the Iewes did not suffer any amongst them But certainly as the Iewes heretofore in conuersing and keeping company with the Gentiles had taken vp their images euen so the Proselite or conuerted Gentiles affecting to become Christians brought them with them the Christians also thereupon became verie easie and readie to apply themselues vnto their fashions in thinges especially indifferent to haue them as recordes and remembraunces not for to worship them and so those which followed after went somewhat further as mans nature in thinges tending to superstition cannot keepe any measure But this point shall be handled in the Chapter following CHAP. III. What manner of proceeding Images had amongst Christians and of the most licentious abuse thereof after they once came into the Church of Rome IT is certainly agreed vpon by all the Christian Doctors The Gentiles the inuentors of images Ambr. in psal 118. Concil Nic. 2. Act. 6. Cypr. de Idol Vanic That images were brought in amongst the Christians by the Gentils Euseb l 7 c. 18 that the Gentiles were the first inuentors of images S. Ambrose The Gentiles worship wood as the image of God Gregory Bishop of Neocaesarea The religion of the Pagans did inuent giue entrance to images S. Cyprian They were made at the first for to retaine the countenances of the dead but after that which was brought in for the comfort and consolation of the liuing turned to a religious carriage toward the dead That the Gentiles brought them in amongst the Christians also still keeping and cleauing fast vnto some of this their old leauen Eusebius beareth vs witnesse for speaking of her picture whom our Lord healed of a fluxe of blood in Cesarea Philippi of that which she had erected vnto him of brasse neer vnto that of her owne he saith There is no cause why we should maruell that those which had belieued amongst the Gentils for the benefites which they had receiued of our Sauiour should offer vnto him such a thing as it were in manner of a present seeing that we do behold euen yet to this day the pictures which were intended and drawne for the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul yea and our Sauior himselfe and the tablets which are made of them as likewise certain old ones which haue beene kept And this seemeth to me to haue beene retained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the chaunging of the fashion according to the custome of the Gentiles which were wont so to honour
in the doctrine of the Apostles Gloss ordin in Act. 2. in the communion and breaking of bread c. The Glosse saith Of bread as well common as consecrate that is to say as well ordinarie as sacramentall And Lyranus Partly saith he because they did communicate together day by day partly likewise because they did vse their victuailes and goods as in common Oecumenius in Act. 2. And Oecumenius Breaking the bread saith he to shew the plaine and cheape diet which the Apostles vsed Caietanus Distributing the breade that is to say their prouision of victuailes from house to house according to the store which they had receiued by the gift of the able faithfull And when shall we learne to speake like to the Siriacke and Arabian expositors communicating in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper called the Eucharist for they to signifie the same doe vse the word Vcaristio and by the same reason they might haue retained the worde Masse What coÌ„munion or agreement is there betwixt that this new inuention And who is he that is not out of all doubt that this was not any of the Apostles and disciples their ordinarie exercises of pietie And withall marke well how that to establish the truth the whole bodie of holy scripture is not sufficient to content and satisfie this sort of people whereas one onely word mis-vnderstoode falsely construed drawne into a by-sence rent and torne froÌ„ the best interpretation of most ancient antiquity of the best learned in these latter ages euen their owne a gesse and coniecture a dream is sufficient yea more then enough for them to establish build a lie vpon But that the Apostles and disciples of our Lord did keep themselues to his institution without any swaruing from it at all if our aduersaries will not belieue S. Paule when he saith to the Corinth and to vs all I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you Gregor lib. 7. de Registr c. 67. let vs see at the least if they will belieue their owne Doctors Gregory the great who notwithstanding hath plaid the part of a liberal benefactor to the erecting and setting vp of the Masse telleth vs that The Lords Prater is said presently after commoÌ„ praier because the custome of the Apostles was to consecrate the Host in saying the Lords praier onely c. where he calleth the consecrating of the host the sanctifying of the signes or sacraments Platina in the life of Xistus the first He ordained that Sanctus Sanctus Platina in vita Xisti c. was sung in the office or Lithurgie for at the first these thinges were nakedly and simply done S. Peter added nothing to the consecration saue onely the Lords praier Walafridus Strabo vnder Lewes the Gentle Walafri Strabo abbas c. 22 in lib. de rebus ecclesiast about the yeare 850. a famous Abbot as Trithemius writeth What we do at this day saith he by a ministery multiplyed and enlarged with praiers lessons songs and consecrations the Apostles as our faith bindeth vs to belieue and those which followed next after them performed in most simple and single maner being no other thing then that which our Lord had commanded by prayers and remembring of his passion And therefore they did breake bread in houses as it appeareth Actes 20. And our Elders likewise report vnto vs that in former times Masses were no other thing then that which it vsually done vppon the day of Preparation otherwise called the Fryday before Easter vppon which day there is no Masse saide Mandatum but onely the communicating of the Sacrament after the pronouncing of the Lordes Prayer And in like manner according to the commandement of the Lorde after a due commemoration of his death and passion they did participate and receiue in old time his bodie and blood euen all they I say who were for capacitie and reason meet to be admitted thereunto Berno Augiensis de rebus ad missam spectantibus c. 1. Berno Augiensis to the same effect In the birth of the Church saith hee Masse was not said and celebrated as it is at this day witnes Pope Gregorie and therewith he alleadgeth the place aboue named And it may be saith he that in former times there was nothing read but the Epistles of S Paule afterward other lessons as well of the olde as of the new Testament haue beene mingled therewith B. Remig. Antisiado de celebratione nusâ—ae Cap. 1. And all this he may seeme to haue taken out of the life of S. Gregory and S. Remigius Bishop of Auxerre vnder Charles the bald It is held saith he that S. Peter did first say Masse in Antioch that is to say in such sort as the Lord had giuen in commandement vnto his Disciples in these words Do this in remebrance of me that is to say call to your minds that I am dead to purchase your saluation and do ye the like and that both for his your owne sakes And some say that he said not at that time aboue three prayers which began with these words Hanc igitur orationem c. Durandus in his Rationall Durand in Rationali The Masse in the Primitiue church was not such as it is at this day for it did not properly consist of any moe then these eight wordes This is my body This is my bloud Afterwards the Apostles added thereto the Lords Praier c. And furthermore the steps marks of this truth are yet to be seene in the Monastery of S. Benet wherein the three daies before Easter the Abbot alone doth hallow the bread and the wine and the Monkes sitting with him receiue them at his hand vpon these daies there is no other manner of Masse said The Lords institution is read and certaine places of the holy scripture and that they call Mandatum that is to say Mandatum the Lords commaundement as Walafridus Berno and Remigius c. Now in all these places they vse the word Masse being vsed in the times wherin they liued for the holy supper This which wee haue run out into of fitting our selues with the testimonies of such as speake their owne language and agree with them in their worship and seruice hath got vs thus much namely that from the testimonies of all the said Abbots which haue professed to write of the Masse wee get this ground and aduantage namely that the Apostles did retaine the Lords institution and as of consequent it must follow did also deliuer the same vnto their disciples and followers That they had not as they themselues doe affirme added any thing thereunto but that which was of the same spirit and maister namely the Lords prayer and this we must assuredly conceiue to haue beene not so much in respect of the forme of the Lordes Supper as in respect that it was commended vnto them for their ordinarie prayer And that there was
Nestorius euen hee the verie man by whome they woulde beare vs in hande that this Lithurgie of Saint Iames was first brought to light Againe it would as little haue beene omitted in the first councell of Constantinople against the Macedonians calling in question the deitie of the holie Ghost seeing that it calleth him Consubstantiall with the Father And so in the first Nicene Councell at such time as they sought to confute Arrius to establish the word Homousion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to declare the Sonne to be Coeternall and Consubstantiall with the Father And in manie other councels following as that of Sardis of Rimini c. where it should haue decided the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether the Sonne should be held to be of the same or of the like substance seeing that in this Lithurgie these wordes are verie ordinarie both concerning the Sonne and the holie Ghost and so might haue ended all the strifes and preuented without anie more to doe so manifold tragicall accidentes as fell out in Christendome Let vs ioyn vnto the former Saint Ciprian one of the most auncient Fathers and writers as one that felt himselfe sufficientlie confirmed in the lawfulnes of mingling of water with wine in the holie Supper in the place where he hath recourse vnto Allegories And so likewise Saint Ierome who had not got a small aduantage against Vigilantius about the ceremonies for which he did contend and striue with him For who can belieue that he which had read all manner of writinges extant and which dwelled in Ierusalem where they would that this Masse should be borne and where by consequent it should find most carefull tender custodie for the preseruing of the same should not so much as haue knowne it As in like manner it is most certaine that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer vsed in the Primitiue Church before the Councels of Nice and Ephesus were not onelie receyued in the Church where they were brought to light aswel as the substance and doctrine but also grounded in expresse and plaine sort vpon the worde of God and manie others of the like nature which may serue notoriously to proue vnto vs that the deuise of this Lithurgie was not hatched till after these Councels for besides that our aduersaries know well inough how to alledge for the authoritie of the Church that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the ordinance of the Councell of Nice and not of the Scriptures nor of the Apostles It is euident that before this time it was not read in anie author that can bee defended and auouched Some there are which alleadge one Prochorus a pretended Disciple of our Lord but hee himselfe which hath caused it to be imprinted hath by the same reason made it to be suspected for false counterfeyte and the stile or manner of writing in his own iudgement carrieth no resemblance of an Apostolike spirite As also Iustin Martyr likewise about the year 150. Iustinus tom 3. in a book intituled The exposition of the Creed of the right confession or of the Trinitie consubstantial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But besides that this booke is not named by Photius Honorius S. Ierome Eusebius or anie others amongst the workes of Iustine as also for that it is knowne not to aunswere or bee like vnto his stile It is to bee noted that this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not mentioned so much as in anie one place of this Treatise and therefore may bee thought out of all doubt that some man hath slipt it into the title for the plainer declaring of the meaning of these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the right confession c. And for these reasons it is doubted of euen by Perion himself You haue afterward in the same Lithurgie a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sung and it signifieth asmuch as thrise holie or most holie it consisteth vpon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou O holie God O Holie Mightie O Holie immortall haue pittie vpon vs. But how did this rise Behold and see how Pope Felix the third writing vnto the Emperour Zenon layeth downe the originall and first beginning of the singing thereof in the Church as namelie that the Cittie of Constantinople being sore shaken with continuall earthquakes and the people crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew mercie Lord a little child in the sight of the people and of the Patriarke Proclus was rauished and carried vp into heauen for the space of an houre where he learned this Hymne and comming downe againe taught the same vnto the people who singing the same the earthquake ceased And hereupon it came that this was receyued of the Church into the beadroule of holy Hymnes and ratified by the Councell of Calcedon For this Felix the third liued aboute the yeare 480. the Patriarke Proclus about the yeare 460. and this is that Proclus whome they obtrude vnto vs for a speciall witnes concerning this Lithurgie And can it possiblie come to passe that this Hymne falling out vpon this miracle coulde not be receyued into the Church til neare fiue hundred years after our Lord and yet notwithstanding to be found placed that in the same place that it is vsually set in in others in this Lithurgie But let vs go forward There was publike prayers made for them which were in the Monasteries At this time nor yet for three hundred years after were there anie Monkes in Syria that is to say in the countrie where Ierusalem is scituate much lesse were they then in Monasteries S. Hieronim in vita Hilar. S. Ierome a witnes of that assemby in the place aboue mentioned they did run sayeth hee with emulation from Syria and Egypt to Hilario in such sort as that manie belieued in Christ and became Monks for at that time as yet there were no Monasteries in Palestina neyther yet did anie know in Syria what they meant there was Hillario the first founder and ordayner of this kind of life and conuersation he prayed to God that he would giue vs to find grace with the Apostles Martyrs and Confessors But where is read the name Confessors Bellarminde missa lib. 2. cap. 20. but of a long time after And for their better instruction I wold haue them yet at the least to belieue Bellarmin who would proue the antiquitie of the Romaine Canon because it is not mentioned in that place In asmuch sayeth he as the name of Confessors was not admitted into the prayers of the church til after long time euen a little before Charles the great He bringeth in Temples Altars burning of incense and making of censors In a time wherein euerie man knoweth that no man speaketh of anie thing but persecution and priuate prayers in houses and caues and who knoweth not how manie ages were expired and spent before euer it grew to
by his grace with him And thus haue both the holy Scriptures as also the olde writers spoken and written Our Lord saith According to the holy scriptures He that commeth to me he that beleeueth in me he that eateth me be that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him he hath eternal life he liueth through me I will raise him vp againe at the last day c. This maner of communication participation ceaseth not spiritually to be performed and effected without the Sacrament but our Lorde as helpes vnto vs against our infirmitie hath prouided and appointed these Sacraments for vs in the eating and drinking whereof it pleaseth him to set out vnto vs the certaintie of this spirituall life which is in his bodie and bloud and that as verely as the corporall consisteth in the bread and wine And as for the bread he hath saide of it Iohn 6. This is my bodie But my bodie saith he which is giuen for you That bodie whereof hee had saide in Saint Iohn My flesh is meate in deed That flesh whereof he had saide The bread which I will giue you is my flesh and this I will giue for the life of the worlde For this bodie this flesh doe nothing auaile vs saue in that they are giuen and deliuered for vs for the remission of our sinnes and for the redemption of our soules And therfore he expoundeth himselfe vnto the Capernaites The flesh profiteth nothing the wordes which I speake vnto you are spirit and life Of the Cuppe also hee hath saide This is my bloud the bloud of the newe Testament c. And in another place This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud Not of his bloud onely but also of the Cup to the ende wee should not stay our selues or rest in the elements of this Cuppe in deede which he was to drinke for vs euen in the elements of that bitter death whereof hee had saide Let this Cup passe from me For this Cup this Passion is the newe Testament the newe couenant of God with vs. And in my bloud saith hee which is shed for you For the bloud of our Lorde entereth not into our stomackes neither yet is it shed or powred into our bowels and entrailes for to what ende should there bee any such thing done and acted in this Sacrament where the question is of the nourishment of our soules and of a feeding vnto eternall life This bloud likewise simplie considered maketh not for the profite of our soules neither as it is bloud neither as yet in that it is the bloud of Christ but herein onely for that it is the bloud of Christ crucified for vs the bloud of the sonne of God shed for the remission of our sinnes and for the saluation of our soules To eate this flesh to drinke this bloud is to draw by faith our spirituall life out of the fountaine of his flesh broken for vs of his blood shed for vs of Christ the sonne of God crucified for vs. This is to liue by him this is to liue in him this is to be with him that is to say to liue by his righteouâ—nesse whereas wee die by our owne sinne by the redemption which hee hath wrought where as wee lay in bondage and thraldome and finallie to bee iustified by him and sanctified in him that so wee may bee quickened and glorified also in him Neither haue the ancient fathers otherwise vnderstoode this communicating of Christ Saint Cyprian Our coniunction with Christ doth not make any mixture of persons According to the old writers Cypr. de Caen. Dom. it vniteth not substances but it effecteth a fellowship and correspondencie in affections it bindeth the willes togither by a firme and faithfull league c. He had said that if wee eate not his flesh c. we shall not haue life in him Teaching vs by a spirituall instruction and opening vnto vs the spirit to the conceyuing of so hidde and secret a thing to the ende that wee might know that our abiding in him is an eating of him and our incorporating into him a drinking of him And all this is wrought by our submitting of our selues in obedience ioyning of our selues vnto him in will and vniting of our selues vnto him in our affections Wherefore the eating of this flesh is a greedinesse or a feruent desire to abide and dwell in him As by eating and drinking the substaunce of the bodie liueth and is nourished euen so the life of the spirit is nourished by this proper nourishment For looke what eating is vnto the bodie the same is faith vnto the soule And looke what meate is vnto the bodie the same is the worde vnto the spirit accomplishing and working for euer and that by a more excellent power and efficacie that which carnall nourishment woorketh but for a time c. And again In the celebrating of these Sacraments wee are taught to haue the Pascion alwayes in our remembrance Again Wee are made of this bodie that is to say of the bodie of Christ in asmuch as by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament wee are ioyned and knit vnto our head Nowe it is most certaine and true that such doe liue as touch the bodie of Christ Saint Hillarie These thinges taken and drunke Hylar de Trinit that is to say the bread and wine doe cause and bring to passe that Christ is in vs and wee in him Not verilie as he there teacheth that his bodie entereth into ours but by a similitude drawne from nature for that wee are ioyned together as members to the heade to his humaine bodie holie and glorious And this vnion is wrought by the faith of the death and passion of the Lorde in his spirit Saint Augustine August Ep. ad Iren. De Consecr D. 2. Christ is the bread whereof who so eateth liueth eternally and whereof hee hath saide And the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the worlde Hee determineth and setteth downe howe hee is bread not onely according to the worde by the which all thinges liue but according to the flesh taken for the life of the worlde For man which was dead in sinne being vnited and made one with the fleshe which is pure and vndefiled and incorporated into the same doth liue by the spirit of Christ as a bodie liueth by his soule but he that is not of the body of Christ doth not liue by his spirit c. Of this body Christ is the head Idem Ep. 57. ad Dardan the vnitie of this bodie is recommended vnto vs by this sacrifice c. By our head we are reconciled vnto God because that in it is the Diuinitie of the onely begotten Sonne made partaker of our mortalitie to the end that we might also become partakers of his immortalitie Again Idem de ciuit Dei l. 21. c 25. Compage He that
reputed for the seede There is question then about this faith In controuersies we must haue recourse to the Scriptures and euerie man saith that he hath it To know of what side Christ is and euery man betaketh himselfe to him as his ayde and thereupon all Christendome liueth in suspence and doubt or in trouble But my brethren let vs not beleeue men Men saith our Lord himselfe who know not of their owne vnderstanding either from whence he commeth or whether he goeth The spirits of men saith the spirit of God which are not able to comprehend his wayes In a Sea so vnknowne to man in these gulfes so perillous we cannot attaine to the deliuering of any sure and certaine speech from other where then God himselfe from the father who hath spoken from heauen shewed vs the sonne Matth. 17.5 Iohn 5.3 9. Psal 19. 2. Tim. 3. and said vnto vs heare him from the son who crieth vnto vs in the midst of the Temple in the heate of the Pharisies and all these great doctors their disputations Search you the Scriptures diligently and from the holie Ghost who hath said to vs They cause the eyes to see they giue vnderstanding to children by the Apostles they are inspired of God they make the man of God euen the Euangelist and teacher himselfe instructed vnto euerie good worke and wise vnto saluation Our fathers say some vnto you beleeued as well liued as well whereto serue these alterations Verily if you vnderstand this of your carnall fathers then what other thing doe you say S. Bern. Epi. 91 besides that which the Iewes said to our Lord or which the Turkes or Iewes may not yet say vnto vs How farre better saith Saint Bernard speaking of the reformation necessarie in the Church Let them be cast behinde both me and you which say we will not liue better then our fathers If of the spirituall as of those that haue begotten vs to Christ then who are they but the Apostles and the holie fathers that followed them And what say we herein but by their mouthes And who is there to leade vs more from customes to the lawe from traditions to the holie Scriptures Irenaeus saith The Apostles preached the Gospel Iren. l. 3. c. 1. 11. con h. ret Tradiderunt Iust Mart in Dialog cum Tryphon in exposit fid and afterward by the will of God deliuered it vs in the Scriptures that so it might be the foundation and pillar of our faith Iustinus Martyr We must fixe our faith vpon God and his onlie instructions not vpon mans Traditions we must haue recourse to the Scriptures to the ende we may finde assurednesse in all things c. That Dauid that the Euangelists that the Epistles of the Apostles doe teach vs Tert. con Hermog Cum Apostolis senti c. Tertullian I doe not receiue or admit of that which thou bringest of thine owne without any Scripture If thou bee an Apostolicall writer be furnished with the doctrine of the Apostles c. Bring backe the heretikes to the Scriptures and so saieth hee they will not bee able to maintaine themselues What would he haue said then at this day of our pretended Catholikes who abhorre nothing more then to bee drawne backe to the Scriptures Verilie and without all doubt the same which he saith of these heretikes Heretici sunt lucifugae Scripturarum Like Owles they flie from the light of the Scriptures Wherefore if that which thou speakest be not written beware of that Vae that curse which is pronounced by the spirit of God against them which adde vnto the Scriptures S. Cyprian Cypr. de laps in Epist 74. Doe the Martyrs commaund any thing to be done But what if it bee not written in the law of the Lord. c That saith he must bee done which is written for so God appointed Iosua wee must haue good regard to see if it bee written in the Gospel in the Epistles of the Apostles or their acts for if it be then such holy traditions must be obserued and kept Traditions as we see contained in the Scriptures for so did the fathers vse this worde and not for all that which may be imagined in mans braine prouided that it be of continuance and toleration Origen Orig. in Ierem. in 25. in Matth. Wee must call the holie Scriptures to witnesse without these witnesses the sence and expositions which we giue them worke no beleefe VVhatsoeuer the golde bee which is without the Temple yet it is not sanctified and as litle that sense which is besides the Scripture Athanasius Athan. contr Idol ad Iouinian in 2. orat contra Arrios de interpret Psalm in Synopsi Theodor. l. 1. Socrat. l. 1. 5 Basi de ver fid in Mora◠Regu 26. 80 The holy Scriptures are sufficient of thēselues for the demonstrating of the truth The stones wherewith the heretikes are to be stoned are fetcht from hence they are the Mistresses of the true faith the anchors and props of our c. And this is the cause why in the disputation against the Arrians Constantine the Emperor breaking the array vnto the Councell of Nice appointeth not any other weapons The Euangelicall bookes saith he as also those of the Apostles and Prophets doe teach vs euidently whatsoeuer wee must beleeue Let vs gather from thence the deciding of our controuersies Saint Basil It is a most euident signe of infidelitie and pride to go about to bring in any vnwritten thing for the Lord hath said My sheepe heare my voyce and follow not the voice of any other c. Whatsoeuer we doe or speake must bee confirmed from thence for the beleefe of the good cōfusion of the wicked Euery faithful man hath this proper to him not to adde any thing thereto neither yet to ordaine any new thing for whatsoeuer it is that is besides the Scripture is not of faith Ambros de vocat Gent. l. 2. c. 3. in lib de Parad. c. 12. and therefore is sinne Saint Ambrose VVhere the Scriptures speake not who shal speake VVe must adde nothing to the commaundement howe good soeuer it be who so addeth thereto any thing of his owne argueth it of imperfection c. Saint Hierome The Church of Christ which dwelleth well Hieronym in Mich. l. 1. in ps 98. in Ezeen c. 3. in Agg. c. 1 in Mat. c. 23. in Esa c. 8. and all ouer the world c hath her townes the law the Prophets the Gospel the Apostles It goeth not beyond her limits that is to say the holy Scriptures VVhatsoeuer we say must be auouched from thence The Scriptures are our true meate and our true drinke of this wood is the house of wisdome built whatsoeuer is not authorized by them should be contemptible to vs is likewise striken with the sword of God who so is desirous to deliuer himself out of any doubt let him go thither but
them of vnsounde dealing seeing the auncient fathers of the Church did alwayes make their appeales vnto them against the heretikes and that in such sort as that when they once perceiued them to come within the bounds of their iurisdiction they held themselues victorers in their cause The holie Scripture say they to vs is not sufficient And what other sufficiencie doe wee looke for therein The scripture sufficient but to possesse God who is sufficient of himself euen for al maner of thinges or what other to be briefe but to come to saluation But and if thou wilt not beleeue the Apostle who telleth thee that the holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation by faith which is in Christ that is the man of God the Euangelist the teacher of others Iohn 5 39. Iohn 20.31 at the least beleeue the sonne of God who sendeth vs so expressely to the Scriptures Because saith he that we haue life in them And hast thou them to seeke and search for thine owne saluation The Lord commaundeth thee to search them diligently in them thou hast life Dost thou labour and seeke how to teach it others They are profitable to teach conuince correct and instruct By them the sonne of God the eternall word did teach his disciples Hast thou to deale against heretikes By the verie same hee stopte the mouthes of the Pharisies and confounded the Sadduces who did not admit of any mo parties then one The heretikes cannot keepe their holde before them yea they cannot possiblie defend themselues otherwise then by refusing them No sooner are they drawne thereto saith Tertullian but they are confounded whether Ebionites Hermogenists or Marcionites c. Yea and if the controuersie should bee against the diuell himselfe we know that from thence the Lord put him to silence that he coÌ„futed him in all his schoole points Apocal. and sent him backe againe to the bottomlesse pit of hell how much more the sonne perdition for the ouercomming and discomfiting of whom there are not any other armor or weapons spoken of As he that must be ouerthrowne with the breath of his mouth and beaten downe by the powerfulnesse of his Scriptures wherefore the Scripture hauing beene of such sufficiencie in those dayes both for the children of God and against his aduersaries where shall it sithence haue lost that his â—â—sufficiencie Or who shall not rather suspect that we are become ouer sufficient that is to say spoyled with presumption That we accuse it of insufficiencie because our pretended and deuised sufficiencies are not found therein And againe if it were so much at such times as the Church had no more but the olde Testament both vnto saluation and condemnation what shall we say of the times succeeding and those of the present According to the Fathers Iren cont haeres l. 2 c. 47. accompanied with the accomplishment of that in the person of Christ and made more cleare by the new And verilie the fathers also haue carefully kept themselues from this point rather to be tearmed infidelitie then errour or heresie Irenaeus saith We knowe verie well that the Scriptures are perfect for they are appointed and spoken by the worde of God and his spirit Tertullian Tertul. contra Prax. Hermoâ—g Cypr. de Baptism Christi I adore and reuerence the fulnesse of the Scriptures the scripture hath his reason and is sufficient of it self Saint Cyprian Speake on Lord thy seruant heareth Christian religion shall finde that out of this Scripture doe spring the rules of all manner of doctrine and that from thence riseth as also that thither returneth al whatsoeuer the discipline and gouernment of the Church doth containe Antonius the Hermite Antonius in suiâ— Epistolis Athanasius cont Idola Ad Serapion In Ep. Senten Dyonis Hillar l. 2. de Trinit The Scriptures are sufficient for all manner of knowledge of God and all manner of discipline Athanasius who notwithstanding hath to deale against the Arrians The holy scriptures are sufficient for the demonstration of the truth learne onely the scriptures for the lessons which thou findest there will be sufficient for thee Although saith he in another place I haue not found this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„substantiall yet so it is as that I haue found the thing it selfe Saint Hillarie vpon the same argument The word of God which by the testimonie of the Gospel hath beene transfused and conueyed into our eares is sufficient for the beleeuers for what is there belonging vnto mans saluation that is not to be found contained therein Or what is there therein either lame or obscure Verily euerie thing therein is full and perfect Basil de vera fide Homil. 29. In oratione Ethicaâ— In Esai c. 2. Chrys hom 9 in 2. ad Tim. c. Saint Basill attributeth it to the same pride and infidelitie to bring in any thing that is not written or to reiect that which is written The old and new Testament saith he are the treasure of the church All the commaundements of God are written and must be obserued All whatsoeuer is besides the straight and euen line of the Scripture is a cursed abhomination before God S. Chrysostome The holie Scripture teacheth thee whatsoeuer thou shouldest know or be ignorant of Thou art a Gentile and wouldest become a Christian but our controuersies doe trouble thee Thou knowest not to whom to goe for euerie man pretendeth and alledgeth the Scriptures c. Knowe that that which agreeth therewith is christian but that which disagreeth with the same In Acta hom 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de bono Viduit De doct christâ— l. 2. c. 9. serm 88. ad fratres lib. de confes 7 c. 7. In S. Ioh. tract 49. vbi viamad vitam De consensu Euan. l. 1. c. v. t. is farre off from the rule of christianitie Likewise saith he in another place It is the propertie of the diuell to adde vnto the commaundements of God Saint Augustine The Scripture saith he doth prefixe and set before vs a law teaching vs not to be more wise then we ought looke not therefore that to teach thee on my behalfe and part is any other thing but to expound vnto thee the wordes of my master for euen saith he in the things that are openly taught in the Scriptures is fully found al that which is to be done or left vndone all that which appertaineth vnto faith or concerneth maners Some haue made choise to write of all that which may seeme to be sufficient for the saluation of the faithfull In thy Christ O Lord and in the holy Scriptures I perswade my selfe that thou hast placed the way of mans saluation Whatsoeuer he would haue that we should reade of his deedes or wordes Cyril Alexan. In S. Iohan. l. 12 c. vlt. that hath he commaunded his Apostles to write as if it had beene done with his own hands c. S. Cyprian Bishop of
