handled in the first booke Of the Second Booke 1 OF Churches and Altars their first beginning and proceeding 2 Of Images that olde and auncient Christians had not anie 3 VVhat manner of increase and proceeding Images had amongst Christians and of the licentious abuse thereof after they were once brought into the Church of Rome 4 Of vnleauened bread wine mixt with water and of such thinges as serued in the administration of the Sacraments 5 That the old worship and auncient manner of seruing God was altogether performed done in such a language as the common people knew and vnderstood and by what degrees it was altered and changed 6 That in the Primitiue Church and a long time after the holie Scriptures were read amongst the people in all tongues and languages 7 Wherein is intreated of the Ministers of the Church and of their charge and vocation in the same 8 That the Bishops and Ministers of the old Christian Church were maried 9 How a sole and vnmaried estate of life grew and got increase and strength in the church of Rome vnto the publishing of the decree made by Calixtus 10 The reestablishing of abstinencie from mariage and the continuing of the same euen vnto our dayes A briefe rehearsall of the matters handled in the second booke Of the Third Booke 1 THat the propitatorie Sacrifice of Christ is not reiterated in the holie Supper and in what sence the old Church did vse this phrase and manner of speech 2 Answeres vnto the aduersaries their obiections which they pretend to draw from the holie Scriptures for the prouing of their sacrifice 3 That the pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse hath no ground or foundation in the new Testament 4 That the olde VVriters haue not â—â—knowledged anie other propitiatory sacrifice then that onelie one made vpon the crosse 5 How and by what degrees the Sacrament of the holie Supper was turned into a propitiatorie Sacrifice 6 That there is not anie Purgatorie the foundation and ground pillar of their Masses for the dead and first how that it was not knowne vnto the Church of Israell or vnto those that liued vnder the olde Testament 7 That Purgatorie hath no ground or foundation in the new Testament 8 That neither the Primitiue Church nor the Fathers liuing in the same for the space of many ages did euer acknowledge the Purgatorie of the Church of Rome 9 Wherein are answered the aduersaries their obiections endeuouring to proue their Purgatorie by the olde VVriters 10 In what manner Purgatorie hath proceeded in the Church of Rome and by what degrees 11 That praying vnto Saintes hath no foundation in the holie Scriptures of the olde Testament 12 That praying vnto Saintes hath no ground in the holie Scriptures of the newe Testament 13 That praying vnto Saintes was not taught in the Primitiue Church and how it sprung vp and grew 14 The continuing of the puritie of doctrine in the matter of Inuocation and of the springing vp of the corruption of the same in the Latine Church 15 The springing vp of the corruption of inuocation aswell in the Greeke as in the Latine Church 16 That a man eannot merite or deserue eternall life for himselfe and much lesse for an other wherein he is considered first as he is before his regeneration 17 That a man regenerate cannot merite eternall life for himselfe or for any other 18 That the law was giuen vnto man to conuince him of sinne and to cause him to looke for his saluation from grace through faith in Christ according to the Scriptures and the Fathers 19 That good workes are the gift of God and therefore cannot merite and to what vse they serue according to the holy Scriptures and fathers 20 How the doctrine of merite first set foote into the Church how it proceeded and how it hath beene oppugned and set against in all ages yea euen vnto S. Bernard his time 21 How merite proceeded and went on euer since S. Bernard his time vntill thâ—se our daies and what oppositions haue beene made against it euen vnto the time of the full light of the Gospell breaking forth againe A Recapitulation of the third Booke Of the fourth Booke 1 WHat a Sacrament is and wherein it consisteth and of the difference of the Sacraments of the old and new testament where are likewise laide downe certaine rules by the old writers for the better vnderstanding of their writings 2 That the doctrine of the holy Supper must be examined by the rules before deliuered as all other doctrine whatsoeuer touching any other Sacraments eyther of the old or of the new Testament 3 That the exposition which our aduersaries giue vpon the wordes of the holy Supper destroyeth all the foundations of the Christian faith as also the nature of Christ and of his sacramentes 4 That the fathers knew not Transubstantiation nor the reall presence in the signes and that which is touched of the times euen to the first Nicene Councell is also included therein 5 The continuing of the beliefe and faith of the fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy Supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great 6 Likewise that a long time after Gregorie Transubstantiation was not knowne and in like manner that all the most famous Liturgies amongst our aduersaries are repugnant to the same 7 That the old Church did not belieue nor teach Transubstantiation seeing it neither did nor obserued in respect of the kindes or Sacramentes that which is done and practised at this day 8 In what manner the opinion of Transubstantiation was begun increased and finished vntill the yeare 1215. and that it was ratified and confirmed by a Decree made in the Councell of Lateran 9 What manner of increase and proceeding befell the opinion of Transubstantiation from the Councell of Lateran vntill the Councell of Trent and the absurdities and contradictions rising from the same A comparing of the holy Supper with the Masse A briefe rehearsall of the chiefe matters contained in the whole worke THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE MASSE AND of the partes thereof CHAP. I. After what manner the Supper of the Lord was first instituted and ordained and that the Masse hath no good ground eyther from the Scriptures or from the practise of the Apostles OVr aduersaries for the laying of a surer foundation for the Masse out of the holy Scriptures haue attempted to driue and draw the same from the institution of the holy Supper of our Lord ordinarily now a daies do vse to set downe as a note and marke of the same vppon all such places as concerne the holy Supper Heere is the institution of the Masse whereas their predecessors namely the ordinary Glose was wont to note such places thus Heere is the institution of the Supper or Eucharist Wherefore the better to know how like and how vnlike they be as likewise to see so much the more cleerely how farre the one
Neither yet that S. Paule became a Iew and obserued the law but to the end that hee might draw them from their rudiments or that in like manner by becomming a Gentile hee held not any thing of their vnknowne God but rather preached vnto them the sonne of God come into the worlde that is to say without the annihilating of the crosse of Christ without preiudicing yea to the aduauncing of the veritie simplicitie and puritie of doctrine But as yet the substance of the truth ceased not to swimme and flote a long time vpon the face of these humane inuentions being the good seed husbanded by the care and industry of good teachers who suffered not the same to be choked ouerrun with the darnell at the first blow vntill the ouerflowing streame of barbarous and rude men which happened some ages after did vtterly ouerwhelme it and make an end of the same by occasion whereof the darke and palpable thicke cloudes of ignoraunce did burie and swallow vp Christianitie The Pastors being partly ignorant and partly negligent suffered the darnell to grow so that the darnell occupied the place of the corne euen the incorruptible seed of the word in so much as that the greatest part of Christendome suffered the famine of the true breade that is of the true preaching of the Gospell becomming drunken opprest in the meane time with the excessiuenesse of mens inuentions the proper darnell-bread thrust vpon them vnder the name of traditions And this is that which we haue now to verifie concerning the matter of the Masse going forward with the handling of the growth and proceeding thereof from age to age And here let vs call to mind in what estate condition we left the diuine seruice in the former Chapter It consisted of a general confession of sinnes in singing of whole Psalms in the reading of the holy scriptures in the Pastor his preaching vpō the same after that in a generall prayer for the whole world in the blessing and distributing of the Sacraments to all the faithfull vnder both kindes in a thankesgiuing for the benefite receiued of God in Christ renewed in the action of the Sacrament and how that all this was vttered in a knowne tongue and a language vnderstood of all the people which answered thereunto from time to time the vessels and apparrell being such as were commonly vsed euery thing done in simplicity without vaine ostentation void of all manner of wauering ceremonies and all these thinges continued vnto the times and ages that we are now to speake of being the substantiall partes of the true and lawfull diuine seruice Euseb lib. 10. cap. 2. 3. Eusebius speaking of the ordinarie actions of the true diuine seruice maketh mention of prayers psalmes lessons sermons the blessing communicating of the Sacraments Euseb lib. 4. of the life of Constantine S. Hilarie psal 65. S. August in epist 119. of thankesgiuing c. Likewise saith he Constantine the Emperour praied with the congregation sung himselfe heard the sermon reuerently and that standing saith he not thinking it seemly for him to sit downe in that place S. Hillarie If any man stay without the church he shall heare the voice of the people which prayeth he shall vnderstand the solemne tunes of the Psalmes and in the offices of the holy Sacramentes the aunswere of a denout confession Saint Augustine in as many wordes Jt is not to the purpose saith he to sing Psalmes in the Church when the scripture is in reading or when it is in handling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same that he meaneth by these words Quando disputatur when the chiefe the Pastors or the Bishops doe pray aloude or when warning is giuen by the Deacons that wee must giue our selues vnto the generall prayer But these meane whiles excepted what can the assemblies of the faithfull bee better occupied about what more holy thing is there which they may exercise themselues in then in singing of Psalmes Hesychius vpon Leuit. lib. 7 cap. 24. Dionys in Hicratch lib. 3. Hesichius Prayer is holy the reading of the scriptures is holy the hearing of the expounding of the same is holy yea and holy it is whatsoeuer is said or done in the church of God according to his law c. This in briefe is the summe of the whole seruice as is testified likewise in the Hierarchie of Saint Denis for it must needes bee referred vnto this time describing the manner of the celebrating of the holy Supper for he affordeth and graunteth place vnto euerie one of these partes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making it to begin with the harmonious singing of Psalmes the whole ordinance of the Church singing with the Bishop Afterward hee causeth the reading of the holy scriptures to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Ministers of the Church and from thence to draw out exhortations vnto the people after which hee giueth leaue to those which were not admitted to the sacramentes to go forth of the Church and temple as namely those that were catechised the penitents and the possessed Then the holy sacraments are set vpon the table and are blessed and sanctified by holy prayer the which are first receiued and taken by him that is the chiefe in these holy actions as the Minister or Bishop and after giuen to all that are by after that they haue testified their spirituall vnitie by a holy kisse Which done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hauing participated and distributed the Sacramentes that is the breade and the wine hee closeth vppe the whole action with a holy Eucharist that is a publique than kesgiuing for the benefite receiued from our God in the receiuing of his holy Supper Let vs now follow on The Psalmes Chryso in his eight hom vpō the Heb. Chrysost in hom 6. de paenitent and go forwarde through euerie one of these partes Chrysostome saith of the Psalmes Euerie weeke the Psalmes are read twise or thrice Againe Wherefore haue the Christians the Psalmes alwayes in their mouthes seeing wee reade the Gospell but once or twice neither yet the writinges of the Apostle and why also doe wee sing those with our owne mouthes doing nothing but lending our eares to these Saint Augustine recommendeth them vnto vs by the example of Christ and his Apostles for the profit comming of the precepts contained therein for the edge which they set vpon our zeale Againe he taketh vpon him the protection thereof against such as blamed the Church of Carthage because it did sing them S. Augustine li. 2. retract ca. 2◠whether it were before the offering or in the time of the distributing thereof vnto the people that is to say the Lordes Supper Now it was the auncient custome to sing them and that altogether all throughout The Psalmes cut in sunder diuided into parts Optat. lib. 4. Epiph. haer 64.
open soeuer they be laid The doctrine of purgatory the marke of Antichrist to the sight and view of the world In this point also he beareth a speciall marke and note of Antichrist namely in the stealing away of the merite of our redemption so much as in him lyeth from Iesus Christ our Lord Howbeit that the Churches of the Abyssines Armenians Muscouites and Grecians do not acknowledge this Purgatorie For whereas they would make vs belieue that the Greeke Church doth auouch allow of the same in a Councell held at Florence in the time of Pope Eugenius Anno 1439. when as the Emperor Paleologus pressed of the Turke came for succour and aide to the Princes of the West it is all in vaine false and nothing worth seeing that the Bishop of Ephesus principall deputed did protest and openly disclaime the same before the whole Councell assembled and for that the Greeke Churches disauowed that which had beene done by the others whom they affirmed to be manifestly wonne by the Pope as in deed part of them did continue and abide with him And thus we haue no Purgatorie and by consequent no Masses or sacrifices for the dead Purgatorie in his fall drawing the Masse after it into an vnauoidable ouerthrow according to our aduersaries their owne doctrine But it is now high time to passe to some other matter CHAP. XI That the inuocating of Saintes hath no ground in the holy Scriptures of the olde Testament IT may seeme to the purpose that together with the considering of the Masse in the nature and qualitie of a sacrifice we should consequently examine that which it teacheth vs of the Saintes deceased and enioying eternal life inasmuch as they are there inuocated and praied vnto in as much as they are acknowledged there to be intercessors vnto God in that their merits and sufferings are presented set before him for a satisfaction for our faults and likewise because that this pretended sacrifice is made in their names c. For after that wee haue handled that which they pretend that we haue to performe for the dead what can better follow then to take a viewe and consideration of that which they vnderstand and hold that the Saintes deceased doe for those that are aliue Now this is a cleare and euident doctrine throughout the whole scriptures of the old and new Testament That God alone will be inuocated and praied vnto prayed vnto through one onely Iesus Christ his welbeloued and in the vertue and power of his only sacrifice accomplished vpon the tree of the crosse If this doctrine stand all the Masses which are made in honour of the Saintes for the liuing do fall to the ground euen as likewise in quenching and putting out of purgatorie all those are extinct and made nothing worth which are performed and practised by the carefull diligence of the liuing for the dead God onely will be praied vnto God alone wil be praied vnto Psal 50. Esay 42.8 for he hath said it and whom shal we belieue concerning that which is his will besides himselfe Call vpon me in thine aduersitie J will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me c. I am the Lord saith he I will not giue my glory vnto another There is not say the Prophetes saluation in any other but in him Esa 45. Osce 13 4. 2. Paral. 20. Ezech. 14. There is no God that can saue but he c. When wee know what to doe there remaineth nothing for vs but to haue recourse vnto him for we haue no other aid or succour but him c. And therefore Dauid in so many his prayers in so manifold and diuers his matters and affaires betaketh not himselfe to any saue onely him His refuge saith he and his force Psal 46.13.14 3.36.6 c. his protector and his defender his peace and his warre his counsell and his armie Because saith he that power is of him and of him also is mercie that is to say the desire and the abilitie the authoritie to commaund and the practise of the commandement Againe because that his Maiestie descendeth mercifully in his bountiful kindnes for to heare vs and graunt our petitions and to doe vs good c. And S. Paule striketh the matter dead at one blow How saith he shall they call vpon him on whom they do not belieue But doe we onely belieue in God the father the Sonne and the holy Ghost then must we onely pray vnto him as well as onely belieue in him that is as well as put our trust and affiance in him with what boldnesse then for it cannot be any point of humilitie shall we dare to giue vnto Saints that which appeartaineth vnto God euen that homage which he hath required of vs his creatures and which he hath manifestly reserued to himselfe alone And as he will be praied vnto alone so he will haue it to be by one onely And by one onely The father by the Sonne God and man mediator betwixt God men the high and onely priest betwixt the iustice of the eternall father and the sinnes of his people And we know him for the father hath annointed him for the onely and one alone priest hath made him as such a one to sitte in the throne of his maiestie to intreate and sue for vs hath said vnto him Thou art my sonne to day haue I begotten thee Heb. 8. in whom I am wel pleased c. The Sonne also No man commeth to the father but by mee whatsoeuer you shall aske of my father in my name I tell you verily he will giue it you And I will do it to the end that the father may be glorified in the Sonne c. Therefore Mat. 12. Come vnto me all ye that be oppressed and troden downe and I will ease you And the holy Ghost in like manner by the mouth of the Apostles There is but one God 1. Timoth 2. and one mediatour of God and men Iesus Christ our Lord. If any man haue sinned we haue an Aduocate with the father 1. Ioh. 1. Hebr. 7. Iesus Christ the righteous In belieuing on him we haue libertie accesse vnto the father in all confidence Accesse I say in all confidence vnto the throne of grace to obtaine mercie and find grace c. And it is his will and pleasure For this Bishop Heb. 4. this high priest is such a one as is touched with the sence and feeling of our infirmities hath beene tempted as we in all things sinne excepted And he is of power and abilitie Hebr 4. 8. For he is set at the right hand of the throne of the maiestie of God mightie to saue them which come neere vnto God by him euerliuing for to make intercession for them with him After these so expresse commandementes Rom. 8. what excuse remaineth for vs that we should betake and commend our selues to the Creator by the
owne sonnes as in deed they drew lots for two But and if they belieue not vs yet let them at the least belieue their owne writers Cardinall Hugo saith To the end they might haue tribes as the sonnes of Iacob had And in the same sence hee expoundeth this word Esay 4. Lyranus Et inuocetur c. quia vocati sunt because they are called the adopted sonnes of Iacob and are become heades of two tribes after the manner of his owne children The annotation also of their Fonseca vpon Caietan This is a phrase of speech familiarly vsed of the Hebrewes that the name of this man is called vppon by that man when their meaning is that that man is called by this mans name And thereupon he alleadgeth the fourth of Esay and Daniel 9. Let them also remember themselues of their owne doctrine How that the fathers were in the Limbes that in the Limbes they did not see God neither by consequent know the affaires of men whereupon it followeth by their owne sayings that they could not be called vpon And yet notwithstanding Bellarmine in the time of the cleare light of learning is not ashamed to alleadge this place Eliphaz saith to Iob Iob 5. Call now and see if there be any that will answere thee and turne thy selfe vnto some one of the Saintes c. Which place other expositors doe reade with an interrogatiue point And the summe of the text is That no man when he is chastised of God can say that it is any wrong or iniustice seeing hee hath found as hath beene said before matter of reprehension euen in his Angels And how much more saith hee in them which dwell in these houses of clay c. And thereupon hee addeth Cast thine eies round about and see if thou canst find any amongst the most holy who hath beene punished causelesse But and if they will haue it that by Saintes the Angels are vnderstoode besides that it standeth not with the scope and purpose of the text it is as quickly denied as affirmed and such figures doe not proue or conclude any thing But and if they simplie take it to bee vnderstoode of the Sainte then so much the lesse seeing that they in the Limbes could neither heare norse according to their owne doctrine And certainly S. Ierome if he be the author of those commentaries was not aduised of this doctrine notwithstanding that he three handle this verse by name In the Psalmes saith Cocleus it is said Psal 32. Pro hac orab ad te omnis sanctus The Hebrew saith For this shall euerie holy man pray vnto thee c. The Chaldie For this shall euery good man pray vnto thee in time conuenient that is Because thou art readie to forgiue them which confesse their faultes And so S. Paul hir selfe doth expound it Romaines 4. But in euerie place where they find the name Saiâ—t there they will find inuocation or intercession of the Saints August Hieronym Theodor. in Psal 32. But without any longer staying vpon the matter Sant Augustine intreating vpon this place saith Euery holy man shall pray vnto thee because of impietie and for the remission of sinnes because thou fâ—â—giuest them and otherwise no holy man would pray vnto thee And when In due and conenient time when the new Testament shall be come when the grace of Christ shall be manifeted when in the fulnes of time God shal haue sent his Sonne to redeeme them which were vnder the law c. And this is spoken saith he of all Christians of Saint Paule himselfe who being prickt with the sting of the law cryeth vnto God wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Saint Ierome saith The Saintes doe pray in this life for the remission of their sinnes seeing the most holy are not exempted now is the conuenient time for to obtaine Theodoret in like manner I will not pray vnto thee alone for mine impietie but all those that shall haue the knowledge of thee shall make the same prayers vnto thee Seeing saith he that vnder the new Testament Haimo in Psal 32. Bernard serm 73. in Cant. the faithfull by sea and by land shall praise God by the singing of the Psalmes of Dauid c. Haimo The remission of iniquitie is good and for the obtaining thereof euerie holy man will pray vnto thee in a time conuenient that is to say in this life in which alone prayer can obtaine the same Saint Bernard For this saith he c. Seeing saith he that the Saintes haue need to pray to God for their owne sinnes to bee saued by his mercie they being nothing able to trust and leane to their owne righteousnesse c. And againe Pro hac orabit O misericors c. Idem in ep ad Henric. Senens Archiep. Euerie Saint whosoeuer saith hee shall pray vnto thee O most mercifull father for his iniquitie becomming a humble suter for the sence and feeling of his sinne and miserie and yet notwithstanding a Saint for that he consenteth not vnto it in that be delighteth and taketh pleasure in the law according to the inward man c. And Cardinall Hugo saith For all the Saints and holy men haue need to pray vnto God for the remission of their owne sins c. And in a couenient time that is to say in this present life according to that which is said labour whiles it is day c. Farre enough off then from the exposition of our aduersaries That the saintes deceased doe pray for vs. And Lyranus followeth Saint Ierome Cardinall Caietanus and Arias Montanus translate it Super hac not Pro hac that is saith Caietanus That euerie Saint shall pray vnto God for to obtaine the blessed fauour of his diuine righteousnesse c. Here is no question then of praying for another in an other life And as little proofe is there to bee gathered out of Psalme 121. Psalm 121. I haue lifted saith Dauid mine eies towardes the mountaines from whence succour shall come vnto me c. By the hils they will vnderstand the Saintes This is a figure And by these hils some vnderstood the scriptures as Saint Augustine others the heauens as Euthymius some the Saintes as Caâ—siodorus Of such sortes of speaking there followeth no good argument But let vs take them in whatsoeuer sence they will If it bee to the Saintes they were according to their owne doctrine in the Limbes and therefore in vaine for that purpose they had more need to haue cast downe then to haue lifted vp their eyes But they should at the least haue considered what followeth My succour commeth from the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And then not from all or any of these creatures bee they neuer so high and eminent And this is that which Saint Augustine saith No man can vnderstand by these mountaines great personages August in psal 121.
storie is That Iudas to incourage his soldiers being vppon the point of entering into a great fight acquainted them with this vision that had appeared vnto him But either it was a reall action or a likenesse and representation onely If it were reall and in deed where is then their Limbes become For they all agree that in the Limbes they can make no intercession neither be inuocated If representatiue or figuratiue then let them heare the exposition of their owne Doctors Gloss in 2. Machab. c. 15. That in Onias is represented the order of the priesthood and in Ieremias the Propheticall order and in the one and the other Iesus Christ the high priest and Prophet of whom Moyses hath said I will raise vp vnto you a Prophet like vnto mee of whom S. Iohn likewise saith If we haue sinned we haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Baruch Baruch 3.14 3. It is said Lord heare now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their children which haue sinned before thee Now it is to be known whether this word dead be taken for such as were dead in deed or else for a people brought vnto such an extremity as did threaten death vnto them euery moment Now the verse going before seemeth to make for the latter For it saith we perish are destroied for euer But let vs take it according to their own sence Lyranus giueth them the repulse ouerthrow He speaketh saith he of the praiers which the Patriarkes the Prophets had made whiles they liued for the good estate of their posteritie And their opinion also of the Limbes doth debarre them of the benefit of the place in their owne sence But what agreement hath this praier and intercession of the liuing Saints with that of the dead Those being commanded with promise to be heard these not mentioned in the Scripture but subiect vnto that great Woe so oftentimes repeated Woe to them which adde therunto Saint Paul prayeth for them that were in the same Shippe he praieth also the Romaines to pray for him But did he allow them to call vpon or to pray for aide vnto him or did hee himselfe inuocate the Romaines And therefore if we from these mutuall praiers of the faithfull that are liuing rise vp to the inuocation of the Saints that are dead what shall let vs then but that from the inuocation of the dead wee shall descend by consequent to the inuocating and adoring of those that be aliue to make vowes and offer vp our oblations vnto them to erect and build Churches and Altars in honour of them to burne sacrifices and incense vnto them and finally to reuiue the whole Masse of Paganisme for them which are as yet vppon earth as wee haue alreadie done for them which are in heauen And thus much for that which they can say as well for the inuocation as for the intercession of the olde Testament CHAP. XII That the inuocation of Saints hath not any foundation in the holy Scriptures of the new Testament IN the new Testament they alleadge that S. Paul ordained 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 15. Collos 4. that intercession shuld be made in the Church for all men that he praieth the Romaines and Colossians to pray for him that he hoped to be offered in the praiers of the Saints that S. Iames saith Pray yee one for an other to the ende that yee may bee saued c. What are all these places but the praiers of the Saints liuing and not of the Saints deceased whereupon there is not any thing further to bee inferred then what concerneth the dutie of charitie amongst the liuing and from which there wil not any old writer be found to gather the inuocating of Saints which are in heauen But we see that the rich man in the other life Luk. 16. praieth Abraham that his punishment may be mitigated and why not as wel here below What maner of argument is this concluding that what is done in Hel may be done here on earth And that what the damned doe the same also may the faithfull doe And what Diuinitie is this borrowed from the damned from the damned feeling in themselues the vnappeasible wrath and anger of God as not being able to comprehend him otherwise then as an angrie iudge for vs which haue accesse vnto his throne by Christ which is both the Porter and the gate which are led vnto the throne of his grace by the hand of his Sonne And what wilfull blindnesse is it to oppose vnto the cleare light of the Scriptures outward darknesse to the intercession of our Lord full of power and efficacie a parabolicall praier of a wicked rich man repelled and cast off by Abraham for the impertinencie thereof And no lesse impertinent and farre from the purpose are those places elsewhere Math. 27.47 as that of the crie of our Lord vpon the Crosse Eli Eli my God my God c. The souldiers had thought that he had called for Elias Let vs see say they if he will come This was then say they a familiar thing to call vpon the Saints But I should bee ashamed to confute it if they had any shame to alleadge it For what is this To learne the faith of the Church of Pilats souldiers the faith of Israel at the hands of the Gentils which are in garrison in Ierusalem which haue heard speech amongst the Iewes of one Elias that should come at that time which were trained vp in Paganisme to praie vnto as many Gods as they could dreame of or deuise to hold for Gods all those from whom they expected any good or feared any euill Which by reason of the ignorance of the tongue did suppose that our Lord called for Elias S. Ierome vpon this place I thinke that they were the Romane Souldiers who vnderstood not the propertie of the Hebrew tongue and thereupon did thinke that he had inuocated or called Elias But if we vnderstand and take them to haue beene Iewes then it was nothing but their ordinarie practise to speake reprochfully of the Lord accusing him of weaknesse and infirmitie and therby driuen to pray vnto Elias And the Glose and Caietanus haue vnderstoode it of the Romaines and of the Gentiles In S. Iohn 5. Thanke not saith our Lord vnto the Pharisies that I am to accuse you vnto my father Iohn 5.45 Moyses in whom you haue your hope he it is that will accuse you Thereupon they conclude that it was a doctrine amongst the Iewes that Moyses tooke the matter vppon him before God whether it were to accuse or defend them And still they forget that this dutie could not be exercised in the Limbes Wheras the text is plaine enough to those that haue any eyes Moyses that is to say the lawe and doctrine of Moses doth accuse vs is the sentence of condemnation against vs when we infringe and breake it when
there members owe yea what doe they not owe one to an other Seeing also that this head most liuely feeling all that which these members doe or suffer doe not disdaine to declare and manifest vnto vs that what is done or denied vnto the least is done or denied vnto himselfe and from him hath either reward or punishment And this is the cause why the Fathers haue called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an assemblie a Communion And this second fruit and effect is also wanting in the Masse where there is no Communion betwixt the members nor any signification of this coniunction of Christ with vs of our selues together all men vsing of so many cornes to make but one Loafe and one wine and al of vs sucking life out of the same death nourishment from the same meate of the fleshe and bloud of our Lord But particularly in respect of our selues we being members of Christ and quickned by Christ are there nourished and strengthned both in Christ and of Christ And it is not more sure that the Minister doth giue vs the bread and wine that wee take them with our hands that we eate and drinke them that they are conuerted into our substance and become nourishment for our bodies to maintaine and strengthen this life then it ought to be sure and certaine to euerie Christian that our Lord in the holy Supper celebrated according to his institution dooth giue vnto vs at the same instant his flesh and bloud That we take them by faith that we eate and drinke them that they are turned into the life and substance of our soules becomming the foode of the same to maintaine and strengthen vs vnto eternall life Yea and which more is that by the predominant and ouer-ruling power that they haue they turne our soules both to Christ and into Christ vniting them vnto him and making them one with him and our bodies consequently and proportionablie after the manner of our soules doe make vs bones of his bones flesh of his flesh members of that head gouerned by his spirit and one with him to raise againe one day our bodies and soules to be glorified and raigne with him And this fruit also of the holy Supper is lacking in the Masse of the Church of Rome wherein there is not any thing at all representing this straite and neere coniunction with Christ or that true eating by the which it is cherished and maintained wherein such as are present doe neither eate nor drinke corporally nor spiritually wherein they become all together idle gasers and starers vpon the Priest which eateth and drinketh and vpon a pretended mysterie both deafe and dumbe and wherein in a word there is not any one action which stirreth vp their consciences nor any manner of instruction to helpe forward and ad vnto their knowledge These are the principall ends for which our Lord instituted his holy Supper and whereof wee haue beene altogether destitute vnder the Church of Rome which in steed of this sacred meate which we were wont to eate at our Fathers table hath fed vs with huskes apish toyes and mummeries intertaining in stead of all that which was the old fashion of Rome the poore people with vaine pompes and ceremonies and therefore famished with the want of the grace of God From that farre countrie whether our humane fancies had transported and led vs wee are put in mind of our Fathers table and become resolued to returne againe home vnto him from these abuses and deceits so farre differing from his institution to his truth and from our sinnes to his grace and that by his grace Father haue we said We haue sinned against heauen and against thee we are not worthie any more to be called thy children And hee hath according to the same euen his wonted mercie put a ring vpon our finger cloathed vs with Christ and caused vs to eate his flesh and his bloud They were dead hath hee said but they are returned to life they were lost and they are found againe c. To God bee praise and glorie for euer by the same his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Let vs now runne ouer and briefely rehearse againe all that which we haue handled and intreated of in this whole worke In the first Booke we haue handled the rearing and raising vp of the Masse A briefe rehearsal of the whole worke from time to time and from parcel to parcell we haue shewed that the old seruice did consist of a publike confession of sinnes in the reading of the old new Testament and that of whole bookes of the same in singing of Psalmes by the whole Congregation in a Sermon vnto the people which was made by the Bishop or Pastor expounding either some place that had beene read or some such other as hee iudged fit for the edifying of the Church in offerings which were offered by the people for the poore and other vses of the same in a generall praier for all the necessities of the Church state in the institution of the holy Supper taken out of the Gospell or the Apostle in a witnessing of the sincere loue of the faithfull one towards an other before they should draw neere vnto the holy Table and in a denunciation vnto such as were not of this number to the wishing of them to abstaine in the distribution of the holy Supper vnto all the people vnder both kindes during the time of which action they ceased not to sing Psalmes or to read the Scriptures and finally in a solemne thankesgiuing for the benefit receiued as well in the death and Passion of our Lord as in the Communion of his body and bloud in the holy supper Which done the Bishop or Pastor sent the people away with a holy blessing And it is not to be forgotten as we haue seene that all this was done in an vnderstood and knowne tongue As for prayers for the dead praying vnto Saints the Canon of the pretended sacrifice and all the parts whereof it is framed wee haue seene them brought in many ages after and that at seuerall times and great distaunces betwixt one and an other and still impairing and growing worse from time to time Retaining therfore for our seruice that which we well perceiue to bee truely auncient and reiecting that which is notoriously new what shall such seruice bee to speake according to a good conscience but the same that is now vsed in the reformed Churches In the second Booke we haue compared the circumstances of the old seruice and those of the Masse First we haue found the Church vnder persecution without publike places to call vpon the name of God in Afterward wee did see Churches built for the same but without any manner of Images with tables let vs call them if you will Altars for the communicating of the holy supper but without Lampes burning of Incense Consecrations Dedications c. We haue obserued the lawfull election and calling of
