saith S. Paule himselfe is of the Lord. 1. Cor. 3. Canon vtrum de consecr d. 2 Which thing the Canon also concludeth in expresse words That the sacrament is not of the merite of him that consecrateth but of the word of the Creator of the power of the holy Ghost bringing all things to passe c. Seuenthly It destroyeth the analogie coherence of the holy scriptures It destroyeth the analogic of the scriptures faith for how can it come to passe by taking that course that after the example of Esdras we should come to expound scripture by scripture by that key which S. Augustine giueth vnto vs to open the same as to expound one place by many and not in such a sence as is contrary to many one obscure and dark place by many cleare ones whereas the sticking to the words of one place do ouerthrow the cleare doctrine of many others and from this one also do gather nothing but contradiction and darknes He that giueth vs his body giueth vs also his bloud the body and bloud alike precious both the one and the other the price and ransome for our sins and therefore the one the other giuen in the same sence Now the truth is that it is thus said of the bloud Luk. 22. This cup is the new testament in my bloud and this cannot be vnderstood of the cuppe but of the wine namely as S. Mathew reporteth and setteth it downe This is my blood Mat. 26. the blood of the new Testament c. If then there be a most apparant figure in the one it cannot be excluded from the other And as the one is resolued into these words This that is to say this wine is my blood So the other in these This that is to say This bread is my bodie And as it is said of the wine or cup This cup is the new testament in my blood So it may be said of the bread This bread is the new testament in my body And seeing again that according to their own sayings the bread canot be the body nor the wine the blood really because they are two Jndiuidua as the Logicians speake predicated and spokeÌ„ the one on the other we wil expresse them by the words of S. Paul who hath not giuen any other thing vnto vs then that which hee hath receiued neither yet taught vs any thing but that which himselfe had first learned of the Son of God 1. Cor. 10. This bread is my body which is broken for you that is to say This bread which I breake is the coÌ„munion of my bodie this cup or this wine which I blesse is the coÌ„munion of my blood c. And if we yet doubt but what maner of coÌ„munion is this and how is it brought to passe how is this eating and drinking c. we must haue recourse to our Lord for answer and resolution Ioh. 6.50 This is the bread that came down from heaueÌ„ to the end that if any man eat thereon he might not die a liuing bread a quickning bread a bread of God which bringeth eternal life My flesh saith he my blood are truly meat truly drinke which I haue giueÌ„ for the life of the world be it is that eateth drinketh therof that coÌ„meth to me which belieueth in me which dwelleth in me c. If this should offend you as it did the Capernaits then learne vnderstand That it is the spirit that quickneth that the flesh prositeth nothing that my words are spirit life c. Neither is there any cause why it should be obiected here that S. Iohn speaketh of the spiritual eating How S. Ioh. c. 6 must be vnderstood not of the sacramental For notwithstanding that he speake here of the spirituall yet he ceaseth not to declare vnto vs the maner of the sacramentall to wit vnder the Sacraments the obiectes of our sences the helpes of our faith yet spiritual And thus haue the ancient fathers euermore vnderstood it haue serued themselues with this place of S. Iohn as a Commentarie vpon the rest of the Euangelists which haue collected and gathered the necessitie of the expounding thereof siguratiuely also that the faithfull alone are partakers of the thing of the Sacrament and not the wicked and vngodly But as the authors of transubstantiation did afterward more and more embrace the carnall presence consequently that the wicked and vngodly did eate Christ so began they lesse and lesse to admit in this matter and question the authoritie of this sermon made by our Lorde a sermon verily made some yeare or thereabout before the institution of the Supper but as is manifest an intended preparatiue vnto the same euen as the talke and communication which our Lord had with Nicodemus concerning baptisme was a preparatiue to Baptisme There our Lord said Iohn 3. If a man be not regenerate that is to say borne againe hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God And here Jf a man eate not my flesh and drinke my bloud hee can not haue life in him c. There Nicodemus was offended And how can a man that is old be borne againe can he enter into his mothers bellie c. And here the Capernaites This is a harsh speech who can endure to heare it And how can this man giue vs his flesh to eate And many of his disciples alâ—o and that so greatly as that they went from him therefore And there hee expoundeth his meaning to Nicodemus Man must bee borne againe of water and of the spirite That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit c. And here in like manner to the Capernaites It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. Now Baptisme was formally instituted after the speech had by Christ with Nicodemus the signe added to the thing the water to the spirit c. and yet notwithstanding the water did not change his nature This text likewise serueth not a little to the plaine laying out of the doctrine of baptisme And in like manner after the sermon of our Lord to the Capernaites the holy supper was instituted the elements of corporall nourishment ordained for Sacraments of the spiritual c. And then why should these signes change their natures And why shall it not be lawful to alleadge this place as well in the matter of the Lords supper for the cleerer vnderstanding of the same that so we may be enlightned and made to discerne where our spirituall nourishment lyeth And seeing that the institution of baptisme comming after hath not at all made regeneration to be carnall by the adding of the element therunto why should the putting of the element to the eating and spirituall communicating of Christ haue made it carnall Saint Augustine demandeth The fathers August de consen euang l. 3. c. 1. Seeing that S.
the furnace Also for that now the Church beganne to be very rich of gifts that the sacrifices that is the offerings of the people should be distributed and diuided equally into foure portions for the Bb. or Pastour for the Cleargie or ministers of the Church for the poore and for the repairing of the church And therevpon and that not without cause euerie one being hereby thus tickled and pricked forward to adde euery day some thing to the seruice as their fancie led them the Mileuitane Councell in the time of S. Augustine tooke the matter in hand ordaining that no other praiers prefaces supplications and masses that is Collects Recommendations or Impositions of hands should be vsed in the Church but those which were approued in that Councel or Synode Least as the same saith by negligence or ignorance there might slip some thing which might be contrarie to the faith this reason is likewise giuen afterward by the Africane councell and it came as yet timely enough if it had been well obserued by those which after came in place yea by Gregorie himselfe And thus be hold The vnlikenes of the Romish Masse we are come to the fiue hundreth yeares after Christ finding in all this time one seruice consisting of confessions and praiers Psalmes reading preaching blessing and distributing of the sacraments according to the institution of our Lord singing of praises vnto God during the time of the communion and a thankesgiuing for the end and conclusion c. without any new offering or sacrificing vp of the sonne of God without any inuocating of the creatures by praying vnto theÌ„ without adoring and worshipping of the sacraments and without as yet free from infinite other both impieties and superstitions and therefore by consequent far from the Masse vsed at this day and on the contrarie side comming much neerer vnto the manner of the holy supper as it is now vsed in the reformed Churches The Romish Masse which is the action of one onely man saying reading speaking by figures in a language not vnderstood that is voide of edification then eating drinking without communion all alone and yet speaking continually in the plurall number being a colde ceremonie if euer there were any The holy supper on the contrarie consisting of a feruent praier by the which the Pastour maketh open protestation The cokerâ—ce and agreement of the Lords Supper with that of olde and declaration of the miserie and destruction of mankinde for the people and himselfe of their serious repentance vnto amendement of life and of remission of sinnes by faith in Christ in Psalmes sung with one consent of heart and voice by all the people for to quicken and stirre vp their fainting and ouer dull spirits vnto God in the reading of the sacred word and the interpreting and applying of the same in his time place by the Pastour as namely after that he hath in solemne sort supplicated the Almightie creator in the fauour of his onely begotten that it would please him to open his mouth for to teach and deliuer the same profitably and the eares and hearts of the people for to vnderstand well in a generall praier for the necessities of the Church and of the whole world for Magistrates pastours the conuersion of Infidels the extirpation and rooting out of heresies the publike peace and all maner of generall and particular afflictions in the reading of the holy supper and expounding of the same by the which namely the faithfull are exhorted to come to the holy table in humilitie and deuotion in assurance of faith and ardent charitie with an earnest acknowledgement of their sinnes and notwithstanding in a stedfast affiance in the mercies of God manifested and reuealed in Iesus Christ admonished to renounce all rancour and hatred contentions and strife and carefully to labour to bee reconciled if so be that they bee broken forth and come to the knowledge of others but the impenitent and wilfull obstinate are debarred from the same and that not by the voice and declaration of the Deacon alone but by a seuere denunciation of the iudgement of God if they abuse the bodie of the Lord as likewise by the sence and feeling of their owne consciences or by the iudgement of the Church After which things all and euery one came neere vnto the holy table in decent order and due reuerence to communicate the bodie and bloud of our Lord they receiued the holie sacraments at the hands of the Pastors with the most significant words that are either in the Gospel or in any of the Epistles of the Apostles lifting vp their hearts on high and praying to God that it would please him by the vertue of his holy spirit to giue them the flesh of his sonne for their spirituall repast and foode and his blood for their drinke vnto eternall life seeing that of his infinit mercie he hath vouchsafed to make them bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh c that so they may abide liue and dwell continually in him And during all the time of this action the deuotion of the assemblie was cherished and nourished with the reading of the holy scriptures as most meete to declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming and to record the vnspeakable benefite of the same with singing of Psalmes also chosen out of purpose both for the calling to minde of man his miserie as also for giuing vnto them the sence feeling of Gods mercie and thirdly for the stirring of them vp to giue vnto God for the same all vnfained and solemne thankes And finally there followed the dismission of the assemblie with a praier of the whole people vnto God containing a briefe thankesgiuing for that it had pleased him to make them to see and taste the assurance of their saluation in the communion and participation of his welbeloued sonne ioyning therunto the singing of the song of Simeon vsed of the old Church as wee haue alreadie seene to the same end and purpose And after the solemne and accustomed blessing admonition being giuen them how they should witnes and testifie the coniunction vnitie which they feele and find in Christ by the way and manner of that liuelie sence and feeling which the members of the bodie haue with the head they were to distribute euery one according to his abilitie vnto the poor for whome the Deacons were to receiue what should be giuen I speake nothing of the order of Catechising both publikelie and priuatelie which was wont to bee appointed and practised certaine weeks before for the instruction and examination of such as should be partakers thereof the morning Sermon which ordinarily is spent in the expounding of the doctrine of the Sacrament vnto the people and that also of the after noone tending to the stirring of vs vppe to the giuing of thankes vnto God Now then let euerie man iudge without being partiall in the matter in which of these two
spoken in the scriptures but of the fruite of the wine shewing thereby how much dearer their owne inuentions bee vnto them then the institution of our Lorde in asmuch as they haue made the wine of the holie supper according to their doctrine to bee superfluous hee hauing by his institution made it necessarie and the water on the contrarie which is of their owne inuention necessarie which the institution of our Lord hath left indifferent It is certaine that the Churches of Armenia vnto the time of the Councell of Ferrara which was vnder Eugenius the fourth did not vse any thing but onelie pure wine and yet were neuer excommunicated therefore and as yet to this day they doe not obey vnto that which they were made subscribe vnto in the Councell And the Abyssines stand so strictlie vpon the point as that they wold neuer consent that the daughter of their Prince should bee married to any that receiued the Communion without the wine And as for the Grecians Durandus Scotus and Innocentius doe saye that in their time for the most part they did the like howbeit that in the Lithurgies which we can come by Niceph. l. 8. c. 54. Concil Aurel. 4. c. 4. it is mingled and delaied and that with warme water which thing sayth Cabasilas is That it may represent the blood the more fullie so deepely is the spirite and minde of man tickled and delighted with his owne inuentions And as for the Churches of the Latines the Councel of Orleance forbiddeth to offer wine delaied with water adding the reason thereto Because it is sacriledge to offer anie other thing then what our Sauiour hath instituted Conc. Worm c. 4. Concil Tiburt c. 19. C. Sicut D. 2. de Consecr ibi gl Thom. 3. part q. 74 art 7. q. 8◠art 6. ad 4. Sentent D. 11. q 2. art 4. in 1. Cor. c. 11. Iohan. Scot. D. 11. q. 6 l. 4. Sentent Innocent◠de Offic Miss Bonauent D. 11. q. 3. Richard D. ead art 3. Vessels Hieronym ad Rusticum And this was in the time of King Childebert when as Pelagius liued that is before S. Gregorie The Councell of Wormes more then 200. yeares after ordained the contrarie after which followed the Councell of Tiuoli or Tibur a Citie of the Sabines wherein it was ordained that there should be one third part of water put to two third partes of wine And these differences may at the least suffice to shew the indifferentnesse But the Glosse of the decree saith that this is De honestate tantum onely in regard of honestie And Thomas that this is not fetcht or deriued from the Gospell but that it hath some apparant shew for it selfe as that by reason of the strength of the wine it is delaied in some countries And Hales Scotus and Bonauentura say It hath no hold or warrant in the scriptures And Richardus Non de necessitate sed de congruitate not for any necessitie but for seemelines And thereupon it followeth that the councell of Trent doth excommunicate and cut off from saluation as farre as lyeth in it for fantasies and things nothing making vnto saluation That more is that this mingling of wine and water is not any whit significatiue or respecting the misteries which are therein sought and searched for but growing onely eyther of the custome of the countrie or of some apparant seemelinesse Now the bread prouided and prepared for the holy Supper was carried either in a linnen cloth or in a small chest as we reade in S. Ierome and set vpon the holy table couered with some table napkin for to keep it cleane without any other ceremony Men and women did touch it without any superstitious scrupulousnes according as they brought their offeringes yea and after the blessing or consecrating of it It was distributed vnto the faithfull not into their mouthes as we haue seene it but into their owne hands And as for the wine it was carried as we reade in the same S. Ierome in vessels of all sorts euen of glasse notwithstanding the daunger of breaking of them yea and sometimes it was sent in that sort in signe of vnitie and agreement from one to another Vaine curious superstition came in afterward first forbidding women and then afterward men also to touch either the linnen clothes Concil Altisiodor c. 36.37 wherein the bread was wrapped or els the cups Transubstantiation was set at a higher price and rate then all the rest for in respect therof the cups must be halowed as also the patines of the same with vnctions and wordes expresly vttered because of it all the instruments and vessels of this sacrament were turned into Sacraments the Altar stone was called the sepulcher or graue and the linnens the shroude wherein the bodie of our Lord was inwrapped that from thenceforth the cuppes should be of mettal that siluer not any longer of glasse Things which antiquity more regarding the things thē their signs did neuer so much as once dreame of because that she could neuer once bethinke her self or conceiue any thing of this monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation the fountaine and welspring of so many and so foolish vanities And in deed whereas the Primitiue and ancient church had care according to the admonition of S. Paul that the faithfull the proper vessels of the body and bloud of our Lord shold receiue thē worthily we see the councels after these times to conuert and turne all this zeale all this care from the spirit to the flesh from spirituall temples to materiall ones from the vessels of God elect vnto saluation to the implements instruments onely which they vsed in the administration hereof Witnes hereto let be the Councell of Rhemes held about this time Concil Rhemens as the decrees thereof which are extant do shew Let the cups or chalices be if not of gold yet at the least of siluer and let the people be exhorted to contribute thereunto as for the tabernacle in the time of Moyses not of copper neither of brasse for feare they should prouoke men to vomit the wine being apt to make them rust but in any case neither of wood nor glasse Let the clothes wherein it is wrapped be a verie faire and cleane linnen cloth After the Masse let them be put into a booke of the Sacraments and before they be deliuered to be scoured and washed cleane with lee let them be washed in the Church by the Priest Deacon or Subdeacon because saith he that they be spotted stained with the blood of our Lord. Conc. Colon. c. 7. We reade the same and something worse in a Councell held at Collen about the yeare 1300. Let the prieste smell diligently the little pots that he may know the water from the wine by the smell therof and then let him so marke them as that he may know afterward the one frō the other not be deceiued let the cup haue a
not any other sacrifice but that of bread and wine which hee hath ordained and is like vnto that which Moses in the law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice of praise c. For therein wee praise God for the benefite which hee hath bestowed vpon vs sauing vs by his onelie Sonne c. Alexander Hales holdeth manie assertions that cannot agree with the Masse saying Iesus Christ hath offered a double sacrifice a spirituall and corporall the spirituall that is a sacrifice of deuotion and loue towardes mankind which he hath offered in spirit the Corporall the sacrifice of the death which hee vnderwent vpon the Crosse which is represented in the sacrament Marke represented The spiritual prefigured by the incense and perfume which was made vpon the inner Altar the corporall which hee offered in his flesh two waies that is to say sensibly vpon the Crosse and insensibly vpon the Altar obserue and marke again insensiblie That sensible sort being shadowed out by the sacrifiees of beastes but the insensible by the sacrificing of thinges that are incensible as fruites bread and wine both the one and the other vpon the vtter Altar The one of them to speake as hee speaketh propitiatorie for such were the sacrifices wherein beasts were offered with the shedding of their blood for sinne figuring out that sacrifice offered by Iesus Christ the other Eucharisticall onelie for such properlie were those of fruites and such like thinges Againe The sacrifices of the law were signes both of the true sacrifice of Christ Circumferimus as also of the spirituall sacrifices which we shall haue to offer vnto God That for the purging away of all our sinnes aswell originall as actuall these to haue relation to the mortification of our flesh inasmuch as we carrie about with vs Iesus Christ in our bodies to the end that his life may be manifested in vs. Lyranus handleth the matter more clearelie Lyranus in ep ad Heb. c. 10. That which cleanseth and wipeth away sinne must needes bee heauenlie and spirituall and that which is such hath perpetuall efficacie and by consequent ought not neither indeed can be reiterated and this that wee say of the oblation of Christ is because of the Godhead being vnited and conioyned with the manhoode for it being once offered ought not to be reiterated and yet is sufficient to deface and blot out al the sins that are alreadie or hereafter to be cōmitted You wil say yet behold the sacrament of the Altar is euery day offered vp in the church c. But the answere hereto is that this is no reiterating of the sacrifice but an ordinarie remēbring calling to mind of the only sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse wherupon it is said in Mat. 26. Do this in remēbrance of me c. Now manie such good people enflamed with a true zeale had stayed the course of this mischieuous monster but their owne infirmitie and weakenes did incumber and hinder them tyranous rule and gouernment astonished them and the multitude carried them away For on the contrarie to this error once so farre admitted of the multitude there is added an other heape of more then good measure Gab. Biel. lect 26. That it is cleane an other thing to be present at the Masse then to communicate in the holie supper That the Masse ex opere operato by the worke wrought that is to say by being onely present without receiuing anie thing or yet bringing anie good motion thereunto doth apply vnto euerie such person present al the merites of Christ Who could not now loue the Masse better then the holie supper which requireth a serious examination and tryall of the conscience that offereth life but representeth to the vnworthie receiuer the dreadfull horror of tormenting hell Againe That the Masse hath a most speciall a most great and an indefferent or middle power and efficacie a most speciall in respect of the Priest seeing that by it hee meriteth eternall life a most generall in respect of the Church and all the members thereof without anie exception and a meane or middle in respect of him or them that cause the same to bee saide c. Of the sacrament of the holie supper the institution of the Sonne of God of all the sacramentes together yea or of the verie death of Iesus Christ is there anie one of them that hath written so high tearmes of commendation But seeing that it hath such efficacie and vertue in it to what end is it so oft reiterated or multiplied so manie waies seeing that the oft administring and taking of a medicine as they saye themselues is a marke and note of the weakenes of the same But this question is not yet throughlie decided amongst them as those that haue too eager a stomacke to loose their fatte morsels They dare not saye that it is for anie wante of sufficiencie in the sacrifice neither will they saye that the vertue and efficacie thereof may bee so farre stretched and extended as the sufficiencie thereof woulde beare Some saye that none but Iesus Christ doth knowe how farre it concerneth euerie man Others that hee bestoweth the power and vertue of the Masse according to the determination and application of the Priest that sacrificeth it Gab. Biel. lect 26. And thereuppon Gabriel Biel is set in a chafe saying I praye you such as wauer in this sorte and doe not so much as giue but sell such vncertainties in the Church and that in so serious and waightie a matter can we otherwise call them then most pernicious and daungerous Impostors and deceiuers Now as all truth doth agree and hang together That the doctrine of the Masse is against it selfe so wee may see in this doctrine the figure of falshoode and broad stampe of a shamefull lye which as his nature is is giuen to destroye and ouerthrowe it selfe Sometimes they say that Christ hath offered his bodie vnto God in the supper for the Apostles and that in the Masse the promises of the new Testament euen those of the remission of sins are applyed and that thereby it becommeth propitiatorie yea ex opere operato Other sometimes they say that this sacrifice doth not worke sufficientlie and immediatelie Bellarm. l. 2. de Missa c. 4.2 Idem l. 1. c. 2. and that it is not properlie ordained of God the instrument to iustifie as Baptisme and Absolution are but that it serueth onelie to obtaine the gifte of penance by which the sinner would drawe neare vnto the sacrament and bee iustified by it Againe sometime that the Masse carrieth with it the remission of sinnes in asmuch as Christ hath sacrificed his body and his blood for the remission of the sinnes of his Apostles and that in the same howre wherein hee celebrated the supper with them and commaunded them to continue the same and therefore it is propitiatorie yea saith Caietanus infinitelie meritorious and satisfactorie Sometimes they conclude that
