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
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
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
Virgine Marie was for his comfort and consolation yea and that amongst the rest vnto Eue her selfe which had sinned in as much as God had chosen this vessell to beare and bring forth the comfort of mankind from the first man euen to the last They abuse in a higher degree of vnfaithfull dealing a place in Iustinus Martyr Iustin Martyr Apol 2. The Gentiles reproach the Christians saying that they were Atheists that is to say without God The Christians answere Yea without Gods whom you take to be Gods but not without the true God For as concerning him we worship him that is the father and the Son which is of him who is come and hath taught vs these things and all the host of good Angels that follow him and the propheticall spirit that is to say we worship the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now these words which yet are not found in many copies must vpon euident and apparant necessitie be read with a Parenthesis for there he alludeth to that Ephes 3.10 which S. Paul saith to the Ephesians That the mysterie of our Redemption which was hid from all time in God was manifested vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places c. Otherwise what should this meane We worship the father the Sonne the Angels and the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost himselfe after the Angels And by this meanes to saue the Saints they make no conscience to blaspheme the holy Ghost But in the meane time this is the Monke Perion his translation and from thence this errour hath beene dispersed into many bookes in these daies Origen commeth About the yeare 260. Hieronym ad Pammach Ocean Epiphan t. 2. l. 1. haeres 63. hauing a bold spirit Whome I loue saith S. Ierome as hee is a translator but not as he is an author of straunge opinions for his spirit and ingeniousnesse but not for his faith because his writings are venemous without any warrant of Scriptures and offering violence vnto the same c. And of this iudgement is the whole Church After this then to whome may he not iustly be suspected For as heretofore he laid the foundations of Purgatorie vpon the opinions of the Platonists so from the same he gathereth the first stone wherupon afterward was laid the inuocation of Saints The Platonists said that the vpper and higher things must bee ioyned with the inferiour and lower by a middle comming betwixt both God with men by Angels that is by their mediation and comming betwixt But Christians must not lend their eares to this as those that haue a far deeper secret and mysterie reuealed vnto them hauing giuen them his Son God and man and ioyned together in one person for the saluation of mankind that which was farre remooued and set asunder by our sinnes so that the Platonists could not comprehend or conceiue the same Notwithstanding wee see that mans inuentions do commonly please vs better then the reuelations of God and flesh and bloud doth more freely and willingly imbrace them because it smelleth and findeth something of it owne therein Euseb â—e preparat Euang. l. 12. 13. August de Ciuit. Dei l 8. c. 14.18.20 22 23.25.26 Now the summe thereof was that betwixt the greatnesse of God and the infirmitie of man there were two orders of Mediators the blessed spirits or the separated intelligences and the soules of the blessed wee call them in our Christian language Angels and Saints That these Angels offer vp mens suites and petitions to God in reporting them vnto him and obtaining a graunt thereof by their intercession c. That for this cause we must praie vnto and honour them partly as Aduocates partly as more excellent in their merits then men And that such also do the same who for their merits being men whiles they were here vpon earth haue beene exalted and extolled as Gods in heauen such a one was Aesculapius who wrought the same effects in heauen by his Diuinitie which he wrought here below by his Art such a one also was Hermes which succoured and conserued generally all those who directed their praiers vnto him c. Who is hee that cannot behold and clearely perceiue the opinions of the Church of Rome in these points of Paganisme Now they did not all enter with a full sea into the Christian Church but for certaine it is that the Gentils which were receiued into the same being seasoned with this doctrine could not be so little cherished and vpheld either by being winckt at or otherwise by the sufferance of the Pastors but that they by and by tooke great footing and that in a small time What is it then that Origen saith Origen hom 3 in Cant. The Saintes saith he which are departed out of this life bearing stil their wonted loue and charitable affections to such as remaine behind in the world if any man say that they are carefull for their saluation and that they helpe them with their praiers and intercessions towards God he doth not runne into any inconuenience for it is written in the booke of the Machabees This same is Ieremie the prophet of God that prayeth daily for the people c. Marke There is no inconuenience in it And further some are of opinion those also of the learned that these Homelies vpon the Canticles were made by some latin writer and not by Origen Vpon Iosue Ego sic arbitror I am mightilie drawne to be perswaded that all the fathers which haue fallen asleepe before vs doe still in part beare some portion of the combat with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers thus much I haue heard said of some of our old maisters Vpon the booke of Numbers he groweth more hot for saith he Quis enim dubitat who doubteth but that they helpe vs with their praiers and confirme vs by their examples c. Where it is to bee considered how that he speaketh doubtfully of this opinion that he which had the scriptures at his fingers ends if hee had had in store euer a place to haue confirmed and setled it vpon he would neuer haue had recourse to an Apocrypha place of the second booke of Machabees neither to the report of his old maisters But yet moreouer it appeareth by Origen himselfe that this was but a discourse of his and not the faith of his time If saith he the Saintes that haue left this bodie and are with Christ do any thing for vs after the manner of Angels that take charge of our safetie let it be accompted amongst the secrets that are hidden and kept close by God and are not to be intermedled withall by any writer that is to say in a word inter Apocrypha for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke doeth not signifie any other thing But of this priuate discourse of this pretended secret misterie that the Saints pray for the faithfull gathereth he this consequent it
