that were deade But forsomuche as he sawe that they whiche dye in the fauour and beleife in God are in good rest and ioye he thought it to be good and honorable for a reconsilynge to do the same for these that were slayne that the offence mighte be forgeuen .ii. Machab. xii Viset the sicke bury the deade and diligentlye do their exequis and diriges and praye and also geue almose for them Saynt Clement in his compendiolo We do scelebrate the daye of the departinge for those that seme to dye do not dye Therfore we remēber the sainctes our parents oure frendes And we make a solempne memorye for them that dye in the faithe And we reioyse as well at their relefe as also they desyeringe our Godly consummation and ende in the faithe And so we do not after that sorte celebrate the daye of the natiuitie for they that dye in the Lorde shall lyue allwayes Origen in Iob. And whan thou haste asked before God for whose sprit thou makest mention of for whom thou geuest yearely oblations c. Tertulian de exortacione castitatis pagi ccccc lxxxi Geue rest O Lorde to thy wel-beloued seruaunt Theodosius euen that same rest that thou hast prepared for thy saynctes that his soule turne thither from whense it descendyd Ambrosius super obitu Thedosii imperatoris Some vse to obserue the daye of the buryall some the thyrde daye some the .vii. day some the .xxx. day and some the mon the daye and euery obseruinge hath auctorite by the whiche obseruinge the necessarye offyce of godlynes is fulfilled Amb. in oratione super obitu Theodosii imperatoris I commende vnto the O Lorde God allmighty the innocent soule of my brother now deade And I offer vnto the my Sacrifice take mercifully and gladely the present or gyfte of a brother the sacrifice of a preist Amb. in oratione de obitu fratris sui satiri It is not to be denyed that sowles of men departed are releued through the godlynes of their frendes alyue when the sacrifyce of our mediator Christ is offered for them or else almose be geuen for them in the Churche Aug. in his enchiridion ca. ex ad dulcimum When the people shall stande holding vp their handes with the preist and the dreadfull sacrifice is set forth shal we not optayne goddes fauour praying for the deade Aug. vpon the first chapter vnto the Hebrues We muste trauell as muche as maye be that the deade may be holpen not with wepinge but with prayer supplications almose and sacrifice Aug. in his .xli. Homilie i. Cor. xv I Augustyne beseche the O Lord for the sinnes of my mother Here me by the medisine of oure woundes which hange on the crosse and sitting on thy right hand and prayeth for vs c. August lib. confess ix cap. xiii Thorough the prayers verely of holy churche and thoroughe the holsome sacrifice and almes which is geuen for the spirites of them it is not to be douted the deade to be holpen that it may with them be done more mercifull of the Lorde then their trespasses deserued This geuen of the fathers the vniuersall churche obserueth that they that dye in the communion of the body and bloude of Christe when they be remembred to that sacrament it is prayed for them that is offered for them Aug. sermo xxxii oratio sacrificium altaris eleemosina prosint defunctis The soules of good men departed are not seperated from the churche or else a remembraunce of them shoulde not be made at gods Alter in the communion of Christes Alter for them Aug. de ciuitate dei lib. xx cap. ix I did not wepe in those prayers whiche we made to the O Lorde when the sacrifice of oure price or redemption was offered for my mother Monica Aug. lib. ix confessionu cap. xii My mother Monica commaunded vs not to do these thinges for her but onely she desired a remembraunce of her to be made at thy aulter O Lorde whiche she hadde dayly serued from whiche aulter she knew that the holy goost or sacrifice to be distributed by whiche the writing of our own hand sinne that was cōtrary vnto vs is done away by whiche hooste or sacrifice thy enemy the deuill is vainquisshed or ouercome Aug. in Lib. ix confessionum Cap. xiii When sacrifice either of the aulter or els of any manner of almose are offered for the dead which were baptised They ar thankesgeuing for them that be very good people and for them whiche are not verye badde they are propiciations for purchasinges of the mercy and fauour of God Eyther they do profit vnto this thinge that it maye be full remission or else at the least