that the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was vsed and gaue it to them from hand to hand saying Drinke ye all This cuppe which the Iewes call Chos halel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cup of blessing the cup of prayse or thankesgiuing which they did blesse in these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God King of eternitie c. which hast created and made the fruit of the vine c. And in distributing it they did sing one of the Psalmes of Dauid which beginneth Halle-lu-iah Praise ye the Lord. But to the end that from thenceforth it might continue the Sacrament of the new Testament our Lord addeth thereunto these wordes For this is my blood the blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes And according to the Apostle to the end that it might be henceforth a perpetuall institution and ordinance in the Church of Christ And euermore and as oft as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe you shall declare and shew forth the Lords death vntill his comming In the end it is said that our Lord and his Apostles did sing a Psalme and afterward went vp into the mountaine of Oliues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Munster vppon S. Marke Paulus Fagius vpon Deut. c. 8. Scaliger de Emendat temp lib. 6. Cassander in his Liturgies The Psalme I say which was wont to bee sung of the Iewes in the closing and shutting vp of this solemne feast of vnleauened bread after Supper and is recorded in their bookes of rytes to be the 114. Psalme when Israel came out of Egypt But Burgensis is of opinion that it was a Psalme composed of many Psalmes that is to say of all the Psalmes from the 113. vnto the 119. which thing is more at large to bee seene in Munster Fagius others but yet better in the Lord of Escalles his booke of the reformation of time for it goeth farre beyond all the rest in the clearing of this matter And now we haue to consider what it is that the Masse hath common and what it hath like with this holy Supper at this day this holy Supper I say wherein wee see that our Lord the Lord of the Sabbath the Lord of all the ceremonies the Lord of the law it selfe did not disdaine exactly to obserue all the circumstances of the celebrating of the same as they are ordained in the law as namely the day the houre and the manner and forme there prescribed referring the same to his true and proper vse onely and to the onely end it respected which was himselfe pointed out prefigured in the same Whereas they of the Church of Rome men sinners as all the kind of man is haue not beene ashamed to dispense with the institution of this holy Sacrament and to cut and clip it change and alter it after all after their owne best liking fashion Our Lord distributed the bread and the cup vnto his Apostles the maister of the houshold vnto his children where is there any one step or marke of this communion of this communicating in the Masse It is his will and pleasure that this holy Sacrament should be a remembrance of his death and passion vntill he come that we should comfort and strengthen our selues in this faith combine and knit our selues in mutuall loue and charity waiting for the participation of his glory that so wee might make vp perfect his body in the heauens Where is this remembrance in the Masse where euerie thing is vttered in an vnknowne language where all is done by signes whisperings mumbled vp not vnderstood the expositions whereupon are so ridiculous fantastical ful of controuersies amongst their Doctors And furthermore who euer hauing seene the celebration of the holy Supper in the first ages could once dreame of finding the same in the Masse Or who is he who giuing good and attentiue eare vnto the true institution of the Lordes Supper read as it is set downe by the Euangelists that can proue himselfe so quicke sighted as soundly from the same to gather the doctrine of the Masse But say they th'Apostles haue not set downe euerie thing there are many more ceremonies belonging thereunto Of the place Other things when I come c. 1. Cor. 11. for S. Paule himselfe saith Caetera cum venero disponam other thinges I will set in order when I come But doe they not make any conscience to comprise vnder one Et caetera the doctrine either of the sacrifice or of transubstantiation the whole force and marrow of their Masse Is it credible that S. Paul would vse such delaies in things so important and so necessary as wherein according to their owne saying resteth their saluation as without which the same cannot stand Neyther are they yet ashamed to set before vs the foundation of the Masse so huge and massie a building vpon a meere gesse supposall that hath no ground or foundation at all to rest it selfe vpon Ambros in 1. Cor. c. 11. Nay then let vs heare what the fathers say S. Ambrose He teacheth vs that we must first handle for order sake the head principall thinges concerning our saluation as wherein one cannot erre without committing of some grieuous offence Caetera but as concerning other thinges which are for the edification of the Church he passeth them ouer till his comming Chrisostome vpon this place S. Chrisost vpon the 1. Cor. c. 11. hom 28. Theod. vpon the 1. Cor. c. 11. Oecum in 1. Cor. c. 11. Gloss ordin vpon the 1. Cor. c. 11. Thomas 3. parte sum q. 64 art 2. in 1. ad Cor. where he speaketh saith he of the same thing or of some other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not verie vrgent or necessarie thereby to make them carefull to reforme their faults when they shall thinke of his comming Theodoret He could not set in order all things but hauing written of the most necessarie he reserueth the lesse necessarie till he come in person Oecumenius Either hee speaketh of the same thing as if the holy supper of our Lord had neede amongst the Corinthians to bee reformed in other pointes or else hee speaketh of some other thing which hath neede of his owne presence The ordinarie Glosse Of the same but by your selues you cannot wade any further therein Saint Thomas He speaketh vpon some slight and familiar traditions he speaketh of thinges containing no matter of waight that is to say indifferent thinges And in another place But as concerning thinges which are necessarie in the Sacrament Christ himselfe hath appointed them In like manner Caietanus Caetera inquit praenarrata that is to say the things before spoken of as that one came drunken an other hungrie that there were contentions amongst them these are the other thinges which he promiseth to redresse at his comming If then these other thinges whereof Saint Paule would speake bee not the
that heade But O intollerable blasphemie He offered incense vnto God He offered it vpon the same tearmes as it seemeth to him that hee offered his owne sonne as with the same faith and with the same hope Receiue saieth he at the handes of vs sinners this offring of incense for a sauour of a sweet smel for the remission of our sinnes and the sins of all thy people c. and this he repeateth againe afterward without changing anie thing therein when hee blesseth and presenteth the Sacramentes How will this agree with the doctrine of the Apostles which is that there is no remission of sinnes without blood that our onelie propitiation is in the onelie blood of Christ Genebr in Miss S. Dionis c. yea and how will it agree with that of our Lithurgists who hold that the offring of incense is an oblation of thankesgiuing not of propitiation expiation or satisfaction and that altogether concurring and answerable to the old law from whence they would deriue and borrow their ceremonies forbidding to powre anie oyle or put anie incense vpon the oblations which were for sinne Leuit. 5.11 And this we see to bee directlie contrarie to that which they will make Saint Iames say a Sacrificer notwithstanding say they both of the one other Testament Furthermore there are manie things contained therin which might be verie wel obserued and noted for the conuincing of the same of error falshood as the Gloria patri and the Gloria in excelsis both which as we shall see did enter a long time after into the Lithurgies as also prayers for the dead prayer vnto the holie virgin c. which are yet of later time then the other witnes hereof is likewise Epiphanius who cōdemned praying vnto the holie virgin fiue hundred yeares after who would not haue opposed himselfe as a contrary party to an Apostle of Iesus Christ And without doubt this Lithurgie hath beene presented vnto the world vnder this name for no other end but that it might giue credite and applause vnto all these errors But all these particulars shall bee spoken of euerie one in more fit and conueniente places One thing wee will not omit which runneth as a long thread throughout the whole length of the webbe of this Masse or Lithurgie which is that there is an infinit sort of sentences and whole clauses out of S. Paul his Epistles wouen in here and there notwithstanding that they were not written by S. Paule till after S. Iames his death All that which we haue saide of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Marke his Masse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Prayer for the Monkes and Monasteries of the offring of incense for the remission of sinnes c. let stande as saide that so wee may not bee driuen to vnnecessarie repetitions and spoken concerning and about the Masse of S. Marke also And yet ouer and besides them it hath his particular notes and brands of false and feyned counterfettednes as namelie a prayer for the Pope where was the Pope then in conscience tell me I pray you or where was he knowne then For the Subdeacons Readers Chanters c. whereas wee are of the minde that the Primitue Church knew not anie degrees of Officers vnder Deacons And a third prayer for the Cittie of Alexandria that God would keepe and preserue it in the vertuous life of the Martyr S. Marke c. S. Mathew his Masse who can excuse these contradictions these fooleries And Againe in S. Mathew his Masse besides whatsoeuer hath beene discouered before you may see the blessing of the boxe the Chalice and the spoone for the taking vp of wine A prayer for the Popes Patriarkes and Archbishops though they were not ordayned and extant for many ages after Mention of the Councell of Nice whose Creed is likewise sung therein Of the Councels of Constantinople Ephesus c. Of Saints as that Chrysostome Basill Gregorie the great c. Of all Christian kinges whereas there was not one when S. Mathew liued who now is he that is able to protest for these Masses that they are the Apostles if he consider either the matter or the forme thereof But yet if anie man wil replie and say that for the substance thereof or in grosse these things are true notwithstanding that from time to time there haue beene some small and particular circumstances cast in and mingled amongst expecting that wee should proue the contrarie as we will yet at the least what man is there that shall dare to be so bold as to take vpon him to distinguish of that which was the Apostles from that which was added by others betwixt that which was from God and that which was from men that which is authentike and originall from that which is positiue and of it selfe c. Of the Masse attributed to S. Andrew Concerning that which they pretend of S. Andrew we haue it not but they alledge about the same one Abdias a Bb. of Babilon made and appointed thereunto by the Apostles who reporteth of himselfe that he did see our Lord in his humane bodie c. This witnes themselues being Iudges may easilie bee controld and conuicted of falshood He hath seene saieth he our Lord and he alledgeth Hegesippus the Historian who liued a hundred and sixtie years after vpon which proposition S. Augustine against Faustus lib. 11. 22. cap. 80. Against Adim ch 17. Of faith against Manich ch 38. Cont. aduer leg lib. 1. ch 20. Distich 21. Sancta Romana wee may easilie inferre the conclusion But which is more S. Augustine teacheth vs in many places that this is for the most part the same booke which the Manichies chaunged for the true historie of the Apostles when wee reade therein the Historie of S. Thomas cursing a man who by and by afterward was torn in peeces of a lion Of Maximilla refusing to lye with Eger her husband putting in her roome her maide seruant Eucleia c. cited by S. Augustine in the same words and gathered out of the forenamed hereticall bookes which he condemned and Pope Gelasius was of the same opinion Adde to the former the miracles which he attributeth to the Apostles howbeit vnworthy of them in respect of their worthines and dignitie as namelie the repairing and mending of broken fingerstals the turning of trees and stones into golde a thousand such follies A temple builded at Ephesus to S. Iohn in his life time c. whereas for more then two hundred yeares after Origen was much troubled how he might answere Celsus asking of him what might be the cause that Christians had not eyther temples or altars c. There is yet remaining as not spoken of the Masse Of the Masse attributed to S. Peter which they call S. Peters and which they hold to be the same with S. Marke his Disciple framed and contriued somewhat neer vnto that sayeth Turrian
as it is to this day vsed in the Greeke Churches But about this time the zeale of Christians waxing cold they began in the Church of Rome to deuide them into certaine peeces or pawses which were called partes to the end that seruice might be made the shorter as we reade in Optatus who citeth the 2. part of the nine and fortieth Psalme And alth ought this diuiding of Psalmes into partes may seeme to haue beene in the time of S. Hillarie yet it was not receined into the Church Epiphanius calleth them distinctions S. Ambrose in his Lithurgie Psalmulos or little Psalmes which are nothing else but verses and they were sung within a certaine time after countervoicewise one side singing one verse and an other an other Of the Institution Theodoret reporteth of Flauianus and Diodorus in Antioch Theodor lib. 2 cap. 24. that they caused them to be thus sung about the sepulchers of Martyrs but in the Latine Church Paulinus reporteth it to be by the appointment of Saint Ambrose in his Dioces which was afterward about the yeare 430. spread abroad euerie where and that by the authoritie of Pope Celestine who by name did practise it at the first beginning and entrance into ecclesiasticall or diuine seruice Of reading S. Chrysostome reporteth ordinarily When it is told thee in the church Of reading Chrysost hom 36. in 1. ad Cor. hom 3. in 2. ad Thessal Concil Laodi cap. 17. Cut diuided readings or lessons Ambr. in praefat in Psalm De Offic. lib. 1 cap. 11. 44. Seuer Sulpit. de vita S. Mart. l. 3. De Offi. l. 1. c. 8 De Virg. l. 3. ad Gratian. l. 4. c. S. Agust tract 9 in Ioann serm 236. de temp serm 7. 10. de verb. Apostol c. Beloth c. 57. Berno Radulphus The Sermon Ambr. epist 33 post tractatū S. Basil in psal 14. 114. S. August in 1. Epist S. Ioh. Amb. epist 33. S. August de ciuit l. 22. c. 8 August de doctrina Christia the Lord saith so and that the Deacon doth bid all the world to be silent and still thinke not that it is not to the ende that thou shouldest honour the reader but rather him that speaketh by his mouth Againe when thou hearest the Prophete which telleth thee the Lord saith this Remoue thy solfe O earth and rise thou higher O heauen thinke within thy selfe who it is from whom the Prophet speaketh vnto thee If these readinges had beene such as are now a daies in the Masse to what end should those exhortations of S. Chrysostome serue But the Councell of Laodicea is likewise plaine and pregnant in this point Let the Canonical scriptures be read in the church not any others S. Ambrose oftentimes What seueritie of punishment haue we established in the Church to the end that silence may bee kept whiles the scriptures are reading whereas notwithstanding the Psalmes doe keepe silence of themselues And these readinges or lessons were aswell out of the law as out of the Gospell and Apostle as appeareth in infinite places of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and others and that throughout whole books vntill such time as S. Ierome by the commandement of Pope Damascene because the lithurgy seemed as then to be too long did make an extract of certain lessons out of the Prophets Epistles Gospels wherevpon he composed the booke called Comes or the booke of lessons from which time they began to be in vse in the Church Now the Bishop or Pastor of the Church was wont to take the place whereof he wold make his sermō ordinarily out of those lessons as appeareth by those wordes of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and others so oftentimes vsed We haue heard in the lesson that hath beene read c. and vpon the same we must deliuer and speake as the Lord shall vouchsafe to enable vs c. And sometime out of the Psalme that had beene sung as may be seene in S. Basill vpon Psalme 114. Or else they tooke a whole booke as S. Augustine in his treatise vpon S. Iohn saue that vpon the daies of great feastes as the feast of the Natiuitie Easter and Pentecost they chose out picked places from thence to intreate of the historie and misterie And the sermon was called Tractatus Sermo and from thence grew these speeches Homilia tractare de superiori loco dicere siue de exedra And it was the custome of the Pastor before he began to speake to the people to pray vnto God that hee woulde shew him the fauor and mercie to teach them well and to giue them well and throughly to apprehend that which hee should teach them according to Saint Augustine his precept Before he speake let him pray vnto God for himselfe and for them to whom he is to preach and let him be saith hee Orator antequà m dictor which is let him pray before hee preach And this sermon did continue as wee learne out of Saint Basill about an houre in the ende likewise concluding the same with prayer In Saint Augustine Conuersi rursus ad Dominum c. we betake our selues againe vnto God c. And furthermore as this is the principall charge of the Ministers to preach the worde as those vnto whom our Lord deliuering his commission spake in these expresse wordes Go preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. So haue we from these great and worthie men infinite sermons as by name from Saint Cyprian Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine S. Chrysostome S. Basill c. but not from any one of these any booke of rites or ceremonies neyther yet any patterne of any sacrifice And they let not to take great paine to prescribe and point out vnto vs the qualities of a preacher and the partes and conditions of a Bishoppe that is worthy the roome and place of teaching the people especially Saint Augustine in his bookes of Christian doctrine but for teaching of him howe many diuers wayes and with howe many ceremonies hee should say Masse or offer his pretended sacrifice they trouble not themselues at all Now after the sermon That the holy Supper was frequented at that time of al the faithful it was ordinarily the custome to beginne with the administration of the holy Supper especially during the time of their first loue and zeale when as the Christians for the most part did communicate euerie weeke yea and some euerie day the Sacramentes being neuer set vpon the Table of the Lorde but that there would bee a number of faithfull Christians to communicate thereof And furthermore S. August ad Ianuar. ep 119 Saint Augustine exhorteth the faithfull to communicate euery Lordes day Prouided saith hee that thy soule be not set vpon sinne Saint Ambrose giueth warning and admonisheth them to celebrate the memorie of the Lord euerie day rebuking certaine of the East Churches which did not communicate oftener then once a yeare And Eusebius saith that the same
learned thinke not these sermons to bee his as being founde elsewhere to bee attributed to Saint Ambrose or to Hugo de Sancta victoria such furthermore as haue thus found them without any name Erasm de concionib Amb. August ad frat Eremit August in ser de tempore 23 not knowing to whom well to attribute or impute them Saint Augustine saith Ecce post sermonem fit Missa catechumenis manebunt fideles that is that after the sermon leaue shall bee graunted vnto those that are catechised to depart that is to say such as yet haue neede to bee instructed in the faith whereas the sufficient instructed and grounded in faith shall abide In which place by Bellarmine his owne iudgement it cannot bee taken for any other thing then a simple leaue to depart and not for any sacrifice or Sacrament Againe In lectione quae nobis ad Missas legenda est audituri sumus that is We shall heare in the lesson which shall bee read in the Masse c. In which place hee may seeme to comprehend not onely the one or the other seruice or part of seruice that is to say that of the catechised and the other of the faithfull but euen all manner of spirituall exercise in the Church Cassian l. 2. c. 7. l. 3. c. 7. 8. Amb. l. 5. epis 8 whether it did follow the celebration of the holy Supper or not as it is ordinarily taken and meant in Cassian who writ more then a hundred years after S. Ambrose The day following which was the Lords day Post lectiones atque tractatum dimissis catechumenis c. Missam facere coepi After the lessons and Sermon hauing giuen leaue to the catechised to depart I began to say Masse Where behold how that here seemeth no other thing to bee meant then a restrayning of that hee did to the seruice which was proper to the faithfull that is to say to the blessing communicating and distributing of the Sacramentes verie farre differing as wee shall well see from the Popes Masse once I say for all in Saint Ambrose neuer in Saint Ierome and in Saint Augustine cleane in an other sence And this assuredly maketh the suspition of no small weight which some haue had of these bookes namely that they should bee none of Ambrose his workes Hieronymus in Prou. Salo. c. 11. as contrarying his doctrine in many places For as for the place that is alleadged out of S. Ierome vpon the Prouerbes who will belieue that it was his seeing that S. Gregorie is there alleadged and not rather some worke of Beda to whom the best learned doe ascribe it But what fatall chaunge or translation was destinated vnto this word that from an ill throwne Latine word signifying leaue or libertie it should necessarily be drawne in first to signifie a part of Gods diuine worship and seruice then a pretended sacrifice Thirdly a worke wrought for the saluation of the quicke and the dead and finally to leape into the roome of the market place called Palladium in Rome promising as large and plentifull store of wares and marchandise for the Christian soule as euer that other did commodities for the carnall bodie And yet here we are not to omit that which wee haue alreadie touched namely that all the seruices and exercises of the church as publique prayers singing of Psalmes by night by day euening or morning were called Masses in the ages following although they medled not at all with the administration of the Lords Supper the reason thereof was because that all Christian assemblies were wont to dismisse themselues vpon a general praier made which was called Collecta sometimes Missa that is a leaue or libertie to depart or a Masse in asmuch as the departure followed imediately after the same This appeareth by S. Benet his rule wherein after he hath declared the order of prayers and supplications to be kept at the houres canonicall there is added Et sint vel fiant Missae which is as much as if he should say And then let them depart giue them leaue to go away The same also appeareth by Cassian to be so who saith speaking of the Monkes of Egypt that after the Masse of the vigils they were permitted a little sleepe vntill it was day And againe that vpon the Lordes day they had but one Masse or departure before dinner which was reckoned vnto them for their thirdes and sixtes c. But in as much as in this they were wont to communicate and receiue the Lords Supper altogether the name by little and little and by succession of time tooke roote and continued to the rooting out of all others But that we may not content our selues with our former store go no further we haue testimonies of this dismission Masse or departure from the best most approued of this our time I speake not of the Liturgies touched heretofore and which shall be againe touched hereafter in all which these wordes are to bee founde and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys in Hierar l. 3. Hieron in â—pi ad Gala. l. 3. c. 6 Chrys hom 24 83. in Math. 24.61 79. ad popul Antioch hom 3. 4 de natur Dei c. that is to say let the catechised and such as are inioyned humiliation for their transgressions withdraw themselues let the faithfull onely stay c. And froÌ„ the time euen of Gregory this was the crie of the Deacon after the Gospel not any more after the sermon because that after that time there was but little preaching Si quis non communicat exeat which is If there be any man that wil not communicate let him go away out of the congregation But in Saint Denis in S. Ierome and in S. Chrysostome this ceremonie may bee obserued and marked in infinite places And the Counsels of the same time shew it euidently Catechumeni in Missa corum ne demittantur c. Let not those that are catechised bee licensed to depart from their Masse except it bee after that they haue heard eyther the Sermon made by the Bb. Concil Laod. c. 19. Concil Câ—â—thgin 4. c. 84. or the Sermon made by the Minister Neither let the Bb. keepe anie one from entring into the Church for to heare the word of God whether it be Iew or Gentile or from staying there vntill the Masse that is to say vntil the time of admonition to depart giuen to those which are catechised And thus we haue seene what manner of seruice it was whereat they were present namelie the first prayers singing of Psalmes reading of holie Scriptures the Sermon and the Creede It remaineth that wee see what manner of seruice the second was namelie that which was reserued onelie for the faithfull CHAP. V. What manner of Diuine seruice was vsed namelie in that which was called the Masse of the faithfull IT is first to bee noted that in that space of time happening
it is that antiquitie resteth and in which it is that noueltie hath built her selfe a nest as namely whether antiquitie dwell with the Church of Rome which of the old and auncient seruice retaineth onelie the sleight and vnprofitable rind or with our reformed Church which hath restored and reestablished both all the parts as also the substance thereof vnto his former estate and whole right But here it is obiected against vs Obiections for ceremonies yet you cannot deny but that many ceremonies were now already brought into the Church and into the seruice and ministerie of the same which you allow not of in your Churches And who doubteth but that in the space of fiue hundred years containing more then one hundred thousand nights the aduersarie Sathan who vseth to rise in the night had sowen mo then a few tares And who can find it strange that in these fieldes before time both possessed and husbanded by the Gentiles as also by the Iewes there should remaine of their seed And on the contrarie who is he that will not wonder where the dore is once set open to licentious liberty traditions and mans inuentions if there should anie thing abide continue sound and sincere But who will not rather finde occasion with vs to praise God who in despight of Sathan and all the malice of the Diuell the tyrannie of Custome the licentiousnes of Tradition the slipperie nature of Superstition the presumption of mans spirit and the darkenes of ignorance ouershadowing and couering all toward the end of this time hath vouchsafed so long to conserue the principall part of his seruice at least so much as was of the substance Or who will not yet more admire his goodnes for causing as it were a new creation of the Sun of truth in these our dayes after so horrible a confusion and after such an eternall and euerlasting night S. Augustine writing of the ceremonies and Traditions of his time said vnto Ianuarius Before all other thinges I would that thou shouldest know the great maine point of this disputation August Ep. 118. ad Ianuar that is that Iesus Christ our Lord is willing to subiect al his to bring them to beare his sweete yoke and light burthen as hee calleth it himselfe in the Gospell and thereupon also it is that he hath ioyned and coupled together the societies and companies of his new people by the Sacramentes which are verie few in number verie easie to obserue and keepe and yet notwithstanding most excellent in signification c And what is it that he sayeth vnto vs therewithall in the Epistle following August Ep. 119. Cortainelie sayeth hee it displeaseth mee that there is no more care and regarde had of thinges that are most safe and wholesome and commaunded in the sacred bookes whereas in the meane time euerie thing is full of presumptions that is of forestalled opinions in such sorte as that a man is more reproued for hauing touched the ground with his bare foote these holie dayes then if hee had made himselfe drunke with wine c. So that the state and condition of the Iewes is more tollerable then that of the Christians who as they haue not knowne anie time of libertie so neyther haue they beene charged with anie other burthens then those of the Law which was of God and not with the presumptions of vaine man for hereby the Church of God seated in the middest of great heaps of chaffe darnell vndergoeth and is made to beare manie burthensome things c. And this S. Augustine said vpon the speeches of certain Christiās which were giuen in such sort to abstaine from eating of flesh as that they iudged those vnclean who did eate the same And this thing saith he is most plainely against the rule of faith of holesome doctrine Now then let vs shoule away this chaffe and darnell 2. Cor. 3. laid vpon a golden and siluer foundation sowen in the field of Christ and notwithstanding adiudged worthie to bee burned with fire by the word of the Lord and by the writ of the Apostle Let vs praise God onely that these good Doctors haue to deale with him a Lord full of mildnes a Maister full of clemencie but and if their workes and inuentions burne before the fire of his spirit yet at the least they are saued as concerning themselues because of the foundation through his mercie in Iesus Christ They alleadge against vs for the first that which they call holy water Holy water Basil 〈◊〉 S. Spiritu ad Amphilochium c. 27. Ambros l. 2. de Sacr. c. 5. going about to proue it vnto vs out of Basile in his booke of the holy Ghost written to Amphilochius where he saith We consecrate the water of baptisme c. And out of S. Ambrose That in the Westerne Churches there was a prayer made to God that it would please him to blesse the water c. I aunswere that this argument is not well framed being from the water of baptisme to the holy water from a prayer by which the vse of creatures is blessed according to the nature and right vse of euerie one of them to the exorcising of a creature turned quite an other way from his right vse And as for S. Basil you may adde an other answere with Erasmus that this booke from the midst thereof containeth nothing that is Basils Gregor Nazianz hom 3. de Sancto Ianuario And Gregorie Nazianzene his brother had aunswered him that baptisme may indifferently be administred with any water And if the vse of their holy water were at that time in the Church it had but S. Bafill his particular approbation and how commeth it then to passe that it is not found in the Liturgie which they attribute vnto him For whereas some would impute it to Alexander 1. let vs not go about to offer the Church of Rome that iniurie De consecr D. 3. Aquam either by word or beliefe as that at that time when S. Iohn said in his Epistles The bloud of the sonne of God doth purge vs from all iniquitie there should bee a Bishop at Rome that should say in his That water besprinkled with salt and consecrated by prayer doth sanctifie and make cleane the people after the manner of the ashes of the redde cow c. But the verie truth is that this water was brought in a long while after and that by the imitating of the Gentiles their purging or expiatorie water who vsed it at this time and with the verie same ceremonie Iustine saith The Gentiles when they enter into their temples Iustinus Martyr Apol. 2. doe sprinckle themselues with water and then they go and offer sacrifice vnto their Gods Valentinian a Tribune of warre vnder Iulian the Apostate following him to the temple of Fortune the Churchwardens which were at the dore cast water vpon all those that went in in so much as that there lighted one drop