reputed for the seede There is question then about this faith In controuersies we must haue recourse to the Scriptures and euerie man saith that he hath it To know of what side Christ is and euery man betaketh himselfe to him as his ayde and thereupon all Christendome liueth in suspence and doubt or in trouble But my brethren let vs not beleeue men Men saith our Lord himselfe who know not of their owne vnderstanding either from whence he commeth or whether he goeth The spirits of men saith the spirit of God which are not able to comprehend his wayes In a Sea so vnknowne to man in these gulfes so perillous we cannot attaine to the deliuering of any sure and certaine speech from other where then God himselfe from the father who hath spoken from heauen shewed vs the sonne Matth. 17.5 Iohn 5.3 9. Psal 19. 2. Tim. 3. and said vnto vs heare him from the son who crieth vnto vs in the midst of the Temple in the heate of the Pharisies and all these great doctors their disputations Search you the Scriptures diligently and from the holie Ghost who hath said to vs They cause the eyes to see they giue vnderstanding to children by the Apostles they are inspired of God they make the man of God euen the Euangelist and teacher himselfe instructed vnto euerie good worke and wise vnto saluation Our fathers say some vnto you beleeued as well liued as well whereto serue these alterations Verily if you vnderstand this of your carnall fathers then what other thing doe you say S. Bern. Epi. 91 besides that which the Iewes said to our Lord or which the Turkes or Iewes may not yet say vnto vs How farre better saith Saint Bernard speaking of the reformation necessarie in the Church Let them be cast behinde both me and you which say we will not liue better then our fathers If of the spirituall as of those that haue begotten vs to Christ then who are they but the Apostles and the holie fathers that followed them And what say we herein but by their mouthes And who is there to leade vs more from customes to the lawe from traditions to the holie Scriptures Irenaeus saith The Apostles preached the Gospel Iren. l. 3. c. 1. 11. con h. ret Tradiderunt Iust Mart in Dialog cum Tryphon in exposit fid and afterward by the will of God deliuered it vs in the Scriptures that so it might be the foundation and pillar of our faith Iustinus Martyr We must fixe our faith vpon God and his onlie instructions not vpon mans Traditions we must haue recourse to the Scriptures to the ende we may finde assurednesse in all things c. That Dauid that the Euangelists that the Epistles of the Apostles doe teach vs Tert. con Hermog Cum Apostolis senti c. Tertullian I doe not receiue or admit of that which thou bringest of thine owne without any Scripture If thou bee an Apostolicall writer be furnished with the doctrine of the Apostles c. Bring backe the heretikes to the Scriptures and so saieth hee they will not bee able to maintaine themselues What would he haue said then at this day of our pretended Catholikes who abhorre nothing more then to bee drawne backe to the Scriptures Verilie and without all doubt the same which he saith of these heretikes Heretici sunt lucifugae Scripturarum Like Owles they flie from the light of the Scriptures Wherefore if that which thou speakest be not written beware of that Vae that curse which is pronounced by the spirit of God against them which adde vnto the Scriptures S. Cyprian Cypr. de laps in Epist 74. Doe the Martyrs commaund any thing to be done But what if it bee not written in the law of the Lord. c That saith he must bee done which is written for so God appointed Iosua wee must haue good regard to see if it bee written in the Gospel in the Epistles of the Apostles or their acts for if it be then such holy traditions must be obserued and kept Traditions as we see contained in the Scriptures for so did the fathers vse this worde and not for all that which may be imagined in mans braine prouided that it be of continuance and toleration Origen Orig. in Ierem. in 25. in Matth. Wee must call the holie Scriptures to witnesse without these witnesses the sence and expositions which we giue them worke no beleefe VVhatsoeuer the golde bee which is without the Temple yet it is not sanctified and as litle that sense which is besides the Scripture Athanasius Athan. contr Idol ad Iouinian in 2. orat contra Arrios de interpret Psalm in Synopsi Theodor. l. 1. Socrat. l. 1. 5 Basi de ver fid in Mora◠Regu 26. 80 The holy Scriptures are sufficient of thēselues for the demonstrating of the truth The stones wherewith the heretikes are to be stoned are fetcht from hence they are the Mistresses of the true faith the anchors and props of our c. And this is the cause why in the disputation against the Arrians Constantine the Emperor breaking the array vnto the Councell of Nice appointeth not any other weapons The Euangelicall bookes saith he as also those of the Apostles and Prophets doe teach vs euidently whatsoeuer wee must beleeue Let vs gather from thence the deciding of our controuersies Saint Basil It is a most euident signe of infidelitie and pride to go about to bring in any vnwritten thing for the Lord hath said My sheepe heare my voyce and follow not the voice of any other c. Whatsoeuer we doe or speake must bee confirmed from thence for the beleefe of the good cōfusion of the wicked Euery faithful man hath this proper to him not to adde