that the payne be made more tollerable Aug. in his prima precatione ad missa O holy father receaue thou this offeringe for thy seruaunt whiche Moyses receaued when he dyd se in sprite Receaue the gifte for thy seruaunt that he feruentlye desired that gifte and offering whiche the holy man the stronge man and the lustye man doth requyre Receaue the oblation of thy grace for thy seruaunt Valyntinian nowe departed the whiche grace he dyd neuer refuse Amb. in oratio funcb super obitu Valent. Imperat. And thou shalte performe vnto me the mercy of the Lorde not only while I lyue but euen when I am deade and plucke not thy mercy a waye from my howse for euer i. Reg. i. xx.c ¶ Of penaunce confession and satisfaction YF it chaunce at any tyme that any mans hart enuye infidelitie or any euell of these whiche we haue spoken of before hathe preuilye crepte in Let hym not be ashamed to confesse these thinges to hym whiche ruleth and taketh care and charge of the soule of man that of hym and by the worde of our Lorde and the holsome councell maye be comforte whereby he maye auoyde with safe faithe and good workes the paynes of eternall fyer and come to the rewarde of euerlastynge lyfe D. Petrus in Epistola Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem domini We comynge by and by vnto Christ are commaunded of Saynte Clement to cast all our euill thoughtes out of oure hartes and to open them and shew them to the preistes of our Lorde Ad Clementem in compendiolo suo If we reuele open and shew forth our synnes not onely before God but also before them whiche can heale or cure oure woundes and synnes thē our synnes shal be cleane blotted oute of hym with faith Beholde I will put a waye your synnes and iniquites euen as the cloudes whiche vanyshe and go theyr wayes Origen in Luke .ii. the .viii. Homil. Ther be some whiche do saye it is sufficient for them to their helth and saluatiō if they confesse their fawtes onelye to GOD to whome nothinge is hyd who knoweth the conscience of menne But they wyll not or else they be ashamed or els disdayne to shewe them selues to the preiste whome oure Lorde hath ordayned the geuer of the law
whether the body of a perfight man maye be vnder so litle a broken peace of breade And many such other folysh questions which behoueth with sobernesse to be entretyd of amongest suche persons as haue theyr wyttes exercysed in disputynge reasonyng vpon souche high matters But as vnto the laye people it dothe suffise that they do beleue that after the wordes of consecration be once by the minister spoken ouer the creatures of bread and wyne that ther is incontinent the very body bloud of our sauiour christ which nether can be deuided nor yet receaue any hurt nor is not mete to receue any maner of iniury whatsoeuer chauÌ„ces do become of the outward formes of bread and wyne For if the sacred body of our lorde should be throwne into the myre or into any vyle gonge or any otherwise vnto any irreuerent parsonnes thinkinge should be iniured or soylde in dede the mooste iniury that can be done vnto it is whan it is receued into the mouth of a wicked synfull parson whiche is sore soyled spotted with greuouse and odible sinne Now surely it is therfore sittinge for our christian religion to entreat and order the outwarde formes of breade and wyne of the holy sacrament with all due reuerence But as concerning the very body of our Sauiour it self lyke as God after his nature is no lesse glorious in a vyle synke than he is in heauen and canne by no malyce of man or chaunce by man or otherwyse happeninge receaue any hurt or iniurye no more can the glorified body of our sauiour Christe what iniurye soeuer be doone vnto the outewarde tokens of breade and wyne And to be breife agaynste all doubtes and seruples of mannes weake knowledge Lette vs fyrst call to oure myndes the immesurable power of God vnto whome nothinge is impossible yea vnto whoÌ„ ther is nothing but it is light to be done so it be his pleasure that it should so be whiche saide Take eate This is my bodye And in a nother place of the same Epistle he saithe At the masse tyme the Angelicall sprites do with moste humble reuerence staÌ„de a boute the Alter ther to do there worshippe and lowly reuerence he also is there present whome all the heauenly hoostes of blessed sprites do desire to behold and loke vpoÌ„ And a litle after Let all preistes therefore consider the highnes