vpon his cap he then turning himselfe about gaue one of them a blow with his fist Theodor. l. 3. c. 15.16 esteeming himselfe as saith Theodoret defiled and not cleansed thereby because he was a Christian And furthermore he saith the like elie where as namely that Iulian caused all that which was sold in the market to be sprinckled to the ende that the Christians might not buy any thing at all there And that by this sprinkling they held that sinnes were defaced appeareth by these wordes of Hippocrates himselfe de morbo sacro Hippocr de morb sacro that I may haue nothing to doe here with the alleadging of Poets In going in saith hee wee sprinkle our selues with this water to the end that if we haue any sinne we may bee purified and made cleane And Proclus saith That it was not onely made of fresh water but of Sea water also Proc. de sacrif Magia Turneb in Aduers l. 13. c. 21. Athenaeus l. 9. because that salt is detersiue And they sprinckle Aspergillum either of Rosemarie or of the boughes of the Bay tree or of the Oliue tree and not onely for the purging and cleansing of men but Citties Temples and other things without life as also is practised at this day in the Romish Church To be short as they had amongst the Gentiles a peculiar and proper forme of sanctifying it dipping therein as Athenaeus telleth vs a fire brand taken from off the Altar whereupon they offered their sacrifices Durand l. 4. c. 4. so likewise haue they a peculiar manner of making this exorcising the salt first and then the water and after that them both being mixt together which being done both they and the Gentiles do thinke that it purgeth away sinnes Of burning of incense it was so common a custome amongst the Gentiles Of burning of incense Theod. l. 3. c. 16. Sozom. l. 5. c. 17. as that Iulian the Apostate that hee might cunningly binde the Christians to the same ordained that when anie came vnto him according to the custome to receiue anie gifts at his hands they should burne incense before him whereupon certain notable Christians hauing vnderstanding of his purposed intent came and brought them backe againe vnto him that so they might not be polluted and but for a little he had caused them to haue beene put to death Ruffin lib. 1. C. 36. To be briefe Thurificantes that is such as burnt and offered incense vnto creatures no otherwise then to idols were in old time accompted amongst them which had turned aside from the puritie of Christianitie But whether it come from the Gentiles or from the Iewes amongst whom incense represented the sweet smell of the holy praiers of the faithfull in Gods nostrels by the same maner of peruerse lewd imitation it came to passe that in the end it was brought into the Christian Churches but yet not so soone as some would haue vs to belieue For S. August S. Ambr. S. Basil S. Chrysost and other ancient fathers do not speake one word of it in any of all the books they haue written if onely certain Lithurgies alleadged out of them be excepted which yet hereafter wee will confute proue to be false and counterfeit stuffe S. August in Psal 49. 50. S. Augustine to the contrarie Behold saith he we are out of care we go not any more to seeke incense in Arabia God requireth of vs a sacrifice of praise and such a sacrifice had Zacheus in his patrimony c. Againe shal we not then offer any thing vnto him shall we come before God in such sort How then shal we appease his wrath Offer thou hast whereof to offer in thy selfe go not about to take any farre iourney to buy incense Plat. in vit Sixt. 1. Polyd. l. 5. but saie Thy vowes are vpon me O Lord which I will render vnto thee in singing of praises vnto thee c. The onely man wherein it is found is S. Denis an Author better stuft with vaine ceremonies then with solide and sound doctrine And a long time after about the yeare 800. wee reade that Leo 3. ordained that it should be vsed in the Masse For Tapers waxe-candles lights in the Church it is to be noted that the greatest part of Christians their diuine seruice was done in the beginning in priuate Lightes and secretly before day as we may reade in Plinie the second and in all the ecclesiasticall writers and thereupon they could not be without light Now this custome of comming together in the night because of persecution did likewise continue and hold on in the times of peace Euseb l. 4. de vit Constant whereupon it commeth that wee reade that Constantine continued in holy watch vntill it was day and caused to bee lighted for his going to the place and comming backe againe great waxe candles Tapers and verie great torches throughout the whole Citie and lampes in the place of prayer to giue light to them that were present Epiphanius calleth them thereupon Psalmos orationes lucernales Epiph. l. 3. t. 2. that is Psalmes and praiers which were said by a lampe and this was the office of the Acoluthes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to light them after cleare day we do not see that euer the Primitiue Church did euer vse them Tertull. in Apol. Tertullian on the contrarie Wherefore saith he do we not deck the posts with baies vpon the daies of ioy and why breake we not off the day-light by lighting torches Againe Who forceth the Philosopher to sacrifice to play the malecontent Lanct l. 6. c. 2. and to light fond and vaine torches at high noone because the Gentiles constrained the Christians to do it And Lactantius after he perceiued that he had beene a long time mocked of the Pagans at length concludeth in these wordes Who can esteeme or make account of him to bee wise which offereth candles and lampes for giftes vnto him who hath created and giuen the light a reproch which had beene vnfitly charged vpon the Pagans if then it might haue beene cast backe vpon and obiected against the Christians To be briefe the Elibertine Councell forbiddeth them vpon paine of the curse to light any in the places of the buriall of the Martyrs being the places where the Christians vsed to assemble and come together for hee called it The troubling of the Ghostes and spirites of the Saintes and holy ones But as a great number of others did this ceremony tooke his passage from the Gentiles to the Christians in the time of S. Ierome that is more then 400. yeares after the death of our Lorde And Vigilantius the Pastor of Barcelonia writ against the same Conc. Elibert c. 34. complaining of it that he should see the superstition of the Pagans drawne into religion and deriued fetcht from the Gods of Paganisme to bee bestowed vppon the Christian Martyrs Saint Ierome did
somewhat but destroyed no good thing for it was by him ordained that there should be sung in the Christian assemblies this hymne Paul Diac. lib. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou sonne of God thou diuine worde who being immortall didst vouchsafe for our saluation to take vpon thee humaine flesh of the holy virgine the mother of God and alwaies a virgine dead risen againe c. saue vs. This may seeme to haue beene by the authoritie of the generall Synode of Constantinople for the repressing of the Samosatenians Arrians Monothelites c. And this was to honour the holy virgine according to the intent and purpose of the Councell of Ephesus being without all preiudicing of the honour due vnto God and denied to all manner of creatures At this time also the Letanies or supplications were hatched and that first of all in the Easterne Churches and then afterward in the westerne not without some imitatation of the Pagans their Ambaruales or Gangweeke and the occasion therof did first rise from Constantinople by reason of a plague then from Lyons by reason of an earthquake from whence they tooke their flight all ouer the East and West The forme and manner thereof was this They contriued and drewe into certaine articles the publike necessities and calamities that did presse them or threaten them vnto euerie one whereof as it was vttered and spoken by the Priest or Bishop which went before the people answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord haue mercy vpon vs Lord heare vs. Praying vnto Saintes or yet vnto the virgine Marie was not admitted till a long time after saue onely where as Anastasius the Emperour an Eutychian fauourite of Petrus Gnapheus his opinions and an innouator in this behalfe did vndertake to set them a foote and giue them force to stand But let vs come to the church of Rome where we shal find a great deale more matter Alterations chaunges in the Romish Church Alcuinus Berno Rabanus Walafridus c. Symmachus the Bb. of Rome about the yeare 506. ordained that euery Lords day as also vpon euery festiual day there shold be sung Gloria in excelsis but this is attributed to Telesphorus by others Other some distinguish betwixt both say that this man did not ordaine it at all but onely vpon the day of Christ his natiuitie So farre is it off that the Grecians should haue it any sooner for this is the same which they doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He added in the Councell of Rome held vnder him That no Priest in the Church of Rome shal say any Masse without his priuitie Now let men iudge hereof if this bee not to come backe to that which we reade and speake of in other places That there was not any moe then one Christian assemblie in euerie parish in which the faithfull did pray vnto God heard the Gospell and communicated together in the Sacramentes Agapetus the first did institute the processions Petr. de Natalibus at the first before the Masse at Easter because saith Durandus that the Angels said to the women Tell the disciples that he will be before them in Galile And of these processions did spring those which were afterward said vppon the Lordes daies This was about the yeare 535. Vigilius ordained about the yeare 536 That those which were to celebrate the Masse should looke into the East Petr. de Natal and euer since the most part of the altars were set and turned to serue for the purpose Also That the festiuall daies should haue their particular readinges and lessons and yet notwithstanding he would haue the giftes oblata munera Vigil ep 3. to bee consecrated vnto God euery day after one and the same order of prayers Wherein wee see that the Canon was not then growne to a rule and set thing as wee see it was afterward and in an other place that the praiers whereof he is vnderstood to haue spoken are referred ad oblata munera to the giftes which were offered by the people and not to the sacrifice of Christ the Sonne of God that pretended oblation made by the Priest vnto his father The feast also of Candlemas is attributed to him and there is a reason giuen vs for the same The Pagans Rhenan in Tertul. de corona milit saith Rhenanus in the entraunce of Februarie did celebrate the feast of Proserpina with burning tapers Now that their wilfull obstinacie might not bee incensed or prouoked to discontentment it was ordained that the same day there should be the like burning of them vnto the virgine Marie Iacob de Vorag serm 82. de Sanctis and Iacobus de Voragine speaketh of the same thing after the same manner Pelagius the second about the yeare 580. ordained that mention should bee made of the deade in euery Masse after the eleuation of the host whether he meant it of all the offrings which after the manner of the old Testament were wont to be eleuated or lifted vp for a presenting of them vnto God or of that parte which was put apart for the Sacrament for so speaketh Hermanus Gigas Hermanus Gigas vsing the tearmes currant in his time to expresse what was then practised in this point not being as then growne to that head and height of corruptnesse Whereby appeareth the truth of that which wee said a little before namely that that which was done for the dead was a custome fetcht and deriued from the Paganes and not grounded vppon any Christian law a sufferaunce and not an ordinance of the Church And thus behold wee are come to Gregorie the first who of all these ingredientes thus dispenced and many moe maketh one Masse which hee calleth the Romish order or Gregorie his Masse And this is the point whereuppon wee are nowe to insist Gregory then as Historiographers do tell vs being come to the Archbishopricke The notable change and alteration vnder Gregorie his time purposed to reforme the whole order of the church in al the parts therof so far forth as that after that Platina had specified the masses songs letanies stations processions feastes Plat. in Grego magno c. What shall I say more saith he seeing all the whole order and institution of the ecclesiasticall office especially of the old and auncient one is inuented and approued by him which would to God we had kept and not receiued this barbarousnes which so much distasteth all the learned men that are liuing at this day c. But of a certaintie vnder the shadow of redressing the order and discipline which had sustained great iniuries by the barbarous inuaders and spoilers he did not a little damnifie the truth and sinceritie of doctrine wherein yet those which came after and succeeded him as saith Platina did worse The Introit For the lithurgie It had no Introit in the beginning and after that Celestine had made one Gregorie would haue it doubled
it once spoken of in this signification Processions In the second place Gregorie the first had instituted a procession to bee made vppon Easter day with a supplication or Letanie Now the ordaining of these supplications or Processions did first rise vppon the occasion of publike calamities as of the plague of the earthquake c. for the taking away whereof the people ioyned together in prayers vnto God But Honorius the first appointed that euery Lordes day there should be a Procession made at Rome from the day of S. Apollinaris vnto the daye of S. Peter with Gregorie his Letanie Some attribute that ordinaunce to Agapet Sergius as a thirde Promoter of this worke of augmentation followeth aboute the yeare 690. and casteth in vnto the rest all the festiuall dayes as namelie the fowre Ladie dayes and thus more and more superstition increased as the Moone when shee is past the change vntill it had gained the place and preheminence vpon the Lords dayes and that in all places This is the thing that Charles the Great the true and trustie aduancer of all Romish inuentions speaketh of Let the Priest with the companie of singers goe aboute the Church c. This same Sergius did further appoint that whiles the bread of the Communion was in breaking there should be sung Agnus Dei c. hee gaue censers to the Churches he ordained that the Priest should make three partes of the bread which he held in the Masse according to the custome which was then established namelie that there should alwaies bee an ordinarie and set number of Communicantes and that there should not bee anie Masse without a Communion The breaking of the bread into three parts and that the casting of the bread ordained for the same into three parts should bee to the end that the Priest might haue one part the other officers of the Church an other and the people that did communicate the third But whereas then also these priuate Masses beganne in which the same order of breaking and deuiding of the bread into the said partes was continued notwithstanding that no man but the Priest alone did receiue eate of it that no absurdity might seeme to cleaue vnto this practise it was clapt into a misticall matter the meaning whereof sayeth hee is Because that one parte of Christ is risen another parte walking vppon earth and a thirde parte of him remaining in the Sepulcher c. Others there are who had rather vnderstand it to signifie and haue relation to the faithful in heauen on earth and in Purgatorie Others again vnderstand thereby the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob and so euery man according as his inuention pleased him The Pax. and Allegories likewise of the same stampe The fourth Maister of this augmentation was Innocent the first who in steade of the custome vsed amongst the auncient faithfull to kisse in signe of peace ordained a Canon whereout leapte that law decree of Charles the great Lib. 1. c. 53. l. 5. c. 94. Vt pax detur ab omnibus confectis Christi sacramentis that is that the peace that is the kisse of peace shold be giuen of al c. And he yeeldeth a reason because that therein is signified the true concord c. Now a little before the time of Charles the great Leo the second had changed the same into superstition ordayning in stead thereof the plate of siluer or copper which is wont to bee held out to kisse after the consecration Of taking of the Eucharist with the mouth Lib. 7. cap. 367 Concil Altifiod c. 36.37 which within a while after was receiued together with the rest of the ceremonies The fift practise of augmentation was that where the Eucharist had wont to bee deliuered into the hands of the Communicantes yea and that in the time of Charles the great as appeareth by this Canon Vt qui acceperint sumant That those which haue taken it with their hand may take it with their mouth for otherwise let them bee shutte out and excluded for sacrilegious persons It was now forbidden women to touch it with their naked handes yea and to touch the linnens wherein the Sacramentes were wrapped far from the practise which was vsed by Gorgonia the sister of Nazianzene who handled it with her handes and kept it about her going aboute her busines Then they beganne to giue it them at their mouthes Alber. Krantz in Metrop l. 1. c. 19. Beda de rat temp lib. 2. Paul Diacon l. 6. de gestu Longobard Adon. aetat 6. Many Masses as wee reade of Iustinian in Nicomedia who tooke it with his mouth at the hand of the Bishoppe of Rome and of Witikind which saw as hee said a little childe who had it giuen into his mouth for euen such fables were plentifull at this time The sixt there was wont to bee celebrated but one common supper for all and so by consequent they had in euerie Temple or Church but one Table or Altar But as the people grew slower and slower in communicating so they perswaded them so much the more to bring offrings yea constrained them thereto by the Canons of their Synods and by the lawes of the Empire and to this end they made men belieue that it was sufficient for them to bee present onelie so that they forget not to offer in so much that Masses and Altars did multiplie the communion in the meane time withering and falling away and that so farre foorth as that the Priestes themselues sometimes did not receiue it Lib. 7. c. 50. though they had consecrated the same This is faithfully witnessed by Charles the great his lawes Let the people bee warned to offer Iugiter continuallie Whereas the former went no further but to communicate often and the reason is added Because that these offringes are verie profitable for those which offer and for theirs Lib. 6. c. 16â— Concil Altissi cap. 10. Againe Let the people offer daylie to the Priests or at the least euerie Lords day c. And for the multiplying of Masses these goodlie Canons It is not lawfull to say two Masses vpon one Altar in one day neyther yet for any Priest to say anie the same daye vpon the Altar whereupon the Bishoppe shall haue saide one And of the not communicating of the Priestes themselues Wee will sayeth Charles That so oft as the Priest doth offer the bodie and blood of Christ so oft hee doe receiue the same c. Because sayeth the Canon manie doe otherwise as it is reported vnto vs Concil Tolet. 12. De consecr Dict. 2. c Relatum est Lib. 6. Car. c. 118. Concil Worm c. de purgand Monach. Concil Altisiod c. 12. Carol. lib. 1. cap. 161. insomuch as that there is neede that the Emperour his authoritie shoulde prouide for the same The seauenth and by this you may see how farre the abuse was now growne namelie as that if a Monke had robde
Purgatorie if of S. Roc from the plague if of S. Anthonie the Hermite it saueth cattell if of S. Sigismund it cureth the feauer if S. Anthonies of Padua it bringeth againe lost things if S. Apollines it taketh away tooth-ache if S. Lucies it cleareth the eyes if of the holy Ghost it giueth a faire husband or a beautifull wife c. And for euery one there must be obserued a particular ceremonie a set number of tapers lighted to say them vpon some certaine altars c. And would S. Paule say Paul or Apollos or Cephas were they crucified for you And is there any other death or passion auailable amongst Christians but the Lords or any other commemoration remembrance ordained in the Church but that of Christs what more Gabriel Biel saith It profiteth verie specially indifferently and very generally most specially him which saith it for it is worth eternall life to him most generally that is all the Church for all the members thereof doe participate of the same though they bee not there and yet but indifferently that is to say him for whom it is particularly said and in his greatest efficacie and highest prerogatiue Ex opere operato sine bono motu vtentis onely by the worke done being present thereat though there be neuer a good motion brought thereto by him that is present How farre then if we will belieue them is it more precious then the holy supper instituted by Christ for the worthy receiuing whereof euerie man is to proue himselfe enter into iudgement with his deeds turne ouer the booke of his conscience and foresee the wrath of God in comming vnworthily And who will find it strange that the people did cast off the holy supper for to runne to the Masse the practise whereof is so easie and yet withall so readie to bring saluation where there is nothing to do but to cast abroad the eyes without taking any due consideration of any thing or to open the eares without the vnderstanding of any thing Againe it is scarce credible how vnder the ignorance of these times it was receiued of kingdomes and commonwealthes and the Lordes supper laide aside as a manifest iudgement of God for the despising of his holy institution and casting of it far from them for from hence forwarde you heare not any thing spoken but of the founding of Masses all whatsoeuer duties belonging to the quicke or the dead are reduced into that all the whole order of priesthood hath no other occupation And whereas our Lord had said vnto all his Apostles Go and preach the Gospell vnto all nations baptise do this in remembrance of me about the yeare 1000. they beganne to ordaine and make priestes Vid. Iuellum c. 13. Synodus Selestadiensis c. 5. Synod Rom. c. 5. c. 21. q. 2. Praecipimus with these wordes Accipe potestatem Missas celebrandi sacrificium offerendi provinis mortuis take thee power and licence to celebrate Masses to offer sacrifice for the quicke and the dead yea you may see the Councels busied and bent to the keeping in of the forwardnesse of the ouerflowing streames of the same Let it not bee lawfull say they for any Masses to bee said in publique places let it not be lawfull for any moe to be said in one day in the Monasteries then one Masse yea and that by the decree of Saint Frauncis Francise in ep ad fratres Carol. l. 1. c. 25 Let it not be lawfull saith one for the Priest to say any moe then one saith an other not to say any moe then two and an other then three at the most in one day There shall not any priest be made absolutely that is to say without title or without a certaine parisp and hee shall say but one in the place of the publique assemblie On the contrarie there is now no more spoken of the Supper of the Lord in the Church the Chambermaid hath put her leg ouer her mistresses bed One Canon saith That who so shall not communicate three times a yare at the least as at the Natiuitie of Christ Easter and Whitsontide shall nor bee held for a Catholike But an other doth yet rebate of this number and saith Who so shal not communicate at the least once a yeare shall be held as excommunicate And then commeth the custome of distributing the holy bread vnto them that is a great loafe comming of the offerings in stead of the bread of the holy supper And which is worse to aduance and raise themselues in authoritie from day to day aboue the laytie first they bring in a custome that the laitie should not communicate any more with the Priest but onely three or foure of the Clearkes and afterwarde neither laitie nor Clearkes setting it downe that it was sufficient if there were one answerer whome they called Gampanarium that is he who is wont to ring the hell And finally the laitie came to be almost quite shut out from all for the Priestes euen then when they were to communicate did take from them the cuppe of the Lord and to leaue them some shadow and blind picture of the same they allow and permit them onely to wash their mouthes whereas the Lord had said Drinke ye all of this which all the church vnderstandeth to bee that All the people haue commandement to take and to drinke Now also this is the reason wherefore by degrees they came to this little bread or wafer cake vsed in the Masse For as the assemblies were great so they brought many great loaues which were cut in gobbets and distributed vnto the people and as they grew to drawe backe and to diminish in number came the decree of Clement the third that there should not be any more bread set vpon the altur then should bee necessarie and requisite for the number of the people that was to communicate And so in the end it comming to this that there did not any moe but the priest and his clearke cōmunicate yea for the most part none but the priest himselfe alone from many loaues of an ordinarie bignesse they came to one great one and from one great one to a middle sised loafe and in the end to this little one saith Durandus of the bignes of a penie denarioli And to help and salue all the whole matter Gemma animae c 36. he goeth about to pay vs with an allegorie for lacke of sound reason to make better payment withall Because saith he our Lord was solde for the like peece of money Let euerie man iudge here againe who ought to be accounted the innouator and new fangled they which woulde restore and set antiquitie in her place againe to the shouing out of these nouelties which are we or els they who would vphold and maintaine these nouelties against antiquitie and those our aduersaries doe euidently shew themselues to be And yet let vs not think that this spirit of nouelties
Christianitie by their dispearsinges and scatteringes according to the purenes and sinceritie of the Gospell did teach at this time that the Masse did retaine and hold nothing of the institution of Christ neither for the liuing nor for the dead that the consecration was not tyed to the wordes of the Canon but to the Lordes institution that the holy Supper ought to be celebrated according to that institution or else that it is no supper that all other ceremonies therein are vnprofitable and the vulgar or naturall tongue of euery people necessary for the instruction of the people c. If also the king S. Lewes although caried away with the streames of custome did exhort Henrie king of England to heare sermons taken out of the word of God rather then to frequent Masses Matth. Paris addit Because saith he the one will bee much more auaileable vnto you to saluation then the other But because we haue handled it before how that the priestes had got so much by their daies labors that they had in the end cut off and taken away the cup of the Lord from the people it concerneth vs now consequently to looke about vs and see by what proceedings they attained thereto being no change or alteration but a meere dismembring and violent rent vndertaken in so deepe a degree of presumption and performed with so high and horrible an enterprise of sacriledge CHAP. X. That the Communion vnder both kindes was practised all in the old Church SEeing for certaintie that our Lord Iesus Christ hath once said The communion vnder both kindes Take drinke ye all this is the cuppe of the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you where shall be found such a priest as dare vnder the name of the church refuse deny to giue the same vnto the faithfull and what faithfull person should he be that should not be so bold as to vrge and importune the priest if he denie the cup the blood and the saluation in the blood of our Lord shed for vs the cup of the couenant if we will not willingly bee excluded and shut out from it the cup of the new Testament if wee will not by too open and euident a contempt frustrate and make of no effect our inheritance if wee will not be blotted out of the booke of children And yet such are excommunicate as require that they may haue the communion in the blood of Christ and which do stifly hold and contend that the one halfe of the legacies bequeathed them by their Lord and Maister his last will and testament is stolne from them those are called Sacramentarie Heretickes which complaine that the Sacrament of the bloode of Christ is taken from them And it is nothing but noueltie newfanglednes and innouation to haue recourse to this will and testament whose title is so auncient and authentike or to sue by force and vertue of the couenantes and conditions contained and agreed vpon therein It is antiquitie to eiect disseise and dispossesse vs by a new ordinance which hath no ground nor foundation but meere fansies no reason but presumption an antiquitie which cannot but verie hardly and with great difficultie deriue his pedegree further then one generation But now let vs looke into the stately march and proceeding of this great abuse The holy Supper of our Lord is cut off as we haue seene close by the ground and vpon the ruines thereof is built the Romish Masse By this meanes the people hath beene frustrate of the ordinarie vse of the bodie and blood of Christ From weekes it hath beene reiourned and put off to monethes from monethes to quarters and finally from quarters to once a yeare In stead of the bread of the Eucharist there is giuen the holy bread when they go out from the Masse In stead of the cuppe of the Lord in the communion they are now vouchsafed as much as will wash their mouthes and all this from time to time couered with the glorious name of the Church And what shall wee then say if all the olde Church be cleane contrarie thereunto If of all the deformities and corruptions of the same there bee not one that is newer or later then this Let vs trace ouer therefore the ages of the worlde and the workes of the fathers for I am willingly diposed to take the paines to make it plaine vnto the readers though they might enuy me for the same and though this matter be of the nature of those whereof S. Augustine hath giuen this rule Valeat ad sui demonstrationem ipsa rei ouidentia let the euidence and clearnes of the thing it selfe deale and speake for the proofe thereof Saint Paule in the first to the Corinthians beginneth at that end 1. Cor. 11. I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue also giuen vnto you he is not so bold as these fellowes which giue cleane contrarie euen that which they haue neuer receiued and that which hee had receiued and that which he gaue that is the communion vnder both kinds Let vs vse this word kindes for the signes or Sacraments that so we may the better apply and fit our selues vnto them As oft saith he as you shal eate this bread drink this cup c. Let euerie man proue himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup c. The man saith he and not the Apostle nor the disciple nor the Priest nor the Clearke but euerie Christian for so he writeth vnto the Church of God which is in Corinth to the sanctified in Iesus Christ to them which are called Saintes Yea and vnto all them saith hee which call vppon the name of our Lord in what place soeuer they be Ignatius writing to the whole Church of Philadelpha The consent of the fathers Ignatius ad Philadelph Anno salutis 100. Iren. lib. 4. c. 32 33.34 I exhort you saith he that you vse all one faith one publike ministerie and preaching of the word and one Eucharist for there is but one flesh of Iesus Christ and one blood shed for vs one bread broken for all and one cup distributed to all He saith to all and not to the priestes onely for euen in the same epistle before these words he had made mention of the Bb. Elder Deacons and people Irenaeus ioyneth and coupleth both of them together continually The Lord hath commanded saith he vnto his disciples to offer vnto God the first fruits of his creatures the bread to be his body and the cup to be his blood c and we neuer find them seperated the one from the other in him Saint Cyprian writing vnto Cornelius the Pope Epist 2. Anno 200. How saith he doe we teach how doe we incite and stirre vp the faithfull to shedde their blood for the confession of the name of Christ if we denie vnto them his blood vnto them who haue to fight for him How shall wee fit