any thing thereto neither yet to ordaine any new thing for whatsoeuer it is that is besides the Scripture is not of faith Ambros de vocat Gent. l. 2. c. 3. in lib de Parad. c. 12. and therefore is sinne Saint Ambrose VVhere the Scriptures speake not who shal speake VVe must adde nothing to the commaundement howe good soeuer it be who so addeth thereto any thing of his owne argueth it of imperfection c. Saint Hierome The Church of Christ which dwelleth well Hieronym in Mich. l. 1. in ps 98. in Ezeen c. 3. in Agg. c. 1 in Mat. c. 23. in Esa c. 8. and all ouer the world c hath her townes the law the Prophets the Gospel the Apostles It goeth not beyond her limits that is to say the holy Scriptures VVhatsoeuer we say must be auouched from thence The Scriptures are our true meate and our true drinke of this wood is the house of wisdome built whatsoeuer is not authorized by them should be contemptible to vs is likewise striken with the sword of God who so is desirous to deliuer himself out of any doubt let him go thither but
them of vnsounde dealing seeing the auncient fathers of the Church did alwayes make their appeales vnto them against the heretikes and that in such sort as that when they once perceiued them to come within the bounds of their iurisdiction they held themselues victorers in their cause The holie Scripture say they to vs is not sufficient And what other sufficiencie doe wee looke for therein The scripture sufficient but to possesse God who is sufficient of himself euen for al maner of thinges or what other to be briefe but to come to saluation But and if thou wilt not beleeue the Apostle who telleth thee that the holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation by faith which is in Christ that is the man of God the Euangelist the teacher of others Iohn 5 39. Iohn 20.31 at the least beleeue the sonne of God who sendeth vs so expressely to the Scriptures Because saith he that we haue life in them And hast thou them to seeke and search for thine owne saluation The Lord commaundeth thee to search them diligently in them thou hast life Dost thou labour and seeke how to teach it others They are profitable to teach conuince correct and instruct By them the sonne of God the eternall word did teach his disciples Hast thou to deale against heretikes By the verie same hee stopte the mouthes of the Pharisies and confounded the Sadduces who did not admit of any mo parties then one The heretikes cannot keepe their holde before them yea they cannot possiblie defend themselues otherwise then by refusing them No sooner are they drawne thereto saith Tertullian but they are confounded whether Ebionites Hermogenists or Marcionites c. Yea and if the controuersie should bee against the diuell himselfe we know that from thence the Lord put him to silence that he coÌ„futed him in all his schoole points Apocal. and sent him backe againe to the bottomlesse pit of hell how much more the sonne perdition for the ouercomming and discomfiting of whom there are not any other armor or weapons spoken of As he that must be ouerthrowne with the breath of his mouth and beaten downe by the powerfulnesse of his Scriptures wherefore the Scripture hauing beene of such sufficiencie in those dayes both for the children of God and against his aduersaries where shall it sithence haue lost that his â—â—sufficiencie Or who shall not rather suspect that we are become ouer sufficient that is to say spoyled with presumption That we accuse it of insufficiencie because our pretended and deuised sufficiencies are not found therein And againe if it were so much at such times as the Church had no more but the olde Testament both vnto saluation and condemnation what shall we say of the times succeeding and those of the present According to the Fathers Iren cont haeres l. 2 c. 47. accompanied with the accomplishment of that in the person of Christ and made more cleare by the new And verilie the fathers also haue carefully kept themselues from this point rather to be tearmed infidelitie then errour or heresie Irenaeus saith We knowe verie well that the Scriptures are perfect for they are appointed and spoken by the worde of God and his spirit Tertullian Tertul. contra Prax. Hermoâ—g Cypr. de Baptism Christi I adore and reuerence the fulnesse of the Scriptures the scripture hath his reason and is sufficient of it self Saint Cyprian Speake on Lord thy seruant heareth Christian religion shall finde that out of this Scripture doe spring the rules of all manner of doctrine and that from thence riseth as also that thither returneth al whatsoeuer the discipline and gouernment of the Church doth containe Antonius the Hermite Antonius in suiâ— Epistolis Athanasius cont Idola Ad Serapion In Ep. Senten Dyonis Hillar l. 2. de Trinit The Scriptures are sufficient for all manner of knowledge of God and all manner of discipline Athanasius who notwithstanding hath to deale against the Arrians The holy scriptures are sufficient for the demonstration of the truth learne onely the scriptures for the lessons which thou findest there will be sufficient for thee Although saith he in another place I haue not found this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coÌ„substantiall yet so it is as that I haue found the thing it selfe Saint Hillarie vpon the same argument The word of God which by the testimonie of the Gospel hath beene transfused and conueyed into our eares is sufficient for the beleeuers for what is there belonging vnto mans saluation that is not to be found contained therein Or what is there therein either lame or obscure Verily euerie thing therein is full and perfect Basil de vera fide Homil. 