repay him againe The same also which S. Paul saith What is it that thou hast which thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it 1. Cor. 4.7 why boastest thou thy selfe as if thou hadst not receiued it c. And the second Councel of Orange held about the yeare 450. doth conclude in these words Mans nature Concil Arans c. Can. 19. Man a great deale lesseable after his fall euen in his integritie could not keep his integritie without the help of God c. But after he had fallen and corrupted his waies being the second state that our first father fell into we became in farre worse and harder case Man euen in his integrity could not in respect of God merite or deserue any good thing but now in the daies of his corruption hee cannot chuse but merite yea he cannot merite any thing but the wrath of God his curse and eternall death For being become sinne and transgression it hath corrupted the most noble partes both of his humane bodie and diuine soule making the will to bee the slaue of vnbridled appetite vnderstanding of imagination vnto all euill and both of them faultie and corrupted in themselues the will estranged from the loue of God and the vnderstanding from the hauing of the knowledge of him both the one and the other carried from their naturall and one onely good state to the contrarie with all their power and abilitie euen to will and know that which is displeasing vnto him and hurtfull to themselues Man now in this estate what can he doe what can he but do amisse And notwithstanding this is the state of all men in themselues since the fall no man to be excepted God pronounceth this generall sentence in Genesis Genel 6. Iob. 14. Psal 51. All the thoughtes of the heart of man are set vpon euill continually The most holy do most freely confesse it Iob Who can draw any thing that is pure from that which is defiled Not one Dauid Behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother hath conceiued me in sinne and therefore he prayeth vnto God to create in him a new hart Ioh. 3.6 Christ in the Gospell That which is begotten of flesh is flesh and that which is begotten of the spirit is spirit If a man be not borne againe hee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Rom. 7.18 2. Cor. 3.5 Ephes 1. And Saint Paule expoundeth it Because that in the flesh dwelleth no good seeing that the naturall man doth not comprehend that which is of the spirite of God And because That we are naturally deadin sinnes our workes then are both dead and deadly and to bring vs to bring out any other it cannot bee without the working of a miracle Ephes 2.5 Rom. 6.8 it is requisite that wee should bee raised againe And it is God onely that must doe this Because saith he moreouer that We are children of wrath That All the desires and all the vnderstanding also of our flesh which we make so much of is enmitie against God Prou. 10. And without exception For There is no man saith Salomon that can say Rom. 5.17 1. Cor. 15. My heart is cleane I am without sinne And the Apostle more expresly All men haue sinned and are dead in Adam By a man sinne entred into the world into all men and by sinne death c. Yea into Moyses the meekest of all other men Thou hast sette before thy face Absconditum nostrum our sinne that was hidden from vs. This naturall viciousnesse which like vnto a naturall disease is hidden from vs is lesse perceiued or felt of vs. Pâ— l. 51. Psal 116. Rom. 7. 14. reâ—â— 23. And into Dauid a man according to Gods owne hearte Create saith hee in mee a new heart Because the hearte of man is altogether peruerted Ab occultis meis mundame Cleanse mee from that which is hidden from mee And into S. Paule an elect vessell of God The law saith he is spirituall and I am carnall sold vnder sinne I see a law in my members fighting against the law of my vnderstanding and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death c. Into S. Iohn Baptist Luke 2. the greatest amongst them that are borne of women who saith vnto our Lord I haue need to be baptized of thee that is to say to be washed to be regenerate by thy spirit c. And into the holy virgin likewise for she acknowledged her low and base estate she magnified nothing but the onely mercy of God she placed her selfe amongst them that being hungrie are filled with good things she reioyceth in God which is her Sauiour so farre is she off from disclaiming her parte in the saluation promised in Iesus Christ the author of the saluation which is in her And in deed the Apostle to the Hebr. Hebr. 7. hath not seperated or excepted from sin any besides Iesus Christ alone The holy virgine likewise was subiect to the law of purification ordained in the Church a signe of the inward purification which God requireth in all our actions Rom. 11.32 to the end that this word may abide true That God hath shut vp all vnder sinne That no man also should thinke to be excluded from that which followeth That he hath notwithstanding shewed mercie vnto all That this that all the Saints haue beene saued euen the virgin Marie her selfe commeth of his free grace of the riches and bountifulnesse of his great mercies Now our aduersaries that will not be called Pelagians How the aduersaries do extenuate originall sinne doe agree in outward shew vnto this corruption of mankind but when we come to lay the sore open and naked they are as it were afraid of taking some harme they make the maladie as light and little as they can fearing to be too much bound vnto God not considering how that for a man to lay open his wounds before him is to heale them to confesse our sinnes freely and franckly to him is to haue them quit forgiuen whereas the hiding and couering of them doth make them mortall to denie conceale or smooth them ouer is to cast himselfe prisoner and captiue into hell and eternall fire vntill hee haue paid the vttermost farthing Pighius therefore letteth not shamelesly to say Albert Pigh de peccat orig that the punishment of Adam seized vpon all his posteritie as one bond man begetteth another but that his sinne was not transfused and conueighed into his children What is there more contrarie vnto the whole scripture then this Yea how is it possible that this man should haue so little profited in the knowledge of himselfe Andradius a true interpreter of the ambiguities and doubtes arising in the Councell of Trent teacheth That concupiscence is in nature corrupted altogether such as it was when nature
vnthankefull I do not see thee to haue any thing that thou hast prepared and gotten of thy selfe but what is euill And therefore when God crowneth thy merits he crowneth nothing but his owne gifts c. Now if the merites for which the wages are pretended as due be gifts then by a stronger reason the wages giuen to these merites which are gifts must needes be a gift Idem in Serm. 141. de Temp. Psal 16. As God cannot giue any thing againe to vs because he cannot haue receiued any thing from vs neither certainly can we retribute or giue any thing againe to him for his gifts for our goodnesse doth not extend or reach to him Thou hast nothing saith he to giue againe vnto him for thou expectest and lookest to receiue all from him Dauid sought on euerie side and looked diligently about him what he might retribute and giue vnto the Lord and what found he I will take saith he the cup of saluation Thou thoughtst to haue rendred and giuen but behold thou takest more and more and if thou take then thou inwrappest thy selfe in deeper debt how long then wil it be before thou become fit to retribute and to recompence c. In an other place Grace goeth before thy merite for merit is of grace and not grace of merite for if thou hast purchased grace by thy merit Idem de verb. Apost Ser. 15. then thou hast it not freely But it is said Thou shalt saue them for nothing And what is this for nothing That is thou findest nothing in them to saue them and yet thou sauest them Thou forgiuest them freely Thou sauest them freely thou goest before all merits to the end that thy gifts may purchase thine owne merits freely and because thou knowest no matter to saue but much to condemne c. This is the burthen of Saint Augustines song in all his writings Idem in sent 95. No man ascendeth vp into the heauenly Ierusalem that declareth not manifestly that it is not of his owne worke and doing but of the gift of God Otherwise saith he it should be a debt it should be a hire and deserued wages it could not be well called grace Grace is not giuen to merits but merits are giuen by grace shake off and cast away all thy good merites and thou shalt find nothing but my free gifts And therefore verily euen in thy wages nothing but my graces And therefore saith he Idem de verb. Apost Serm. 2. in Psa 51. Ep. 105. Eternal life it selfe which is the certaine wages of good workes is called by the Apostle the grace of God For saith he death is the reward of sinne but the grace of God is eternall life c. And the merites of a good man are the gifts of God whereunto eternall life being giuen what can this bee but grace for grace Barnard de Serm. Sepulch Saint Barnard God hath chosen vs in his Sonne by the spirit which is of God charitie is spred and shed into our hearts But this spirituall birth and generation is not felt or perceiued in the flesh but in the heart and that by them onely that can say with Saint Paul But wee haue the sence and feeling of Christ c. And therefore saith he Idem Serm. 30 in Cantic When we are busied in our hearts about euill and wicked matters they are our owne thoughts but when about good godly matters it is the word of God And therefore God speaketh in vs peace godlinesse and righteousnesse and these things we thinke not of by our selues we heare them in vs but the blasphemies the murthers c. those wee heare not but we vtter c. But it maketh no great matter for vs to know how it commeth to passe that such wickednesse is in vs prouided alwayes that we know it to be there c. Or rather that there is matter of errour and that such as is damnable if we attribute and giue to our selues that which is of God in vs thinking that the visitation of the word that is to say of the eternall word is our owne proper thought Proles Cordis Idem Serm. 67 68. Wherefore the sufficiencie of the heart is of the grace of God and whatsoeuer good thing wee thinke it is the voice of God and not any birth begotten of our owne hearts c. Againe I conceiue and take that which is mine to be mine owne for it is grace that maketh me freely iustified c. Thy merit saith the Lord had no stroke in the matter but it was my good will and pleasure The Church hath bene preuented by a former grace and after it commeth yet an other grace c. Neither hath the Church any neede to take care for merit seeing it hath wherein more certainely to glorie Idem Serm. 13 in Cantic In proposito Dei in the purpose that is to say in the decree and sentence of the Almightie who saith I will doe it for mine owne sake c. And from whence saith he commeth thy glorying rotten and stinking dust that thou art Idem delib arbitr Quid praemii From thy holinesse But it is the holy Ghost that sanctifieth thee thy holinesse is of God and not thine owne c. Againe How saith he may J commend the grace of God may some man say vnto me If God doe all what recompence doest thou looke for I answere He hath giuen me to will let him also giue me the abilitie to performe the worke And where are then our merits saith he Giue eare Not workes saith the Apostle c. For what our will or desire was that came through belieuing grace that it became better and amended that also was the effect of grace c. And we must not saith he a little after seeke or search after merits for mercie alone doth saue Saluation is of the Lord Saluation that is the Lord The way to saluation that is the Lord Tam nostra opera quà m eius praemia sunt Dei munera Both our workes and his rewardes and wages are the giftes of God c. who worketh in vs all our good thoughts good desires and good deedes But where shall bee then according to the old fathers either merit properly so called when the good worke is of God or else the reward seeing the euill commeth of vs And who seeth not that which wee haue obserued heretofore in many other points that the pride of man which puffeth vp it selfe and swelleth as bigge as it can of an ill Grammer construction to haue made in this point a peece of worse Diuinitie louing rather to exact eternall life of God as a hirelings wages then to receiue it at his bountifull and liberall hand for an inheritance after the manner of a Sonne But say they Assurednesse in the mercie of God is humilitie and not pride your selues are the proud persons which dare bee so bold as to
Mathew S. Marke and S. Luke doe all of them make mention how our Lord tooke the bread blessed it gaue it to his disciples saying vnto them Take eate this is my bodie how commeth it that S. Iohn maketh no mention thereof in this place that is to say in the rehearsing of that which goeth before the passion of our Lord Verily saith he It is a testimonie that our Lord hath spoken of that point a great deale more largely elswhere and where then but in this sermon of Capernaum Chrysost in Mat. hom 83. And Chrysostome saith How came it to passe that his disciples were not much troubled when they heard this Namely these words This is my bodie c. Verily saith he Because he had handled the great and waightie points of this thing before hand he laboured not to confirme that which they did alreadie vnderstand c. And againe And he drurke saith he himselfe least the hearing these words should haue said what then Doe we drinke blood and eate we flesh c. For when he first spake of these things manie were offended onely for the wordes sake to the end therefore that this might not come to passe againe he first performed the action himselfe that so he might take away whatsoeuer might trouble their spirits or perplexe their mindes in the communicating of the misteries Whereby it appeareth that those excellent olde fathers haue referred the place of S. Iohn to the interpretation of the holy supper instituted afterward that is to say that the eating which is ordained in the vse of the sacrament in the holy supper is the same that without the sacrament is declared in that place If then it bee spirituall here let it bee so likewise there And therefore let vs heare what the fathers say vpon the same Tertullian Notwithstanding that he saith That the flesh profiteth nothing Tertul. de resurrect carn wee must gather the sence from the matter of that which is spoken For in as much as they accounted his speeches to be harsh and intollerable as if he had determined in deed to haue giuen them his flesh to eate to direct and bring the state of their saluation to the spirite hee did set downe aforehand It is the spirit that quickeneth Marke that he saith Verily which cannot be expounded and taken there for Visiblie but for Carnally c. Athanasius â—pon this place Whosoeuer shal haue spoken a word against the Son of man De peccat contr spirit whereunto by consequent we haue to oppose Spirituallie Athanasius The Lord disputing in S. Iohn of the eating of his bodie and seeing that many were offended said vnto them what will this bee then if you see the Sonne of man ascend and go where he was before c. It is the spirit which quickneth c. For be hath spoken there both of the one and the other of the flesh and of the spirit and hath distinguished the spirit from the flesh to the end that belieuing not in that onely which appeareth to the eyes but also in the inuisible nature wee may learne that those thinges which hee spake are not carnall but spirituall For to how many men should his bodie bee able to be sufficient meate that so it might bee the foode and nourishment of the whole worlde But to draw them from vnderst anding of him carnally he made mention of his ascention and to make them to vnderstand afterward that the flesh whereof he had spoken was a spirituall meate and heauenly food that he was to giue it them from aboue For the thinges saith he which I haue told you are spirit and life As if he said My bodie which is shewed and giuen for the world is giuen for meate to the ende that it may be giuen spiritually to euerie one and that it may become a defensatiue and preseruatiue to all in the resurrection vnto eternall life S. Augustine expounding these wordes August in psal 98. The wordes which I speake vnto you are spirit and life bringeth in our Lord expounding those of the holy Supper in these tearmes Vnderstand saith he spiritually that which J haue said You shal not eate this bodie which you see you shall not drinke that blood which they shall shed that shall crucifie mee I haue recommended vnto you a certaine Sacrament which spiritually vnderstood will quicken and make you aliue Idem tract 27. in Ioh. and if necessitie require that it be visiblie celebrated yet it must be vnderstood inuisiblie Againe What meaneth this saying They are spirite and life that wee may vnderstande them spirituallie they are spirite and life hast thou vnderstoode them carnally they are notwithstanding spirite and life but not to thee And spiritually that is to say figuratiuely mistically Carnally is as much as to say literally really For saith he Thou hast to obserue this rule Idem de doct Christ l. 3. c. 16 If in the scripture a word or phrase of speech doe for bid thee some vile and wicked thing or command thee some honest and good worke that then it is not figuratiue but if on the contrarie c. thou must then make account of it to be figuratiue If you eate not the flesh c. it may seeme to command a trespasse c. it must needes then be a figuratiue speech a phrase and manner of speech commanding vs to be partakers of the death and passion of our Lord Cyril Cateches mystag Idem in Leuit. l. 7. and sweetly and profitablie to call to our remembrance that his flesh was crucified and pearced through for vs. S. Cyril Bishop of Ierusalem If you eate not c. Not vnderstanding these things according to the spirit they went away offended supposing that he had inuited them to a banket of mans flesh Saint Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria If you eate not c. But if you bee the children of the Church and instructed in the mysteries of the Gospell If the word which is made flesh dwell in you c. know that the thinges which are written in diuine bookes are figures c. For there is also in the new Testament and Gospels the killing letter c. as he shall find that doth not spiritually apprehend the thinges that are there spoken c. and hee bringeth forth this place for an example Theoph. in Ioh. c. 6. Whereupon also Theophilact though he were of that time wherein transubstantiation was set vp saith vpon this place In as much as we vnderstand it spiritually wee are no prophane deuourers of flesh but rather we are sanctified by this meate Againe For that they vnderstood it carnally he saith vnto them That which I tell you must be vnderstood spiritually and that is the way to profite thereby But to expound and take them carnally that profiteth nothing but turneth into matter of grosse offence Therefore he addeth The words that I say are spirit that is to say spirituall and life that is
vnderstanding by faith that is to say not to see but to belieue That the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde is there offered is there eaten Offered saith he without being offered that is to say as the Canon expoundeth it selfe mystically for the Table is mysticall C. iteratur C. Hoc est D. 2. de consecr Non rei veritate sed significante mysterio And therefore eaten without being eaten and yet truely sacrificed and truely eaten in asmuch as wee beleeue and call to minde there that hee hath beene sacrificed for vs in as much also as we are certaine that we are partakers of this sacrifice which is ours that his flesh is our meate vnto our resurrection vnto eternall life for he hath said vnto vs that he hath giuen it for vs. The Councell therefore hath saide truely because there is nothing more true then the promise of God nothing more certaine then his effect when it is receiued in faith and notiwthstanding that the bread and the wine are but tokens or signes to the ende that following the exhortation accustomed in the olde liturgies Sursum corda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life vp your harts on high c. We may waite and looke for the receiuing of our spirituall food at the hand of God and not at the hand of man yea we lift them vp verie high and farre aboue these signes and this table before which if the doctrine of our aduersaries at that time had had any place the Councel should haue said vnto vs as they say at this day Cast your selues downe before this table settle and fixe your eyes vpon your God that descendeth commeth downe vpon it see that you kneele downe vnto and worship him there Saint Athanasius which was of this time Athanas de verbo quicunque dixcrit c. will manifest and make cleare the purpose of this Councell I haue seene saith hee the like Character in the Gospell of Saint Iohn where the Lorde entreating of the cating of his bodie and seeing that manie were offended thereat speake in this sorte Doth this thing offend you what will you say then if you see the Sonne of man ascend and go vp to the place where he was afore time It is the spirite which quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. For hee hath spoken here of the one and the other of his flesh and of his spirite and hath distinguished the spirite from the flesh to the and that beleeuing not onely that which appeareth vnto the eyes but the inuisible nature also wee might learne that the thinges which hee spoke are not carnall but spirituall Where wee shall marke that hee expoundeth these wordes of the Councell Let vs not settle our minds vpon the signes set before vs but let vs vnderstand and know by faith c. By these That we beleeue not that onely which appeareth vnto the eies c. Hee addeth For to what an infinit multitude of men should his bodie haue become sufficient meate being ordained to bee the foode of all the world shewing thereby that wee must alwaies iudge and make accompt of the bodie of Christ as of a true bodie And in this sence the Councell said This is the cause why wee receiue in a small quantitie c. Seeing the scope and drift of the action is the sanctification of the spirite and not the filling of the bodie And afterward And therefore he made mention of his ascention into heauen thereby to draw them backe from vnderstanding of him corporally and to the end that from thence forwarde they might learne that the flesh whereof he had spoken was a heauenly and spirituall meate which hee must giâ—e them from aboue Whereby wee learne that this eating must in such sorte bee vnderstoode as that it euermore include the truth of Christes bodie and of his locall ascention For saith he that which I haue spoken vnto you is spirit and life as if he said This bodie which is shewed and giuen for the world shall bee giuen for meate to bee attributed to euerie one spiritually and to be made vnto them a defensatiue and preseruatiue vnto the resurrection of eternall life Setting against the badges and notes which the Councell had spoken of the spirituall distribution of this celestiall meate that is to say the thing it selfe And this is the cause why in another place he calleth it The mysticall table as the Councell The holy Table At which saith he Who so is partaker doth enter into the companie of God that is such as receiue the thing signified by the Sacrament that is to say the inward grace The thing then contrarie to the doctrine of our aduersaries is not receiued by the wicked and vngodly as those that neuer come in the company of God neither then is it receiued by the hand either of the faithfull or of the minister incorporated with the signe c. For as concerning the place that Bellarmine alleadgeth of Athanasius Thedor dial 2 ex orat Athan. de fide cited by Theodoret where he saith That it is saide of the true bodie Sit thou at my right hande Likewise This is my bodie which is deliuered for you and that by this bodie he was made our high priest c. It is to good purpose against those hereticks that denie the truth of the humane nature of our Lord but not against vs as also it is still to this day against the maisters of transubstantiation which destroy the same S. Hillarie In C. Corpus Christi de consecrat d. 2. Bishop of Poictiers of the same time cited by Gratian The bodie of Christ which is taken from the Altar is a figure in that the bread and wine are seene outwardly but truth in that the bodie and blood of Christ are receiued inwardly in truth Others attribute this to Hillarie Bishop of Rome Againe We doe verily receiue vnder a mysterie the flesh of his bodie and therefore we shall be one with him And To the end that he may be belieued to be in vs by the mysterie of the Sacraments And againe There is no place to doubt of the truth of the bodie and blood of Christ for both by the profession of our Lorde himselfe and by our faith it is truelie flesh and truely blood which being eaten and drunken doe bring to passe that Christ is in vs and we in him Now wee are to note the figure opposed and set against the truth the mysterie against the reall presence the profession of our Lord ioyntly with our own faith for the making of vs partakers of this truth being the effect which followeth of the coniunction of the partakers of this truth with Christ from which coniunction the wicked are excluded and therefore also from the receiuing of this truth Hilar. in Mat. c. 30. l. 8. de Trinitate which is accomplished by faith therefore the reall chaunge can take no place there And in