them for the cuppe of Martirdome if wee haue not first receiued them into the Church to drinke the cup of the Lord by the right of communicating And in an other place making mention of the historie of a Deacon which gaue the Sacrament of the wine vnto a young maid possessed of a Deuill Serm. 5. de lapsis As saith he after the solemne consecration accomplished the Deacon began to giue the cup to those that were present and that the rest hauing receiued the same it came to the young maid her turne to take it she began to turne her face away by the instinct and motion of his diuine Maiestie c. Loe here the distributing thereof vnto the laitie both men and women and not vpon speciall priuiledge but by common right for he calleth it Vis communicationis Besides that all the rest of the dispute which hee maintaineth against them that tooke nothing but water Contra Aquarios may bee brought into this purpose in as much as his scope and drift is to bring them continually to vse both kindes Gabr. Biel. lect 84. litera R. commanded in the holy Supper Whereupon Gabriel Biel saith He spake saith he according to the manner of the Church which he gouerned in which it may bee that in his time the communion was administred vnder both kindes And in like sort Ecchius De sumptione Eucharistia hom 33. Both these notwithstanding great schoolemen in our time Tertullian saith Lib. 5. aduersus Marcionem Tertul. ad vxorem lib. 2. By the Sacrament of bread and of the cup we haue proued in the Gospell the veritie of the bodie of the blood of our Lord against the fantasticall dreames of Marcion And in an other place speaking of the woman which was maried to an infidell At whose hand shall she desire vz. the sacrament of bread With whome shall she participate of the cup that is the sacrament of wine Origen neuer otherwise The faithfull saith he doe eate in the bread the bodie of Christ they drinke in the wine his blood For so said our Lord vnto his disciples Take and eate take and drinke c and he would not that either the one or the other should be reserued for the next day c. Iustinus Martyr is yet more plaine After the Pastor hath giuen thankes Iust Mart. Apol. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the blessing of all the people the Deacons gaue vnto euerie one of those that were present a piece of bread of the cup delaied with water by which is administred the Eucharist or Sacrament of Thankesgiuing likewise they left off the carrying of it vnto those which were absent And this is it which we call the Eucharist c. And this place is so much more forcible because therin is described the whole forme of the holy supper in the Primitiue church And as for S. Denis I can produce him as a witnesse in this point in his Lithurgie where he speaketh orderly of the communicating and distributing of both kinds but I let it alone for a fitter place in as much as I haue sufficiently shewed that this restraint of the cup could not be either in the first or second age In the same manner the lithurgies attributed vnto S. Iames and S. Clement besides that in this latter by name speaking of them which communicate in the bodie and blood by the distribution of the Bb. and Deacon he vseth these wordes After that let the Bishop take the Eucharist then let the Elders Deacons Subdeacons Readers Chanters and Ascets and of women the Deaconnesses maides and widowes in the end the children all the people euerie one in his order and place with reuerence and without any tumult c. The Article of the Councell of Nice which is found in the librarie of Vatican Anno 300 saith thus At this diuine table let vs not abase or bow our selues before the bread cup which are there set before vs but lifting vp our minds let vs by faith thinke and consider how that the lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the world lyeth in this table offered by the priests without being sacrificed and how that we receiuing in truth his precious bodie do belieue these things to be the signes of our resurrection This is the cause why we take not much but a little to the end that we may know that we take them not to fill vs but to sanctifie vs. Now wee cannot doubt of whom he speaketh for there the question is of all the faithfull S. Hillarie The bodie and bloud of our Lord taken and drunke doe cause vs to be in Christ Accepta hausta Hillar l. 8. de Trinit Hillar de consecrat D. 2. C. Si non and Christ in vs. These two tearmes are vsed respectiuely and haue relation to the two kinds And in another place If that a mans sinnes be not so great as that they let and hinder him from the Communion then let him not in any case seperate and keep away himselfe from the phisicke of the bodie and blood of our Lord. And as there were at this time that is to say about the yeare 340. some which would not altogether cut off the vse of the cup but giue bread dipped in wine which they called Intinctam vnder the colour Euseb l. 6. c. 44. Cyprian serm 4. de lapsis Prosper de promis c. 6.26 q. 6. C. Is in Decret Iulius Papa de Consecratione dist 2. Canon Cum omne paragr illud Anno 400. Ambr. l. 2. Offic c. 41. Ambr. l. 4. c. 6. de Sacram. l. 5. c. 3. l. 5 c 1 2.3 that in extraordinarie cases it had beene practised in the behalfe of children and those which were sicke as may be seene in the hystorie of Serapio in S. Cyprian de lapsis and in Prosper de Promis c. So Iulius the Bb. of Rome maintained the contrarie and that very roughly namely that it was against the institution of Christ against the doctrine of the Apostles Euangelists against the custom of the Church And that for to decide the controuersie there was no other course to be taken but to repaire to the head fountain of truth frō whence the mysteries of the Sacraments do proceed Where saith he hath our Lord-ordained the bread by it selfe the cup by it selfe c. And what would he say then if he should see his successors cutting the cup off altogether condemning of heresie those which demand it Or what can they aunswere vnto vs when we are able to proue against them both by authoritie as also by the very same reasons that their predecessors vsed In S. Ambrose Laurence the Deacon saith that the Bb. Sixtus had committed to him the dispensing and administring of the blood of our Lord and so in deed this was the ordinarie Office of the Deacons and he called it Consummationem Sacramentorum the accomplishing of
for the part and portion of the priest It is not so at this day but there is set before and giuen to all one and the selfe same bodie one and the same cup. The lithurgie also which they attribute to him doth so celebrate the same And when he would stirre vp the people to reuerence the sacraments he doth it alwaies by ioyning together of both kindes What manner of mouth wilt thou bring for this bread Chrysost de Eucharist Theophilact in 1. Cor. c. 11. Idem in Ioha c. 10. Idem in Ioh. c. 10. and what manner of lips for this cup and such like speeches Whereupon also Theophilact which hath made in manner an abridgement of Chrysostomes workes saith That the cup of the Lord was ordained for all equally and alike And in another place When saith he thou commest to the cup of the communion of the blood of Christ so dispose thy selfe as if thou camest to drinke of his proper cost and charges These wordes when thou commest can not be vnderstoood but of the faithfull people In the time of Leo the first about the yeare 440. The condemning of them that take but the bread Leo serm quadrag 4. Rom. 16. the communion vnder both kinds was so ordinarie and certaine as that it was the marke whereby to know the Manichees the most pernicious heretickes that were in the Church And thereupon Leo the Pope saith in a sermon They take in their vnworthie mouthes the bodie of the Lord refuse altogether to drinke the blood of our redemption which he calleth a sacrilegious hypocrisie and applyeth to the same purpose the words of S. Paul to the Romaines Beware of them that raise dissentions and offences contrarie to the doctrine which you haue learned c. What would he haue said then if the priests and Bishops had refused to administer it to the people But as euerie Processe doth intend an arrest and heresies ingender decrees so there being certaine presumptuous and superstitious priestes about the yeare 540. which were tampering to seperate the bread from the cup Pope Gelasius vttereth his iudgement De consecrat D. Can. 2. We haue heard saith he that there are some mē which hauing receiued the bodie do abstain refuse to receiue the cup of the sacred blood whom seeing superstition hath blinded them we will either wholly entirely to receiue the Sacraments or els to be wholly vtterly restrained shut out from the same because that the renting a sunder and diuiding of one and the same mysterie cannot be done or tollerated without great sacriledge Note and marke that he saith Superstition not heresie He speaketh not then of the Manichees as Leo doth but of other persons receiued into the Christian Church Again that Gelasius saith and declareth that not to receiue any more then the bodie is not to receiue the whole Sacrament but to the contrarie it is so far from receiuing the Sacrament as that it is nothing else but a notorious inwrapping of a man in sacriledge And here Gratianus his Glosse is not to be admitted that this Canon is to be vnderstood of certain priests who hauing consecrated both kinds did take but one of them neither yet the deprauing and corrupting of the same as it is done by some Chroniclers who to apply themselues to the abuses of their times say that Gelasius ordained this Canon that the priests should not consecrate the one kind without the other For here I would aske of them if they consecrate both what must bee done then with the other but if one onely must be consecrated then I would know of thē where I might find any history making mention therof But the truth is that by that Canon are condemned such superstitious persons as would receiue but the one as may well be collected out of these words Ab integris arceantur let them bee wholly put backe debarred which must needs be applyed vnto the parties receiuing and not to the parties distributing Now superstition is called of the schoolemen Cultus Dei indebitus that is when one serueth God after his owne manner not according to his commandementes Let vs adde as an ouer-measure of these first fiue hundred years S. Remigius who is called the Apostle of the French men Hincmarus Archb. of Rheimes writing a book on set purpose of him telleth vs that he neuer celebrated it otherwise For saith he these verses are yet found written vpon his cup vnto this day Hauriat hinc populas vitam de sanguine sacro Iniecto aternus quem fudit vulnere Christus Remigius reddit Domino sua vota Sacerdos S. Gregorie The further continuance thereof after the time of Gregorie the Great an 600. Gregor in ho. de Pasch De consecrat di 2. C. Quid sit Greg. Dialog l. 3. c. 36. notwithstanding that he was a great changer and alterer of religion in his time yea and in that parte thereof namely the administration of the Sacraments doth not meddle any thing with this point In the Homelie on Easter day What is it saith he that you haue not yet learned of the blood of the lambe in hearing of it as also in drinking of it which blood is then sprinckled vppon the two postes when it is drunke not onely with the mouth of the bodie but also with the mouth of the heart now hee speaketh in that place vnto all the people He sayth the same in the Homelie which beginneth Fractus longa molestia And writing to Augustine Bishop of Canterburie as also in his dialogues he reporteth how that a certaine man named Maximinian afterward Bb. of Sarragossa in Sicilia being distressed by tempest all they which were in the vessell receiued the bodie blood of our Lord after they had prayed for the peace one of another in stead whereof they vse not now a dayes to say any but drie Masses vppon the sea Ordo Romanus Micrologus But that which is more the Romish order which is held to haue beene ordained in his time doth carrie it in expresse tearmes as that the Archdeacon did distribute the cup to all them to whom the Bb. did giue the bread and the blood to those to whom the body was giuen whereby the one was called by the name of communicating and the other of confirming and that these words were vttered and spoken vnto them Corpus Domini sanguis Domins c. custodiat te ad vitam aeternam the bodie of our Lord c. the blood of our Lord c. preserue keepe thee vnto eternall life and there are by name comprised and specified the clearkes and the laitie men and women of euery condition And in deed the prayers before and after haue these wordes We beseech thee O Lord that all we which haue receiued the holy body blood of thy Son may be replenished with all grace heauenly blessing c. And the Post-communion that is the Thanksgiuing after
bee measured backe againe vnto him in the same measure which he measured out and gaue or whether in the recompence he shal be made equall to him who not in giuing of water but in shedding of his blood shal haue drunke the cup which God the father hath powred out vnto him Assuredly here is not any cup of colde water but a cup full of strong wine to make drunken a cup of pure and neat wine c. For my Lord Iesus no other hath the pure wine in his possession c. In another place Iesus Christ the night before his passion prescribed vnto his disciples the forme of this Sacrament gaue it power commanded them to doe it The prescription giuen for the forme consisteth in bread and wine Marke the order As they were yet at supper he rise from the table washed the feet of his disciples and returning to the table instituted the sacrifice of his bodie and of his bloode giuing the bread by it selfe the wine by it selfe saying of the bread Take eate this is my bodie of the wine thus drink ye all of this This is my blood c. And the same may be gathered out of diuers other places And in deed Vincent reckoneth vp one Tundatus Vincent l. 27. c. 88. a wicked man who seeing himself smitteÌ„ froÌ„ heaueÌ„ with a mortal blow required the coÌ„munion wheÌ„ he had taken the body of the Lord drunk the wine he cried O God thy mercy is greater then mine iniquitie how great soeuer it be And William Duke of Normandie hauing to giue the Danes battell in England we reade that he caused all his armie to receiue the sacrament and by name vnder both kindes But it is more then time to see by what manner of proceeding and vnder what colour the blood of Christ was cut off and taken away from the people and this will afforde vs matter inough for an other Chapter CHAP. XI How the cutting off of the cup of the Lord from the faithfull proceeded and grew and vnder what pretext and colour NOw in deed the case standeth thus that the Deuill the enemie of the blood of Christ who neuer shrinketh backe or giueth ouer did from time to time and at an inch prosecute the point of cutting off of the cup from the faithfull and which is worse vnder the shadow of deuotion For we haue seene that about the yeare 350. vnder the shadow of children and sicke folke it was laboured to bring in bread dipt in the wine which Iulius Bishop of Rome did hinder expresly opposing thereto the institution of the Lord. And againe we reade that about the yeare 950. the Monkes of the order of Clugni vnder the colour of fearing to shed the cup did institute in their conuents to deliuer bread wet in wine IntinctaÌ„ vnto their nouices though freely acknowledging that it was against the vse and order of other Churches Because say they that there are of our nouices so raw and grosse-headed as that if they did receiue the blood by it selfe they would fall into an inconuenience and this inconuenience is that which they call Periculum effusionis the daunger of shedding bred and brought vp as we shall see with transubstantiation and hath spred it selfe abroad into as many countries as the other From that time forward in a Councell held at Tours for the same consideration it was permitted to giue Intinctam breade dipt in wine vnto the sicke and that not onely in Monasteries but in Parishes and the reason thereof is added Yuo de diuinis Offic. Hildeb se Epise vocat epist 64. To the end saith he that the Priest may truely say The bodie and blood of our Lord doth profite thee vnto the remission of thy sinnes c so needfull did they alwaies iudge both the kindes to be In the end of the time of Yuo Bishop of Chartres it came to be giuen in some places vnto the whole sound But Hildebert Bb. of Mantz kept a great stirre about it findeth fault with the custome and insisteth vpon the institution of Christ vrging the same That either kind ought to be giuen by it selfe and that otherwise it is but to giue Iudas his sop and not the bodie of Christ And in deed it is cleare About the yere 1280. Hugo de Sacr. Altar that at this time the greatest and most autentike writers did speake no otherwise Hugo de Sancta Victoria saith Men receiue both the one kind and the other to signifie that this sacrament hath a double effect for it is the redemption of the bodie and of the soule which will not be sufficiently expressed and signified if it should not be receiued vnder any moe then one kind And in another place The receiuing vnder both kindes signifieth his redemption vnto him that so receiueth them and that both of bodie soule c. Now theÌ„ of which of the two wil they frustrate depriue vs Peter Lombard saith the Maister of the sentences maketh this question Lombard dist 11. l. 4. Wherefore do men receiue Iesus Christ vnder both kindes seeing bee is whole and intire in one Who answereth him with Saint Ambrose his answere vz. Because this Sacrament profiteth both bodie and soule and because that our Lorde would shew thereby that hee had taken vppon him the whole nature of man that so hee might redeeme whole man So that now alreadie there was some dreaming of a concomitancie that is an vnseperable fellowship and vnion of the flesh and blood of Christ a thing deriued and springing from transubstantiation as in deed followed to be maintained more fully afterward and yet notwithstanding this consequence did not inforce that which followed afterwarde namely That of necessitie against the expresse wordes of the institution the cuppe must be cut off from the Laitie On the contrarie Lombard l. 4. dist 11. The Eucharist dipt in wine sayeth hee must not bee giuen to people in steade of the Communion for wee reade not that the Lord hath giuen it so vnto anie of his Disciples but onelie vnto Iudas c. Gratianus the compiler and Author of the decree intreating at the same time of this matter in his Treatise Of the consecration repeateth it more then twentie times that Iesus Christ his ordinance vnto his Disciples was vnder both kindes and neuer speaketh otherwise so farre off is it that there should bee the printes and markes of the forbidding of the cuppe in his decree gathered out of all the Fathers De conse dist 2. Canon tunâ—â—is Petrus ex August de vtilitate credendi Psal 33. 35. Vide de consec dist 2. C. Comperimus C. quia passus C. Si non sunt C In Caena C. Timorem C. Quum frangit C. Quid sit Sanguis C. Sacerdotes 1. q. 1. Hymnus iste extat in Officio fest Sacram. quod S. Tho. attribuitur ea de causa co referendus est And indeede the places
whom will they haue to be their expositor S. Paul But he giueth saith he that which he hath receiued 1. Cor. 11. He giueth to the Church of Corinth both the kindes then he had receiued them for it And indeed Lyranus saieth vppon this place That is because the faithfull in the primitiue Church did communicate vnder both kinds Doe they beleeue the primitiue Church the old doctours we cannot possibly iudge better of their expounding of the word then by their practise which wee haue seene and by their condemning of them which did abstaine from the one kinde would they heare the Councels That of Constance guided as they say by the holy ghost publisheth and proclaimeth with a loude voice That although Iesus Christ haue instituted the Sacraments vnder both kinds when he gaue it to his disciples although the Primitiue Church hath so distributed it vnto the faithfull c. In briefe Iesus Christ did either speake vnto his Apostles alone or else in their persons to all the faithful or to the Priestes onely To his Apostles alone it cannot be auouched for it is written Doe yee this in remembrance of me Declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming Vnto the Priests alone vnder the names of the Apostles but what apparant shew or likelyhood is there of that For the Apostles in this action Non erant conficientes sed sumentes they did not occupie the places of Priests but of the faithfull not of Pastors but of sheepe And to take it then at the hardest Iesus Christ hauing spoken vnto them whom they call non conficientes and hauing commaunded them to take the cup it should follow that the commaundement of God doeth of necessitie charge them to communicate vnder both kindes which is directly contrarie to the Article of the Councel of Trent which saieth Clericos non conficientes non obligari ad viramque speciem c. That Clarks themselues not consecrating the host are not bound to receiue vnder both kinds It remaineth then that those wordes are spoken vnto them as being faithful and so representers of al other Christian people that is to say that Iesus Christ as the housholder and maister or Pastour of the church hath dispensed distributed the Eucharist vnto his disciples and ordained and instituted it for them which did beleeue their word that is his owne and that hee did appoint them to distribute vnto them euery one in his place that which they had receiued at his hands Gerard. Lorichius in lib. de priuata Missa abroganda And indeed Gerardus Lorichius howsoeuer he be a great patron of Transubstantiation and the Masse is ashamed of this starting hole in these words There are saith hee false and counterfeit Catholickes which make no conscience of hindering the reformation of the Church by all manner of meanes They to the end that the other kind maey not be giuen to the laitie spare not to vtter blasphemies for they say that Iesus Christ said vnto his Apostles onely Drinke yee all and therein doe nothing consider the proper words of the Canon Take eate yee all Let them now therefore I pray them tell vs if these wordes also should be intended and ment onely to the Apostles for then also the laitie must needs abstaine from the bread which would prooue an heresie and a pestilent and execrable blasphemie Wherefore we must conclude saith hee that both the one and the other word was intended and ment vnto the whole Church It is said S. Luke ch 22. Doe this in remembrance of me sooth indeed say they but this commeth onely after that the bread is distributed and therefore this commandement doeth not binde the Pastours to distribute the cup. But assuredly the Euangelist doth shew it plainly enough in the words that follow likewise also he tooke the cup c. that if these words Doe this c. haue relation to the bread that then by the same proportion they are to be vnderstood of the cup. 1. Cor. 11. But Saint Paul doth resolue vs in this difficult point for after that he hath said This is my bodie which is broken for you doe this c. he addeth thereupon This cup is the new couenant in my blood doe this euer and as oft as you shall drinke it in remembrnnce of me that is you Pastours administer the bread and the wine you that are the faithfull receiue them at their hands being the Sacraments of my bodie and my bloud manifesting my death vntill my comming And this also is the opinion of Iohn of Louaine taken out of the old writers What shall we say Luke 24. if they will not onely make vs beleeue that our Lord hath not onely not commaunded it but that he hath done the contrarie S. Luke in his 24. chapter maketh mention that our Lord after his resurrection being at table in Emaus tooke breade gaue thankes brake it and gaue it to two disciples whome hee had met withall and that then their eies were opened and that they knew him c. They would that this should be the bread of the supper administred by consequent vnder one kinde vnto his disciples The frame and scope of the historie is cleane contrarie for he had said before that they had trauailed farre that they came neere vnto a village that the night beganne to come on c. all which is as much as to say that it was time to eate and refresh themselues Esa 58.41 Lament ler. And the word of breaking of bread is ordinary amongst the Hebricians in this sence But heere againe whom shall we cleaue or giue credit vnto in this controuersie The Syrian Interpreter saith They knew and perceiued who hee was as hee broke the bread Saint Ambrose Theophilact and other old writers in their commentaries at large make mention of no such thing Hugo The bread that is the word of God which the Pastour must blesse by praier breake by expounding of it giue vnto the hearers by preaching of it c. Lyranus They seeing him breake it saith hee as smooth and eauen as if he had a knife according as he was wont before his passion that is whiles he abode with them And the Cardinall Caietanus in like sorte and Dionysius Carthusianus vpon this place Caietanus in Luc. Dionysius Carthus Gulielm Widef contra Wicklef Alph. de Castro lib. 6. August de consensu Euangel l. 3. Not as in the supper but according to the ordinarie manner of blessing of meat And the great Postill as he was ordinarily wont before his passion Gulielmus Widefordensis writing against Wickliffe goeth further It cannot be gathered saieth he neither from the text nor from the glose nor from the olde Doctours that the breaking of bread spoken of by Saint Luke was the breaking of consecrated bread And Alphonsus de Castro would not define or say any thing thereof by way of expounding of the same And indeed the Councels of
the worlde did sound therein Euseb lib. 2. c. 16. 17. in the doctrine of the Gospell For whereas Eusebius would applie vnto Christians that which Philo saith in the treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had at that time sacred or consecrate houses which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best learned do vnderstand acknowledge that he speaketh there of those religious Monkish Iewes which were called Essei for that he saith that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding vnto their name De praeparat e. uang l. 8. c. 4. and Eusebius himselfe in another place doth expound it of them Those which haue written after him as Sozomenus Epiphanius Nicephorus c. as they followed his steps so they stumbled at the same stone And that which Onuphrius saith that Anacletus the first in the life time of S. Peter did build the temple of Laterane at Rome is verie fond and friuolous And in deed the first Christians were without temples for certaine ages That there were no churches at the beginning Orig. contr Celsum l. 8. Minutius in Octauio Euseb l. 9. c. 10. Tertul. cont Valentinian Onuph in appendice Platin. Euseb l. 7. c. 9. Euseb l. 9. c. 42. which appeareth by Origen and Arnobius who were reproched by the Painims for that the Christians had not any As also by Eusebius who saith that the places wherein they prayed were caues and dennes as hauing made them places for to pray in whereas on the contrarie our Sauiour Christ reproueth and reprocheth the Pharisies for that of the places of praiers they had made dennes for theeues Tertullian sheweth vs that in his time they had no where to assemble and come together but in simple and silly houses where he saith The house of our doue is but a simple one scituate in high places daily inuaded and beset This was about the yeare 200. their first publike assemblies were in the places where they vsed to burie the Martyrs So wee reade that in the time of Valerian Aemilianus gouern or of Egypt defendeth the exercise of religion in the Christians of Alexandria by these words You are vnthankefull for the mildnes and lenitie of the Emperors c. you are not like to hold and inioy your Synodes and assemblies in the places of buriall of your Martyrs any longer And it is said of Galerius That hee may spoile vs and bring vs to nothing he will take away from vs the libertie of our assemblies in the places of the buriall of our Martyrs Euseb l. 6 c. 3. But contrariwise of Galienus That he restored them the places of the buriall of their Martyrs to the end that they might celebrate the diuine seruice that is saith Onuphrius baptisings the holy Supper and sermons c. But in time they began to build and erect certaine slight manner of buildings to defend them against the iniuries of the weather and them they called frames And this is attributed to Fabianus a Bishop of Rome and a Martyr by Damasus And hereby is seene the impudencie of those men which haue imagined and deuised these goodly legendes wherein is reported that Sauinian did build a temple vnto Saint Peter in his life time and Alexander the first another which hee called Advincula And Hyginus ordained that temples should not be dedicated without Masse that the stuffe brought into the place to build withall should not be conuerted vnto profane vses c. All such as liued in the heat and raging times of persecution being more busie to build the Church by their death then by any such monuments which might be the remembrauncers of their life After the yeare 200. at certaine spaces of time which fell out calme they assembled more freely and builded more solide and substantiall places of praier and that in Citties in the time of Alexander Seuerus Gordianus Euseb l. 8. c. 1. 2 Philippus Aemilianus Marcus Aurelius c. Whereupon Eusebius crieth out Who shal be able to describe vnto vs these goodly assemblies in euerie citie this great concourse of people vnto the places of praier which are so far inlarged and made much bigger then the old But within a short while after they were seene pulled downe again and ouerthrowne by Dioclesian The beginning of Temples in so much as that their foundations therewithal were razed and in this ruinous vnprouided estate they continued till it pleased God to raise vp Constantine who did not onely command that they should be built againe with all diligence but himselfe began to erect build them in most sumptuous and costly manner going on from necessitie to vtilitie and profit and from profitablenes to wast superfluitie conuerting and turning by little little in the great famous cities the temples that had beene dedicated vnto idolles vnto the vse of Christians the like did his successors according to his example And from that time forward we find the Bbs. of Rome more careful industrious to build churches as they call thē then the Church it selfe the Doctors on the contrarie calling vpon them that rather to the praise of God through the beauty and brightnes of the same they wold labor for the true ornaments of the Church Lactantius the Maister of Constantine saith It behooueth not to build such sumptuous temples vnto God but it behooueth euery man to consecrate his breast vnto him to retire and betake himselfe into the same therein to fall downe worship And Chrysostome Wouldest thou build a house to God giue vnto the poore faithfull ones to sustaine their liues withall and then thou hast built him a reasonable house Chrysost in Matth. The Martyrs take no delight or pleasure in it to be so honoured with thy siluer when the poore in the meane while do mourne and weepe But Ierome more then any other Hieronym ad Demetriad howsoeuer ordinarily too much giuen to outward decking and trimming Let others saith he speaking to Demetrias build Churches parget the walles with marble rough-cast let them gilde the heades of these huge pillars which do nothing at all perceiue their beautifying c. I speake not against it but it behooueth thee greatly to haue some other drift and purpose and what must that bee To cloath and couer saith he Iesus Christ in his poore to visite him in those that languish to feed him in the hungrie to barbour him in those that haue no house or roofe to lie vnder but especially in those which are of the houshold of faith c. Meaning by these speeches that Christian charitie proueth a far better lodging and house then all these goodly and stately buildings And vppon Aggee Hieronym in Aggeum Wouldest thou know what I meane by the money wherewith the temple of God is to be garnished verily the words of the holy scripture whereof it is written The words of the Lord are pure words they are as siluer purified in the