of their profession whan they do staÌ„d at the aulter they haue aungels to minister vnto them These be the wordes of the famous clerke Erasmus Rothorodame whereby all Christian people maye knowe what was his opinion in the Sacrament not disagreing from the olde fathers here before written ¶ Thomas Cramner in his Cathechisme in the .cc.xxxv. lefe of the fyrst syde CHrist sayth of the breade this is my bodye and of the cuppe this is my bloude Wherefore we ought to beleue that in the sacrament we receaue truely the bodye and bloud of Christ For God is almighty and he is able therfore to do all thinges what he wyl Wherfore when Christ taketh bread and saith Take eate this is my body we oughte not to doubte but we eate his very body And whan he taketh the cuppe and saith Take drinke this is my bloude we ought to thinke assuredly that we drinke his very blode And this we muste beleue yf we will be counted christiâ—n men And where as in this pâ—â—illous tyme certayne dysceytfull persons be founde in many places who of very frowardnes will not graunte that there is the body and bloude of Christe but deny the same for none other cause but that they can not compasse by mannes blynde reasone howe this thinge shoulde be brought to passe ye good children shall with all diligence beware of suche persons that ye suffer not youre selues to be deceaued by them For suche men surely are not true Christians neyther as yet haue they learned the firste Article of the Crede whiche teacheth that God is almyghtye whiche ye good children haue already perfectlye learned wherfore eschew suche erronious opinions and beleue the wordes of oure Lorde Iesus that you eate and drinke his verye boâ—â—e and bloude in the Sacrament aâ—thoughe mannes reason cannot comprehende howe and after what maner the same is there present Wherfore doubte not good chyldren but there is the bodye and bloude of our Lorde whiche we receaue in the lordes supper For he hath sayde so and by the power of his worde hath caused it so to be Wherefore seynge Christ sayth do this as often as ye do it in remembraunce of me it is euident thereby that Christe causeth euen at this tyme his bodye and bloude to be in the Sacrament after the maner and fasshion as it was at that tyme when he made his mauÌ„dye with his disciples For else we coulde not do it in the remembraunce of hym that is to saye to receaue his bodye and bloud euen so as he hym selfe dydde geue it to hâ—s disciples And let not the folysshe talke of vnbeleuers moue you who are wonte to aske this question How can the preiste or minister make the bodye and bloude of Christ To this I answere that the mynister dothe not this of hym selfe But Christ hym selfe dothe gyue vnto vs his fleshe and bloude as his wordes dothe euideÌ„tly declare In the .cc.xxxiiii. And this is the meanynge and playne vnderstandyng of the wordes of the Lordes supper Wherfor learne them diligently I praye you that when ye be asked what is the coÌ„munio or the Lordes supper ye maye answer it is the true bodye true bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ hymselfe to be eaten and dronken of vs Christen people vnder the forme of breaâ—e and wyne ¶ In the fyrste booke of common prayer set forth by kynge Edwarde the syxt fol. c.xvi HEre vs O mercifull father we beseche the and with thy holy sprite and worde vouchsafe to blesse and sanctifye these thy gyftes of breade and wyne that they maye be vnto vs the bodye and bloude of thy moste dearly belouyd sonne Iesus Christ And in the .cxxi. lefe And ye muste not thinke lesse to be receaued in parte then in the hoole But in euery of them the hole bodye of our sauiour Iesu Christ ¶ Of prayinge for the deade BE liberal vnto al men liuinge yet let not to do good euen vnto them that are dead Ecclesiasticus .vii. Set thy bread and wyne vpon the burieng of the iust and eate and drinke not therof with synners Tob. iiii So he gathered of euery one a certayn insomuch that he brought together two M. Dragmes of siluer whiche he sente vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice be offered for the misdeede In the whiche place he dyd wel and right for he had some consideration and ponderinge of the lyfe that is alter this tyme. For if he hadde not thoughte that they whiche were slayne dyd yet lyue it had ben superfluouse and vayn to make any vowe or sacrifice for them