29. In oratione Ethicaâ— In Esai c. 2. Chrys hom 9 in 2. ad Tim. c. Saint Basill attributeth it to the same pride and infidelitie to bring in any thing that is not written or to reiect that which is written The old and new Testament saith he are the treasure of the church All the commaundements of God are written and must be obserued All whatsoeuer is besides the straight and euen line of the Scripture is a cursed abhomination before God S. Chrysostome The holie Scripture teacheth thee whatsoeuer thou shouldest know or be ignorant of Thou art a Gentile and wouldest become a Christian but our controuersies doe trouble thee Thou knowest not to whom to goe for euerie man pretendeth and alledgeth the Scriptures c. Knowe that that which agreeth therewith is christian but that which disagreeth with the same In Acta hom 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de bono Viduit De doct christâ— l. 2. c. 9. serm 88. ad fratres lib. de confes 7 c. 7. In S. Ioh. tract 49. vbi viamad vitam De consensu Euan. l. 1. c. v. t. is farre off from the rule of christianitie Likewise saith he in another place It is the propertie of the diuell to adde vnto the commaundements of God Saint Augustine The Scripture saith he doth prefixe and set before vs a law teaching vs not to be more wise then we ought looke not therefore that to teach thee on my behalfe and part is any other thing but to expound vnto thee the wordes of my master for euen saith he in the things that are openly taught in the Scriptures is fully found al that which is to be done or left vndone all that which appertaineth vnto faith or concerneth maners Some haue made choise to write of all that which may seeme to be sufficient for the saluation of the faithfull In thy Christ O Lord and in the holy Scriptures I perswade my selfe that thou hast placed the way of mans saluation Whatsoeuer he would haue that we should reade of his deedes or wordes Cyril Alexan. In S. Iohan. l. 12 c. vlt. that hath he commaunded his Apostles to write as if it had beene done with his own hands c. S. Cyprian Bishop of
and so of plaine and euident sentences for the opening of the hidden couert ones But otherwise if vnder the colour of obscuritie thou labor to gather any point of new doctrine Irenaeus will say vnto thee Thou must reason from the cleare places of the Scripture and not from parables Saint Basil The things that may seeme darkly spoken in one place are most cleare in another Saint Augustine Who is so impudent as to expound anie place of Scripture for himselfe by an Allegorie if he haue not an other verie cleare place in the Scripture which may make it plaine Seeing likewise saith he in another place That of all that which is obscure therein Lomb. l. 3. d. 5 there riseth not any thing almost but that which is cleare elsewhere Lombard Tho. in Sum. q. 147. art 10. Pet. de Alliac Where as the Scripture is silent it will be good for vs not to affirme any thing Thomas Thou canst not reason from an Allegoricall sense c. To be briefe the Cardinall Alliaco That the scripture is a lampe that giueth light and that wee must haue recourse thither to haue saluation Gerson That an idiot a woman yea a childe Gers de Script de exa doct Pic. in Quest an Papa sup Concil are better to be beleeued alledging the Scripture then the Pope and a whole Councell And the Counte Iohannes Picus Mirandula after the same manner So farre off were these men who yet were the lights of their time from this darke opinion sprung no doubt out of the pit of vtter darknesse That the Scriptures were not any thing but darknesse But in a word the mischiefe is for that we will finde it difficult because that in the clearnesse thereof it is impossible for vs to finde out our inuentions obscure because that our traditions cannot stand before this light and imperfect because that neither by it nor before it we are able to defend our imperfections Yet so it is that our aduersaries replie that there are controuersies amongst vs that wee cannot agree of the expounding of the places which are alledged respectiuely How they must be expounded and therefore who shall expound them vnto vs who shall cause vs to admit of one exposition more then of another Let vs striue thitherward hauing Gods grace to assist vs let vs come thereto with the Zeale of his glorie the loue of the truth and the desire of saluation and then a meane knowledge ioyned with a good conscience would speedily attaine the ende And for some small taste thereof may it please the reader to examine certaine rules that follow being those which the auncient fathers doe teach vs. The first is That we be agreed vpon the Canonicall Scriptures thereby to auoyde the confounding of them with the Apocrypha that is To agree of the bookes called Canonical of the setting downe of the spirit of God for iudge rightlie discerned and distinguished from euerie spirit of man for humane scripture after the maner of monie is so much the more hurtfull and damnable by how much the coine that it hath counterfeited is the better and hereof the olde Church hath had a speciall regard I call this the first because that by this doore it did perceiue both vanities and heresies to enter into the Church vnder a fained name of our Lord and his Apostles They tell vs that the Scripture is the ballance the rule and the squire c. Hieronym ad Laetam And therefore to render to things their weight measure and streightnesse it is necessarie that it should be iust And this is that which S. Ierome telleth vs Let vs looke vnto our selues to beware of the Apocrypha bookes and if we will reade them c. let vs know that they are not theirs by whose names they are called that many faultie things are mingled there amongst that it craueth a singular prudencie in him that looketh to gather golde out of mud and in a worde that we must not reade them ad dogmatum veritatem for the confirming of doctrines So farre off is he from beeing of iudgement that wee shoulde rake togither the dregges of all manner of such Authours from all parts therewith to defile the Church And in another place In Symb. Ruf. in Praefat in Prou. in Reg. in prolog Galeato Hiberas naemas Certaine peruerse men to strengthen their opinions haue inserted vnder the name of holie personages things that they neuer writ and notwithstanding there are some which preferre these Hiberian fables before the Authētike bookes And this is the cause why S. August doth presse the heretikes continually with the Canonicall Bookes and refuseth the Apocrypha wherin they did