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
visibiliter to put inuisibiliter for substances accidents for temporall eternall c. And this is further to be noted therewithall that he was not taxed of heresie for the same that the Abbotte Trithemius which forgot not to set the brand vpon others when there was cause hath not once pointed at any such thing in him Haimo Bishop of Halberstat and one of Alcuinus his hearers Haim in 1 Cor. 11 in Sabbarh post Iudic. who was Schoolemaster to Charlemaine This is my bodie saith he that is the bread that Christ gaue to his Disciples and to all the predestinated vnto eternall life and that that which the Ministers do consecrate daily in the Church by the power of the Diuinitie which filleth this bread is the bodie of Christ Now I would know if they wil approue of this Proposition That this hoc is the bread Then it is not their Iudiniduum vagum nor yet their accidents Giuen to the elect or predestinated not then to the wicked and vngodly and not by the mouth Filled with the diuine power not then with Christ really who is that fulnesse And in the end This bread the body of Christ And how according to their owne speeches without heresie How then but Sacramentally by the neere coÌ„iunction of the thing with the signe Againe The flesh that Christ tooke in vnity of person and this bread are not two bodies but one And how can this be otherwise then by this Sacramental vnion The one then as saith the Canon In truth the other in a mysterie Againe At the same instant that this bread is broken and eaten Christ is offered and eaten whole notwithstanding and liuing Then it is the bread that is broken and not the body and not the accidents And therefore according to that which he saith afterward Hoc facite Sanctifie this body in remembrance of me in remembrance saith hee of my passion of your redemption that I haue redemed you with my bloud He addeth The Lord therefore hath left this sauing Sacrament to all the faithfull that so he may imprint in their harts that he died for their redemption So some man being about to die leaueth vnto his friend a gift and saith vnto him keepe that in remembrance of me he is heauie and pensiue when he seeth it and we when we are partakers of this eternall gift in the Sacrament must come to it with reuerence remembring our selues with what loue he hath loued vs giuing himselfe a ransome for vs. The bread therfore is a Sacrament of the gift and not the gift it selfe and that vpon far stronger reasons then any hee toucheth which assureth vs more and more of the reall possession of our life nourishment in Christ In whom saith he in an other place to abide and dwell is to eate him is to liue by him is to be bone of his bones flesh of his flesh and one with himselfe Rabanus Maurus Archbishop of Maguntia The creator of things redeemer of men Raban in eccl l. 7. c. 8. making of the fruits of the earth that is to say of Corne and wine a fit and conuenient mysterie turned them to Sacraments of his bodie bloud He saith not into his body and bloud Idem l. 1. c. 5. de proprie rerum verb. He would saith he in an other place that these Sacraments should bee receiued into the mouthes of the faithfull and become their foode to the end that by the visible worke the inuisible might be shewed that is to say by the true corporall eating the true spiritual eating What is now become of our accidents For euen saith he as the materiall meate doth nourish refresh the body outwardly so the word of God doth comfort and nourish the soule inwardly c. Where he layeth downe before vs the agreement and analogie which once comming to cease as in deede it ceaseth by Transubstantiation there followeth the destruction of the Sacrament Some obiect But are they not the bodie and bloud Let vs heare him Because that bread dooth confirme and make strong the bodie it is verie fitly called the bodie of Christ and the Wine because that it maketh the bloud in the fleshe is referred to bloud Note also That they are named But when they are sanctified then by the holy Ghost they become the Sacraments of the diuine bodie Idem de sacrâ—m Euchar. c. 10. 41. And then not into the verie thing of the Sacrament Which saith he in an other place hee hath left vnto vs because it must needes be that he should ascend vp into heauen to the end that they might bee figures Characters of his flesh and bloud vnto vs and that our spirit and our flesh might bee by these things the more aboundantly nourished to the receiuing by faith of the things that are inuisible and spirituall So by this it appeareth that the thing of the Sacraments is spirituall and receiued by faith that is to say spiritually And so in deed it is not receiued but of the faithfull euen by such as haue the spirit of Christ dwelling in their hearts For saith he The Sacrament is one thing Idem de prop. Serm l. 5. c 11. Idem l. 1. c. 3. and the power and vertue of the Sacrament is another thing The Sacrament is taken in at the mouth but the vertue of the Sacrament by the inward man The Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the bodie but the vertue of the Sacrament worketh in vs vnto eternall life The Sacrament by some is taken to their destruction but the thing alwayes vnto saluation If they say that the wicked in the Sacrament doe receiue the bodie of Christ but not the power and vertue of the same how can they without blasphemie seperate the bodie of Christ from his soule Or the one or other from his Diuinitie From his spirit And who can receiue that but to his saluation They replie againe It is as he saith That the figure and Character is verily the same which it is outwardly perceiued to be Idem de Sacr. Euchar. c. 14. but that which is taken inwardly is altogether truth without any shaddow And without doubt also we say and himselfe dooth lay it open We participate the flesh of Christ which was crucified for vs verily and truely and the Sacraments of the same in deed are there And thus there is truth and veritie in euerie thing whether it bee the thing or else the Sacrament of the thing Paschasius Pasch Ratpert de Corp. Sang. Domini c. 1.19 50. Abbot of Corbie in Saxonie held the contrarie opinion for the Schooles and Monasteries were diuided concerning this point And yet so new was this doctrine as that we may see that he was not able to vtter his mind or to speake what he would seeme to meane in the booke which he made He saith The Lord hath done in heauen and in earth whatsoeuer
he would and that because it was his will where he taketh for graunted the thing that is in question Although it bee the figure of bread and wine notwithstanding after the consecration we must altogether belieue that it is the body and bloud of Iesus Christ And al his arguments are drawne from the omnipotencie of God without any proofe of his will But would the masters of Transubstantiation approue and like of these words Paschas ad Prudeg The bread and wine are the flesh and bloud of Christ And yet notwithstanding he is much troubled in himselfe when hee considereth That there must be in the Lords supper the figure and notwithstanding the truth And how the one may bee without the preiudice of the other c. In so much as that he is forced to say That it is no maruaile if this mysterie be a figure and if the wordes thereof bee called figures seeing that Christ himselfe is called an ingrauen forme and figure Ideâ— de Corp. Sang. Dom. l. 4. euen hee which is the truth it selfe That we belieue that that is done spiritually and that we ought so to belieue it to be That he is offered for vs mystically That wee walke by faith and not by sight That our Lord hath left vs these visible figures ascending vp to heauen to feede our spirite and fleshe by faith in spirituall things c. Neuerthelesse notwithstanding the resistances and oppositions of the most learned the abuse ceased not to spread it selfe further into diuers countries abroad because that the ignorant people who haue alwaies the stronger side did perceiue and see that both authoritie and profit would grow vnto them therby We read by name that in England there rise a great schisme betwixt Odo Archbishop of Canterburie assisted by the meaner and inferiour sort of Priestes being the parties affecting Transubstantiation and the most learned of his Cleargie To whose arguments and places alleadged out of the Fathers hee opposeth authoritie and force And secondly to winne the Idiots and simple people he vseth illusions and false myracles whereof these ignorant ages did neuer want good store This was about the yeare nine hundred and fiftie But in Fraunce Berengarius Deane of Saint Maurice of Augiers about the yeare 1050. Anno 1050. Lauâ—ranc con Berengar displaieth againe the ensigne of truth and writeth a Treatise of the Lords Supper whereof wee haue nothing more then it pleased Lanfrancus his aduersarie to cite in his writings against him And yet notwithstanding such as that thereby he doth neither iniurie the truth nor his good name although he make it euident and apparant enough that hee hath not forgotten to weaken and detract from the force of his reasons so much as he possibly could This Berengarius therefore writ priuily to Lanfrancus a Millaner then Abbot of Bec-Heloin in Normandie what hee thought of the holy supper Lanfrancus being absent his Canons did open the letter and sent it to Rome In it he praised the booke of Iohannes Scotus written in the time of Charlemaine The letter is made knowne in a Synod holden at Rome and condemned the Author being neuer heard Lanfrancus is inioyned to refute it if so be he would cleare himselfe of all suspition of hauing any part in that pretended errour which was so much the more because of such intelligences as did in verie familiar sort passe betwixt him and Berengarius Scotus his booke was burnt two hundred and fiftie yeares after his death Berengarius continueth his vertuous course and had for his Disciples and followers diuers great personages in Fraunce amongst others Freward and Waldus Knights c. A thing verie likely seeing that the Popes otherwise more curious and carefull about worldly complaints then studious in questions of Diuinitie did so much molest and trouble them Leo the ninth therefore called a Councell at Verscillis in Piemont and came thither himselfe in person Berengarius durst not appeare but sent thither onely two of his friends to tender his reasons who were easily made afraid The Councell of Rome thereupon became the more emboldned and gaue order notwithstanding that the French Church should assemble a Councell at Towrs to cause Berengarius to stoope and become subiect This was in the time of Pope Victor the second and there was Hildebrand afterward Gregorie the seuenth on his behalfe the most violent and head-strong Prelate that euer liued There appeared Berengarius who declared vnto them That he did not teach bare and naked signes in the Eucharist but that the bread and wine there vsed were most vndoubted pledges and seales of the reall Communion in the true bodie and bloud of our Lord which all those haue and there receiue which take these signes with a true faith That the bread and wine notwithstanding doe not chaunge their substances but rather of common ones are made holy ones of elements Sacraments c. And that to conclude hee held for other matters as all the auncient Fathers haue written and according also to the sence and meaning of the Lithurgie ordinarily read in the Church c. Thus the Councell rested satisfied at his hands But Pope Nicholas II. perceiuing that this doctrine was on foote againe cited Berengarius to Rome the second time to appeare in the Consistorie of Lateran and thither hee came being drawne and allured by faire and flattering speeches The first argument that was framed against him was that if he did not retract his former opinions he should be burnt and thereupon Humbert the Burgonian afterward Cardinall drew a reuocation such as we reade in the Decree That hee doth confesse C. Ego Berengar de consec d. 2. that after the Consecration the bread and wine are the verie bodie and bloud of Christ That they are there sensibly and in truth handled with the hands of the Priests broken and brused with the teeth of the faithfull c. And that hee curseth all them which doe iudge otherwise c. that is to say the whole Romish Church at this day which holdeth these propositions for hereticall That the bread is the bodie that the bodie is brused with the teeth c. Lanfranc de Sacr. Alger Where it is also to be noted that he saith Of the faithfull not of all those that are partakers thereof a remnant and small parcell of the pure doctrine and a signe of the as yet imperfect deliuerie and teaching of the impure and corrupt And therefore the Glose of the Decree addeth thereunto Beware least thou shouldest not rightly vnderstand that which Berengarius saith here and so shouldest fall into greater and more grosse heresies then euer he did And the Glose vpon the Canon Vtrum hath these words C. Vtrum de consecr d 2. ex August vbi Glos It is not lawfull to eate Christ with the teeth Berengarius saith hee said the contrarie but hee spoke hyberbolically and went beyond the listes of the
neither Canon nor beginning nor any note or marke of any part of this Office and seruice which now they vse more then the bare words of the institution which are repeated in the same Howsoeuer that Hugo de S. Victor Hugo de Sacram altaris Gabr. Biel. lectione 36 Innoc. 3. de celeb missae c. cū Marth et ib. glossae be not ashamed to say that the Canon of the Masse is of like authoritie with the Gospell and that Gabriell Biell haue much enhaunced the same saying That that onely worde Enim which they haue added to the wordes of our Sauiour Christ cannot be left out in that place by the Priest without committing of mortall sinne CHAP. II. That the Masses fathered vpon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ are notorious and meere suppositions WHat shall become then will you say of the Masses or Lithurgies which are so confidently builded founded vpon S. Peter S. Iames S. Mathew S. Andrew S. Marke S. Denis Areopagite S. Clement c. all Apostles Euangelistes or disciples I answere that we will in this Chapter take away whatsoeuer scruple of doubtfulnes or cloude of darknes that may arise to the troubling of any mans minde about the same Onely let the readers beare about them such care and diligent watch and attention as they would do in the receiuing of some paiment least they should be deceiued with false money or as they would vse in some suit for the auoiding of counterfeit writing or false euidence yea rather a great deale more because the sonne is much greater the inheritance of a far higher nature as containing in it our title and interest vnto eternall life Assuredly if these Masses rise from such authors as are the Apostles and Euangelists there is cause for vs to yeeld stoope for they were gouerned by the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost is alwaies like himselfe and so by consequent it must follow that wee giue vnto them the honour which wee vse to giue vnto their Epistles and Gospels But if on the contrarie it will be proued very clearely that they cannot be of the Apostles or Euangelistes then let vs confesse that that which they teach is worthily to be suspected of vs to be the meere seed tares of the enuious man which bestirred himselfe in the night yea and that in most abhominable manner For as there is none so hardie as to falsifie and counterfeit the coine of the Prince but such as in whom the spirit of lying and rebellion raigneth so there cannot any be found so bold and impudent as to counterfeit the spirit of Christ the style hand of his Apostles saue such as in whom the spirit of Sathan beareth rule and sway But I speake not this vpon any conceit of these pretended Masses which can nothing preuaile against vs seeing that our aduersaries themselues dare not auouch them for authentike seeing also that there is neuer a Priest of them all amongst the Latine Churches which can perswade himself to haue made a good consecration by following of their rules seeing also that we can fortifie and strengthen our owne cause diuers sorts of waies by them seeing the confession therein is not made vnto any but vnto God alone seeing the Communion is therein administred vnto all the people and vnder both kindes and for that also that the Canon thereof is farre differing from that of the Latine and finally for that they are said in a language that is commonly vnderstood of all and for many other reasons which shall be handled in their place And that the rather in good sooth for that it is our dutie for that testimonie sake which we do owe vnto the truth to make our selues parties against them and that the more by reason of the horrible hugenes of deceiuing lies so impudently broached in the matters concerning our saluation Then let vs enter into the listes The lithurgie of S. Iames. and trie the strength of that which they pretend make shew of to haue beene done by S. Iames. S. Iames the iust say they the brother of our Lord did first set downe the Masse in writing he hath offred sacrifice after the manner of the Iewes as also after the manner of the Christians and to him alone before all or any one of the rest of the Apostles it was permitted by the Iewes because of his tribe holines of life to go into the most holy place Iudge what apparance of truth is in these assertions when as S. Iames who had seene and learned yea did teach that the onely sacrifice of our Lord Sauior Christ did put an end to all the sacrifices of the law should not yet giue ouer but continue to offer sacrifices according to the Iewish fashion and manner that the Iewes who did abhorre and detest nothing so much as the Apostles persecuting S. Iames vnto the death and Ananias still holding the place of the high Priest wold euer permit suffer him to do any such thing that as they add with the garments of the high priests but principally in cōsideration of his stock and lineage a thing making him to be so much the more suspected of the Romaines who had the gouernment ouer Iudea But still they continue their claime and say Concil Constant 2. in Trul. Canon 32. that it was alleadged in the second Councell of Constantinople against thē who did not mingle water in the Sacrament of the holy Supper Let vs adde then that this was neere vpon seuen hundred years after that Christ was ascended that of all that time it had neuer a tongue to speake Whereas of a truth if it had beene true and known so to be from of old it wold not haue beene forgotten of the former councels seeing the power and authority thereof comming from so great an Apostle would haue beene able to haue put downe and made nothing worth all the controuersies though neuer so great that were moued and raised in the same In the Councels of Ephesus the first and the second where the controuersie was handled against Eutiches and Nestorius and where the Fathers produced no proofe of antiquitie besides a certaine place out of Eusebius and Origene in which the holy virgin is called the mother of God Iudge you and thinke what aduantage they had got against Nestorius if they had had forth comming this Lithurgie wherein fiue or sixe seuerall times she is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the virgine that did beare and bring forth God namely all that which may growe from the saying and testimonie of an Apostle yea all that which the testimonie of the spirite of God is able to afforde to the establishing of the truth of a doctrine of such importance and weight as also to the authorizing of the first and principall Canon of those Councelles And yet notwithstanding some holde that Proclus Archbishop of Constantinople was present at the first and disputed against