but as monuments and remembrances in the nature of histories by the keeping out of Images so consequently and in the next course wee shall see how by little and little it was brought in by the carelesse negligence of their successors and vnder their receiuing and admitting of the same which Sathan deuised to be by a gentle kind of secrete creeping from priuate houses to publike houses from a prophane historicall vse to the abuse of worship adoration and that altogether vpon meere deuotion Chrysost invita S. Meletri Niceph. l. 12. c. 14. We reade of Meletius of Antiochia who died in the second Oecumenicall Councell that he left behind him such a desire in the people to haue him as that euerie man was willing to haue his picture vpon his walles vessell ringes c. This came partly of too much curiositie partly of the seeking of humaine comfort In as much also as there were celebrated and solemnely kept the yearely memorials of the most famous Martyrs as namely the Panegyricks in their praise and commendation the day of their martyrdome thereby to kindle the zeale of the Christians that they might bee the more constant in holding out after their example It was to be seene that in certaine temples histories containing such matter were painted the better to reuiue and keepe aliue what memorie might let slip and fall away As that of Martyr Barlaam in S. Basill Basilius in orat de Barlaam saying Better painted vpon the wall then described in his oration and speech and that of Theodorus in Gregorius Nissenus saying Where the Mason hath polished the stone as if it had beene siluer and where the painter hath not spared any thing of his arte c. And lastly the histories of the old and new testament vpon the walles of the temple of Nola which Pontius Paulinus about the yeare 430. caused to be painted for to keepe occupied with the consideration of those tablets those that came to the feast which was made in the honour of S. Felix the Martyr who otherwise as saith Trithemius suffered themselues to be carried away and wholly giuen to their wine and good cheare But how farre off is all this from worshipping and adoring of them There is one onely place alleadged against vs vnder the name of Saint Basill wherewith they go about to dazell the eyes of the world I honour saith hee the images of the Apostles and I honour them publiquely for they haue left vs the same by tradition and therefore it is not to be gainsaid or forbidden and thereupon also we erect and set vp in all our Churches their memorialles and histories But vpon their owne consciences let them speake if euer they haue found any such word in all S. Basill his workes and in deed what likelihood is there thereof that he should at the same time call that an Apostolicall tradition which Epiphanius holdeth to be a Diuelish inuention And further how can this word Adoration stand and agree with his time which was heard but little spoken of for many ages after yea in the most idolatrous and which is as yet to this daye dissembled and caried onely vnder hand Concil Nic. 2. And in deede this is onely the allegation of Pope Adrian the first writing to the Empresse Irene from the second Councell of Nice 400. yeares after S. Basill his time and when as the power and heat of Images did most furiously rage Now Images were scarse any sooner receiued into the Churches Temples The beginning of the worshipping of images then that the people which had lately left and cast off their paganisme thinking to haue found in those of the Apostles and Saints that which they had lost in their images of their owne Gods began at their pleasure to yeeld them the very same honor And this abuse was spread and propagated in diuers places diuersly according to the ignorance or capacitie negligence or diligence of the Bishops but still so as that it gayned in all mens sight great and large countries at that time when barbarousnesse had ouerrunned the whole Romaine Empire by the inuasion of such infinite multitudes of fierce and barbarouse nations and that in such sort as that being once admitted and receiued there was not any meanes left to cast them out againe the most part of the Bishops thinking they had done sufficient seruice in letting the worshipping of them But how much more prouident were they that had vtterly cast them out And how much more wisely had they dealt if they had taken heed to S. Augustine his admonition August in psal 113. That they are more mighty to deceiue soules in as much as they haue eyes then to reforme and amend them in as much as these their eies see not at all Therefore Serenus Bishop of Marseillis in the time of S. Gregorie Oppositions withstandings of the worshipping of Images about the yeare 600. was offended that his people did worship them he is moued with a holy zeale according to the example of king Ezechias and breaketh them Alphonsus of Castres reckoneth him amongst the heretickes for doing so Bellarmin notwithstanding saith that he did him iniurie therein Gregor l. 7. Epist 109. But what saith the foresaid Pope Gregorie vnto him notwithstanding that for the most part he was the father of all the superstitions wherewith the Church was corrupted It hath beene giuen vs to vnderstand that your brotherhood seeing certain adorations of images hath broken cast thē out And certainly we haue commended your zeale in that you would not suffer that any of all the thinges that are wrought by the hand of man should be worshipped Ne quid manufactum Gregor l. 9. Ep. 9. but therewithall likewise we iudge that you ought not to haue broken them which thing he speaketh of more at large in an Epistle to Serenus And addeth afterward It is one thing to adore a picture another to conceiue and apprehend by the picture that which is to be worshipped for the picture is for idiots that which is written for them which can reade Hee did not not then acknowledge them for any other thing then remembrances and stories and thereby doubtlesse in great daunger to haue beene condemned of heresie if he had beene at Trent And in the end to hold the mid way he saith It is needfull and requisite that thou shouldest call the children of the church that is those of thy diocesse and that thou let them see vnderstand by the testimony of the scripture that it is not lawfull to adore or worship any of the workes of mens hands because it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him onely shalt thou serue And that thou shouldest after this then signifie vnto them that thou wast offended with them for that they had abused themselues by adoring worshipping of such pictures as were not made but only to teach the histories
spoken in the scriptures but of the fruite of the wine shewing thereby how much dearer their owne inuentions bee vnto them then the institution of our Lorde in asmuch as they haue made the wine of the holie supper according to their doctrine to bee superfluous hee hauing by his institution made it necessarie and the water on the contrarie which is of their owne inuention necessarie which the institution of our Lord hath left indifferent It is certaine that the Churches of Armenia vnto the time of the Councell of Ferrara which was vnder Eugenius the fourth did not vse any thing but onelie pure wine and yet were neuer excommunicated therefore and as yet to this day they doe not obey vnto that which they were made subscribe vnto in the Councell And the Abyssines stand so strictlie vpon the point as that they wold neuer consent that the daughter of their Prince should bee married to any that receiued the Communion without the wine And as for the Grecians Durandus Scotus and Innocentius doe saye that in their time for the most part they did the like howbeit that in the Lithurgies which we can come by Niceph. l. 8. c. 54. Concil Aurel. 4. c. 4. it is mingled and delaied and that with warme water which thing sayth Cabasilas is That it may represent the blood the more fullie so deepely is the spirite and minde of man tickled and delighted with his owne inuentions And as for the Churches of the Latines the Councel of Orleance forbiddeth to offer wine delaied with water adding the reason thereto Because it is sacriledge to offer anie other thing then what our Sauiour hath instituted Conc. Worm c. 4. Concil Tiburt c. 19. C. Sicut D. 2. de Consecr ibi gl Thom. 3. part q. 74 art 7. q. 8◠art 6. ad 4. Sentent D. 11. q 2. art 4. in 1. Cor. c. 11. Iohan. Scot. D. 11. q. 6 l. 4. Sentent Innocent◠de Offic Miss Bonauent D. 11. q. 3. Richard D. ead art 3. Vessels Hieronym ad Rusticum And this was in the time of King Childebert when as Pelagius liued that is before S. Gregorie The Councell of Wormes more then 200. yeares after ordained the contrarie after which followed the Councell of Tiuoli or Tibur a Citie of the Sabines wherein it was ordained that there should be one third part of water put to two third partes of wine And these differences may at the least suffice to shew the indifferentnesse But the Glosse of the decree saith that this is De honestate tantum onely in regard of honestie And Thomas that this is not fetcht or deriued from the Gospell but that it hath some apparant shew for it selfe as that by reason of the strength of the wine it is delaied in some countries And Hales Scotus and Bonauentura say It hath no hold or warrant in the scriptures And Richardus Non de necessitate sed de congruitate not for any necessitie but for seemelines And thereupon it followeth that the councell of Trent doth excommunicate and cut off from saluation as farre as lyeth in it for fantasies and things nothing making vnto saluation That more is that this mingling of wine and water is not any whit significatiue or respecting the misteries which are therein sought and searched for but growing onely eyther of the custome of the countrie or of some apparant seemelinesse Now the bread prouided and prepared for the holy Supper was carried either in a linnen cloth or in a small chest as we reade in S. Ierome and set vpon the holy table couered with some table napkin for to keep it cleane without any other ceremony Men and women did touch it without any superstitious scrupulousnes according as they brought their offeringes yea and after the blessing or consecrating of it It was distributed vnto the faithfull not into their mouthes as we haue seene it but into their owne hands And as for the wine it was carried as we reade in the same S. Ierome in vessels of all sorts euen of glasse notwithstanding the daunger of breaking of them yea and sometimes it was sent in that sort in signe of vnitie and agreement from one to another Vaine curious superstition came in afterward first forbidding women and then afterward men also to touch either the linnen clothes Concil Altisiodor c. 36.37 wherein the bread was wrapped or els the cups Transubstantiation was set at a higher price and rate then all the rest for in respect therof the cups must be halowed as also the patines of the same with vnctions and wordes expresly vttered because of it all the instruments and vessels of this sacrament were turned into Sacraments the Altar stone was called the sepulcher or graue and the linnens the shroude wherein the bodie of our Lord was inwrapped that from thenceforth the cuppes should be of mettal that siluer not any longer of glasse Things which antiquity more regarding the things thē their signs did neuer so much as once dreame of because that she could neuer once bethinke her self or conceiue any thing of this monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation the fountaine and welspring of so many and so foolish vanities And in deed whereas the Primitiue and ancient church had care according to the admonition of S. Paul that the faithfull the proper vessels of the body and bloud of our Lord shold receiue thē worthily we see the councels after these times to conuert and turne all this zeale all this care from the spirit to the flesh from spirituall temples to materiall ones from the vessels of God elect vnto saluation to the implements instruments onely which they vsed in the administration hereof Witnes hereto let be the Councell of Rhemes held about this time Concil Rhemens as the decrees thereof which are extant do shew Let the cups or chalices be if not of gold yet at the least of siluer and let the people be exhorted to contribute thereunto as for the tabernacle in the time of Moyses not of copper neither of brasse for feare they should prouoke men to vomit the wine being apt to make them rust but in any case neither of wood nor glasse Let the clothes wherein it is wrapped be a verie faire and cleane linnen cloth After the Masse let them be put into a booke of the Sacraments and before they be deliuered to be scoured and washed cleane with lee let them be washed in the Church by the Priest Deacon or Subdeacon because saith he that they be spotted stained with the blood of our Lord. Conc. Colon. c. 7. We reade the same and something worse in a Councell held at Collen about the yeare 1300. Let the prieste smell diligently the little pots that he may know the water from the wine by the smell therof and then let him so marke them as that he may know afterward the one frō the other not be deceiued let the cup haue a
seruice were in Latine it was vulgar if it were not vulgar then had Isidore Archbishop of Seuill said in vaine Isidor de eccle Offi. c. 10. That when there is singing in the church it behoueth euery man to sing and when there is praying that euerie man doe pray for what edge or quickning to the spirit can the singing of a Psalme or the making of a praier that is not vnderstood affoord bring And so of England the language of their Iland was peculiar to themselues and no Latine amongst them saue what the Romain Colonies did speake They will haue it that Christian religion was established there in the time of Ioseph of Aremathia howbeit Chrysostome saith that it was about his time And yet neuerthelesse S. Gregory saith that in his time the tong of the ancient inhabitants of great Britaine called at this day England Gregor in Iob. c. 27. had no better a sound then a barbarum frendere a rude and barbarous kind of grunting and how then could the Latine seruice be found there But the truth is as certaine English Iesuits do confesse that S. Augustine the Monke sent by Gregorie did there chaunge and alter both the forme and tongue wherein they had before celebrated their seruice for they could not fetch or deriue the antiquitie of their religion any further off They say it cannot at the least be denyed but that the Latine seruice was vsed in the Churches of Africke then let vs adde thereto that the Latine tongue was also common there amongst the rascall and poorer sorte of people This appeareth for the sermons of Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine Bbs. of Africke were made in the Latine tongue Now wee are of the same iudgement with our aduersaries that sermons euer were so ought to be made for the instruction of the people in the common vulgar tong because say they that properly they are to be applyed and fitted for the capacitie of the people praiers directed vnto God But in another place S. Augustine saith that being borne in the Citie of Tagusta in Africa Idem l. 1. retract c. 10. he had learned the Latine tong Inter blandimenta nutricum by means of the sporting pleasing speeches which are currant amongst cockering nurses that is in his swathing clothes or whiles he was very young tender whereby it appeareth that nurses had the knowledge of it Againe he saith To the end that euen the most simple and ignorant may see perceiue that it is of purpose because of the Donatists I haue turned a psalme into Latine that it may the better remaine with them be remembred Hence is proued that it was common to the basest and coursest kind of people And for as much as that the people there did not speake good congruitie S. Augustine applyeth himself vnto their Solaecismes Idem in psal 118. saying ossum for os and sometimes taking one case for another saying Because it is far better that the Grāmarians should reproue vs thē that the people should not vnderstand vs. In a word he saith This is a Prouerbe amongst the Carthaginers I wil tel it you in latine in asmuch as you al do not vnderstand conceiue the Punicktong Hence it followeth that the Latine tong was better knowne in Afrike then the Punicke it selfe But will you further see that whereas the knowledge of this tongue was wanting in this country there they did not tie themselues to haue their seruice in it Throughout all Sclauonia they had their seruice in the Dalmatian tong Ecchius de Missa Latina S. Ierome likewise did translate it into their tong and our aduersaries are of iudgement that it is still so obserued there vnto this day In this part of Italie likewise called great Greece ouer against Sicilia it is said in Greeke because the Greeke tong was there vulgar and common In Germany to the cōming in of the pretended reformation of Boniface that is to say vntil after the yeare 800. Walasr c. 7. it was obserued after the like maner order in so much as that Walafridus the Abbot saith that euen in his time the Northern countries had their seruice in the Germaine tong Aeneas Sylu. histor Bohem. c. 13. And Aeneas Syluius after the time of Pope Pius the 2. reporteth after many others that as Cyril Methodius were conuerted to the Christian faith certain people speaking the Sclauonian tongue were come to intreate the Pope about the yeare 800. that it might be permitted them to haue their seruice in their vulgar tong whereupon the Consistorie being gathered together and standing doubtfull what to do therein there was heard a voice as it were from heauen in these words Omnis spiritus landet Dominum omnis lingua confiteatur ei let euery spirit praise the Lord let euery tongue confesse acknowledge him And in deed whatsoeuer our aduersaries do alleadge against this as done is more then 600. yeares after the death of our Lord that is to say all that which they alleadge after the time that the Popes for to establish their authority did vndertake as we haue said in another place to impose and thrust the set forme of the Romish seruice vpon all nations abolishing others as theirs came in place that in their Romaine language for so of this exploit some attribute the first attempt onset to Pope Vitalian about the yeare 700. Now this old custome of the Church is to be compared ioyned with those goodly Maxims generall rules of the ancient Doctors S. Augustine saith August in psal 18. Basil in ps 28. Let vs be well aduised looke that we take hold with a cleare inlightned heare of that which we sing with one consent of voice And Basil conformablie Let the tong sing but let the hart vnderstanding at the same time sound and reach the sence meaning of that which is sung Cassiodor in psal 46. And Cassiodorus Let vs look that the vnderstanding of the thing be ioyned with the singing of it for nothing can be done wisely without the vnderstanding of it Which things cannot concurre go together after the rules and practise of popish doctrines And Iustinian the Emperor for to remedie such abuses tooke the matter in hand about the time that the Pope laboured with might maine to bring them in in these words saying We will and command that the Bbs. and Pastors do celebrate the oblation and praiers in baptisme with a loude voice Iustin Nouel de diuers eccl c. 123. such as may be vnderstood of the people to the end they may be stirred vp to greater deuotion to praise God c. alleadging for the confirmatiō of his constitution the places of S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. menacing roughly thundring out against thē the iudgements of God if they shold do to the contrary And wheras they answer that this constitution was not
the pronouncing and vttering of the principall part thereof according to their construction which is that which containeth the consecration to bee done secretlie and closelie thereuppon they call it a secret and that of purpose in such sort as that neither the wordes nor the sound thereof can be vnderstoode of the people learning the same of the Pagans who vnder the muttering of certaine strange and vnknowne wordes concealed and priuilie couered their mysteries Whereas the glorie of our Maister is to publish and make open proclamation of his this great secret especiall which hath laine hid from before all worldes of the saluation purchased for mankinde by the blood of his Sonne whereof he saith vnto his Apostles Preach my Gospell this good tidings vnto all creatures which by name hee would haue published and repeated at all times in his holy Supper instituted of purpose for this end in these wordes You shall shew forth the death of the Lord vnto his comming But what meaneth this shewing forth but to vtter and speake it so lowde as that it may bee heard and so plainely as that it may be vnderstood And what then is there more contrarie to the institutiō of the holy supper of our Lord and to the renewing of the remembrance of his death passion in the Church then this pretended mysterie this strange and vnwonted kind of muttering and whispering Concil Coloniens yea and yet furthermore the Councell of Colen about the yeare 1300. hath added That the Priest must hasten as fast as he can in the saying of the Canon for feare of being interrupted by some hicket yexing neesing or otherwise as if it were the propertie of our God to take vs at a word or at a halfe sillable or as if this mysterie depended and had his whole force vpon the bare pronunciation after the manner of the conceiued words of the Pagans their sacrifices whereas indeed our God worketh therein by his holy spirite which cannot be interrupted and looketh therein at the faith as wee shall see afterwarde and yet so as that hee examineth and tryeth the same in great mercie of him who presenteth himselfe vnto this holy Table But let vs heare notwithstanding what the Fathers will say vnto vs. Saint Paule will that the people should bee able to aunswere Amen which they cannot doe as wee haue already seene except they vnderstand and yet a great deale lesse if they do not heare So also it was obserued and noted by all the auncient Writers Clemens Constit Apost l. 8 Their Clement whom they so much alledge vnto vs testifieth aswell in his Lithurgie as in his Apostolike cōstitutions that after the vttering of the wordes which they call the wordes of consecration that is of the institution of the holy supper the people saide Amen a signe that they heard and vnderstoode them Seeing then that the Apostles had so ordained Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 5. by whome and by what authoritie is this change and alteration S. Denys sayeth of one who had beene baptised by the Heretikes That hee heard the Eucharist and saide Amen together with the rest S. Ambrose sayeth And after these wordes thou sayest Amen August in Psa 33. Cardinal Bess de Sacrament Euchar. that is it is true S. Augustine Our brethren likewise do celebrate the Sacraments aunswere the same Amen S. Basil S. Chrisostome and all the Greeke Churches do the same to this day in their Lithurgies whereupon also the Cardinall Bessarion sayeth The Priest according to the order of the East Church vttereth with a lowd voice these words This is my bodie c. And Iustinian the Emperour in his new constitution before alleadged commaundeth the same vpon paine of grieuous punishment adding therto the threatning of Gods iudgements grounding the same vpon the precept of Saint Paule and rendring this reason thereof saying To the end they may bee the better vnderstoode of the faithfull people and that the heartes of the hearers may bee so much the more pricked with repentance as also moued and stirred vp so much the more to praise God And all are of that minde that in the Primitiue Church it was neuer practised otherwise Where then will these our aduersaries grounde this their newe deuise Gab. Biel. in Exposit Can. l. 15. Lit. D. And of what time by what Scripture Tradition or Councell They say we must haue a reuerent regard of the Sacrament And our Lord will say vnto them who hath taught you this pretended reuerence Who hath required this honour at your hands And that S. Basill sayeth That contempt is companion vnto that which is common From whence Innocent the third doth ground his speech Ne sancta verba vilescerent Laicis nota for feare that these words being vnderstoode should become vile But why doe they not rather say with Moses Would to God they had all prophesied with S. Paul Labour aboue all thinges that you may prophesie that is that you may vnderstand your selues and make others to vnderstand But and if S. Basil would haue stretched this rule to this Sacrament and to this kinde of pronunciation wherefore hath hee left vs a contrarie example And why doe wee not as quicklie call to minde the saying of Lactantius Lactanc l. 5. c. 20. That these mutteringes so greatlie recommended haue beene deuised and ordained by wilie and crafty Marchantes to the end that the people might not vnderstand what they worshipped Concil Laod. c. 19. They are not ashamed to alledge the Councell of Laodicea but yet so as that they will not seeme to know that there is any thing spoken of the Canon nor of the consecration made by the Priest but rather of the first praier of the seruice of the faithfull which euery one of them being exhorted therunto by him made vnto God with a lowe voice praying him that it would please him to blesse this holie action and ministerie the steppes and printes whereof are yet to be seene in the Lithurgies In the ende when they can say no more they flie vnto miracles as that certaine shepheardes who had learned these wordes by heart did abuse them in saying them ouer their breade for which they were presentlie punished of God and from thence forward the church ordained that these words should not be spoken otherwise then in secret But where may wee read this historie Where is the councell or decree that followed vppon this so euident and important a miracle And what other thing do they herein but oppose set a tale made for sport and in a word the whole shepheardes Calender against the institution of Christ the vse and custome of the whole Church the constitutions of Emperours and the testimonie of all the Fathers Yea and therewithall our aduersaries are not ashamed at this day to say that who so doth vse them otherwise Harding doth fulfill the saying of our Lord In giuing pearles vnto swine and casting
condemned the Epistle of S. Vlrich vnto Pope Nicholas the first concerning the marriage of Priestes as also the chapter in Paphnutius intreating of the same matter But the effect fell out to bee that vntill the time of Pope Gregorie the seauenth that is 200. yeares after the forced single life was not admitted and allowed in Germanie insomuch as that the Canons of the Bishopricke of Auspurge were married yea and the Monkes themselues of the famous Abbye of Fulda about the yeare 950. Bruschius in the time of the Abbot Hadamarius whereupon it holdeth and continueth as yet in many Nunries in Germany and in the Low-countries that the inferiour Nuns do take vnto them husbands when they find an honest man but not the Abbesse or chiefe of the Sisters The former reasons being found too weake to giue heade and entrance vnto the forced single life New reasons for the establishing of the forced single life Pet. Damian in Ep ad Petr. Lateranensem Anselm in Ep. ad Heb. 7. After the yeare 1000. the doctrine of Transubstantiation as one deceipt doth further and helpe forward an other as it grew strong and of authoritie did furnish them with new store Euen as say they our Lord would be conceiued in the wombe of a virgin so would hee bee receiued at the Altar with impolluted and virgins hands And from hence Petrus Damianus and Anselmus doe conclude that Bishoppes Priestes Deacons cannot in any wise bee married and that this sacrament cannot bee administred by married persons And what shall then become and what can our aduersaries annswere in this point of so many holy Bishoppes and Priestes that were married who haue administred the same in that estate and to all those faithfull people which haue receiued the same sacrament at their handes shall the sacrament haue beene vnto them in all nations and for so manie ages an abhomination and notorious sacriledge As therefore their reasons seemed to grow stronger so likewise they added more force vnto their Canons and fiercenes to the execution of the same Leo the ninth a Germaine by nation helde a Synode at Mentz the Emperour being there present to ratifie the execution of his Decree Nicetas de coniugio Sacerdotum with 40. other Bbs. but therein he mended his matter nothing at all for at that time one Nicetas surnamed Pectoratus a Grecian Abbot but resident and ruling in the West Church made heade against him saying That that was not the doctrine of the Apostles neither yet anie of their Traditions and that if it had been any of the Apostles their Traditions that then it had behoued Pope Agatho to haue alleadged it in the sixt generall Councell where this Edict was so solemnly discoursed and debated and sentence giuen against the forced single life and notwithstanding he rested satisfied in the same as we shall see hereafter in further processe as knowing in his conscience that these were base begotten Traditions deuised and surmised Canons proceeding from the spirite of error Humber cont Nicetam spoken of before by the Apostle c. And Pope Nicholas the second who succeeded Leo caused an aunswere to bee shaped by one Cardinall Humberte Bishoppe of Sylua Candida who in this his aunswere cast in his teeth that to maintaine the marriage of Priestes is the heresie of the Nicolaitanes and he goeth about to proue it out of Epiphanius deuising a place that is not there to bee founde neither anie thing comming neare vnto it whereas wee haue shewed indeed out of the verie same Epiphanius that Nicholas beganne the error of single life superstitiously deuorcing himselfe from his wife hee did also corrupt and depraue the Can on of the Apostles That a Bb. Priest or Deacon should not forsake leaue his wife vnder the colour of religion adding thereto these wordes as concerning to make prouision for her food and apparrell and not otherwise And in the end he groweth to presume that by his sole authoritie hee may cut the throat of Nicetas his reasons the same Pope Nicholas did likewise commaund Petrus Damianus Bb. of Hostia to aunswere Nicetas whose book pincht him at the heart and that so much the more because that Auxentius Bb. of Millaine did holde with Nicetas his opinion And then it was that Petrus Damianus found out this new reason That our Lord conceiued of a virgin could not be receiued or handled but with chaste and virgins hands c. But Gregorie the seauenth called Hildebrand about the yeare 1074. the whole seruice of the Church being almost turned at that time to a onelie hearing or seeing of Masse by reason of the ignorance which had seazed vpon all Christian people in the end frameth and squareth out a Decree by which he forbiddeth al vnder paine of excommunication to heare Masse of such as were married or to paye them any Tenthes Vincent l. 26. c 146. and he caused the same to passe in a Synode at Rome By a new example saieth Vincentius and by a preiudicate vnaduisednes contrarie to the Decrees and sentences of the holy Fathers c. And this Decree seemed to carrie the execution of the same alwaies about it insomuch as that the people which could not liue without Masses tyed their priests to abstaine from marriage except they would be willing to loose their Tenthes which were due vnto them But here it was that the great conflictes and contentions began in Germanie for Hildebrand commaunded all Bishoppes that they should cause his Decree to bee obeyed in these pointes Epist Hildebr ad Constantiens Naucl. 1. 2. p. 140. Auent p 603. Cranâ—ius in Metropol That the married Clearkes shoulde forsake their wiues that the vnmarried should not take anie that none should be admitted to the Priesthoode who had not bound himselfe to leade a single life that the Masses of the married were as an infectious plague vnto them c. whereas wee haue shewed in the Epistle of S. Vlrich that this vow was free euen in his time But Otho Bishoppe of Constance and Rathold Bishoppe of Strausbourg did alledge the scriptures against him as also the auncient custome of the Germane Church against whome hee bestirreth himselfe to cause them of their Diocesse to rise vp in a mutinie as appeareth by his letters to theÌ„ of Constance And not contented therewith hee summoneth Princes and Princesses Ep. Gregor ad Constantiens Clearks and Laitie to put to their helping hand he forbiddeth them all manner of conuersation and all manner of speech with married Priestes vpon paine of the most extreame censures Auent 564. Fasciculus rerum sciendar impress Colon 1553. and vpon paine to be accounted heretikes of the sect of the Nicolaitans c. absolueth the subiectes from the rule and gouernment of their Princes the Diocesians and Parishioners from the obedience of their Bishoppes and Curates he apprehendeth and layeth hold vpon the Emperour Henrie the fourth his own person And as his
predecessors in the matter of Images had made their market by driuing their Emperours out of the East and out of Italie so this man preuailed by controuersie and pluckt the Empire from Germany or at the least did so loppe and clip it as that it retained not so much as the shadowe of his auncient Monarchie This controuersie notwithstanding being debated in diuerse Synodes at Millaine Lamb. Schasnaburgens Nauclerus at Mentz and at Erphord supported by the Archbishoppe of Mentz and furthered to the vttermost by the Pope was notwithstanding gainsayed both by all the Bbs. as also by all the Cleargie opposing and setting against the Pope his Canons the plaine and euident textes of scripture as the Chroniclers themselues of the same time do declare and had no other end saue that the Archbishoppe did well see and perceiue that the whole Cleargie of Germany was resolued rather to forsake their charges thē their wiues and which is more tooke vpon himselfe to become the executioner of so notorious a tyrannie in his own proper person letting passe all further conference with the Pope about the matter In the meane time in the yeare 1076. there was a Councell held at Wormes Auentinus where were present all the Bishoppes both of Germany and of France and therein Gregory the seauenth is condemned and deposed by the common consent of them all Adulberon the Bb. of Wirtzbourg and Herman the Bb. of Mets only excepted Amongst other causes this was noted for one Hee separateth husbands from their wiues he preferreth whores and strumpets to lawfull wiues fornications adulteries and incests to lawful marriages he stirreth vppe the common people against the ecclesiasticall persons and the ecclesiasticall persons against the common people Sabellie c. And this Decree was signed by the Bb. of Mentz who was chiefe President in the same as also by the Bishoppes of Treues of Vtrecht of Mets of Luques of Verdune Thoul Spire Halberstat Strasbourg Basile Constance Wirtz bourg Bamberg Ratisbona Brichsen Eichstat Munster Hildescheim Minde Osnabourg Naumbourg Padeburne Brandenbourg Lausanna and Vienna vppon Roan as also subscribed shortly after by the Bishops of Italie assembled in the Synode of Pauie Whereupon Pope Gregorie enraged more and more stirred vppe the Monkes against the Priestes the subiectes against the princes Auent p. 564. and the Princes against the Emperour Neuer was the sillie flocke of Christ sayeth Auentinus afflicted with so cruell a sedition as was this which sprung of the forbidding of the Priestes to marrie All diuine and humane thinges were turned topsie turuie euen to the pilling and spoiling of the Temples to the trampling and treading in the myre of the hostes that were consecrate by married Priestes If anie Bbs. would not admit them Priestes without the vow the people that had elected and chosen them did not let to cause them to exercise their charges to administer the sacramentes c. The Priestes on the other side did openlie preach and auouch that Hildebrand was that Antichrist set in Babilon in the Temple of God aduancing himselfe euen aboue God himselfe c. That hee did inuent fables falsified the histories of euerie yeares actions and accidentes depraued and misconstred the scriptures turning them by his expositions to what best pleased him c. al this to bring in a noueltie a pestilent thing yea a heresie In the end Auentinus saith Auent 573. How that many more delighting themselues to abuse manie women then to vse one lawful wife had giuen ouer themselues to the same madnes with the Pope About the yeare 1080. the Bbs. of Italie Germany France to meete with and remedy this mischiefe Nauclerus did assemble at Brixen in Bauaeria where Pope Hildebrand was deposed the second time as a Church-robber and heretike Nauclerus saith that one of the causes was The law of forced abstinence from mariage the diuorcements that in like maner he had violently made Auent l. 5. Auentine saith that the Councell vseth these wordes Suauis homo This sweet fellow denieth that Priestes lawfully married can hallow the host and yet receiueth for that busines whoremongers adulterers and incestuous persons The saide Hildebrand dyed an exile at Salernum whome the Germans called Hellebrand a fire-brand of hell for hauing kindled and set on fire all Germanie by his execrable life and particularlie by his diuelish magicke and incantations Who so is desirous to know further of this matter Cardin. Benno in vita Greg. 7. Ponta in his Chronologie Vrban 2. D. 32 may reade Cardinall Benno who liued at that time and therefore one of their owne Doctors liuing in this age hath well and deseruedlie written of him vir Pontificatu dignus c. And yet the spirite of error and deceipte doth not giue ouer For Vrbane the second about the yeare 1090. returned to the breathing out of his excommunications and freeing of subiectes from their alleageance to their Emperours and serueth himselfe with this Decree to trouble Christendome and more speciallie Germany whervpon Chroniclers giue him to name Turbanus And this speech is particularlie giuen out of him That he letted not straight to depriue the Clearkes of their offices benefices if they were maried Because that thē benefices had gotten the places roome of offices Again That he did ordaine that their wiues should become slaues vnto the prince or Lord whose subiectes they were These good Fathers exceeding one another in making impietie tyrannie euerie day more and more precious Paschall the second goeth on forward about the yeare 1105. for he armeth the Emperour which was Henry the fift against Henry the fourth his father not knowing how to accomplish a wicked and sacrilegious purpose otherwise then by a hainous murtherer hauing engaged him deeplie in the matter by reason of this enormous fact hee causeth him to ordaine in the Parliament and Synode helde at Northausen in the time of his fathers life That this Decree should be looked to and seene executed by the secular power of the Empire And alwaies vnder the counterfeite and sottish colour of the heresie of the Nicolaitans whereof themselues were rather guiltie and culpable And this was executed by Henrie the fift and the Princes of Germanie about the yeare 1120. in the time of Calixtus the second his successor and therefore some doe attribute this Decree to him in particular And for the working of some more credite and authoritie thereunto some alleadge him by the name of Calixtus the first Calixt 2. D. 27 This man enlarged and added more vnto it for it was not meete that hee should doe lesse then all his Predecessors That it was forbidden Bishoppes Priestes Deacons and Monkes to haue either concubines or lawfull wiues matching mariage the worke and institution of God with the keeping of Concubines the suggestion and deuise of the Deuill And that if anie were married they should be separated and put a sunder and this is