their whole indeuour to ground themselues Let vs lay aside both on the one part the other that which we produce frō elswhere then out of the Canonicall bookes let vs shewe forth the holy Church by the holy Oracles let vs search for it in the holie Canonicall Scriptures c. To them I yeeld this honour that their Authour could not erre any maner of way the others I read in such sort how holy or lerned soeuer they might be as that I beleeue them not in that which they say because they say it but because they perswade me either by the Canonicall bookes or else by probable reason c. And therefore he saith further Ep. 19. ad Hieronym l. 2. con Dona. c. 3. con Faust l. 11. c. 5. The aduised searcher of the holy Scriptures shall reade them first all ouer but those onely which are called Canonicall for then he shall be able to reade the others more safely being alreadie instructed in the faith of the truth for feare that otherwise they might forestall and get the aduantage of a weake spirit abuse it with dangerous lies infect it with some preiudicate opinion cōtrarie to sound vnderstanding Lib. de Ciuit. Dei c. 15.23 For although therin be found some truth notwithstanding because of many vntruthes they are vtterly without all Canonicall authoritie And in the meane time what impudencie is it to go about to make him to giue credit to the decree by committing the offence of a most notorious lie D. 9. c. in Canonicis acknowledged also by Alphonsus of Castres to haue said That the Decretall Epistles of the Bishops of Rome are of the same authoritie Cyril Hierosol Catech. 4. that the Canonicall Scriptures Cyrill Patriarke of Ierusalem Studie these Scriptures onely which wee boldly and confidently reade in the Church but haue not any thing to doe with the Apocrypha Nazian de veris Scripturae libris Nazianzene In them wee see the light c. But to the ende that the bookes that are excluded from thence may not deceiue thee learne to know the true and legitimate number c. If you find any other then those holde them for base and bastardlie ones Yea and this was one of
Of the vnperfect worke vpon Saint Mathew wherein Arianisme sheweth it selfe most euidently howsoeuer notwithstanding condemned and conuinced by Chrysostome in all his bookes c. The Liturgie how can it proceede from S. Iames seeing it euery where speaketh of this worde Consubstantiall a name in his time not heard of in the Church The booke of the Hierarchie how can that be made by S. Denys at least the Areopagite seeing it citeth Clement Alexandrinus Or that of Christian questions Iustine Martyrs seeing it speaketh of the Manichies De variis quaest q. 23. Or how can that of diuerse Questions bee made by Athenasius seeing it alledgeth Athanasius the great That of the calling of the Gentiles by S. Ambrose seeing it speaketh of the Pelagians Those by Clement Abdias and Iulianus Africanus which are full of Temples of Altars and of Porches of Sextens chambers seeing they were built in the honour of Saint Iohn at Ephesus That of the Resurrection in Ethiopia that by the commaundement of S. Mathew in a time when al Christendome dreamed of nothing but Martyrdome When as there was nothing more busily prouided then pyles of wood to burne the Apostles and their disciples withall And when they prepared nothing but Theaters from whence the people might behold them deuoured of wilde beasts And yet forsooth these are the goodlie bookes whereto our aduersaries for the most part doe appeale for ayde and that oftentimes in those things which haue beene the cause why they were condemned of falshood and which haue caused the Church to account of them but as fables But after all who knoweth not how greatly the heretikes haue giuen themselues to falsifie thē how greatly they haue bestirred themselues to slip in either some of their heresies S. Hieronym in Symb. Ruff. as Ruffinus witnesseth in the bookes of Clement and S. Ierome in many others or of their Traditions as it is easie to be obserued in those of the Montanists And if further according to the measure of the growth and getting of foote of errours in Christendome the Church of Rome haue beene also carefull as we haue seene at Trent to cut off or alter in the bookes of the Fathers what soeuer might be founde to impugne their superstitions and who can doubt of this practise to haue beene followed for the space of many ages hauing beene guided by one and the same spirit who shall be able to assure himselfe of the truth sinceritie and naturalnesse euen of the most legitimate Seeing in Gratian his Decretall wee may marke so manie places of the Fathers and Councels notoriouslie corrupted according as the authoritie of the Pope or powerfulnesse of deceipt did growe in the Church and tempered ad sensum currentem as they call it according to the disease of the time and course of the Market Seeing by name in the Copies of Beda and Theophylact who are of the time when the doctrine of the Eucharist began to varie we perceiue by the comparing of them with old bookes found in Monasteries places concerning this matter either gelded or cut out or added and augmented And thus also it is euen at this day wherein great personages haue complained themselues how they haue beene driuen to labour to discerne and finde out for vs the stiles and spirits of writers from whose paines taken herein wee may ease our selues in the practising of this rule And let this bee saide for no other ende then of manie to giue an example in some few particulars of the cursed practises that Sathan hath continued in the Church for the bringing in of his errours vnder the name of the most approoued Teachers And this verilie not newe or straunge seeing that euen presently after the life time of the Apostles if Saint Iohn who ouerliued them had not prouided against it he had fathered some vpon Saint Paule Saint Peter and certaine others and those also of the peregrination of Saint Paul and Thecla which our aduersaries at this day labour to raise againe out of the graue and to set in their former liuelihood and credite The third is That we marke diligently if