of worke our Adversaries do so fire our breeches and foxe vs backe so eagerlie vnto the earth of subtile invētions that we puffe and blow about it as it were melt our selues away in our grease not having an Alphabet while so much as to peere out a little our heades and fetch breath for them Moreover when we haue laboured in our celles as men for life death our laboures chaunce to light into their fistes they doe so file and refile over and over our hammer beaten stuffe that in the end it goes wel with vs if there bee found the least glimmering shine of truth in it In the mean time I deny not absolutely but that this is beneficial vnto our Papal Pontificious orders a great deale more I suppose it would be were al comparable in these feates vnto thy selfe but there are such a rabble of biffe boffe Papistes idiotical simple wherof I am one without shame bee it spoken my selfe that if any be sawcie with with vs to vnderstand our reasons wee do no more thē set this Stand a broach which is The holie Catholike Mother Church of Rome hath thus determined it therfore talke no more of necessitie it must bee so And if they vrge vs any farther no way then is lefte for vs but one namely to rush into the multitude of papists which are called omniū simplicissimi stolidissimi that is dreaming and welmeaning Papists though they cānot nor will not expresse it say with thē It is my conscience which I thinke a bare ioynd stoole had it the vse of speech would say as much or more Norwithstāding though I thus come shorte of thee in intricable sophistications yet do I beare as great good wil vnto that game as thou dost for thy guts and doe desire that I had but a quarter of thy excellēt skil herein thou shouldest perceiue that I would bristle after an other manner of sort then yet I do with these ordinarie prying Protestants into our doings but I fear me these Elenches are so abstruse hard as they wil never whilst the world stands enter within my clockhouse of conceipte to consider of them Well Brother quoth the other I haue hitherto with patiēce willingly heard thy tale because I see thy willingnesse great to vie with mee though thine abilitie is but smale Concerning those afterfetches and recanvassing of our doeings by the Protestantes thou hast hitte the naile right vpon the head in so sensiblie portraiting them out before me Wherfore as I began this fraternal communication with thee so do I conclude the same that seeing we are thus extreamely firkt besert vext and counterchardged by our enimies we must necessarily like true Catholikes if wee intend to vphold the glittering pride of our Mother Church at Rome toile night daie like packehorses take intollerable paines aswel directlie in smothering of the truth by wreasting Loc. Com. Musc 161. the right sense of it cleane camme from the drifte and purpose of the writer as also indirectly what we can in reobscuring the same with doubte vpon doubte by our scholastical and questionizing altercations Lastly forasmuch as thou hast made knowen vnto me thy studiouse minde to congratifie with mee and the rest of our societie the catholike mother Church of St. Peter and our holy Papal Father of St. Angelo in Rome who is the head therof as thou knowest wel ynough in such like manner knowledge of depraving and inverting the Scriptures in falsly syllogizing therevpon heere is my hand vse me anie night thou wilt assure thy selfe I wil both indoctorate and Papistifie thee with that superexcellent qualitie as also for thy fidelity vnto my selfe and for thy true hearted Catholiknes vnto the Church will performe vnto thee anie other good else what I can And thus my Brother Papist I bidd thee till our nexte meeting in some such like blacke darckesome mistie rotten weather hartelie adewe I haue purposely vsed prolixity because I could no way better then vvith some delight both laugh at their wilfull selfe-pleasing allurements vnto folly ekewise display the accustomed detestable pranks of al superstitiously sworn and vnreturnable vowed Papistes Two or three at last Vbiquitary arguments and so an end Vbiquities of the true naturall bodie of Christ 1 The body of Christ is inuisible because it hath the grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of dispensation Confutation Nay that is false because that the body of Christ is not by nature invisible no not after his resurrection as Ioh. 20. cap. 20.28.29 verses Luk. 24. cap. 39. v. Secondly the Vbiquitaries doe most groslie forge a new signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dispensation which for sooth very trimly they vse for the feighned maiestie of the flesh of Christ that is for the vbiquitie of it when notwithstanding the Fathers haue called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dispensation euen the whole incarnation and administration of the office of Christ by taking of flesh Theodoret Dial. 2. 