Christians doe offer vnto God a dailie sacrifice being ordained of God priestes of holines And Origen All such as are annointed with the holie vnction that is with the spirit of Christ are made priestes As also S. Peter sayeth to the whole Church You are a royall Priesthoode c. And S. Augustine Euerie man offereth to God for his sinnes the whole burnte offering of the passion of our Lord. S. Ierome saith Thou wilt accepte of the sacrifice either when thou thy self doest offer thy selfe to thy father for vs or when thou receiuest of vs thankesgiuing and praises But especiallie in this place I will take Priests and Leuits from amongst them to the end saith he that they may preach saluation vnto others And thus doe all the Ancients conceiue and write of this place But there must bee in Christian Churches a speciall and ordinarie kinde of Sacrifice say they of an other sort then all these for Daniell saith After the time that Iuge Sacrificium the continuall sacrifice shall bee taken away and that there shall be set vppe the abhomination of desolation 1290. dayes c. Wherefore this must bee the Masse But before all other thinges it is to bee noted here that the word Sacrifice is not there at all and therfore that which is left vnexpressed may be aswel supplied by this word Seruice as Sacrifice As indeede S. Ierome saith Ablato Detcultu the worship and seruice of God being taken away Whereby wee may plainely see that their Masse hath his foundation most vncertaine But that Daniell meaneth the abolishing of the legall Sacrifice appeareth by Daniell himselfe and that in the eleuenth Chapter The sanctuarie which is the fortresse and strong hold shall be defiled the sacrifice or continuall seruice and worshippe shall bee taken away and in steade thereof there shall bee set vppe abhomination which shall cause the desolation thereof Which place is expounded by all the olde Writers partlie of the desolation made in the Iewish Church by Antiochus and partly of the rooting out of the whole priesthoode of the Iewes accomplished in the ouer throw and vtter ruine of Ierusalem whereunto our Lord the true expounder of the law and the Prophetes hath referred this place in these wordes saying When you shall see the abhomination of the desolation which is spoken of by Daniell the Prophet set in the holie place let him that readeth take heede thereto Matth. 24. Orig. in Mat. tract 29. let them then which are in Iudea flie into the mountaines c. Origen saith Daniel doth signifie and note out vnto vs the seauentie yeares after the comming of our Lord for this weeke doth confirme and ratifie the Testament c. And in the middest thereof the sacrifice of the Altar was taken away euen in the 35. yeare and so was accomplished that which had beene written in the middest of the weeke c. Then also was the abhomination of the desolation c. when they saw Ierusalem besiedged c. Chrysostome sayeth The custome of the Iewes was to offer a sacrifice vnto God euening and morning and euerie day and they called this sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a continuall action now Antiochus at his comming tooke away the same And therefore they haue not as yet found the Masse here If they oppose and bring in S. Ierome against vs referring this place to bee vnderstoode of Antichrist then let them continue hold themselues to his manner of speaking From the time sayeth hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this continuall action which we haue translated Iuge Sacrificium Theodor. in Daniel Chrysost in Ep. ad Rom. hom 29. Origen ad Rom. l. 10. Turrian tract 2. c de Miss Veâ—a de Miss Thes 46. when Antichrist hauing taken possession of the world shall haue forbidden the seruice of God Dei cultum and thus Theodoret Ecclesiasticum cultum S. Chrysostome sayeth My priesthoode consisteth in fishing in preaching the Gospell this is the sacrifice that I offer Origen also in like maner This is a worke and dutie belonging to the priesthoode 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to publish and preach the Gospell But how in the ende will they reconcile these contradictories I am sayeth Iesus Christ with you vnto the end of the world that is to say sayth Turrian in the mysterie of the Masse And yet notwithstanding Vega saieth yea Turrian himselfe in an other place vpon Daniel Gabriel that cannot lie sayeth that Antichrist shall abolish and put downe the continuall sacrifice and what other thing is that sayeth hee but the verie Masse A Monke of Ausbourg laboured to finde out the Masse in an other place of Daniel The Angels saith he offered the sonne of man to the Auncient of daies c. to offer Dan 7.13 is taken in this place to sacrifice If then the Angels doe offer him to God why should not the Priestes doe it aswell So then you cannot chuse but find the Angels themselues in the Prophesie of Daniel to haue saide Masse What a heape of fooleries wrapt vp in one And who shall be able to vndertake the sifting out of them all Here in this place the Prophet maketh mention how the Father giueth all power rule and iudgement vnto the Sonne that the Angels doe serue him that they bring him into the presence of the Father What place is there but that the Masse will bee founde in it if it bee met withall here They doe stifly pitch themselues vpon the worde Obtulerunt The Hebrewe saieth They caused to approach The Greeke in like manner Hieronim in Daniel c 7. Chrysost t. 5. hom Quod Christus Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ierome This must bee vnderstoode according to the saying of the Apostle That hee who thought it no robbery to be equall with God did make himselfe of no account c. And S. Chrysostome All people doe seruice vnto him all principalities are offered vp to him both of them drawing an argument not for the Masse which they knew not but against Arrius or and if they will hold themselues to their interlineall Glosse Obtulerunt in Cruce vpon the Crosse not in the Masse and moreouer it is from this onelie place so fitly alleadged that they defende these wordes of the Canon Iube haec perferri permanus sancti Angeli tui Commaunde these thinges to bee carried by the handes of thine holie Angell to be offered vpon thine high Altar before the face of thy Maiestie c. Malachie sayeth Malachie c. 1. Euerie where there is offered and sacrificed a pure and vndefiled offering in my name because that my name is great amongst the people This therefore must needes bee the Masse What will they say then vnto their Arrius Montanus of whom they make so great account who expoundeth the same of the Sacrifices of the Gentiles But the text indeede is thus In euerie place incense is offered vnto my name and a cleane offering c. and so
Idem l. 3. c. 4. l 4. c. 5. sometimes we consecrate our selues all wholy vnto him and his high priest or sacrificer which is to Christ dedicating I say our selues bodies and soules vnto this word where wee haue to obserue that he reckeneth vp the sacrifice of Christians as the memorie of the passion of our Lorde thankesgiuing prayers praises and offering vppe of our selues c. but of the sacrifice without blood which they pretend whether it bee in the Supper or in the Masse not one word Nowe about this time was the first generall Councell of Nyce held Can. Nicaen wherein wee haue a Canon all saue some little parte thereof drawne out of the Vatican librarie the title whereof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy table The wordes are Wee doe not rest and content our selues with the breade ministred vnto vs here belowe or yet in the cuppe but lifting vppe the vnderstanding of our mindes wee thinke by faith that the Lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the worlde lyeth in this Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrificed by the Priestes without being slaine c. Where wee obserue agreeing with the doctrine going before that there is insinuated a certaine secrete opposition betwixt the holy table and the Altars of the lawe of the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde and the Sacrifices of the lawe which were nothing but figures and shadowes of the Sacrifice which was there offered to this which is but renewed by being called to minde and of the bodily presence and visible substance of the one to the eating and receiuing of the other by faith And this appeareth more euidently by that which followeth which calleth vs cleane backe from all thinking of a sacrifice to the receiuing and communicating of a sacrament that is That we truely and verily receiuing his precious bodie and blood belieue these thinges to bee the infallible signes of our resurrection And this is the cause why wee take not much but a little that so wee may know that it is not to fill vs full vnto bodily nourishment but to further and feed the worke of our sanctification For if hee had rested in the sacrifice woulde that haue followed which he saith And that notwithstanding our being present at this sacrifice wee haue the resurrection and the life c. Athanas orat 3. cont Arrian Whereupon also Athanasius of the same time saith The oblation or sacrifice of the Lord once offered did accomplish all thinges and remaineth fast and sure throughout all times Aaron had his successors but the Lorde sine transitione successione without any succession or change from one to another holdeth the priesthood for euer Saint Basill Those which were wont to be consecrated of the seed of Aaron are excluded Basill in 1. c. Esa to the end that there might come in their roome a priest according to the order of Melchisedec and not the sacrificing priestes of the Church of Rome There is no more any question saith he of the continuall sacrifice neither yet of these so oft reiterated and renewed sacrifices c. For there is but one sacrifice that is Christ and the mortification of the Saintes which is become famous and renowned for their confessing of him There is but one besprinkling and cleansing with water and that is the washing of the new birth there is but one purgation for sinne that is his blood shedde for the saluation of the world To what end saith the Lord serueth so many sacrifices he requireth but one reiecting all whatsoeuer els that is that euerie man doe reconcile and offer himselfe to God appearing before him a liuing sacrifice by a reasonable seruing of him and offering vnto God the sacrifice of praise c. Againe Now in the end and latter age of the worlde one onely sacrifice is approued once offerred for an oblation for sinne For the Lambe of God hath taken away the sin of the world offering himselfe an oblation and sacrifice of a smell of a sweet sauour c. Idem in psal 115. And in another place I will therefore sacrifice my soule vnto thy praise O Lord as it were vpon some Altar I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise which is more worth then an infinite number of others c. Gregorius Nazianzenus This great sacrifice Gregor Nazianz in Pasch orat 2. which in his first nature could not bee sacrificed is mingled with all the sacrifices of the lawe That same I say which is the purgation not of one parte of the worlde nor forsome certaine time but of the whole world and for euer And thus we are admonished not to seeke for any other But saith he we offer vnto God vpon his celestiall Altar together with Angels the Sacrifice of praise let vs passe through the first vaile and drawe neere vnto the second let vs sacrifice to God at all times And hee addeth For the chiefe and principall point of wisedome is a good and honest life purged and made cleane before God euen that God which is most pure and requireth no other sacrifice at our handes but this purenesse which the scripture commonly calleth a contrite and broken heart the sacrifice of praise a newe creature in Christ c. Eusebius Emissenus saith Euseb Emissen de caen Dom. Seeing that our Lorde was to conuey vp into the heauen beyond the reach of our pearcing sight this his humane bodie which he had taken vppon him it was needfull that vppon this day hee should consecrate for vs the Sacrament of his bodie and of his blood that so what had once beene offered vppe for the price of our redemption might bee honoured in a mysterie for euer to the end that as redemption hath his ordinarie course for the saluation of men without any wearisomnesse so also the euerlasting oblation perpetuall sacrifice of this redemption might liue and continue fresh in our memorie and that this one true and perfect sacrifice that is to say Christ might continually bee present in grace which wee must iudge of by faith and not by outward appearance by the inward affection and not by the outward sight Where wee are to note that hee saith Sacrament not Sacrifice and that hee opposeth the remembrance of the oblation to the oblation it selfe the powerfull course and continuance of redemption to redemption it selfe once wrought the presence of grace to the reall presence and the body of Christ lifted vp to heauen to the Sacrament of the same left remayning in the Supper Epiphanius Epiphanius cont Marcion haere 42. 35. Haue you offered me sacrifice saith the Lord fortie yeares in the wildernesse c. To the end that they might learne that God by the comming of his Christ hath taken away all manner of vse of sacrifices and that in respect of one sacrifice which hath perfected and accomplished all the other sacrifices that went before
slaine for his sinnes Saint Augustine farre exceedeth and surpasseth all This true God and high priest Idem de fide ad Petrum Diacon c. 2. saith he which hath once entred for vs into the sanctuarie not with the blood of goates but with his owne blood c. Euen this is hee who in himselfe alone hath accomplished all that which he knew to bee needfull for the worke of our redemption himselfe being both the Priest and the sacrifice himselfe being both God and the Temple Per quem Quo. In quo Idem de Trinit l. 4. c. 41. 14. the Priest by whome wee are reconciled the Temple in which wee are reconciled God to whome wee are reconciled and notwithstanding the alone priest sacrifice and Temple and all this God in the forme and shape of a seruant Againe Christ by his death which is the onely true sacrifice offered for vs hath purged abolished and vtterly quenched the heate of whatsoeuer sinne that was in vs whereby the principalities and powers had power to seize vppon vs by due desert and to hold vs that so they might take vengeance on vs for the same and by this release hath called vs vs I say predestinated vnto a new life hee hath called vs Nos praedestinatos vocauit vocatos iustificat it iustificatos glorificauit he hath iustified vs hee hath sanctified vs hee hath glorified vs c. And how that to the end it may bee so in euerie sacrifice there are foure thinges to bee considered To whom it is to be offered by whome what and wherefore He himselfe the onely true mediator reconciling vs to God by the sacrifice of peace continueth and abideth one with him to whome hee offered hath performed that in himselfe alone which was to be accomplished for them for whom hee offered he alone was both the partie that offered and that which hee offered Againe Where there is a sacrifice there is an abolishment of sinnes interemptio peccatorum there also is wrought re conciliation with God the altar of this sacrifice is verie new euen the height of the Crosse alluding ab Altari ad altitudinem from the Altar to the height himselfe was the sacrifice and the Priest and the crosse was his Altar c. What then Idem in psal 94. doth there remaine no more sacrifices for Christians Offer saith the Psalmist vnto God the sacrifice of praise the old sacrifices are changed God requireth now of his seruants the sacrifice of praise We set a sacrifice vpon the altar when we praise God and if thou seeke the Priest hee is higher then the heauens making intercession for thee hauing first died the death here vpon earth for thee Haue I any sacrifice to offer saith he elsewhere Idem de ciuit Dei l. 10. c. 4. 6. I will returne home into my selfe there I shall find what to slay and sacrifice there I cannot faile to finde cause to offer the sacrifice of praise The man dedicate and consecrate to the name of God dying in the world to liue vnto God is a true sacrifice The whole Church that ransomed cittie that congregation and societie of the Saintes is an vniuersall sacrifice which is offered vnto God which is offered vnto him by this great Priest Idem de Temp. which offered himselfe in his passion for vs to the end that we might bee the bodie to so glorious a head c. But rather saith hee there are two Altars in vs the bodie and the heart and God requireth of vs a double sacrifice that wee should haue our bodies chaste and our heartes pure c. What then The holy Supper the Eucharist is not it a sacrifice vnto him yes but properly two manner of wayes The one Idem de ciuit Dei l. 10. c. 6. in as much as this is a consecrate and hallowed action by the which Christians are linked and knit together according to the definition which hee giueth of a Sacrifice saying Euerie worke performed to the end that we may cleaue vnto God in a holy fellowship referred to him that is our chiefe felicitie is a true sacrifice The other in as much as therin is renewed the remembrance of the death of Christ Idem contr aduers leg prophet l. 1. c. 18. and a solemne thanksgiuing for the benefites proceeding from the same And therefore he saith The sacrifice of praise shall honour mee Psal 50. But where is this sacrifice better set forth then in thankesgiuing And for what do we rather giue thankes then for the grace and fauour which we haue receiued and is purchased for vs by Iesus Christ Idem aduers Faustum l. 20. c. 21. which the faithfull practise in the sacrifice of the Church c. Againe The sacrifice of praise shall glorifie mee How Before the comming of Christ the flesh and blood of this sacrifice was promised by the sacrifices of resemblance In the passion of Christ they are giuen in truth after his ascension Idem de fide ad Petrum c. 19. they are celebrated by the Sacrament of the remembring of him Againe The onely word of God being made flesh hath offered himselfe to God for vs in sacrifice and for a smell of a sweete sauour Loe here the reall sacrifice of the Church To whome saith he with the father and the holy Ghost the whole vniuersall Church ceaseth not to offer in faith and charitie the sacrifice of bread and wine For the figure of the flesh of Christ which he was to offer for vs was shadowed out in the carnall sacrifices but in this sacrifice thanksgiuing Idem ep 23. and the renewing of the remembrance of the flesh of Christ which was offered for our sins And in another place there is an obiection made Iesus Christ hath he not beene once offered in himselfe and notwithstanding behold how that in the sacrifice he is daily not onely in the daies of the celebration of the feast of the Passeouer but vpon all other daies sacrificed and offered vp by the people Note how it is said by the people and not by God as S. Ierome said before by the faithful It is answered And yet saith he he lyeth not which when he is asked shal answer that he is truely sacrificed for if the sacraments had not any resemblance with the things whereof they are sacraments they shold not be sacraments at all c. So saith he let vs say we celebrate the feast of the Passeouer to morrow to day the Lord rose againe c. And no man findeth fault with our sayings although these thinges were ended manie yeares since seeing that by the courses of times wee come againe and againe to the like dayes and seasons c. But hee acknowledgeth but one real sacrificing or offering vppe of him for he saieth elsewhere That which Dauid offered to God to the end that it might please him to spare the people was a shadowe of that
this venome as it were by a fire Marke this word As then the speeches here vsed do not deale with the fire of that materiall purgatorie And in deed he setteth downe S. Cyp. l. 3. testim aduers Iud. c. 57. Cyrill in Esa l. 1. c. 4. orat 3. Barnabas as one of this number S. Cyprian likewise The Lord hath reformed and amended me not giuing me ouer vnto death according to that which is written in Malachie c. For saith he God amendeth and preserueth his faithfull S. Cyrill expoundeth it of the operation of the holy Ghost in the regnerating and sanctifying of the faithfull and according to the same expoundeth the place of Esay 4. When the Lord shall wash the daughters of Sion c. But yet and if wee marke the text Behold the Lord saith he quasi ignis as a fire This then cannot be purgatorie but God which maketh this purging and not properly a fire but as a fire hee meaneth doubtlesse the fire of the spirit of Christ which purifieth our soules by his doctrine And so S. Ierome hath expounded it Hugo in Esa c. 4. in Malac. c. 3. Cardinall Hugo in like manner saith He will purge sinnes by the fire of his passion or of his spirit And by this meanes we conclude that there is no place throughout all the canonical bookes of the old Testament from which may bee gathered or proued this their purgatorie or any of the praiers or Masses for the dead neither yet according to the exposition of the fathers and that the most worthie and renowned amongst them any such torment as is giuen to them And this is freely acknowledged by Perion the Monke and thereof there is as yet some iarre and disagreement remaining amongst those of the Church of Rome namely whether there were any purgatorie in the time of the olde Testament or not There remaine the booke of Tobiah and the second of the Machabees both Apocrypha which we are to examine howbeit that wee could answere them in a word that all doctrines that haue no other ground approbation but in the Apocrypha bookes must needs themselues be Apocrypha Tobiah saith Tob. c. 4. v. 18. Cast thy bread liberally vppon the graues of the iust but giue nothing vnto the wicked The Israelites had beene amongst the Gentiles and so had Tobiah also now the Gentiles were wont to make feastes at the funeralles of their neere kinsmen Vnde parentare et parentatum The Iewes that they might not seeme to be behind the Gentiles in honouring of their parentes distributed victualles vnto the poore In like manner saith Saint Ierome they caried victualles to such as were sorrowful pensiue and which wept about the graues of their dead which hee gathereth out of the 31. of the Prouerbes And Cardinall Hugo Hee speaketh here of some fashion not knowne vnto vs or rather for the comforting of the kinsfolkes hee commanded feastes to be made after the buriall c. This is all that can be gathered out of this place That of the Machabees may seeme to minister vnto them some better matter for their purpose This is saith he a oly cogitation to pray for the dead 2. Micab 12. to the ende that they may bee deliuered from their sinnes c. First it is pittie that this doctrine of their pretended fire whereof they make so great accounts and for the defence whereof they haue kindled so many fires throughout Christendome should haue no other foundation then one only place and that out of the Apocripha bookes and that the rather in as much as they haue beene acknowledged such by all antiquitie and by the most auncient Doctors and Councels witnesse S. Cyprian S. Ierome S. Augustine S. Gregorie c. The primitiue Church gouerned by the holy Ghost Cypr. in Symbol Hieronym in lib. Sapient August contr Gaudentium Gregor l. 8. Moralium hath not iudged the books of the Machabees to be such without cause if afterward they haue been permitted to be read in the Church it was as S. Augustine telleth vs For the example sake of vertue and not for the grounding of any doctrines vpon them Saint Ierome saith They are read for the instruction of the people and not to authorize any doctrine c. S. Gregorie likewise They are not produced or alleadged for to testifie or confirme any thing as canonicall but onely for edification There are whole volumes to this effect And when as the Church hath not touched or had any dealing with the reportes and narrations contained in the second booke partly as not agreeing vppon the same matters with that of the first and partly for their being detected and conuinced of falshood by the whole storie of the ancient gestes of the Iewes as in that matter of the hidden fire of the Arke c. which Nehemiah and Esdras would not haue concealed c. We cannot but haue them suspected as also it fared with Pope Gelasius who would not admit of the first c. yea the Author himselfe giueth sentence of condemnation against himselfe as crauing pardon if he haue written amisse The holy Ghost who hath inspired and enlightened the authors of the canonicall scriptures would neuer haue written so In the second book it is certaine that from the time of the Machabees 2. Machab. 4.7.12 the Iewes by means of the familiaritie that they had with the Grecians began mightily to incline to Paganisme Now wee will shew hereafter that this doctrine is taken from the Paganes and it appeareth so to be by Iason who in fauour of Antiochus prouided an vniuersitie of paganisme in Ierusalem by other priestes who turned the sacrifices of the law into the manner of vsage that was amongst the Paganes 2. Machab. 3.13 sacrificing for the idolatrous kings for the Lacedemonians for the health of Heliodorus a piller and spoiler of the temple also by their suffering of the Paganes contrarie to the law to offer therein as namely vnto Antiochus Eupator the Emperor Augustus c. Philo de legatione ad Caium By the historie of Razias who laid violent hands vpon himselfe that so he might not fall into the enemies hands the opinion of al Paganes yet commended by this author of the second book of Machabees But after all this let vs come to the storie which is the same with that which is mentioned in the 1. book and 5. chap. Ioseph the sonne of Zachary and Azarias priestes 1. Mach. 5.57 in the emulation which the prowesse and valiantnesse of Iuda had stirred vp in thē contrarie to his inhibition made an enterprise against Iamnia but Gorgias comming out against them discomfited them so that there remained 2000. vpon the place And Israel had receiued a sore ouerthrow Because saith he that hee had not obeied Iuda and that they were not of those whom God had stirred vp for the deliuerance of Israel that is to say because they
whole as that it may seeme to be nothing else then his words translated For he maketh and that by the report of Eusebius himselfe in his booke of the soule three degrees of men some that haue liued well and vertuously whom they conceiued to haue their abode in the Elisian fields as accompting them for most pure places and heauenly habitations Those whom he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past hope of amendment whome hee placeth in Tartaro in hell from whence they can neuer come out and those which haue committed sinnes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are curable and veniall whome hee casteth into burning flouds there to accomplish and make perfect their repentance to the ende they may bee purged therein and after their purgation receiue absolution And in deed he vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge and absolue Yet notwithstanding note that Eusebius who compareth the opinions of Philosophers with the doctrines of Christians doth not make any mention therein but onely of two conditions of men after death namely of the saued or of the damned A plaine and cleare testimony that the Church in his time did acknowledge no other but these two Virgill describeth it at large in the sixt booke of his Aeneidos Aliis sub gurgite vasto Infectum eluitur scelus aut exuritur igni Virgil. l. 6. Aencid Where he may seeme to haue expressed the two verbes before mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Donec longa dies perfecto temporis orbe Concretam exemit labem c. Wherefore S. Augustine needed not to be abashed when he said August de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 13. 17. That Purgatorie was one of Platoes doctrines As also That the dead may be relieued by the suffrages sacrifices of the liuing in so much as that the souls which are destitute therof are stil delaied caused in lingring manner to lie languishing in torments Homer Odyss 12. Virg. l. 6. Aenei Alcor Azo 10. as wee reade of the soule of Elpenor in Homer and of Palinurus in Virgill c. In like manner the Iesuits do not let to confesse that purgatory is sound there And we do further giue them to vnderstand that it is all whole to be had in the Turks Alcoran if that of the Paganes doe not content them The Iewes as we haue seene learned the same of the pagans vpon their falling away from their maner of worship religion and yet not so as that it preuailed with them to get a place in their Church for in the time of our Lord there appeared no markes or notes of any such thing but rather the contrary Paul Fagius in Deut. c. 14. Anton Margarita de superstitionibus Iudaic. The bookes of remembrance which they vse at this day wherin they name three times a yere those which are dead in the yeare praying to God that he would place them in his paradice with Abraham Isaac and Iacob c. are come since thē And this is made most apparant by their order for the extreame and deadly sicke was demanded if he did not perseuere to hold fast belieue the 13. Articles of their faith amongst the which the eleuenth is of the glorie to come and of eternall death the twelfth of their faith and beliefe in the Messias for want whereof they say the law is vnprofitable the thirteenth of the viuification or resurrection of the deade of Purgatorie not a worde neither yet of the Suffrages by which they should bee freed out of the same There happeneth one to die whereupon wee come to see all their ceremonies euen to the least Their neerest kinsfolkes doe rent their garmentes they eate not for that day in the house but without they eate not any flesh neyther drinke any wine except it bee vpon their Sabbath They neither wash nor annoint themselues for the space of seuen daies They lie vpon the ground and refraine the companie of their wiues They follow the bodie bare-footed They light a lampe for the space of seuen whole nightes setting it on the house floure perswaded thereto through a sottish and fantasticall conceipt that the soule commeth during the same time for to seeke the bodie c. And this is all that humane superstition had till then inuented the most part thereof being contrarie to the pure worde of the eternall God forbidding them in expresse wordes not to torment themselues for their dead And as for their praier if you obserue the tearmes thereof it will appeare to come neerer the nature of a wish then of a prayer Let his soule rest let his sleepe bee in peace let the gates of paradice bee opened vnto him by the Comforter that is to come c. And what is there in all this that is common with Purgatorie And in deed their Capitula patrum doe not make mention of any moe then two places But amongst Christians the first seedes of this doctrine are contained in the bookes declared to be Apocripha by the Primitiue Church and so by consequent the doctrine also is Apocrypha because it hath no other foundation besides them A certaine man named Hermas in his visions asketh an old woman if after the casting of certain stones there remaine any more pennance to bee done she answered that they could not come to a certaine tower but that they should be put into a lower roome where they are tormented vntill they haue accomplished the daies of their sinnes A booke of the Actes of Saint Andrew prayeth vnto God for an old Pandor and saith vnto him Iren. l. 5. We obtaine much mercie of him for the dead and why should we faile for this man which is aliue But the doctrine of the Church is to bee read in Ireneus The priestes saith he the disciples of the Apostles say that those which are translated from hence are conueighed into paradice which is prepared for iust men and such as haue the spirit whither Saint Paule was rauished and where he heard wordes that cannot bee vttered and that they abide and continue there vnto the end of the world Index expurgator p. 71. Iust Martyr in resp ad quaest Orthod q. 7. And therefore vpon good ground doth Erasmus shew that he spake as one that knew not purgatory And this obseruation the fathers of Trent haue caused to be raced And Iustin Martyr also After saith he the departure of this bodie there is presently made a seperation of the iust and vniust for they are caried into places worthy of them that is to say the soules of the iust into Paradice where they inioy the company of Angels Archangels as also the sight of our Sauiour Iesus Christ but those of the vniust and wicked into the infernall places c. They will alleadge against vs Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen Clem. Alex. l. 6 The one whereof laboureth to proue by the supposed Apocryphes of S. Peter S. Paule