the father or ancient Doctor which we handle To consider well if such father haue vsed a good translation haue followed a sound translation haue well vnderstood the words and phrase of the Text in controuersie or not for for example what apparance is there that the Commentaries of S. Hillarie or of S. Gregorie vpon Iob of S. Ambrose S. Augustine or S. Bernard vpon the Psalmes can alwaies reach vnto the sense and meaning when they haue vsed a translation wherein there are almost as many faults as words That S. Anselme or S. Gen. 3. Bernard should be able to gather good doctrine from that place in the translation of Genesis Ipsa conteret caput Serpentis the woman and not Christ shall breake the Serpents head Gen. 4 Or out of that other Gen. 4. Quam vt veniam merear from whence our aduersaries gather the doctrine of merit There where it is My punishment is greater then that I can beare Whereas then we shall find that a Father shall haue followed a false translation we shall not possiblie be able to come by a true exposition so that in such case we are to preferre and make more account of the least that shall haue had it right then him who shall haue followed the false following the precept which they themselues did giue vs here tofore That we are not to rest vpon the Latine translation but to haue recourse vnto the originall and fountaine whether Hebrew or Greeke And now behold the fourth which is that when we are once agreed of the literall sense we should weigh the expositions of the Fathers the Interpreters both in the ballance of the Scripture and in the analogie of faith respect their pietie doctrine and time wherein they liue and receiue their opinions with reuerence whether they shall be differing or agreeing in one or arising from diuerse and sundrie persons let vs preferre that which is spoken in handling the place of purpose before that which is spoken in touching of it by the waye that which is saide in teaching familiarly before that which may bee spoken rhetoricallie as it somtimes falleth out in preaching that which is spoken affirmatiuely before that which is spoken doubtfully that which is spoken from the proper sense of the Authour before that which is spoken by imitating of another that which is gathered from the literall sense before that which is drawne from some allegoricall sense which proueth not and aboue all that which is spoken of some place in cōtrouersie before the controuersie rise at such time as there is nothing sought after therein but the simple truth yea or otherwise after it hath beene argued when as we shall haue searched out thereof for the fortifying of our opinion Here also will occasion be administred to put difference betwixt the Fathers according to the degree
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
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
by the offering of his bodie once made wee are sanctified that by his owne blood hee is entred into the holy places hauing obtained an euerlasting redemption that hauing offered vp this onely sacrifice for sinnes he sitteth for euer at the right hand of God his father And in all this there is likewise as little to bee replyed that Christ is no more offered after a bloody manner but by a certaine kinde of sacrifice without blood For besides that this distinction hath no warrant in all the scripture the Apostle as if he had forseene the same cutteth it off in a word for not being contented to haue gone ouer it oftentimes how that wee haue propitiation for our sinnes in the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ once shed that all manner of other blood is voide and destitute of this effectuall power c. To the ende that wee might place our propitiation in this his only blood he yet further giueth vs these generall rules That it behoueth that the death of this Priest should be wrought for the ransome of transgressors that whereas there is forgiuenesse of sinnes that is to say after this ransome paide there is not any more offering for sinne that as concerning the rest there is no purifying or cleansing no remission without blood Whereuppon it followeth that there is no more oblation for sinne other then that of our Lord no more propitiation saue that in his blood and therefore not any more by that pretended sacrifice of theirs without blood But if they reply that if this bloodlesse sacrifice of theirs bee not propitiatorie yet it helpeth vs to make application and to take hold of the true propitiation Wee answere neuer a deale for wee are all Priestes in this behalfe all annointed by the spirite of Christ to represent and daylie offer vp vnto God the sacrifice of his onely Sonne in the feruencie of our prayers made in a liuely faith to the ende that it might please him vpon the view of the same to forgiue vs our offences He himselfe likewise as saith the Apostle is sitting neere vnto his father to make intercession for vs to make way of entrance for our requestes to apply vnto vs his faithfull ones the merite of his obedience the benefite of his death and the efficacie of his sacrifice supplying the defectes of our petitions by his intercession the infirmities of our faith and the imperfections of our obedience by the faithfulnesse of the couenant made in his blood and by the perfect obedience performed by him vpon the Crosse CHAP. II. An answere to the obiections of the aduersaries which they pretend to gather out of the holy scriptures for a Sacrifice NOw therefore what is there that our aduersaries can obiect against this doctrine grounded vpon the anology of the whole bodie of the holy scriptures both of the old and new Testament and that by so manifold plaine and expresse places They tell vs that the sacrifices of the law haue in such sorte shadowed out the sacrifice of our Lord vppon the Crosse as that neuerthelesse they haue not vtterly bereft vs of all manner of Sacrifice and that in very deede the Sacrifice of the Masse is prefigured and foretold in the old Testament and that such a one as they vse to celebrate at this day sacrificing the body and blood of our Lord vnder the