manner of seruice That the seruice of Christians was deriued from thence excepted one that after they had with all honourable reuerence and tender compassion buried the olde Synagogue they prayed vpon the Lords day that is to say vpon the first daye of the weeke in remembrance of the resurrection in stead of the Sabath and brought in the reading of the Euangelists the Epistles of the Apostles with that of the law the Prophets out of which the Bb. or Pastor did expound somewhat vnto them then after these lectures the holie supper was celebrated amongst the faithfull by the reciting of the institution of the same and the distributing of the bread and cup vnto the people the which for the most part were taken from their owne offrings for the vse of the holy Sacraments which done there followed certain Psalmes of thanksgiuing for the spiritual good things receiued of God at this holie table after which the assembly brake vp and all this was done and said euen till all was ended in great simplicity and singlenes and in a lauguage vnderstood and in such garmentes as all the people did weare as it shall bee certainelie proued hereafter from point to point Of the Confession of sins the first profession that euery Christiā must make Matth 3. Mar. 1 we haue some prints marks in S. Iohn Baptist for such as came vnto him cōfessed their sins were baptized for without the knowledge of sin no man can come to the acknowledgement of grace Acts 13. the shutting vp of Paul his sermō to the Iewes in the Synagogue at Antioch standeth vpon these words Be it known vnto you that by Iesus Christ remission of sins is preached vnto you c. wherby likewise we see that they which were cōuerted by the preaching of the Apostles were touched with compunction of heart confessed their sins hence cōmeth that which Lyranus telleth vs vpō those words in Leuiticus And the high Priest laying both his handes vppon the Goate Leuit. 16. shall confesse the iniquities of the children of Israell c. Not sayeth hee declaring all their particular sinnes for that were impossible but in generall as wee doe in the confession vsuallie made in the beginning of the Masse And yet notwithstanding now a dayes the Priest hath neuer a word that waye saue onelie for himselfe whereas the Pastor holding the place of the high Priest that is which is the mouth of the people in the Church ought to confesse vnto God the iniquities of that people in setting before them for the remission thereof the benefite of the Sacrifice of his onelie begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord which should make vs belieue together with other signes and marks which we shall see hereafter that this parte of seruice was of good praise and commendation as for reading it was ordinarie as we haue seene in the Synagogues whereinto the Apostles came for to instruct and teach the Iewes Acts 20. and for the publike assemblies wee haue a manifest example thereof in the Actes where S. Paule the Disciples being come together for to breake bread that is to celebrate the Lordes Supper handleth the word of God amongst them and continueth his speech vnto midnight that is he did not only reade vnto them but expounded it vnto them also and drew out from thence doctrines for their vse after the manner vsed in preaching and likewise hee ordinarilie calleth his office and function the Ministerie or administration of the word And as for prayers to be made for the aduancement of the glorie of God for the necessitie of the Church and state politique the heads and members of the same and for our owne saluation we haue both precept and prescript forme deliuered vs by our Lord Mat. 6. c. Mat. 6. 1. Tim 2. the admonition of S. Paul to make intercessions prayers supplications c. for all men for kinges for men set in authoritie c. and the example of the Apostles perseuering in prayer and in the breaking of bread c. and S. Augustine doth by name expound that place of S. Paule of solemne prayers of the Lordes Supper and as for the administration thereof we haue the forme set downe in the 1. to the Corinthians 10. 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 11. vnder the signes of bread wine which were wont to be brought to the common feastes of Christians they were blessed according to the institution of the Lord as it is there set downe for the communicating of his bodie and blood and in remembrance of his death which he suffered for our sinnes And this whole action was intermingled with Psalmes and spirituall giuinges of thankes taken and deriued from the example of our Lord who after the holie Supper sung a Psalme with his Apostles according to the exhortation likewise of S. Paule speaking thus vnto vs Be yee filled with the spirit speaking amongst your selues in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual songs c. Ephes 5.18.19 Colos 3. giuing thankes alwaies for all thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus vnto our God and Father vpon a solemne or festiuall day it is cleare and euident by these wordes in the Actes Acts 20. And the first day of the weeke the Disciples being assembled c. that is to say vpon the Lordes day confirmed likewise 1. Cor. 11. where these assemblies may seeme to bee appointed properlie for the holie Supper of our Lord. 1. Cor. 11. To bee briefe that all was done in a knowne tongue 1. Cor. 14. we need no other witnes then S. Paule I esteem more sayeth hee of fiue wordes in the Church spoken to my vnderstanding then often thousand in an vnknowne tongue c. And againe this verilie was the scope and drift of the Spirit of God in the gift of tongues Now concerning all that hath gone before especiallie that of the more often celebrating of the holie Supper by the faithfull exercising themselues therein during the continuance of the first loue and zeale then they did afterward it is confirmed by all them that haue written anie thing of sacred functions but wee will insist vpon and presse them onelie who are of most authoritie and best allowance For Confession Lyranus hath told vs that they had a generall confession of the sinnes of the people in the beginning of their seruice imitating therein the manner of the Iewes in their prayers and sacrifices And to him let vs ioyne S. Ciprian as next The holy Hierarchie saieth hee that is the Minister of the Church whome the holie Ghost toucheth with compunction Ciprianus siue quis alius de card operib Christi let him watch thereto let him dwell therein and keepe holie the same c. and let him pray boldlie and confidentlie for his own ignorances and those of the peoples by making a confession from a wounded hearte c. Of Psalmes and reading of lessons out of
catechised NOw in the time of Constantine his rule and gouernment in the Empire A notable alteration vnder Constantine afterward we see and behold the estate of the Christian Church to change from persecution to peace from seruitude and slauerie to principality rule and dominion by remouing out of the deserts to dwell in Citties and from keeping in caues and holes to sit in faire and stately palaces Here we see it imbraced of the multitude entertained of Emperors and those the most famous and worthiest of all the rest namely the Emperours of Rome and receiued of whole nations and those such as bare away the pricke and price from the whole world for pride and riotousnes Let vs not find it strange if in this great change we see it altogether changed euen at one blow if the Church embracing the world into her lappe become sweld and puffed vp with the same in a moment if the worlde enter into the Church with the worlde being brought thereinto by the entrance it obtained I meane the vanities superfluities affections and imperfections together with all the rest of the infections of the world The Church had beene nourished in mountaines and deserts she came forth of such places clothed with Camels haire in all so brietie simplicitie and innocencie The Bishops for the most part bringing her forth into the world were ashamed to shew her in such sort vnto the Gentils to them which newly came or else were willing to come out of Paganisme These good Emperours likewise desirous to haue her receiued of these people becomming more curious in setting out of the vtter partes then of the inner of the shew and appearance then of the truth and of the ceremonie then of the substance did not make conscience or spare to decke her vp after the manner of Paganisme to prepare her the glorious ornaments vsed amongst the Gentiles and to accommodate and fit thereunto as farre as they thought possiblie they might without preiudicing of their holy faith the seruice and ceremonies of the Christians to those vsed amongst the Pagans And this their course and manner of proceeding was called amongst them zeale and prudencie which Tertullian a precise and seuere obseruer and challenger of the first puritie had called sacriledge Wherein againe they thought it meet to keep such a tempering because that hauing at the same time to care for the satisfying of them of the circumcision euen the Iewes which embraced Christianitie furthered and helped forward thereto for the most part vpon a conceited opinion that they had dreamed of of the greatnes of the Messias they thought they might thereby be able to shew them the accomplishment of their expected hope in the outward gorgeousnes of the Christian Church and where they thought they ought to beautifie her simplicitie and nakednesse there they borrowed willingly all they could either of wordes or ceremonies from the Iewes Seeing then the whole outward seruice both of the Iewes and Gentiles did consist principally in sacrifices those of the Gentiles hauing no certaine scope or marke to ayme at and those of the Iewes looking all forward vnto Iesus Christ vpon and in whom they were all founded and finished it seemed hard and harsh vnto them and like to giue much offence if they should wholly abolish all sacrifices because these proselites newly conuerted to Christianitie did not belieue that religion could stande without sacrifices not conceiuing the truth how that all sacrifices are nothing further then they are applied vnto the onely true sacrifice of the Son of God fulfilled vpon the crosse Least therefore they might exasperate and prouoke either the one or the other the Christians applyed themselues to heare and speake both of altars and sacrifices And because that the Apostles had taken paine to beate it into their heads and harts that all sacrifices tooke their end in Christ they tooke pleasure in calling their seruices offeringes and oblations sacrifices the table of the Lord his Altar the remembrance of his death in his holy supper the sacrifice of the Altar a holy host the Bishops and Pastors Sacrificers and the Deacons Leuites c. These kindes of speeches being easily to bee vnderstoode of euerie one amongst them and such as at that time were not hurtfull howsoeuer in the ages following falling out to bee fuller of ignoraunce and further swaruing from the clearenes of the light they became causes of great abuses because they would aduenture further go from the figure and signe to the thing from the spirit to the letter from an improper manner of speech into an errour of doctrine The Gentiles likewise had a multitude of Gods vnto euery one of which they had builded churches raysed altars and made sacrifices Now to restraine such a people at once to the seruice of one onely God and that God altogether a spirit to a seruice altogether spirituall being a carnall people a people brutishly enamoured with their pompous manner and ceremonies with their images of wood and stone the wisedome of man found to be scandalous full of offence and without the bounds of discretion and therefore would haue regard of the saide Gentiles in such sort as that they might build them vp and not pull them downe and feede them first with milke as they called it and afterwarde with strong meate for so this place was then abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas then the first ages had sharpely and couragiously contested that to haue many Gods was not to haue any at all It was found pleasing and plausible to turne their Gods into Saintes and their Goddesses into she saintes and to place our Apostles and Martyrs in their roomes to dedicate vnto them their temples and Altars to allow them sacrificing priestes and high priestes to ordaine feastes and seruices in honour of them But this matter is handled hereafter more at large Where before that we come thereto let vs consider seeing the spirite of man is blinde in the thinges belonging to God how that these good men vnder a shadowe of drawing Iewes and Gentiles vnto Christ in course of time did faire and softly bring into the Church both Iudaisme and Paganisme I meane their ceremonies and outwarde pompes superstitions and vanities yea and that is worse many of their presumptions and preiudicate opinions in the matter of doctrine and how also it followed thereupon that the people did euerie day apply and ioyne themselues more more to the outwarde parte and put vs in daunger to bee rather Iewes and Gentiles then true Christians abusing the example of Saint Paule who became as hee saith a Iew to the Iewes a Gentile vnto the Gentiles and euery thing to euerie man to winne them vnto Christ and that without any manner of consideration how that the spirit of God is not giuen to all in one measure or how that euerie man is not capable to stand fast and keepe his hold in such tickle and slipperie places
them from Images hee expoundeth himselfe in plaine tearmes saying S. Iohn crieth aloude Little children keepe your selues from Jdols not so much saith hee from Idolatrie that is from yeelding anie dutie or reuerence towardes them as from the Idols that is euen from the verie shapes and images For saith he it is a great indignitie that the Image of the liuing God shold be translated into the Image of an Idol or of a thing that is dead Now there is no cause for thē to obiect against these plain and expresse words of the old Father Tertul. lib. de pudicitia that in his book of shamefastnes he maketh mention of a certaine cup whereupon was painted the historie of a good Pastor going about to gaine and get againe his stray sheep for what agreement is there betwixt the painting of a cup and the worshipping of an Image the workmanship of a glasier with the iudgement of the Church Origen against Celsus handleth the question throughly Origen cont Celsum l. 7. This Pagan did obiect against him That the Christians were worse then the Barbarians yea worse then Atheistes who would not see or looke vpon saith he eyther Altars Images or representation of any thing c. The aunswere whereto if hee had belieued or taught as our aduersaries do had beene easie and readie vz. It is not our intent or desire to haue anie Idols but rather Images we will not honour the resemblances of your Gods but of our Saintes c. But what sayeth hee The Christians abhorre Images saith he but not for the same reason that the Persians doe whome thou callest Barbarians For they verily doe not suffer anie worshipping of Iesus Christ in Temples in Altars in images c. but it is because it is written Thou shalt haue no other Gods but mee Thou shalt not make to thy selfe anie likenes Thou shalt not worshippe them nor serue them Then the question in this place is of the Images of Christ and not of the Gods which notwithstanding hee taketh to bee no lesse forbidden in this place then those of the Gods themselues Heraclitus saide It is a follie to pray vnto Images that do not know the Gods Origen goeth further saying Yea rather wee know God wee know his onelie begotten Sonne wee know the Saintes Statuis Simulachra but wee doe much more confidentlie affirme that it is impossible for to know God and to kneele downe to Images and it is not onely follie to fall down before them but euen to make a semblance or similitude of them and therefore wee worshippe not Images for feare least any man should thinke that we attribute vnto them anie manner of Deitie What doth Origen here in this place leaue vs to conclude but that hee setteth the Images of the Sonne of God and of the Saintes in the same rowe and ranke with the olde Idols Furthermore hee sayeth that hee knoweth verie well to put difference betwixt the true God and the false and counterfeite the Sonne of God and the Saintes and betwixt Sathan and his Angels But if Celsus replie as others doe against vs who is so ignorant but he knoweth that Images are not Gods c hee taketh not this excuse for good payment For sayeth hee You cannot acquite your selues from being in fault seeing that you honour them The poore idiote seeing what you do taketh them to bee Gods though wee do not so which know that they cannot bee so much as Images seeing that God cannot be represented by any Image seeing likewise that man is not his Image but inasmuch as regard and consideration is had of his reasonable soule which he hath inspired into him and not in any respect of his outward forme and shape In briefe if Celsus say You abhorre our Images Origen l. 8. hee saith not It is to set vppe others in their places But rather We haue others in our selues fashioned according to the word of God the examples and patternes of vertues in our Soules drawn and fashioned according to the patterne of our Lorde the first borne of euerie creature And if hee say againe why set you them not vppon Altars No rather We will lodge them in our spirits the true Temples of God wherein he vouchsafeth to dwell by his holy spirit c. Now there is no cause that any should after so many plain pregnant proofes alledge vnto vs the distinctiō that he maketh vpon Exodus betwixt an Idol Idem hom 8. in Exod. the likenes of a thing Inasmuch saith he as that the Jdoll is a fantasticall picture of some thing which is not in nature but a likenes is a representation and shadowing out of a thing that is For besides that the Hebrew will not beare it what skilleth it vs how or by what names hee calleth them seeing hee condemneth both the one and the other and seeing he declareth and manifestlie sheweth by the law of God that both the one and the other sort is disallowed and condemned So farre as that they are not to bee honoured either in affection inwardly or by anie outwarde appearance And this to be meant of all those which eyther are not but in our fantasies and imaginations as well as of those which haue a bodilie substance in some one place or other aswel of those which are of the true God as those which are of the false Gods aswel of those which are of his only Son God and man and therefore representable in the humaine nature as of that of the eternall God which is not able to be comprehended of vs either by our inward spirites or outward sences And this suteth with that of S. August cont Faustum l. 20. c. 3. Augustine vttered by him in a word Pagani ea colunt quae sunt the Pagās worship the things which are and therfore not fansies and yet such things as are not to be worshipped for Gods Sed quae pro Diis colenda non sunt Wherin resteth the effect and worke of Idolatrie And hereby likewise is taken from them that which they alleadge out of S. Paule An Idoll is nothing Sunt quidem Idola saith Chrysostome sed nihil possunt 1. Cor. 8.4 Chrysost in 1. ad Cor. hom 20. Theoph. ibid. August cont Foust l. 20 c. 5. Beda Bruno Hugo victor Dionys Carth. Faber Stapul Genebrard in Psal 65. 96. Arnob l 2. aduers Gent. Lactan. l. 2. c. ◠4.18 Idoles saith he are something but they can do nothing And S. Augustine They are but they are nothing vnto saluation And their own Doctors Formaliter sunt efficaciter non sunt if you look vpon them outwardlie you shal perceiue them to haue a forme and shape but and if you looke vpon them as effectuall and powerfull then they are nothing at all Arnobius and Minutius Felix say We haue neither Altars nor Images and they do defēd and answere for themselues against the Pagans who reproched them therewithall
I vnderstand tongues you cannot chuse but go away without profiting any thing for what good can there come of a word not vnderstood you altogether in like manner if you speake but not with such wordes are as significant and sensible doe speake to the wind that is to no bodie Againe Idem in ho. 36 If the vnlearned do not vnderstand that which thou prayest he is not edified he cannot giue his consent vnto thy praiers thou speakest to the wind and by consequent in vaine Againe Thou who speakest an vnknowne language if there be not any that can interpret expound it hold thy peace for in the church there is no place to do any thing that is superfluous or tending to ostentation Let such a man speake vnto God himself that is Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. in his spirit without making any noise by himselfe Theodoret The Apostle cōmandeth that euery thing may tend to edification in the church and therefore he saith hee that hath the gift of tongs let him pray vnto God that he may also haue added thereunto the gift of interpretation that so he may be able to do some seruice in the church for the fruitfulnes of the speaker consisteth in the profiting of the hearers and this cannot he possiblie haue that speaketh in an vnknowne language He therefore calleth the spirit the gift of tongs but the vnderstanding the interpretation or giuing of the sence of that which is said c. Oecumenius who hath made a collection out of all the Greeke fathers I call the spirit the spirituall gift of tongs the vnderstanding the facultie and abilitie to interprete expound that well which is said To pray then with the spirit doth no good to any but himselfe that so prayeth but to pray with vndetstanding is auaileable vnto the edifying of thy neighbour And therefore when he saith If thou blesse with the spirit it is as much as to say that thou thy selfe doost onely vnderstand and art not vnderstood of others c. Whereunto Chrysost added And there is as much difference betwixt the one and the other as there is betwixt the whole Church and one man and as there is betwixt the edifying of the whole Church and himselfe onely Iustin Nouel 123. S. interdicimus Iustinian the Emperour in his Nouelle wherein he commandeth the Ministers of the Church to doe the diuine seruice in a language that is plaine vnderstood hath not otherwise expounded this place for he saith Thus the diuine Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes If thou blesse with the spirit alone how shall the simple people be able to say Amen vnto thy blessing seeing that they vnderstand not what thou sayest And this he cōmanded with such earnestnesse as that he proceeded against them to the death which did the contrarie And yet no more then the Councell of Aix doth the Chapter which Councell saith The speech and the vnderstanding of those that sing vnto God must accord that so it may be fulfilled which the Apostle saith I will sing with the spirit I will sing with the vnderstanding also Haimo Bb. of Halberstat in the time of Lewes the son of Charlemaine saith Haimo in 1. Cor. 14. I am a Grecian and thou an Hebrew if I speake Greeke vnto thee I shal seeme to be a Barbarian I pronounce the Creed in Greeke because I haue found it so written I am a Latine I am a Barbarian vnto thee c. If then saith he an idiot be with thee a man that knoweth no more thē his mothers tong thou sayest thy Masse in a tong not vnderstood how shall he answer thee Amen when he knoweth not what thou sayest c. I had rather therefore saith he to speak fiue words in the assembly of the faithfull that are vnderstood by them then ten thousand otherwise which will do no good And Cardinall Hugo in like manner In a word Hog Cardin. 1. Cor. 14. Lyranus expounding this scripture in his place The Apostle speaketh here of publike prayer wherein if so be that the people do vnderstand the Minister his giuing of thanks he is a great deale the better stirred vp to God made the more deuout ready to say Amen And Thomas after him That in the Primitiue church seruice was celebrated solemnly done in a language that was vnderstood And S. Augustine his generall rule tendeth to the same end August l. 12. de Genes ad lit c. 8. The practise of The old church That no man can be edified by hearing that which he vnderstandeth not Now next after the institution of our Sauiour Christ his Apostles it followeth that we look into the practise of the ancient Church And first it is to be noted that the practise of the publike seruice was such as that the people did answer the Pastor whereupon it must needes follow as saith the Apostle that they did vnderstand him but which is more that all of thē did answere to all the people doing their part in the office and seruice no lesse then the cleargie which could not wel conueniently be done without vnderstanding S. Paul saith how can he qui supplet locū idiotae that occupieth the room of the vnlerned say Amē Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. l. 7. stromat Iostin in Apol 2. S. Ierome He speaketh of the laitie not of the cleargie Chryso Oecumenius after the same sort Theodoret He calleth him an idiot which is of the order of the laitie as we likewise call them idiots which are void of subtiltie craftines And all the old writers doe testifie this custome vse Clemens Alexādrinus In their praiers they haue but one cōm on speech as likewise one spirit Hieronym in 2. procem in Galat. Chrysost in 2. Cor. hom 18. Iustinus in the description of the holy Supper saith All the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speake aloude in signe of approbation Amen And the pretended Dionisius Areopagita vseth the same words And S. Ierome All the Church like a thunder soundeth out Amen Chrysostome The prayers are common both to Pastor and people they say prayer together the people pray for the Pastor and the Pastor for the people c. Againe All that which is vsed about the Eucharist is common to both all the whole bodie of the sacred liturgie is common vnto them why doest thou maruell then to see them speaking together in their prayers Basil in exa hom 4. Idem epist 63. S. Basill Men women and children cast forth their prayers vnto God you would say that they were floods beating against the shore In another place hee describeth how they sing Psalmes diuided in the halfes and intermingled with prayers meditating deeply and with a feruent zeale vpon that which they did sing And can any man in his conscience affirme this of those who vnderstand nothing of all that which they say And now what followeth