let him know that tendeth any other course that he shall not attaine vnto the light of the truth which he shal grope after in darknes To be short saith he what soeuer is said since the apostles times is cut off it beareth no authority with it c. Hieronym in Psal 87. how holie prudent soeuer the Authors thereof might be S. August The Canonicall Scripture is set vpon a throne and euerie faithfull vnderstanding must be subiect thereunto If we yea if an Angel from heauen August contr Faust l. 11. c. 5. cont lit ras Petil. 6 lib. 2. contr Donatist c. 6. tract 2 in Ep. S. Iohan do teach any thing more then that which is contained in the Scriptures the Law or the Gospel let him be accursed In our cōtrouersies let vs bring this ballance these gold waights as out of the closet of God to iudge that of weight from that which is light Let vs there iudge of errors for God hath placed in the Scriptures a bright and cleare shining firmament to discouer confute them The Councels for saith he vnto the Arrians I alledge not vnto thee the Councell of Nice Cont. Maxim Episc Arrian l. 3. c. 14. De Ciuit. Dei l. 11. c. 1. Epist 166. De vnit eccles c. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 16. neither therefore doe thou alledge vnto me the councel of Rimini but let vs trie the maistry by the Scriptures which both you and I my selfe doe well approue c. The Church likewise for The citie of God doth beleeue in the Scriptures and by them is faith conceiued In the Scriptures saith he we haue learned Christ therein also haue we learned to know the Church we haue knowne the head and therefore cannot misknow the bodie thereof VVhether we or the Donatists be the Church the Scriptures alone will teach and instruct vs. Saint Chrysostome The ignoraunce of the Scriptures hath begotten heresies c. Though the dead should liue again or an Angel descend frō heauen Chrysost in hom de Laza. yet we must principally and before them beleeue the Scripture The Angels are but seruants ministring spirits but the Scripture is the Lord maister In Epi. ad Gal. hom 1. In 5. Mat. hom 43. 49. In 1. ad Thess homil 7. In 2. ad Corin. homil 33. In Psal 5.95.142.147 In at this gate doe both the sheepe and shepheard enter they driue away heretikes who so entreth not by them is a theefe The Scripture is the kingdome of heauen it is inclosed therein and fastned thereunto The gate of this kingdome is the vnderstanding of the Scriptures Setting our course and sailing after them wee haue the sonne of God for our patron and protector they are our rule and our squire As the light is vnto the eies so is the law of God vnto our spirits without it all our senses halt An heire doth willingly possesse himselfe of his fathers will and testament and so should we no lesse of the Scriptures the furniture and prouision for our warre against sinne and Sathan himselfe c. In which saith he in another place wee must either denie Christ or blot out the Scriptures or else become the obedient seruants of the Scriptures And if he said this then against the heretikes of his time then much more against Antichrist to come and vpon farre more iust causes and considerations For saith he when this cursed heresie the armie of Antichrist shall possesse the Churches there will not bee found any proofe or maner of helpe to trie and know Christendome by but the holy Scriptures By them alone a man shall know where and who shall bee the true church In this confusion and hurlie burlie there will bee no want of broching and blasing abrode of miracles for euen alreadie the counterfet Christians haue most but and if a man looke any other way then to the Scriptures hee cannot but bee offended perish and fall into the abhomination of desolation which shall bee in the holie places of the Church And therefore our sauiour Christ knowing afore hand that such confusion should follow in the latter daies will that we flie vnto the Scriptures And now also this is the cause why according to the aduertisement of Saint Chrysostome we call you thereunto we which thus alledge and contend with the hazard of our liues and for the working of your saluation and our owne that that Antichrist is alreadie come and seated in your Church and all this according to the Scriptures and by the Scriptures Hereto you replie If his Scriptures alone take place in this controuersie then what shall become of so many goodly traditions What becommeth them of the traditions 1. Cor. 11. What shall become of our Church Verely if you speake of diuine traditions such as whereof Saint Paule saith I haue receiued of the Lord Quod tradidi vobis whatsoeuer I haue deliuered vnto you of those which haue their foundation in the Scriptures and whereof Irenaeus saith vnto vs Looke what Gospel the Apostles preached the same they deliuered vnto vs tradiderunt inquit nobis in the Scriptures Of them saith Saint Cyprian which descend from the authoritie of the Gospel Cypri in Epi. 74. ad Pomp. and the writing of the Apostles Verelie we will be readie to defend them if you will beleeue vs with common armour we shall be both the one and the other quit and freed from all our paines and trouble for the Scriptures and they wil mutuallie acknowledge one another as doe the little riuers and their heads or springs being touched with the touchstone of the Scripture they will hold their value But if by Traditions you meane mans inuentions and doctrines that are without and out of the Scriptures then we tell you that Christ hath giuen definitiue sentence thereof In vaine do you serue me Matth. 15 9 teaching for doctrines the commaundements of men And thus spake he to the Pharisies who wholy rested themselues in the Church in the Sorbone of that time which said as you do of yours at Trent that it was no lesse grieuous an offence to commit against or omit any thing contained in their traditions In Thal. ord 4. tract 4. dist 10 Esay 29 13. then and if such commission or omission had beene in respect of any point of the law it selfe And there is great like lihoode that it is come vpon you which was forespoken by the Prophets They haue serued mee according to the ordinances of men Ierem. 8 8. and therefore wisedome shall perish from their wise men They haue cast behind them the worde of the Lord and there is no wisdome in them But if you suspect the soundnesse of the Scripture Iust in Tryph or rather the vprightnesse of God in his owne cause then let vs heare the fathers Iustine We must giue credite to God and his ordinances alone and not vnto humane traditions And that he ruleth them
according to the Scriptures appeareth by that which he said before That Dauid that the Euangelists that the Apostles doe teach vs c. Cyp. in Epi. 74 Saint Cyprian If it be commaunded in the Gospel if it be contained in the Epistles or acts of the Apostles let vs obserue it as diuine and holie But if it be not there then what followeth but the contrarie Saint Basil VVe must learne the Scriptures Basil regul 95 as concerning that which is to be practised in them as well to replenish our spirit with pietie as to leaue of to accustome humane constitutions Saint Ierome Hiero. in Esas It is no maruell saith he speaking of the Iewes if you follow your traditions seeing that euerie country goeth to seeke counsaile at their Idols but God verely hath giuen vs his scriptures and darknesse shall ouerwhelme you if you follow them not As also vnto Christians for euen in his time saith he it was come to the lees In. Matth. 23. VVo be vnto you wretched Christians to whom the sinnes of the Pharisies are translated and come euen that damnable tradition of theirs c. wee swallow downe against the commaundement of God the things that are great and hunt after the opinion of religion in the small and little ones c. And once for all The sworde Ad Laetam saith he of the Lord striketh at all those doctrines which are found bearing the shewe of Apostolicall traditions without the authoritie and testimonie of the Scriptures And this is the verie thing whereof Saint Augustine so greatly complained himselfe in his time that in the Church euery thing was full of presumption S. August in Epi. ad Iouin In S. Ioha tract 96.97 and preiudicate opinion that contrarie to the expresse worde of Christ the yoke of Christians was become more heauie and greeuous then that of the Iewes That men made lesse conscience of the law of God then of the least humane ordinances or rather fansies All this or the most part thereof comming from heretikes and certaine Apocripha bookes vnder the shadow saith he of this worde From the Lord I haue yet many things to say insomuch as that there is not the veriest foole that is that dareth not to abuse the same A place that some obiect against vs euen vnto this day about the same matter But saith he when the Lord hath kept any thing hidden from vs who is he that is so vaine as to goe about to gesse at it or so rash and foole-hardie as to take vpon him to reueale it And this is the cause why Saint Bernard wearie of those insupportable traditions Bern. Epist 91 ad Abba Suissioni congreg said I desire with all my hart to present my selfe as a partie in that Councel wherin traditioÌ„s are not obstinately defended nor suspersticiously obserued but rather the good and perfect will of God with all humilitie and diligence searched after and sought for And againe De precepto dispensat If there be any such as charitie hath beene the inuenter of it is iust that by the same charitie they bee ceased and giuen ouer if it bee so found expedient Againe The precepts which are of the ordinances of God are necessarie but those which are of humane constitution arbitrarie and at discretion c. And in deed the Ecclesiasticall historie doth witnesse vnto vs that the ancient fathers did leaue such things as were meere obseruations indifferent both vnto whole Churches and particular persons not inforcing any thing but what was of the pure and vndefiled commaundement of God as is to be read in Socrates Nicephorus c. Can not the Church then ordaine any thing Socrates Niceph. l. 12. c 14. Wherein or how far the authority of the Church stretcheth And wherein shall the authoritie thereof consist Nay let vs not feare that it hath ouer little to doe It is not a small thing in the blindnesse wherewith man is blinded and in the darknesse of this worlde to keepe it selfe from straying and wandring out of the way of life to keepe it selfe from loosing the heauenlie light through the sight of the eyes and to guide it selfe and others by the same And would to God it would haue contented it selfe to haue knowne this onely and to haue beene ignorant in all the rest Where as hauing toucht the forbidden tree and hauing transgressed this worde Deute 4. 12 Cursed be they which adde thereunto shee hath opened her eyes to these false and deceyuing fiers but shut them at the light and so consequentlie lost her puritie loyaltie and innocencie and leauing the truth of God is further become left vnto herselfe The ancient fathers verily The Fathers made faith the limits of the Church and the Scriptures the bounds limits of faith Colos 2.8 1. Cor. 4.6 Iohn 8.13 Not by succession Iren. l. 3. con heres c. 11. l. 4. c. 43. 44. Tertul. de prescript de pudicit Id verius quod prius Tertul. de virg â—â—land Con. Praxeam Tertul. de prescript Cypr. Ep. 55. De lapsis In tract de simplicit pontif in ep 74. Gregor Nazianz in orat habit ad laudem S. Athanas cont Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue not thought it any thing dishonoured when they tyed it to the obedience of her Spouse for they bounded it by faith and faith by the Scriptures And it would haue beene on the contrarie a verie strange doctrine vnto them that it shoulde haue spoken or heard any other language then her owne seeing it is said vnto her by the Apostle See that none spoile you through Philosophie or vaine deceitfulnesse according to the traditions of men Againe Learne of vs not to be wise aboue that which is written And in vs saith the Apostle that is to say by our example And by her Spouse himselfe If you abide in my worde you shall be truly my disciples Irenaeus saith The Gospel is the pillar and foundation of the Church It behoueth it to flie from all those which flie from and forsake the principal succession and cleaue vnto theÌ„ that keepe the doctrine of the Apostles Tertul. The Church is knowne to be apostolical not by nuber not by succession of Bishops but by the consanguinitie of doctrine And this doctrine again In this saith he in that the most ancientis most true that is most ancient which was from the beginning and that which is from the beginning is that which is froÌ„ the Apostles from the Apostles saith he who left the Scriptures for vs vpon whom are come the last ages the Scriptures by which the truth is defended and not by tradition or custome For how saith he could a man be able to speake of the things of faith but by the writings of faith Saint Cyprian Those are the Church saith he which dwell in the house of God But how Verily saith he who so is separated diuided
ad Thess hom 3. in Gen. hom 13. in S Iohn hom â—6 in Esay c. 1. in proaem in Ep. ad Rom. in S. Mat. hom 49. in S. Ioh. hom 58. in S. Mat. hom 22. The Euangelicall Apostolicall and Propheticall bookes do plainly teach vs what we are to beleeue concerning diuine things Saint Chrysostome All things are cleare in the scriptures they declare themselues not suffering any man to erre The truth lieth not hidden or obscure therein except it be vnto such as will not search for it As the light is to the eie so is the law of God vnto our spirits such as looke not therto doe walke in darknesse Our whole mischiefe is for that we reade it not that same which is a doore by which doe enter both the sheepe and the shepheardâ— more necessarie for the simple idiot then for the learned doctor To be short in that confusion which shall happen vnder Antichrist we shall not be able to tell whither to haue recourse but to the Scriptures and there are none but those which are of a peruerse heart that doe not vnderstand the mysteries being such as in whom the spirit of truth resteth not There might a whole volume be compiled of the like places Epiphanius All things are cleare and euident in the Scriptures to such as with a holie discourse according to reason will heare the worde of God Epipha haeres 69. 70. Hieronym in Matt c. 22. In Esay c. 8. Saint Ierome They erre because they know not the Scriptures and seeing they are ignorant in them they know not the power of God c. If we follow not the testimonies conteined in them darknesse will oppresse vs and ouerrun our doctrine c. Saint Augustine against the Donatists Augu. de vnit eccles c. 5. Let vs make choise of the plaine and manifest places for if they should not be found such in the Scriptures in vain should it be said that wee shall finde in them to lay open the things shut vp to make cleare such as are dark and obscure Again Epist 3. There is not any such great difficultie in the Scriptures to come by the things necessarie vnto saluation the making likewise whereby they are wouen set togither is to be come by of all There is matter fitting all sorts of spirits as to correct the peruerse Praua parua to nourish the weake and yong nouices and to delight such as are growne old and great In the things that are manifestlie apparant in the Scriptures De peccat melitis l. 2. c. vit are clearlie founde to be all those which concern faith maners When we reason of any thing that is verie obscure if wee bee not helped by the cleare testimonie of the Scriptures man must be curbed and kept short for presuming too farre De doct Christian l. 2. c. 6. The holie Ghost hath in such sort qualified them as that in the cleare places they feede our hungrie appetite and in the obscure they sharpen our dull taste wee are refreshed with the things that are cleare and set on worke by the obscure and darke The profoundnesse of this worde sharpneth De verb. dom serm 11. de verb. Apost serm 13. and setteth an edge vpon our indeuours neither doth it for all that denie vs the vnderstanding thereof c. Now if thou thinke to inferre hereupon then there is obscuritie therein and of this obscuritie to conclude either an impossibilitie of vnderstanding of them or else a secking of something therein that is not there to be found De verb. Apo. Serm. 13. To the one he answereth thee The euill spirit hateth vnderstanding for feare that by vnderstanding he should be forced to do and practise according thereunto Planissime De doct Christian l. 2. c. 6. And to the other That out of all these obscurities there is not almost any thing gathered that is not elsewhere deliuered in verie plaine and cleare sort In briefe to the ende thou maist not bring in any distinction betwixt the word written and vnwritten where as the Psalmist saith Thy worde is a torch vnto my feete c. This is saith he that worde which is contained in the holy Scriptures And againe The faithful that cleaueth to them cannot be dazeled with the iniquitie of the world no more then the starres fixed and set in the firmament which cannot haue their light put out by the night So farre is it from him as our aduersaries doe to terrifie the fathfull with going about to make them afraid of it by reason of the obscuritie that is therein Yet so it is But there are darke places 2. Pet. 3. will you say as that there are difficult things in the Scripture for S. Peter likewise saith That in the Epistles of Saint Paule there are c. And what booke is there in any maner of facultie whatsoeuer which hath not some yea and many moe But if thou hadst diligently read this text and well weighed the Relatiue it would haue appeared that he saith not that the Epistles of Saint Paul are difficult but cortaine things in certaine points which he handleth in them And indeed what higher thing is there then the mysterie of our saluation or more profoundly expounded What thing more obscure then that of the Trinitie or more clearlie vttered But thou shouldest therewithall haue added that which followeth That the ignorant and vnstable doe wrest them as they also doe other places of Scripture to their owne destruction Verilie for these obscurities the Fathers did not driue Christians from the Scriptures but rather encouraged them to labour therein so much the more Iren. l. 3. c. 12. contr haeres You haue say they vnto vs this furtherance that there is not anie contrarietie therein and further that one place may expound but not make more intricate an other If we could but say as much of the Bookes of other sciences wherein so many contradictions as also antinomies doe encounter and crosse one another how manie difficulties should we auoide how much of our way and trauaile might we thinke our selues to haue gained Lib. 2. c. 46. contr hâ—res Irenaeus saith The whole Scripture which God hath giuen vs will be found to agree togither the things spoken manifestly do expound the parables therein Ambr. in psal 119. serm 8. c. Saint Ambrose There is much obscuritie in the Scriptures but if thou knocke with the hande of thy Spirit at their gate thou shalt begin to gather the reason of that which is there said and it will be set open vnto thee not by any other means then the word it selfe Augu. de doct Christian l. 2. c. 25. Iren. l. 2. c. 46. contr haeres Basil in Aseeticis 267. Aug Ep. 48 de doctrina Christiana l 2. c. 6. S. August To illustrate the obscure maners of speaking let vs take our paternes from the manifest ones
ad Pammach Oceanum de Origen we should likewise speake doubtfullie of the Deitie of the holie Ghost with Saint Hillarie we should condemne children dying without Baptisme with Saint Augustine we should giue them the Eucharist with Saint Cyprian and the greatest part vntill the time of Charles the great euen vnto the mouthes of the dead as certaine Councels doe beare vs witnesse In a word we should haue made with lesse then nothing of the Church of Christ Augeas his Oxehouse Canus l. 7. de locis Theol. c. 3. Gen. Cent. 3. seq ad finem c. 4. VillavinceÌ„tius de ratione studiâ—â— Theolo l. 4 c. 6 obseru 1. 2. Baron annal tom 2. of Noes Arke a sinke of all superstitions and errours Which thing our greatest aduersaries themselues at this time not being able to dissemble doe say All the Saints such onely excepted as haue written the Canonicall bookes haue spoken by the Spirit of man and haue sometimes erred euen in the matters of faith both in worde and writing what profoundnesse of learning or innocencie of life soeuer that we can obserue and marke in them And they come so farre as to set downe their errors and that both by their names as also by their kinds concluding that the Scriptures are onely without error and exempted from lies As therefore there are rules for the expounding of the Scripture by the Scripture The Fathers must be admitted as expounders but not as law-giuers so there are also for the expounding of them by the Fathers the first whereof is alwayes this That they be receyued and read as expounders not as law-giuers and that they referre their expositions to the rule of faith and the articles thereof and not to make any new faith any new articles according to that which Saint Ierome saith vnto vs Hieron cont Iouinian August de Bono viduitat As oft as I expound not the Scriptures but speake freely of mine owne sense reprooue me who will And Saint Augustine The holie Scripture hath set vs a rule not to dare to knowe more then it behoueth My teaching of thee then may not be any other thing then to expound vnto thee the words of the Teacher that is of the Lord. Vincentius c. 2 22 41. And this is the same that Vincentius Lyrinensis saith vnto vs The Canon of the Scriptures saith he is perfect and superaboundantly sufficient in it selfe for all things Wee are not then to make any addition of the Fathers to make by them any supplie vnto the doctrine of the Scriptures but rather saith he seeing that they may bee interpreted in diuerse senses it is meete to ioine therewithall the authoritie of the Ecclesiasticall vnderstanding Not to adde vnto or alter any thing that is written but onely to make for the vnderstanding of it For saith he elswhere It is written Depositum serua That which hath beene committed of trust vnto thee not what thou shalt haue inuented That which thou hast receiued not what thou hast found out wherein thou must not be an authour but whereof thou art a gardiant not an ordiner but a disciple not a guide but a follower What thou hast receiued in golde redeliuer the same in golde c. And in the person of Timothie this is spoken vnto all Teachers it is spoken to the whole Church c. And what we say of one of the Fathers we take it as spoken of all togither for although all the men of the world could bee assembled and called togither and that euerie one of them were worth an Augustine they could not make or cause to be made one article of faith to binde the faith of a Christian to beleeue anie other thing necessarie vnto saluation then that which is in the holy Scripture Gaâ—â— following that which Saint Paule saith Though I my selfe or an Angel from heauen should preach vnto you any other thing then that which wee haue alreadie preached vnto you let him be accursed And a little after he setteth downe the reason For I haue not receiued or learned it of any man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ c. And this hath beene renued by all the olde Fathers though but ill fauouredly kept by them which were their successours and whereupon notwithstanding our maister Gerson and Cardinall Caietan after him haue framed this conclusion That the Church of this time cannot any more neither hath bin able besides that which the Primitiue Church could to canonize any booke establish any article of faith c. The second is That we discerne in the workes of the Fathers the true and legitimate bookes from the faigned ones not to attribute them vnto them and by consequent sucke out of them an other mans errors in stead of their sound opinions not to receiue any doctrine for old when as the same shall be either new or else verie sparingly commended vnto vs of the ancients For it cannot be denied but that there are many such and those easily found out either by the stile being otherwise in one age then it is in another yea differing in some one time of some one father from that of another or by some apparance of contrarietie and that either in doctrine or exposition a thing hardly befalling any one authour or by the alledging of Authours which are notoriously knowne not to haue liued till after them or by the vsing of some tearmes and speeches not as yet practised in the Church in their time c. Of all which sorts the malice of men hath furnished vs with sufficient store of examples For the stile of the Epistles attributed to the first Bishops of Rome is meerely barbarous and Gottish in the times of the greatest flourishing of the Latine tongue and when there could not bee found in all Italie nor in all the Romane Empire either learned or idiot that could speake this language The stile of Denys the pretended Areoopagite is nothing like to Saint Pauls containing nothing of Apostolicall note or marke nothing of the spoiling of Ceremonies so oft repeated by the Apostle The treatise of Sina and Sion against the Iewes c. nothing of that vigor which was in Saint Cyprian his other writings against the very same but farre lesse of his elegancie zeale and doctrine The pretended Canons also of the Apostles how should they proceed from them when they forbid that which the others approue and command that which they do openly disproue and disallow And therefore by so much the more daungerous and poisonfull for hauing purloined the name of so soueraigne a drug And in such sort we are likewise to say of Saint Clement his reuises and Saint Peter his peregrination Hieronym in Apolog. cont Ruff in Epiph. haeres 27. which Saint Ierome and Epiphanius do witnesse vnto vs wittingly to hold and take part with the heresie of Eunomius and Ebion the most pernicious ones that haue been in the Church
and qualitie that their doctrine and pure life hath aduaunced them vnto in the Church for there is some such a one that is worth manie according to their times according I say as they haue beene nearer or further off from the true light seeing that Saint Ierome complaineth himselfe S. August ad Ianuarium Bed l. 4. in Sam. c. 2. that he was in his time come vnto the lees Saint Augustine That all was now become full of presumptions preiudicate opinions and more then Iudaicall Ceremonies Beda likewise That it was a lamentable thing and not to bee vttered without teares how that in his time the Church grewe worse and worse euery day And this will proue true in counting cleane contrarie to our Iesuites for they to cast dust in the eyes of the world doe tell vs Such a one who liued 800. or 1000. yeares since hath said this or that whereas they should say such a one who liued 200. 300. or 400. yeares next after the Apostles hath spoken thus c. For our question is not how long time a lie hath indured The diuell saith the Lord is a liar from the beginning but what manner of doctrine that was which was first that is according to Tertullian the truth then when how by what degrees falsehood and lying sprung vp increased and grew great aduaunced it selfe against Vincent Lyrinens c. 39. and aboue this truth c. And this is that which Lyrinensis saith For the expounding of the Canonicall Scripture we must summon and call togither the aduises of the fathers but preferre that euermore which they haue spoken either all or the greatest part of them and that verie manifestly often constantly assuredly c. what hath beene otherwise deliuered what Saint Martyr or Teacher soeuer he hath beene let vs hold it inter proprias occultas priuatas opiniunculas for Apocrypha and priuate opinions Furthermore we are euer to proceed forward to the fifth that they are to be read as great personages That we must reade them in such sort as they will be read but neuerthelesse as men whose writings cannot be equall with the Scripture as little as their spirits can match the holy Ghost yea such on the contrarie as must be iudged by the scripture examined one by another euen the old with those which in regard of them are new as they haue sufficiently learned in some places to reproue them of whom they had beene instructed in many things Cyrâ—l in Leuit. l 5. according to the rule which S. Cyril giueth vs. If there be any thing in the scripture to be decided besides the two Testaments let vs know that we haue not any third the authoritie whereof we are bound to receiue This also is the same that the Fathers say vnto vs. S. Ierome Let euery thing that shall haue bin spoken after the Apostles time be cut off Hieronym in Psal 86. let it not carrie any authoritie with it how holy or eloquent soeuer the Author may bee Saint Augustine Augu. de vnit eccles c. 6. Reade to me of the Law Prophets Psalms Gospel and Epistles reade we wil beleeue c. Al others saith he how holy or learned soeuer they be I read them not to belieue that which they affirme to bee true because they say it but in as much as they proue it vnto me by these canonical Authors Ep. 19. ad S. Hieronym Ep. 111. 112 c. For how Catholike so euer they may be there is alwaies something in their writings which their honour reserued it is lawfull for vs to reproue if it doe not agree with the truth Thus am I affected in other mens writings and such wish I them to be in mine c. And if you would know of what manner of men hee purposeth to speake he speaketh of his owne bookes Rest not thy selfe saith he in my books Lib. 3. de Trinit contr Crescon l. 2. c 21 Ep. 112. but correct them by the reading of the Scriptures Of those of Saint Cyprian I doe not hold them for Canonicall but I examine them by the Canonicall Wherein I find them conformable I praise him where otherwise there with his good leaue I reiect and forsake him Of these namely Saint Ambrose and Saint Ierome Contr. Faust l. 11. c. 5. l. 2. Contr. Donat. c. I purposed not saith he to intermingle their opinions that so thou maiest not thinke that wee should follow the sence of any man as the authoritie of the Scripture Of all them in generall that haue written since the time of the Apostles In them all saith be the reader or hearer hath free iudgement to approue or disprouethem not being bound of necessitie to belieue them but with libertie of iudging c. Yea saith he elswhere All the letters of Bishops without any exception to those of the Bishops of Rome which haue beene written or are written after the Canon of the Scriptures may be reprehended by the Councels and the prouinciall Councels giue place to the generall and the first generall are oftentimes amended by the latter Sine vllo typo sacrilegae superbiae without any swelling of wicked pride In like manner saith hee to Maximinus Bishop of the Arrians August contr Maxim l. 3 c. 14. I alleadge not vnto thee the Councell of Nice though the worthiest that euer was by way of preiudice neither alleadge thou against me that of Rimini For as I hold not my selfe bound to the authoritie of the one so neither doe I take thee to be bound to the authoritie of the other wherefore let vs reason the matter together by the authoritie of the Scriptures c. Of which onely saith hee against the Donatists by a speciall priuiledge denied to all others that come after it is not lawfull to doubt And in the meane time Peter Abbot of Clugnt Petr. Cluniac l 2. amongst the pretended errours for which Peter Bruits who read the Diuinitie Lecture at Tholosa was burned about the yeare 1200. obserued this That hee belieued in the Canonicall Scripture only and would not consent that the Fathers had the same authoritie with it And that this was the errour of that time appeareth in Gratian who liuing at this time maketh the Decretall Epistles of the Popes equall with the Epistles of Saint Paul and falsifieth Saint Augustine to fortifie his owne saying How farre better dealt Gerson and the Count Picus of Mirandula who doe more accompt of a lay man an idiot an olde man a child with a place of Scripture then a Pope or vniuersall Councell without Scripture Now who so shall read the Scriptures and the Fathers vpon the Scriptures furnished with these rules calling vpon the name of God and bringing a right zeale to the searching out of the truth let vs not doubt but that hee may easily discerne of the controuersies of this time as to know on which side truth or
bodie from the temporall deliuerance to the spirituall from the seruitude of Egypt to the thraâ—dome and slauerie of sinne and to be short from the eating of this lambe which they had solemnized with him vnto that very and true lambe shadowed and pointed out so many ages before this paschall lambe whose bodie was likewise vpon this day giuen for them to the death Ioh. 6.50.15 and whose blood within a few houres after was shed for the remission of their sinnes Your fathers said he in S. Iohn haue eaten Manna in the wildernes and are dead But will you see the true bread of heauen the breade of life the quickning bread that am I my selfe which am truely come downe from heauen and this bread it is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world who so shall eate thereof shall neuer die but liue for euer c. As if he should say as followeth Your fathers haue eaten the lambe and we againe haue eaten the same here at this present time but the true and very lambe in deed it is my selfe euen the same of whom Esay hath said vnto you He is led to the slaughter for the transgression of the people Esay 53 his soule is offred vp for a sacrifice for sinne Of whom not long since Iohn Baptist said vnto you behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and of whom I my selfe say vnto you at this present That I go to be deliuered vp to death for you that you shall haue from henceforth my flesh to eat and my bloud to drinke for the remission of your sinnes and for the nourishing of your soules vp vnto eternall life your soules I say that are barren and void of all righteousnes in themselues and therefore also voide of true life but yet such as shall find life in me in my obedience and in my iustice and righteousnes all which are made yours by the sacrifice which now I am about to offer vp of mine owne accord and free will vnto you they shal be become the foode and foison of eternall life if you acknowledge and confesse your sinne your nakednes your vnprofitablenesse and great miserie that is to say if you truely hunger after my grace if you finde and perceiue your selues changed and altred of righteousnes And to the end that the remembrance of this great benefite may be alwaies fresh and new in your memorie thinke vpon remember it I pray you in such sort maner as you would think vpon your meate and drinke without which your bodies cannot stand and much lesse your soules without the benefite of my death and of the life and spirituall nourishment of the same which is secret and hid Do this whensoeuer you shal do it in remembrance of me in remembrance of my torne rent and broken bodie and of my blood shed for you and that such a remembrance as shall notwithstanding exhibite and communicate them vnto you for the assuring of you of the pardon and remission of your sinnes consequently of the saluation of your soules For alwaies and as oft as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shall expresse the death of the Lord that is to say you shall receiue the new couenant of grace the seale of your life in him vntill that hee come But this shall be expounded more largely in his place and in the meane time consider and beholde our Lorde and Sauiour doeth take occasion by the Sacrament of the Paschall lambe to institute and ordaine the Sacrament of the holy Supper passing as Saint Ierome saith from the olde to the new wherein as also in this wee haue likewise to consider both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice A Sacrament in that God there presenteth vnto vs bread and wine visible signes and yet notwithstanding exhibiters of an inuisible grace of the participation which the faithfull haue in his bodie and in his blood being members of this head branches of this vine flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones c. A sacrifice in like manner for that in the holy Supper we giue thankes to God for this great deliuerance which we receiue from the seruitude and punishment of sinne in the death of his welbeloued and hereupon it commeth that we call it Eucharisticall and that it hath the name Eucharist giuen vnto it and which neuerthelesse retaineth in some sort somewhat of the nature of a propitiatorie sacrifice in as much as therein wee carefully obserue and keepe the remembrance of this onely sacrifice which is the onely true propitiatorie which the Sonne sent from the father hath once offered vp for all vpon the tree of the crosse for vs differing herein from the Paschall lambe that the institution of the Lambe was a Sacrament of the deliuerance to come whereas the holy Supper is the Sacrament of grace alreadie wrought and purchased and herein againe for that the Passe-ouer held of the propitiatorie sacrifices in that it represented and set before their eyes that which ought to be accomplished in the bloud of Christ whereas the holy Supper holdeth somwhat of them for that it setteth before our eyes this propitiation made and perfected And thus much be spoken briefly deferring the rest till we come to speake of the Sacrifice pretended to be in the Masse What we haue hitherto obserued What was the forme of the holy Supper instituted by our Lord. 1. Cor. 11. The institution of the holy Supper Math. 26. Marke 24. Luk. 22. Paulus Fagius Deut. 8. Deutr. 16.3 is nothing else but that forme of the holy Supper wherein it was first instituted by our Lord as we haue it set downe in three of the Euangelistes and in S. Paule to the Corinthians the first Epistle and the 11. Chapter The summe whereof is as followeth that our Lord after Supper tooke breade and blessed it They vse the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was done after the manner and laudable custome of the Iewes whose ordinarie manner of blessing in this place is yet to bee read Blessed be thou O our Lord God king of eternitie which hast sanctified vs by thy commandements and hast ordained that we should eate vnleauened bread c. Afterward he brake it gaue it to his disciples and said Take eate this is my bodie do this in remembrance of me Whereas the Iewes were accustomed to say these wordes This is the bread of miserie for so is the vnleauened bread called which our fathers did eate in Egypt Hee that is hungrie let him come and eate and he that hath neede let him come and celebrate the Passeouer Our Lord in this place making the bread of miserie the sacrament of the bread of life that so who so eateth thereoâ— worthily shal neuer hunger Afterwards it is said that he tooke the cup and gaue thankes the Euangelistes vsing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same sence and signification
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
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
the Scriptures Walafridus speaketh Who first instituted and appointed lessons to bee read out of the Epistles of the Apostles Walafrid de diuin Oftic c 22. Microlog c. 1. and out of the Gospels before the celebrating of the Sacrifice it is not certainely knowne but it is thought the Apostles their first successors did so ordaine especially because the celebration of these Sacrifices is commaunded in the Gospels and in the Apostle is taught the manner how it must bee done c. And in the same Chapter Telesphorus sayeth hee the ninth Bb. of Rome ordained that the Gospels and Epistles should be read in the assemblies of the Christians in steade of the propheticall writinges And againe Before Pope Celestine that is before the yeare 430. or thereabout there was nothing rehearsed before the consecration but the Epistle and Gospell Againe sayeth hee there was a time when there was nothing read but Saint Paule namelie as may bee presumed the place which concerneth the holie Supper Albinus Flaccus in like manner sayeth Albinus Flaccus de diuinis officiis Rabanus de instit cleric Berno Aguiensis cap. 1. Heretofore the Epistle of Saint Paule onelie was recited and after it the holy Gospell and then the Masse was celebrated Rabanus likewise vseth almost the verie same wordes saue onelie that hee addeth that this fashion of singing was not vsed in the Church in such sorte as it is at this day All these cited Authors were about the yeare 800. and 900. The Abbotte Berno alleadging the life of S. Gregorie He bindeth vp saieth hee into one volume Gelasius his booke of the solemne orders and Customes vsed in Masses cutting off much changing a little and putting to somewhat and calleth it the booke of the Sacraments and it may be that in the former times there was nothing read but the Epistles of Saint Paule Then afterwarde it fell out that other Lessons Amalar. lib. 3. cap. 5. both of the olde and of the new Testament were mingled therewithall in such order ad manner as solemne thinges are wonte to require Amalarius Bishoppe of Trire Celestine was the first that ordayned that the Psalmes of Dauid shoulde bee sung by course not sayeth hee that they had beene vsed to haue beene sung for before time the Epistle of Sainte Paule and the holie Gospell were onelie wonte to bee read and afterwarde the Sacrifice was celebrated and the Masse beganne by the foresaide Lecture where vppon custome hath retayned it vntill this daye in the vigilles of Easter and Whitsontide that is to saye at these solemne feastes wherein now in these latter dayes euerie man appointed himselfe to receiue the holie Supper And this I woulde haue marked by the waye against those that finde faulte with the reformed Churches for hauing taken the chiefe grounde and principall foundation for their prescript forme of administring and receyuing of the holie Supper out of the first Epistle of Saint Paule to the Corinthians chap. 11. where hee rehearseth the institution of our Lord seeing they may well perceiue that it was so practised in the first olde age as their owne Authors doe witnes vnto them Of Psalmes Radulph Deane of Tongres sayeth That the olde Diuine Seruice consisted in Psalmes and in Lessons but that the Psalmes made vppe the greater parte insomuch as that the Psalter was runne through there euerie weeke and hee giueth a reason for it Because sayeth hee that it is a perfect abridgement of Diuinitie wherein Dauid hath spoken more like an Euangelist then a Prophette and furthermore it is to vs and to all true repenting sinners an example of the mercie of God and that for the same cause the reading of Saint Paule his Epistles was so much vsed as wherein we are instructed and taught the manner of his conuersion and profiting Walaf c. 26 in them likewise obseruing the rich and bountifull goodnes of God and in like manner Walafridus in Chapter 26. Now after these Lectures there was a place wherein they vsed to speake of the preaching that had beene made and framed thereof for the Bishoppe or Pastor was wonte to expounde some one place or other vnto the people wherevppon wee reade these wordes in the Lithurgie attributed vnto Clemente How that after the Lessons the Bishoppe speaketh vnto the people by waye of exhortation and hereuppon sprung so manie Homilies of the olde Fathers Clemens siue alius in Liturgia aswell Greeke as Latine as likewise the Bbs. when they tooke their oath did bind themselues by promise to performe this dutie in signe and token whereof the booke of the Gospell was deliuered to them with these wordes Take the Gospell and preach it vnto the people that is committed vnto thee as wee shall see hereafter The traces and steps whereof may seeme still to bee seene in that part of the Masse called in French the Prosne wherein the Curates doe laye open vnto the people some rudimentes of their Christian faith but the ignorance or else the riotousnes of the Prebates hath now through tract of time so preuailed with these Copiers out of bookes as that they haue left out what was mentioned of making of Sermons and goe on with a smooth foote from the Lecture to the Offertorie or offring which Walafridus and Berno affirme to bee sprung vp Walafr c. 22. Berno Augiensis c. 1. ex prioris populi consuetudine of the custome of the Iewish Church And these offrings in the Christian Church were for the most parte of breade wine or of the first fruites thereof in corne and in grapes and these were consecrated vnto God by prayer afterward they tooke that which was necessarie for the Communion of the holy Supper and looke what remained it was eyther eaten of all in common or else giuen to the poore And further let it bee marked that both of them say in proper and apte tearmes We do not reade it in plain and euident forte who it was that added vnto our Lithurgies that which is sung inter offerendum at the offring and as little of that singing by course vsed in the communion and as certainelie doe wee receiue verily belieue that the holie Fathers in the first times did offer and communicate without anie voice heard which also is furthermore obserued vpon the holie Saturday of Easter Wherby wee perceiue verie clearelie that the Bbs. or Priestes did not say Offero Sacrifico Offerimus Sacrificamus but that according to the example of our Lorde after they had pronounced and vttered the holie wordes of the institution of the Sacrament they gaue it vnto the people without saying anie thing all those precise and strict ceremonies coupled and fastened to a number of wordes vttered with one breath to certaine signes of the Crosse c being crept in a long time after and whereof these honest fellowes can render no other reason saue that according to the measure of the growth of the Church in mightines