Lorde is here with vs The bodye wherin he arose in that kind it becommeth to be in one place but the very body in forme of breade is euery where Corpus Christi in omni altari that is to say in euery aulter where it is consecrate Sermo ii de uerbis Apostoli We haue hard the true master theÌ„ godly redemer mans sauiour commeÌ„ding to vs our praise his blud For he hath spoken to vs of his body bloud that he called his body meat his bloud drink A sacrameÌ„t of the faithfull the faithfull knowe for hearyng what other thinge do they heare but lyfe coÌ„mending suche meate souche drinke ye shall haue saithe he lyfe in you Qui integer ascendere potuit consumi noÌ„ potuit if you eate when some wer offended that this saying was herd He aunswereth dothe this offende you ye wene that of this bodye that ye se I am about to make partes to cut a sonder my meÌ„bers to geue to you what and yf ye se the sonne of man ascendynge where he was before Surelye he that coulde go vp hole coulde not be consumed Therfore of his body his bloude hathe he geuen to vs a holsome refection and so greate a question of his holenes doth he assoyle For so arte thou refreshed that it can not fayle wherevpon thou shalte be refreshed Eate lyfe drinke lyfe thou shalte haue lyfe and the lyfe is hole and that shall be that is to say the bodye bloude of Christe shal be lyfe to euery one yf that whiche in the sacrament is taken visiblye be eaten spiritually in very truth be dronken spiritually Caro nihil prodest Spiritus est qui uiui ficat Super Ioh Cap. 6. We haue harde him selfe saying It is the spirite that quickeneth fleshe profiteth not at all your fathers haue eaten Manna and be deade Whye be they deade For that they dyd se they beleued That that they dydde not se they vnderstode not Moyses dyd eate Aaron did eate Phinees dyd eate and manye other dyd eate whiche pleased the Lorde and were not deade for they vnderstode a visible meate spiritually spirituallye they dyd hunger and spirituallye they tasted that spirituallye they myghte be fylled For to daye we take a visible meate but the sacrament is one thynge and the vertu of the sacrament is another Verye manye do take of the aulter and dye Altare and in takynge they dye Wherfore the Apostle sayth he eateth and drinketh his iudgement Was not the Lordes morsell poyson to Iudas and yet he receiued De Iuda and when he receiued the enemye entred into hym Not that he receaued an euell thynge but that he beyng euyl receaued that which was good Se therfore brethern receaue the heauenly breade spiritually bringe innocency vnto the alter Synnes though they be dayely yet they be not deadly Afore ye come to the aulter take hede what ye saye forgeue vs our trespaces He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude Ioh ca. 6 hath lyfe euerlastynge That is not geuen in the meate whiche we take to sustayne the fleshe but it is in this meate and drynke that is in the body and bloude of our lorde For he that taketh not it hath not lyfe and he that taketh it hath lyfe and that euerlastinge The sacrament of this thynge that is of the vnite of the bodye and bloude of Christ In some place it is done daily In some by certayne space of dayes betwene In the Lordes table let it be prepared and of the Lordes table it is taken of some to lyfe of some to deathe of this matter se more in the sixte of Iohn Here is the sayinge of the Lordes body whiche he sayde he woulde geue to be eaten for eternall lyfe He dyd expounde the maner of thattribution and of his gyfte He that abydeth in me and I in hym Tractus super Iohan nom 27. hath eaten a token hath dronken that we might be in his bodye vnder that heade in his meÌ„bers eatinge his flesh not leuinge his vnitie many hearinge these thinges not vnderstanding were offeÌ„ded for they thought not heainge these thinges but flesh that they were to ê‘ceiue after the flesh is deth And yet so it behoueth to be spoken that it shoulde not be vnderstande of all the secrete thinges of God it must make theÌ„ attempt not coÌ„trary for these dyd some shrynke from God speaking suche thinges And in those wordes they dyd not beleue our Lord Iesu Christ speaking a greate thing couering a certayne grace eueÌ„ as they wolde so they vnderstaÌ„de after the maner of men For Iesus might that or Iesus dyd dyspose that the fleshe wherewith the worde was clothed as cut in peces destribute to the beleuers in hym Quomodo caro non prodest quicquam the fleshe auayleth