for but approue O Lord and heare witnesse with Voluntariaoris mei the free offerings of my mouth Epiphan cont Aerium l. 3. t. 1 haeres 75. c. This argument was more throughly canuased and hotly dealt in about the yeare 500. in the time of Epiphanius who concealeth not or hideth the same from vs but setteth downe the verie same wordes That this is no commaundement of the father but an instruction and lesson taught by the mother that is to say by the Church Aerius found himselfe offended at these prayers for the dead which passed measure He put foorth this question Wherefore are the names of the deceased repeated and recited after their death And to what end doe praiers serue for those that are taken out of this life If it be to the end that they may not suffer for their sinnes c. Heere verily were a place to answere him that there is a Purgatorie That those that are departed hence without hauing satisfied for their sinnes are relieued by such suffrages c. But on the contrarie what dooth Epiphanius presuppose and set downe for the foundation of the matter in question Verily euen the quite contrarie That such as the liuing pray for are and liue in the presence of the Lord and that by these prayers such as are as yet trauelling this worldly pilgrimage doe witnesse their hope S. Chrysostome hath spoken of these prayers for the dead with greater aduantage then any others For that which Tertullian hath called Custome Epiphanius a Decree or Tradition of the Fathers he hath called an Apostolicall Tradition But he is confuted in one word by S. Ierome and S. Gregorie who saith that the Apostles vsed no other prayer in the celebration of seruice then the Lords prayer But yet for all that shall we thinke that hee praied for soules in Purgatorie when as hee belieued not any such thing Nay verily but rather for them which are with Christ Chrysost hom 3 ad Philip. Idem hom 4. ad Hebr. They are saith he with their king not any more beholding him as in a mirrour no longer loking vp vnto him by the eyes of faith but face to face For else what shuld be the meaning of these flaming Lamps but that we beare these glorious Champions companie home to their houses after their combat finished and accomplished As also what should bee the meaning of these Hymnes but that we glorifie God and giue him thankes for that hee hath crowned the deceased That he hath set him at libertie from all griefe and anguish and that he keepeth him now euen with himselfe These then are all of them nothing else but actions of ioy and reioycing And if thou marke what thou singest at that time it is Conuertere anima mea in requiem tuam Flie O my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee And againe I wil not feare the euil wicked persons because that thou art with me c. Idem hom 70 ad Antioch in Math. hom 32 in Ioh. 61. In an other place The faithfull dying saith he shal take his flight vp into the habitation of the Angels so that he shal not be to be found euen at the time of his funerall And in deed the Liturgies which they obiect so much vnto vs should so much the more confirme them in this point That of Saint Basil Remember those O Lord which sleepe in hope of the resurrection Would he in their conscience call Purgatorie a sleepe And when hee prayeth for the liuing he saith For their saluation for the remission of their sinnes But for the dead For their rest and ease of their soule in a cleare and light place farre and free from weeping and wayling c. And thus Chrysostome The office of Millaine attributed to Saint Ambrose For them saith it which haue gone before vs with the ensigne of faith and which sleepe the sleepe of peace c. And that which they attribute vnto Saint Iames in the same sence For all such as haue embraced the true faith from Abell for the Patriarkes Apostles Prophets Martyrs as also for the Virgine Marie whome he calleth the mother of God most holy and pure c. And which amongst them is hee that would say that shee is in Purgatorie But after all Saint Ierome in the place before alleadged cutteth off all quite and cleane That out of this world we receiue no helpe aide or comfort either by the counsailes or prayers one of another And this is cited to the same end and purpose in the Decree And what shall wee say of the Masse vsed at this day Hierony apud Grat. c 20. in praesenti 13. q 2. which on the contrarie praieth not for the deliuerie of soules out of Purgatorie but out of Hell from the darke lake from the iawes of the Lyon and from eternall paines And that not for the time present but in respect of the iudgement to come as likewise that that which is read of the memorie of those which sleepe the sleepe of peace and which rest in Christ is not to bee read in the old Masse bookes of Rome which are written with hand but added onely after that the Masse hath beene applied to the vse of the dead So hard a thing it is and alwayes hath beene to vpholde and maintaine a lie against the truth They replie And what then was the end of praying for the dead In what sence they praied for the dead Orig. l. 3. in Iob We cannot better sound the reason of this then by the line of the Fathers themselues which did practise it Origen alleadgeth two reasons We celebrate saith hee the memorie of their rest partly to reioyce for that they are placed in Refrigerio at their ease partly for to pray vnto God that he would giue vs euen vs that are still liuing a good ende by faith c. This then is properly for the instruction of the liuing and not for the comfort of the dead Saint Denis Wherefore saith hee doth the Minister pray vnto God that he will pardon the dead Dionys c. 7. Eccles Hierar and place him in the region of the liuing For seeing that euerie man is there handled according to his life and that he hath now ended the same what can such prayers preuaile and helpe him Heere was to bee aunswered according to the doctrine receiued and taught by the Church of Rome That this was to free him out of the paines of Purgatorie But in deed what is his answere That the praiers of good and vertuous men doe neuer faile of their fruit That God rendreth to the faithfull according to their workes but in such sort notwithstanding as that he blotteth out their spots and imperfections for his mercie sake then it is not by the rigour and seueritie of Purgatorie That although the promises of God made vnto the faithfull be alreadie effected and fulfilled that yet the Minister doth
assist him Afterward the Deacon nameth The holy mother of God S. Michael S. Gabriel S. Raphael and S. Iohn The people answereth O Christ heare them Anno. 1000. c. In the yeare 1000 wheras it had beene accustomed to denounce their Excommunications in the Church in the power and authoritie of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost they began to mingle therewithal the Virgine Marie and the Saints And this is apparant by the Councell of Rhemes C. 12. By the authoritie saith he of the Almightie God Concil Rhemens c. 12. c. and by the mediation of the Virgine Mary c. We Excommunicate curse condemn c. In Germanie notwithstanding this forme was not as yet receiued as is to bee seene in that which Barnard Bishop of Halberstat pronounceth against the Emperour Otho neither yet in the other agends of the same age and time But afterward all the Saints were put into it and so it passeth for the common and ordinarie forme The absoluing likewise of penitents by the loosing key as they cal it Anno. 1100. Anselm in lib. de excellent Virg Mar. was conceiued and vttered in these tearmes to wards the yere 1000. The passion of our Lord Iesus Christ the merits of the blessed Virgine of S. Peter of S. Paul and of all the Saints and furthermore whatsoeuer good thou shalt doe or whatsoeuer ill thou shalt suffer worke and procure the remission of thy sinnes About the yeare 1100 Anselme reasoned strongly in a treatise made of purpose of the excellencie of the Virgine Mary Christ saith the Apostle is the power and wisedome of God in him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge but Christ is in Mary therefore all the treasures c. are in Marie And by the same argument may be concluded the verie same of all the faithfull for hee is said to dwell in the belieuers In the meane time it is from hence that hee gathereth all these goodly consequences Quòd Domina quòd Mediatrix quòd Saluatrix That shee is the Ladie of heauen and earth in the right of a mother Queene of Angels the repairer of mankind and by consequent the Mother as God is the Creator by consequent the Father And it was at this time also that Hermanus Contractus Conte of Vringhē in Germanie did make the Salue Regina which notwithstanding was not receiued into the church of Rome Anno. 1250. til about 150. years after in the time of Pope Gregory the ninth But would we see in the meane time a memorable example The Inuocating of God alone by Iesus Christ retained in the cōforting of the sicke and neere vnto death Anselm in Epist manuscript shewing that these abuses came not in all at a blow how this Inuocation of the Saints insinuated and crept into the Masse was not as yet growne to the corrupting of that consolation which men had that were in the extremitie of death and how God mercifully sparing his people after all these impieties reserued and kept vntoucht their consolation in their saluation by one onely Iesus Christ to be soundly taught and deliuered vnto them at the howre of their death It is found in the Epistles of this Anselme that there was a forme of comforting the sicke which I haue thought worthie to bee set downe here euen whole and intire such as it was Doest thou reioyce and cheare vp thy selfe saith the Priest to the sicke partie that thou diest in the faith of Christ The aunswere yea Doest thou confesse that thou hast liued so wickedly as that nothing is due to thy deserts but euerlasting punishment A. yea Art thou hartily sorie and grieued for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that our Lord Jesus Christ died for thee A. yea Doest thou giue him thankes for the same A. yea Doest thou belieue that thou canst not bee saued but by his death A. yea Wherefore then whiles thou possessest thy soule repose thy whole saluation in this his only death put not thy trust and confidence in any other thing trust and commit thy selfe wholly to this death couer thy selfe with it onely with it onely wrap thy selfe all ouer And if the Lord God would iudge thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of Jesus Christ our Lord betwixt thee and my demerits I offer and tender vnto thee his merites in stead of that which ought to bee in me and is not If hee yet further replie vpon thee saying that he is angrie with thee say vnto him Lord I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt me and thine anger And this being ended let the sicke partie say three times Lord I commend my spirit into thy hands Of the same veine is the difference which we obserue betweene the life Bernard in paruis Ser. 23. Idem Serm. 15. Psal 91. the extreame sicknesse of S. Barnard He saith verie excellently well sometimes He that will come let him come after me let him come by me let him come to me After me saith the Lord for I am the truth by me for I am the way vnto me for I am the life c. Againe I will deliuer him because he hath trusted in me Not saith hee in Sentinels or Nightwatches not in man not in any Angell but in me expecting good from none but me onely For preseruation and deliuerance must not onely be of me but from me And of the Virgine Marie hee saith Idem Ep. 174. She hath no need of false and counterfeit honour being as shee is in the midst and vpheaped measure of true and sound honour It is not to honour her but to take her honour from her The feast of the Conception was neuer well instituted c. But it is as true that in other places hee helpeth forward and setteth vp this abuse euen so farre as to say Thou hast O man a sure accesse to God where the Mother is before the Sonne the Sonne before the Father the Mother shewing vnto the Sonne her bosome and her brests the Sonne shewing to his Father his fide and his wounds Vpon the point of death notwithstanding seeing himselfe drawne before the iudgement seate of God and Sathan before him his accuser he remembreth not any thing but the wounds of the Sonne hee hath quite forgotten the bosome of the mother Gothfrid in vita Berr ard l. 5. I confesse saith he that I am not worthie by my merites to obtaine the kingdome of heauen but my Lord doth hold it by a double title both as his inheritance from his Father and as his purchase by the price and merite of his death and passion he will content himselfe with the one and bestow the other vpon me And so by vertue of this gift I giue it to my selfe I am not confounded As likewise he hath said verie excellently in an other place I seeke my salue in the wounds and stripes of my Lord my merites in the mercies
are dead in sinne without the exception of any as in the place aboue they haue added Dempta virgine Maria Except the Virgine Marie And Petrus de Natalibus hath beene as impudent in daring to attribute vnto her the feast of the Conception S. Barnard speaking of S. Iohn Baptist Bernard de excel sanctir Ioan Bapt. Serm. 75. in Cantic in the Sermon of his holinesse All we which come into the world doe bring with vs a great band of originall sinne be onely that hath not done any sinne is excepted Againe intreating of the Conception of the holy Virgine Christ the man onely excepted that which a certaine man humbly confesseth of himselfe that is to say Dauid respecteth all men in generall I am conceiued in iniquities and my mother hath conceiued me in sinne Yea and he goeth further euen to the kindling and mouing of his choler Idem Ep. 174 ad fratres Lugdun Potho Prunien Presbyter l. 5. de statu Domus Dei The virgine Marie which is vp heaped with true honours needeth not any false and counterfetted ones for that is not to honour but to dishonour her The seast of the Conception ought not to bee instituted it is neither according to the custome of the Church nor according to reason nor yet from any tradition there was none but our Lord onely that was conceiued without sinne wherefore shee will willingly forgoe this honour whereby we either honour a sinne or falsifie and belie a holinesse c. And Potho about the yeare 1200. doth speake of the same Lombard said It may be said and belieued Lombard l. 3. d 3. according to the attestations and testimonies of the Saints that the verie flesh of the word should haue in times past beene subiect to sinne as all the flesh of the holy Virgine but that it was kept pure and cleane by the operation of the holy Ghost in such sort as that it was vnited and ioyned to the word free from all manner of contagion And thus you may see the opinion of the Church vnto the yeare 1200. and more As for that which may follow after what authoritie or what credite is it worthie to haue Lombard vpon a good intent began to say That it was to be belieued that shee was purged from originall sinne when shee conceiued our Lord. Some others would adde thereunto that she should haue beene conceiued in originall sinne but that shee should be borne without sinne hauing beene sanctified in the wombe of her mother But Occam restraineth the matter to this head Occam l. 3. sentent q. 2. as that shee should not bee able to sinne but venially Scotus more boldly that shee should be conceiued without originall sinne contrarie to him are Thomas Bonauenture Gregorie de Rimini c. And for want of proofe out of the Scripture they caused the Proteuangile of S. Iames an Apocripha booke to make the supplie and for want of the reuealed will of God in his word his Almightines and in stead of the truth a likelyhood in so much as that the Councell of Basil determined Concil-Basil Sess Anno. 1439. that euerie good Catholike ought to belieue that shee was conceiued without originall sinne and that hee ought not to preach or teach to the contrarie In the end Pope Sixtus the fourth seing that the contentions and controuersies would not be appeased Anno. 1483. tooke vpon him by his authoritie to ordaine That the opinions both affirmatiue and negatiue should passe as indifferent what became then of the authoritie of this Councell And that without the staine of heresie to be imputed to either of the sides Anno. 1466. because the holy See had not as yet determined the controuersie Shewing notwithstanding that he inclined more vnto the affirmatiue for that a litle before he had ordained the Office of the feast of the Conception and for that hee graced it with as many and as great priuiledges as the feast of the Sacrament and the Councell of Trent rested thereupon Now hereby wee see how in a short time abuses grow to an extremitie after that the word of God is once cast behinde vs and our owne carnall and corrupt sence set in the throne and Chaire of gouernment But this is our conclusion in the end of the consideration of our estate after the fall and that with the consent and agreement of all the old Church that this fall was mortall both according to the first and second death That it corrupted all mankind in such sort as that blindnesse and peruersnesse seased vpon the vnderstanding Ephe 4.5 Ephe. 2. according to that which S. Paul saith You haue your vnderstanding ouershadowed with the clouds of darknesse you were also darknesse And brutishnesse and concupiscence vppon the will Rom. 8. following that which is said Doing the will of the flesh and of their fantasies c. So long as that all their wisedome became enmitie against God That abiding in the state of nature our condemnation was certaine from which condition and estate it is not notwithstanding in the power of nature to deliuer her selfe neither yet as it followeth by consequent from eternall condemnation in as much as it is not so much a fire which beeing blowne vp breedeth to such a diâ—ease as it is not able to cure vs of againe as a heape of dead ashes a soule in respect of spirituall parts without a soule that is to say which hath lost all whatsoeuer it inioyed of the spirituall life and seperated from God which is the life and spirite thereof and which hath therefore by consequent more need of the powerfull hand and soueraigne grace of the Creator then Lazarus who had beene foure dayes dead for at the least hee resisted not or yet that confused Chaos before that things were reduced and set in good order that is to say of a new fire which he kindleth euen whether it will or no in it and of a newe spirit which by a new grace hee sheddeth abroad into our hearts Whereupon Saint Paul saith When you were dead in your sinnes hee hath quickned you by Christ Ephe. 1. Coloss 2. â—3 Againe You were darknesse but now you are light in the Lord c. And we may see hereupon how that there is not any one creature able to recouer himselfe of his fall without a new infusion of the grace of God and the same beeing of his meere grace that no creature what goodnesse so euer hee practise after this grace can boast himselfe before God neither yet alleadge any merite either for himselfe or for any other it being no other then that pretended merite whereof the Apostle will alwayes bee saying vnto him Ephe. 4. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not receiued c. And which likewise is not able to be an equall match for proportion much lesse in comparison for the reward it challengeth seing it is of too short a time to
to be innocent and redeemed they frustrate and make of no value the redemption in them But saith he in another place Notwithstanding that the soule of the holy man do wander out of the way of righteousnes yet if it lay fast hold by faith on him which iustifieth the sinner and bewaile vncessantly the sinnes committed in the time of this faith by such his continual washings it retaineth and kepeth stil his righteousnes And of faith he hath these Maxims verie ordinarie and samiliar Idem in Ezec. l. 1. hom 9. 7. In Ezec. hom 19. In Euang. hom 29. l. 3 indict 12. Ep. 27. All the Saints before the comming of Christ were saued by faith let vs not put our confidence in our teares and mourning neither yet in our deedes but in the intercession of our Aduocate faith goeth before brotherly loue and charitie It must bee first preached and taught thereby to raise vs vp vnto good workes vertues bring vs not to beleeue but faith bringeth vs to a vertuous life True faith is that which saith it and harboreth not any conditions or manners contrarie vnto the same we hold fast the faith and therewithall wee exercise it in good workes What is all this but the same which we affirme and say That the iust man liueth by faith that his faith sheweth it selfe aliue by his workes In the same sence dooth also Cassiodorus Olympiodorus Orgelitanus and others of the same time verie often speake although not altogether so properly in certaine places The ages following hold of the night shut in Anno 700. The proceeding of the abuse and yet so as that there shined forth some little glimces of star light Then in stead of the teaching of one onely remission of sinnes in the onely bloud of Christ and that in such sort as that it was famous and reuerently receiued throughout al the time that the purer antiquitie continued Gregorie and Cassiodorus had begun to teach that sins were remitted and forgiuen by martyrdome almes deedes forgiuing of our brethren reclaiming of a sinner c. acknowledging notwithstanding that nothing of all this stood good otherwise then in faith but contrarily that it was continually euill and against true and liuely faith Such as followed after as Cesarius Adelhelmus and others doe reckon vnto vs twelue deedes which do iustifie vs Baptisme Charitie Almes-deedes Teares and lamentation confession affliction correction intercession of the Saints mercie the conuerting of a sinner the forgiuing of our brethren and the suffering of martyrdome But as for faith which is the onely and alone meanes they negligently cast it behinde them This was the remainder of Pelagius his opinion which as our aduersaries they thought that they had well and sufficiently qualified when they said That the first grace was of God the first remission and forgiuenesse of Baptisme and as for all the rest Anno. 800. we ought to seeke and search for it in our selues by our works Now the inuocating and praying vnto Saints iumping and falling in togither with the same about this time did fortifie and adde more force to the error And it is to be noted that as in the change of the winds we see the cloudes in doubtfull sort to wauer and as it were stagger before they resolue vpon and take the direct course before the winde euen so it fared with the ancient writing of those times Beda in Psal 24. 31. before that they wholy and altogither inclined vnto this corruption For Beda doth cleane and wholie cleare and free the whole matter Forgiue me my sinnes not for my merits but for thy goodnes sake for there is no merit that is a sufficient price or raunsome for eternall blessednesse there is nothing but the meere grace of God that bringeth saluation yea grace freely giuen no regarde had either to merit precedent or such as may after insue And by faith by the alone righteousnesse saith hee of faith Idem in Psa 77 Idem l. â— in Marc. c. 2. 4. Idem l. 1. in Luc. c. 1. 2. Idem l. 4. in Luc. c. 11. Idem in Ioh. c. 6. Albin l. 3. de Trinit c 1. 7 Idem in Psal 4 20. paenit in 7. In Ioh. l. 1. c. 1. Bed l. 3. in Iob. c. 1. Anno 900. Haimo in Ep. ad Rom. c. 1. 4. Impertiendo Idem in Ps 84. Idem in Ps 26 Idem in Mich. c. 6. Idem in Zach. c. 3. Idem in Cantic Cant. c. 4. Consortium Diuum Idem in Epist ad Rom. c. 10. Idem in Ep. ad Heb. c. 5. 9. Idem in Ep. ad Rom. c. 6. Adelbert in altercat Theophil in Ep. ad Tim. c. 1 Anselm in Ep. ad Rom. passim which onely healeth the inwarde man which onelie forgiueth sinnes which onelie saued them which liued in the time of Circumcision and that without their offerings and sacrifices and which alone adopteth vs the children of God c. which is the life of our soule yea which sheweth forth his life by good workes c. And Albinus writeth in like manner Wash mee O Lorde from the spottes of mine vnrighteousnesse by the gift of thy mercie I am verie able to pollute and defile my selfe but I haue no power to cleanse my selfe there is no man iustified in thy sight but by thy grace by thy mercie in the name of the Sauiour and not by his merits And this grace is distributed and giuen vnto vs by the meanes of faith in Iesus Christ c. and the same the gift of God c. Neither yet haue these famous men so written but that withall there haue escaped and slipped from them some places verie different and vnlike such was the contagion of the time as that we are iustified by humilitie patience virginitie c. Notwithstanding that they euermore ioyne faith therewithall Haimo Archbishop of Halberstat saith The righteousnesse of God that is to say the iustification by which hee iustifieth them that belieue in him is manifested in the Gospell when the Lord saith He that shal belieue be baptised shal be saued that is to say shall be righteous This is that righteousnesse by which all those that belieue are iustified by the gift of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost which is called the righteousnesse of God because that hee in making the faithfull partakers of the same maketh them righteous c. and it is called the righteousnesse of faith by which Abraham was iustified c. And Christ is the Author of this righteousnesse vnto vs For before the world was framed saith hee God decreed with his Sonne to saue mankind without any precedent merites for euen man was not as yet c. This Sonne which hath giuen remission of sinnes and all other benefites of his onely and meere mercie Which is vnto vs the foundation of all righteousnesse In whose onely bloud it resteth for vs to be saued in as much
saith S. Paule himselfe is of the Lord. 1. Cor. 3. Canon vtrum de consecr d. 2 Which thing the Canon also concludeth in expresse words That the sacrament is not of the merite of him that consecrateth but of the word of the Creator of the power of the holy Ghost bringing all things to passe c. Seuenthly It destroyeth the analogie coherence of the holy scriptures It destroyeth the analogic of the scriptures faith for how can it come to passe by taking that course that after the example of Esdras we should come to expound scripture by scripture by that key which S. Augustine giueth vnto vs to open the same as to expound one place by many and not in such a sence as is contrary to many one obscure and dark place by many cleare ones whereas the sticking to the words of one place do ouerthrow the cleare doctrine of many others and from this one also do gather nothing but contradiction and darknes He that giueth vs his body giueth vs also his bloud the body and bloud alike precious both the one and the other the price and ransome for our sins and therefore the one the other giuen in the same sence Now the truth is that it is thus said of the bloud Luk. 22. This cup is the new testament in my bloud and this cannot be vnderstood of the cuppe but of the wine namely as S. Mathew reporteth and setteth it downe This is my blood Mat. 26. the blood of the new Testament c. If then there be a most apparant figure in the one it cannot be excluded from the other And as the one is resolued into these words This that is to say this wine is my blood So the other in these This that is to say This bread is my bodie And as it is said of the wine or cup This cup is the new testament in my blood So it may be said of the bread This bread is the new testament in my body And seeing again that according to their own sayings the bread canot be the body nor the wine the blood really because they are two Jndiuidua as the Logicians speake predicated and spokeÌ„ the one on the other we wil expresse them by the words of S. Paul who hath not giuen any other thing vnto vs then that which hee hath receiued neither yet taught vs any thing but that which himselfe had first learned of the Son of God 1. Cor. 10. This bread is my body which is broken for you that is to say This bread which I breake is the coÌ„munion of my bodie this cup or this wine which I blesse is the coÌ„munion of my blood c. And if we yet doubt but what maner of coÌ„munion is this and how is it brought to passe how is this eating and drinking c. we must haue recourse to our Lord for answer and resolution Ioh. 6.50 This is the bread that came down from heaueÌ„ to the end that if any man eat thereon he might not die a liuing bread a quickning bread a bread of God which bringeth eternal life My flesh saith he my blood are truly meat truly drinke which I haue giueÌ„ for the life of the world be it is that eateth drinketh therof that coÌ„meth to me which belieueth in me which dwelleth in me c. If this should offend you as it did the Capernaits then learne vnderstand That it is the spirit that quickneth that the flesh prositeth nothing that my words are spirit life c. Neither is there any cause why it should be obiected here that S. Iohn speaketh of the spiritual eating How S. Ioh. c. 6 must be vnderstood not of the sacramental For notwithstanding that he speake here of the spirituall yet he ceaseth not to declare vnto vs the maner of the sacramentall to wit vnder the Sacraments the obiectes of our sences the helpes of our faith yet spiritual And thus haue the ancient fathers euermore vnderstood it haue serued themselues with this place of S. Iohn as a Commentarie vpon the rest of the Euangelists which haue collected and gathered the necessitie of the expounding thereof siguratiuely also that the faithfull alone are partakers of the thing of the Sacrament and not the wicked and vngodly But as the authors of transubstantiation did afterward more and more embrace the carnall presence consequently that the wicked and vngodly did eate Christ so began they lesse and lesse to admit in this matter and question the authoritie of this sermon made by our Lorde a sermon verily made some yeare or thereabout before the institution of the Supper but as is manifest an intended preparatiue vnto the same euen as the talke and communication which our Lord had with Nicodemus concerning baptisme was a preparatiue to Baptisme There our Lord said Iohn 3. If a man be not regenerate that is to say borne againe hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God And here Jf a man eate not my flesh and drinke my bloud hee can not haue life in him c. There Nicodemus was offended And how can a man that is old be borne againe can he enter into his mothers bellie c. And here the Capernaites This is a harsh speech who can endure to heare it And how can this man giue vs his flesh to eate And many of his disciples alâ—o and that so greatly as that they went from him therefore And there hee expoundeth his meaning to Nicodemus Man must bee borne againe of water and of the spirite That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit c. And here in like manner to the Capernaites It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. Now Baptisme was formally instituted after the speech had by Christ with Nicodemus the signe added to the thing the water to the spirit c. and yet notwithstanding the water did not change his nature This text likewise serueth not a little to the plaine laying out of the doctrine of baptisme And in like manner after the sermon of our Lord to the Capernaites the holy supper was instituted the elements of corporall nourishment ordained for Sacraments of the spiritual c. And then why should these signes change their natures And why shall it not be lawful to alleadge this place as well in the matter of the Lords supper for the cleerer vnderstanding of the same that so we may be enlightned and made to discerne where our spirituall nourishment lyeth And seeing that the institution of baptisme comming after hath not at all made regeneration to be carnall by the adding of the element therunto why should the putting of the element to the eating and spirituall communicating of Christ haue made it carnall Saint Augustine demandeth The fathers August de consen euang l. 3. c. 1. Seeing that S.