vs I cannot but meruaile how against all both Euangelical Apostolicall doctrine men dare to offer in some places water in the cup c. Afterward he addeth For they should aske counsell at those whom they follow wherefore if in the sacrifice which is Christ wee are not to follow any other then Christ it must of necessitie follow and be laid vpon vs that we ought to obey and doe as Christ hath done and also commanded vs to doe seeing hee telleth vs in his Gospell If you doe the things which I command you I call you no more seruantes but friendes For that Christ ought onely to be heard saith he God the father himselfe hath witnessed it from heauen saying This is my welbeloued Sonne c. heare him Whereupon then it must follow that we are not to regard what euery one before vs hath iudged meet and conuenient to be done but vnto that which Iesus Christ hath done which is before all because wee are not to apply our selues to follow and imitate the custome of man but the truth and veritie of God But and if thy conscience checke or trouble thee by reason of the life and doinges of thy predecessors who haue so and so liued and which haue followed such and such traditions he putteth into thy mouth what to answere vnto thy selfe in that case likewise For saith he if any of our Predecessors either through ignorance or foolish simplicitie haue held otherwise then the Lord hath taught vs eyther by his precept or by his example God will pardon such his simplicitie through his rich and aboundant mercie but vnto vs forewarned taught the contrarie by himselfe it cannot be pardoned and forgiuen Now in deede it were meet that we should write out all the whole treatise because it driueth onely and aymeth at the annihilating of all manner of mens traditions that so nothing might bee embraced but the pure institution of Christ contained in the Gospell and in the Apostle But that wee may come to the particular and speciall pointes of this diuine seruice we haue alreadie seene and heard what he hath said of the generall confession which the Minister or Priest made of the sinnes of the people and his owne There was also at this time in the Christian assemblies a mounted or raised place out of which the reader appointed for the same vsed to reade the scriptures as also the Bb. to make his sermons vpon the same so read Cyprian de operib Cardinal Christi Conciliū Laodic Canon 19. Which said place Cyprian calleth Tribunal ecclesiae but others Suggestum pulpitum c. And the sermon or Homelie was made after the reading of the Gospell and before the celebration of the Sacrament as appeareth by the Councell of Laodicea that is to say before the going out of those which were to be instructed and catechised in Christianitie to the end that they might bee receiued into the Christian Church This reading is likewise apparant Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 5. where Saint Cyprian ordained for the reader a Confessor of the name of Christ He was worthie saith he not for his age but for his deserts of some higher roome in the church but it seemed good vnto vs that he should begin at the office of reading because nothing soundeth better in that mouth which hath confessed Christ by a glorious professing and witnessing of him then the sound of the celebrating of the diuine lectures To reade saith he the Gospel of Christ which maketh the Martyrs to come from the stockes to the pulpit c. and because such ioy loueth not any lingring delay Dominico legit Hee began to reade vpon the day of the holy Supper c. And as for the sermon Eusebius maketh mention that it was ordinarily and commonly vsed in the holy assemblies of the African Churches Euseb lib. 7. cap. 22. and wee haue many places also to that effect out of Saint Cyprian Wee learne also of Origene that it was the custome that the Reader should reade the scripture Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 12. Cipri serm in orat Doinic and the Pastor expound it And Socrates maketh mention that in the Church of Alexandria this was Origene his professed practise And as concerning prayers Our praying saith Saint Ciprian is publike and common not for one man alone but for all the people for that likewise all this people is but as one And to the end that all carnall cogitation may bee far from vs the Minister before praier prepareth the hearts of the brethren by this preface Sursum corda which is lift vp your harts on high to the end that the people which answere Habemus ad Dominū that is we lift them vp vnto the Lord may be forewarned not to think of any thing but him onely And consequently the celebration of the Lordes Supper followed the insticution whereof was read for the blessing of the sacraments and after that a generall prayer as appeareth in a historie of one possessed of a Deuill of whom he saith Cypr. in serm de lapsis that she was impatient during the time of this prayer Precis orationisque nostra impatiens c. But that solennibus adimpletis the holy things being accomplished that is to say Et accipientibus caeteris locus eius aduenit Cypr. de Caena Dominic the blessing of the sacraments the Deacon beginning to giue the cup she would haue taken it in her place howbeit very quickly by a secret instnct and motion from God she began to turne away her face At which time likewise all the faithfull indifferently without exception of any did communicate practising the same that he speaketh of elsewhere saying The Priests are not admitted alone to the communicating of this foode but the whole church euery one receiueth his portion equally c. Hitherto you see the simple and sincere manner of diuine seruice continued and vsed in the Church but let vs see what thinges they were that in this meane time are reported to haue beene added thereunto by the Bishops of Rome Some attribute to Pope Alexander the first this clause Qui pridie quam pateretur c. that is who in the day before his passion tooke the bread in his precious hands and lifting vp his eyes vnto thee O God his father most mightie and yeelding thee thankes blessed it brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying take eate ye all c. Whereby appeareth that in former times by their owne testimony these words Hoc est corpus meum was pronounced without any Canon and without any preface Iustin Apol. 2. Plat. in Sixt. 1. as we may reade them all naked and by themselues in Iustine his second Apologie Do this in remembrance of me This is my bodie This is my bloud c. To Sixtus 1. is attributed Sanctus c. Holy holy holy Lorde God of hostes the heauens and earth are ful of thy glorie And this which Platina did set
the Apostle commaunded that in the sanctification and preparation going before the distribution thereof there should be certain prayers made S. August Ep. 118. et 1. Tim. 2. Hee calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the vow as the Apostle sayeth to Timothie wherein this vow of vnion and agreement was witnessed as furthermore the scope and drift of the Sacrament is that wee should grow to bee one with Christ and one amongst our selues Of the Lordes prayer Saint Augustine sayth Of the Lords praier August serm 237. de temp Item Epist ad Paulinum c. Ambrose l. 5. de sacr c 4. Hieron l. 3. aduers Pelag. Concil Tolet. 4. The kisse of peace Chrysost in l. 1 de compunct cord After the Sermon we will come to the Prayer you know whether we must come namely to the holie Table and that which you shall haue first to demaund of God Dimitte nobis debita c. forgiue vs our trespasses and debtes as we forgiue them that are indebted to vs. And in an other place All the Church almost concludeth this whole prayer with the Lordes prayer c. And S. Ambrose and S. Ierome in like manner That this Prayer was said Post verba Christi that is after the wordes of institution and it was followed by all the faithfull and there are also certaine councels which reproue the Priestes of Spaine for that they did not say it but vppon the Lordes day And as for the kisse of peace Chrysostome sayeth The Lord commandeth to leaue thy gift before the Altar and first to be reconciled vnto thy brother c. We retaine the shadow of this commandement and let goe the substance and the trueth thereof for it is a common custome to be present at the kisse of peace at such time as the gifts are offered to God but J feare me that it doth come from a number of you from no further than the lips c. And in an other place hee putteth it presently after the Lords praier We do all of vs saith he fall downe together namely the Ministers and the people and when we are to come to the dutie of the kisse of peace we doe euerie one mutually salute one another c. Ierome Is there any that communicateth against their wils or which in the administration of the holie food doe put out their hande to take it but turne away their face and offer the kisse of Iudas Saint Augustine more plainely After the Lordes prayer sayeth hee there is saide Pax vobiscum peace be with you S. August Serm. de vigil Pasch In Ambrosiana In Graecis and the Christians doe euerie one mutually kisse each other with a holie kisse but let the signe of the peace of Christ which the lips doe testifie be rooted inward◠lie in the conscience that so the harts may ioyn and be vnited as close together as the lips And it is the verie same which is read in the Lithurgies Offerte vobis pacem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Offer to your selues peace Let vs salute one another with a holy kisse c. The peace of Christ and of the church be alwaies with vs c. Now after that they had prayed vnto God to vnite knit them more more one vnto an other in Christ The Communion and protested their sincere vnion in the Spirite amongst thēselues there followed the communicating and distributing of the holy Sacramentes in this forme and manner The Ministers did communicate amongst them then they distributed them vnto the Deacons and afterward the Ministers and Deacons vnto the faithfull This appeareth by the Canon of the first Councell of Nice ioyned to Ruffinus Let the Deaconreceiue the grace of the holy Communion at the handes of the Bb. Concil Nic. c. 18. Ruff. l. 1. c. 6. or Pastor and let the Deacon likewise distribute it in the absence of the Pastor where we see that this action was not thought to depend vpon the power and effectualnes of the Minister as some afterward would haue had it they did distribute it vnder both kinds the bread and the cuppe Whereby it appeareth that to speake in a word it cannot be noted out of any olde Writer in any one place where the bread was separated from the cuppe or the cuppe from the bread In S. Ambrose also S. Ambrose in 2 ad Cor. who yeeldeth a reason though not altogether so pertinent and fit The Sacrament which wee receiue sayeth hee serueth both for the bodie and the soule the flesh of Christ for the saluation of the bodie and the blood for the saluation of the soule Whereby at the least wee learne with what conscience our aduersaries alledge against vs S. Ambrose his Masse which they haue most lewdly gelded in taking the distribution of the cuppe from it they did deliuer the Sacramentes into the proper handes of the Communicants men or women Euseb l. 6. c. 43 and this is manifest by that which is spoken by Nouatus who gaue vnto euery one his part of the oblation being consecrated and by the hereticall woman who made shew to take the bread at the hand of Chrysostome and by these wordes of S. Niceph. l. 13. c. 7. Ambrose vnto Theodosius Wilt thou take with thy bloodie handes the holie bodie of our Lord c a most euident signe that this opinion had not as then taken place that this operation did change the nature of the thing in such sort as that it might not be touched with the handes of Christians and the bread was giuen in gobbets and the cup went along from hand to hand according to the multitude of the Communicantes The wordes speaking and vttering vnto them in diuerse Churches diuerse wordes As in the Latine Accipe corpus Christi Take the bodie of Christ Take the blood of our Lorde and they aunswered Amen let it bee so vnto me or So be it An other waye The bodie of our Lord the blood of Christ keepe and preserue thee vnto eternall life Also The bodie of Christ And they aunswered Amen The blood of Christ the cuppe of life Aunswere Ambrose lib. 4. de sacr cap. 5. S. Clemens in Lithurg Microlog c. 19. Amen as it is to bee seene in the Latine Lithurgies imitating therein the wordes in the Gospell Take eate this is my bodie c. Where in the meane time wee may note and marke that the wordes which the Priest rehearseth now a dayes for himselfe alone were then by the Minister spoken vnto all the faithfull Communicantes In the Greeke Church I giue thee to communicate sayde the Minister the precious bodie of our Lorde and Sauiour for the remission of thy sinnes and to the assuring of thee of eternall life And so likewise of the cuppe according to the wordes of Saint Paule The bread which wee breake and the cuppe which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ And all the prayers in
the meane time both before and after haue these wordes continually mingled amongst them Let vs not here thinke vppon any thing that is earthlie anie thing that is carnall all whatsoeuer is contained herein is full of mysteries This is a sacrifice of praise spirituall reasonable without bloode a heauenlie breade which is receyued by a firme and constant faith and by a mind purged from vncleannes a Christ which is distributed without being deuided into parts eaten without being chewed and which nourisheth without being wasted or consumed c that so wee may learne alwaies to keepe the reuerence due vnto the Sacramentes and notwithstanding not to confound them with the thing it selfe that wee may not thinke of anie proper chaunge that should be wrought in these signes but rather of the chaunge which this spirituall nourishment which ioyneth vs to Christ ought to worke and doth worke in vs. Let vs adde hereunto that it is most certaine that there was neuer any Seruice said at this time but there was also the administration of the Communion ioyned therewith and that all the Canon now receyued speaketh of nothing but of the people their being assembed and come to gether for a Communion Cassan in praefat ad Ord. Roman their offring communicating not mentioning anie such thing to bee done of the Priest insomuch as that the best learned and that before wee began to haue anie controuersies with them did openlie hold and dispute it that the Canon could not bee read neyther haue anie worke or operation in priuate Masses prouing the same by S. Gregorie Psalmes in the time of the distributing of the Sacraments Now all the while the Sacramentes were in distributing because it was not without the spending of much time there were many Psalms sung Those which we find to bee most vsuall are the 23. The Lord is my shepheard the 34. I will blesse the Lord at all times and especially this verse Taste and see that the Lord is good the 145. O Lord my God and my king I will praise thee the 103. My soule blesse the Lord S. Dionys in â— De Hierarch Cyril Catech. Liturg. S. Clement August lib. 22 Retract c. 22. c as may bee seene in S. Denys S. Cyrill S. Clement their Liturgies and others especiallie those of the Greekes seeing that at Rome they beganne at this time to deuide them into verses The place of S. Augustine is cleare and euident for the purpose speaking of Psalmes Let it be sayeth hee that they bee sung before the offring or else at such time as it is distributing to the people which hath beene offred And it must not bee forgotten that the Psalms quoted aboue are at this day for the most part the most ordinarie in the reformed Churches of this Realme in the time of the celebration of the Sacrament of the holie Supper After the distribution followed a Thankesgiuing Thankesgiuing S. August Epist 50. Dionis in Hierâ— 3. according to that which Saint Augustine sayeth Gratiarum actio omnia concludit Thankesgiuing in the conclusion and ending of al. And S. Denys The holie Communion endeth with a holie Thankesgiuing And Chrysostome After the hymne sung they went vp to the mountaine This word toucheth you who doe not abide and continue vnto the end of the last prayer for this song was this man his shot Our Lord beganne and ended with a Thankesgiuing that he might bee an example vnto vs for to doe the like Chrysost hom 23. in Matth. And namely in the Lithurgie that is called by Chrysostome his name there is for a Thankesgiuing the Song of Simeon as is vsed in the reformed Churches But the auncient custome was saieth hee in one place that the faithful after they had heard the doctrine offred their prayers and communicated at the Lordes Supper c. did not returne home to their owne houses by and by after that the Assemblie was dissolued but the richest caused their victualles to bee brought from their owne houses and calling the poore did feast them there in the Temple Loue-feastes Chrysost in 1. ad Corinth Opotret haereses esse Tertul. in Apolog August l. 20. c. 20. Siue frugibus siue carnâ—bus Concil Laodic c. 27.28 August ad Ianuar. Epist 119. In a knowne tongue And this was the thing which was called in the Primitiue Church by the name of Loue-feastes whereof wee reade in S. Iude These are spots in our loue-feastes In Tertullian Nostra caena c. Our Supper taketh his name of the thing it is called Agape that is loue whatsoeuer it cost yet this is our gaine that wee spend with godlines for the comfort and refreshment of the poore c. And S. Augustine Our loue-feastes feede the poore whether it be with bread or with flesh you say that the charitie of Christians is like to the Pagans their Sacrifices c. But for certaine abuses which were therein committed this custome ceaseth yea and there were expresse articles framed in certaine councels that those loue-feastes should not anie more bee made in the places appointed for prayer Well may wee see that in the time of S. Augustine the manner of making a Supper was continued and that vpon the day of the Lordes passion in the breaking vp wherof the guestes did communicate in the Sacrament together and this is yet continued in the Monasteries of S. Benet as shall be seene else where and they call it mandatum Let vs adde for the shutting vp of this speech that both the one and the other seruice aswell that whereat those were present which were cateehised as that whereat the faithfull were present was done in a language both well knowne and vnderstoode as namely to the Latines in Latine to the Graecians in Greeke to the Syrians in Syriacke c. and which is more in a loude voice the people not onelie answering but oftentimes singing with the Ministers of the Church S. Ambros in 1. ad Cor. c. 14 Whereupon S. Ambrose saith expounding that place of S. Paule Better are fiue wordes spoken in the church in a knowne tongue then ten thousand others c. That the intention of S. Paule was to reproue the Iewes which tooke pleasure for the commending of their own language to the vse of this Syriacke in their sermons and oblations that is in the celebrating of their diuine seruice the holie Supper directly against those which would maintaine that it is sufficient that sermons be vnderstoode and not the seruice which is said in the Church CHAP. VI. An aunswere vnto certaine obiections and what seruice it is which commeth neerest to that of the purest auncient times that of the Church of Rome as it is vsed at this day or that of the reformed Church NOw therefore we haue seene in part wherein the celebrating of the holy Supper consisted during all this time that is to say from the first Councell of Nice where wee
to quench the same in the welspring of life this reuiuing water gushing out vnto eternall life this precious blood of our Lord which is made our iustification yea our iustice Againe in the holy Supper all the faithfull did communicate together in bread and in the cuppe in the bodie and in the blood of our Lord being taught thereby that they were but one bodie euen the bodie of Christ but diuers members quickened moued and gouerned by one spirite euen by his spirit liuing one life and consequently taught mutually to loue one another mutually to imbrace one another the greater becomming seruants to the lesser the strong vnto the weake the learned to the ignorant and the wise and prudent to the foolish and simple referring all their actions to the glorie of their head to the seruice of the bodie and to the saluation of his members In the Masse what is there that may imprint this brotherly loue and charitie in vs or expresse and teach vs any such instruction yea on the contrarie which doth not suppresse and burie charitie which doth not oppresse and smother that in all dispightfull manner such lessons and doctrine where the Priest if hee may be lawfully so called communicateth alone one for all where the auncient bread of the communion of the bodie of Christ great according to the proportion of the communicants is brought to one wafer that in some places no greater then a penie being for the priest alone whereas our Lord deliuered himselfe to death for all and gaue himselfe to all where also so oft as any are admitted thereunto they are depriued of the cup of the communion so much as in them lyeth of the blood of Christ Then what proportion holdeth it with the supper yea what opposition and contrarietie is there that it maintaineth not against the Apostle We are one onely bread 1. Cor. 10.17 and one onely bodie c. To be short in the holy supper man was taught how he was indebted vnto one onely God for his creation as likewise that hee was not bound to any for the work of his regeneration iustification sanctificatiō saluation but to one only Christ the eternall son of God the beginning midst and end of our spirituall life in so much as that he which doth regenerate vs in baptisme and doth nourish and feed vs in the holy supper is made our meat himselfe and in so much as that he which washeth vs from our sinnes doth cloath and couer vs with his righteousnesse In the Masse what shall wee say where of the holy table of our Lord they haue made vs an Altar of all sortes of saints where of the remembrance of his death they haue made vs a legend of the Saintes their sufferinges and passions where in stead of his blood the onely propitiation for our sinnes they pretend to administer vnto vs their praiers intercessions and merites where to shut vp all in a word is pretended to sacrifice in honor of the Saints him for whose glorie and names sake all the Saintes haue offered whatsoeuer they haue sacrificed yea and for whose names sake they ought to sacrifice themselues To bee short let vs set before vs on the one side an assemblie of faithfull people praying vnto God singing his praises hearing his worde and attentiue to the expounding of the same a seruant of God in all simplicitie so ripping vp their sinnes as that hee maketh them to haue a sence and feeling of the same by the worde declaring thereupon the remission thereof in the death and passion of our Lorde distributing vnto them rounde about the table his bodie and his blood in the sacrament of bread and wine which he hath instituted and prouoking and stirring of them vp to the giuing of all heartie and euerlasting praise vnto him for this so great a benefite This was the holy supper of the faithfull in the old Church this is ours And now set before your eyes on the other side a Priest with a straunge garment his face fixt vppon an Altar with a Clearke standing behind him muttering in an vnknowne language interlarded with signes lifting vppe a Wafer in an affected and ceremoniall sorte causing it to bee worshipped dippping it in his wine eating it alone vsing no word of interpretation or exhortation neither yet giuing the people any other taste thereof by any manner of instruction perswading them notwithstanding that by thus much as hath beene done being at their or his request and bought with some peece of money he hath sacrificed our Lord for them or him that hee hath with this his one labour set his father in Paradice drawne him out of Purgatorie c. This is the Masse of Rome that same which wee so greatly complaine of and whereof there is so much talke but how differing and disagreeing both for manner and effect I call their owne soules to witnes from the seruice of the fathers how farre off then from the institution of Christ and how farre off from the order of the Apostles But it is now time to finish this discourse let vs leaue the partes and looke into the circumstances and so we shall come to behold the truth of this matter in more cleare and euident manner The end of the first booke The Second Booke WHEREIN ARE HANDLED THE CIRCVMSTANCES AND APPERTINANCES BELONGING TO THE Diuine seruice as those also which belong vnto the Masse CHAP. I. Of Churches and Altars and of their originall and proceeding IT followeth after wee haue spoken of the parts of seruice their first originall and beginning as also of their increase and proceeding deprauing corrupting c. that we now examine the circumstances thereof And therefore let vs beginne with the Churches Altars and images and therein consider how by the good husbanding of the matter by the Sea of Rome the circumstances haue taken the place of the substance and the accidents of the subiect in such manner as that in Papistrie there is more regard had of a pretended adorning beautifying of places thē to the forme substance of that which is to be done therein for the saluation instruction of men The ancient Iewes by the commandement of God had built a temple for sacrifices Act. 2.5.21 Act. 9.13 after that many Sinagogues like parish Churches therein to reade and expound the word of God Our Lord did often vse to go into the same to draw the Iewes to the knowledge of the truth his Apostles likewise did imitate his example But in as much as it was not lawfull for them to doe the seruice ordained in the new Testament therein they are content to doe it in their owne priuate houses Act. 1.2.4.5.10.12.20.28 no lesse consecrate and dedicate then the temple and the synagogues seeing it is the seruice that sanctifieth the place and not the place that sanctifieth the seruice yea so much the rather in that the voice of Gods owne Sonne manifested in
cast away a booke framed in expresse tearmes approuing that of Constantinople and confuting for false and counterfeit that of Nice the same being signed by all the Bishops And furthermore for the further gracing of the same published vnder the name of Charles the Great which is yet at this day to be read and was put forth here some fortie yeares since by my L. Iean du Tillet Bishop of Meaux This booke keepeth the meane or middle way betwixt the Synodes of Constantinople and that second of Nice that is to say That images might be had to be remembrances of thinges which the Councell of Constantinople denied but that they might not be worshipped and this the Councell of Nice affirmed Neither doth it make as the sophisters of our time vse by a false Grammer that common distinction betwixt an idoll and an image but it rather affirmeth according to sound Diuinitie We call not idols those images which are in Temples but we forbid them to bee worshipped for feare that they should be called idols that is to say that by worshipping of them they become not the thing which they are not And to the end that no man may call this booke in question Augustinus Steuchus Bishop of Agobio the keeper of the Popes librarie testifieth that it is kept in the library of Laterane Hinemar Archiepisc Rhemens c. 20 Bellarm. de eccles triump l. 2. c. 19. written in old Lumbardie letters and Hinemarus Archbishop of Rhemes doth alleadge whole pages out of the same and Bellarmine likewise doth acknowledge that in it is contained the Councell of Franckford yea and that which is more maruellous and strange that is that Adrian by letters which he writ vnto the Emperour of Constantinople and to Tharasius the Patriarch the furtherer aduauncer of images doth approue that which was done at Franckford as in deed the truth is that he had his legates there which were ashamed of that which was done at Nice But seeing that images had beene retained in Churches when Charlemaine was once dead idolatrie found an easie reentry in the West as will be seene in the time of Charles his sonne who was constrained to write a sharper booke then the first as on the contrarie Constantine the son of Irene comming to his age would not obserue keep that Councell held in the time of his mothers regencie who for that occasion wrought his death and dissolution And this contention in the Empire of Greece indured more then 200. yeres according as the Emperours were well or ill inclined working sometimes the ruine and ouerthrow of images and sometimes the establishing and confirming of the same In this contrarietie of Councels A comparing of these two councels together to which of them I pray you shal Christians haue recourse to stay and rest their consciences vpon To whom say I when as they see the East armed against the West about this cause and quarrell yea the East against the East that is the Churches and Empires of those partes at iarre amongst themselues Doubtlesse nothing can assure or certifie them but the word of God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. thou shalt not worship or serue them The word which the Popes Emperors neuer could neither euer shal be able to dispatch quite destroy from out of the world neither yet out of the hearts of such as are truely faithful howbeit it may be obserued that from this time this commandement beginneth such is the shameles boldnes to be raced out of the law of God as may yet be seene in the ancient lawes of England Archaeonomia Anglicana written published shortly after the second councel of Nice whose first title containeth the ten Commandements but the second commandement is wholly wanting therein the third continued in place thereof But let vs notwithstanding briefly weigh the reasons of these Councelles the one against the other because it may be that out of their disagreement wee shall make the truth and light to appeare The Nicene doth alleadge the image which Iesus Christ sent to Abgarus that which Nicodemus painted vnder the name of a false Athanasius which we haue proued to bee onely imagined and supposed likewise the vision of Constantine as it was foretold him by Peter and Paule before that hee was baptised which all ecclesiasticall histories together with those next afore mentioned do note for Apocrypha It playeth and sporteth it selfe with the scriptures as men vse to doe with Pasquils Adrian the Pope in his Synodall Epistle Concil Nic. 2 Act. 2 God tooke of the myre and clay and made man according to his owne image and likenesse And the Prophet Dauid saith Confession and dignitie are before him Againe I haue loued the beautie of thy house O Lord I will seeke thy face c. It behooueth therefore saith it to haue images in Temples Theodorus saith As we haue heard so haue we seene wherefore we must haue images to looke vpon them And God is wonderful in his Saints therefore we must haue painted pictures And No man lighteth a candle to put it vnder a bushell therefore it must bee set vpon Altars To bee briefe the Psalmist hath said Worship his footstoole worship him in his holy mountaine O Lord all the riches of thy temple shall worship before thy face wherefore we must worship images But I would verie gladly that of all the ancient Doctors that haue written vppon the Psalmes and Prophets they would shew me but one who hath from these places or any one of them found out images They alleadge the fathers with like conscience Quest 16. citing an Epistle written by Basill to Iulian which is not to bee found and another of Gregorie the Great which is manifestly knowne to be written by Gregorie the third a certaine booke of questions vnder the name of Athanasius in the sixteenth question and it is found to haue beene written by one Leontius almost three hundred yeares after in the time of the Emperour Mauritius And how should they spare the Doctors when they haue not beene ashamed to corrupt the first Councell of the Apostles held at Antioch daring to affirme Actes 15. that they therein ordained that the image of our Sauiour Christ should bee worshipped in steade of the images of the false Gods Although it be so as that there were not according to their owne confession any images in the Christian Churches before Constantine his time thereby charging the Primitiue Church with an vnsupportable crime for hauing made so small accompt of the Apostles their ordinance yea or rather of the holy Ghostes and that in a full Councell In the end they come to the legends of the Saintes and to pretended miracles And what miracles How that there was a woman healed of the gnawings and gripes that she suffered in her bellie by looking vpon the images of Saint Cosme and Saint Damian an other of the fluxe
in looking vppon the image of Simeon and that an other found a Well by causing the image of Theodosius the Abbot to be brought her An image of the virgine Mary kept the candle of a certaine Abbot from going out a long way and an other helpeth to conueigh water from the cesterne to the house And how a woman was tempted of the Deuill by forsaking and leauing to vse the image of the virgin whereupon the Abbot Theodorus sheweth her that it were better to go to the stewes and brothell-house a thousand times then to leaue and forsake the worshipping and adoring thereof What baggage are these to oppose set against the holy law of God Giuen as saith the Apostle by the ministery of Angels and vttered by his owne mouth Thou shalt not worship images Now let vs heare on the contrarie the foundations of the Councell of Francford We must not saith it worship images seeing we must not worship any besides one onely God one onely Iesus Christ who with the father the holy Ghost raigneth eternally Because likewise there is neither commandement nor example either of the Apostles Patriarkes or prophetes or of the fathers of the primitiue Church for the same And on the contrary that if any man haue images for remembrances and monumentes that yet notwithstanding it ought not to be any president for the trimming decking vp of the Church that such ornamentes and courses are nothing els but the waies of the Gentils that the good fathers Antonius Hilarius and others who loued well the beautie of the house of God did yet verie well leaue off to haue any dealing with them And as little for the instruction of the people That God hath giuen them the holy scriptures to this end the law whereby to come to the knowledge of Christ and not by Images And not any more for imitation or example sake to bee followed That the vertues of the Saintes as faith hope and charitie are inuisible and that we must therefore seeke them in their workes and not in their painted pictures It further proueth that whatsoeuer the patrons of images alleadge of scripture it is eyther to no end or contrarie to the end for which they alleadge it that their tales of the image of Christ are Apocrypha their authorities out of the fathers meerely imaginarie and their pretended miracles no better then either doubtfull or notoriously false or els diuelish Yea and although saith it that they were true because that God appeared to Moyses in a bush shall we therefore worship all bushes or vnder the colour of Aarons rod shall we worship all rods And so for Sampson his iaw-bone all other iaw-bones Or from the shaddow of S. Peter all other shadowes c. That this assertion of the Nicene Councell is damnable I adore and worship the image with the same worship wherewith I worship the Trinitie it selfe and do curse those that say otherwise The word being so plaine and euident Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and that exclusiuely meant say they of all other maner of worship besides that which is due vnto God alone not excluding onely that of images but of whatsoeuer other creatures be they neuer so excellent In like manner that their other reason is as weake which they would draw from the nature of relation and reference which the image hath with the thing whereof it is the image seeing that Christ said not He that receiueth Images but he that receiueth you receiueth me Nor that which you haue done to images you haue done to me but rather what you haue done to one of these little ones And therefore that whosoeuer doth say of a picture This is Christ sinneth lyeth and committeth villanous wickednesse instead that the second Nicene Councel hath by name said and affirmed that a man may speake it in godly religious maner And all these things with such grauitie learning and religiousnesse together with such reasons drawne so to the purpose from the scriptures fathers S. Ierome S. Augustine S. Gregorie c and pressed with such good consequence and so necessarily as that all the Dagons of the Philistines bee they neuer so firmely vnderpropped shal not be able possiblie to stand before them And yet furthermore this booke is approued by Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheimes who alleadgeth a whole Chapter out of the same against Hincmarus Bishop of Laon who liued in the time of Charles the great and as for Ecchius himselfe hee doeth not once call it in question Let vs go forward with the effectes and successe insuing vppon these two Councels The effect of these Councels It appeareth that that of Franckford did stay the course of idolatrie for a time in the Churches of France and Germanie which is gathered hereby namely for that Haimo and Rabanus who followed shortly after do not speake a word of the worshipping of images and in that Walfridus Strabo liuing at the same time continueth all one phrase and manner of speech Walfrid Strabo c. 8. That it is not lawfull either to worship them or els to banish and cast them out And because likewise that Claudius a famous Priest brought vp in the Court of Charles the Great was no sooner made Bishop of Turin in the time of Lewes the Gentle then that hee pulled downe and defaced the images when as hee founde the people of his Diocesse giuen to worship them by reason of the Romish superstition which had gained and preuailed so farre amongst them Claud. Taurinens de adorat imaginum An Abbot called Theodomirus set himselfe against his proceedings wherevpon this Claudius writte a booke vnto him against the worshipping of Images which hee was not afraide to send to the Emperour Lewes who committed the same to Ionas of Orleance to examine But hee neuer vouchsafed to vtter his iudgement of it till after that both Lewes and Claudius were deade neither is it found that Claudius was disturbed or troubled by the French Church vppon this occasion Anno. 840. Ionas Aurelian aduers Claud. Taurinens a signe that the doctrine of images was gouerned by the Councell of Franckford Now of this booke of Claudius Bishoppe of Turin there is no parte to come by more then that which Ionas his booke wherein hee goeth about the confutation of the same doeth afford vs and that after his death It may iustlie bee doubted whether hee haue dealt faithfullie with it in alleadging and setting downe the whole but onely that his owne aunsweres do sufficiently witnes that Idolatrie as yet was verie young and tender in the Churches of France Claudius reproueth the worshipping of Images according to the Councell of Francford Ionas doth not maintaine the same for hee aunswereth onlie as Gregory aunswereth Serenus that they may bee had for instruction sake to the people and not for to bee worshipped proceeding euen to the cursing of them who do worshippe them Claudius maintaineth and proueth by Origen