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
hath the Greeke translated it The Chaldie Paraphrast in like manner Your praier shall bee vnto me as a cleane sacrifice c. But the Prophet his purpose is to oppose and set the Gentiles against the Iewes the Leuiticall Sacrifices which they had defiled to the puritie of the seruice which shal be at the comming of Christ not of one people but amongst all manner and sortes of people If incense be taken according to the bare letter will they say that incense and the Masse are both one will they bring vs backe againe to the Iewish ceremonies or rather to the ceremonies of the Gentiles but if it bee taken figuratiuely who shall better interprete the figure then Dauid My praier commeth vnto thee O Lord as incense Then S. Iohn There was offered vp vnto him saith hee much incense to the end that hee might offer vp the praiers of all the Saintes vpon the golden Altar which is before the throne Againe The smoake of incense rise vppe from the praiers of the Saintes the golden viols were full of perfume which were the prayers of the Saintes c. Let vs adde that they are of iudgement that incense carrieth not with it anie propitiation Genebrard in Lithurg Dionâ—s And if this worde Oblation or Offering bee taken literallie can they denie that Minha the word which the Prophete vseth here doth not signifie in the whole booke of Leuiticus anie other thing then the offeringes of fruites and other thinges without life peace-offeringes and sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing And what analogie or correspondencie can it then haue with a sacrifice for sin And if it bee thus what shall follow then but that in the Masse there is nothing offered but bread and for a thankesgiuing But and if it bee taken figuratiuelie what better interpreter can there bee found then the spirite of God and that in the newe Testament which speaketh not to vs but of spirituall sacrifices of the preaching of the worde of thankesgiuing and of the consecrating of our selues Tertul. a duer Marcion l. 4. aduersâ—ud c Tertullian saith expounding this place In euerie place shal be offered a pure sacrifice that is to say sayeth hee a simple and single hearted praier from a pure conscience Againe Hee addeth saith hee speaking of spirituall sacrifices and in euerie place there shall bee offered in my name pure and vndefiled sacrifices Aduers Marcion l 3. Againe Bring vnto God O yee nations of the Gentiles because that vndoubtedly the preaching of the Apostles was to passe throughout the whole world Againe Euerie where there shal be offered pure sacrifices vnto my name And what manner of ones Hieronym in 1. Malach. Gloriae scilicet relatio the yeelding of glorie blessing praises and hymnes and not a worde of the Masse S. Ierome vpon this place Let the Iewes knowe that they are not to offer anie more goates and bulles but incense the praiers of the Saints and that not in anie one prouince of Iudea as in the onelie Cittie of Ierusalem but throughout the whole worlde a cleane sacrifice as is to bee seene in the ceremonies of Christians And again The sounde of the Apostles is gone throughout all the endes of the worlde Idem in Esa c. 52. Euerie where there is sacrifice offered to God And herein is accomplished the word of the Prophet namelie in that that God is purelie preached and purelie called vpon in euerie place And Chrysostome after the same manner Chrysost t. 2. hom 16. ex varus in Matth. Euseb l. 1. Demonst Euang. c. 6. 10. Eusebius in expounding this place We sacrifice therefore and burne the memoriall of this great sacrifice according to the mysteries which haue beene taught vs yeelding thankes to God for our saluation offering vnto him religious hymnes and holy praiers We sacrifice vnto the high God the sacrifice of praise a sacrifice full of sweete smell Wee sacrifice the same after a new fashion according to the new Testament a pure offering and sacrifice But in all this what matter is there concerning propitiation Theodoret doth expounde it of the abolishing of the legall sacrifices Theod. in Malach c. 1. and of the seruing of God in spirite and truth as our Lord himself auouched in the speech which hee made vnto the Samaritanish woman and thus doth the greatest number take and expounde it But here they replie vpon vs all this is olde is there no question of any thing that is newe this may bee aunswered in a word That the Prophet sayeth A pure offering and not a new offering But let vs graunt vnto them this worde new Ireneus will answere them Iren. l. 4. c. 34. Chrysost cont Iud. l. 3. Oblationes hic Oblationes tillic There are sacrifices and here are sacrifices sacrifices in Israel sacrifices in the Christian church the kinde and manner is onely changed inasmuch as then they were offered by seruantes and bondslaues but now by freemen or rather to speake more fitlie by sons and children Chrysostome in like manner sayeth A newe sacrifice because it proceedeth from new hope because it is no more offered by fire and smoke but by the grace and spirite of God But say they there are certaine Doctors that haue vnderstood it of the Eucharist and wee say vnto them againe on the other side that there are other some which haue vnderstoode it otherwise as we haue caused it apparantlie inough to bee seene heretofore But wee contend not in this place about the Eucharist but about the sacrifice of the Masse not about a sacrifice of praise but a sacrifice propitiatorie And therefore let vs not abuse the Fathers vnder the colour of this word seeing there is not anie one to be found Iren. l. 4. c. 32. that hath so much as once thought vpon it Ireneus saith Christ giuing aduice and counsell vnto his Disciples to offer vnto God the first fruites of his creatures not as of anie necessitie in God but that they might not bee vnthankefull and vnfruitfull tooke that which by creation is bread and gaue thanks saying This is my bodie c. teaching that the sacrament of the new Testament is new And hee addeth thereto Which the Church taking from the Apostles offereth throughout the whole world vnto God the first fruites of his giftes to him that giueth whatsoeuer foode and nourishment we haue That is to say because that the auncient Christians were wonte to offer of their fruites vnto God as wee haue seene heretofore by many places out of the same Ireneus and from out of them they tooke the bread and the wine which were distributed in the holy Supper the remainder being giuen to the poore or conuerted to the necessarie vses of the Church The question then that riseth hence is of the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and not of a propitiatorie sacrifice of the sacrifice of fruits and things without life and not of the reall sacrificing of our
Testament wherein there remaineth not anie more question of shadowes and figures and wherein if it bee nothing but a sillie sleight representation if it be nothing but an intricate and infolded thing if it bee not altogether plaine and cleare assuredlie wee may bee bolde to say and that without any doubt that it is but an humaine inuention yea and therefore that it is not there to bee found at all CHAP. III. That the pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse hath no foundation in the newe Testament OVr aduersaries say Our Lord saide to the woman of Samaria The howre is come that you shall not worship the Father anie more Iohn 4. either in this mountaine or in Ierusalem but the true worshippers shal worshippe in spirite and truth And what proue they from thence To adore say they is to sacrifice but if they said that it were to serue God they said somewhat to the purpose But yet what followeth of this Certainelie that the seruing of God shall not bee any more tyed to one place but spread all ouer the worlde according to the saying of Malachie And as assuredlie that in steade of the more carnall manner of seruice wherewith he was serued vnder the law hee shall hereafter bee spirituallie serued and in a worde that after the materiall sacrifices as saye the Fathers the spirituall sacrifices shall succeede Saint Augustine sayeth Doest thou seeke for anie holy place August in Iohan t. 15. make thy selfe in thine inwarde partes a Temple vnto God for the Temple of God is holie and that are you Wouldest thou pray in a Temple Pray within thy selfe c. chaunging all this outward and materiall seruice into an inwarde and spiritual Cyrill Cyrill in Ioan. l. 2. c. 93. He signifieth and setteth forth the time of his comming which chaungeth the figures of the lawe into truth the shadowes into a spirituall seruice according to the doctrine of the Gospell c. And Origen in like manner Chrysost aduers Iud. hom 2. Chrysostome sayeth That is there shall bee no more Sacrifices nor Priesthoode neyther yet kingdome in Iudea that so they may bee wayned from the receiued custome of the necessitie of worshipping in one certaine place and to bring them to a kinde of seruice that is more spirituall and full of Maiestie Idem de cruce de spiritu hom 3. in hom veniet hora c. In like manner expounding this place in an Homilie for the purpose hee coulde not finde anie Sacrifice but that of prayer grounded vppon the doctrine of veritie neither anie worde tending that waye Cardinall Caietan in the same sence In spirite that is to saye not in the Mountaine not at Ierusalem not in anie one certaine place nor with a temporall seruice but with an inwarde and spirituall c. And in faith that is in knowledge c. Ferus likewise In spirite in asmuch as they shall haue receiued the spirite of adoption crying in him Abba Father In truth in asmuch as they shall call vppon him in his Sonne which is Truth it selfe Offering sayeth hee afterwarde no more anie quicke or liue creatures but their owne bodies in Sacrifice a holie oblation and offering and not the Sacrifice of the Masse But how will they possibly now frame themselues to make their conclusions from this place God shall bee adored and serued in spirite no more in one place but euerie where no more in the sacrificing of beastes but in the sacrificing of our selues Therefore the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the sinnes of men therefore the Masse must bee saide euerie where c. But they come nearer vnto the point and giue an instance from the institution of the holy supper and this is also our proper part and possession It is said Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Doe this in remembrance of mee and to doe in the scripture signifieth sometimes to sacrifice Therefore the matter here in hand must needes bee a sacrifice And our Lord had taken the bread and the cup and had saide This is my bodie This is my blood therefore he did sacrifice vnder the kindes of bread and wine his body and his blood vnto God his Father and by vertue of these wordes iuioyneth all succeeding Priestes to doe the like a worlde of errors cauillations and false surmises in a verie few wordes And the long time since they were confuted and ouerthrowne in all these their argumentes might haue bin sufficient to haue caused them to cease from the vsing of thē any more Facere in Latine signifieth to sacrifice but by an abridging of the language to doe some holie thing but that this is more vsuall in the writinges and workes of Poets then of Orators and that seldome not often and onely then when the mater in question doth manifestlie appeare to be about a sacrifice as I say may euidentlie bee seene needeth not to be gessed at And here therefore we stand vppon the quite contrarie As that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is neuer vsed to sacrifice as far off is faire in the French tongue but the Euangelists and Apostles writ in Greeke So that the controuersie here is about an ordinarie or common and not anie picked or vnwonted phrase the contention is not euidentlie and manifestlie of a sacrifice for it is so farre from apparatiues as that the sharpest sighted Fathers did know nothing therof And further the Hebrew word Asa and how much more the Greeke doth neuer signifie to sacrifice but when a sacrifice or oblation doth follow it as facere haedum agnū c. or facere haedo agno c. to offer a kyd a lambe c. their interlineall Glose is not acquainted with this subtill shift Hoc facite that is saith it At oft as you shal eate this bread and drinke this cup shew forth the death of the Lord vntill his comming But let vs admit that it is so Hoc facite sacrifice this what shall we make then of it To sacrifice the bodie of Christ But Christ saith Which is giuen for you and to giue is not to sacrifice Wherefore it is not the same action which Christ performed for a man to sacrifice if Christ did not sacrifice And afterwarde Which is giuen that is which is now at this present instant giuen and deliuered vp to bee crucified for vs. The olde translation approued by the Councell of Trent hath translated it Dabitur and not Datur referring the same to his suffering vpon the Crosse and not to the holy supper Chrysostome and Origen Dabitur effundetur which shal be giuen which shall bee shedde and offered vppe And Chrysostome addeth the reason how that for the comforte of his Disciples our Lord taught them that his passion was the mysterie of the saluation of mankind the Masse also enemie vnto it selfe in this point hath read it so Let vs say then that these wordes Hoc facite haue relation to the institution of
The sacrifice and oblation is Christ for Christ our Passeouer hath beene slaine c. Againe Melchisedec offered to Abraham bread and wine Christ hauing taken mans nature offered the priesthood it selfe vnto the father that so he might become our priest after the order of Melchisedec which hath no succession for he abideth and continueth for euer offering sacrifices and giftes for vs. And first hee offered himselfe to vndoe and loosen the sacrifices of the old Testament he becomming the oblation sacrifice priest and altar c. Not appointing any longer the successions of this priesthood vnto any tribe or stocke What then It may be making them able to succeed by the calling of priestes Nay rather he saith Giuing them freely to bee saued according to that righteousnesse which is by the holy Ghost And this is spoken generally for all Christians Then let our aduersaries note and obserue here by this place how ill fauouredly they alleadge the sacrifice of Melchisedec the Paschall lambe c. to bee accomplished and perfected in the pretended sacrifice of the Supper seeing that vpon the crosse of Christ as saith Epiphanius both these and all others going before are made perfect and fulfilled Chrysostome Christ is not crucified euerie day for hee hath vndergone but one sacrificing Chrysost aduers Iud. at 4. Idem in Ioha hom 17. et ad Heb. hom 13. but once onely to be offered for our sinnes but by that once hee doth continually purge and cleanse vs. Againe If Christ be perfect then he neuer sinneth and liueth euer wherefore then should hee offer many sacrifices for vs c. There is but one sacrifice one onely hath purged vs besides this there is nothing but fire and deuouring hell Wherefore the Apostle doeth throughly view and behold the same on euerie side alwaies saying one priest one sacrifice least that any man thinking that there were moe might grow the more secure and void of all suspicion of being deceiued And in another place In the heauens wee haue Sacrarium a holy and consecrated place in heauen wee haue a priest in heauen an oblation where is also our sacrifice Idâ—m hom de cruce spirit 3. Let vs then offer such sacrifices as may find place of receipt in this holy consecrated place not any more sheepe or oxen these thinges are come to an end but our reasonable seruice And what reasonable seruice The thinges that are offered by the soule and according to the spirit Iohn 4. because that God is a spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth c. How farre doth this differ from the interpretation which Bellarmine doth giue vnto vs vpon this place That is spirituall thinges and such as sauour nothing of the bodie as gentlenesse patience temperance mercifulnesse c. Thus thou seest the sacrifices which are past away and gone as also the others succeeding them and comming in their roomes then let vs offer these Those are of our goods but these are of our vertues those are without vs but these are within vs c. Againe Christ was the sacrifice and the Priest the offerer and oblation The Altar that was the Crosse not vnder any roofe other then the whole cope of heauen that so all the putrifaction and infection of the aire might bee purged away Behold here the one onely priest and propitiatorie sacrifice of the Church But the particular and speciall Sacrifice of euerie Christian as also Sacrificer to offer vp the same sacrifice vnto God is euerie particular person in his place as hee teacheth vs saying What is then thine Altar surely thy spirituall vnderstandinge And what is thy spirituall sacrifice All thy good workes And what is thy Temple A pure heart wherein God taketh pleasure to dwell c. What then Idem in Mat. hom 83. Hom. 26. in ep ad Heb. hom 17. And saith hee nothing of the Eucharist in that place Yes verie excellently If Christ bee not dead saith hee whereof should this sacrifice bee a signe or seale Againe Wee offer but in remembrance of his death And againe That which God did long ago for the saluation of the Iewes in bringing of his benefites to their remembraunce by many feastes and solemne meetinges the same doeth hee now but more aboundantly in vs by this kinde of sacrifice stirring vs vppe to a continuall thankesgiuing for his benefites towardes vs. Where briefly wee haue thus much to note that there is not any sacrifice but one that doeth really purge and cleanse vs that is the bloode of Christ the Eucharist in as much as it is a sacrifice is a pledge a recording and a remembrance Hom. 7. ad Hebr. Some obiect and alledge against vs these wordes Wee offer the same Sacrifice nowe a daies that wee offered then for it wasteth not in offering Not an other Sacrifice as the high priest did but the same But let vs listen a while vnto that which followeth Or rather sayeth hee wee recorde and call to minde this Sacrifice Cyrill handleth this matter at large Iulian reproached the Christians Cyril 10. cont Iulian. because they had no moe Sacrifices Nay sayth hee wee haue farre better then yours or then those of the law For wee offer vnto God the spirituall sacrifices of vertues as Faith Hope Charitie c. spirituall praises And to this purpose hee alleadgeth Sainte Paule Offer vppe your bodies vnto God a liuing sacrifice c. God sayeth hee hath commaunded the lambe but for a figure of Christ but for to shew that this was a transitorie sacrifice hee commaunded them to eate it in hast a great oddes and difference in respect of that which our aduersaries themselues would inferre That the sacrifice of the Paschall lambe must bee dayly and still continued in the reall sacrifice of the true lambe that is in the Masse Idem in ep ad Hebr. hom 11. In another place Art thou ignorant howe that the whole priesthoode is giuen to the whole Church of God to all the faithfull people Giue eare vnto Sainte Peter who speaking of the faithfull sayeth you are a chosen generation a royall priesthoode c. Thou hast therefore the priesthoode because thou art a priestly nation and therefore also thou must offer vnto God the sacrifice of praise the Sacrifice of prayers the sacrifice of mercie the sacrifice of chastitie the srcrifice of righteousnesse the sacrifice of holinesse c. Againe Our true high priest Iesus Christ is then as yet standing vpright Idem in Leuit l. 9. and will fill his handes with small brayed incense Hee pondereth and wayeth what euerie Church vnder the Sunne doeth offer how well it bestoweth and imployeth her perfume how skilfull shee is in braying of the same that is to say how euerie one of vs doeth frame his actions how wee doe spiritually search and wade into the secreate deapthes and wholesome streames of the holy scriptures Where likewise he may seeme
to allude to the place of the prophet Malachie but in a far other sence then that of our aduersaries To bee short hee sayth Christ is called a high Priest sacrificing vnto God and besides him there is not any one to whom we do attribute either the name or the effect of priesthood for hee was made the mediator betwixt God and men hee hath sacrificed for vs and not for himselfe and that euen his owne bodie All which arguments are grounded vpon the qualities requisite in a priest of the new Testament but such as men cannot attaine vnto He calleth the Eucharist verie many times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice without blood Idem in Ioban l. 5. c. 7. ad Reginas de recta fide but in the same sence that the former by comparing of it with them of the law Vpon S. Iohn S. Paule saith he to the Hebrewes would not take away the second nor the third remission of sinnes but rather the secondoblation because that Christ hath beene offered once and cannot be any more offered c. The Latine fathers did not vnderstand it otherwise Saint Ambrose saith In Christ the oblation or sacrifice hath beene once offered powerfull and mightie vnto life eternall Againe The Lord commanded the Angell to spare the people and to offer the sacrifice of Dauid For at that time there were sacrifices for sinnes the same are now the sacrifices of repentance Ambros in ep ad Heb. c. 10. Idem ad Theod ep 28. Idem in ep ad Rom. c 12. Idem ibid. Againe The Elders did kill the sacrifice to signifie that men because of sinne were subiect to death And now that men by the gift of God are purified and deliuered from the second death they must offer a liuing sacrifice to the end it may bee vnto them a signe of eternall life For the case standeth not now as when bodies were slaine and sacrificed for bodies now there is not any more question of killing of bodies but of the vices of the bodies Again Is there not a celestiall altar our faith whereupon we dayly offer our praiers Let vs draw neere saith he in another place with a true hart a fulnes of faith let vs draw neere in faith in a spiritual seruice from a sincere hart for in all these there is nothing visible neither the priest nor the sacrifice nor the altar c. In our spirits we receiue spirituall things c. Idem in institut virgin c. 2. In another place We sacrifice vnto God the sacrifice of praise whereupon the Apostle saith I pray you before all thinges to make prayers supplications requestes and thankesgiuing c. Now this is one of the places from whence our aduersaries would gather their Masse their propitiatorie sacrifice and see how hee expoundeth it of the sacrifice of praise Idem epist 28. lib. de fuga sent c. 8. Againe A simple prayer is a sacrifice the good sacrifice that is wisedome the good oblation that is faith and euerie other vertue c. And of all this going before we conclude most euidently that he acknowledged no sacrifice for sinne saue the blood of Christ once shed nor any sacrifices amongst Christians but repentance mortification and calling vpon the name of God in faith c. But some will say vnto vs hee speaketh now and then of the holy Supper in the tearmes of a sacrifice But in this case I could wish such to hearken how hee expoundeth himselfe he speaketh to the matter of the onely oblation of Christ and saith What then do not we offer euery day for the Supper was then administred ordinarily We offer saith he but in making a memoriall of his death and there is but one oblation but one sacrifice not many One and not many saith he how because that it hath beene once offered in the most holy place and this sacrifice is the patterne of that other c. That which we do is in remembrance of that which hath beene done For hee saith vnto vs doe this in remembrance of mee c. Wee offer not as the Priest did another sacrifice but euerie daie the same or rather wee sacrifice the memoriall of this sacrifice Thus say wee sayeth hee to daye is the resurrection of the Lorde that is to say to day wee call to minde the resurrection of the Lord c. And Saint Ierome vnderstoode as little as the rest in this point namely that there should remaine a seruice to bee performed of Christians Hieronim in Esa c. 1. which properly was called a sacrifice Shall I eate sayeth the Lorde the flesh of bulles c. Psalme â—â— After hauing reiected and cast away sayeth hee the ceremonies of the old law hee passeth to the puritie of the Gospell and sheweth what hee desireth in stead of them Offer vnto mee the sacrifice of praise Idem in psal 26. c. Againe I will offer in his Tabernacle the sacrifice of ioy and gladnesse that is to say of full and perfect ioy that is to say I will ioyfully declare that hee did vnder-go a base and lowe estate for vs that is to say that he did humble himselfe to aduance exalt vs For God taketh pleasure in such sacrifices of reioycing ioyfull declaring of their gladnesse for this is the sacrifice of preaching And in another place Idem in psal 49. 50. The old sacrifices are past he requireth his sacrifice in good works and maners a fat burnt offering That is that God may be praised by man whom he hath created whom he hath redeemed and to whome hee hath promised the kingdome of heauen Againe By this place the Iewes doe knowe and vnderstand that their sacrifices are ceased And what then shall men haue hereafter to offer hearken to that which hee addeth The humbled heart and the contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto the Lord c. Idem ad Damas Yea but hee sayeth in another place Our Sauiour is the calfe of whose flesh wee are dayly fed and with whose blood wee all haue our thirst quenched This banquet is solemnized euerie day euerie day the father receiueth his sonne euerie day Christ is slaine and sacrificed This is a large speech but hee addeth yet one worde more Immolatur credentibus out of question not sacrificed by the Priest but sacrificed sayth hee by the faithfull In so much as this sacrifice is dayly freshe alwaies present and in Gods sight daily applyed apprehended and taken holde vppon with great efficacie of the faithfull as being such Idem in Psal 97. August quest euangel l. 1. as conceiue and finde their life to lie and consist in his death and the appeasing of Gods wrath for their sinnes to rest in his bloode This is it which hee saith in a worde elsewhere Euerie day Christ is crucified vnto vs. S. Augustine yet more distinctly Christ is then properly slaine for any one when hee beleeueth him to be