2 The Vbiquitaries for the true communication idiomatum of the proprieties of both natures of Christ into one Person wil by and by haue signified vnder this forme of speech proprietatum tranfusionem that is a transfusion of Proprieties out of one nature of Christ into an other as may bee out of the divine into his humane nature so that they wil haue the Proprieties of his Deity or godhead to be communicated vnto his Humanitie But this axiome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overthrowes it selfe For if once they be proprieties then are they not cōmunicated and if they bee communicated then are they not proprieties 3 The like quaint and passing euil improper speech before this neuer hearde of haue they counterfeited in these two voices Abstract and Concret teaching that the humane nature of Christ is not every where in the Abstract that is abstracted and separated from his diuinitie but it is euery where in the Concret that is concreted and vnited vnto the Deity Is not this I pray trecherously to corrupte the vsuall speaking of the church They know I am sure that an Abstract is the name of a nature or form whatsoeuer which is in some other either essentially or accidentally as are these deitie Humanitie VVisdome Iustice but the Concret doth signifie the thing it selfe or the Subiect which hath that nature and forme as God Man VVise Iust Now how true this is which they goe about al men know right well For the Cōcret of Christs diuine nature is to be God himselfe the abstract hereof is his Deitie Likewise the Concret of his humane nature is to be Man the Abstract hereof is his Humanity Apply these tearmes of Art according as they wil haue them and it is al one as if they had said that the humane nature of Christ is every where as hee is Man which is the Concret but he is not euery where in his Humanity which is
vilely plaie the patchpannels Yea but some vvill say if so that the Sacramentes bee but signes and representations what necessitie lieth in theÌ„ seeing the word of God it selfe doth teach vs as much and therfore vvithout the other were sufficient alone for vs. First I answere that the necessity of the SacrameÌ„ts staÌ„deth vpon this grouÌ„d that is to say on the ordinance of God who will not bee called to accompte of vs for any thing that he doth Secondly I answere that the word indeede of God is all-sufficieÌ„t by it selfe had not wee bin insufficient by reason of our dulnes to beleeue the same And for this cause hee ordained the Sacramentes to helpe our weakenes and dulheartednes to believe any thing vnlesse we do with St Thomas both see feele him first Iob. 20.13 though not corporally as he did theÌ„ that is in his flesh and bodely presence but Sacramentally representorilie that is by Signes And therfore we are most highly bouÌ„d vnto God for the same seeing he doth debase himselfe so farre by these terrestrial creatures of bread wine as ther by to apply and make himselfe familiar to our feeble to our sleÌ„der more theÌ„ weake yea childish capacitie reach vnderstanding Heere theÌ„ we are to note that threefold difference betwixt the word the Sacraments in the order of confirming faith viz. 1. The word is offered preached generally vnto all but the Sacraments are singularly ministred to every of the faithfull 2. The word is offered in preaching to the eare onely but the Sacramentes are presented to all the senses that so we may be every way sensiblie affected assured of the goodnes favour mercie of our God 3. God by his word hath revealed expressed set downe his will vnto vs by the Signe or Sacrament he hath coÌ„firmed the same vnto vs. To the end that that thing which the mind did coÌ„ceaue out of the word might after a sort through the Signe be presented to the senses c. Now forsomuch as our Adversaries the Papists do still baÌ„gle about mooneshining in the water by standing so stifly vppon the grosse and literall sense of these wordes Hoc est corpus meum that is this is my body that neither they may be their owne carvers nor we wax olde in our opinion without reason reason I say such as they never will haue the like vnlesse they haue the same I will oppose against that grosse taking of the wordes fower especiall thinges to annihilate infringe the same viz. 1. The iudgment verdite of the learneder sounder sort touching the true meaning of the wordes 2. The auctoritie of the Scripture the best interpreters thereof 3. Reasons with the contrarie Absurdities 4. Lastly if that none of these the least whereof is sufficient can satisfie such vnreasonable and flint-harted Papists that do most obstinately put away the true and sincere knowledge of these mysteries I must be driven to discover to their shame had they any the most impure irreligious doctrine vvhich they mordicùs tooth naile defende about their Masse First of the First that is the iudgement of the Fathers 1. The bread taken and given to his Disciples he made that his body saying This is my bodie that is a figure of my bodie Tertullian lib. 4. coÌ„tra Marcionem 2. After such a maner he saith that the bread wine are the flesh bloud of Christ as that both the thinges signifying and the things signified are iudged or esteemed by the same words Cyprian de Chrism 3. The Lord saith Augustine did not doubt to say This is my bodie when he gaue a Signe of his bodie August contra Adamant chap. 12. Againe Cyprian he calleth it panem sanctificatum that is hallowed bread 4. The bread vpon the Alter onely is a Signe as Baptisme is and it proffiteth nothing vnlesse the bread be nowe eaten within Lut. in Serm super Iohan. 6. Anno 1523. 