meanes whereby they might excell and go beyond the laitie therewithall the well inclined being still oppressed kept downe by the authoritie of the Pope Euen iust after the same manner as it would haue fallen out in other cases with vs in Fraunce in as much as the case so stood in the beginning as that matters of sute and law were pleaded in Latine and all manner of writings made in Latine howbeit that the common people by reason of the change that happened did not vnderstand it but that our kings as those which did more carefully watch ouer the goodes of the people then the Romish Bishops did ouer their soules haue beene very prouident wisely to foresee and by their ordinances to prouide for the same CHAP. VI. That in the Primitiue Church and a long time after the holy scriptures were read amongst the people in all tongues THe liturgie then or diuine seruice That the scriptures were translated into all languages euen from the first times was retained in the Church in the vulgar and common tongue for a long space following the precept of Saint Paule Let euery thing be done to edification in the Church And as for the Maxime of the Church of Rome which is to hold the people in ignorance that so they may not come to the knowledge of their faluation it did not take place but of late and that for no other end but to bind their consciences and knowledge to go no further neither yet to come short of the conscience skill of their curates that so they may pray vpon their simplicitie either by leading them into vaine superstition or into seruile subiection The holy scriptures of the old Testament say they were written in Hebrew and those of the new Testament in Greeke and not in any other tongue Let it bee so and good cause why seeing the Hebrew tongue was the language of Israel to whome the law was properly and peculiarly giuen and the Greeke likewise very common knowne vnto all the East parts where Christianitie did first spring and spread abroad But what prerogatiue do they shew vs why they should so aduance and cleaue vnto the Latine Let them answere them that the Gospell was notwithstanding preached by word of mouth in all tongues and to that end was the gift of tongues sent vnto the Church which was no sooner ceased but that the scriptures both of the old and new Testament were found as a supply of the same translated into diuers tongues as Hebrew Syrian Arabicke and Scythian as the ecclesiasticall historie doth witnesse vnto vs that this diligent indeuour continued and endured by the industrie of good pastors in such measure and sort as that the knowledge of Christ gained and got ground in the world Thus we see that Saint Ierome translated the holy scriptures into the Dalmaticke tongue Hieronym in ep ad Sophron. Gregor Patriarch Alexand. in vita Chrysost Sixtus Senens in l. 4. in lit l. k. Postellus in ep ad Ambr. Theseum Chrysostome into the Armenian Vlphilas Bishop of the Gothes into Gothicke Methodius into the Sclauonian and their translations are founde as yet both extant and in vse And that the same zeale was followed and imitated in the end in all Churches so that wee haue as yet the Gospels in the Ethiopian tongue the Psalter in the Egyptian as also in the Indian tongue but imprinted in Syriacke Characters the fiue bookes of Moyses in the Persian tongue the Psalter all the new Testament in the Gothish or old Frizeland speech all the Bible from the time of Ethelstanus king of England that is nine hundred yeares in the Brittish tongue c. And therefore Chrysostome sayth The Syrians Egyptians Indians Persians Ethiopians and innumerable other nations haue the heauenly doctrine translated into their naturall tongues and by this meanes haue left off their barbarousnes to play the philosophers in good earnest Theodoret Theodor. de corrig Graecor affect The Hebrew bookes are not onely translated into Greeke but also into Latine Egiptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythian Saromatian and in a word into all tongues which the nations vse as yet vnto this day All these good Pastors zealously and feruently affecting the wholesome instruction of their flockes and all these famous Churches had not yet studied or busied their braines about the title of the Crosse to conclude from thence that the scriptures could not bee read but in three tongues because in deed they had no desire or will by any such shift so to worke their purpose as that the poore people might not learne the way wherby they might be saued that so they might hold their consciences in homage vnto them Whether it be daungerous or no for the cōmon people to reade them But whatsoeuer any man may seeme to bee able to say to the contrarie say they it is and alwaies hath beene daungerous for the people to haue and reade the holy scripture in their common and naturall tongue And to whom then was it that our Lord said Search the scriptures And wherefore had all Christian Churches so translated them But now therefore let them heare euen they which make such vauntes of the auncient writers into what daunger those auncients did bring mens consciences by the reading of the holy scripture and into what daunger if a man will belieue them herein they brought the whole Church Irenaeus without all doubt did not conceiue any such daunger to bee therein Iren. l. 4. c. 12. 31. when hee said of the heretikes the Valentinians That their not knowing of the scriptures had brought them to this heresie He found preseruatiues therein and our aduersaries are afraid to meete with poison And as little paines did he take to draw backe the faithfull from the reading of them because of obscuritie for he saith The scriptures are open and cleare without ambiguitie or doubtfulnesse Origen in Esa hom 2. in Exod hom 9. they may bee alike heard of all Origen in like manner who tooke so great paines to translate and publish them in all tongues saith Woulde God wee all belieued and did that which is written Search the scriptures they are shutte and sealed to the negligent but they are founde to bee open and vnlockt to them that seeke and knocke at the dore By them hee would haue his parishioners his people that were still to be instructed and catechised and his disciples to trie and examine his doctrine for hee saith Origen in Iosuam hom 20. Idem in Leuit. hom 9. When I teach you that which I thinke then examine and iudge you whether it bee right and true or no. For wee desire sayeth hee in another place that you shoulde not onely heare the wordes of God in the Church but therewithall that you shoulde exercise your selues in them in your houses and meditate in his law day and night Idem in Ios hom 20. Yea and to the end that they
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
holie things before dogs And what will they say then of all the old Church and amongst whome shall all the faithfull during the time of so manie ages be accounted but amongst hogs and dogs Againe the Councell of Trent is so bold as to pronounce and say Concil TrideÌ„t c. 8.9 If anie man condemn and disalow the manner and fashion of the Church of Rome for speaking the Canon and wordes of consecration verie low or by affirming that the Masse ought to bee saide in a common and vulgar tongue let him be accursed Now it is certain that this custome slipt in for company with the rest of the abuses of the Masse The Lordes supper was wonte of olde to bee celebrated euerie Lordes day and neuer without the communicating of the faithfull in the same all the people made one partie both of the whole seruice as also of the holy supper By little and little it began to bee more rare and seldome as also lesse frequented and resorted vnto insomuch as that in the end there came but a verie few people to it yea there was not anie to communicate in the same The Pastors notwithstanding to hold fast their former authoritie were verie readie to perswade them that their alone presence was profitable and to this end they went and disguised this sacrament and put vpon it the visarde of a sacrifice and closed vppe this generall communicating of the faithfull in a particular action performed by the Priest The Priest then which was eyther alone with his onely Clearke to aunswere him or else very slenderlie accompanied beganne to speake with a lower voice and Transubstantiation comming vpon this solitarie condition of the Masse tyed the force of the sacrament to the pronunciation of words which the olde Church was alwaies wonte to attribute in parte to the power of Gods spirite and partlie to the faith of the communicants Gab. Biel. in expos Can. l. 4. l. f. g. h. and that so farre as that Gabriel Biel was so bolde as to say that the consecration was wrought by a hidden and secret power of these wordes euen altogether in such sort as charmers and witches are wont to draw milke out of a bench or forme and a helue out of a hatchet So that to giue honour and reuerence vnto the Masse but especiallie to the consecrating thereof it grew by little and little to bee a custome to pronounce these wordes as secretlie and mysticallie as may bee And this for a certaintie was not found to bee obserued before the Councel of Lateran in the Roman Church nor after it in any other CHAP. VII Wherein is intreated of the Ministers of the Church and of their charge and calling in the same IT followeth that we intreate of persons That the Ministers of the Church are to preach the Gospell and not to offer sacrifices and inasmuch as the Masse hath no grounde in the scripture or if it would yet it cannot haue any other then that of the institution of the holie supper whereof wee auouch that it is the meere deprauation the Ministers of the same can consequentlie be no otherwise sought or found in the scripture then in those which haue the charge of administring the holy supper that is to say in those which are called Ministers of the worde as Pastors Ministers Bishoppes diuerse names but signifiing one and the selfe same charge that is to say the preaching of the Gospell and dispensation of the sacraments for as for sacrificing Priestes which they call Sacerdotes wee haue none of them in the new Testament inasmuch as all the sacrifices of the law as wee shall see hereafter had relation all of them to the onelie sacrifice of our Lord finished and consumate vpon the Crosse and inasmuch as that in this sacrifice were ended and accomplished all the other sacrifices there remaining none other but the sacrifice of thankesgiuing instituted in the holie supper to declare this death to renew it vnto the belieuers and to stirre vppe in their heartes the praises of God in acknowledging of this benefite And in this sence sayeth Saint Peter all the faithfull are sacrificing Priests Neither was there anie order of Priesthoode more fitting the name and the rather for that they are all annointed in asmuch as they are Christians and so haue receiued the annointing of the holy spirite from Iesus Christ the first borne amongst his Brethren Our Lord sendeth his Apostles Matth. 18. Marke 16. he giueth them his holie spirite But is this to offer Sacrifices Preach sayeth hee the Gospell vnto all creatures Baptise in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost c. that is declare my worde dispense and distribute my Sacraments Tit. I. 1. Tim. 3.5 S. Paul sayeth Let the Bb. be firme in the worde faithfull and mightie to exhort by wholesome dostrine fit to instruct and teach as also to reproue and correct the sinners c. Of the sacrificing of the bodie and blood of our Lord for the quicke or deade not a word And furthermore we doe not see that in the auncient Church at such time as they receiued the imposition of hands that any such charge was giuen vnto them notwithstanding that for to applie themselues both to the Iewes and the Gentiles the auncient Doctors did sometime call them Sacerdotes and their Ministerie Sacerdotium that is to say Sacrificing Priestes and the action of Sacrificing as S. Paule also saith Rom. 15. Orig. in Ep. ad Rom. l. 10. Nazian in ora ad plebem Chrys in Ep. ad Rom. hom 19. Pacâ—ym in Dionys 1. Pet. 2. Cyprian de Vnct. Chrisma Origen in Leu. hom 9. August in exposit inchoata ad Rom. I sacrifice the Gospell of God calling the Ministerie of the word a sacrifice and so in like manner the most auncient Writers Origen This is the worke of a Sacrificer to preach the Gospell of Christ And Nazianzene to his people I haue offered you to God as an offring or beast that is sacrificed And Chrysostome My offring and sacrificing is to preach and publish the glad tidinges of the Gospell Whereupon also Pachimeres the expounder of Dionisius saith He calleth a Priest him who is properlie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder because that custome hath so obtained On the contrarie all Christians are called Priests in S. Peter You are a royall Priesthood In the Reuelation of S. Iohn in like manner c. Whereupon S. Cyprian vttereth these wordes All those which of the name of Christ are called Christians do offer vnto God a daylie sacrifice and are ordained of God Priestes of holines And Origen All such as are annointed with the holy vnction that is with the holy spirit of Christ are made Priestes thereby And hee presseth the place of S. Peter to that purpose And S. Augustine goeth further saying Euerie man offereth the whole burnt offring of the passion of our Lord for his sinnes Which
estate or sole and single life a law and ordinance of the Romish church by which the Ministers and Pastors of the Church are bounde to abstaine from marriage those which doe administer their sacramentes to abstain and renounce according to their doctrine one of their sacramentes But the scripture speaketh plainelie how that our Lorde ordained and blessed marriage from the Creation he vouchsafed to honour it in the Patriarks to commaund it to his Priestes to approue it also in the Prophetes the cleare and manifest vessels of Gods spirite hauing an extraordinarie vocation in the Church approued by signes and miracles These good fellowes which otherwise are most forwarde in bringing backe againe and heaping vppon vs all the ceremonies of the olde Testament why doe they banish and driue from vs this order ordinance In the new Testament our Lord worketh his first miracle at the marriage of Cana the comparisonis often vsed in the Scripture of the mar riage of Christ and his Church If it had been a worke of the flesh as they say would he haue been present at it If it had beene a prophane coniunction and copulation was it for necessity and lacke of other comparisons that the holy Ghost should vse this 1. Cor. 7. Hebr. 13. and that in laying open and pointing out of so high and holy an vnion But furthermore the Apostles say generally Let him that cannot liue continentlie take a wife the marriage and bed vndefiled are honourable among all men and afterward particularly A Bb. and a Deacon must be the husbands each of them of one wife c. If the Bb. do not gouern his children well how shal he gouern the church of God They likewise giue caueats and prouisoes against the contrary doctrine For it wil come saith S. Paul vpon the people giuen ouer to spirits of deceipt and doctrines of Diuels teaching lies in hipocrisie seared in their conscience with a hote iron who shal forbid to be married c. But after all this I leaue to speake of diuerse other places for breuities sake what will they haue to say vnto vs against so plaine and manifest a matter what needeth either reason or interpretation against the expresse commandement of God why should we admit the inuention of man and from whence can it come but from the spirit of lies couering it selfe with the spirit of hypocrisie and from whence commeth this fained holines this making of conscieÌ„ce of that which is no sin but from a conscience which is dead and without feeling of any maner of sin and which that it might not seem past feeling of all sin sheweth it self indifferentlie and alike feeling of that which is and of that which is not If wee obiect against them the example of the Priestes of the olde lawe they tell vs that this was because it behoued that they should come of the same stocke and race Who hath told them then that the Ministers of the newe Testament ought not to haue anie They adde further and say that those Priests did one serue after an other in their seuerall courses and that then they abstained from their wiues Let them proue vnto vs therfore if for that cause they renounced and altogether forsooke marriage And how did the high Priest vse his married estate who was commaunded to sacrifice euening and morning 1. Paralipom 24. And how in a worde did they passe ouer all the other whole fowre hundred yeares For they cannot dissemble or cloake the matter how that this order of seruing by courses came not in but by Dauid a long time after the lawe And where will they find vs that it was commaunded them during the time of their seruice to forsake their wiues and yet wee see that all manner of vncleannes which might defile them was most precisely forbidden them and all manner of clensing and purifying of themselues so distinctly commaunded them If againe wee obiect vnto them the Prophetes who all of them were married Chrysost in Matth. hom 56 in fine and are acknowledged so to haue been by all the old Writers but more speciallie by S. Chrysostome then looke what they cannot vnloose they will not let to cut in sunder saying They had not the charge of sacrificing Or else they imagine that they did put away their wiues during such time And in the ende they are not ashamed to ordaine in the Councell of Trent by their Index expurgatorius that it shal be raced out of the Table of Chrysostome his workes That all the Prophetes were married Iesus Christ was founde present at the mariage in Cana of Galilie Marriage therefore say we is not accounted amongst the thinges that are vncleane and doe pollute nor amongst the workes of the flesh But say they hee was present at it because it was the marriage of S. Iohn the Euaugelist that hee might hinder the marriage and to that end they finde vs out by and by one Abdias Babilonius a late compiler of Legends who telleth vs the whole storie from point to point If thou waste not mine saith our Lord in that place vnto S. Iohn I would suffer thee to marrie Directlie against the expresse word for God the Creator did institute and ordaine it as also consecrate it both by his blessing presence And to the manifest calling in question of S. Iohn his faithfull and sincere dealing who should haue had great wrong and iniurie to bee thought to authorize and alow mariage as by the contents of this storie it may seeme hee did if Iesus Christ had condemned it in himselfe and so also it should follow that it is not possible to bee the seruant of Iesus Christ and to bee married together August serm 1 Dom. 2. post Epiphan tract 8. in Ioh. But how commeth it then to passe that the olde Fathers were not aduised of this point As S. Augustine who handling this place sayeth That the Lord hath not disdained or thought scorne of marriage that it was his will and pleasure to honour it that it was his will that thereby children should be begotten that hee hath by his presence established the lawes of vnitie and concord therein and turned the marriage songes into holie psalmes to the glorie of God Cyril in Io l. 2 c. 22. Chrysost cont Iudae Gentil Heretic Heb. 13.4 c. Saint Cyril That therein hee would declare the holines of marriage and sanctifie the principall cause of our birth c. Saint Chrysostome That he hath honoured marriage and that therefore it is not anie let or hinderance vnto pietie and indeed saith hee why should it be more hinderance to ours then vnto Moses Helias or S. Peter his pâ—etie and godlines The Apostle sayeth Marriage is honourable in all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the bedde vnde filed but God will iudge fornicators and adulterers There is no manner of exception to bee made against this generall affirmation And Paphnutius doth alledge
the breade giuen to those that were catechised which wee call the hallowed breade to the washing of feete practised vppon the Apostles c. which neuerthelesse do shew vnto vs at large in their treatises that howsoeuer they abuse the word yet they doe not let as need requireth to take and vnderstand it in the right vse and signification And as for the worde Sacrifice the Grammarians likewise say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the priesthood that is the care or administratiō of holy things And this is the cause that euery consecrated action hath beene called by this name likewise it hath purposely beene vsed to signifie the diuine seruice because that the Iewes and the Gentiles did vse it so Rom. 15. Phil. 2. Orig. ad Rom. l. 10. Chrysost ad Rom. hom 29 Epiph. haeres 79. Angust de ciuit Det. l. 10. c. 6 Tertul in Apolog Idem ad Scapul Iren. l. 4. contr haeres c. 34. Psal 50.69 Ecclesiastic 35 Ad. Heb. c. 13. August epist 120. ad Honorat Euseb de Demonstr l. 1. c. 10. Tertul. c. 4. contr Marciō Philip. 4. Hebr. 3. Iren. l. 4. c. 32. 34. Cypr. serm 1. de cleemos August ep 122 Psalm 51. Ecclesiastic 35. Rom. 12.2 who placed all their seruices in Sacrifices Thus wee see that Saint Paul called all the ministerie of the Gospell a Sacrifice And Origen saith This is a very worke of the Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach the Gospell Chrysostome My Priesthood or sacrificing office is to preach the Gospell Epiphanius speaking of them which were chosen in the thirteenth of the Actes saith They did sacrifice the Gospell And in the same sence Saint Augustine likewise hath said We call a sacrifice euery worke that hath relation vnto God being done to the end that wee may cleaue and sticke vnto him in a holy societie As Tertullian speaking of prayers I offer vnto him the fattest sacrifice that I am able euen prayer which hee hath commanded proceeding from a chaste bodie from a harmelesse soule from a holy spirite c. Ireneus Our altar is in heauen whither our prayers and offeringes are directed And the praises of God and giuing of thankes are called by the name of Sacrifices in the Psalmes Whereupon Saint Augustine saith Wee giue thankes to the Lord our God which is the great Sacrament in the sacrifice of the New Testament c. And Eusebius We sacrifice and burne the memorie of this great sacrifice c. rendring thankes to the God of our saluation c. And Tertullian The Samaritane intended to offer a true sacrifice euen the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing in the true temple and to the true sacrificer Iesus Christ c. The offeringes likewise which are made in the Christian assemblies for the reliefe of the poore haue had this name giuen them in Saint Paule A smell of a sweete sauour a sacrifice acceptable vnto God offeringes wherewith hee is well pleased In Ireneus We offer vnto God the first fruites of his giftes feeding the hungrie and cloathing the naked c. In Saint Cyprian where he reprocheth a rich widow Comest thou to the Lords banquet without a sacrifice And Saint Augustine which calleth the almes of certaine matrons sacrifices the table of the Temple whereuppon they were laide an Altar and to bee briefe a broken and contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto God Psalme 51. so is charitie towardes a mans neighbour and the vowes which wee make of consecrating and dedicating of our liues vnto the Lord Rom. 12. And why then should any man make it strange that the olde writers haue called the holy Supper a Sacrifice seeing that all these actions doe meete together in it namely a holy office a remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ vppon the Crosse the reading and preaching of his worde feruent praiers a serious and deepe meditation of sinne and of the grace of God both together the contrition of hart the vow of sacrificing from thence forward soule and bodie vnto God and the opening of the bowelles of compassion towardes the brethren all of them such actions as euerie one whereof by it selfe is called both in the holy scriptures as also in the fathers Oblations and Sacrifices and how much more then that which doth comprise them all in it selfe alone But that we may not contend about wordes let vs come to the question which is If the Masse bee a propitiatorie Sacrifice and also if the holy Supper in his puritie were instituted for the same end if our Lord Iesus bee there sacrificed a new really and in very deed for a propitiation of our sinnes that is to say for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead by the Ministers or Priestes which things we denie and our aduersaries affirme The scripture telleth vs That there are no propitiatory sacrifices in the new Testament besides that of Iesus Christ himselfe That the lambe was slaine before the foundation of the worlde And this lambe is the eternall Sonne of God whose sacrifice cannot chuse but be almighty all-sufficient absolutely perfect in respect of the desired end namely the saluation of men And therefore for the saluation of man wee haue no need neither of reiterating any sacrifice neither of any other new and neuer before offered Sacrifice whatsoeuer on the contrary all the Sacrifices of the lawe in their imperfections doe leade vs to the perfection of this same in their being often reiterated they shew vs their insufficiencie and weaknesse to bee cut off and ended in the strength and efficacie of this onely one Whereuppon it commeth that in the new Testament we heare not any more of Sacrifices or Sacrificing Priestes Of Sacrificing Priestes saue where as it is taught to bee the name and office of all and euerie Christian You are saith Saint Peter a royall priesthood a holy priesthood a holy people 1. Pet. 2. Apocal. 1. c. And Saint Iohn Christ hath made vs kinges and priestes vnto God his father to offer saith the Glosse acceptable sacrifices vnto God by him Of sacrifices also in like manner saue that wee render continuall thankes vnto God for this great sacrifice by the consecrating of whatsoeuer is in vs To offer vnto God sayeth the Apostle spirituall sacrifices which may bee acceptable vnto him in Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 2. euen our selues a liuing sacrifice which is our reasonable seruing c. Likewise in the holy Supper from whence they woulde deriue the Masse there is no worke of sacrifice for sinne The sacrifice of Iesus Christ was accomplished vppon the Crosse where hee was slaine for vs and not in the holy Supper but the remembrance of that sacrifice offered vppon the Crosse is renewed in the Supper according to the institution of the Lorde vntil his comming that is without the being of any other sacrifices for sinne that partition wall and to the vtter cutting off of all expectation or further looking after of
Lord Iesus Christ of a solemne thankesgiuing for good thinges receiued and not of anie attonement or appeasing of Gods wrath for sinnes committed And indeed Ireneus sayeth in an other place Euerie where incense pure sacrifices are offered to my name S. Iohn in the Apocalyps hath called the praiers of the Saints the offerings of incense And again In asmuch sayeth he as the Church offereth in simplicitie and singlenes of heart their offering vnto God is by good right reputed a pure vndefiled sacrifice as S. Paul saith to the Philippians I was filled hauing receiued that which you sent me by Epaphroditus c. Now this was nothing else but a contribution made by them of their goods and therefore Ireneus addeth For it behoueth that wee offer vp our sacrifices to God and that wee bee found such as will acknowledge and become thankefull for all thinges that wee receiue And this offering is yet further declared and made plaine in that which followeth We offer vnto him not because hee standeth in need but that wee may bee thankefull to him for his giftes and so by this meanes sanctifying the creature For as God hath not need of any thing that proceedeth from vs so haue we neede to offer vnto him according to that which Salomon sayeth Hee that hath pittie vpon the poore giueth vpon vsurie vnto God c. Now in all this place which they make such a shielde and buckler of let them point vs out any one worde concerning a propitiatory sacrifice yea which concerneth not on the contrary a sacrifice of praise of thankesgiuing and of charitie inasmuch as that which is giuen vnto God is giuen vnto the vse of our neighbour and that which is giuen to our neighbour Iust Martyr aduers Tryphon is sacrificed to God Iustinus Martyr saieth Wee are truelie made the Priestes of the Lord according to that which hee witnesseth himselfe because that throughout the whole world there are offered vnto him pure and acceptable sacrifices In which place hee generallie opposeth the Christians to the Iewes according to this place of S. Iohn Who hath made vs kinges and Priestes c. But say they hee addeth that these are the sacrifices of bread and wine that is to say of the Eucharist Admit it so prouided that they did not cloake or dissemble that which followeth To render and giue sayeth hee thankes vnto God aswell for that hee hath created the world and all that is contained therein for the fauour and louing affection sake which hee beareth vnto man as principallie for that hee hath deliuered vs from all the malice whereunto wee stoode subiect and hath slaine with a perfect slaughter the principalities and powers which did opprese vs by him who of his owne accorde and free will hath giuen himselfe to suffer But because that Langus hath not expounded this place after their manner Index expurg pag. 75. Chrysost in Psal 109. it is ordained and determined by the Councell of Trent that hee should be raced Chrysostome sayeth The Church that followeth the steppes of Christ whither soeuer hee goeth is not excluded from anie place for it hath his Altars euerie where and his doctrine also euerie where In which speeches hee maketh doctrine to bee a part of these sacrifices whereof Malachie speaketh according to that which hee sayeth in an other place My Sacrifice is the preaching of the Gospell c. hee addeth See and be holde how well hee hath described the mysticall Table the sacrifice without blood c. That is the holy Supper But afterwarde This is then sayeth hee the chiefe and principall sacrifice that I haue spoken of before euen this misticall and spirituall gift whereof Saint Paule speaketh Bee yee followers of God as welbeloued children and walke in loue euen as he hath loued you and giuen himselfe for you vnto God for a sacrifice and offering of a sweete smell and sauour and this sacrifice hee calleth The gift of saluation namelie because thereby wee renewe the memorie of Iesus Christ sacrificed and crucified for vs binding vs in the bondes of charitie by his owne example towardes our brethren which are his members and so wee are made one with him in the receiuing of this holie mysterie that is sacrificed and crucified in him and with him in his death and passion inasmuch as hee hath suffered for vs and not for himselfe that so also wee might rise vnto glorie with him Saint Augustine alleadgeth this place against the Iewes August de Ciuit. Dei l. 18. c. 35. This sacrifice sayeth hee is that which is offered throughout the whole world by the Priesthoode of Christ according to the Order of Melchisedech the Iewes could not deny it and therefore why doe they waite or looke for an other Christ c. But wee still stande in doubte whether this bee a sacrifice of praise or of propitiation except that hee can likewise ridde vs of this scruple The church sayeth hee sacrificeth to God in the body of Christ the sacrifice of praise seeing that the God of Gods hauing spoken hath called the earth from the Sunne-rising vnto the setting thereof For this church is the spirituall Israell distinguished from the carnall Israell which serued God in the shadowes of sacrifices in which was signified and set forth this singular sacrifice which Israell now offereth according to the spirite c. Out of the house of this Israell hee hath not taken anie calues for in it are sacrificed and offered vnto God the sacrifice of praise In euerie place sayeth hee afterwarde incense is offered vnto my name And Saint John expoundech it in the Apocalyps the prayers of the Saintes Thus now you may beholde and see what it is that these men alleadge for themselues out of the olde Testament namelie figures allegories and generall speeches as also the Doctors vpon these places by which they woulde make men belieue that wheresoeuer they haue vsed this worde Sacrifice they meante and vnderstoode it of their Masse And yet the Latines themselues foure hundred yeares after our Sauiour Christ had not so much as heard of the name That they haue acknowledged and taught their propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and yet they doe not acknowledge anie sacrifice for sinnes but in the propitiation which wee haue in the bloode of Christ neither yet anie Sacrifice in the holy Supper saue onelie that therein wee doe celebrate the memorie of this great Sacrifice and offer vppe praise and thankesgiuing vnto God for so great a benefite there wee sacrifice and offer vppe our selues to his seruice a liuing sacrifice and consecrate our selues for our brethren the members of Christ and of one and the same bodie with vs in true charitie in the beholding of the Creator and Redeemer and the giftes which wee haue receiued from him And now it followeth that wee make triall if they haue anie better grounde for this their pretended sacrifice in the new
euer since the foundation of the worlde Now if it bee of this antiquitie then it will bee found mentioned spoken of and that in plaine tearmes in the olde church and the remedie also of this fire cannot but bee reuealed by God and practised amongst his people And so much the more in that the mercifulnes of God in Iesus Christ lesse shining in the first times and ages of the worlde the onelie satisfaction for our sinnes being couered vnder the vailes of the law made by all likelyhoode the remedy of Purgatory to be the more haunted and practised vnder the olde Testament as being at that time most needfull and necessarie Heere our aduersaries make vs this answere whence commeth it then that in all the writinges of Moses and the Prophetes there is nothing spoken of it that amongst so manie threatninges which are made against the transgressors of the law this should not bee so much as once touched That amongst so manie sacrifices ordained for voluntarie and willinglie committed sinnes as also for sinnes committed vnwillingly and of ignorance as likewise that in the middest of so manie expiatorie and purging sacrifices for all manner of pollutions whether they came of sicknes infirmitie sinne or of the defiling comming by touching of the dead c. there should not bee found anie thing appointed for sinnes after death not anie sacrifice not anie offering And yet notwithstanding they died euery daye and how deepelie engaged in sinne There is likewise nothing founde to bee practised in the Church in the behalfe of the dead whereuppon a man hath not any ground either from literall or figuratiue interpretation to proue this Purgatorie The Patriarkes did burie their wiues and children they were carefull of buying sepulchres of mourning and of conueying of their bones from one place to an other Where was their pietie if it may bee tearmed pietie to pray for the deade Dauid wept for Ionathan his verie true and trustie friende and Salomon for Dauid his predecessor and Father If these did practise no such thing what may wee coniecture thereof more But and if they did practise such a thing then whereby shall it become apparant vnto vs by anie one worde And that notwithstanding that Dauid haue made so manie prayers vppon so many occasions and those both of ioye and also of mourning and so manie kinges of Israell and Iuda haue beene honourably buried as also so manie Prophetes left vnto vs behinde them their open protestations against impieties and vngodlines and in the commendation of pietie and godlines euerie one in his time none of them recōmending this deuotion vnto vs for pietie or accusing of impietie those that haue omitted and neglected it yea no one of them authorising the same either by precept or example And it auaileth not to say That there was not in the Church of the Iewes any sacrifice for the deade because that according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome Paradice was not opened to the Fathers vnto the death of our Lord. For woulde not this haue beene a refreshment and comforte vnto them to haue beene translated from Purgatorie into the limbes from a place of dolour and paine and that such as they describe it to bee into a place of rest And againe what apparance is there that they shoulde haue remained there without remedie for the space of some three or foure thousande yeares what inequalitie had there beene in such punishment in respect of that which is inflicted at this daye when as they come forth now from day to daye whether it bee through the absolute authoritie of the Pope by his Indulgences or by the diligence of their kinsfolkes not neglecting to contribute and bestowe these suffrages vppon them In conclusion if there bee anie such thing it is as old as the creation and that more clearelie appearing vnder the olde Testament then vnder the newe and if it bee vnder the olde then it ought to haue had sacrifices for the deade and that a great deale more requisite at that time then vnder the new but and if the lawe had no such sacrifices neither then was there as it followeth by consequent anie Purgatorie neither indeede is there at this daye Now therefore let vs see if the olde Testament say anie thing of it yea if it speake of it in plaine tearmes as the importance of the thing doth require if I say in such sorte as it is saide to agree and stand with the iustice and mercie of God the instruction of the Church and the rest and consolation of poore distressed soules Now it is most certaine That Purgatorie cannot bee found in the olde Testamēt Deutr. 30. Psal 34. 116 Esay 57. that the olde Testament traceth out vnto vs onelie two waies Blessing or cursing Saluation or Condemnation the death of the Saintes as precious before the Lorde or the death of the wicked condemned of him as also the verie remembrance of them And theruppon it is that without leauing any thing coniecturall vnto vs betwixt those two the Prophete sayeth The iust man dyeth and departeth hence in peace lying himselfe down to rest in his bed In peace that is to saye to speake after the manner of the Hebrewes in all prosperitie verie farre from the pretended horrible paines of Purgatorie But yet let vs heare them speake to see what they can alleadge and let vs withall beare it continuallie in minde that our aduersaries doe make it an Article of their faith and so by consequent the lawe of the auncient Fathers ought here to take place as that of Saint Ierome That vpon obscure doubtfull darke and allegoricall places of the Scripture wee ought not to grounde anie pointe of doctrine That of Saint Augustine That in the controuersie of religion darke and figuratiue places must bee set aside and those onelie helde which are cleare of themselues And that of the Schoolemen likewise That allegoricall Diuinitie doth not proue c. It is saide in Leuiticus 12. Leuiticus 12. wee will take the places in order Shee shall not touch anie holie thing neither enter into the sanctuarie vntill that the daies of her purgation be accomplished Luke 2. Hee speaketh of her that is deliuered of her first borne according to the lawe practised likewise by the holy virgin as wee reade in Saint Luke and the literall sence is so cleare as that wee neede not seeke anie allegorie therein The Glose saieth Shee shall not come within the Court of the sanctuarie And in like manner Cardinall Hugo Hugo Cardinall in Leuit. c. 12. What is there now in this place that will afforde vs a Purgatory or that the sanctuarie is Paradice whereinto none can enter till after they bee deliuered out of Purgatorie If this bee saide generallie of all what shall become of the exception concerning Martyrs who doe not passe the same and if the allegorie bee good in the wordes Sanctuarie and Purgation how will they