spoken of in the song of the three children in the furnace Daniel 3. ex Graeco Ye spirits and soules of the righteous blesse ye the Lord c. All these false couers and colourings notwithstanding being euident testimonies not so much of an vnwillingnesse to come to reformation as of a shamefastnesse to be ouertaken and detected of this spirituall whoredome Cassander therfore and Hofmeisterus more freely if so be they had but practised it in the Church as they belieued held it in their harts Cassander verily who after hee had excused the Church of Rome to Maximilian the Emperour as much as he could euen vpon this article that Orate was as much as Vtinam oretis Pray ye that is I wish and desire that you would pray saith notwithstanding That he maketh not in his owne behalfe any praier but vnto God by Iesus Christ and that he accompteth that the most infallible way Hofmeister who after he had gathered whatsoeuer hee could out of the old writers August de visâ—tâ—t infirmotu si eius est l. 1. c. 2. concludeth with these words of Saint Augustine I shall speake more boldly and ioyfully to my Iesus then vnto anie one of the holy spirits of God c. But what do our fathers of Trent say here after the long looking wherewith they haue made vs to looke for reformation Do they allow at the least these expositions these mitigations or do they bring some better of their owne Neither but on the contrarie they institute and ordaine that we should call vpon the Saintes by praier to help vs Suppliciter humblie beseeching them vpon our knees and that we should betake our selues not to their praiers onely but to their helpe and succour declaring all such as haue any other opinion to be wicked impious And the Catechisme made by the authoritie of the said Councell saith plainly Christians worship Angels but not as God is worshipped we must pray vnto the Saints in as much as by the grace and merit purchased by them God doth deale wel with vs c. And Cardinal Hosius a man approued of them Rom. 8. to such as alleadge S. Paul That we cannot call vpon any but him in whom we belieue answereth lustily That we must also credere in Sanctos belieue in Saints What reformation can there be from theÌ„ who after such enormous faults laid open discouered by the light of Christendome doe wilfully make themselues blind and yet will not haue themselues accompted of as hauing failed in any point And yet furthermore they ioyne thereunto another notorious pranke of maliciousnesse which is their causing to bee raced out in good bookes Index pag. 8.10.24 25.30.31.36.38.47.49.50 whatsoeuer might checke or controll their proceedings for so they haue resolued and set it downe as appeareth by their Index Expurgatorius As for examples The place where S. Augustine distinguisheth betwixt the honour due vnto God and that of Saints the interpreter hath giuen this note This that is to say that which is to be reserued to God alone is now giuen to all the Saintes Deleatur let it be raced and put out In the Tables of S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and S. Ierome their works there were many places noted which directed vs vnto such sayings in their works all speaking against the inuocation of Saints vpon the heads whereof were set Deleantur In Erasmus and Faber Stapulensis famous worthy men in their profession when they say Deum solum omnis oratio adoratio decet Vnto God alone belongeth all praier and worship is it not written Torcular calcaui solus Index pag. 49.50.55.59.61.255 I haue troden the wine presse alone All the Saints are nothing if the question bee once of true worship all our owne workes and those of our fathers from the beginning of the world are no better c. Deleantur And Cassander likewise where he sheweth how the old father did vse the words Merite and to merite That When they said Orate this was as if they had said Vtinam oretis c. Deleatur But what reasons will there satisfie these men if they need not any other answer to them but the racing and vtter blotting of them out or what witnesses if there be nothing but away with them to burning CHAP. XVI That man cannot merite eternall life for himselfe much lesse for another where the consideration is first of mans state before regeneration OVr aduersaries as they say do pray vnto Saints because they make intercession for them vnto God but we haue alreadie destroied this foundation And they make intercession for them say they by the power of their merites and that not onely for the procuring of them gifts and graces in this life but also eternall happines in that to come For which cause wee haue next to shew vnto them that so we may not leaue any thing doubtfull That no man can merite with God not eternal life or rather not the least grace of this fraile transitorie life not for any other man no not for himselfe And this we will deale in according to the three estates of man Man in his first estate could not merite Genes 1. Ephes 4. Colos 3. Psalme 19. his integritie or innocencie his fall or transgression and his regeneration Of his integritie it is said That God had created him according to his own image and S. Paul expoundeth it to consist in righteousnesse holinesse and the knoweldge of God c. That he had placed him in Paradise in a place abounding with all felicitie which Dauid calleth placed in honor In so much that he held had both his being his graces and his glorie at the good pleasure of his Creator of his meere free and vndescrued goodnes The abilitie to merite might haue beene great the good deeds only considered but then what abilitie or power can there be to merite of him of whom he holdeth all of him for whom a man can do nothing Let vs admit then that our first father had vsed all these graces perfectly well that he had possessed them in such feare 〈◊〉 awe as he should yea and that he had fulfilled the law as naturally he might yet had he beene able to say after all this but with the same pride which cast him down from his high glorious estate it selfe alone I haue deserued that God should yet further giue me this yea that he should continue vnto me what he hath alreadie giuen mee If we do not wrongfully name and call our merit that pleasure which it pleaseth God to take in adding and bestowing graces vpon his euen grace for grace and glory for glorie to deserue well of vs if I may so say and that so exceeding bountifully and liberallie as that we are not able to merite any thing of him So then here is place for that Iob. 41.1 which God saith in Iob Who is it that gaue me first I wil
Christ And he repeateth and goeth ouer the same in many places Idem in sentent 315. in lib. de ingrat And this grace how are we made partakers of it May we attaine it by nature Nay saith he as they which would be iustified by the Law are fallen from grace to whome the Apostle saith If the righteousnesse of the Law then Christ died in vaine so say we vnto them that call nature the grace which the faith of Christ receiueth if righteousnesse bee by nature then Christ is dead in vaine For Christ came to fulfill the Law which man could not fulfill as also to saue and restore nature lost and spoyled in it selfe according to that which is written That he is come to seeke vp that which was wandred and lost and to saue that which was spoyled And in the verie same tearmes speaketh the second Councell of Orange How then And what is the meanes to come by it Let vs confesse saith hee to the Frenchmen Concil Arans 2 Canon 21. Prosper ad Capit. Gall. oâ—uect 8. in â—â—de ingrat Idem deivocat gent. l. 1. c 24. Idem de vocat Gent l. 18. Idem in Ep. ad Demetriad that no man can runne vnto this grace but by grace All that my father giueth me commeth vnto me and they come vnto him by faith Per ipsam nisi curratur non itur ad ipsum c. Vnto God saith he in an other place no man can goe but he that hath his guide and direction from God send downe the light and truth and they shall lead me into thy holy mountaine and into thy holy Tabernacle Yea without any manner of precedent merits or yet without all other precedent cause saue onely the good pleasure saue onely the good wil of God In as much saith hee as the cause in vs for which we receiue and obtaine grace is this good will in which and with which is hidden the reason of our election our merites beginning with this grace which we haue receiued without merites Otherwise it should not be said if man bee not regenerate and borne againe of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen But well if man be not iust c. And this therefore saith hee in an other place is the mercie of God that maketh vs seeke for his mercie and which draweth vs as it were by maine force vnto this mercie That is because that he calleth vs first and giueth vs to heare and to belieue him he loueth vs first and giueth vs to loue him by the infusing of his spirit into vs c. And this he handleth at large in whole bookes Now this particular grace which fitteth and prepareth vs for the vniuersall Idem de vita contempl c. 21 to the fountaine of grace is called faith Faith saith he the foundation of righteousnesse before which there is not any good workes but from and of which all that are good doe come which purgeth vs from all sinnes illuminateth our vnderstanding reconcileth vs to God associateth and coupleth vs to all them that are partakers of the same nature breatheth into vs the hope of the reward that is to come increaseth in vs holy vertues and confirmeth vs in the possession of the same And the same the meere gift of God contrarie to that which Vincentius obiected That faith to belieue proceeded of man but that though man did thus come by faith that yet it must bee God that should adde thereto his spirit Idem ad obiect Vincent ad Dubium 1.2 â— Idem in Ep ad Euâ—in Otherwise saith he grace should be no more grace if it were preuented by any thing in respect whereof it should be giuen For saith he vnto Rusinus Man did not deale righteously whereupon righteousnesse was added and giuen vnto him and in that hee did not walke with God his course and wayes were strengthned and for that hee did not loue God his loue and charitie was inflamed Nay saith he but he was without faith and by consequent wicked and therefore and thereupon it was giuen him to receiue the spirit of faith and so by it was made righteous he was blind and dead and therefore had it giuen vnto him to receiue both life axd sight Idem in sentent 374. l. de ingrat And therefore he saith in an other place it is not said Euerie man that heareth my voice is of the truth but on the contrarie Euerie man which is of the truth heareth my voice because that man is not of the truth because he heareth the voice but rather he heareth the voice because he is of the truth because he hath receiued this gift of him which is the truth And what other thing is this gift but to belieue in Christ by the grace of Christ by the gift of Christ himselfe Inspirata sides And therefore they are in as great an errour which attribute the infidelitie of the wicked vnto God as they which would haue any other to bee the author of the faith and righteousnesse of good men but God himselfe For he that hath once lost that which he had receiued cannot resume and take againe the same after that he hath lost it but he must seeke to recouer the possession of it againe from whence he first had it hauing now suffered it to be lost To be briefe he saith to be able to haue faith Idem in sent 316. and to be able to haue charitie that is to say to bee capable of these graces is of or in the nature of men but to haue faith or to haue charitie commeth from that grace which is giuen to none but to the faithfull That is God giueth and dealeth freely where it seemeth good vnto him But notwithstanding the Aduersarie obiected vnto him I see S. Paul who praiseth the faith of the Romaines Corinthians Ephesians and Philippians and wherefore should he praise it in them if it bee the gift of God if it be not their owne and of themselues Nay saith hee to the end that thou maiest not imagine that it is an argument that it was not giuen them Idem aduers Collat. c 36. because it is praised in them read somewhat further how hee praiseth God for the grace which was giuen them in Christ how in all things they are made rich in him how hee hath giuen vnto them faith which worketh by loue how he hopeth and trusteth that hee which hath begun the good worke in them will finish the same from the first day vnto the day of Christ And therefore conclude the rather saith hee to them of Genua That faith whether young and newly begun Idem ad except Genuens Idem de vocat l. 1 c. 23. Concil Arans 2. c. 5. or old and growne perfect are both the gift of God That the beginning of faith vnto the consummation and full accomplishment of the perseuerance of the same is of him
c. Which the second Councell of Orange resolued vpon in these speeches If any man say that the verie beginnings of faith Et ipse credulitatis affectus by which we belieue in him which iustifieth the wicked and not the growth and increase onely are not the gift of grace by the inspiration of the holy Ghost calling and reclaiming vs from infidelitie to faith from impietie and vngodlinesse to pietie and godlinesse c. Let him bee accompted of as an enemie of the doctrine of the Apostles c. Thus Prosper handled the matter reasoning and arguing the same amongst our Frenchmen and this same controuersie or the like was stirred againe by one Abailardus a long time after against our Countrie man S. Barnard Barnar Dom. Serm. 1. for the vnreclaimable pride of man when all other things yeeld will still stand out and bee last in the field who though he be of the last and newest yet is hee not the least worth or comming behinde the rest for the well handling of this matter God saith he hath washed with the water of an other those who had beene defiled by the sin of an other And yet not in such sort altogether an other mans but that it was our owne withall for otherwise it had not polluted and defiled vs but thus an other mans for that wee haue all sinned in Adam ours because that we our selues also haue sinned And howbeit that wee haue sinned in an other yet it was imputed vnto vs by the iudgement of God a iust iudgement and sentence though secret and hidden And yet notwithstanding O man thou hast no cause to complaine thy selfe for in stead of Adam his disobedience thou hast the obedience of Christ freely giuen vnto thee c. Idem Serm. 4. in fer hebdo Of Christ saith he who is come freely to iustifie sinners to make seruants his brethren and slaues fellow-heires with him and banished men kings He hath said Consummatum est All is fulfilled and finished there is nothing left vndone that ought to bee done c. And how was this done Jn this saith hee that he was made sinne all manner of sinne as well originall as personall hath beene defaced yea euerie single and particular sinne hath beene banished and cast out shall mans miseries then ouercome Gods mercies or rather the mercies the miseries And he hath not onely taken vpon him the forme of a seruant to be made subiect but of an euill seruant to bee beaten and of a seruant of sinne to pay the punishment he himselfe notwithstanding being the partie in whome there was no fault c. Let not therefore the name of holinesse astonish thee Idem Serm. 3. ad fratres Propositum Idem in fest Sanctor For God calleth not Saints according to merite but according to his owne ordinance and decree that is to say according to his purpose not according to their affections but according to his owne intention And he rendreth a reason in an other place For saith he What can our righteousnesse bee before God but a menstruous cloth as the Prophet saith All our righteousnesse to be short but vnrighteousnesse And then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be And therefore let vs haue recourse with the Prophet vnto mercie alone for it is that alone that is able to saue our soules and only that mercie extended and exhibited in Iesus Christ alone Idem de sepulchro ad milites In Christ alone saith he who taking vpon him the burden of the punishment but being nothing possessed of the fault hath merited life and righteousnesse for vs with God In Christ alone who dying for sinners hath remitted the sinne whereby it commeth to passe that there saith hee remaineth no more place for merite and yet notwithstanding our debt is paid In Christ alone in whose death death is hunted and chased away and his righteousnesse imputed vnto vs. But VVhat a peece of Iustice is it wilt thou say that the innocent and guiltlesse should die for the transgressor and guiltie person Yes And not iustice onely but a worke of mercie also c. But againe How may the gutltie be iustified by this death Nay why may or should hee not One shall haue sinned and all shall be guiltie Now then should the innocencie of one extend and bee imputed but to one The sinne of one hath brought death vpon all And the righteousnesse of one should it restore life but to one The sinne of Adam shall bee imputed vnto me and shall not the righteousnesse of Christ appertaine vnto me The disobedience of one hath spoyled me and shall not the obedience of the other doe me any seruice Multo germanius Idem in Psal 91. Serm. 14. Idem in Cant. Serm. 13.14.22.23 Illibata c Nay rather saith hee we are borne of God according to the spirite both more naturally and lawfully then of Adam according to the fleshe c. And therefore saith hee Iesus Christ hath power to forgiue sinnes as God and to die as man and in dying to acquit the debt of death in that hee was iust and himselfe to bee sufficient for vs all both vnto righteousnesse and vnto life c. Jn this righteousnesse saith hee thou art saued gratis and for nothing in respect of thy selfe but in respect of him not altogedound without any touch or stroke of man therein as hauing alone triumphed ouer the enemie alone deliuered the sillic captiues alone encountred and alone ouercome c. For such as will establish their owne righteousnesse which iustifieth not but accuseth there can no better fall out vnto them then that they should be giuen ouer to their owne righteousnesse which will ouerset and ouerwhelme them in stead of iustifying of them c. But on the contrarie O Lord the sweete smell of thy righteousnesse is so large and farre and wide spread euerie where throughout as that thou art knowne not onely to bee iust and righteous but iustice and righteousnesse it selfe euen that righteousnesse which iustifieth the sinner c. And it is saith hee in this righteousnesse that I am iustified and made righteous For inlighten thou mine eyes and I become prudent and of good vnderstanding remember not the sinnes of my youth and then I become iust guide me in the way and then I become holy but if thy bloud doe not sue for me I doe not attaine saluation But blessed and not iust alone is hee to whome sinne is not imputed c. It is sufficient therefore for me and in stead of all righteousnesse Indulgen Dei Idem Serm. 61 to haue him fauourable and mercifull vnto me against whome alone I haue sinned All that whatsoeuer he hath appointed not to bee imputed vnto me is as if it neuer had beene The righteousnesse of God is not to sinne the righteousnesse of man is Gods pardon Hitherto we see how this holy person cannot satisfie himselfe or thinke that he hath