no thinge O Lorde good master how doth not the flesh auayle any thinge seynge that thou saide Except one eate my fleshe and drynke my bloud he shal not haue lyfe in him Doth not the lyfe profit any thinge And wherefore be we that we be but that we maye haue euerlastynge lyfe which thou promyseste by thy flesshe What is it therfore It profiteth nothinge the fleshe profiteth nothinge But how dydde they vnderstande truely thus They vnderstand the fleshe as it is rent in the deade bodye or solde in the shambles not as it is quickned with the sprite Let the spirite come to the flesh and it profteth much Ibidem Let the sprite come to the fleshe and it profiteth moch or else the worde shoulde not haue ben made fleshe that it might abyde in vs. Thou hast the wordes of lyfe sayde Peter one for all why sayde he that but that he beleued Thou hast euerlastinge lyfe in the ministracion of thy bodye bloud and we beleue and knowe For yf we shoulde knowe before and then wolde beleue we shoulde neyther be able to knowe nor vnderstande What beleue we and what know we That thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God For thou arte eternall lyfe and thou geuest not in thy flesh but that that thou arte All that the Lorde spake of his fleshe and bloude and that in the grace of his distribution he promysed to vs euerlastynge lyfe and therby he woulde to be vnderstanded the eaters and drinkers of his flesh bloud that they mighte abyde in him and he in them And that they vnderstandinge carnallye thinges spirituall were offended And that they beyng offended perishinge comforte of the Lorde might be to the disciples which remayning whom to proue he asked And wyll you also go away that the aunswer of the abyding of theÌ„ mighte be knowen to vs for he knewe who wolde abyde Therfore all this is auayleable to vs most dearely beloued that we eate not the fleshe and bloude of Christe in Sacrament whiche manye euyll doth but that we eate it vnto the participation of the spirite and drinke it
ther is also Christ and his sprite and God And yet Luther is condempned as an erityke because he wolde haue bread to be Ioyned with the body whiche is contrary to the catholyk churche Melancton Saynt Ambros wold neuer haue traueled sayth Melancton vnto Oecolampadius so many miracles as he doth speake of this matter to the declarynge of goddes omnipotencye and he had not thought the nature of breade to be chaunged in this mystery ¶ Erasmus Rothorodamus vnto Coradus Pellicanus in his Epist vi c.lxxvi pag. WHat maddnes were it for me yf I shoulde pronounce that there is nothinge else in the sacrament of the Alter but onely breade wyne I do acknowelege my selfe that I were worthy of death if euer eny man harde this of me either in earnest or in boorde that there is nothinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely breade and wyne or that ther is not really there present the very bodye bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ And farther he saithe saynte Paule dothe thinke that an Angell is not to be harde if he do preathe an other gospell than the catholyke churche dothe approue and alowe â–ª yea the same churche hathe perswaded vnto me to beleue and to geue credence to the gospell by hyr instruction haue I euer learned how I ought to expouÌ„de the wordes of the gospell hitherto haue I euer worshypped in the sacrameÌ„t Christ which suffered death passion for me as all other trwe christenyd men hath done Nor yet hitherto dyd I neuer se any thing wherefor I ought to go from this mynde and stedfast opynion Nor no mans reasonynge shal be able to cary me awaye frome the holy senteÌ„ce and agrement of the fathers of Christes church For those eight wordes of Moyses in the begynnynge god made heaueÌ„ earth be of more strengthe with me theÌ„ al the argumentes reasons of Aristotle and all other philosophers True it is that the verye bodye of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ is there in the sacrament thoughe it be not to mans sences or reason perceptible But yet is that sacrament a pleage and wonderful memory of his inestimable loue towardes vs and a stedfost comfort wherby to stablysh oure hope towarde God The scripture doth make for vs. We haue these playne wordes in holy scripture This is my body whiche is geuen for you And this is my bloud which shal be shed for you Where do they fynd in holy scripture This is not my body or