necessarie and requisite Wherefore there is no cause why we should meruaile if manie of the Church of Rome haue liked it better to say and hold That there was no Purgatorie in the time of the Iewish Church CHAP. VII That Purgatorie hath no foundation in the new Testament IT may be that this Purgatory so famous in the church of Rome will haue some better foundation and proofe in the newe Testament seeing that they haue made it an Article of faith and seeing that such great buildinges and so many foundations are laide thereupon Which thing wee haue now to examine and trie by taking a proof of all the places which they alleadge for the same In S. Mathew 3. S. Iohn Baptist sayeth Mat. 3. I baptize you with water vnto amendement of life but hee that commeth after mee is stronger then I c. Hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Hee hath his fanne in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his corne into his garner but hee will burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Of these two fires mentioned in this place which of them will they chuse to make a Purgatorie of That which shall neuer bee quenched hangeth not for their mowing seeing they holde that by the vertue of holie water and Masses theirs may bee quenched It must needes then bee that fire wherewith Iesus Christ baptizeth Acts 15. And what sense shall wee then make of this that hee baptizeth vs with the holie Ghost and with Purgatorie Here wee see water is euidentlie opposed and set against fire and the outward washing to the inwarde purifying But our Lord without our further seeking of any other expounder maketh it cleare inough elsewhere saying Iohn hath baptized you with water but you shall bee baptized with the holie Ghost within these few dayes And beholde the accomplishment thereof in the Actes 2. Actes 2. And the tongues saieth hee were seene vpon them clouen like fire which did sit vpon euerie one of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost Then it followeth that the baptizing with the holy Ghost and the baptising with fire is all one And that is the cause why S. Marke contenteth himselfe to say Mark 1.7 Hee will baptise you with the holie Ghost The word fire adding nothing which was not contained in the former but onelie to expresse and set out the effectuall power thereof Hieronym in Matth. 3. Saint Ierome vpon this place And it is because that the holy Ghost is a fire Actes 1. Or it is because that in this world wee are baptized with the holie Ghost and in the world to come with fire 1. Cor. 3. And thus our aduersaries hauing chosen the second as they alwaies chuse the worst they will needes haue it to signifie Purgatorie whereas hee speaketh as all the olde writers doe of the last iudgement S. Basill against Eunomius He baptizeth with the holy Ghost Basil Contra Eunomium li. 5. Chrisost c. 3. in oper imper Euch. in quest in Nou. Testa those whome hee sanctifieth he sendeth them which are vnworthie into the fire deliuering them ouer to that euill one being themselues Diuelles Chrysostome He baptizeth the faithfull with water and the Infidels with fire and in an other place hee doth vnderstand it of temptations Theophilact expoundeth it better He will ouerflow vs with the graces of the holie Ghost Eucherius sayeth Because that sinne is burnt vppe in vs by the holie Ghost whereby there is giuen vnto vs sanctification whereby charitie is kindled in vs c. Lyranus He saith fire because that oftentimes in the Primitiue Church Caietan in Math. it appeared in visible forme as vpon the Apostles c. Caietanus Where it must be vnderstood of the holy Ghost the beginning of regeneration in euerie one or else of tribulations whervnto the professing of Christ is subiect Ferus likewise By how much the spirit is more pure then the body Ferus in Math. and fire more actiue then water by so much is his Baptisme more excellent then mine c. The sence then is He will translate and transforme vs by his holy spirit and rauish vs with heauenly things by the fire And these are their best and most famous Expositors for this time of all which not so much as one hath found Purgatorie in that place Let vs reason after a better manner The Baptisme of fire say they is Purgatorie and none Baptiseth with this fire but Iesus Christ no not Saint Iohn Baptist◠himselfe No man therefore can purge vs but Iesus Christ he alone and not any other is our Purgatorie In S. Mathew Math. 5.15 Luk. 12.52 5. Agree betimes with thine enemie whiles thou art in the way with him least he deliuer thee to the iudge and the Iudge to the Sergeant and so thou be cast into prison Verily I say vnto thee that thou shalt not come foorth thence before thou hast paide the vttermost farthing This prison they will haue to bee Purgatorie Now the literall sence is verie cleare and agreed vpon amongst all where our Lord exhorteth the faithfull to agree with their brethren with all speede setting before them the mischiefe and euill that happeneth or dinaril◠by being obstinately giuen to goe to the law And this is Chrysostome his Exposition in these words Chrysost in Math. hom 16 Hieronim in in Math. li. 1. It seemeth vnto me saith he that he speaketh of ordinarie and accustomed iurisdictions and prisons c. And S. Ierome likewise The sence and meaning is manifest namely that our Lord exhorteth vs to haue peace with all men in this world c. And yet there are some saith he which expound it either of the flesh and soule Hillar in Mat. or of the soule and spirit which cannot be maintained And the same saith Saint Hil◠arie and others also who by the aduersarie vnderstand the Diuell As if saith hee our Lord had purposed and decreed with himselfe in this place to commaund vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verie watchfull and well aduised that the Diuell doe not seduce and deceiue vs c. But this is too absurd August de Salut document cap. 64. Idem de Doct. Christ l. 3 c. 10 And the same saith S. Chrysostome S. Augustine is of the number of those that expound it of the flesh and the spirit condemned here by Saint Ierome and sent backe to compare his dealings with his owne Law which is that a man should not hunt after or affect a figuratiue sence in that which easily affordeth a literall And yet it maketh nothing for them seeing hee referreth the same in plaine words vnto the last iudgement But and if we must needes fall to allegorize yet let vs learne to do it as our Lord himselfe who saith If you forgiue not men their sinnes your father will not forgiue you yours But on the contrarie hee will handle
death and for such wee ought not to pray either whiles they liue August de cor grat c. 12. or when they are dead For such then as haue shewed some repentance or which haue sinned venially wee must pray both whiles they liue and when they be dead But how can this be gathered out of this text wherein the Apostle speaketh directly of them with whom we liue Idem in Enchir ad Laurent c. 82. Idem de scrm Domini in Monte. Tertul. l. de pudicitia and whose workes we see of the dead not so much as one word They alleadge vnto vs S. Augustine who expoundeth it of perpetuall impenitencie let them not then dissemble how that in another place hee expoundeth it of certaine kindes of sinnes as also doth Tertullian Neither would I haue them to conceale it how that the most parte of the old writers doe dissent from Saint Augustine as Saint Ierome Athanasius Chrysostome Saint Basill Saint Ambrose c. all which though they vnderstand by this sinne vnto death the sinne against the holy Ghost yet therewithall they vnderstande that this is not a finall impenitencie which is not discerned but at the time of death but an obstinate sinne which is committed in the life time and in the course of the same Saint Mathew saith That this sinne is not pardoned either in this world or in the world to come In this world that is to say in this life and in this sence our aduersaries doe alledge it against vs but they doe not remember themselues of any thing els The Apostle to the Hebrewes saith It is impossible that such persons should bee renewed by repentance Hebr. 6. Then they may bee impenitent yea sinne vnto death before death But what manner of conclusion will there follow hereof in the end Wee must not pray for such as sinne vnto death therefore wee must pray for the deade which sinne not vnto death Againe wee must pray to the ende that life may bee giuen them that is to say to the ende that their sinnes may bee pardoned Now is it not a point of their doctrine that sinnes do not come in purgatorie but that there is onely the punishment of sins but and if any sinnes yet none but those that are sleight ones But in their conclusion they except not any sinne saue that which is vnto death To be short to such as well consider the text it will appeare that they are so farre off from reasoning according to it as that in deed they reason directly to the contrarie And furthermore not one of the old writers neither yet of the newe doeth alleadge it to this purpose although the greatest part do handle and expound the same and that to another end Now these are all the places of the new Testament from which they go about to proue their purgatorie places that are obscure and hard and diuersly interpreted by the Doctors but either in a farre other sence then our aduersaries take them or else mystically and metaphorically for the most part and therefore not to be alleadged in any controuersie of diuinitie no more then in anie other for controuersies cannot bee discussed by textes in controuersie And this is the reason why the good man Perion said That in all the canonical scripture he knew not any place eyther prouing purgatorie Roffensis or praier for the dead And the Bishop of Rochester That of a truth there is not any place for the prouing of the same except it bee some such as is very intricate And Petrus a Soto after him That there is not any cleare euidence and testimony in the scripture for Purgatorie but that many other thinge ought to bee belieued which are not contained therein To what end therefore serueth all this shamelesse dealing thus to tumble tosse the scripture vpside downe thus to racke and torment all the textes one after another seeing they know in their consciences that the scripture knoweth not any purgatorie But for certaine that text which knoweth not to agree any whit with their exposition doeth know well enough to admit and receiue ours It doeth not know theirs Mark 16. being alwaies for the proofe of that third pretended place for it saith Who so shall belieue and be baptised shall be saued but hee that shall not haue belieued shal be condemned Iohn 3 c. Againe God hath sent his onely Sonne into the world to the ende that hee that shall belieue in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life Hee that belieueth in him is not iudged but he that belieueth not in him is alreadie iudged c. Againe He that belieueth in him which hath sent me hath eternal life he cometh not into iudgement he is already past froÌ„ death tâ—olife And so passed the theefe into Paradice the same houre Againe Blessed are they that die in the Lord Rom. 4. for from that time saith the spirit they rest from their labours blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen But according to their owne sayings the sins of those which are in their Purgatory are they not remitted are they not dead in the Lord And yet what time must they indure in the burning and flaming fire of this purgatorie And thus sayeth Saint Paule That there is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ And thus said our Lord to that man Let the dead burie the dead who would not haue hindred him from performing any worke of charitie And S. Paule againe Take no care for those which sleepe All these places of scripture cannot stande with Purgatorie But they haue very well knowne ours euen Christ the eternall Son of God who by himselfe hath wrought the purging away of our sinnes Apocal. 14. Heb 1. Hebr. 9. Tit. 2. Ephes 5. 1. Iohn 1. whose blood cleanseth our consciences from the workes of death who hath giuen himselfe for to purge a people peculiar to himselfe to cleanse a Church for himselfe by the washing of water in the word who purgeth and cleanseth vs by his blood from all sin In so much as that through that confidence which we haue in this our so sufficient Purgatorie we are able to say without fearing any other I desire to bee loosed and to depart from hence and to bee with Christ Because likewise that wee know that if the tabernacle of this our house of earth be dissolued Philip. 1.2 Cor. 5. we shall haue abuilding with God and that not such a building as is made with hands but eternally abiding in the heauens And that not after some intermission of time but presently and forthwith hodié inquam to day euen from the houre in which hee shall call vs out of this world because that we belieue in him And therefore also wee haue alreadie attained life yea we are alreadie passed from death to life CHAP. VIII That neither the Primitiue Church nor the fathers of the same for the space of many
that the Saintes liuing in the time of the olde Testament were saued by the law of Moses and the Grecians by Philosophie That Christ and his Apostles did preach the Gospell in hell Origen his purgatory Orig. hom 8. in Leuit. Hom 25. in Numer Hom. 6. in Exod in ep ad Rom. c. 11. In psal 36. hom 3. In Hierem. Bellarm l. 2. de purgat c. 8. ¶ 8. septim Synod 5. c. 11. Synod 7. ex prato spiritualt Iohan. Diacon in vir B. Greg. l. 2. c 45. thereby to conuert the damned and that both in this worlde as also in that to come yea euen in hell there may bee vse and place graunted for repentance c. And the other building vppon this his maisters bad foundation a great deale worse As that all men how holy soeuer are to passe this Purgatorie euery one according to his proportion S. Peter S. Paul c. the one to be purged by fire and the other by water more or lesse c. And again that the most wicked the most miscreants yea the Deuilles themselues are purged are amended yea and saued by the same Now I desire to know of them if they will approue this Purgatorie of Origen And if they doe not approue it that then they would not obiect it any more vnto vs neither yet any of those places which haue relation thereunto seeing also that Bellarmine intreating of Purgatory doth acknowledge that the fift generall Synode condemned and cursed Origen no lesse then Arrius and Nestorius furthermore that the seuenth general Councell maketh mention of a reuelation wherein he was seene in hell amongst others the Arch-heretickes And the same is likewise confirmed by Iohan. Diaconus in the life of Gregorie But it is worth the noting how that Origen had not as yet learned that these punishmentes were mittigated and lightned by suffrages for there is not found any maner of print or note of any such thing in all his purgatorie These pollutions and sinnes go for no better then matter for the fire and torments without any hope of release or ransome And still as these fantasies continued and abode with some curious spirites they were condemned in the fift generall Councell by the East Church The Apologie of the Grecians presented by Michael Bishop of Ephesus Vincent Lyrinensis Lactan. de diuino praemio c. 21. and euen in that which concerneth their false foundation namely that Christ hath purchased the remission of sinnes but not of the punishment And this appeareth to bee so by the Apologie giuen by the Greekes in the Councell of Basill These fantasticall dreames of Origen notwithstanding by reason of the reputation of his learning did leaue their impressions in the Latine Church whereupon Vincentius Lirinensis had iust cause to say That Origen his knowledge and zeale was a great temptation to the Christian Church Lactantius saith That men are not iudged presently after their death but that they are kept in a common prison vntill the day of iudgement in which they are to bee tried by fire This place is ill alleadged by our aduersaries for they do not place together the good the bad the faithfull and vnfaithfull at the time of their departing out of this life neither do they hold that purgatorie sleepeth without doing any thing vnto the day of iudgement for they will haue it occupied about the dead from the day of their death Againe it is apparant that in the time of Lactantius the doctrine of the Church was cleane contrarie For Eusebius as we haue said comparing the opinion of the Platonistes therewith maketh but two estates and conditions after this life whereas they made three But let it be for the making of the comparison the more full that hee did not altogether forget the third But they alleadge vnto vs Saint Ambrose Saint Hillarie Saint Ierome c. The purgatorie spoken of by certaine of the old fathers is not the same with that of the Church of Iâ—ome Ambr. in psal 118. in psal 36. 2. ad Timoth 2. Then let vs see if wee shall be able to find such euidence as may make vs acknowledge this their purgatorie in them Verily there is no man that can bee ignorant how greatly Saint Ambrose did esteeme of Origen when as the most part of his expositions are translated word for word from him And thereupon likewise his opinion touching Purgatorie doth nothing differ and therefore also no lesse worthy to be condemned then his All men saith he which are haue beene or shall be the one onely Christ excepted shall be purged by fire The sonnes of Leui Ezechiel Daniel c. if they be not consumed yet at the least they shal be fired if they be not drowned yet they shall bee wette and dipt in the water for so was Iohn the Euangelist himselfe whom the Lord loued so much so was Saint Peter which receiued the keies of heauen There is not any one but Christ onely which doeth not smel of this fire who is the righteousnesse of God not hauing any sinne so that in him there is nothing found for this fire to consume or burne And this hee amplifieth by two seuerall Allegories the one taken from the glittering sword which was set at the entrance into Paradise the other from the people of Israel which went through the red sea c. He addeth hereto that this triall and proofe by fire shall bee made in the day of iudgement by the vniuersall burning of the world which shall vniuersally purge all men but euery one according to his nature euen as the fire doth melt the lead otherwise then it doth the gold c. S. Hillarie no lesse addicted to Origen Hilar. in comment in psal 118. holdeth the same opinion and proceedeth yet further saying If the virgine Marie the virgin of God must also vndergo the sentence of this iudgement of this fire hee spake before through which wee must all passe who is hee that dare desire to bee iudged of God And in another place hee saith Idem Canon in Mat. 3. Hieronym Amos 3. ex Amo 7.14 Ezech. 46. It remaineth that those which are baptised with the holy Ghost bee made perfect that is to say accomplished and fully refined by the fire of the last iudgement c. Saint Ierome likewise is infected with the like opinions by continuall reading of Origen He will call saith hee the fire vnto iudgement and behold it commeth at his summons and first of all deuoureth the depth that is to say all sortes of sinnes wood baye stubble and afterward it eateth at once the parte and portion that is to say it commeth to the Saintes which the Lorde hath made choice of to belong to him c. Againe Hieronym in vlt. cap. Esa Euerie creature is vncleane and must bee purged by the fire of God for the Sabbath day wherein hee shall haue eternall rest Likewise hee meaneth that euen wicked Christians shall
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
creature The creature whatsoeuer or whosoeuer it be that cannot moue him liuing here below saue onely to wrath otherwise then in that he hath beene vouchsafed grace in Iesus Christ and who likewise when he is exalted and taken vp into heauen acknowledging no glorie due to him saue in that that God is glorified cannot but take it an iniurie doue vnto him when any thing is attributed vnto him and cannot but bee readie to say as the Angell said vnto S. Iohn Apocal. 19. 22. Beware and looke well to thy selfe I am thy fellow seruant pointing also out vnto vs with Iohn Baptist the greatest that euer was borne amongst the sonnes of men and saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world the propitiation for our sinnes is onely in his blood turne and betake your selues to him And moreouer our God will be praied vnto in his onely begotten In that grace and fauour purchased through that sacrifice of the Crosse in the vertue and power of his one onely sacrifice made vpon the Crosse for as much as it is hee onely that may and hath power to be both the sacrifice and the sacrificer together all the sacrifices washings purifying of the law hauing relation to no other but this of his which was without spot or blemish all their blood to his blood and all their deathes to that one death and passion of his who likewise alone could as being God and man suffer and ouercome cast downe himselfe into the center of the earth and raise vp himselfe againe farre aboue the heauens be a curse and a blessing and finally laid prostrate by death and raised vp to life all at once And therefore is it said by the Prophet Esay 53. Esa 53. He hath offered his soule an oblation for sinne The good will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper preuaile in his hand He was pearced for our misdeedes Esa 63. He hath taken vppon him our iniquities c. Againe He alone hath trod vppon all our enemies in his wrath No one of the people hath helped him he was alone to treade the wine-presse Heb. 10. Hebr. 9. 2. Ioh. 1. c. And he did it saith the Apostle When in the fulnesse of time he abolished sinne by the offering vp of himselfe He was made a propitiation for our sinnes Hee hath sanctified vs by the oblation of his bodie once offered and hath consecrated for euer those whom he hath sanctified Which thing all the blood of all the Saints from righteous Abell vnto the last Martyr could neuer haue accomplished No not though it had beene but for the sinnes of one onely man no not for the least sinne of that man not although this bloode had risen to the hugenesse of a great floode seeing there is no remission but in the blood of the Sonne of God and to seeke it any where else is to shed his blood againe Act 4.12 is to hold the same shed in vaine and this is to be guilty of it For S. Peter saith There is no saluation in any other There is not any other name giuen vnto men by which they may be saued That the fathers of the old Testament neuer sought for helpe or succour by praier but at the hands of the one onely God Eckius in Enchird And therefore we see proportionablie to this doctrine that the fathers of the old Testament did neuer offer vp or direct their prayers vnto any but to one God alone And this our aduersaries subscribe vnto for so also was it held for a point of sound diuinitie amongst them that seeking of helpe at God by prayer was a part of his seruice and worship due vnto himselfe alone They say that this was for feare that the people who otherwise were readie and apt enough of themselues therevnto should turne aside vnto idolatrie but this is to gesse and not to answere But at the least they confesse that this is the way to slippe into idolatrie The rest say That the fathers prayed not vnto the Patriarkes and Prophetes because they were as yet in the Limbes But this is a thing to bee disputed and debated by vs if here were any place But at the least there were Angels and those oftentimes conuersing and keeping companie with men and hauing therewithall the charge of countries and nations Henoch and Elias also had beene rapt and caried aliue vp into heauen and the latter of them in the sight of Elizeus And yet notwithstanding we do not reade that any people or particular man in so many ages did euer pray vnto any Angel or made choise of any to make intercession to God for him No more then euer Noe or his Sonnes did to Enoch or Eliseus to Elias the sonnes to the father or the disciples to their maister albeit as we know Eliseus were zealously affected to Elias My father the chariot and horsemen of Israel In the new Testament God alone is prayed vnto In the new Testament likewise as little notwithstanding that they hold That the fathers by the descending of Christ into hell were deliuered out of the limbes and caried vppe into heauen Fit matter for the children of Abraham the father of the faithfull to flie vnto him to call vpon him for aide and succour and so of the rest Notwithstanding also that many of the Apostles and disciples suffered presently after for our Lord as Iames Steuen c. during the life time of Saint Peter Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Matter sufficient to serue that it should not bee kept close from vs that besides Iesus Christ wee haue them for our aduocates with God and for intercessors by vertue of their sufferinges and merites And the same may bee said of the holy virgine whome Saint Iohn ouerliued many yeares the aduocate at this day if wee will belieue them of the Church of Rome who at the least should haue beene excepted from these generall rules And here againe they say that the Apostles feared that this might be held for arrogancie in them And why on the behalfe of the Saintes of the old Testament and of the holy virgine Againe That they stoode in doubt least the Gentils should returne againe to their idols But that there might not so many duties of deuotion be lost and let slip could they not make some maner of dispatch or dispensation could they not deuise some way to cure and remedie the same And would they that these babish excuses should passe for currant reasons with vs and that against so expresse textes of the scripture What then say they doe you make no more accompt of the saints of those which haue suffered here on earth for the name of Christ and which now are ascended triumphantly with him vp on high c The honour that is due vnto the Saints 1. Cor. 12. Gal. 2. 2 Cor. 3. Act 9. 14. Tim. 4. Yes verily we honour them more then
Aquinas and all the rest And these are in summe all the places that I know whereby they would proue and allow the intercession of Saints If this were not that wee haue to adde thereto the blasphemie of the Archbishop Antonine Let vs drawe neere saith the Apostle vnto the Hebrewes vnto the throne of grace c. That is to say of the Virgine Marie which is the throne of Christ wherein he hath rested to the end wee may obtaine mercie and find grace for the obtaining of helpe in due time c. Which is manifestly spoken of Iesus Christ our Bishop And therefore it is no maruaile though Eckius doe freely and boldly say That the holy Ghost Eckius in Ench hath not appointed or ordained by the expresse Scriptures the inuocation of Saints either in the old or new Testament And Petrus a Soto That it is not manifestly taught there but onely insinuated and the Iesuites themselues that it is not clearely giuen vs there but as in a mysterie and by a certaine consequence And on the contrarie a great maruaile that a doctrine amongst them of such moment should not bee contained in the holy Scriptures but by the way of a lame and pretended consequence As in deed the Councell of Trent hath not found it in the Scripture but in auncient vse and custome in the consent of the Fathers and in the Decrees of the Councels Which we will examine hereafter A third point remaineth That the morite of the Saints hath no ground in the Scripture that they are as weakly and slenderly grounded in the Masse for the offering vp of the merits and passions of the Saints vnto God for the satisfying of their sinnes in stead of the infinite merite of that one onely sacrifice that the Sonne of God hath offered vpon the Crosse whether we consider the sufficiencie of that only one or the insufficiencie of all the rest how many and whatsoeuer they be The sufficiencie for it is the Sonne of God eternal and infinite the sacrificer and the sacrifice whose sacrifice hath by consequent an infinite and eternall efficacie as the Apostle doth largely handle the same in the Epistle to the Hebrewes The insufficiencie of al other because that they are the works of the creatures by consequent finite and imperfect and of men and by consequent subiect to sinne and sinners and those the most who presume not to bee at all according to that which is said vnto vs in S. Iohn Jf we say he putteth himselfe in the number that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. That then that all the Saints haue not beene condemned it was in the mercie of God by Iesus Christ the holy Virgine her selfe whom hee hath vouchsafed to regard in her base and low estate being so much the more bound by how much the more shee hath receiued and so much the further off from meriting by how much the more it hath pleased him the Almightie and soueraigne Lord if it be lawfull so to speake to merite at her hands That they are raigning in heauen a botomlesse depth of his goodnesse an inheritance of the children and not any pledge or badge of seruants in as much as in his welbeloued sonne it hath pleased him according to the riches of his grace of vnprofitable and peruerse seruants to adopt them Sons yea coheires with his Christ according to that which is said in so many places Ephes 2. You are saued by grace by faith in Christ and not of your selues For this is the gift of God not by workes to the end that no man may boast Againe We are iustified by grace that we may bee his heires Tit. 3. in hope of eternall life And of grace For we are all conceiued in originall sinnes And all the water of humane merits cannot wash them away though they should amount vnto the measure of a mightie floud it must of necessitie bee the worke of the bloud of Christ washed likewise by that bloud yet the remnants of that naturall corruption doe continually abide and dwell with vs that so we may acknowledge his grace in our infirmitie whereas our first father lost the same by a pretended incorruption and impossibilitie for his nature to sinne And therefore wee haue to say with Dauid If thou enter into iudgement with thy seruant who may abide it With Salomon Psal 143. Ecclesiast 6. Iob. 15. There is not a righteous man vpon the earth that doth good nay which doth not sinne With Iob The heauens are not pure in his sight no not the Angels how much lesse man vnprofitable and abheminable which drinketh iniquitie like water Whereupon it followeth likewise that if God should haue giuen vnto man euen him that is the holiest of all the rest a thousand Paradises if it could bee done for an inheritance yet so gracelesse he is as that he should not be able to keepe one of them without his grace for quickly would hee loose them by reason of his sinnes and transgressions the rigour and seueritie of his iustice taking the balance once in hand And how should he purchase it then by his own power And yet further how shuld he leaue a remainder to be husbanded for others Some say if they haue lost them by their falles as Saint Peter by hauing denied Christ and S. Paul by persecuting of his Church yet they haue recouered them by the confession and Martyrdome which they haue made and suffered for his name and that so aboundantly as that they haue left an ouerplus But O horrible blasphemie 1. Cor. l. 30. S. Paul and S. Peter say not so They doe not glorie in any thing but in the Crosse of Christ but in his sufferings but in his stripes not in their owne righteousnesse not in their owne holinesse but in him which was vnto them from God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption c. So farre off are they from being of that mind that in respect of them he hath suffered in vaine Likewise the bloud of the creature hath no part in making of the recompence or paimēt with or in stead of the bloud of the Sonne of God of the Creatour of the world to whom as he is the Creator we are alreadie indebted euen to the summe of our liues to whome as a iust iudge we stand bound for our sinnes in the summe of a thousand deaths And therefore as vnto our redeemer and that in the price of his bloud Our redeemer not to ransome vs but for to crowne vs not to draw vs from euill but to draw vs to all goodnesse not to deliuer vs from the tyrannie of hell but to cause vs to raigne and triumph eternally with him Here let vs enter into our owne consciences how shall our bloud and life be able to ascend vp thither And therefore the Apostle said All accompts cast the sufferings of this present world Rom. 8.18 are
Let vs approch with boldnes vnto the throne of grace c. And no cause is there why his being lifted vp in Maiestie should either make thee ashamed or cause thee to be cast off and to take the repulse For in that he is exalted it is to draw thee vnto him and after him that he is at the right hand of the Father saith the Apostle Rom. 8. it is to make intercession for thee that he sitteth vpon the throne of Maiestie it is for to make thee to raigne The obiection that new honours vse to make men to bee hardly drawne to easinesse or familiaritie what grosse and friuolous toyes cannot bee alleadged against this partie for to speake properly hee hath not receiued any increase nothing more then his owne is growne due or come vnto him from before all eternitie hee is glorious yea and by that same glorie which he inioyed eternally with the father Father saith he glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I haue had with thee before the world was made And that such a glorie as did not hinder him Ioh. 17.5 Philip. 2. from making him selfe of no reputation nor from taking the shape of a seruant nor from humbling him selfe for our saluation euen to the death of the Crosse a glorie likewise for certaine that cannot hinder him from graunting the things necessarie for our infirmities neither yet from inclining his eares in most bountifull manner vnto our requests that so he may carrie and faithfully report them to the Father For for that cause hath hee humbled himselfe euen to be like vnto vs To the end saith the Apostle that hee might be mercifull and faithfull in that which is to be done with God for vs. CHAP. XIII That the inuocation of Saints was not taught in the Primitiue Church and of the growth and proceeding thereof HOw then did this doctrine enter into the Church of Christ and how came it to be made a law Verily euen as all other humane inuentions by many steps and by tract of time after many ages Day by day errour was increased whiles men pleased themselues in their inuentions whereas knowledge should haue abounded if they had kept themselues to the word of Christ Many ages passed and were expired without any inuocation of Saints seeing it slipt in amongst the multitude of Gentiles in such maner as that no man regarded the same to marke and obserue it in the beginning and it hath caused some to wonder exceedingly how it should already be come to haue a party so throghly wonne vnto it amongst the people by the blunt blind aide of the ouertaken with forestalled embracing of Paganisme seing the most sincere vncorrupted Doctors did their whole indeuor to driue it out But this shal be made to appeare more clearely in the handling of the maner of the growth proceeding thereof howbeit for the better vnderstanding of the same we must here set before our eyes how they practise this article at this day in the Church of Rome in Inuocation Adoration Pilgrimages Temples Altars Sacrifices and in all the rest of the duties seruices honours that belong vnto God and are not to be giuen vnto any other and how they would gladly couer and colour the same vnder the shadow of some Apostrophe or Prosopopie framed and applied vnto some Saint or of some Panegyricke deuised in the honour of some Martyr or from some priuate opinion left free and indifferent not of the Church onely but of euerie Christian As for the holy Scriptures wee haue seene that it hath no foundation in them on the contrarie that part or portion therin which speaketh so honourably of the Saints whether liuing or dead of Angels likewise of their ministerie which they performe for our saluation commeth short Rom. 1. when once we goe beyond our bounds and limits They haue saith S. Paul speaking of the Gentiles honoured and serued the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then the Creator and therefore God hath giuen them ouer to their brutish affections c. And when as men doe goe beyond their compasse bee it neuer so little in that the honour due vnto man for Similitie sake may not proceed by little and little vnto that which is due to God onely the Saints and Angels doe vse to restraine them and plucke them backe yea euen before they be come so farre as they lawfully might S. Act. 10.26 Act. 14.15 Apocal. 19.22 Peter saith to Cornelius who fell downe at his feete Rise vp for I am a man and the Angell vnto S. Iohn too well instructed and taught of the Sonne of God to worship any creature Refraine thy selfe doe not so for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimonie of Iesus And the Disciples of the Apostles and their first successors had not forgot these admonitions It would be too long and tedious a thing here to recite all those places of the first Fathers prouing the inuocation of one onely God by one onely Iesus Christ besides that in the praiers of the Christian Church Clement strom l. 7. Iust Martyr Apol. 2. Tertull. in Apol. whereof we haue the patterns in Clemens Alexandrinus Iustinus Martyr Tertullian c. God is onely called vppon through his Sonne without any mention at al made therein either of Angels or of Saints Againe the ordinarie disputations that these of the first age had with the Gentiles were vpon this point for that they called vpon the Gods and others who for their excellencie in vertue were held for halfe Gods tearming it by the name of Idolatrie Whereas the subiect or matter it selfe did carie thē on rather to say vnto them that it was much better for them to giue this honour vnto Saints and Angels as our patrons and aduocates vnto God in heauen and yet not a word thereof On the contrarie Polycarpus the Disciple of S. Euseb l 4 c. 15 Iohn in his last praier which he made vnto God being now fastned to the stake to be burned aliue calleth vpon God feruently and calleth him The God of Angels the God of all the righteous that liue before his face This was enough and the rather being in that his perplexitie distresse to haue put him in mind of these patrons if he had so reputed them but he remembreth not neither yet maketh mention of any but one Bishop and mediator Iesus Christ Irene l. 2. c. 58. And Ireneus the Disciple of this Polycarpus saith Those which are the true Disciples of Christ receiuing grace from him accomplish and fulfill in his name the benefits which they doe vnto others according as euerie man hath receiued the gift from him From him they haue power ouer diuels from him the knowledge of foretelling things to come as also their visions and prophesies as well as the gifts of healing c. In all this there is not a word of
Virgine Marie was for his comfort and consolation yea and that amongst the rest vnto Eue her selfe which had sinned in as much as God had chosen this vessell to beare and bring forth the comfort of mankind from the first man euen to the last They abuse in a higher degree of vnfaithfull dealing a place in Iustinus Martyr Iustin Martyr Apol 2. The Gentiles reproach the Christians saying that they were Atheists that is to say without God The Christians answere Yea without Gods whom you take to be Gods but not without the true God For as concerning him we worship him that is the father and the Son which is of him who is come and hath taught vs these things and all the host of good Angels that follow him and the propheticall spirit that is to say we worship the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now these words which yet are not found in many copies must vpon euident and apparant necessitie be read with a Parenthesis for there he alludeth to that Ephes 3.10 which S. Paul saith to the Ephesians That the mysterie of our Redemption which was hid from all time in God was manifested vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places c. Otherwise what should this meane We worship the father the Sonne the Angels and the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost himselfe after the Angels And by this meanes to saue the Saints they make no conscience to blaspheme the holy Ghost But in the meane time this is the Monke Perion his translation and from thence this errour hath beene dispersed into many bookes in these daies Origen commeth About the yeare 260. Hieronym ad Pammach Ocean Epiphan t. 2. l. 1. haeres 63. hauing a bold spirit Whome I loue saith S. Ierome as hee is a translator but not as he is an author of straunge opinions for his spirit and ingeniousnesse but not for his faith because his writings are venemous without any warrant of Scriptures and offering violence vnto the same c. And of this iudgement is the whole Church After this then to whome may he not iustly be suspected For as heretofore he laid the foundations of Purgatorie vpon the opinions of the Platonists so from the same he gathereth the first stone wherupon afterward was laid the inuocation of Saints The Platonists said that the vpper and higher things must bee ioyned with the inferiour and lower by a middle comming betwixt both God with men by Angels that is by their mediation and comming betwixt But Christians must not lend their eares to this as those that haue a far deeper secret and mysterie reuealed vnto them hauing giuen them his Son God and man and ioyned together in one person for the saluation of mankind that which was farre remooued and set asunder by our sinnes so that the Platonists could not comprehend or conceiue the same Notwithstanding wee see that mans inuentions do commonly please vs better then the reuelations of God and flesh and bloud doth more freely and willingly imbrace them because it smelleth and findeth something of it owne therein Euseb â—e preparat Euang. l. 12. 13. August de Ciuit. Dei l 8. c. 14.18.20 22 23.25.26 Now the summe thereof was that betwixt the greatnesse of God and the infirmitie of man there were two orders of Mediators the blessed spirits or the separated intelligences and the soules of the blessed wee call them in our Christian language Angels and Saints That these Angels offer vp mens suites and petitions to God in reporting them vnto him and obtaining a graunt thereof by their intercession c. That for this cause we must praie vnto and honour them partly as Aduocates partly as more excellent in their merits then men And that such also do the same who for their merits being men whiles they were here vpon earth haue beene exalted and extolled as Gods in heauen such a one was Aesculapius who wrought the same effects in heauen by his Diuinitie which he wrought here below by his Art such a one also was Hermes which succoured and conserued generally all those who directed their praiers vnto him c. Who is hee that cannot behold and clearely perceiue the opinions of the Church of Rome in these points of Paganisme Now they did not all enter with a full sea into the Christian Church but for certaine it is that the Gentils which were receiued into the same being seasoned with this doctrine could not be so little cherished and vpheld either by being winckt at or otherwise by the sufferance of the Pastors but that they by and by tooke great footing and that in a small time What is it then that Origen saith Origen hom 3 in Cant. The Saintes saith he which are departed out of this life bearing stil their wonted loue and charitable affections to such as remaine behind in the world if any man say that they are carefull for their saluation and that they helpe them with their praiers and intercessions towards God he doth not runne into any inconuenience for it is written in the booke of the Machabees This same is Ieremie the prophet of God that prayeth daily for the people c. Marke There is no inconuenience in it And further some are of opinion those also of the learned that these Homelies vpon the Canticles were made by some latin writer and not by Origen Vpon Iosue Ego sic arbitror I am mightilie drawne to be perswaded that all the fathers which haue fallen asleepe before vs doe still in part beare some portion of the combat with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers thus much I haue heard said of some of our old maisters Vpon the booke of Numbers he groweth more hot for saith he Quis enim dubitat who doubteth but that they helpe vs with their praiers and confirme vs by their examples c. Where it is to bee considered how that he speaketh doubtfully of this opinion that he which had the scriptures at his fingers ends if hee had had in store euer a place to haue confirmed and setled it vpon he would neuer haue had recourse to an Apocrypha place of the second booke of Machabees neither to the report of his old maisters But yet moreouer it appeareth by Origen himselfe that this was but a discourse of his and not the faith of his time If saith he the Saintes that haue left this bodie and are with Christ do any thing for vs after the manner of Angels that take charge of our safetie let it be accompted amongst the secrets that are hidden and kept close by God and are not to be intermedled withall by any writer that is to say in a word inter Apocrypha for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke doeth not signifie any other thing But of this priuate discourse of this pretended secret misterie that the Saints pray for the faithfull gathereth he this consequent it