Idem Serm. 5. dedicat Jt is impossible with men but not with God Wherefore wee are assured of his power but where are we so of his will For who knoweth say they who is worthie of loue or of hatred This is it which Abailard did obiect vnto him of Salomon and our Aduersaries vnto vs. But saith he It is here that faith must helpe vs that the truth must succour vs to the end that that which is hidden from vs in the heart of the father may bee reuealed vnto vs by his spirit And that this spirit that beareth witnesse vnto and perswadeth our spirits that wee are the children of God doth perswade vs of it in calling of vs and in freely iustifying of vs by faith c. CHAP. XX. How the doctrine of merite entered into the Church after what manner it grew and increased and how it hath beene resisted and withstoode in all ages euen vnto the time of Saint Barnard SEeing then that this doctrine of free iustification opposite and quite contrarie to the merite of workes is so cleare and manifest in the Scriptures so euidently and plainely taught and of such continuance in the Church from whence possibly may this doctrine of merit at this day taught and held take his beginning And what may be the meanes that it hath prospered and so well succeeded And how is it come to occupie the roome of the bloud of Christ And how hath such deepe presumption seazed vppon vs as not onely to arrogate vnto our selues an abilitie to fulfill the whole Law of God but furthermore to worke an infinite sort of workes of Supererrogation and those more meritorious then the other of the Law Not seruing onely to saue our selues but others also and that so farre forth as that we should bee bold to say no more with Dauid Saluation is of the Lord but my saluation yea and thy saluation is of me But and if we stand in need to search out the antiquitie of this opinion where shall we rather find it then in the mouth of the Serpent Gene. 3. â—â—ay 4.24 In the eare of the woman Yea which is worse in the hart of our first father You shall become as Gods you shall bee like vnto the most high and Soueraigne Lord c. In like manner the whole Scripture aymeth and tendeth to the rooting of this pestiferous weede out of the heart of man 〈◊〉 â—â—ope and 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Scrip 〈◊〉 to hum 〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 of his sinne thereby â—â—ining him to see the necessiue of the merit of christ Ezech. 16. The Law as wee said and all the pedagogie thereof teaching and training vs vp to see our infirmitie and want of abilitie The Prophets controlling and reprouing vs of the same continually and that both generally and particularly In generall God by his Prophets saith vnto his Church Thou tookest thy beginning from out of the land of the Cananites Thy father was an Amorrhite and thy mother an Hittite In the day that thou wast borne thy nauel-string was not cut Thou wast not washed with water nor salted nor wrapped in swathing clothes Euerie man was afraid of thee I alone stoode forth to take pittie vpon thee I saw thee defiled in thy bloud I caused thee to liue in the same I cast the lap of my garment ouer thee I couered thy nakednesse I entered into league with thee I washed thee I annoynted thee with oyle I clothed thee with imbroidered worke I caused thee to grow vp and raigne then didst thou put thy confidence in thy beautie and hast plaid the harlot by reason of thy fame and high renowne c. What other thing can bee made of all this throughout this whole growth of the Church but that there is nothing in her as of her selfe but pollution and imperfection And that the whole matter of her being and felicitie is onely of God That her vncleanes and disloyaltie proceedeth from her trusting in her beautie notwithstanding that it proceede not from her selfe Esay 64 In particular hee saith of the most righteous and iust the Prophetes themselues being reckoned amongst the same You are all as a polluted thing and all your righteousnesse as a filthie cloth your iniquities haue carried you all away as a wind neither had you any manner of remedie left but onely to flie and haue recourse vnto me who deface and blot out your offences Idem 43. Idem 53. and that for mine owne sake who am not minded to call them to remembrance and through the attonement made by Christ vpon whom is laid the chastisement of your peace who is wounded for your sinnes and in whose stripes you are healed c. All which notwithstanding did it let or hinder this people consisting of men these men tainted and stained with this first and capital pride of man from hasting and endeuouring from time to time continually to returne to this pretended righteousnes which is euer floating and swimming vpon our hearts In the time of our Sauiour Christ Merit amongst the hereticall â—â—wes we see two sorts of people to bee infected with this poyson the Essees which would be so called as doers and fulfillers of the Lawe accusing the Pharisies to bee no better then bare teachers of the same whose will worship is taxed of the Apostle as deuotion of their owne deuise as also their superstitions Tast not touch not c. wherein they laid the foundation of their merits And the Pharisies who taught that it was in the power of man to fulfil the Law hauing also these same workes of supererogation whereof the Prophet speaketh saying Who hath required this at your hands Of these according to the diuers obseruations which they had tied themselues vnto the Thalmud maketh seuen sects but one especially which had this name What ought I to doe and I will doe it And of these we haue an example in him that is spoken of in the Gospell All these things haue I done euen from my youth c. Both the one and the other being verie vnfit to cast and repose themselues vpon the rest of grace and by consequent enemies of our Lord who reckoneth more basely of these sorts of people then of the Publicans and harlors And heereupon hee breaketh out to the denouncing of diuers curses against them as such as would not onely not receiue the kingdome of God themselues but hindered the people also by their interpretations and constructions to receiue the same that is to say remission of sinnes in Christ Whereupon S. Iohn Baptist preparing the way to this kingdome to vnbewitch them beginneth his Sermons at that point Repent the kingdome of beauen is at hand c. So then some of the circumcision that receiued Christ brought this errour into the Church of Christ as also they which did obstinately cleaue vnto Iudaisme had not any other ground for the same then the righteousnesse purchased by the Law and the workes thereof in which
as there can nothing come out of vs that can make God fauourable and mercifull vnto vs. In whose passion iniquitie was remitted and righteousnesse restored all in a day and that not onely vnto iustification but euen to the meriting that is to say to be reputed worthie of the companie of God by them And this is to be vnderstoode so farre forth as we belieue and as his obedience is sufficient for all belieuers vnto eternall life the same being perfectly washed into the remission which is in his bloud But and if you aske to what end then serueth the Law seeing that it doth not iustifie Haimo aunswereth Not to take away sinnes but to shew and point out the same Hincmarus It is because of transgressions and for the hardnesse of the people Adelbertus To teach vs our concupiscence and to learne vs to knowe and vnderstand what is due vnto vs for our sinnes to the end that thereupon wee may seeke for grace Theophilact To conuince vs of sinne and to bring vs to Christ. Anselme To shewe in what Chaines and bandes of sinne such were held as presumed of their power to accomplish and make perfect their righteousnesse by works that so they might perceiue the poyson though thereby they could not take it away and to the increasing and augmenting of sinne not to the cleansing or wiping of it away Radulph in Leuit. l. 20. c. 1. Gysilb in alter But what doe wee not accomplish it then Radulphus saieth What man is he vpon the face of the earth that is able verily not one And Gisilbert So neither hath it brought any thing vnto perfection it hath laid open the woundes but it hath not cured them Theophyliad Rom. c. 3. Anselm in 7 ad Rom. Haimo in Psal 118. in c. 6 ad Rom. passim Otherwise saith Theophilact We had not had neede of Christ And Anselme What is the law but a letter for them that knowe to reade it and cannot accomplish or fulfill it And therefore it hath onely led vs as by the hand vnto grace But againe concerning this grace who hath mooued the Lord to doe so much for vs Verily saith Haimo The onelie goodnesse which is in him and therefore let no man presume of his merits but of the onelie clemencie of our Sauiour who saith the Apostle hath saued vs freelie that is to say without anie precedent merits who saueth vs saith hee by his preuenting grace and iustifieth vs by his subsequent grace Eternall life is giuen to none as a thing of due but by free mercie Remig in psa 19.21 32 70. c. And S. Remigius Adam made the olde people but our Lorde Christ the newe in asmuch as he hath freely iustified the same without anie precedent merits For wee haue made our selues sinners but his onely mercie hath made vs righteous yea saith hee it hath made of vs that were wicked and vngodly godly ones of seruants free men of condemned ones such as are to be receyued into the kingdome of heauen Theophyl in Ep. ad Tit. c. 3 Anselm in c. 5. ad Ephes And Theophilact Hee hath saued vs euerlastinglie not by the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but by the operation of his onelie clemencie c. And Anselme This hath come to passe through the great and vnspeakeable loue of God that the onely begotten sonne hath deliuered himselfe ouer vnto death the maisler for the seruant Cur Deus homo c. 2. the Creator for the creature that hee hath said vnto man Take my onelie sonne and giue him for thee that the sonne hath said Take me and redeeme thy selfe c. And all the same treatise handleth no other thing And againe howe doe wee receiue this grace Haimo in c. 9. ad Rom in c. 3 ad Galat. super Euang. in Oct. Pasch Remig. in Psa 10. in 18. in 19. Haimo saith Of faith and by faith wee are iustified heires through faith and not through the lawe by grace and not by merit to the ende that the promise made vnto the seede of Abraham may abide and continue firme c. Remigius All my faith is in Christ I belieue my selfe in him onely to be iustified saued This is my mountaine This is my refuge c. The heauens sing of the glorie of God And what manner of glorie verily saith he for that we are not saued by our workes but by his mercie And this is the great glorie of God that all hauing sinned and all hauing need of this glorie namely to be freely iustified euen in the mercie exhibited by the Sonne Gisilb in alt c. 1. 13. c. Gisilbertus Faith went before the law and without the law hath iustified the faithfull Our father Abraham pleased God by faith rather then by circumcision Many haue perished notwithstanding circumcision and many before that it was haue beene iustified by faith alone Christ is the inheritance of the faithfull whome they receiue by faith Theophyl in Abac. c 2. c. Theophylact The righteous man worketh by faith vnto life whether it bee that which is to come or be it righteousnes it selfe Faith iustifieth in as much as it vnlooseth sinnes The law would iustifie men but it hath not the power faith therefore hath done it which iustifieth Idem ad Rom. c 9 Idem in c. 3. ad Gal. Haimo in c. 1. 3. 4. ad Rom. and not workes yea saith he Faith iustifieth onely and not workes The law curseth vs but faith blesseth vs c. But to be iustified is it not to be made righteous And then with what manner of righteousnes Verily saith Haimo with the righteousnes of Christ by the which he maketh the faithfull righteous in bestowing the same vpon them and therefore it is called the righteousnes of God And the same is applied vnto vs by the gift of God that is to say by the redemption which is in Christ and not by the workes of the Law c. Whereby it commeth to passe Idem in Psal 83. Gisibert in alterc c. 8. saith he that to shew mercy is not onely to pardon and forgiue the sinnes but also to gine righteousnes Gisilbertus saith This righteousnes of God is not the same with that by which he is righteous but that wherewith he clotheth the righteous when hee freely iustifieth the wicked And it is to this righteousnesse that the Law and the Prophets beare witnesse The Lawe for in that it commaundeth and threateneth but iustifieth not anye man it sheweth sufficientlye that man is not iustified but by the gifte of GOD by the quickeninge Spirite The Prophetes in asmuch as the comminge of Christ hath fullfilled that which they haue foretolde Anselm in 1. Cor. 11. And Anselme The righteousnesse of God is by fayth by the which wee beleeue in Christ And it is called the faith of Christ after the same manner that righteousnesse is called the
c. which could not be both the signes and the things at one and the same time August ad Bonisacium Ep. 23. And therefore saith Saint Augustine The Sacraments that is to say the signes for the similitude and likenesse which they haue with the things doe take the names of the things themselues And he giueth this example To morrow shall be the passion of our Lord to day Christ is risen againe we are buried with Christ by Baptisme c. In like maner he saith not saith he we signifie the buriall but plainly and absolutely we are buried calling the Sacrament of the thing that is to say the signe by the name of the thing it selfe Againe Idem in Leuit. l. 3. q. 7. cōt Adimant c. 12 Ep. 102. The thing which signifieth hath bin accustomed to be named by the name of that which it signifieth As the seuen eares are seuen yeares hee saith not signifie the rocke was Christ hee saith not signifieth Christ as though it were that in substance which it is not but in signification c. Which thing Theodoret calleth a commutation of names of the signe or Symbole to the thing Seeing saith he that God would that those which receiue the diuine mysteries should not rest and content themselues with the things which they see but that they should beleeue through the change of names the transmutation that is made of grace Not saith he that the nature is changed but that grace is added thereunto That which is brought in as said by Saint Gregorie Gregor in Dial l. 4. may we also say together with him That in the celebration of the Sacrament the high and heauenly things are ioyned to the low and earthly and the visible to the inuisible c. But Saint Augustine giueth vs a rule which wee are not to exceede or passe August in doct Christ l. 3 c. 5. It is saith he a miserable seruitude and slauerie of the soule to take the signes for the things This is Carnaliter sapere not to taste any thing but flesh to be carnally wise which is the verie death of the soule c. The Iewes did obstinately pitch and rest themselues vpon the signes Christian libertie reuerenceth not a profitable signe instituted of God but that whereunto such signes are to be referred c. that is to say for that the signe and the thing are Correlatiues And as saith he it is a slauish weakenesse and a point of seruile infirmitie to take the signes for the things signified Idem de Trin. l. 9. quaest ex Nou. Test c. 59. Idem cont Maxim l 3. c. 22. Idem in 1. Cor. c. 10. Idem in 2. Cor. 3. Tho. in tract de differ verb. diuin Lum Summ. q. 1. art 6. vbi allegat Petra erat Christus so it is a verie deepe deceipt and errour to interpret them vnprofitably And by name he taketh for an example the Sacraments of the Christian Church especially Baptisme in an other place We see therein saith he water but the spirit which is not seene worketh therein which washeth away the sinnes of the soule and as visible things becom profitable to such as are able to see so the spirit to the spirituall c. And in another place In the Sacraments we are to regard not that which they are but that which they signifie sunt enim signa rerum saith he aliud existentia aliud significantia for they are signes of things which are another maner of thing in themselues then that which they signifie And Anselme in the same sense The holie Scriptures call the things signifying as the signified for that the signes seeme to make representation of the things they signifie whereupon it is said The rocke was Christ which was onely by the way of signification and not of substance And in another place It must bee carefully anoyded that a figuratiue speech be not expounded and taken according to the letter for this were carnaliter sapere to haue a carnall taste c. and Thomas in like maner And indeed the difference betwixt them is so great as that they cannot be made one For Saint Augustine saith oftentimes God onely giueth the thing but both the good and the euill may giue the signe And Chrysostome When thou art baptised August contr Maxim l. 3. c. 22 in Ioh. tract 5. con liter Petil. l. 3. c. 4.9 Chrysost in Mat. hom 51. Le◠de Natiuit serm 4. it is not the Minister which baptiseth thee it is God himselfe who holdeth thy head by an inuisible power neither Angell nor Archangell durst once touch thee therein And Leo the first Christ gaue to the water the same which hee gaue to his mother the same that made her to conceiue the Sauiour namely the operation of the holy Ghost giueth the power of the regenerating of man vnto the water c. And Anselme who is not one of the oldest writers Wherefore dooth God alone saith hee giue the thing and men the signe Verily because that without the mediation of his worde the signe is a meere naked and bare signe yea it ought to loose and forgoe the name of signe in as much as the thing whereof it is the signe cannot bee ioyned thereto So the Circumcision of the Turkes is nothing for it is without the institution of the Lord and as little is that of the Moores worth notwithstanding they be Christians and yet the signe is there intire the ceremonie intire And so although that Manna should raine downe to morowe yea and albeit water should gush out of the rocke yet this should be but Manna and water this should not likewise bee to Christians the participating of Christ it was that vnto the Iewes In the apple which Adam did eate in the Garden there was no venime and notwithstanding it was deadly vnto him for that the transgressing of the word of the Lord doth beget and bring forth death In these Sacraments how precious so euer they be there is no gaine or good to bee got without the institution of God for his word is the life therof And this is that which S. Augustine saith The signes of diuine things are visible wherein we honour the inuisible things Signacula August de Catech. rud c 26 and yet notwithstanding we must not hold the kind which is sanctified by the blessing thereof as that which is of common vse for there must regard and consideration be had what the word doth signifie which hath beene pronounced vpon it as also that which lieth hidden in the same and wherof it beareth the similitude likenesse Iren. likewise Iren. l. 4. c. 34. The bread hauing receiued his stile of the word of God is not any more common bread but it becommeth an Eucharist which consisteth in two things the one earthly and the other heauenly And the same had beene said by him of all the Sacraments S. Ambrose What hast thou seene
grace And Saint Augustine That the signes are common to the good and euill but the thing proper vnto the faithfull alone That although they shut vp within their teeth tantae reâ— Sacramentum that is to say the signe of so excellent a thing Idem de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 25. In sent Prosper 318. tract 59. in Iob. yet they eate but their owne condemnaion That none abide in him but such as beleeue in him that such as abide in him eate him that the rest eate Sacramento tenus non re vera the signe not the thing That the Apostles did eate panem Dominum the bread which was the Lord but Iudas the bread of the Lord against the Lord c. Although Saint Hillarie say that he communicated not at all and the Canon Qui discordat drawne out of Saint Augustine is cleare and euident therein Wheras on the contrarie it should proue most plain and manifest that if their opinion take place that the vnbeleeuers and hypocrites shall receiue the bodie of Christ Christ shal dwell in their bodies corporally such as are dead in their sinnes shal receiue the bread of life and in it eternal life Thus then they destroy the Sacrament of the Supper both in the thing and in the signe prostituting holinesse and sanctimonie vnto the prophane casting the childrens bread vnto dogges and bestowing the spiritual life vpon the vnbeleeuers In the signes causing them to cease to be substances and signes of a most substantiall substance turning them into vaine and imaginarie accidents accidents subsisting without any subiect and yet hauing taste and apt to feed and sustaine and to beget excrements and wormes that is to say substances yea and to be turned into ashes that is to say into matter doe we consent and agree vnto the contradictions contained in these things yea and to be brused and broken in peeces For if this be not bread which is broken shall it be the bodie They are not able to affirme it Iohn 19. Exod. 12. The scripture is verie cleare and plaine His bones shall not be broken Thus then you see how they go about to make them accidents without any bodie Thirdly the nature of one Sacrament is vnderstood by the other It destroyeth the conformity and correspondency that is betwixt the holy supper and the other sacraments We haue affirmed it heretofore out of the old writers with the Apostle That in the Sacraments of the old Testament the fathers receiued the same meate and the same drinke and yet notwithstanding without transubstantiation euen Christ And namely in the comparing of the holy Supper they haue â—o vnderstood it S. Augustine The same faith abideth but the signes are chaunged There the rocke was Christ here that which is set vpon the Altar There they drunke the water that ranne out of the rocke and we the faithfull know that which we drinke c. And Bertram They did eate and drinke the same meate which the people of the beleeuers doth eate and drinke in the Church euen the flesh and blood of our Lord and infinit others Let vs speake now of those of the new Testament Of Baptisme it is said Bee baptised in the name of Christ for the remission of sinnes Of the Supper This is my bodie which is broken my bloud which is shed for you for the remission of sinnes Of the one If a man be not regenerate and borne againe of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Of the other If you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of man drinke not his blood you haue no life in you In a word it is said that in the one We put on Christ we are baptised into his death established and â—ssured into his resurrection regenerate renewed saued c. That in the other We dwell in Christ and that we are in him nourished vnto eternall life c. And Saint Paule seemeth to haue ioyned them together in one verse 1. Cor. 12.13 We were all baptised into one selfe same spirit and we haue all drunke of one selfe same spirit that we might become one and the same bodie c. For the like effects proceeding from the same power and tending to the same end wherefore then wil we in these Sacraments find out diuerse natures Tit. 2. 2. Pet. 1. And why dooth water continue still to be water and neuerthelesse the sprinckling saith the Apostle of the bloud of Christ washing vnto regeneration and remission of sinnes and to saluation by the operation of the holy Ghost when as the bread and wine by the verie same cannot become instruments to nourish our soules with the bodie and bloud of Christ but that it must first come to passe that they be made of no reckoning that the bodie and bloud doe enter into and take possession of their places and that the nature of all both wordes and things holie and not holie be turned topsie turuie As though the power of God were weaker in the one then in the other And it is likewise most certaine that there is nothing more familiar amongst the fathers Epiph. cont haeres l 3. c. 2. in Anchorat Chrysost in Mat. hom 83. August in Io. tract l. 25. 26. Euseb Emiss then to reason from Baptisme vnto the Supper of the Lord. As when Epiphanius saith That the strength of the bread and vertue of the water are made powerfull in Christ c. And Chrysostome speaking of the Supper The Lord saith hee hath not giuen vs here anie sensible thing wee must see and looke vpon the same with the eies of our vnderstanding c. And thus saith hee by the water in Baptisme which is a sensible thing he hath giuen vs regeneration which is a gift apprehended by the vnderstanding And S. Augustine vpon the same matter The Christian is made fat inuisibly namely in the holie Supper as also he is begotten and borne againe inuisibly namely in Baptisme And Eusebius Emissenus labouring to declare and shew what manner of change it is that is made in the bread and wine laieth out the same in plaine sort by that which is wrought in the regeneration of man saying which continueth idem idem the verie same and yet notwithstanding quite another maner of man through the growth and increase of faith Damascene also in like maner Damasc l. 4. c. 14. D. 2. C. Quia corpus de consecr C. vtruÌ„ though one that hath written after the grossest sort in this matter Gratian likewise in the Canon Vtrum which is taken out of Saint Augustine and manie other Certes the Councell of Nice saith of Baptisme Our Baptisme is not to be considered with the eies of the bodie but with the eies of the spirit and so of the Supper Let not your eies stay themselues vpon these signes but lift theÌ„ vp on high c. And he letteth not to say of Baptisme Seest thou water