5. The Latine Church speaketh Nulla rei fit scissura signi tantum fit fractura qua nec status nec statura signatiminuitur that is no reÌ„ting is made of the thing onely there is a breaking of the signe whereby neither the state not stature of the thinge signified is diminished And they hold this to bee the definition of a Sacrament That it is a Signe of an holie thing 6. The destroying or taking avvaie the Proprieties is a denying of the Nature Theodoret. Dial. 3. 7. The natural essential Proprietie beeing cutte of the verie whole nature also it selfe is overthrowen therewith For a nature cannot be found out anie way but by the essentiall Proprietie that doth designe and note out the same Vigilius in Epist. Synod adversus Monothel He that denieth the Proprieties denieth the nature Luth. in lib. Concil If then the bodie of Christ is not visible and circumscribed it cannot bee a bodie For take away the essentiall Adiunct and take away the Subiect also once put the AdiuÌ„ct forthwith adde the Subiect toe Vbiquitie therefore is not communicated vnto the body because it is a Proprietie of the divine Nature 8. Do thou not saith Austen doubt that the man Christ Iesus is there now from whence hee shall come and print it firmelie in thine heart keepe faithfullie the Christian confession because he hath risen from the deade he ascended vp into heaven hee sitteth at the right hand of the Father neither shal he come else-where then from thence to iudge the living and the deade And he shall so come the evangelicall voice Act. 1. bearing witnes heereto as he was seene to goe into heaven that is in the same forme substaÌ„ce of his flesh to which flesh he gave immortality indeede but yet tooke not away the nature According to this forme he is not to bee thought to bee spredde every where For we must beware that we do not so maintaine the divinitie of man that wee should take away the truth of his bodie Besides it folâ—oweth not that that which is in God should bee everie where so as God For the scripture saith most true thinges to vs that wee live in him move and haue our being yet are wee not everie where as he is But that man is otherwise in God because God is also otherwise in that man after a certaine proper and singular manner For one person is God and man both is one Christ Iesus Every where by that that he is God but in Coelo in heaveÌ„ by that that he is man August in Epist ad Dardanum Althique dicit Sacramentum premi dentibus In a word all this contention saith Mulculus standeth on the right sense of the wordes of Christ viz. This is my bodie where the true meaning of them is held there those arguments do make nothing at all to the purpose by which they labour in laying on Hampton load of sophismes fooleries to proue that the body of Christ can be in many places at
one time yea vbique every where 1. Sophisme The Vbiquitaries when they woulde proue that the body of Christ is in the bread they haue nothing poore souls to bring but the literal words of Christ be cause he hath said This is my body But in the meane time petunt principium that is they begge of vs this favour to grant the whole matter that is in controversie betwixt vs. For who seeth not that about these wordes of Christ lyeth the whole question how or after what sorte they are to be vnderstood Therfore the proofe of this point cannot be taken frō them For the approbation of the true sense is not to be drawne out of the very wordes themselues whose meaning we doe explicate and seeke for but frō that which goeth before that which followeth after or els from other like places that so the Analogie of faith may be obserued 2. Sophisme Againe will ye heare an other acute reason of theirs acute did I say one may terme it so aswel as some do mons à movendo that is fine cute cote the body of Christ say they is every where because the proprieties of the diuine nature are communicated to it But wee finde here petitionem principij that is a begging of the argument because the argument is as vncertaine doubtful as the thing it selfe which is had in question They must first proue not as mendicant Friars begge that it be freely granted to them 1. Argument But one argument now against thē viz. Whosoeuer do take away the proprieties of the body of Christ they doe take away the bodie it selfe They who say that the bodye of Christ is euery where doe take away the proprieties of the bodie of Christ therefore whosoeuer say that the bodie of Christ is every where they take awaie the body it selfe Here the Vbiquitarians deny the cōclusion but tell them of answering the argument surdo narras fabulam that is it doth please them so well as though you had broken both their shinns with a crab-tree cudgel 2. Argument The bread is changed into the bodie of Christ either substantially or sacramētally but not substātially for Christ according to Theodoret hath honoured the visible Symbols by the names of his bodie and blood not changing the nature but adding grace vnto the nature Therefore it is changed only sacramentally that is it is made and turned out of common bread into a Sacrament of his bodie 3. Argument The bodie is spokē de pane of the bread either properly or tropically non properly because so al might be said of the bread properlie and truelie whatsoeuer are said of the bodie according to that axiome Quicquid dicitur de praedicate dicitur etiam de subiecto which absurditie deserues an hissing Therefore it is of necessity spoken of the bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is tropically 4. Argument Poison cannot bee mingled with the natural bodie blood of Christ but it may with the Eucharisticall bread and wine as experience hath taught For a certaine Monke of the Iacobin order named Bernhard de monte Politiano de Doncastro gaue vnto the Emperour Henry 7. an intoxicated or poisoned Host which hauing receiued he died Therfore the Eucharistical bread is not made the natural bodie and the wine is not likewise the natural blood of Christ 5. Argument This particle hoc in the words of the Supper which signifieth this either demonstrateth bread or the only accidēts of bread or els the body it self of Christ or lastly as Thomas Aquinas saith p. 3. Q. 78. Artic. 