and not for themselues onely but for those also that call vpon them Not so for they are farre off from that On the contrarie saith he God alone is without sinne Idem hom 40. in Genes 49. Idem in hom 45. in Mat. Idem hom 20 in Iohan. and to the end that he might bee without sinne he permitted Abraham to sinne by infidelitie Moises by ingratitude the virgine likewise the mother of Christ in his passion by doubting Animum matris gladius dubitationis pertransijt c. The sword said hee of doubting or diffidencie pearced her soule Likewise saith hee Sometimes by ambition by vanitie and by the forgetting of the diuinitie of the Son c. As if of purpose he would preuent or represse the abuse which sprung vp then and grew stronger afterward by the inuention and industrie of the Monkes about the infinite merites of the holy Virgine What haue they to oppose and set against this The Liturgie of Chrysostome but we haue heretofore auouched for a certaine truth that it was compiled made more then 500. yeares after him An homelie of the natiuity of S. Peter and S. Paule wherein they make him say Peter and Paule pray for vs without ceasing for you haue promised so to do And where You Paule when you said Venite mecum bonis ne deficiamur and you Peter Studebo post meum obitum c. But the best learned haue beene ashamed to giue it place amongst his workes Idem in hom post reditum ab exilio But doe they make no conscience to make him to alleadge the scripture so falslie In that which he made returning from exile I haue inuited and bid you to supper saith he with the Apostles let vs come to Timothie to Andrew c. Therefore hee teacheth them say they to haue recourse vnto saints Whereas he rather discourseth in that place to what persecutions the saintes are subiect and sendeth them to consider the examples of those aboue named to the end that they might not be strange or vnacquainted with any thing that they should find Idem hom 5. in Mat. Neither is that worthie better to be trusted which they alleadge out of the fift homelie vpon S. Mathew That which we say is not to be denied that we ought not to pray vnto the Saintes For his wordes are And we say well not that we denie that the Saintes ought to pray for sinners that is as we haue before shewed the saints aliue And likewise all this homelie maketh for the contrarie And in deed Bellarmine hath beene ashamed to alleadge the places aboue named holding himselfe to one onely in the threescore and sixt homelie vnto the people of Antioch The Emperour for so they make him to say is there himselfe with his purple to beseech the Saintes to make intercession vnto God for him He praieth vnto a maker of tabernacles and a fisher as his protectors But it is to be noted that the same words are read in a sermon attributed vnto S. Augustine De Sancto Paulo and the Canon Garet doth alleadge them of one Theodoret Daphnoipatus of farre latter time So little certaintie is there whether it be S. Augustines or S. Chrysostomes being also directly contrarie to the whole bodie and scope of their doctrine And thus we see how Epiphanius and Chrysostome do agree together in this truth notwithstanding the sharpe contentions which were in other places betwixt them Cyrill Patriarke of Alexandria followeth them neere by both for the time and doctrine His Maxims are None commeth to the father but by Christ The Sonne was made the dore and the way to reconcile men vnto the father and he himselfe doth distribute and giue grace together with him c. He is the Mediator the high Priest the Comforter that is to say the Aduocate Iohn 2. Hee giueth entrance and accesse for our praiers vnto the father He giueth vs free libertie and boldnes with him c. Yea saith he in as much as God granteth the praiers of such as doe worship him that is to say of such as call vpon him for with whom doth it agree better to graunt vnto holy men their earnest requestes then with him who alone is naturallie and truely God But as concerning the Saints as much honour as you will but without all manner of adoration and worship without any inuocating of them which are the chiefe and principall part although that in his time the priuate superstitions of men had preuailed euen so farre Iulianus the Emperour reprocheth him you Christians ye worship a man Yea Cyril ad Reg. de rect fid saith he but such a man as we acknowledge and confesse to bee both man and God together But at the least the Martyrs Nay not so saith he as that we hold them for Gods we doe not adore or worship them wee praise their constancie in hauing hated their lines for the truth c. And he telleth vs wherein this honor consisteth In a remembrance saith he which withereth not euen of their excellent and exceeding fortitude He forgetteth not in the meane time to describe how many waies the Greekes honoured their Gods euen betaking themselues vnto them as protectors and gardiantes of such as were aliue And this was the place here the oportunitie for him to haue said And what you do vnseasonablie and without any proofe of dutie vnto them the same doe wee duely and of required dutie vnto our Saintes Cultores but hee is flatte to the contrarie But we saith he doe not any thing at all Not therefore as the Grecians the proper worshippers of men who without consideration haue attributed the glorie of God to whom they please c. For the scripture saith hee doeth not preach vnto or teach vs any moe Gods then one neither haue we any custome to worship any other besides him And the Saintes saith hee in another place haue also obtained the gift of God by his grace Idem in Thesaur l. 4. c. 2. and the mutuall praiers of others but they cannot imparte it vnto others at their pleasures whereas the Sonne as the fountaine of holinesse doth sanctifie his disciples by his owne power Receiue saith he the holie Ghost c. The Conclusion of Cyrill in the end after all this disputation is Therefore we must praie in the name of the Sauiour if we will be heard of the father And notwithstanding some are growne to that impudencie contrarie to the opinion of all ancient writers as to impute and ascribe vnto him a little booke imprinted in times past in Paris The liturgie and houres of the virgine Marie As for Theodoret we haue seene heretofore what he said vnto vs of the Councell of Laodicea and yet further we must not forget what he saith vnto vs of the wordes of Saint Paule to Timothie One Mediator of God and men c. Theod. 1. Tim. c. 2. If saith he as saith Arrius and
hauing beene from the beginning belonging thereunto For hauing said In communicating and worshipping the memoriall of the holy Virgine of such men Saints and women Saints c. it followed that the Priest said some thing and he cut it off al too short leauing the sentence imperfect and hanging in suspence for this cause consideration that he might make an end with a praier which he linked thereunto and it is attributed by some to Pope Siricius by others to Gregory Of the Letanie altogether after the like manner for it was a generall praier which was made into Articles for all the necessities of the body of the Church and of the members therof yea for the estate of the world c. And at the end of euerie Article the Cleargy and the people were wont to answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord haue mercy vpon vs a thing as yet practised in the reformed Churches of England And in al the Liturgies aboue named all these Articles are craued of one onely God by Iesus Christ Likewise that of Clement the Pope Pro superna pace Deum oremus pro salute animarum nostrarum pro prosperitate sanctarum ecclesiarum pro clero populo pro magistratibus totius mundi Let vs pray for the peace that is on high for the saluation of our soules for the prosperitie of the holy Churches for the Cleargie for the Cominaltie for the Princes of the world c. And to euery Article that the Deacon pronounced the people and the Cleargie answered Lord haue mercy vpon vs. But for as much as the third Councell of Carthage had said that all praiers should be directed made to God those who had resolued to thrust in the Inuocation of Saints began indirectly O Lord heare vs by the intercession of the Virgin Lord doe thou prepare and guide our waies pathes by the praiers of thy Saints c. But Gregorie proceedeth further euen to a direct praier Saint Mary pray for vt c. And to the end that this might find a more gracious intertainment welcome it was said that there were some that had heard the Angels in the celebration of a certaine solemne Letanie crying Regina coeli laetare Reioyce thou Queene of heauen c. Gregor l. 12. Comment in Iob. c. 13. As also to establish this doctrine vpon a more durable and firme foundation Gregorie laboured to race and blot out as much as hee could that which had gone before For S. Augustine had said proued by the Scriptures that the Saints did not intermeddle with humane affaires Gregorie to the contrarie Those that see saith he the charitie and tender loue of Almightie God it is not possible that they should be ignorant of any thing And this fell about the yeare 600. Towards the yeare 680. the sixt generall Councel was held at Constantinople wherein was condemned the heresie of the Monothelits They cite against vs out of this Councell these words After the worshipping of the one onely God let men pray vnto the Saints to become intercessors vnto his Maiestie The East and West Churches were already become corrupt inough euen in their being come to that state But when we bring that Councell against them in an other instance then they haue learned to say that there were no Canons made in it and that those nine which stand in the Tomes of the Councels are fained Damasc l. 4. de Oithod fid Damascen about the yere 800. mult plied enlarged this opinion and that so far as that he taught that we ought to adore worship the holy Virgin calling her the Queene of al creatures and the Saints the friends of God to the erecting of Churches vnto theÌ„ directly against S. Augustine Beda his fellow in time did the same For how could it be that the Saints should be lesse priâ—ed when as the second Councell of Nice had ordained at the same time that their Images shuld be worshiped But behold at the same time Claudius B. The doctrine of Inuocation of Sainth opposed first of Auxer afterward of Turin the same with Adalbert the Scot reestablished the vniuersity of Paris in the time of Charls the great did oppose himself therunto Return hee you that are so blind vnto the light Claudius Taurinens aduers Theod. Abba which inlightneth euerie man that commeth into the world to that light that shineth in darknesse and so as that the darknesse cannot comprehend or put it out What is the meaning of this though Noe and Daniell and Iob were in the midst of you but to the end that no man shuld trust either to the merit or to the intercession of the Saints Because that if we haue not the faith the truth and the righteousnesse that they had we cannot please God Heare then O you which are so foolish amongst the people which runne to Rome which seeke at Rome the intercession of the Apostle heare I say that which S. Augustine hath so often pronounced against you c. But Ionas Bishop of Orleance answered him after his death neither in deed haue we any part almost of the writings of this Claudius of Turin more then is by him alleadged But so it is that it was not growne to any worse condition either with Charles the great nor with the Emperour Lewes the Gentle his Son neither yet with the French Church of his time A manifest testimonie thereof appeareth in that the holding of the contrarie to the Inuocation of Saints was not accompted heresie Synod Paris sub Lothar And in deed this Synode of Paris which wee haue alleadged here aboue hauing to proue that Images Non sunt colendae neque adorandae ought not to be worshipped or adored prooued by the Ancient Fathers that the Angels and Saints are not to be worshipped or adored Now Inuocation is a principal of the true Adoration of the true worship In like manner the Letanie was not then come to the point that it is now but comprehended and contained more of the calling to remembrance then of the inuocating of the Saints For there is a Letanie to bee read in an old booke in the Abbey of Corbee vpon Weser in Germanie which is of the yere 900. or there about as it seemeth by the mention which it maketh of the Emperor Arnulph and of Pope Steuen Bauo Abbas Corbiensis sub Arnulph apud Krantzium in Metto l. 2. c. 10 that should bee the seuenth Wherein the Deacon contenteth himselfe with the naming of the Saints and the people and the Cleargie in stead of answering Ora or Orate pro nobis that is to say Pray thou or Pray yee for vs doth answere throughout Exaudi Christe Heare vs O Christ O thou the redeemer of the World help them c. For example the Deacon said Arnulpho regi vita victoria God giue life and victorie to Arnulph the king The people answereth O Sauiour of the world aide and
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
spirite by which wee belieue and say that Iesus Christ is the Lord which no man can say by the libertie and freedome of his will but onely by the holy Ghost c. This is the same with that which the Bishops of the East did write vnto the Bishops of Africke S. Barnard Bernard de grat liber arb Libertas a peccato In the fall Adam fell from his not being able to sinne to his not being able to doe any thing but sinne hauing altogether lost the libertie of taking aduise and counsell c. as also that which he had of forbearing to sinne And this losse happened vnto him by the abusing of the libertie of his will c. Being fallen from his will it is not still remaining free for him to raise vp himselfe againe by the same For although at this day be would doe it yet the case so standeth with him as that it is not in his power not to sinne It must be Christ that must inspire and indue him with new vertue by his restauration that the Lord may transforme vs into this image howbeit euen then our perfection commeth not in this life but in the life to come c. And he is full in all his bookes of such places which shal hereafter be seene as better opportunitie serueth Peter Lombard saith Lomb. l. 2. d. 25 After sinne till there be a restauration by grace man is ouercome and pressed of concupiscence and hath infirmitie to doe euill but hee hath no grace to doe good And therefore he can sinne but he cannot cease to sinne and that damnablie c. Againe In that Adam hath sinned of free will and that sinne hath ouercome him he hath lost his free will Libertatem inquam à peccato the libertie that hee had to keep himselfe from sinning whereof the Apostle speaketh whereas the spirit of the Lord is there is the libertie and truth of the Gospell If the Sonne deliuer you not you cannot bee free c. And this libertie consisteth in being free from sinne for to serue and obey vnto righteousnes c. which thing they haue attained onely and not any others whome the Sonue hath repaired by grace c. And therefore Anselme said Anselm in 14. ad Rom. as Lombard doth alleadge him The whole life of infidelles is nothing but sinne For there is no goodnesse or felicitie to bee found where the chiefe goodnesse or felicitie is wanting Thom. in 2. sent dist 31 32 c. Thomas likewise layeth vs downe these Maxims The person of Adam hath infected nature and nature now infecteth the person the bodie infecteth the soule not by working vpon it but by receiuing from it for the soule is the proper subiect of originall sinne Idem l. 1. d. 41. Originall sinne is indifferently in all and the punishment thereof is likewise in all no man can satisfie for it but God onely making himselfe man No man can forsake or shake it off of himselfe for from the estate of nature to the estate of grace no man can passe either by free will or by merite but per appositionem gratiae ex mera gratia by the adding and applying of grace c. It may be Not one to be excepted no not the holy virgine August de nupt concupise Idem de perfect iustit Idem contr Iul. l. 5. c. 9. that they haue excepted some persons from this common and generall condition at the least the virgine Marie Let vs heare then Saint Augustine All flesh that is borne by the carnall copulation of man and woman is sinfull flesh That onely which was not so begotten is without sinne that is to say the humane bodie of our Lord. Againe Whosoeuer thinketh that there hath beene anie either man or woman for in Latine he comprehendeth both the sexes except the alone Mediator of God and men to whom the remission of sinnes is not needfull he is contrarie to the holie scripture wherein the Apostle saith by a man sinne is entered into the world c. Yea saith he in another place hee is an hereticke For if as without all doubt it is the flesh of Christ bee not sinfull flesh but like onely to sinfull flesh what remaineth but that it onely being excepted all other humane flesh is sinfull flesh c. Then he concludeth And who so denieth this iâ— a detestable hereticke Yea the flesh of the virgine For saith he It appeareth that concupiscence which Christ would not haue to beare any stroke at all in his conception hath caused the propagation of euill into all mankind For the body of Marie although that he did spring from thence did not notwithstanding transfuse any part of the same concupiscence into the body of Christ because shee did not conceiue thereby And it is not here to be obiected which he speaketh of in an other place that it is not his purpose to speake of the mother of our Lord when the question is of sinne Idem de natu grat c. 6. Because shee hath had greater measure of grace giuen her to ouercome all the parts and parcels of sinne For in that he saith to ouercome it presupposeth a combat with sinne for the ouercomming whereof shee had need of new grace To which purpole wee alleadged Origen heretofore Whereas if she had not beene redeemed iustified and sanctified by the blond of Christ then shee had not beene it at all S. Ambroâ—e saith Ambr. in Luc. Immaculatâ— Partus nouitare Idem in Esay Our Lord Iesus is he alone of all those that haue beene borne of women which hath not felt the contagion of earthly infection and that by reason of the new and extraordinarie manner of his conception and generation which was without spot or touch of sinne Againe Euerie man is a lyar and no man without sinne except God alone It is therefore to bee obserued that not one that is of man and woman that is to say of the coniunction of their bodies that is without sinne Anselm l. 2. Cur deus hom c. 16. in 2. ad Cor. c 5. as also that he that is without this sinne was also begotten without this manner of conception c. Anselme I would know saith he how of this sinfull lumpe of this mankind altogether infected with sinne God should draw foorth a man without sinne Tanquam azymum de fermento being as much as if a man should go about to make a Loafe of vnleauened bread out of a lumpe that is nothing but leauen For although that the conception of this man were pure and vndefiled yet the Virgine out of whose wombe he was taken was conceiued in iniquitie and her mother conceiued her in sinne and therefore also borne with originall sinne for shee likewise hath sinned in Adam in whose person all haue sinned Rom. 5.12 Whereby we may see the impudencie of our aduersaries who vpon the second to the Corinthians where it is said All
presume of this assurance of your iustification and being of the children of God c. We are so But a word of the pride of Abraham Who belieued saith the Apostle vnder hope against hope And he was not weake in faith neither doubted hee of the promise of God through distrust knowing certainely that he which had promised was able to performe And of the pride of Dauid Psal 23.26.30 c. Rom. 8. who saith God is my saluation whome shall I feare Not saith he the shadow of death I shall neuer bee shaken neuer confounded And of the pride of Saint Paul Rom. 8. Who shall accuse vs who shall condemne vs Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Math. 6. Luk. 14. Nay saith he I am fully perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities c. can separate vs he speaketh of all the faithfull and not of himselfe from the loue which he hath shewed vs in lesus Christ A pride well pleasing and acceptable vnto God which this doubtfull and wauering faith of our Aduersaries cannot bee as appeareth in that he reproacheth his Apostle therewithall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou of little faith why doest thou doubt As neither that spirit houering in the ayre which he forbiddeth them in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that in such things as for which they had no such expresse promise Namely in as much as it was humilitie in Abraham to submit himselfe and all his reason to the will of God how contrarie so euer it might seeme to him to be vnto the promise as it is likewise in euerie Christian to assure himselfe both of the remission of his sinnes as also of the kingdome of heauen by the free goodnesse of God manifested in his word whereas on the contrarie it is a pride borrowed from that first in the fall of man rather to belieue the doubts of the flesh or of the creature then the word of the Creator as also to goe about to attaine the least thing that can be by all our merits and then by a stronger reason to pretend to be Gods without God as our first father did And sutable vnto the same is that which we learne of the same fathers Hillar in Mat. c 5. S. Hillarie The Lord would haue vs to hope for the kingdome of heauen which hee hath declared to consist in him without any ambiguous doubting of any vncertaintie that can be in his will For if faith become doubtfull and wauering there is no iustification insuing such a faith And therefore S. Cyprian said Cypr. de mort Why should wee stand perplexed or amazed Who needeth to tremble and be sad but he whose hope and faith doe faile him It is fit for him to feare death who will not goe vnto Christ And to be vnwilling to goe vnto Christ belongeth to such a one as belieueth not that he shall begin when he is dead to raigne with Christ For it is written That the iust liueth by faith If therefore thou be a iust man if thou liue by faith if thou belieuest truly and verily in God why doest thou not imbrace death it being so certaine a thing that thou shalt abide with Christ and beeing so sure to inioy the promise of thy God c. This is saith he in an other place not to know God This is to offend Christ the master of the belieuers by the sinne of incredulitie This is not to haue in the house of faith the faith which is est ablished in the Church August de verb. Dom. Serm. 28. But is not this then ouer weening Heare Saint Augustine Presume saith he but not of thy workes but of the grace of Christ for you are saued by grace saith the Apostle To preach that which thou hast receiued is no arrogancie it is faith and faithfulnesse it is not arrogant ouer weening it is deuotion But we are vnworthie we are weake in faith c. Idem in Psal 88. Yea saith hee but God hath said it but God hath promised it and if all this may yet seeme little vnto thee then hee hath sworne it vnto thee Seeing then saith he that the promise of God is not firme according to our merits but in respect of his mercie no man ought to preach with a trembling doubtfulnesse that which he cannot any way doubt of But must wee not all appeare before the tribunall and iudgement seate of Christ Idem tract 22. in Iohan. Iohn 5.24 And how darest thou promise thy selfe saith hee that thou shalt not come into iudgement Nay God forbid saith he that I should be so bold as to promise my selfe that but I belieue him that hath promised it Who so belieueth on him that hath sent me hath eternall life and shall not come to iudgement that is to say to haue the sentence of condemnation pronounced against him for he is alreadie passed from death to life And this is brought to passe by his promise not by my presumption that I come not vnto iudgement And this is the same that Saint Barnard argued against Abailardus Bernard in Ep. If faith saith he doe wauer it is nothing worth as also our hope is in vaine c. Who so speaketh that hath not as yet receiued the holy Ghost But Saint Augustine better Faith consisteth not in opinion neither yet in coniecture it is fast placed in his heart that hath it and that from him of whome it springeth but Certae scientiae acclamante conscientia Of certaine knowledge the conscience testifying thereunto This is the substance of things to be hoped for and not a fantasie gathered vpon coniecture By the word substance there is set before thee a certaine and stable thing Faith then is not an opinion but a certaintie But Who art thou saith hee Aestimatio Idem de sragmentis septem Serm. 3. Fiducialiter And how great is this glorie And by what merits dost thou hope to obtaine it I consider saith he three things wherin my hope consisteth The loue of Adoption the truth of the promise and the power of the deliuerance As for any other thing let my foolish reason murmure and repine as much as it will I aunswere confidently and boldly I know whome I haue belieued and am throughly assured because he hath adopted me in the aboundance of his loue because hee is true in his promise and because he is of power and abilitie to exhibite and effect the same This is that three-fold band that is so hard to breake in peeces the which hath beene reached and conueyed vnto vs from our natiue Countrie from on high into this prison Let vs hold fast by the same to the end that it may lift vs vp that it may drawe vs yea that it may attract and hale vs to the presence of the glorie of the great God c. The Disciples say Who can bee saued The Lord answereth them
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
is in the vnitie of this bodie that is to say in the coniunction and setting together of the members of Christ of the Sacrament of whose body the faithfull in communicating are accustomed to receiue from the Altar may truely bee said to bee such a one as eateth the bodie of Christ and drinketh his bloud And those on the contrarie that are not his members cannot eate him For hee hath said He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud he dwelleth in me and J in him Who so therfore dwelleth not in me I in him cannot eat my flesh nor drink my bloud he eateth it Sacramēto tenus and not re vera that is to say he taketh and receiueth but the signe and not the thing For saith he They which abide not in him are not his members And in an other place Seeing he hath recommended vnto vs the eating of his flesh c. that is to say our abiding in him Idem in Ioh. tract 27. and his in vs now wee abide and dwell in him when we are his members and he in vs when wee are his temple Which thing is much more clearely laid out by Christ himselfe I am the vine and you are the branches c. The branches sucke their life out of the Vine not to the end verily that they may be branches but because they are such alreadie and yet in so sucking they become more faire and beautifull braunches euen so the faithfull doe eate Christ in the Supper not to the end that they may become his members but because they are his members alreadie and to the ende that in deriuing and sucking their life from him they may become the better growing and thriuing members Saint Chrysostome The bread which wee breake Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 11. is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ Why did not the Apostle as well say participation Because that he would declare and point out some further matter and shew the great and close coniunction For we doe not communicate onely for that we receiue and are made partakers but for that we are vnited and made one for as this bodie which he hath once taken vpon him is vnited vnto Christ so by this bread we are vnited and made one with him c. For saith he what signifieth the bread The bodie of Christ. And what are they made which doe receiue it The bodie of Christ c. Whereby wee learne that the Communion is not a carnall eating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a coherence and vniting of the faithfull vnto the body of Christ which could not be better represented then by eating which is the most strict and vnseparable way Leo. ad Cler. pleb Constant whereby one nature may naturally be ioined vnto another Leo the first to the same sense This is so currant in all mens mouthes as that the verie children cease not to speake amongst the Sacraments of our common faith of the truth of the bodie and blood of Christ seeing that in the mysticall distribution of the spirituall food it is both giuen and taken to the end that receiuing the efficacie power of the spiritual meat we may be translated and changed into his flesh who became our flesh c. that is to say let vs be fed of him as it hath beene said as flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones c. Wherefore to eate the flesh and to drinke the bloud of Christ is to fetch and sucke our spiritual nourishment from him and that from him dead for vs to the ende that the similitude may haue his full course as the corporall man draweth not forth the meanes of the maintenance of his life from things any otherwise then by the dying for the same To bee bidden vnto this banket and eating is to bee exhorted to maintaine and cherish our coniunction with Christ and our life in Christ by the continuing of this nourishment and this coniunction with Christ worketh a coniunction amongst our selues as members of one and the same bodie The coniunction and vnion of the faithful amongst them selues in the holy Supper 1. Cor. 10. which is more and more neerely and closely wrought in the holy supper which S. Paul expresseth in these words We which are many are one onely bread and one onely body for we are partakers of one and the same bread c. that is to say sucking the iuice of life from one and the same Vine we are quickned by one and the same spirit c. which is the second end of the Lords supper but yet depending vpon the first in as much as we cannot be ioyned by faith to Christ except we be also vnited and ioyned by loue and charitie vnto our brethren Ignatius making this coniunction plaine saith There is but one flesh of our Lord Iesus and one bloud of his shed for vs one bread broken for all Ignat. ad Philadelph Iren. l. 3. c. 10. and one Cup of the whole Church Ireneus The Lord promiseth to send the comforter that is to say the holy Ghost For as of drie Corne there cannot bee made any paste neither yet any bread without licour so we cannot of many be made one in Christ without that water which is from heauen Saint Cyprian Cypr. l. 1. Ep. 6 ad Magn. l. 2. Ep. 3. ad Caecil When as our Lord calleth his body bread made into dough by the mixing together of many graines he sheweth that our people the image whereof hee resembled is vnited together and made one And when he calleth the wine his bloud pressed out into one from diuers Grapes be signifieth in like manner our flocke ioyned together and made into one by the mixture Adunate multitudinis of an vnited multitude Now this vnion said Ireneus as it is spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August de Consecr D 2. c Qu a passus Ep. 57. ad Dardan so it is wrought by the spirit S. Denis The Minister saith he vncouering the bread that is couered and vndiuided and parting it into many peeces and distributing the Cup vnto all multiplieth and distributeth the vnitie mystically c. Saint Augustine And you saith hee are there at the Table and in the Cup you are with vs. Againe Christ is the head of this body This is the communion which the members haue with the head The vnitie of this body is recommended vnto vs by our sacrifice this is the communion of the members amongst themselues Being the same that the Apostle hath signified saying We are all one bread and one bodie c. Chrysostome What doe I speaking of Communion wee are the body it selfe For what is the bread Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. the body of Christ And what are they made which receiue the same The body of Christ not many bodies but one body For as the bread is made into one lumpe by the kneading of many graines together and that in
bread shall liue for euer And in S. Augustines time there were that taught hereupon that if a man had communicated at the Lords supper how be it he should afterward renounce the Christian profession yet hee could not possibly perish and fall away for euer Wherefore as oft as euer wee shall reade such places we ought alwayes to remember and call to mind these rules The good and prudent Reader saith Saint Hillarius doth looke for the vnderstanding of that which is said Hilat. de Trin. l. 1. Hieronym in Mat. not by fetching it from any preiudicate opinion of his owne but from the cause of that which is said And S. Ierome The discreete Reader is verie carefull to keepe himselfe euermore from all manner of superstitious vnderstanding he frameth and squareth his sence and vnderstanding according to the Scriptures August cont aduers leg Prophet l. 2. c. 9. and not the Scriptures according to it And Saint Augustine handling this same matter One peece of Scripture must be expounded by an other and all the holy Scriptures according to the soundnesse of faith if we expound any thing done or spoken figuratiuely it standeth vs vpon to see that such expositions be drawne wisely and not negligently from other things and words which are contained in the holy writings But aboue all wee haue to consider in the matter of the Sacramentes what a Sacrament is and in the matter of the holy supper that therein is handled the most excellent of all the rest that is to say a great mysterie a profound and high secret and that so soone as wee heare the word Sacrament wee must lift vp our spirits from the beholding of these outward things to the apprehending of inward things from the skin to the marrow and from of the earth vp vnto heauen obseruing the nature of the misterie the signification of the word and what the thing doth permit suffer what the letter saith and what the meaning of the spirit is Thus These words This is my body cannot bee interpreted without a figure This is my bodie according to their sence and construction what shall it signifie Hoc this If it be meant of the bread then it must be thus taken This bread is my bodie But this is not their meaning for they confesse that it cannot bee two substances at one and the same instant And when two chiefe and primarie substances that is to say two Iudiuidua as the Logicians call them are called the one by the name of the other there must of necessitie be included a figure but this they wil not yeeld vnto Furthermore they doe not pretend that it is the body vntill the last word be vttered and wee are as yet but in the verie first And in the meane time then shall it not be the same which our Lord tooke blessed brake and gaue to his Disciples that is to say bread What shall then this hoc make The accidents of bread without the subiect namely whitenesse roundnesse c And what manner of speech were it to say The accidents of bread are my body which is giuen for you or else their Indiuiduum vagum and vage determinatum This I cannot tell what in the ayre which they can neither name nor point out so as that it may be comprehended How it may bee bread in the beginning of the vttering of the words and his body in the end What a number of obscure and straunge figures to how many contradictorie designments and deuises are they driuen and all to auoide one cleare and manifest figure and that such a one as is verie often and familiarly vsed in the Sacraments Afterward This is my bloud What shal be the meaning of this Hoc in this place It is said that taking the cup he blessed it and said Drinke ye all Bibite ex hoc omnes This Hoc then is the cup whereof he saith This is my bloud But can it possibly be that the cup should be called blood without a figure seeing that according to their owne assertions it is the wine and not the cup It followeth Est This is say they a verbe substantiue Let it bee granted but is it therefore a verbe transubstantiue This is my bodie that is to say This is made my bodie It is substantially turned it is transubstantiated into my bodie and bloud This is their meaning and they call this word in their affected tearmes and gibberidge an operatiue and practicke Est But if it be vnderstood of the bread then what figure is it And how will their fond deuised fantasie stand sith they hold that the bread is not changed or turned but becommeth nothing to the end it may giue place to the bodie And what shew of any figure will there then be here Hoc est that is to say this Vagum Indiuiduum which hath no name is transubstantiated into his bodie And if it bee wandring and vnstable it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath not any substance Or els This bread is become nothing to giue place to the bodie c. But this word Est may it bee expounded by the word Fit factum est conuertitur transubstantiatur it is made turned transubstantiated Yea and also by Fiat conuertatur transubstantiatur that it may be made turned transubstantiated without a figure yea and which is more without any contradiction And of the cup particularly without acknowledging that it is transubstantiated But this they do not admit Let vs proceed Take eate but what Accidents but they are no proper obiects for the teeth to be occupied about The bodie of Christ then But as they say themselues it is not as yet there And then it is not chewed there it is not there broken What shall then the meaning bee of this word eate But to endeuour to eate to make semblance of eating c. But how much better had it been to haue expounded this place by the nature of other Sacraments whereof it is said This is my couenant as here This cup is the new Testament in my blood This is the blood of the new Testament c. all comming to the same sence Againe The rocke was Christ I am the bread of life as here The bread is my bodie the cup is my blood To expound it I say by Iesus Christ in S. Iohn My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede Where in plaine tearmes he referreth vs vnto his death when hee saith Which I will giue for the life of the world As also here Which is giuen which is shed for you But saith he to the Capernaites The words that J say vnto you are spirite and life And therefore some are of iudgement that this whole speech of his was nothing else but a resolued and purposed Commentarie and a preparatiue to the right vnderstanding of the holy supper And finally to haue expounded it by Saint Paule Who giueth vnto vs that which he