kindes of bread and wine vpon their altars But let vs see vppon what ground In Genesis the 14. it is said Melchisedech king of Salem brought Genes 14. Melchisedech or caused wine bread to be brought and he was the priest of the high God They cannot deny but that this is not the true text in that place and yet notwithstanding they gather with a full hand this conclusion Christ is a Priest according to the order of Melchisedech and he brought bread and wine therefore Iesus Christ hath sacrificed bread and wine and vnder bread and wine his body and his blood and the priestes do the same daily according to his example Let vs agree in the grammaticall and literall sence and the whole controuersie in diuinitie wil be altogether void and ended The Hebrew word which is vsed there is neuer vsed in the scriptures about the matter of sacrifice cannot be better expressed then by that which we say in French To draw forth set forth or to cause to be brought or to bring forth In this sence wee reade the same word for the drawing forth of a sword Ezech. 21. the drawing forth of the windes Psalme the 135. And lice brought forth Exod. 8. and water from the rocke Cypr. in epist ad Cecil Chrysost in hom 35. in c. 14. Genes Numbers 30. in which places and infinit others the holy Ghost hath vsed the same word The Chaldie Paraphrast saith He brought or caused to be brought The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latine Protulit Cyprian Chrysostome in like manner Iosephus saith He entertained him as a guest Ioseph l. 1. c 18. Ambros ad Hebr. c. 7. Cardin. Caiet in Genes c. 14 and suffered not him or any of his followers to want any thing Saint Ambrose also Protulit in refectionem And Cardinall Hugo seemeth to hold himselfe satisfied with the same sence affirming that the Hebrew Doctors had so expounded it The vulgar translation Proferens panem vinum And Cardinall Caietan in like manner Here is not any thing written of any sacrifice or oblation Sed de prolatione seu extractione but of bringing forth or causing of bread wine to be brought as Iosephus saith for the refreshing of the conquerors And thus also Erasmus Sigonius do take it for which they are reproued of Posseuinus the Iesuite Possenin Bibliothec Select l. 4. c. 14. But the Apostle decideth the whole matter who telleth vs that Melchisedech came before Abraham and blessed him He speaketh not of the bread wine he findeth not any such profound mystery there he concealeth it as accessarie and priuy to that which went before it and he proceedeth to the mentioning of the blessing without making of any other stay or delay Now if the proofe of a Sacrifice do lie in this word and that this word by the consent of all interpretors containeth not so much as any shadow of a Sacrifice in it what need we then to seeke to proceed or wade any further to fish out long discourses the fountaine fathered vpon the word being alreadie dried vp and stopped Graunt it say they but yet he bringeth forth bread But now let them not go about to be ignorant of that which they know namely that the Hebrews vnder the name of bread do comprehend all manner of food and sustenance which likewise the Septuagintes haue translated in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loaues or meates in the plurall number to shew that they were to be distributed vnto the troupes and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bread to be sacrificed
They reply that there is added For he was the Priest of the high God and yet false and that more then all the rest for the Hebrew saith But he was or and he was and not as they would haue it for he was whereupon it is thus turned into Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Chaldie Et erat Minister coram Deo The coniunction causall not being acknowledged by any but themselues Caietanus likewise And wheras it followth in the vulgar translation For he was the Priest c. as though this were the cause of the offering the same is not so in the Hebrew vz. Vt causa sed vt separata clausula that is not as a cause but as a distinct seperated sentence so weak wauering are the foundations of so great a building But if we make any question here of a sacrifice then it must likewise bee known to whoÌ„ Melchisedech did offer his sacrifice to AbrahaÌ„ to a man this cannot but proue impiety an absurditie also when the greater is made to sacrifice vnto the lesse But they will say that hee sacrificed vnto God And in conscience can they gather any one word to shew the same And whether do we reade the holy scriptures to gather from thence the thinges it speaketh not of or to heare therein that which it teacheth But which is more the Apostle to the Hebrewes vndertaketh the comparing of the Priesthood of Melchisedech with the priesthood of Iesus Christ Hee handleth it throughout all the partes thereof making them both to bee kinges of righteousnesse and peace and making them both also to bee permanent and enduring Priestes c. What could there bee of greater weight and moment then to say And he sacrificed bread and wine Hebr. 6. in token of the sacrifice which Christ offered in his holy Supper c. Hosius saith and Bellarmine after him that this mysterie was too great for the Hebrewes to conceiue Heb. 6. But wherefore then had the Apostles said before Let vs leaue the worde which deliuereth the beginning of Christ and let vs go on vnto perfection c. And what could there bee more hard then to setre before them a man without father without mother without beginning and without ending c. And if there had beene any darknesse therein of whom could they haue learned the same more clearely and plainly then of the Apostle then of the spirit of God himselfe And to what time or for what manner of men will they say that hee did reserue the knowledge thereof But let vs graunt them that he sacrificed to God bread wine this is all that they can gather out of this text with the help of all their falsifications Exod. 29. Numb 28. and what shal they gaine thereby For first is this any other thing but that which the Priestes according to the order of Aaron