5. some wandring and indeterminat kinde of substance For besides these there was nothing of which Christ touching his body might bee spoken 1. First then this particle doth not demonstrate substantiam vagam that is a wandering or roaming substance because it was a determinate setled substance not a rouing substaunce euen that which Christ held in his handes which he brake and which he gaue to his Disciples 2. Next it doth not demonstrate the bodie it selfe of Christ neither visible nor invisible For the visible body Christ himselfe had on but hee gaue vnto his Disciples after hee had broken it a plaine evident and demonstrate thing An Invisible or Vbiquitarie bodie in the Supper Christ had none yea the Papists too doe confesse that the body of Christ is not yet presēt vnder the forme of bread when the Priest doth begin to pronounce this Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this but then it is present at last cast as they say euen after the chaunge is made nowe they say that the immutation of breade into the body of Christ is made in the very last gaspe of the cōsecratiō wherin the syllable VM is pronoūced in these fine words Hoc est yet the change is not enim nor yet Corpus nor yet me now t is neere um here t is Lo now he hath stroken it dead now in deed hee hath kild the cow and neuer before till this syllable VM flue mee out of his chaps Hence you may take a short surview of Popery in graine that is in his right stampe couler and cue as men commonly saie 3. Thirdly lastly this particle hoc this doth not demonstrate the shew onlie or accidents of bread aswel because Christ held not in his hand neither did he breake bare accidents but the verie materiated thing it selfe clad and bounded about with accidentes as also because it was false that the shew or resemblance of bread should be the body of Christ For this were to make a body of the aire nay marry it is not so wel by a great deal because that the aire though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a most moist fluid body yet it is a body but accidents are immateriall things are no subiect of themselues but they doe inhaerere subiecto that is they are fastned in some Subiect which must support and beare them vp It is a common saying that beggers repeate their Pater noster so oft till at length they cleane forget it so the fabulous massing wittals doe beat about the bush of Sophistrie and quirkes so long till at last they leese the bird it selfe that is they forget the maine groundes and rules of Logike Wherfore to conclude this Particle Hoc doth demonstrat nothing els then the bread alone neither doe the words of Christ this is my bodie sound any other thing then Hic panis that is this bread is my bodie Let this suffice for the first the two other middle motiues against that grosse interpretation of the words this is my body namely the authority of the Scriptures the reasons with the cōtrary absurdities shal be set downe as occasiō offereth in the particular hand ling and discussing of this Sacrament In the meane space you haue heard the definition and nature of the Lordes Supper you haue heard howe many things do generally belong thereto you haue had and heard
these two which may not nor cannot anie kinde of way be seuered Wherefore seeing they are so hot vpō the spur that they wil whosoeuer saith nay haue Christ to bee often offered then must they euen spight of their nose haue him in like manner to be often slaine too Let them not thinke to turne it over their thumbs thus childishslie by saying that their sacrifice in the Masse is incruenta an vnkilde or vnbloody sacrifice no surelie this forged invention of theirs is by manie pounds to light in the ballance and being compared with the truth wil be returned home vnto them for want of waight To conclude the offering vp the bodie and blood of Christ is so done that being perfected once vpon the crosse it may not be done againe For Christ by once offering himselfe died and rose againe and it cannot be that he should after that die againe Neither can it be victima Christi the sacrifice of Christ for remissiō of sins which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without blood Touching which thing read the ninth Chapter to the Hebrews there you shal finde that this bloodlesse sacrifice in the Masse is nothing els but a Mockerie of the true and perfect sacrifice of Christ which was with bloode And questionles the oblation and death of Christ are so combined knit togither that it is impossible for the one truly to be perfected