consider and beholde therein the diuine power which is hid in these waters full of sanctification full of diuine fire that is to say full of the holie Ghost full of his effectuall working and yet not changed into fire nor into the holie Ghost and verily euen as little the bread and wine in the holy table either into accidents or any other substances whereof the same Councell saith That we must vnderstand by faith that wee do truly and verilie receiue the bodie and bloud of our Lord and that they are tokens and pledges vnto vs of our resurrection vnto eternall life Ambros de lit qui mistie init c. 3 de spir Sanct. l. 3 Saint Ambrose also is farre of from admitting anie change or alteration of the water in Baptisme and therefore ceaseth not to say Thou seest water and doubtest thou of the mysterie Thou beleeuest the operation and wilt thou not beleeue the presence of the diuinitie and Godhead From whence should the operation effectual working of the same proceed if it were not by vertue of the diuine presence Againe Beleeue not alone the eies of the bodie that which is not seene at all is most apparant clearly seene in asmuch as that is temporall but this is eternall c. And therefore S. Augustine saith not Take away this water August tract 80. in Ioh. that the bloud of Christ may take the place and enter in steade thereof but rather Take away the worde of God from the water and then there remaineth nothing but common water adde the worde thereunto and it will become a Sacrament And in like manner Tertullian The holie Ghost commeth downe and sanctifieth the water Saint Basill The kingdome of heauen is there opened Saint Chrysostome I beleeue in baptising the purgation of the soule Answere to the obiection of omnipotenty by the working of the spirit c. And all these notwithstanding without any the least presupposing of the changing of the water In the meane time these fellowes haue nothing to obiect or cast in our way but the omnipotencie of God and that when as the question properly is not of his Almightinesse in a miracle but of his will and pleasure in a mysterie Thus said Praxeas vnto Tertullian Wherfore could not God be father and sonne also Tertul. cont Pra◠Is it not said I and the father are but one c Vnto whome hee answered The mightie power of God is no other thing then his will and the vnabilitie of God his vnwillingnesse he could haue made and framed man to flie after the maner of a Kite but hee hath not done it c. And this his will we come to vnderstand by his worde whereof it is said Heauen and earth shall passe but the word of God endureth for euer Our Lord hath said That of stones he is able to raise vp children vnto Abraham And who can doubt hereof And yet notwithstanding I wil not therefore belieue if it appeare not vnto me out of his will that such or such are raised vp or begotten of stones Neither yet if thou shouldest shew me a stone that it is any child of Abrahams whē as I see not any other thing in it then the naturall shape figure thereof neither yet by touching it feele any thing but the hardnes heauinesse and coldnesse of a stone For saith S. Augustine August in Ench. ad Laurent c. q. de ciuit Dei l. c. 10. God is properly called Almightie because he doth whatsoeuer he will and because that his wil is not crossed either by the will or power of any other whosoeuer But the will of our Lord manifested in his word is to feede the faithfull with his flesh bloud in his holy supper I will firmely and steadfastly belieue that he doth it and will not thereupon goe about to remoue or alter either the predicables or predicaments but will be readie with all humilitie to subiect applie my reason to his promise by an obedience of faith Our aduersaries cannot conceiue how he should feede their soules if he come not nie vnto their bodies if he be not in their mouthes And how doth the Sunne which is a creature bring forth quicken heat and inlighten things and that so far off And he which feedeth vs in S. Iohn without Sacraments without signes Ioh. 6. why should he come short in the signes Sacraments Seeing they afford reliefe helpe for the vnderpropping of our infirmity not diminishing or any thing impairing his power and he that dwelleth continually in the hearts of his children why should he not manifest the same on some one day more plainely and plentifully Seeing it is hee for certaine which hath ordained it seeing also that his lodging is therein the better prepared by our faith by our zeale and by our repentance It is a point of deepe incredulitie vnbeliefe in vs not to trust him any longer thē he is at hand and neere vnto vs and that he should not bee able to doe it but by being neere and at hand should argue a certaine kind of impotencie weaknesse in God And this is that which S. Augustine saith August in Ioh. tract 10. To the ende that no man should deceiue himselfe in going about to adore the Head in heauen and to trample vpon his feet here on earth he hath declared and told where his members be The Head being to ascend vp into heauen hath recommended vnto vs his members here on earth and so is departed and gone hence c. He said from on high vnto Saule Wherefore persecutest thou me I ascended vp vnto heauen notwithstanding I am yet vpō earth here I sit at the right hand of my Father there I doe as yet indure and sustaine hunger and thirst I am a stranger c. The head although it be not in the feete doth yet minister vnto them the power of mouing and the Sonne of God the Head of the Church shal he not bestow as much vpon his members Fourthly Transubstantiation taketh frō vs this consolation Transubstantiation depriueth vs of the meanes of doing that which the Lord hath done that our Lord vouchsafeth to continue vnto vs in his Church the same misterie which he celebrated with his Apostles according to that which he said in expresse and plaine tearmes Doe this in remembrance of me The efficacie of which words must be perpetuall in the Church That is that celebrating the same action and in the same sort wee communicate likewise are partakers of the same grace in the same manner But if a contrary course be taken and that to the obtaining of an other kind of grace and after an other manner in stead of comfort and consolation we fall into a doubtfull labirinth for where is there any institutiō besides And where is the word where is the promise And what maketh the Sacrament but the word Wherby are we made partakers of
Cyrill The Lord went in to his disciples the dores being shut and that by surpassing through his omnipotencie the nature of things And therefore let no man trouble himself with seeking out of the cause but let him rather consider that the question is not here of a meere man like to our selues but of the Almightie Sonne of God to whome whole nature is subiect This was therefore after the same manner that his walking vpon the sea was which naturally is not giuen to beare vp our feet and note that this was before his bodie was glorified and therefore when thou readest this beware that thou be not turned aside to forsake the true faith c. And if thou bee not able to comprehend the same blame the defects and wantes of thy spirit and say rather That whereas hee thus entred in at the dores being shut it is because he is God and yet not any other then he was at the time of his being conuersant as men amongst his disciples before his passion And in deed the better sort of their expositors of the later writers do not abuse these places to the prouing of the said pearsing through of dimensions imagined and deuised by our aduersaries which maketh that two bodies should occupie but one place The dores say they were opened Ferus in Ioh. c. 20. and why not after the same manner that God caused the earth to open and swallow vp Dathan and his confederates the sea to make way for the Israelites and to drowne the Egiptians or the gates of the prison for the deliuerance of his Apostles And if God say they were able to bring them out of a prison fast shut mortall and corruptible men at they were why should he not himselfe be as able to go in the dores close shut The miracle euermore proceeding by this meanes from the diuine power vnited vnto his humane nature and not from any change made or pretended in the same and the change also whensoeuer any is resting in the things which suffer and obey this power without any extending of it selfe by any manner of way vnto the person Durand That our Lord went in the dores being shut by some other priuie secret place but not through the dores shut c. But if any one amongst so many haue found out this denne or lurking hole wherefore of so many sundrie expositions would they haue vs to make choise of that which is most harsh and obscure And when all is done what hath this to doe with the Sacrament of the holy Supper But we answere them two thinges In the first place That in the matter of the Sacraments as also of this same as Saint Augustine hath taught vs before there is no question to be made concerning any miracle And in the second place That this Maxime abideth euer firme that in God there is not yea and no toge ther and therefore that no miracle how great soeuer can imply any contradiction For the one S. Thomas telleth vs That a miracle commeth of admiration Tho. in 1. parte Summ. q. 105. art 7. that admiration falleth out when the effects are manifest but the cause hidden secret But here we all agree that the effects are hidden secret wherupon they are called mysteries And hereupon also S. Augustine doth roundly cut off all the controuersies saying That the Sacraments are things of great note estimation amongst men August de Trinit li. 5. c. 10 that they may be reuerenced as religious things but that they ought not to worke any admiration in vs as if they were miracles And by name he speaketh there of the holy supper As in deede there was neuer any miracle read of whose effectes were not cleare and manifest to the sences And to the second S. Thomas telleth vs God is not Almightie in respect of the things wherein there is contradiction because that they cannot be accounted of as possible things Thom. 1. p. Summ q. 25. art 3. 4. aduer ger t. l. 1 c. 84. l. 2. c. 25 August de Trini l. 15. c. 14 And he layeth downe for an example That he cannot make one thing and that which is contrarie to the definition of the same as a man vnreasonable a triangle and not three angles or three lines c. Because saith he This should be to haue them and not to haue them And to speake in better tearmes with Saint Augustine Because that This shoulde bee an vnablenesse and want of power for great is the power of the word sayeth hee in that it cannot lie for that therein there cannot bee Est non est but Est est Non non c. But are wee not in Saint Thomas his tearmes when there is made and set before vs a bodie without quantitie a quantitie without dimensions and a locall thing without any place a quantitie therefore without quantitie a bodie without a bodie And thus then they destroy the humane nature of Christ wherein lyeth the principall consolation of mankind the article also of his ascention into heauen of his sitting at the right hand c. that is to say euen our Creed In the sixt place let vs see how they deale with his diuinitie Transubstantiation iniurious to the diuine nature of the Sonne of God It is a rule amongst all the ancient fathers as we haue seene that men should distribute the Sacraments that is to say the signes but that God alone is the giuer of the thing but more particularly in this wherein it pleaseth the Sonne of God to giue himselfe vnto vs his flesh and his blood for our nourishment vnto eternall life But with what reuerence can we say that another giueth it vs and that in such sort as that it dependeth not vpon the institution of the Sacrament in it selfe neither yet of the vertue of the wordes which they call sacramentall but as in the workes and feates of Magicke in which strong imagination worketh the effect of the intention of the priest which vttereth them Whereupon it followeth that God must needs haue tyed his grace to the intention of the confecrating priest and not to his owne institution accompanied with his holy spirit And the Sonne of God shall not be ours that is to say the life which is in him shall not distribute it selfe vnto the faithfull further then the discretion of this intention shall extend And it shall bee in the power or rather in the weaknes of the Priest to frustrate and send away emptie a whole assemblie and companie of Christians gathered together in the name of Christ feruently desiring in a true faith and longing after his grace which hee hath included in this precious gift which he hath vouchsafed freely to bestow vpon them of himself in stead that he hath so graciously declared his good will vnto vs saying When two or three of you shall be gathered together in my â—ame J will bee in the
midst of you c. Yea to frustrate and disapoint them euerie manner of way whether his purpose and intention stand good or not For if he be nothing bent that way then according to their doctrine hee consecrateth not neither is the Sonne of God communicated And neuerthelesse if he do consecrate yet they doe not communicate therein for they are alwaies subiect to doubt whether hee had any purpose and intention or not And whereas there is doubting there is no faith and where there is no faith there is nothing but sinne Now themselues are of this iudgement that hee cannot receiue the bodie of Christ which doth not belieue in him Now then what priuiledge hath the vertuous and godly man more then the wicked seeing that the intention or not intention of the Priest transubstantiateth or leaueth vntransubstantiated seeing that both the one the other are subiect to doubt of the intention therefore of the effect seeing that both the one and the other whether doubting or assured thereof do equally receiue or not receiue Likewise what shall become of their doctrine De opere operato That the thing profiteth and is auaileable in asmuch as it is onely performed and done not in regard of the person which doth it seeing that this whole mysterie dependeth now Ex opere operantis of the working and operation of the sacrificer Moreouer where shall the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue all other Sacraments bee found if the rest depend vppon the grace of God without any such necessitie of the intention of him that consecrateth as the greatest part of them doth hold of baptisme and of that pretended Sacrament of mariage c. On God I say whose intention and purpose neuer halteth or faileth neither yet by consequent the obiect of our faith the same not to speake any thing more sharpely and grieuously of the infirmity of man being subiect to faile euerie moment But further I would know what shal become of their priuate Masses Bonauent in Comp. Sacr. Theol. rubr 11. l. 8. Gabr. Biel. lect 6. lit C. seeing that Bonauenture Biel hold That besides the intent of him that consicrateth there is required the intent and purpose of him that instituteth and ordaineth that it is not sufficient for the Priest to haue an intent to consecrate if hee follow not the intent of Christ in this sacrament But Hugo and Biel the most part of the schoolmen are they not of iudgement that priuate Masse wherein there is no publike remembrance made of the death of Christ doth nothing at all agree with the mind of the institutor what consolation then can they of the Church of Rome haue in the Sacrament when in stead of nourishing of their faith they maintaine and feed doubt and vncertaintie when as after they haue beene well prepared they know not what they receiue the efficacie of the consecration being vnable to penetrate and pearce according to their doctrine in the Sacrament without this intention and purpose the man likewise not being able to pearce and see into the intent of the consecrating Priest by any meanes Thus in seeking to giue too much to the worthinesse of the Priest they haue taken away the effect of the Sacrament from God who onely worketh the same and from the people the profit and fruit which should come to them thereby Stella clericoruÌ„ and for which it was ordained And all this that they might be honoured in the dispensation of the mysteries of God more then God himselfe more then the Creator whose Creators and makers since the time of the entring of the doctrine of transubstantiation they haue not beene ashamed to professe themselues to be Now the old Church had neuer any such doctrine they did not at any time once thinke of calling of Christ out of heauen by multitude of wordes What is meant by consecrating they did attribute the communion of the bodie of Christ to the institution of our Lord to the operation of the holy Ghost and to the faith of the faithfull To consecrate in their language was to sanctifie that is to blesse that is to change a thing from the common vse to a holy and from a profane to a sacred which is accomplished by the word that is to say by the institution of the Lord which giueth it his efficacie Thus speaketh Saint Cyprian ordinarily That the bread and the wine of the holy Supper are sanctified by the word And S. Augustine expoundeth it saying Not for that it is spoken but for that it is belieued not the sound that flâ—eth away but the permanent and abiding power that is to say the operation of the spirit of God c. After the same manner haue all the ancient fathers written as S. Hillarie Isidor l. 6. Ambrose Ierome Gregorie c. Isidore in like sort By the commandement of Christ we call his bodie and his bloud that which is sanctified of the fruites of the earth and made a Sacrament by the inuisible operation of the spirit of God c. In which sence the prophane Authors vsed also the word Consecration Promiscui vsus Cornelius Fronto saith Consecrated that is that which is made holy or turned to a holy vse being before prophane that is to say of a common vse But God forbid that our Lord should make the communion of his bodie which he offereth vnto vs subiect either to the sound of words or to the intent mind of him that vttereth them The ministers as were also the Apostles are made for the church not the church for them yea they are the ministers and not the Lords thereof they are not dispensers of their owne mysteries but of Christs yet which is more not of Christes mysteries but of the signes of his mysteries onely 1. Cor. 13. no more then they are of faith which commeth of the hearing of the worde notwithstanding that they minister the word to vs God hauing reserued vnto himselfe the gift of faith to worke the same by the effectuall power of his spirit as a dispensation only from his grace being no more depending on him that ministreth then tied to the signes which hee ministreth c. God verily saith to Moses And thou shalt sanctifie it c. Leuit 3. August in quaest in Leui. But he saith also in another place I am the Lord which do sanctifie it S. Augustine demandeth thereupon How can it be that both the Lord and Moses should do it Verily saith he Moses by the visible sacraments by his ministerie but the Lord by his inuisible grace by his spirit as that wherein lieth all the fruit and benefit of the visible sacraments So Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst those that are borne of women saith the Lord baptised with water but the gift of the spirit was of Christ And by the ministerie of Paul and Apollos many belieued but the gift of faith by which man belieueth
disciples chaunged not in his figure but in his nature by the omnipotencie of the worde is made flesh They stand and pitch themselues vppon the worde Nature as if it were a substance and not a propertie and vpon these wordes Is made flesh whereas they ought to remember themselues that this is contrarie to their owne doctrine that the bread should be made flesh but this matter shall bee made more cleare hereafter As in the person of Christ saith hee the humanitie was to bee seene but the diuinitie did conceale and hide it selfe so into the visible Sacrament there is infused by an vnspeakeable manner the diuine essence The diuine essence saith hee and not the humane nature the spirit then and not the flesh And this vniting of the signe and thing doth not proceed saith he to the consubstantiating of Christ that is to say to the making of him the same substancet but vsque ad societatem germanissimam eius but to a most strict and neere bond of societie And then not to the working of any consubstantiation neither yet transubstantiation but to a sacramentall vnion which exhibiteth to euerie faithfull receiuer grace with the thing the spirit with the flesh the heauenly with the earthly c. so straitly linked as that The thinges signifying and signified as hee saith in another place haue the same names Bed in Oct. Epiphan Cyril in Ioh. l. 2. c. 4. Ambros de iis 〈◊〉 myster 〈◊〉 c. 4. 9. â—â—sil de spir â—â—ct c. 15. â—â—m 6. According to that which Beda said a long time after him That the nature of the bread and wine is translated into the Sacrament of the flesh and bloud of Christ by the vnspeakeable sanctification of the holy Ghost And so speaketh Cyrill of the water in baptisme That it is reformed and as it were moulded againe by the operation of the holy Ghost into a diuine nature And Saint Ambrose I know not therein the vse of nature but the excellencie of grace And thus they all agree that there is no transubstantiation in the water of Baptisme except as saith Basill Ex presentia spiritus by the presence of the spirite And Saint Ambrose By the preaching of the crosse of our Lord c. And if as yet we stand in doubt of his intent and purpose The Maister himselfe saith hee hath declared it These words are spirit and life the carnall sences cannot pearce thereinto if faith come not therevnto Christ calleth sometimes the Sacrament that is to say the signe his bodie sometimes his flesh and his bloud sometimes bread c. Bread in respect of the resemblance it hath in nourishing Bloud by reason of the quickning effect Flesh in regard of the properties of his humanitie which he tooke vppon him c. Namely for as much as common bread changed into flesh and bloud procureth life the growth of our bodies by the which effect so ordinarie vnto vs the infirmitie of our faith is holpen and taught by sensible argument that in the visible Sacramentes is shadowed out and assured vnto vs the effect of eternall life and that wee are not so much vnited vnto Christ by any corporall passing of his bodie into ours as by the spiritual And he expresseth this coniunction diuers waies It mingleth not saith he the persons it vniteth not substances it associateth affections linketh wils together Our Maister saith he hath taught vs to care the flesh and to drinke the blood and that by abiding in him this abode is an eating this dwelling in him is a feeding this drinking is an incorporation this incorporation is an vniting of willes and affections vnto his obedience As meate is to the flesh euen so is faith vnto the soule the worde vnto the spirite c. And therefore wee doe not sharpen our teeth to eate but with a sincere faith wee breake the holy bread and distribute it wee distinguish and put difference betwixt the diuine and humane nature and notwithstanding we ioyne them together confessing one onely God and man as also being made his bodie wee are coupled and vnited vnto him both by the Sacrament as also by the thing of the Sacrament c. And to conclude Ambros in serâ—â— de Chrismat In this table saith he whereat our Lord made his last feast with his Apostles he gaue vnto them with his owne handes the bread and the wine but hee deliuered his bodie into the handes of the soldiers to be pearced through vpon the crosse to the end that the true sinceritie and sincere truth being the more deepely imprinted in the Apostles they might declare vnto the Gentils how the wine and the bread are the flesh and the bloud and by what manner of meanes the causes agree with the effects the diuers names or kindes are reduced to one the same essence and the signifying and signified thinges are called by the same names Censentur iisdem vocabulis shewing thereby that the bread and wine distributed in the holy supper tooke their effect from the bodie deliuered ouer to the soldiers to bee crucified according to that which our Lord said in giuing the bread This is my bodie that is deliuered for you There falleth into this time the first Nicence Councell out of which The Councel of Nice Ex Bibiotheca Vatiana procured out of the Popes librarie there is one that citeth this Canon In this diuine table let vs not be tied here below vnto the bread and wine set before vs but lifting vp our vnderstandinges let vs know by faith that the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world is set vpon this table offered by the Ministers without any offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that wee receiuing truely his precious bodie bloud doe belieue that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the badges markes or ensignes of our resurrection And this is the cause why wee take not much but a little that we may know that it is not for to fill our bodies but to sanctifie vs. This Canon is intituled Of the holy Table and of the mysterie of the bodie and blood of our Lord which is celebrated in the same Now the holy Table is the holy Supper which consisteth of the signe and grace wherein heauen and earth are ioyned and coupled together and againe euerie mysterie must bee mystically expounded In this table then saith he that is to say in the holy supper we haue bread and a cuppe But let vs not saith he settle our eyes thereupon It is too base a thing for the faithfull but let vs haue our mindes and spirites carried vp on high that is to say from the signes to the grace and from the minister to God Vpon the materiall Table wee see nothing but bread and a cup and the bread truely bread a cup and that truely a cuppe but vppon the table of the Lord that is to say in the holy supper wee are to exercise our
Councel of Nice including it within the same CHAP. V. The continuance of the beliefe of the Fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great LEt vs proceede according to the order of time and succession of the Fathers Dionvs Hierarch l. 3. Saint Denis pretended the Areopagite for we haue said that he may seeme to haue liued about this time did not otherwise vnderstand it After saith he that the Bishop hath declared the workes of Iesus for the saluaetion of mankind according to the good pleasure of his father c. and that hee hath preached the reuerend contemplation of the same which is apprehended by the vnderstanding he taketh his way to the Symbolicall administration of the same and that according to the holy institution of God whereupon first crying vnto him Thou hast said it Doe this in remembrance of me he administreth the sacred things and setteth in open sight the things whereof hee hath preached by the pledges presented there in holy sort c. Againe By these venerable and reuerend signes saith he Christ is signified and receiued c. Where we may briefely note That the holy supper is celebrated according to the institution of the Lord and in remembrance of him That this is a Symbolicall that is to say a shadowing and figuratiue administration of the redemption of mankind represented by the signes of bread and wine the tokens of his bodie broken and of his bloud shed for vs That this institution is not tied to the fiue words where to our aduersaries would referre it for hee maketh mention by name of others Thou hast said it c. And that these signes doe signifie Christ vnto vs and neuerthelesse exhibite him vnto vs that is to say his grace Nowe what is there contained in all this tending to prooue any carnall eating They fortifie and beare themselues stout vpon Saint Cyrill Cyril Cateches mystag 4. 5. Bishop of Ierusalem but let vs see vpon what ground If you eate not my flesh c. The Iewes saith hee were offended because they did not vnderstand those things according to the spirit thinking that he had inuited them to a banket of mans flesh This should suffice to raise and lift vp our minds aboue the reall transmutation but this that followeth seemeth to them to proue their opinion very strongly Let vs holde it for a most vndoubted truth that the bread which we see is not bread although the taste thereof bewray it to be but the bodie of Christ and the wine in like manner c. And why do they not call to minde and bethinke themselues well at the least of their owne Maximes That the Catholike Church neuer saide That the bread was the bodie of Christ c. And therfore if they will haue S. Cyril a Catholike they must not haue him taken according to the bare letter But yet let vs admit him to bee the expounder of himselfe Consider it not saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as meere bread for it is the body and bloud of Christ And how Verily saith he according to the words of our Lord c. And how so euer our sences may goe about to informe vs otherwise yet let faith confirme vs therein Iudge not of these things according to the taste c. Then it is bread and wine and not accidents but not naked and meere bread and wine for they are Sacraments and sanctified instrumentes of God indowed clothed with an other qualitie that so they might cloth vs with Christ And what they are more that we receiue by faith and that grounded vpon the words of our Lord Namely that his words are spirit life But haue they then either lost or chaunged their substance Marke him yet further Verily not any more then the water in Baptisme wher of he speaketh in the same tearmes Thinke not of this water as of bare and meere water Namely Because it is not any more wawater for drinke saith Chrysostome But the water of sanctification c. Chryrost in Psal 23. Cyril Catech. 3. No more also then the vnction or oyntment whereof Cyrill saieth You are annoynted with an oynment being made partakers and companions of Christ But beware that thou accompt not of it as of a meere oyntment for as the bread of the Eucharist after inuocating of the holy Ghost is no more common bread but the body of Christ so this holy oyntment is not a bare or common oyntment after that it is consecrated but it is a benefit of Christs which by the comming of the holy Ghost hath a vigour and power of his Diuinitie Doest thou then doubt what this should meane to be no longer bare and meere bread It is as much as not to be any more common bread it is as much as to say consecrated bread Doest thou doubt how farre this chaunge extendeth it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si fiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oyntment although it bee an instrument of the grace of Christ is not changed in his nature No more is the bread and the wine of the Eucharist in theirs though instruments sanctified of God and exhibiting his grace Idem Catech. 5. For saith he further in an other place this holy bread is called supersubstantiall in as much as it confirmeth the substance of the soule It descendeth not into the bellie it goeth not into the draught but it is distributed thorough out thee throughout the whole man for the saluation and profit of the body and soule c. that is to say it goeth not in at the mouth of the body but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule distributed through all the veines of the same vnto the resurrection of life And againe Idem Catech. 4. Drinke this wine in thine heart namely this spirituall wine c. Saint Ambrose This oblation is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord c. This is not the bread that goeth into the body but the bread of eternal life which strengthneth our soules 1. Cor. 11. Againe Seeing we are deliuered by the death of our Lord in remembrance thereof in eating drinking we signified there the flesh bloud of our Lord which haue beene offered for vs. Now what should this be To be a figure to signifie to make mention of or to haue in remembrance but the same which we say That the bread is Sacramentally the body of Christ Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 4. And that which hee saith himselfe In the Sacrament is Christ But some obiect from an other place Peraduenture thou wilt say saith hee my bread is vsuall that is to say common bread know that this bread is bread before the word of the Sacraments but after the consecration of bread it is made the flesh of Christ the body of Christ c. Namely by the consecration of the
Idem Serm. 2. de Baptisme c. 3. lie open to such great and grieuous threatnings what shall we say of him that sheweth himselfe rash and vnaduisedly carying himselfe against so great a misterie Verily wee will say with Saint Paul That he eateth and drinketh his owne condemnation not discerning the Lords body But wee may learne of the said Saint Basill in the same place that such touching is not meant of the body but of the soule For saith he By so much the more as he is greater then the Temple c. so much the more is it to be feared to approach rashly to touch with an impure and filthy soule the body of Christ then to come neere vnto sheepe and Oxen c. Out of Gregorius Nyssenus the brother of Saint Basill they cite a place Gregor de vita Mosis but it maketh nothing at all for them for hee intreating of the Manna saith The bread that came downe from heauen which is the true mâ—ate which is signified in this historie is not a thing without a body For how should a thing without a body become foode and sustenance to a body This would be to purpose against such as should denie the veritie of the body of Christ and further can it not serue But and if they should gather from it that common bread by consecrating may be made the heauenly bread and the heauenly bread a body to nourish our bodies they should sinne many waies against themselues for they will not graunt that either the bread may bee made a body neither yet that it entreth into the nourishment of the body whereupon it remaineth that wee vnderstand this place by the Councell of Nice That the Sacrament to become profitable both to soule and bodie is made vnto vs a seale of the resurrection c. But will wee plainely know this Fathers meaning The bread saith he in the beginning is common Idem de Bapt. but the misterie hauing made it sacred it is called and is the body of Christ and so the wine and beeing things of small accompt before the blessing after the same which proceedeth of the spirit they worke excellently What then is there any transmutation of the substance Thus saith he by the newnesse of the blessing the same power that is to say of the holy Ghost maketh the Minister reuerend and seperated from the vulgar sort for of one of the multitude of the people which he was yesterday he is sudainely become a Master and teacher of pietie and a super-intendent of the hidden and pro found misteries and al this without any maner of change made either in his body or forme Thus againe the Altar is holy and yet it is but a common stone not differing from others that walles are made of but this commeth to passe by the dedicating of it to God Let vs reason from thence therfore neither the bread nor the wine are changed in themselues neither in their bodies or formes but onely in that of common ones they are made sacred and sanctified instruments of God to exhibite vnto vs his grace c. Gregorius Nazianzenus Eate the body and drinke the bloud without beeing confounded and doubting c. and denie not faith vnto the things which are named of the flesh and Passion of our Lord c. that is to say Bee not offended as are the Iewes and Gentiles at the Crosse and infirmities of Christ But say they hee calleth it Eating and drinking c. And who will doubt of that We doe not contend about the thing but the manner Verily saith he let vs become partakers of the Passeouer and yet notwithstanding spiritually Greg. Nazianz in orat 2. de Pasch although this Passeouer bee more manifest then the old For the Passeouer of the Law I speake it boldly was a more obscure figure of a figure c. And then ours also is but a figure but yet a more cleare and plaine figure And in the funerals of his sister Gorgonia Idem in funere Gorg. If said he her hand had in any part clasped and laid close hold vppon any thing of the representations and resemblances of the precious body or bloud of Christ c. Then they continued resemblances that is to say figures after the consecration For otherwise who would belieue that these holy persons more zealous verily and bearing more reuerence vnto sacred things then they of this age would haue permitted these women to touch them thus with their hands and so to carie traile them vp and downe their houses Optatus doth agrauate the furious outrages of the Donatists in these words Optat. aduers Parm. l. 2. You haue broken downe the Altars whereupon heretofore you haue offered whereupon the vowes of the people and the members of Christ haue beene carried from whereof many haue receiued the pledges of eternall saluation the protection of faith and the hope of the resurrection you haue broken the cups the bearers of the bloud of Christ c. The Altar which is the seate of his bodie and of his bloud c. Who seeth not that all this must be figuratiuely taken and that the first figures doe binde vs to the others Verily after the same manner that the members of Christ that is to say the faithfull and their vowes haue beene carried vpon the Altar that is to say in spirit in the same the body and bloud haue beene set there also the Cups haue beene the bearers c. And in like maner when he saith The pledge of eternall life the hope of the resurrection what other thing is this then that which the Councell of Nice said Pledges of our resurrection And at the least of that which he saith afterward What offence hath Christ done you whose body and bloud at certaine moments dwelt in these Altars They should haue learned that this could not bee spoken or vnderstood but of the vse celebration of the holy supper and that at that time they had not kept them in a tabernacle vpon the Altar that they might be there still resident and worshipped continually And as little dooth that proue Ephrem l. de natur Dei nimium scrutanda which they alleadge of Saint Ephrem Why seekest and searchest thou saith he for things that are past finding out Thou wilt leaue off to be faithfull any longer and fall to becurious For whome may this saying better fit then the embracers of transubstantiation for they haue vndertakeÌ„ to examine these misteries by Auerrhoes and Aristotle But rather saith hee be faithfull and innocent be partaker of the immaculate bodie of thy Lord by a most euen faith Assure thy selfe that thou eatest the same Lambe whole and intire c. These things surpasse all admiration he hath giuen vs fire and spirit to eate and drinke that is his bodie and his bloud c. Fire then and spirit which are not laid hold on or taken with the hand but spiritually but
that booke of the Gospell or as though that booke were God But here is to bee noted that out of all the Latine Church which is made the mother of all these goodly ceremonies they cannot bring forth any thing for their purpose and therefore are constrained to runne to the Greeke Church They doe likewise agree and consent that in the Churches of Ethiopia in which there is neuer any seruice done without a communion Aluares in the historie of Ethiopia there is not vsed any eleuation at all But the truth is that this bread did not begin to bee thus eleuated amongst themselues before such time that two foule abuses transubstantiation the alone eating of the minister did iumpe fal out together For then as we shal see hereafter they began to bend themselues to feed the eies of the people in stead of their spirites and soules Durand l. 4. in 6. parte Can. Ioh. 12. Leuit. 7. In the meane time Durand ceaseth not to bee so shamelesse as to apply those words of our Lord in S. Iohn to that end When I shall be exalted or lifted vp I will draw all men vnto me this being spoken of the lifting vp of our Lord vppon the crosse In another place with some more probabilitie he saith That this custome was taken from the eleuation and shaking of the offeringes that was made in the Iewish law as we haue touched in his place Now it is also certaine that the Sacraments were ordinarily taken of the offerings of the people That it must not be worshipped Of adoration wee say likewise That the commandement of God is most plaine and expresse Thou shalt worshippe one onely God The difference also from elsewhere is found so great being from a bread dedicated to the seruice of God to God himselfe as that there is no apparance but that if it had beene our duties to haue worshipped it the holy scriptures woulde not haue concealed the same from vs And the daunger also so great either to do it without subiect for that were idolatrie or to omit it the subiect being there seeing this might grow to a contempt of God Seeing then the Euangelistes seeing Saint Paule who is so carefull in exhorting vs to proue our selues and who reproueth the Corinthians so sharpely for that they did not tarrie one for another saith not one worde thereof vnto vs seeing further that no old writers rightly vnderstood doe speake of any worship to be giuen to the Sacraments as no more vnto the bread or wine of the holy Supper then to the water in baptisme what followeth to bee concluded vpon but that it was because transubstantiation was not knowne For who can in any Christian sort doubt that Iesus Christ is to be worshipped where he is both with that honour that is due to God and also to the vttermost of mans power by deed word and thought Who seeth not also what a strong and mightie argument this had beene for the Orthodoxes against the Arrians and Arrius himselfe when to proue the eternall diuinitie of the Sonne of God they gathered all the places where it is said that hee was worshipped if they had beene able to haue alleadged vnto them and that from the vse or tradition of the Church That this is true we proue because we worship him yea both you and we in the Sacrament vnder the Accidentes of bread and wine c. To the Arrians I meane with whom we reade not that there was any disagreement for the Sacrament And on the contrarie what a prize had it beene for Eutyches against the Orthodoxes seeing he vndertooke to maintaine that the humane nature of Christ is confusedly mixt with his diuine if he had beene able to say And that it is true wee worship the bodie and bloud c. in the Sacrament which thing ought not so to be if they bee not really there and there they cannot be if they be not in all places and to bee in all places is an incommunicable propertie of the diuine nature c. I leaue to speake how that the holy Supper was wont of old to be celebrated after the manner of a banquet wherein they vsed to sit where we see againe a barre crossing the Mandatum of the Monkes of the order of Saint Bennet According to that which Saint Augustine telleth vs That many euen in his time vpon the day that the Lord made his Supper did celebrate the same wherein they did one feast another to shew forth the death of the Lorde and to testifie their vnion Not in a temple not vppon an Altar but in a priuate house vpon a table nothing the lesse holy notwithstanding seeing this gift that is to say this action sanctified the Altar Now herein wee agree That Christ God and man must bee worshipped euerie where That at the name of Iesus euerie knee must bow That euerie tongue must confesse that hee is vnto the glorie of the father wee honour his holy worde his holy Sacraments wee heare him with all attention and wee draw neere vnto him with reuerence let our aduersaries call it honour worshipping yea and adoration if they will prouided that we be agreed vpon the thing But we say That we must put a difference betwixt the Sacrament and our God himselfe That the same honour is not due to the one that is due to the other That that same which we giue to the Sacraments is for that they bee instrumentes and vessels of his grace and not because of themselues not vpon any consideration of their being reallie and substantiallie himselfe not saith Bonauenture As though they did containe grace but for that they signifie and set it out They alleadge vnto vs againe their pretended Areopagite Answere to the places obiected out of the fathers No inuocatioÌ„ Claud. â—â—spens de ador Euchat l. 1. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donys Hier. c. 3. vbi Pachym 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He say they doth inuocate and pray vnto this sacrament for he saith O holy and diuine ceremonie shew vnto vs openly that which is concealed and kept close from vs in these obscure and enigmaticall signes c. Replenish the eyes of our spirites with a singular light c. But let them listen a little to his expositor Pachymeres thereupon Hee speaketh vnto this ceremonie saith hee as if it had a soule and that not without apparance as Gregorie the diuine saith O holy and great Passeouer For our Passeouer and this holy ceremonie is our Lord Iesus vnto whom he directeth his speech Our Lord verily which is the substance of the holy Supper as hee was of the Passeouer as hee is of Baptisme and as hee is of all the Sacramentes And if thou wouldest further knowe where hee seketh him Verily in heauen not vpon the table for he called them signes and said vnto vs a little before Let vs passe from the effectes to the causes c. And then when