confound the Creator with the creature And not any more to diuide and seperate with Nestorius but with Eutiches to confound and couple together the two natures In like maner S. Ierome Didimus l. 1 de spir sanct or rather Didimus translated by him goeth further Yea if the holy Ghost saith he were a creature euen he should haue a circumscriptible substance that is to say a substance restrained kept within certaine limits Yea saith S. Cyril The Diuinitie could not possibly auoid limitation Cyril de Trinit c. 2 if it were within the reach of any quantitie And then will the fathers exempt and except his glorified body from these rules Can you once thinke how seeing they do not exempt the Diuinity it self if it were possible for it to come vnder any presupposed quantitie Theod. Dial. 2 Verily not Theodoret who saith It is glorified with diuine glorie adored of the celestial powers but notwithstanding a body but notwithstanding subiect to that limitation which it was before c. I heard the Lord who said You shall see the Sonne of man comming in the clouds c. But I know that that which is seene of men is finite and limited August ad Dard. Idem ad q. 35. q. 65. 20. Idem de diuers quaest q. 83. Ep. 6. Idem in Ioh. tract 30. de Consecr d. 2. C. prima quidem Idem ad Dar. Ep. 57. ad Consent 46. Nazianz. ad Theod. dial 1. Concil Chalced apud Damasc l. 3. c. 3. Euagr. l. 2. c. 4 Concil Constant aecumenic 6. for neuer could any man see that nature which is infinite and vnlimited Not S. Augustine For saith hee take from bodies space of place and so you shall make thē not existant and if not existant then not to be any thing at all Againe Euerie body is locall and euerie locall thing is a body whatsoeuer is locall is in one place and not in many and it occupieth with his least part the least place with his greatest the greatest c. Againe The Lord is on high but the Lord which is veritie and truth that is to say in as much as hee is God is also here It must needs be that the body wherin he rose againe marke how he speaketh of his glorified body should continue in one place albeit that his truth bee dispersed and shed abroad euerie where Againe Let vs not be so insolent as to say that the body hath not onely put off mortalitie and corruption by the glory of the resurrection but also that it is now become spirit where it was a body For I belieue and esteeme it to be such a one in heauen as it was here on earth when he ascended into heauen c. For a spirituall body is that which is alreadie immortal with the spirit but not that it is changed into a spirit c. Not Gregorie Nazianzene We teach saith hee the same Christ consisting of a circumscriptible body and of an incircumscriptible spirit of a body which may be contained in a place of a spirit which no place is able to contain c. Not the Orthodox and purer Church in the Councels of Chalcedon Constantinople III. The two natures after the vnion haue verily their owne natures their naturall properties for either of thē doth retaine his natural property so as that it cannot possibly be changed But in the meane time we haue here to obserue that the heretickes of that time against whom the fathers disputed doe not aleadge for themselues any thing of transubstantiation but is not the bodie of Christ in diuers places at one the same time in the holy supper and then is it not either changed or cōfounded with the diuinitie or the properties of the one nature become communicable with the other which no doubt they would not haue forgotten if the Church of that time had taught either transubstantiation or any doctrine which had come neere therto They obiect yea but our Lord came forth of the virgins wombe Tertul. de car Christ c. 4. 20. 23. aduers Marcion l. 3. c. 11. l. 4. c. 21. l. 5. c. 19. Quod communi parefacti corporis lege pepetit Orig. in Luc. hom 14. Ambr. in Luc. l. 2. Hieron ad Eustoch de cast virg Luke 2. Durand l. 4. in l. 4. Sent. D. 44. q. 6 Nu. 21. Leo 1. ad Epis Palaest Hilar. de Trin l. 3. ad Constant August Hieronym ad Pammach Iustin Martyr in quaest q 120 Cyril Alex. in Ioh. l. 12. c. 53. that was closed and shut vp he rise againe the sepulcher fast he went into his discipls the dores made c. Wherfore there is a penetrating of dimensions and a concurrence of bodies in one and the very same place c. Tertullian Origen S. Ambrose and S. Ierome did answere them That Christ being borne did open the wombe of the virgine And S. Luke alleadgeth the law to this purpose Euerie male opening the matrix shal be holy vnto the Lord c. Out of which Theophilact gathereth altogether an other manner of doctrine For saith hee this law properly hath beene accomplished in Christ alone who onely opened the wombe of the virgin for as concerning other mothers their husbands and not their children doe open them And Durand likewise is farre from finding this miracle To the stone rolled vpon the sepulcher Iustinus Martyr would tell them That the diuine power caused it to make way for him or that the Angell rolled it away And Pope Leo the first likewise That Christ rise againe the stone of the sepulcher being rolled away And S. Hilarie in generall That all closed and shut thinges are open to the power of God S. Ierome That the creature giueth place to the Creator c. But yet his entrance the dores being shut is vnanswered Iustinus Martyr answering purposely this verie question This was not saith he by chaunging his bodie into a spirit but by the same reason that our Lord walked vpon the sea causing by his diuine power the sea to befit to walk vpon which of it owne nature was not so in so much as that it did not onely beare vp his bodie but that of Peters also The miracle then was in the sea not in the bodie in the dores which opened by a speciall power and not in the subtlenes as they speake of his bodie Then he addeth For this is the same with the walking of his body vpon the sea without being chaunged for euen so without any manner of change in his bodie he entred in at the dores being shut And therefore he would saith he that his disciples should touch him to the end that they might know that he entred not by changing of his bodie into a spirite but that by diuine power which bringeth thinges to passe beyond the course of nature this bodie of his consisting of grosse parts was entered and come into them Saint
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
deed elsewhere he saith plainly That Iudas did not sup with our Lord For saith he he could not drink there with him which should not drinke with him in his kingdome seeing that he promised to al theÌ„ that drunk then of the fruit of this vine that they should drinke afterward with him The same that S. Clement hath said vnto vs before from the report of the Apostles Note of the fruit of this Vine not of the accidents of wine not of the bloud of Christ really but Sacramentally But they obiect a place vnto vs wherein I heartily wish more conscience in them and vnto the Reader that he would take the pains to reade it through for the better obseruing of the rule of this same Doctor therein That the things which are said must bee vnderstood by the causes that moued and procured such things to be said So saith he the word was truely made flesh Idem ibid. and we as verily and truly doe receiue the word flesh by the meate of the Lord How can we but iudge that he abideth naturally in vs Where they vnderstand by Cibum Dominiâ— The meate of the Lord the Eucharist and by abiding or dwelling naturally in vs to receiue the bodie of Christ really at our mouthes And these are the points which we are to examine Saint Hillarie dealeth here against the Arrians The Father saith S. Hillarie and the Sonne are one Euen so said they but yet so one as we are one with Christ Now that we are one with Christ it is of his free will not of our nature and in will not in nature the Father and the Sonne are also one Saint Hillarie then to proue vnto them that the Father and the Sonne were one in nature proueth vnto them that we are one in nature with Christ and he handleth it after this sort First that there is the same humane nature in Christ and in vs by the incarnation of the Sonne of God which he calleth the Sacrament of perfect vnitie the Sacrament of flesh and bloud and by which Naturalis communionis propriet as nobis indulgetur The propertie of the naturall communion is giuen vnto vs by our Lord Vsing the word Sacrament for the Mysterie in the worke of the incarnation as it is his ordinarie vse to doe a manner of speech verie familiar at that time as we reade in the conference betwixt the Catholiks and Donatists where Marcelline who did sit as President and chiefe Iudge for the Emperour Honorius doth sweare By the misterie of the Trinitie and by the Sacrament of the Lords incarnation c. In the second place that besides this nature which the faithfull and vnfaithfull are alike partakers of with our Lord there is a special and more particular coniunction which is wrought by the spirit of Christ dwelling in the faithfull which regenerateth quickneth sanctifieth maketh them conformable vnto him and transformeth them into him for proofe whereof he alleadgeth the 6.14 and 17. of S. Iohn which our aduersaries will not denie to belong to the spirituall eating of the faithfull onely And this he maketh more cleare when hee addeth that the cause of our life is by Christ dwelling naturally in vs by his fleshe vniting vs vnto himselfe and by himselfe vnto God the father That Christ is in vs by the truth of his nature that hee dwelleth in vs naturally we being made by this most strait bond of vnion flesh of his flesh sucking our life from his spirit And this he further declareth by sundrie sorts of speeches tending all to one sence and meaning That we communicate his flesh To mingle in vs the nature of his flesh To be naturally in vs and we in him And this our aduersaries themselues wil confesse that it cannot be said of the vngodly and by consequent that it cannot appertaine to the Sacramentall or orall eating that is to say to the eating of the mouth Ad hereunto that he which saith that he is naturally in vs saith also Hilar. de Trinit l. 8. That we are naturally in him But naturally we are not in him as being in him carnally or really but as grafted by faith into his body so neither is Christ by this argument carnally and corporally in vs. Thirdly he alleadgeth vnto vs as a testimonie of his holy vnion the supper of our Lord when he saith that we receiue verily and truely the word flesh Cibo Dominico By the meate of the Lord that is to say the flesh of the word the word incarnate the flesh of the Sonne of God by the instrument of the bread of the Eucharist that is because it is a Sacrament exhibiting this flesh exhibiting the grace represented by the signe which consisteth in this vniting of vs with Christ The same which he calleth Sub mysterio Christi carnem sumere To receiue the flesh of Christ in a misterie that is to say signified in this misticall pledge And thus all this maketh nothing for the matter of bread or the Indiuiduum vagum transubstantiated into the body For otherwise it would fall out that throughout all Saint Hillarie his discourse Christ should be auouched and taught to abide in the bread naturally and corporally And if corporally and naturally then verily contrarie to the nature and properties of a body yea contrarie to the coÌ„dition of those which S. Hillarie acknowledgeth to be in the body of Christ For saith he in an other place He taketh away the foolish sottish rashnesse of some who contend that our Lord was seene in the flesh Idem in Psal 137. in the shape of a counterfeit body c. Not remembring themselues that after the Resurrection of the body it was said to the Apostles who thought it had beene a spirit See my hands my feet c. And by a false or counterfeit body he meaneth one that hath not all the ordinarie conditions of a body For in an other place expounding these words The Sonne of man which is in heauen c. hee euidently putteth difference betwixt the natures in Christ Idem de Trinit l. 10. Idem in Psal 1â—4 l. 8. de Trinit by finite and infinite being in one place and being euerie where c. That he is the Sonne of man saith he it is of the birth and bringing forth of that flesh which he tooke of the Virgine That he is in heauen and yet neuerthelesse vpon earth it is through the power of that nature which abideth for euer Againe Hee is present to them which call vpon him faithfully but by his diuine nature and spirit that pearceth and containeth all things He is in vs but we haue to vnderstand that this is by the holy Ghost c. And after the same manner hee expoundeth the place I am with you vnto the end of the world c. And thus wee are come without any Transubstantiation or doctrine comming neere therunto euen to the time of the first generall
of God is the true bread which giueth life to euerie thing As the earthly bread sustaineth the weaknesse of our flesh so he quickneth our spirits by the holy Ghost and deliuereth the body from corruption that is to say according to that which hath beene said so oft to make vs partakers of the resurrection of life Againe This flesh Idem l. 4. c. 14. 16.17 or this body is made aliue because it is by a certaine vnspeakable maner ioyned to the Sonne of God by whom al things are quickned made aliue And hereupon when we eate this flesh we haue life in vs in as much as we be ioyned vnto him in that we are the body and members of Christ in that by the blessing of the misterie we receiue the Sonne of God himselfe And it is necessarie if any man receiue the flesh and bloud of Christ that he bee so coupled to him as that Christ be found in him and hee in Christ c. To eate then the flesh of Christ with S. Cyril is to belieue in Christ it is to haue him dwelling in him liuing in him by his spirit to bee a member of Christ and one with Christ c. And he that hath not Christ in him doth not eate his flesh neither yet drink his bloud c. How can this agree with the pretended eating of the mouth They obiect vnto vs that he saith vpon S. Iohn Idem in Ioh. l. 11. Wee are vnited and made one with God the Father by the mediation of our Sautour for wee receiue corporally and substantially the Sonne of God naturally vnited to the Father and thus we are glorified beeing made partakers of the supreme nature c. which is properly spoken of the incarnation which he calleth a misterie as S. Hillarie a Sacrament And withall let them not dissemble and passe ouer S. Cyril his Exposition vpon this sentence I am the Vine and you are the braunches which is in such sort as S. Hillarie hath expounded it before and to the same sence That the drift that Cyril shoteth at is very cleare and euident to them that will reade the place And that as to be vnited to Christ according to the spirit is to haue the spirit of Christ regenerating his so to be corporally vnited vnto him or according to the body is to bee ioyned to his body and to become members of his body made conformable to him in this life by the beginning of sanctification and spirituall life waiting and attending till we bee perfected in him that is to say glorified in the celestiall life Now saith hee this vnion is made by faith and cherished and strengthned by the eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud and that he that eateth and drinketh them is in Christ and Christ in him c. Hee vnderstandeth then that this corporall and substantiall vnion is wrought by a spirituall eating by that pure and exquisite faith which he requireth and not by the corporall which is common to vs with many drie rotten members euen the vngodly infidels of whom it cannot be said that Christ is in theÌ„ or they in Christ And in deed he hath ther to deale against heretiks which pretended Christ was not called a Vine according to his humanitie but according to his deitie He holding on the contrarie that the faithfull are made partakers of the nature of Christ as the braunches doe communicate with the Vine by the participation of his spirit Affiâ—i c. And this is that which he saith That they are fastned to Christ as the braunches to the Vine firmely and substantially ioyned and glued to him by his spirit That they are made braunches in as much as they are regenerate and in as much as the roote doth impart vnto them his qualities They bring foorth fruit in as much as they hang vppon the Vine ioyned to the same by faith and holinesse Idem in Ioh. l. 10. c. 13. and nourished and fed vp to eueâ—ie vertue by his holy spirit c. In a word altogether as he saith That Christ is corporally in vs in like manner saith he as wee are corporally in Christ Now our bodies are not corporally in Christ but wee are grafted thereinto by faith neither then is the body of Christ corporally in vs but spiritually receiued by faith Now of conscience can this be vnderstood of an eating which is made by the mouth or that can be done but by those that are truely faithfull So that in Cyrill to be corporally ioyned is not after the manner as they are wont vsually to take it in the Schooles Ratione modi sed ratione obiecti that is to say to bee conioyned by the meanes of the body but to be ioyned to the body And in deed he declareth this coniunction by a place in the Corinthians where the faithfull are called the members of Christ that is to say inseparably ioyned to the body of Christ and not verily by the body but saith he by the mediation of his spirit As also by that place of Saint Iohn where wee agree and are of iudgement that it is spoken of the spirituall eating and not of the corporall But I would intreate the Reader to reade the whole place that hee may the better iudge of counterfeited and cloaked dealing They obiect in the meane time the Synod of Ephesus wherein Cyrill was president We come saith hee vnto the misticall blessings and are sanctified being made partakers of the holy body and precious bloud of Christ c. not receiuing it as a common flesh which God forbid neither yet as the flesh of a sanctified man c. but as that which is become the verie flesh of the word or eternall Sonne of God And who would haue them to doubt of this But the question is not of the obiect of our Communion but of the manner And behold thus he expoundeth it When saith hee they had heard If you eate not my flesh c. they were troubled c. Because saith he they had not as yet bene made acquainted with the forme and most goodly administration of this misterie Idem in Ioh. l. 12. c 58. That is as he saith to Euoptius That we must not handle or deale with that which is not gotten but by pure and onely faith according to the conceipts of mans braine That the bodie of our Lord is not common although the nature of the diuine word bee not eaten That the participation of this misterie is a true confession and remembrance that the Lord is dead for the loue of vs and that he is risen againe for vs and that by occasion thereof he filleth vs with his diuine blessings Finally that the operation of the Sacrament is not wrought in the bread Idem in Leuit. 15. or wine but in vs but in our soules For saith hee in an other place the Lord saith Take eate and not keepe it reserue it till
is swaruing and degenerating from the other wee must first consider after what manner the holy Supper was instituted that holy Supper which is the sacrament of the new Testament and succeeded the feast of the Passeouer which was the Sacrament of the olde that holy supper which is the true commemoration and memoriall of the sacrifice of the lambe without spot or blemish slaine for our sinnes the figure and representation whereof had before beene liuely set out in the Paschall lambe For we do altogether agree in this all the sort of vs that as the law was ordained to leade vs to grace Moses and the Prophets to bring vs to Christ euen so all the propitiatorie sacrifices of the law were to fit and to prepare vs for the laying holde vppon that true and onely propitiatorie the very lambe which taketh vpon him the sinnes of the worlde And all the sacrifices of thankesgiuing likewise which were offered for the acknowledgement of temporall benefites serued to stirre vs vp to the consideration of this great and vnspeakeable spirituall benefite which it pleased God according to the riches of his mercie to manifest and lay open in his Sonne And therefore as we must come to the knowledge of the Masse by the holy Supper so to that of the holy Supper by the Passeouer the holy Supper hauing succeeded the Passeouer by the institution of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Masse in the Church of Rome hauing taken vp the place of the holy supper through the corruption which hath beene brought in by the See and gouernment of Antichrist Behold therefore the institution of the Passeouer in Exodus Pharao perseuering in his rebelliousnes Exod. 1◠That the holy Supper came in place of the Passeouer God declared vnto Moses that he would roote out all the first borne of Egypt yet neuerthelesse to the end he might put some difference betwixt the vessels of his wrath and those of his mercie he would spare the first borne of Israell spare them I say not because of any their merites but for his owne compassions sake through the fauour purchased by the lambe slaine for sinne from the foundation of the world Wherefore hee ordained that in euerie familie betwixt two euens a lambe without spot for a type and figure of the true and verie lambe should bee killed and eaten that with the bloode thereof the postes of the houses of his people should be sprinckled to the end that the destroying Angell might passe ouer as an euident warning and admonition that whereas this blood was not sprinkled what familie or person soeuer it might be there was nothing but matter for his wrathfull anger to worke and feede vpon that moreouer this killing of this lambe should bee renewed euery yeare and that for euer to teach and instruct the ages to come as well in the memorie of the benefites alreadie receiued as in the expectation and faithfull looking for of greater that were to come and to be receiued Now in this institution wee haue both a Sacrament and a sacrifice to consider and thinke vpon In the Passeouer is a Sacrament and a sacrifice The Sacrament giuen of God vnto his people for a seale and assurance of his promise and of the fulfilling of the same for to this end are the Sacraments giuen of God vnto his people when he saith And this blood shal be for a signe vnto you in your houses that when I shall see it I will passe-ouer and that there shall not be any deadly stroke amongst you when I shall smite Egypt A sacrifice offred vp to God by his people for as properly are sacrifices offered vp to God by the people as Sacramentes come from God are giuen to the people as is witnessed when he saith And this day shall be for a memoriall vnto you and you shall keepe holy this feast in your generations in as much as God smote Egipt and passed notwithstanding ouer our houses c. Such a Sacrament notwithstanding as leadeth vs from this lambe vnto another lambe from this blood vnto an other bloode and from this temporall effectualnesse vnto a spirituall in as much as it is chosen without spotte it is for a signe of our Redeemer his innocencie and in that it is slaine it serueth vs for a signe of his death and passion in that it is eaten it is a signe to vs of that life and nourishment which wee draw from his death and of our communicating of his flesh and of his bloode as being bone of his bones flesh of his flesh c. And a Sacrifice also which besides that it is truely and verily one of the number of those which were of praise and thankesgiuing ceaseth not neuerthelesse any manner of way to hold the place of a propitiatorie seeing that this lambe offered by the father of the familie doth prefigure vnto vs the lambe which the heauenly father did sacrifice vpon the tree of the crosse for the saluation of such as were of his houshould through faith and our Propitiation in his bloode as it is expounded by S. Iohn the fore-runner Ioh. 1.19 Behold the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And by the Euangelist in better forme referring and applying that to the substance and truth which was ordained and decreed of the type and figure To the end saith he that the Scripture might be fulfilled There shall not one of his bones be broken Now our Lord the true and verie lambe The same in the holy Supper to what end which came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it kept the feast of the typicall or figuratiue lambe with his disciples both according to this institution as also according to all the circumstances thereof Hee kept it I say the fourteenth day of the moneth beginning at the euening according to the order of the Hebrewes the first day of vnleauened bread betwixt two euens that is to say betwixt the euening Sacrifice and the Sunne-set Therein hee likewise obserued the accustomed washing excepted onely that hee therewithall endeuoured to draw men euermore from the naked ceremony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the doctrine contained therin there he taught vs humilitie washing the feet of his disciples whose dutie it was without all doubt to haue washed his Thereat after Supper he distributed and gaue the bread and the cup from hand to hand vnto his Apostles as he was wont to do vpon that day among the Iewes in a certaine kind of collation which they call Aphicomin of the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise Kinnuah but in steed of the words which euery housholder did vtter in this distribution which intimated no other thing to those that stood by then the miseries they sustained in Egypt and Gods mercy which had deliuered them from the same our Lord in this action as oftentimes elsewhere raiseth their spirites from the type to the truth from the shadowe to the
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