instrumentes of the holy Ghost for our spirituall food that is for the analogie that is in them In as much saith he as the bread strengtheneth our flesh the wine maketh bloud in the flesh the one referred mystically he saith not transubstantiated really to the bodie of Christ the other to his blood And in deed saith he in another place No vnfaithfull person eateth the flesh of Christ Againe Idem in Exod. c. 12. in 1. Cor. 10. If you be the bodie of Christ and his members your mysterie is set vpon the table of the Lord you receiue the mysterie of the Lord c. And this is about the time of Charles the great that is to say neere 800. yeares after Christ who likewise saith in his booke against images That our Lord hath not left any other image of himselfe then the holy Supper Carol. Mag. de Imaginibus No transubstantiation to the time of Charles the great Albinus also vnder him That he that abideth not in Christ namely by faith although that hee fasten his tooth vpon the Sacrament yet he eateth not the bodie of the Lord. And wee may affirme it with a good conscience that hitherto there could not bee learned out of any of the bookes of the fathers any doctrine that tended to the teaching of the transubstantiation of the Romish Church but to the contrarie Which thing the liturgies and ecclesiasticall prayers which they make reckning of as most ancient can witnesse vnto vs. In that which they pretend to haue beene S. Iames his liturgie Further proofe by the lithurgies That which is attributed to S. Iames. hee speaketh of the Sacrament in these wordes A diuine and celestiall mysterie a spirituall table wherein the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is mystically set before them He craueth of God by praier To declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestly that which he there maketh shew of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in signes Hee exhorteth the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lift vp their harts on high He rehearseth the institution of the holy Supper sincerely after which the people answere Wee declare the death of the Lord and confesse his resurrection c. He prayeth likewise a long time after that the words are pronounced That it would please God to send his spirite vppon those giftes that is to say vpon the bread and wine which he calleth notwithstanding Honorable reuerend renowned c. And vpon them that are to be partakers of the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end that they may be sanctified vnto them and made the bodie and bloud of Christ Of Christ saith he Which is diuided and distributed vnto them that is to say in the Sacrament And which yet notwithstanding is not diuided nor distributed that is to say in himselfe With whom all this doth well agree howsoeuer it doth no whit agree with the power and efficacie of the fiue wordes or with any parte of all the fantasticall deuise of transubstantiation That which is attributed vnto Clement Bishop of Rome The liturgie of S. Clement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth the bread and the wine after the consecration Figures as we haue said and the words there are worth the consideration We beseech thee O Lord that thou wouldest vouchsafe to looke downe vpon these gifts here set before thee and that it may please thee to send downe thy holy spirit vpon this sacrifice note after the consecration the testimonie of the sufferings of our Lord Iesus to the end that he may manifestly shew that this bread is the bodie of thy Christ and this cuppe his blood to the end that they which receiue it may be confirmed in pietie hauing remission of their sinnes c. If the gifts and the sacrifice be one selfe same thing and the one and the other Christ reallie with what mouth can they pray vnto God that he would vouchsafe to looke downe vppon them and to send his holy spirit thereinto c. And how doth the bread become a witnes of the passion of Christ yea Christ himselfe And why doth he pray vnto God That he would manifestly shew how that the bread is the bodie of his Christ alreadie as our aduersaries hold transubstantiated into Christ by the consecrating wordes which went before And that which he saith To the end that they which receiue it c. which in the Greeke cannot be referred to any thing but the bread and cup. And how commeth it that it is not rather referred to the bodie c. We haue alreadie spoken of that which is attributed to Saint Basill The liturgie of S. Basill he calleth the bread and wine after consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say figures hee prayeth God to send both vpon them as also vpon the communicants his holy spirit for to sanctifie them The bread to be the body of our Lord c. The communicants to be vnited together amongst themselues and vnited vnto the bodie and bloud of Christ in such sort as that they may haue him dwelling in their harts And the exhortations that go before are That no man shold think that there is any earthly thing that there is any word of any mortall flesh the Lord is offered for the faithfull c. Again how wil any of all this agree with carnall transubstantiation linked to the wordes that do not consecrate Or how will this agree being communicated with the infidels with that wherein they haue no part or as it is referred to the elements which are not otherwise to be considered of then as instruments of our coniunction and coupling with Christ not to the end that we may haue him to passe through our mouthes but to the end wee may possesse him dwelling in our harts by his spirit The Preface of S. S. Ambrose his liturgie Ambr. l. 4. c. 5. de Sacr. Ambrose his liturgie beginneth as all the rest Sursum corda the minister praieth that it would please God to accept of the oblation that is offered vnto him The figure saith he of the bodie and bloud of Christ. And this word figure is by name in his booke of Sacraments where it is whollie recited being maliciously defaced and put out of the Masse published in the name of S. Ambrose The institution of our Lord followeth wherein are the wordes which they call consecrating and notwithstanding after the same pronounced We offer vnto thee this host or oblation without spot And which The holy bread saith he and cup of eternall life and wee pray thee To receiue it vpon thine altar by the hands of thine Angels as thou vouchsafedst to receiue the gifts of thy child Abel and the sacrifice of the Patriarke Abraham c. I referre it vnto them euen on their consciences if this can be referred to the true bodie true blood of our Lord being aliue and not subiect to any passions by the hands of the minister
implore and craue the aide and authoritie of the Emperours whose Lawes to that effect are extant with vs That euerie person should communicate euerie Sabboth after that at the least thrise a yeare vpon paine of not being held any more for Christians The Ministers thē that feared that their offerings which were at that time their principall staie and maintenance for there were not as yet any personages or foundations of Masses or priuate seruices should come to be dried vp were constrained as we haue seene to teach the people that although they communicated not it wold not faile to yeeld them great aduantage furtherance to the saluation of their soules if they would but onely bee present at their seruice And the more easie to perswade them the same as wee say before they did suggest into them by little and little That there was not handled a Sacrament onely but also a sacrifice So that though they did not communicate in the one yet at the least they were partakers in the other A doctrine plausibly imbraced of the most part of those which had learned the meaning of the trying and proouing of themselues which is required in the receiuing of the Lords supper not comming to the same but with feare and trembling and which on the contrarie did see that there was nothing more easie then to bee present at this pretended sacrifice the profit whereof was so highly commended to them and also vnderpropt as we haue seene heretofore by the Lawes of the Emperours And to make the same to be the more reuerently thought of they applie thēselues the more freely to deceiue the present age being now ouer-shadowed with ignorance and the people brought to entertaine a seruice which was done altogether in an vnknowne language by meanes of the alteration of languages which hapned almost throughout al Christendome with diuers discourses and sundrie speeches taken out of those godly Fathers a thing vnpossible for any man to haue effected in their time the people being then seasoned with the doctrine of Christ by the reading of the Scriptures the preaching of good Bishops the frequenting of their Sermons and the Ecclesiasticall seruice which euerie where was done according to the rule of the Apostle in the vulgar tongue And yet wee are not to imagine that this monster was perfected by such increase and growth all at once For first it found such as by whome it was conceiued and after some to beare it others to bring it foorth others to receiue it vpon their laps others to nurse it and others to like and beautifie it Many were the ages that ouer-passed before it came to any certaine forme or shape and hardly hath it as yet attained an assured and secure estate as we shall see when as the most learned and soundest part of Christendome hath condemned smothered it right out sometimes by the spirit of the mouth of the Lord. Damascen about they yeare 800. was the first that remoued the markes of the ancients concerning this matter prouing also a patron of many other superstitions in his time but particularly of the adoration of images Out of this man our aduersaries alleadge these words The bread and wine are not figures of the body bloud of Christ L. 4. c. 14. God forbid but it is the verie deified body of the Lord the Lord himselfe saying This is my boby not the figure of my bodie c. directly contrarie to Tertullian Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine The Lord hath not doubted to call the bread his bodie althogh it were but the figure and signe of his bodie c. Againe Damascen saith If any man haue called them representations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basill it is before their sanctification Whereas we are of iudgement with Bellarmine that before the same they could not be called by that name and in deed it is after But of what force can these his speeches be if he agree not either with our aduersaries or with himselfe Thou demaundest saith he how the bread is made the bodie of Christ c. I answere thee the holy Ghost worketh these things farre surpassing speech and vnderstanding but the bread and wine are taken Then they retaine their substance Againe God stooping to our wonted vse and custome worketh the things that are aboue nature by the things that are accustomed vnto nature As in Baptisme hee ioyneth the grace of the holy Ghost with the oyle and water and hath made the same the washing of regeneration So because it is an ordinarie thing for men to eate bread and drinkewine hee hath ioyned to these things his Diuinitie and hath made them his bodie and his bloud c. Then the bread and wine do continue in the holy supper no more transubstantiated then the water and oyle in Baptisme And declaring this coniunction afterward Esay saith he saw the coale not altogether simple but made one with the fire so the bread of the Communion is not altogether simple but ioyned to the Diuinitie But yet not without the abusing of the comparison vsed of the auncient writers for the representing of the Vnion of the humane nature with the diuine in Christ Now the burning cole abideth still a cole in Esay and notwithstanding a propitiation for his sinnes How doth al this agree with that deified bodie that he spoke of a little before With that which they say at this day that came after Thomas That the bread is not the bodie of Christ That the essence of bread goeth not into the essence of the bodie but that it giueth place to the bodie but that it vanisheth away c And who seeth not that these are patches ill fauouredly set together by a Monke which knew not whereunto to hold himselfe Apon l. in Cant. l 5. sub fine Aponius a great man in his time dealeth somewhat better Christ according to the place time and cause is become the meate and drinke of the Church by the Sacrament of his bodie and of his bloud And in an other place he calleth this Sacrament Desponsationem annuli traditionem osculi The ring and the kisse of the affiancing of Christ vnto his Church that is to say the certaine pledge of the coniunction of the faithfull with Christ And now consider the doctrine of the Church in the VII generall Councell Citatur in Nicaen Syn. 2. art 6. held at the same time at Constantinople vnder the Emperour Constantine V. wherein all Images of Christ were condemned this onely for so the holy supper was there called being reserued All those saith he doe glad and reioyce themselues which bring to the saluation of the spirit and bodie the true image of Christ which our high Priest taking wholly vpon him our fleshly masse when hee drew neere vnto his Passion gaue vnto his Ministers and Disciples for a figure and remembrance of exceeding great efficacie for hauing freely and willingly offered himselfe to die hee
he would and that because it was his will where he taketh for graunted the thing that is in question Although it bee the figure of bread and wine notwithstanding after the consecration we must altogether belieue that it is the body and bloud of Iesus Christ And al his arguments are drawne from the omnipotencie of God without any proofe of his will But would the masters of Transubstantiation approue and like of these words Paschas ad Prudeg The bread and wine are the flesh and bloud of Christ And yet notwithstanding he is much troubled in himselfe when hee considereth That there must be in the Lords supper the figure and notwithstanding the truth And how the one may bee without the preiudice of the other c. In so much as that he is forced to say That it is no maruaile if this mysterie be a figure and if the wordes thereof bee called figures seeing that Christ himselfe is called an ingrauen forme and figure Ideâ— de Corp. Sang. Dom. l. 4. euen hee which is the truth it selfe That we belieue that that is done spiritually and that we ought so to belieue it to be That he is offered for vs mystically That wee walke by faith and not by sight That our Lord hath left vs these visible figures ascending vp to heauen to feede our spirite and fleshe by faith in spirituall things c. Neuerthelesse notwithstanding the resistances and oppositions of the most learned the abuse ceased not to spread it selfe further into diuers countries abroad because that the ignorant people who haue alwaies the stronger side did perceiue and see that both authoritie and profit would grow vnto them therby We read by name that in England there rise a great schisme betwixt Odo Archbishop of Canterburie assisted by the meaner and inferiour sort of Priestes being the parties affecting Transubstantiation and the most learned of his Cleargie To whose arguments and places alleadged out of the Fathers hee opposeth authoritie and force And secondly to winne the Idiots and simple people he vseth illusions and false myracles whereof these ignorant ages did neuer want good store This was about the yeare nine hundred and fiftie But in Fraunce Berengarius Deane of Saint Maurice of Augiers about the yeare 1050. Anno 1050. Lauâ—ranc con Berengar displaieth againe the ensigne of truth and writeth a Treatise of the Lords Supper whereof wee haue nothing more then it pleased Lanfrancus his aduersarie to cite in his writings against him And yet notwithstanding such as that thereby he doth neither iniurie the truth nor his good name although he make it euident and apparant enough that hee hath not forgotten to weaken and detract from the force of his reasons so much as he possibly could This Berengarius therefore writ priuily to Lanfrancus a Millaner then Abbot of Bec-Heloin in Normandie what hee thought of the holy supper Lanfrancus being absent his Canons did open the letter and sent it to Rome In it he praised the booke of Iohannes Scotus written in the time of Charlemaine The letter is made knowne in a Synod holden at Rome and condemned the Author being neuer heard Lanfrancus is inioyned to refute it if so be he would cleare himselfe of all suspition of hauing any part in that pretended errour which was so much the more because of such intelligences as did in verie familiar sort passe betwixt him and Berengarius Scotus his booke was burnt two hundred and fiftie yeares after his death Berengarius continueth his vertuous course and had for his Disciples and followers diuers great personages in Fraunce amongst others Freward and Waldus Knights c. A thing verie likely seeing that the Popes otherwise more curious and carefull about worldly complaints then studious in questions of Diuinitie did so much molest and trouble them Leo the ninth therefore called a Councell at Verscillis in Piemont and came thither himselfe in person Berengarius durst not appeare but sent thither onely two of his friends to tender his reasons who were easily made afraid The Councell of Rome thereupon became the more emboldned and gaue order notwithstanding that the French Church should assemble a Councell at Towrs to cause Berengarius to stoope and become subiect This was in the time of Pope Victor the second and there was Hildebrand afterward Gregorie the seuenth on his behalfe the most violent and head-strong Prelate that euer liued There appeared Berengarius who declared vnto them That he did not teach bare and naked signes in the Eucharist but that the bread and wine there vsed were most vndoubted pledges and seales of the reall Communion in the true bodie and bloud of our Lord which all those haue and there receiue which take these signes with a true faith That the bread and wine notwithstanding doe not chaunge their substances but rather of common ones are made holy ones of elements Sacraments c. And that to conclude hee held for other matters as all the auncient Fathers haue written and according also to the sence and meaning of the Lithurgie ordinarily read in the Church c. Thus the Councell rested satisfied at his hands But Pope Nicholas II. perceiuing that this doctrine was on foote againe cited Berengarius to Rome the second time to appeare in the Consistorie of Lateran and thither hee came being drawne and allured by faire and flattering speeches The first argument that was framed against him was that if he did not retract his former opinions he should be burnt and thereupon Humbert the Burgonian afterward Cardinall drew a reuocation such as we reade in the Decree That hee doth confesse C. Ego Berengar de consec d. 2. that after the Consecration the bread and wine are the verie bodie and bloud of Christ That they are there sensibly and in truth handled with the hands of the Priests broken and brused with the teeth of the faithfull c. And that hee curseth all them which doe iudge otherwise c. that is to say the whole Romish Church at this day which holdeth these propositions for hereticall That the bread is the bodie that the bodie is brused with the teeth c. Lanfranc de Sacr. Alger Where it is also to be noted that he saith Of the faithfull not of all those that are partakers thereof a remnant and small parcell of the pure doctrine and a signe of the as yet imperfect deliuerie and teaching of the impure and corrupt And therefore the Glose of the Decree addeth thereunto Beware least thou shouldest not rightly vnderstand that which Berengarius saith here and so shouldest fall into greater and more grosse heresies then euer he did And the Glose vpon the Canon Vtrum hath these words C. Vtrum de consecr d 2. ex August vbi Glos It is not lawfull to eate Christ with the teeth Berengarius saith hee said the contrarie but hee spoke hyberbolically and went beyond the listes of the
to this idol Magnificet animatua Demmum let thy soule therefore saith he praise the Lord c. Because thine eies haue seene thy saluation which we that is to say the Pope haue prepared before the face of thy people c. By the same meanes he sendeth vnto her Quaternum in in quo officium continetur a scedule or booke of the office which some hold to haue beene composed by Thomas Aquinas a great defender of this new opinion to haue had giuen vnto him therefore for a gift from the Pope a Doue of siluer whereupon it commeth that being painted he is alwaies set forth with the picture of a Doue at his right shoulder And namely he turneth the hymne Pange lingua gloriosi which Fortunatus had framed about the yeare 600. vpon the passion of our Sauiour to the honor of this feast But because as saith the Glose of Decretals In Decret de reliquils ve nerat Sanct. vbi Gloss Clem. l. 3. Pomerius De reliquiis veneratione sanctorum that this constitution was not receiued in euerie place about the yeare 1311. that is to say some 50. yeares after Clement the fift ordained in a Councell holden at Vienna that it should be obserued of all And about the yeare 1360. beganne the Processions and Tabernacles at Pauie the patterne whereof was recommended to all Christendome For in deed in that of Clements there was not as yet any mention made of bringing it forth in procession and offering of it in the streetes to worship for in it there are onely these words That this feast was ordained for the preparing of euery one to the better receiuing of him c. In like manner there is euery where mention made of two kinds But in despight that Berengarius who had striuen against and beaten downe transubstantiation was Deane of S. Maurice of Angiers hee was recommended vnto this same Cittie that he might in most singular and solemne sort celebrate this festiuall day And hence sprung the originall of the solemnities of Angiers more execrable cursed and in derision of our Lord then it was euer in any other place Since Pope Martin the fift and Pope Eugenius the fourth after the yeare 1400. redoubled the pardons againe so far forth as that those of the day of the Octaues calculated and reckned by Pomerius doe amount to fortie foure thousande daies of true pardon and that as well on his part and behalfe that looketh on as on his behalfe that communicateth And this is the goodly diuinitie of Popes vpon the holy Supper of our Lord. The pompe of Rome L. 3. Ceremon eccles Romā Let vs adde hereunto the pompe of Rome for it is yet come in of a later time after the other In the middest of the same a little before the Pope there is ledde a white ambling gelding which beareth the pretended Sacrament shut vp close and fast in a boxe This ambling gelding hath a little bell of a verie good sound hanging at his necke a sumpter-cloth is spread ouer it Lib. Pontifica lis sect 1. 2 5. 12. l. 1. 3. de offic sacrist wrought with the Popes armes twelue lustie cutters or ruffians walking before c. Sometimes also if the Pope go into the fieldes they send it with traine and baggage And hee that is desirous to know yet further let him reade the Pontificall bookes wherein they intreate of Processions through the Cittie of the Pope or of the Emperour his coronation But this is a thing for vs to marke and proue namely what agreement there is betwixt these inuentions and deuises of Popes and the institution of our Lord Take eate do this in remembrance of me c. As also what meanes there are for them to excuse this idolatrie There can no excuse be made for their idolatrie Summ. Angel Euchar. c 26. according to their owne Maximes They hold that If the Priest haue not had an intent and purpose actuall as some say habituall as others to consecrate that then he doth not consecrate That likewise if he had not any further purpose then to consecrate halfe a bread that then the other halfe is common breade Those then that worship if he haue not had any purpose to consecrate what do they worship but the creature And with what faith seeing when as he hath had a purpose they are not able to sound the truth and find it out Thom. Salisburiens de art predican c. 25. Wherefore it will behoue men to haue recourse to Thomas Salisburiensis his consideration as To worship vpon condition that euerie dutie and thing required to the action be well and truely done c. They hold also That the intent of him that consecrateth is not sufficient if his also that did institute the same doe not concurre Bonau in Còpend sacr theol l. 6. rub 11. that is to say that the Priest haue an intent saith Bonauenture if he worke not according to the institution of Christ To worship then in a priuate Masse is it not idolatrie seeing that Hugo of S. Victor Gabriel Biell and Gerardus Lorichius their great Maisters of transubstantiation doe openly hold and maintaine That the priuate Masse wherein there is not made any remembrance or publike Communion is against the institution of Christ And further seeing there is such an infinite number of cases such as are verie ordinarie Thom. p. 3 q 13. Ioh. de Burgo Pupilla c. 3. Gerson contr Florent Extr. de celeb Miss and notwithstanding not perceiued of those that are present wherein the priest doth not consecrate at all As If hee forget to put wine into the cuppe if the bread be made of any other then wheate flower if there be more water then wine if the wine be eager and sharpe if of seuen leaues moe or lesse he did thinke but of sixe if he haue omitted but one worde Of those wordes say I once againe whereupon they are not agreed amongst themselues c. who shall assure their faith that are present thereat of the consecration and by consequent warrant their consciences against idolatrie How that many notable personages of this time haue beene ashamed of the doctrine Pic. Mirand in Thesi◠secund Thom. Scot Idem in Apo in disput de Euch. Now it is verie certaine that manie in these our daies and times haue beene ashamed of this doctrine Iohannes Picus Counte of Mirandula durst dispute publikely at Rome against transubstantiation And his Theses are That the true bodie of Christ is locally in heauen and sacramentallie at the Altar That these wordes also Hoc est corpus meum doe not consecrate if the former be not expressed that is Pridié quà m pateretur c. That is to say that the institution lyeth not in certaine wordes but in the institution of Christ That the foure words tenentur materialiter non significatiuè Likewise he deliuereth a particular manner of eating the flesh
Alexandria All that the Lord hath done is not written but rather so much as the pen-men thought to be sufficient both for maners and doctrine of faith to the end that shining through a right faith manners and the truth we may come to the kingdom of Christ Now those pen-men of whom he speaketh were they not inspired of God Is it not his holy spirit himselfe Againe Lib. 5. in Leui. whether it were he or Origen vpon Leuiticus In the two Testaments we may finde out and discusse whatsoeuer matter concerning God from the same gather whatsoeuer knowledge of things in so much as that if any thing remaine not determined by these Scriptures there is not any third which we are to receiue and admit of for the authorising of such knowledge Cyrill Bishop of Ierusalem Beleeue me not Cyril Hierosolim Catec 4. if I shew it thee not by the Scriptures for the saluation of our faith is not bolted out by the meanes of any disputation but plainly demonstrated by them Thom. 1. part Sum. q. 1. art 3. Supra omne debitum creaturae Et q. 147 art 4 p. 3. in add q. 6 art 6. And what will they say more when as Thomas one of their side saith That the things that proceede of the onely will of God besides whatsoeuer is due vnto the creature cannot be made knowne vnto vs otherwise then in that they are deliuered vnto vs in the Scripture That the doctrine of faith and the Sacraments cannot bee but of Christ That the ordinances and statutes of the church are not of themselues of the necessitie of saluation When also expounding the place in controuersie at this day of the second to Timothie chapter the third he vseth these wordes That the Scriptures teach the truth In 2. ad Tim. c. 3. â— reproue falshood perswade vnto that which is good and draw backe from that which is euill Not saith he after any faint or feeble maner but to the perfecting of the worke of saluation yea saith he euen in the highest degree c. And Scotus after him That the holy scripture is sufficient for the Pilgrime that is to say for the Christian trauailing heere below to come to the end of his purposed voiage that is to say vnto saluation That this way is not doubtfull but most certaine that in the same likewise is founde sufficiently laid open whatsoeuer is to be beleeued hoped for or done And Cardinall Caietan vpon the place afore named To the making saith he of the man wise vnto eternall saluation and furnished with all those partes requisite for the making of the man of God perfect Admit will some say vnto vs that it is sufficient The scripture is cleare and plaine vnto saluation Lactan l. 5. c. 1. but yet notwithstanding obscure difficult ambiguous by consequent daungerous This is all that which can be said against a wicked maÌ„ making his will taking pleasure to set his heires togither by the eares through sutes in the law And what would they say then to the Gentiles to Celsus to Iulian to all the Philosophers who tooke occasion by reason of the facilitie and simplicitie of the same to account thereof as base and contemptible He that is the light of lights and together therewith all goodnes it selfe shall he delight himselfe in becomming obscure and darke vnto vs This light that lightneth euerie man that commeth into the world shall he be come downe here vpon earth to blind the world euen them whom he hath chosen and set apart from the world Shall not the essentiall almightie word of God haue power or knowledge or will to expresse and make plaine his meaning in his worde when as he is come from heauen vnto vs from the bosome of the father amongst men to expresse and manifest himselfe The holy Ghost sent downe from the father and the sonne to teach the Apostles the things concerning saluation and in them vs comming downe vpon them in tongues of fire to interpret himselfe in all maner of languages shall he be no better then barbarisme and darknesse shall he not be prouided of wordes cleare and plaine inough to make himselfe to be vnderstood in the Scriptures Verily we learne not this lesson in the Prophets if they be not able to auouch vnto vs in that they speake their own cause Thy word saith Dauid is a torch vnto my feete Psal 119. 19 12. that is to say a light causing our eies to see They that speake not according to this word saith Esai it is because they haue no light in them Neither yet of S. Peter Esai 8.2 Pet. 1.19 who in his iudgement hath thought it to be so far off from obscuritie as that he hath commaunded vs to hearken to the Propheticall worde as vnto a light that shineth in darknesse And what then shall be the brightnesse of the Gospel which is the light of this light the Sunne in respect of the lampe and declared vnto vs by the Sonne the brightnesse of the glorie of the father Afterward the Apostle saith that he hath spoken diuerse wayes to the Fathers and to the Prophets c. And to whom then shall he be obscure to whom shall he bee hidden except as Saint Paule saith vnto vs vnto them which perish 2. Cor. 44. to them whose vnderstaÌ„ding the God of this world hath blinded to the end that the light of the Gospel of the glorie of Christ might not shine vnto them Likewise the Fathers they speake not according to our aduersaries According to the fathers for when they aunswere the Pagans they go not about to excuse the simplicitie and clearnesse thereof by denying them but rather say they it behoued them to be such to the ende that that which was for the saluation of euerie particular partie might be vnderstoode of all Irenaeus saith Iren. cont hae res l. 2. c. 42 67. Iust in Tryph. Tertul. de resurrect All the Scripture both Propheticall and Euangelicall is manifest and without ambiguitie and may likewise be vnderstoode of all Iustine Let vs haue recourse vnto the Scripture that therein we may find where to be safe and sure Tertullian The heretikes shun the light of the Scripture So farre is it off that they should be able to shrowde themselues vnder the darknesse of the same Athanasius Athan. in Epi. ad Iouinian True faith in Christ is cleare by the Scriptures Let vs set saith he against the Arrians this candle vpon the Candlesticke and it is sufficient Saint Hillarie to the same purpose Hillar de vnit patris filâ—i The Lord hath set forth the faith of the Gospel in the greatest simplicitie that possibly can be and hath fitted his wordes for our capacitie so farre forth as our infirmitie is able to beare it Constantine the Emperour likewise in the same cause Constant in Concil Nicen. Socrat. l. 1. Chrysost in 2.
which was to come by which it was signified that by one sacrifice of which that was but a figure the liues of the people shoulde spirituallie bee spared And that one is Iesus Christ Idem de ciuit Dei l. 10. c. 5. who was offered vppe and giuen for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification whereupon also the Apostle saieth vnto vs Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus Christ our true Passeouer was slaine and sacrificed c. And this is that which hee sayeth elsewhere in one word That which euerie man calleth a sacrifice that same is the signe of the true sacrifice Now all of them vse these wordes Altars Sacrifices and these verbes to Offer to Sacrifice for the considerations hereafter set downe for these manners of speaking did runne verie smoothlie and pleasantlie amongst Christians in those dayes comming either newlie from amongst the Iewes or else the Gentiles whose principall seruice consisted in sacrifices and yet notwithstanding they put thereunto continuallie if wee giue good heede thereto such corrections as are necessarie Whereby wee may iudge if they had but a little foreseene in what diuerse sortes they are now abused the Sacrament being drawne by little and little to a Sacrifice and then the worde Sacrifice drawne from his Metaphoricall sence to a simple and proper sence and from a sacrifice of thankesgiuing to a sacrifice propitiatorie what restrainte and limits they would haue closed them in withall CHAP. V. How and by what Degrees the sacrament of the holy Supper was turned into a propitiatorie sacrifice SOme there are which aske how this did happen vnto the Church Truelie not all at once For wee see in euerie dayes successe that when Sunne is set there is a twilight before that darknes it selfe doe come to hide and couer all thinges So after that those great lightes of the church which tooke their brightnes from the true light of the Gospel had runne their course yet there remained some glimses of that their brightnes a long time after notwithstanding that they were smothered and stifled with the palpable fogs of blinde superstition and although they were violently forced by a contrary seÌ„ce to do the thing they were neuer ordained for And this we see in Beda Beda in Leui. c. 1. the grand Disciple of S. Augustine who sayeth Christ is offered for vs both the Priest and Sacrifice together and hath eaten and destroyed our sinnes inasmuch as hee is our Priest according to the order of Melchisedech and in like manner the true Ministers of the Church doe eate the sins of the people by attributing vnto them the remission of their sinnes in the Church wherein sinnes are forgiuen If hee had beene of the same opinion with our aduersaries hee shoulde haue concluded And therefore the true Priestes do eate the sinnes of the people when they say the Masse for them c. Again We are commaunded to celebrate the feast of the Passeouer euerie daye Our aduersaries would saye here To say the Masse euerie daye But hee Idem in Exod. that is asmuch as to saye Let vs daylie goe from euill to good and from good to better and let vs consecrate our first borne vnto God euen our good workes seeing hee hath ouercome the Diuels for our sakes Again The high Priest entred into the forepart of the Tabernacle euerie day for to sacrifice And this is to put vs in minde to offer dailie vnto God the sacrifices of praise of humilitie and of a contrite spirite c. Thus turning euen the propitiatorie Sacrifices of the law into the Sacrifices of praise those which were offered by the hand and ministerie of the Priest to those which were offered by euerie Christian Albinus sayeth the same as also Charles the great And as for the Sacrament of the Eucharist The sacrament of the bodie and blood of Iesus Christ saith Charles the great was giuen vs thereby to renew the memory of his passion and our saluation And this was about the yeare eight hundred Bertram in the time of Charles the bald about the yeare 900. Bertram de corpore sanâ—uine Domini Heb. 7. Our Lord hath done this at once euen in offering vp himselfe that is to say sacrificing himselfe for vs For he was once offered for the sinnes of the people and this oblation notwithstanding is daily celebrated by the faithfull but in a mysterie to the end that what our Lord Iesus hath accomplished in offering himselfe once might be handled euerie day by the celebrating of the misteries of the renewing of the memorie of his passion Where it is to be noted how he opposeth the mysticall receiuing to the reall receiuing and the daily renewing of the remembrance to the once offering of the sacrifice Againe He hath saith he left vs an example which is daily offered by the faithfull in the mysterie of his bodie and of his blood namely that whosoeuer wil draw neere vnto him may know that he must haue part in his sufferinges the image and representation whereof is exhibited in the holy mysteries that is to say in the breaking of bread the renewing of the memorie of his bodie broken in the powring out of the wine the shedding of his blood for vs. Haimo saith To speake morally Haimo in c. 5 Ose in c. 2 Abac. Malach 1. the sacrifices of the Lord are the praises vttered by the belieuers the penance of sinners the teares of the humble suters whereof it is written The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirite c. Againe Prayer is a speciall sacrifice to be offered to God and so is almes also c. Remig in Psal 55. Remigius If we will sacrifice to God let vs not seeke out of our selues for that which wee are about to offer vnto him we haue in our selues the incense of praise the sacrifice of faith onelie let all that which wee offer be kindled made the more feruent and coupled with charitie Againe Idem in Psal 95. There are not any sacrifices that auaile without faith for there is no place for a true sacrifice out of the Church c. These men howbeit great and renowned for knowledge at this time doe call the sacrament of the holy supper as also the Masse such as it was then celebrated a sacrifice but doubtles with the same mind and in the same sence that Rabanus one of the same time with them did vse it Rabanus de Institu Cleric l. 1. c. 32. Sacrificium saieth he quasisacrum factum a sacrifice as if a man would saye a holy and consecrate worke or action which is consecrated by a mysticall prayer in the remembrance of the passion and suffering of our Lorde c. Which selfe same thing Paschasius calleth otherwise The passion of Christ in a mysterie Pasc de corp Sang. Domini Theophil in Iohan. c. 8. the calling to minde of the passion of the Lorde on the Altar
c. Theophilact about the yeare 1000. The medicines which are effectuall and forcible doe heale euen at the first time being administred but those which neede to bee taken againe and againe doe argue their weakenes sufficiently euen by that onely note euen so it fareth betwixt the Legall sacrifices and the sacrifices of Christ But here riseth a question whether that we also doe offer sacrifices and oblations without shedding of blood vnto which wee aunswere affirmatiuelie but it is in that wee renue the memorie of the death of the Lorde and yet in the meane time it is but one sacrifice not manie because is hath beene offered but onelie once wee offer then daylie himselfe or rather the remembrance of this oblation by which hee did offer himselfe c. In place else where hee giueth vs these generall rules Where there is remission of sinnes there needeth not anie more sacrifices but Christ hath offered a sacrifice seruing and standing sufficient for euer and therefore wee haue no neede of anie other seconde sacrifice c. Anselmus in like maner Ansel in Ep. ad Heb. c. 10 Howbeit we offer sacrifices euerie day yet it is no other then the recording renewing of the memory of the death of Christ therby we offer but one sacrifice not manie for hee was onelie once offered c. Againe All that we doe is but the renuing of the remembrance of his death Againe Our Lordsaide Take eate and sacrifice offer vnto God And S. Paule to the same ende That the Saintes were perfected by one onely oblation And this hath come to passe within this thousand yeares so hard and difficult a thing it is to bring the learned to speake the language of the Masse though the abuse and mischiefe be alreadie brought in And indeede we shall see hereafter that it doth not speake it it selfe But now since the yeare fiue hundred vntill this time it hath ouerrunne great large Dominions and yet by certaine degrees and by the concurring of diuerse causes During the feruent and deuoute zeale of the Christian Church the holie supper was celebrated euerie Lordes day Carol. Mag. l 7. c. 138.182 167. yea in some Churches euerie daye and the number of Communicantes was ordinarilie verie great whereby wee haue seene herefofore that in populous Churches and congregations there haue beene distributed at one time diuerse great loaues and diuerse great cuppes of wine This zeale together with the time grew luke-warme whereupon wee see that S. Ambrose and S. Chrysostome are greatlie grieued to see That it was their dutie to attend at the Lordes Table and that no man hasted to come thereto c. Insomuch also as that exhortations manie and diuerse being vsed to draw the people thereunto but profiting nothing there were diuerse Canons made to binde and inforce the people thereunto as also ciuill lawes Let all the faithfull communicate and staye the Masse without anie more bidding L. 2. c. 45. yea at the least let them not faile to communicate on the Lordes daye c. But whether it were the obstinacie or carelesnes of the Pastors or both that were the cause these Canons profited little In the ende there was a lawe made That such Laye people as did not communicate at the least euerie feast of the Natiuitie Easter Whitsontide Add. 3.38 should bee held for infidels and ratified afterward in the Actes and Statutes set forth by Charles the great thus the Table of the Supper stoode solitary and as a reiected and forlorne thing for the most part at least in respect of the Laitie The ecclesiasticall persons continued their communicating for some time and so there still remained a certaine forme of Communion or Eucharist But shortlie after loosenes laide holde vpon them also as it had done before of others Whereupon we see that the Church is constrained to make Canons That at the least three or foure should alwaies communicate with the Priestes The printes whereof are as yet in the Abbye of Clugny where the Deacon and Subdeacon doe receiue the Communion as yet vnto this day together with the Priests But afterward these three were shufled vppe into one this one was hee that rung the bell whome they called the Sexten Camp nariū And this coldnes did still so encrease that Charles the great is constrained to make a lawe L. 5. c. 93. l. 6. c. 118. Add. 2. c 7. by which the Priest after hee hath consecrated is bound to communicate because that euen hee himselfe did oftentimes abstaine and there are manie olde Canons to that purpose Thus the vse of the Communion was lost by degrees this Communion I say wherin Christians were admonished and put in minde of practising true charitie by the substance of the bread which consisted of manie cornes wrought vppe into one loaf seeing thy bee manie members of one bodie liuing vnder one heade euen Iesus Christ our Lord and so proportionablie the sacramentes themselues fell into a consumption as namelie the bread from manie loaues to one and from a great one to a little one no bigger then would serue being deuided onelie for three persons and in the ende as wee now see to breade no bigger then a penie And the wine consequentlie so as it might fit the other from great vessels vnto little pots such as serue at the Masse from manie cups to one from a great one to a little one And it is notwithstanding to bee noted that this abuse had his abode onelie in the Church of Rome all other Churches as those amongst the Abissines Armenians Syrians Grecians Muscouites c. hauing retained and retayning the Communion as yet vnto this daye Now it fell out also that the people no longer communicating in the holy supper became negligent in other partes of their accustomed seruice and particularlie in that of bringing of offeringes which consisted according to the Canons in breade and wine from which was taken what was necessarie to bee imployed in the Communion for those offerings ceasing it was a cause that the Communion also ceased Carol. l. 1.5.94 152. And indeede we see that this law is oftentimes renued by Charles the Great namelie That the people should be warned to communicate and bring their offeringes euerie Lordes daye For that the one did cease to bee because of the other and thereupon also the requesting of the one was with the more honestie by reason of the other Wherefore to cherish them vppe both in deuotion as also in liberalitie they were giuen to vnderstand that the Masse did not onely benefite and serue them by their communicating in the Sacrament in it but that the principall point of comforte vnto them thereby was yet behinde namelie the sacrifice in the merite whereof they had part inasmuch onelie as that they were present thereat prouided euermore that they for their partes brought their sacrifices that is to say their offeringes with them There was