Christians should not haue anie other meanes to touch Christ but with their handes or to eate him but with their teeth seeing that the virgine is not blessed for hauing conceiued him in her wombe nor Simeon for hauing receiued him into his armes but rather by hauing belieued in him What shall wee say then to these good Fathers Verily the same that they say vnto vs themselues Ambr. in serm 58. de Mar. Magdal in Luc. l. 10. c. 24 Augu. de cognit ver vit c. 40. Wee worshippe Christ as wee touch him And Wee touch him saith Saint Ambrose not with a bodily touching but by faith After the same manner sayeth hee That Saint Stephen on earth saw and touched Christ in heauen Yea saith Saint Augustine Hee saw him being vnder the roofe of the seate of iudgement which hee pearsed through saith hee and the heauens aboue the same and therefore with the eyes of the spirite Wee worshippe him in the mysteries but not the mysteries in the Sacrament but not the Sacrament the Creator in the creature sanctified but not the creature For Saint Ambrose which calleth it a creature Thou hast seene saith he the Sacraments vppon the Altar Chrysost in Marc. hom 14 Ep. 120. c. 21. Psal 21. Thou hast admired this creature howbeit a wonted and well knowne creature c. had neuer counselled vs to worshippe and adore the creature So likewise sayeth Saint Chrysostome That wee worshippe Christ in the Sacrament of Baptisme Saint Ierome That Paula had worshipped him in the cribbe was it euer in these mens mindes to say that they had worshipped the water or the cribbe Or would they haue said therefore that either the water or the cribbe were transubstantiated into Christ But they ought therefore to haue added that which followeth in S. Augustine Worship him for he is holy And who is this that is holy Euen he saith he for whose loue and sake thou worshippest the stoole c. that is to say the flesh of Christ the humanitie of Christ And when thou worshippest it rest not thy thoughtes vppon the flesh least then thou shouldest not bee quickened by the spirite c. And this same good and sound faith is set forth in another place of Saint Augustine which they alleadge and that somewhat more commendablie For in the place where it is saide Rich men were brought to the table of the Lord they tooke the bodie and bloud But they did but onely worship they were not filled full c. that is because they contented themselues to make profession of his name without conforming of themselues vnto Christ And this he declareth by these wordes Non saturati sunt sicut pauperes vsque ad imitationem They were not filled and fedde full as were the poore to the conforming of themselues vnto him They are not ashamed to adde Illud that so they may make him say Hardingus That they worshipped the bodie and the bloud and not simplie They worshipped And some one amongst them hath added as drawing the text to a further length They haue acknowledged that Christ was there present The same impudencie shoulde thrust him forwarde and cause him to adde Reallie corporallie and Per modum transubstantiationis c. They would faine bee beholden to Theodoret and as we haue seene there is not any one more against them for he hath told vs That the signes are not changed that they continue in their nature and substance c. And their greatest Doctors are of iudgement that there cannot be had any adoration without transubstantiation He saith therefore And yet notwithstanding these same signes of breade and wine which retaine their first substance are vnderstoood belieued and worshipped as though they were the things which they are belieued to be Worshipped therefore as they are vnderstoode and as they are belieued that is Vt Antitypa ratione prototypi as signes in respect of that which is signified As the Councell of Nice II. speaketh of images no respect being had to that which they are but to that which they represent For likewise Theodoret calleth them Images in the words next ensuing Compare saith he the patterne with the person and thou shalt see therein the similitude likenes for it is requisite that the figure should resemble the veritie Now the images of any thing whatsoeuer are not worshipped with that worship which is due to God and by consequent to adore or worship in Theodoret can not be any other thing then to honor reuerence receiue with reuerence which we most willingly yeeld vnto the Sacraments Proofes out of the fathers Clem. Constit l. 2. c. 6. August de Trinit l. 3. c. 10 De catechism rud c. 26. Idem de doct Christ l. 3. c. 9 And of a truth this is the same that the fathers teach vs. S. Clement if those be his books That all do take in order the precious body and bloud of our Lord drawing softly thereunto with feare reuerence as to the bodie of a king S. Augustine The sacraments may be honoured as religious things And in another place As visible signes of diuine things wherin the inuisible things are honoured and not as common things seeing they are sanctified by the blessing Againe He that worshippeth a profitable signe instituted of God and whereof hee vnderstandeth the power and signification doth not worship that which is seene and passeth away but rather that vnto which all such things ought to be referred Where it is to be noted that he vseth the words of adoring reuerencing indifferently that he referreth them not to the signes but to the things signified And a little after he giueth for an example the sacrament of Baptisme Idem de bono perseuer l. 2. c. 13. the celebration of the bodie bloud of our Lord and of this by name he saith That that which is said Sursum corda is to admonish vs to pray vnto God that he would lift vp our harts to ascend and taste the things that are on high where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God Not the thinges that are vppon earth God saith hee to whome wee must render thankes for so great a thing c. And when likewise it shall haue at any time escaped any of the fathers to say altogether rawlie which yet hath not at anie time J worshippe the excellencie of the Sacrament What other thing should this bee but of the same sence with that which Tertullian saith I adore the fulnes or sufficiencie of the scriptures Of the scriptures because there God speaketh vnto vs giueth the effectnall working of the spirit c. And yet they are not God neither are they adored or worshipped as God Of the Sacrament then in like manner seeing it pleaseth God therein to giue and in a neere and straite manner to communicate himselfe with vs and yet not therefore God but the instrument of the grace of God to be reuerenced
because of his blessing of it but not to be adored or worshipped as his essence or proper person In like manner none of all the East churches did euer admit adoration neither those that are vnder the gouernment and iurisdiction of the Patriarke of Constantinople Aluares nor those vnder the iurisdiction of Antioch And the Abyssines also at this day do receiue the communion standing though that with great reuerence and besides though they bee of the same iudgement with vs in the adoration and worship due to our Lord whom S. Iohn say the fathers worshipped and adored being as yet in the virgines wombe whom saith a certaine writer if the doctrine of transubstantiation had place the Church should haue in like manner worshipped in the stomackes of the Ministers and faithfull people and euery man in his neighbour But this thing neuer came into the mind of any man once to thinke or imagine What shall we say The old writers did not call the Sacrament their Lord. Cypr serm de laps when furthermore they labour to bring credite vnto the same from antiquitie as though the old writers had called the Sacrament Their Lord and their God But let vs see with what pretence or shadow of truth S. Cyprian reporteth that it came to passe in his time that a certaine man who had renounced God for feare of persecution taking the holy communion in the companie of Christians opening his hand found the sacrament turned into ashes This miracle saith he may be a lesson vnto vs that the Lord withdraweth himselfe when men denie him that is to say that he forsaketh them which renounce him They gather notwithstanding that the Lord of whome he speaketh is the Sacrament The Lord verily forsaketh such a one as denyeth him Is it then the Sacrament which hath denied him or man Verily man and not the Sacrament And God then doth not here forsake the Sacrament but man But God for an euident signe that he hath forsaken man doth also leaue him destitute of the Sacrament Paul Diacon l. 15. So as Deuterius an Arrian Bishop would haue baptised a man after his manner the water dried vp sodainly in the font Saint Cyprian might here haue said as before That God did teach vs thereby that he did withdraw himselfe that is to say that he would take away his grace when we abused it but he had not therefore gathered thereof that the water was God because he had shewed his wrathfull indignation in drying it vp Cypr. in orat Domin Again We beg and craue saith S. Cyprian that our bread that is to say Christ may be giuen vs euerie day And who doubteth that Christ is our bread the bread come downe from heauen which giueth life to the world that he may be our life our way c. But S. Cyprian saith not that the Sacrament is Christ but the wordes that follow doe make him plaine To the end saith hee that wee may dwell and liue in Christ and that we may not at any time seperate and put our selues farre away from his sanctification and bodie But this abode and dwelling as he told vs is made by faith This coniunction is not a mixture of substances Idem serm de caena Domin Se infundit Tertul. de baptism but an agreement of wils c. But they yet set his words further on the racke causing him to call it God For say they hee saith That by an vnspeakeable manner the diuine essence is infused into the Sacrament Therefore it is God And then also we will call the water in baptisme God For Tertullian saith That the holy Ghost descendeth from the father and resteth himselfe vpon the waters of baptisme Saint Ambrose That the whole Trinitie sanctifieth them Paulinus in his verses That this water doth euen conceiue God Augu. de baptism cont Donat l. 3. c. 10. l 1. c. 19. Câ—pr de vnct chrysmat or by God Saint Augustine That God is present with his word and Sacraments And there is not one amongst vs that doubteth thereof yet what one amongst them all is there that wil say that the water is God What is meant then by that which S. Cyprian saith The diuine power is shed vpon the visible Sacrament Verily the same which he saith in an other place In the Sacramentes the diuine power doth worke most mightily and powerfully the truth is present with the signe Adest signo and the spirit with the Sacrament c. Chrysostome Let vs draw neere vnto the body of our Lord with honor and cleannesse And when thou shalt see it proposed or set vpon the Table say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy selfe and not to the Sacrament not to that which thou seest set before thee for the Grammaticall construction will not suffer it because of this body I am not any more earth and ashes c. Of this body towards whom he exhorted vs in the sentences going before to flie vp on high after the manner of Eagles Of that body then which is at the right hand of the father not in the hands of the Minister Of that body in a word which is not inclosed in the bread but signified by the bread whereof hee hath said vnto thee before What signifieth the bread The body of Christ. And indeed he speaketh vnto thee to come vnto the Sacrament with reuerence but to GOD with feruencie of loue and firmenesseof faith And that thou shouldest set before thy selfe in the same at that instant thine owne miserie and his mercie that so thou maist bee a worthie partaker of this misterie Thy myserie in that thou art nothing but earth and ashes his mercie in that hee vouchsafeth to raise these ashes vnto glorie Thy miserie in that thou art nothing but sinne and corruption his mercie in that hee hath made his owne Sonne sinne for thee in that hee hath giuen his body to bee broken and his bloud to bee shed for thy transgressions And therefore comming vnto this Sacrament of the remembrance of his death August aduer Iudae c. 1. thou oughtest of good right say vnto him Because of this body I am no more earth and ashes But to approach or drawe neere thereunto saith Saint Augustine is to belieue The true and proper approaching is performed by the heart and not by the flesh by the power of faith Idem de peccat merit l. 1. c. 18. and not by the presence of the body c. As likewise to vs of Baptisme We are carried to Christ our Physition that wee may receiue the Sacrament of eternall saluation that is carried to Christ in Baptisme after the same manner that wee approach and draw neere vnto God in the Sacrament of the Eucharist who also saith the same vnto vs in the hearing of the word Chrysost hom 12. de mulier Cananaea Draw neere vnto him which is preached vnto
you And concerning this drawing neere Chrysostome saith vnto vs in an other place There is no need why thou shouldest passe from one place to an other to draw neere vnto him hee is daily at hand vnto thee And the Apostle in the same sence Let vs draw neere vnto the throne of grace c. The sound notwithstanding which ringeth lowd in Sermons and the water which is sprinkled in Baptisme August de Vnico Baptif contr Petil. c. 5 Ambros de iis qui initiant myst c. 9. was neuer called God Saint Augustine on the contrarie saith One God is more then one Baptisme for Baptisme is not God but a Sacrament of God Of the same consequence are these that follow Saint Ambrose saith of this Sacrament Taste and see that the Lord is good Verily as he that distributeth his graces vnto vs in this Sacrament as hee that therein offereth vs his flesh and his bloud c. And there also he saith The body of Christ is signified It is become not a corporall but a spirituall meate Hee speaketh therefore of our Lord and not of the Sacrament of him of whome hee addeth Blessed are they that put their trust in him Saint Augustine vpon Beda Who shall dare to bee so bold as to eate his Lord Deverb Dom. secund Luc. Serm. 19. Hieronym ad Pammach August ad Infantes citatuâ— a Beda in 1. Cor. Idem in Ioh. tract 7. But much more say we so for he saith It is bread and it is bread and it is bread God the father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost God who whatsoeuer he giueth thee giueth thee nothing better then himselfe But verily it is that heauenly bread of whome S. Ierome saith The Saints and holy men are fed with this bread they are filled full with euerie word of God they haue one and the same both for their Lord and for their meate Of whome Cyrill saith This flesh hath the diuine word who naturally is life And of whome Saint Augustine saith in like manner Euerie belieuer is made partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord when he is made a member of Christ in baptisme c. He is our meat but so as that we haue our mouth and taste in our hearts c. Wherefore they should rather haue pitcht and grounded themselues vpon these generall propositions so expresse and plainly set downe in the fathers Chrysostome Chrysost in oper imperf hom 11. The word of God is nothing lesse then the bodie of Christ Saint Ierome I hold that the Gospel is the bodie of Christ And although saith he that these words He that eateth my flesh c. may be vnderstood of the mystery yet it is more truly meant of the word of the Scriptures namely Seeing that the word and the Sacraments are instruncents Orig. in Exed hom 13. Ambr. de Bened Patriarch wherein it pleaseth God to lay open his graces Origen Doe you make accompt that there is lesse daunger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting of his body Who doubteth but if that the Sacrament had beene verie God but that they would haue spoken otherwise Saint Ambrose saith Hee gineth vs this day the bread which the Minister daily consecrateth by his word that is meant of Christ We may also take the Lord himselfe who saith I am the bread of life Epiphanius This bread is of a round fashion insensible c. Our Lord all sense wholly sensible whole God wholly mouing c. Origen This bread sanctified by the word of God and praier in regarde of the materiall parts that it hath passeth into the belly and so goeth into the draught c. Is not this plainely to distinguish the heauenly bread that is to say Christ from the sanctified bread that is to say the Sacrament The creature from the Creator and that which goeth into the stomacke from that which pearceth into the soule Who is hee then that can any longer indure that such blasphemies should be fathered vpon antiquitie Stella clericor Serm. Discipuli Serm. 3. Creatur a vobis mediantib vobis That nothing was reserued Clem. Ep. 2. Idem in Lithurg Apul. Metamorph l. 11. Ruf Eccles hyst l. 2. c. 23. Gloss antiqua apud Turneb Orig. in Leuit. hom 5. Hieronym in 1. Cor. 11. Hesych in Leuit l. 2. c. 8. Euag. l 4. c. 30. Niceph. l. 17. c. 25. Concil Matisc 2. c. 25. Concil Turonens making the same to call the creature God yea or rather which is a great deale worse that it should haue called God a creature For they are not ashamed to vtter it in their words and writings That their Priest is the Creator of his Creator He that created you hath giuen you power to create him He that hath created you without your selues is created by you by the meanes of you And surely let vs further adde this one thing That if the Fathers had had any such opinion they would not haue vsed that which remained of the Sacrament in such sort as wee reade they did Their pretended Clement I. saith After that euerte man hath taken it the Deacons set vp the rest and carrie it in pastophoria that is to say into the Ministers their lodgings or Chambers And thus also it is called by Apuleius and Ruffinus in the description of the Temple of Serapie c. Thinke with your selues whether the poore Christian Martyrs in the time of Nero had had any leasure as then once to dreame of this goodly frame and workmanship Origen The Lord said vnto his Disciples of the bread that he gaue them Take eate he did not post them ouer to eate of the same afterward neither did he commaund them that it should bee kept vnto the next morning Saint ierome After the Communion they that did eate the supper together in the Church did make an end of all that which was remaining of the sacrifices So that out of that sacred vse they did eate it as common bread Hesychius We see how they vse to burne in the Church all that which is not consumed According to Euagrius and Nicephorus They were giuen to the little children that were in the Schooles to cate them the same hower And the Councell of Mascon II. haue ordained and decreed that it should be so That of Tours about the yeare 813. held vnder Charlemaine addeth thereto That it be done with discretion Likewise Cardinall Humbert a Burgundian writing against Nicetus Blameth the Greekes for that they did not burne it But it is for certaine that it was not kept eleuated or shut vp close in a boxe to be worshipped of the people We reade rather that it was sent to the sicke and such as were absent that Bishops in token of their Christian vnitie and that they were all one bread did mutually send this sanctified bread Concil Laodic c. 14. one to an other c. The Parishes likewise at Easter one to an other Which thing
came to passe Synod Agath c. 18. that there was not any one ordinarily to cōmunicate saue the ministers of the church whom they call Clearkes or the Cleargie And what came vppon this The Priestes notwithstanding would not leaue taking of offerings and to the end that the people might not quaile or let fall their deuotion that way they make them belieue that the worke which they doe doth not cease to profit them being but onely present But by little and little these offeringes were not any longer brought from the table to the Altar or from the bodie of the Church into the Quire for to bee consecrated by the priest as also in deed it had beene vndecent seeing they were of such things as the Canons did forbid that is to say consisting of siluer wooll cattell c onely that part which consisted of bread wine and was to serue in the Sacrament continued his former course And yet whereas they were wont to consecrate many loaues for the seruice of the whole assemblie being cut into peeces distributed now the Priest contenteth himselfe with the blessing of so much as he thought would bee requisite and needfull for the number of communicantes and that was verie small In so much as that ordinarily hee needed not to consecrate aboue one loafe which in Gregorie his time was great large and round kneaded after the manner of common bread and of no other substance or matter then the ordinarie bread then vsed was he calleth it Coronam or Corollam and this loafe grew lesser Greg. l. dial 4. euen as deuotion it selfe diminished in so much as that within a little after it became nothing as the Canon testifieth which saith That the Priest cannot celebrate the Communion with fewer then three to communicate with him And thereupon also it came vp for a custome to breake the bread made so small and thin into three peeces whereupon afterward as we shall see in place conuenient diuers and sundry allegories haue beene framed and made Now we come by these steps and degrees The change alteration which was ab oblatis ad oblatam falling out in this time to passe ab oblatis ad oblatam that is from all such thinges in generall as were offered vnto this small pettie parte reserued for the Sacrament which by corruption came to bee called a Wafer cake from such breads and loaues as were vsually brought for offeringes as Saint Gregorie teacheth vs to one onely bread without leauen which also the priest himselfe within a small time after tooke vpon him to prouide for the seruice of the Sacrament Gregor in dialogis And so also the praiers and supplications which were wont to be said and made in the consecration of these first offrings came to be transferd applyed vnto the bread and wine appointed and put apart for the priest and that small companie that was to communicate with him And here it was that they found themselues incumbred whether it were Scholasticus or Gregorie whē as the question was of reforming these praiers that made vp a part of the Canon for in deed these words Vt accepta habeas benedicas haec dona haec munera haec sancta sacrificia illibata that is that thou woldest accept these gifts these offerings these holy and whole sacrifices Againe Qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis that is which offer vnto thee this sacrifice of praise Againe Supra quae propitio vultu ac sereno respicere digneris accepta habere sicuti dignatus es munera pueri iusti tui Abel c that is that it would please thee to behold them with a mercifull and fauourable countenance and accept of them as thou didst of the offerings of thy righteous Sonne Abel c Againe Iube haec perferri per manus Angeli tui in sublime Altare tuum c that is Command that these may be conueyed by the handes of thine Angell vpon thine high Altar c I say all these wordes cannot be soundly vnderstood but of these offeringes nor without folly be turned to the blessing of the sacraments which wee receiue from God in stead whereof it pleaseth him to receiue againe at our hands the sacrifice of praise No not without blasphemie can they be wrested to the oblation which the Priest pretendeth to make of the Sonne of God seeing likewise that it is said Qui tibi offerunt they which offer vnto thee for this must needes bee meant of the people that are present and not of the priest alone And yet notwithstanding all this they skip me at one iumpe in their Canon ab oblatis ad oblatam from the oblations and offeringes to the Wafer cake without any manner of agreement coherence or consequence from a sacrifice of praise to a Sacrament and from a Sacrament to a sacrifice propitiatorie from the signe to the thing signified from the remembrance of the death of Christ to the pretended real sacrificing offering vp of himself And they will haue it that all this which hath beene spoken and said of these offeringes should bee spoken of Christ whom they pretend to offer and sacrifice vp vnto God notwithstanding whatsoeuer absurdities in construction and diuinitie vtterly conuincing and ouerthrowing them in their fond and blinde assertions As namely in Diuinitie these That he would be intreated to vouchsafe to accept of the sacrifice of his onely begotten sonne as he did of that of Abel That his Angels should offer him vp vnto him vpon his Altar and a thousand such impertinent thinges which shal be better examined in their place And notwithstanding after certaine praiers which stand indifferent betwixt both they cannot looke to themselues to goe on with the course which they are fallen into but they returne againe vnto these offringes yea and that after the consecration Per quem say they haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas viuificas benedicis praestas nobis by whom thou O Lord doest alwaies create sanctifie quicken blesse and giue vs all these good thinges c. which is most euidently and directly applyed to dona munera sacrificia illibata to the giftes offerings and whole sacrifices and was wrested by them first to the Sacraments and afterwards to the sacrifice of Christ himselfe which by such their accompt and reckoning they did acknowledge for a creature that was to be created sanctified quickened and blessed day by day And in deede in the lithurgie which they attribute to Clement yea and that after the consecration they pray Pro dono oblato for the gift offered but in no such sence or meaning as the Romish Masse that is to say after this manner That it wold please that our good God to receiue it vppon his holy Altar by the intercession of Christ for a sweete sauour which cannot by consequent bee spoken of Christ himselfe In the Seruices going before there was mention made of
Saintes and Martyrs The Praiers of the Saints the names wherof as sayth S. Denys were read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of a certain register or catalogue partlie to shew vs that they did liue and make vppe one part of the Church and partlie to encourage vs to follow their example and afterwarde the deuotions or rather superstitions of some particular people had brought it so aboute as that they were prayed vnto But in this Canon they are a great deale more forward namelie to pray vnto God that hee would receiue their merites and intercessions for the liuing And it was in this time that Gregorie would haue it put into the Letanies for the virgin Marie Ora pro nobis Deum pray vnto God for vs. And this in tract of time became common and was not thought vnmeet or vnworthie of anie one of the Saints And indeed it is most cleare that in the time of S. Augustin not the Saints but God alone was prayed vnto in the prescript forme of the celebrating of the Lords Supper The place is plaine and euident They are named sayeth hee as men of God August de Ciuit. Dei l 22. c. 10. which by standing vnto their confession haue ouercome the worlde but they are not prayed vnto by the Priest which sacrificeth that is which performeth the holie office c. Afterward there was taken vp a custome that they which died Prayer for the dead should bestow some giftes vpon the Church and their kinsfolke for them that they might be distributed vnto the poore and these gifts were wont to be blessed as the other giftes offrings were but by this meanes men fell into the fowle errors of the Pagans as namelie either to pray for the dead or to moue it themselues that they might be prayed for after death And this is it which we haue before obserued to haue in expresse wordes been ordained by Pelagius the second As then offringes grew to come in place of sacrifices so these giftes in their place did grow to bee sacrifices for the dead and therevpon we read those wordes in S. Gregorie Gregor in Dial 4. passim To offer a wholesome and sauing host for euerie one vnknowne to the a ges going before and after which a certaine time sprung vp the Masses for the dead And thus this parte is receyued againe into the Canon in more forcible tearmes then before although as yet not receyued and practised euery where for there are as yet some Masse bookes to bee found The old Masse booke of Zurich Bullinger de origine erroris c. 8. and those verie auncient and authentike where prayer for the dead is not any thing specified at all Againe if we waigh and consider well the wordes of the Canon Pro his qui dormiunt in somno pacis for such as sleepe the sleepe of peace they may seeme rather to concerne the memoriall of such whose saluation is sure and certaine or the opinion of men as it was then most commonly receyued of a place of refreshment or rest where they wait attend the fulnes of glorie to be inioyed after the resurrection then anie opinion of Purgatorie full of tormentes or else the forme of prayer vsed at this day for the deliuering setting at libertie of the dead For the liuing For the liuing Gregorie bringeth in the custome of making mention of them in the place of the mysteries as wee see hee writeth vnto Constantius Bb. of Millaine Gregor l. 3. Epist 37. l. 6. Ep. 71. that it is done by name of Iohn Bb. of Rauenna although before the ordinance and appointment of Innocent the first there was nothing spoken of any in that place saue such as had offred whose names were wont to bee read in the place of the consecration And thus wee see clearelie that all that which is said and done in the Canon for the liuing and for the dead is traduced and wrung from the Sacrifices of praise that is from the offringes which the Christians offred whether they were as tokens of their plentifull increase or for to impart and bestow vpon the poore to this pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Priest Now Gregorie telleth vs that the author be it of the Canon Who shoulde bee the author of the Canon Gregor l. 7. Ep. 63. or be it of the praier of the Canon was one Scholasticus and of him we finde not a iot in Eusebius S. Ierome Sophronius yea nor in Gimodius though he haue drawne a catalogue of ecclesiasticall writers about the yeare 500. insomuch as that hee cannot bee eyther anie ancient author or worthy personage as may also be easilie gathered of his work And as for them who to acquite themselues somewhat the better say that it was Pope Gelasius called by Gregorie by the name of Scholasticus as willing by this title to signifie the worthy account and name which he had obtained before hee came to the Popedome it is answered them that it appeareth by other places of S. Gregorie that this Scholasticus was a proper name and verie vsuall for a Iudge of Champagnie in Italie Gregor lib. 2. Ep. 54. l. 6. Ep. 14. and an other who stoode out for a defender of the Church are both of them called by that name But wee know from else where by the historie of the Church all whatsoeuer is attributed to Gelasius who therein is neuer called nor qualified by the name of Scholasticus besides that it is most plaine that Gregorie had rather haue adorned and marked it with his proper name which carried so great honour with it then with a borrowed name which wee know not whether euer it were bestowed vpon him or no. Againe it is not the phrase or custome to call men yea and those greate personages by the first and least offices which they haue borne but by the last as being ordinarilie the most worthy and excellent But whosoeuer it was that was the author The three petitions S. Gregorie doth not let to take it in hand againe after him as is very apparant vnto vs and indeed it is agreede vpon that hee did adde thereunto Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas c. which they call the three petitions issuing and proceeding euermore from that spirite which wresteth the offringes of the faithfull vnto the sacrifice offred by the Priest For the praier of Leo the first which was called as yet the Masse is called Super oblata vppon the giftes and oblations it did onely carrie and containe That it would please thee O Lord to receiue and take in good part these giftes of our bounden dutie and of all thy family And after some Authors And dispose of our dayes in peace that is to continue vnto vs of thy fauour and mercie thy holy blessinges according to the praier of the Israelites But Gregorie which sticketh fast to the pretended offring of the bodie of Christ goeth further
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
fire purged from the earth refinedeuen seuen times And what gold is that whereof the Prophet speaketh verily such as is hid from the outward sences of the Saints but in the inward closet of their hearts is bright and shineth with the light of God according to that which the Apostle saith that some build vpon gold others on siluer and others on precious stones c. And thus behold how that faith true doctrine is the true building of the Church And againe Many people do build walles and raise pillars c. but where is the choise that is made of the Ministers of the church And let not any man alleadge here vnto me the temple of the Iewes the table the lampes the censors c. These thinges were good when the priestes did sacrifice beastes when their blood was the ransome for sinnes c. Idem in c. 7. Ierem. But now that our Lorde poore though he were hath dedicated the pouertie of his house let vs not thinke vppon any thing but his crosse let vs make lesse accompt of riches then of durt let vs not be in loue with this Mammon which our Lord hath called vnrighteous let vs not loue that whereof Saint Peter confesseth so freely and cheerefully that he hath none let not vs say of our goodly marble stones as the Iewes did The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord for the temple of the Lord is there where a true faith a holy conuersation and the societie of all manner of vertues doe dwell That is to say if wee belieue S. Ierome that the temple of God is that place Chorus what manner of one soeuer it be where pure doctrine is preached by good Ministers and where it is receiued by the faithfull vnto obedience of faith and charitie c. Whereby we also see that after that Christians had these gorgeous temples they now and then forsooke and cast them off to retaine and hold fast the pure seruice of God Victor l. 1. 3 Vnder the time of the persecution by the Vandals Victor maketh mention that they came again to celebrate diuine seruice without making any difference of place euen wheresoeuer they could further that because of the furious outrage of the Arrians they assembled in priuate houses And at Constantinople we reade Sozom. l. 8. c. 21. 27. that the Orthodoxes for the vniust exile of Chrysostome did forsake the temples to come together in priuate First at Constantine his cestern thē without the citie in a kind of old theatre finally during the sharpnes rage of the persecution Socrat. l. 6. c. 18 Chrysost ho. 46. in Math. sometimes vnder close walks in the suburbs somtimes in the fields Wherupon Chrysost saith in certain places We haue retained the fundamental points of doctrine howsoeuer we haue left for them the foundations groundworks of the temples wals thereof Now the places of Christian assemblies according to the diuersitie of the time and manner of building had diuers names In Actes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a high hall in other places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 places or houses of praier Dominica the Lords places Martyria because they met in the places of the Martyrs their sepulchers for the kindling of their zeale As they grew in the faith about the time of Constantine they called them Basilicae borrowing their names from the pallaces where Princes were wont to sit and hold their assises Then Temples at such time as Christendome fell to gratifie and temporize with Paganisme as is to bee seene in the time of Saint Augustine S. Ierome c. And in the end the thing containing taking the name of the contained they were called Churches because that the Church was there assembled as prophane authors doe say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lueia in Dial. Merc. Maiae to make cleane the Church or assemblie or banquet that is the place where these things should be done In this first antiquitie it is not read that they were built or dedicate to any other then God onely To whom they were built Sozomen l. 2. c. 3. Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant l. 5. c. 2. Sozom. l. 2. c. 26. Socrat. l. 1. c. 16 and therefore were called Dominica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence came the name Kirke as yet in vse amongst the Germains And Constantine did not vse to doe any otherwise and therein they had a purpose to differ from the Paganes In the place of Christes sepulcher he builded a stately Church Eusebius calleth it Martyrium magnum because saith hee it was consecrate to Iesus Christ the great and faithfull Martyr c. At Constantinople hee named one Irenen by reason of the peace of the Gospell and another the Church of the Apostles because of their doctrine but both of them dedicated vnto the Sonne of God For as concerning that which is read in Nicephorus that Constantine did dedicate the citie of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Mother of God Langus although a Romanist hath verie well noted and proued from Eusebius that the accent is abused taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei genitricem for Deo genitum that is the mother of God for the Sonne of God where there is nothing to make the difference but onely the accent And Nicephorus in another place acknowledgeth the same Niceph. l. 8. c. 49. l. 7. c. 49. Athan. in lib. de passione Domini August aduersus Maxim In Athanasius but this little booke cannot be his the Iewes of Beryta being conuerted did dedicate their Sinagogue vnto the Sauiour of the world and many others afterward by their example And Saint Augustine also reasoneth from thence against Maximinus the Arrian If we build saith he a temple of stone and of wood vnto any holy Angell be he neuer so excellent should we not be accursed of the truth of Christ and of the church of God seeing that thereby wee shoulde giue vnto the creature the seruice which is due vnto none but vnto God onely Idem de ciuitat Dei l. 8. c. 27. l. 22. c. 10. August in Psalm 94. As likewise he teacheth in euerie other place that the temples the pastors the sacrifices are not belonging or due to any but to God Vni magno debentur And that there was not any temples or altars built vnto the Martyrs Because saith he they are no Gods but haue the same God that wee haue but although there bee sepulchers built for them memorias sicut hominibus mortuis they are but as memorials of dead men whose soules notwithstanding liue in the presence of God Whereby we learne that if we reade yea though it were in his time or somewhat after as abuses crept in that there were places of prayer as chappels chauncels or temples called by the names of Martyrs or