this is but a figure or signe and token of my bodye They shall neuer be able to bringe forth any place of the auncient doctors which shal by playne and expresse wordes contayne that there is not in the blessed Sacramente of the aulter the very body bloude of our sauiour Christ I pray you what thinge is in this matter whiche moueth you thus highly to extoll this spiritual receauing of the body bloud of our lorde in the sacrament Wolde you therby perswade vnto me that I should not holde with the corporal eatinge and drinkinge of the same body and bloude of our Lord also And wold you by that menes that I should now forsake the true doctrine whiche the catholike church hath euer still taught so manye ages together one folowinge and succedinge after another to harkeÌ„ vnto your newly inuented onelye spirituall eating and drinking of those high misteries therby vtterly secludinge the corporall eatinge and drinkinge of the same self blessed Sacrament Erasmus in his epistle to Balthasar byshop of Heldesyn pag. M. ccccc.lxxvii And suerly there is nothing more effectuall to norish in oure mother holy churche a perfight and an indissoluble concorde than that the same oure mother the Catholyke churche eatinge of one bodye and drinkinge of one bloude by one spirite is made and compacte into one bodye by whom she also receauinge life is knit vnto our lyuing head Christ And yet do we nowe se that all these great benefittes and high promocions notwithstandinge how that through the flighty craftes of oure desaytefull and stronge aduersarye Sathan it is brought to passe that the same most beneficial gifte of the sacramente of the body and bloud of our most mercyfull moste teÌ„derly louynge Sauiour geueÌ„ vnto vs to bringe all ê‘sons into vnite coÌ„cord hath ben the matter where vpoÌ„ in olde tyme so many discencions haue rysyn and of late yeares are now agayne renewed while the some ther be whiche do deny that ther is any thinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely the outwarde tokyns of the body bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Some others do knowlege christ in the sacrameÌ„t but yet vnder the substance of bread and wine And again some ther were that sayde how that through the wordes of consecration the substaunce of breade and wyne do fyrst perishe and so succedeth after the bodye and the bloude of our Sauiour Christ Some others do holde that our Sauiour by the wordes of the consecration dothe become breade and wyne by their fantastical mindes making it but a light matter that was once incarnate and dyd for our sakes become man There haue also ben some that were called Starcoraniste whiche irreuerent parsons deserued well so vile a name because they both ymagin and speake so vylye and withoute all reuerence of so highe a Sacramente The countreye of Grece also to disquiet the vnitie of the Catholyke Churche hathe sente forth amongeste vs theyr leuayners so called because they dare presume contrarye to holy Scripture to leue the vse of pure bread vnlayuened and do consecrate in breade whiche is leuayned And after he sayth woulde to GOD that such persons as haue folowed Berengarius in his maner of erryng concerning the veritie of the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ to be in the blessed sacrament of the Alter whiche thinge he denyed so to be woulde in lyke wyse folow hym in repentynge of theyr selues as he dyd and that whiche now in our dayes be infected with the same erroure wolde so vnyte them selues vnto the catholyke Churche as he dyd whiche dyed for his offence full sore repentauÌ„t Farthermore ther hath rysen aboute this blessed sacrameÌ„t innumerable questions As how is the transubstaÌ„tiacioÌ„ brought to passe that is to saye how dothe the substaunce of breade geue place vnto the very substaunce of the bodye of our Sauioure Christ Also how the accident of breade and wyne be preserued and do remayne after theyr former substauces be gone And howe is it that these accidentes do kepe styll theyr color theyr smel their sauor and also haue power to fyll lyke other fode All whiche qualytyes the breade and wyne had in them selues afore that they were consecrate Also at what moment the body bloude of Christ doth seace to be in the sacrament Also whether that after the formes be corrupted any other fubstaunce do succede Also how that one selfe same body maye be at once in places innumerable Also