without the other Wherfore whosoeuer goe about to offer Christ againe that too for remission of sinnes do attempt also after the same manner to crucifice him anew This vndoubtedly many do crucifying to themselues the son of God whenas yet no man is once able to crucifie againe Christ himselfe in se that is in himselfe and therefore can neither offer him And from hence it is that with one only oblation he hath made perfect or cōsecrated for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Because the offering vp of himselfe did require such a death of his as was perfused with blood which death was only once Rom. 6.10 and therefore must his oblation be no more then only Heb. 7.27 once Because looke how manie oblations of Christ so many deaths of necessity must there be For these two can in no wise be separated That this is the truth and no more then truth Read Heb. 9. cap. 24.25.26.27.28 verses Leaue of then ye Papists thus to loue vanity to seeke after lies as ye doe A third member of the Definition Thirdly and lastly after they haue in this fashion made their Masse to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice then a bloodles sacrifice that is not crucified or put to death by them examine them againe why they doe continually offer him vpon their Alters you shal heare them by and by answere you wonderfull readily and ridiculously For what is this els thē if they should say namely that Christ himselfe by offring vp himselfe once for all had done nothing or surely had scarse done ynough whereby it commeth to passe as wee see nowe in these Locustes of Rome and frogges of the false Prophet Revel 16. cap. 13. that that thing which Christ himself either could not o would not do that as experience testifieth to their open shame these gallant shauelinges by their Art more then magicall doe most gracelessely sacrilegiously endeavour to performe and finish But these idle feakes so they may keepe their vpper garments drie make a light come off how much the water doth in the meane while swell aboue their shooes For because they will not in any case forsooth seeme tardie of killing crucifying the Lord in their execrable Masse they wil vse him in the tractablest sort as their owne dreadsul and abominable hart can best imagin Now how is that even no more then a fewe times as a thousand thousand Milliās to offer him vp a sacrifice vpō their Altars Which vnto thē is the easiest matter amongst ten thousand to doe but to vs it is as pleasing as daggers thrust into our heartes In the meane space they graunt as much as we request in saying they doe but very oftentimes often that is continually offer vp Christ at their pleasure by massing and remassing by hoissing rehoissing by dādling of the host much after a rate as children vse to play with Puppets which doth tast ful and whole of the dregges of that spiritual fornication of the whore of Babylon Revel 18. wheras the scripture every where beateth flatte to the ground these al such like drossie rotten canker-eaten doctrines of mens owne brain-sicke making as see Heb. 10. c. 14 vers For with one offering hath hee consecrated for ever them that are sanctified Marke heere how the Apostle saith 1 One offering there is no neede thē of manie often or iterated offerings 2 There is added He who is that even none other but Christ himselfe 3 St. Paule vseth the word ever to shew that it is alwaies most powerful in it selfe and effectual for ever See the 12. ver of the same chapter And the whole 9. cap. reade it Item Hebr. 7. Chap. 27.28 verses Hitherto of those three former clauses of their quintessence-like extracted sacrifice yet one bone more for them to nibble vpon and so an ende of this matter For one though wee ought not to bee wearie in well doing shal sooner wearie himselfe herein then weary thē A scruple of Conscience vnto the Papistes MOreover by offering vp of Christ an oblation or sacrifice what doe they but lift thēselves aboue Christ For the offerer is greater then his offering as were Abel Abraham Iacob Iob and others when they offered vp their sacrifices so likewise the Priests as Aaron the rest so in like manner Christ himselfe conparing his divine nature with his humane body But stay a while what a contumely I pray is this against Christ thus insolently and presumptuouslie to vaunt of their excellentnes before God to offer vp Christ his onely begotten when as yet there is neither Angell nor any creature may be found worthy to enterprise or take this thing in hand I could wish them frō my hart so much pietie or at least humanitie as to regard this well Besides the Masse as themselves affirme doth deserve ex opere operato that is by the verie Massing of the Masse or threadbare vttering and huzzing of it not onely forgiuenes of sinnes as touching men but it meriteth also a curing of cattle oxen hoggs hens geese and other deseased beastes whatsoevernay what is there which this medcine of Daucus Maucus made and as I may so say put out of his witts too by a priest cannot worke vpon for money It will make I marrie will it the soules of al old beldams to whippe out of Purgatorie dungeon and awaie amaine so fast as a dogge may trotte I know not whither my self in al the world nor they neither To trusse vp al in one fardle these are those verie mishapen and more then hideous