did euery day And wherein then will the excellencie and prerogatiue that the Apostle seeketh after be found seeing namely that they hold that in respect of the mater the sacrifice offered by Melchisedech is not any thing more precious theÌ„ the sacrifices of the Leuits Veg. de Missa The. 68. fol. 33 and that the death of our Lord was more amplie and liuelie figured out in these then in that And afterwarde if it must needes bee that because that Melchisedech offering bread and wine became the figure of Christ and that Christ may bee offered vnder the kindes of bread and wine then why not aswell vnder all the other kindes which did represent him vnder the law being offered by the Priestes according to the Order of Aaron which in like manner did figure and shadow him out And again if this sacrifice were the figure of Christ hath hee not accomplished the same as hee hath done all the rest And then what remaineth there yet behinde to bee done againe therein to what end should there neede a reiterating of that which is perfect and when hee himselfe hath giuen this testimonie Consummatum est who shall gainsay and denie the same seeing that hee came to fulfill them all But let vs saye on They compare Christ to Melchisedech Melchisedech his offring to the Eucharist now betwixt the Offerer and the offring there is alwaies a proportion to bee kepte As therefore there is not any Priest that can assume and chalenge to himselfe to inioye and holde the Priesthoode of Christ according to the Order of Melchisedech so in like manner it cannot possibly bee that anie shoulde bee founde to whome it might bee attributed to offer the Eucharist and if Melchisedech did offer breade and wine then it was the substance thereof and not the accidents or qualities wheras notwithstanding in the Masse there is nothing offered but the accidentes why therefore doe they alleadge Melchisedech if they will holde themselues vnto the figure And wherefore likewise doe they hold Transubstantiation in the Masse In a worde though they should bee able to proue this same to bee a sacrifice yet could they neuer proue it but a sacrifice of thankesgiuing or peace-offring and not a sacrifice propitiatorie for it is saide that Melchisedech said vnto Abraham Blessed be the Lord who hath giuen thine enemies into thy hand c. wordes all of them consisting of Thankesgiuing and containe nothing in them of any sacrifice for sinne neither therefore the Masse of any propitiatorie sacrifice if this bee a figure thereof Against all this which we haue saide they obiect certaine places out of the old Writers But what will they saye if they bee shewed the contrarie if all those likewise which speake of offering say that Melchisedech offered bread and wine to Abraham to whome hee that blessed him had no regard or purpose to offer vppe any sacrifice Clemens Alexandrinus Melchisedech gaue sanctified bread and wine for food and sustenance as a figure of the Eucharist Marke He gaue that is to Abraham and not he offered and the word food or refreshment that followeth proueth it sufficientlie S. Augustine He came before Abraham protulit he caused bread and wine to be brought S. August in quaest ex vtroque test 109. Ambros l. 4 de Sacram. c. 3. Tertul. aduer Iud. Chrysost in Psal 110. Epiph haeres 55. Damas l. 4. c. 14. Thom. D. 8. l. 4 Primas c. 7. in Ep. ad Haebr Cassâ—odor in Psalm 109. Hieronym in Matth. c. 26 l. 4 August de ciuit Dei l. 17. c. 17. hee offered them vnto him and blessed him S. Ambrose Abraham returning a victorious conquerour Melchisedech came before him and offered bread and wine vnto him Tertullian Melchisedech being vncircumcised offereth vnto Abraham being circumcised and comming from the battell bread and wine Chrysostome sayeth According to the Order of Melchisedech because of the sacramentes seeing that he offered to Abraham bread and wine Epiphanius proposuit ipsi he set before him To bee short Damascene saith Hee entertained Abraham with bread
grieuous both the one and the other by pennance Now the truth is cleare how that purgatorie is not pennance as also that it is not ordained for sinnes but for punishment but and if it be as some would haue it for sinnes yet it is but for pettie and sleight sinnes Ireneus saith It is the word alone that washeth away the filthines of the daughters of Sion that washed the feete of his disciples and which sanctifieth their whole bodies Clemens Alexandrinus It is the good spirituall washing which cleanseth the soule Hieronym in Esa 4. whereof the Prophet speaketh The Lord hath washed away the filthines of Sion c. S. Ierome expounding this place saith in like sort That which is but lightly foule will bee washed cleane but that which is deeply stained and defiled by being burnt in the fire And this is that which Iohn Baptist said He will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire for man can giue but water but God fire and the holy Ghost which washeth away filthinesse and purgeth away the deadly and haynous sins Chrysostome Chrysost in Matth. hom 5. c. 4. Cyril in Esa c. 4. For men are baptised with fire by temptations that are present according to that in Esay In the spirit of feruencie and zeale c. Cyrill in like manner In the spirit saith he of iudgement that is to say by a iust sentence according as our Sauiour saith Now is the iudgement of this world for hee fighteth with the world and Sathan iustifying vs by faith c. And also in the spirit of zeale by the grace of baptisme which is not begotten in vs without the spirit c. For we are not baptised with bare water but with the holy Ghost with this diuine and intellectuall fire which wasteth in vs the vncleannesse of our vicious nature and melteth and burneth all the spots of sinne Haimo ibid. c. Haimo The same holy Ghost is called the spirit of iudgement and the spirit of zeale and feruencie of iudgement because that in baptisme Sathan is iudged and as it were condemned when his power ouer man is taken away from him of zeale because he inflameth the heartes of men with loue towardes their creator scouring away the canker of sin whereof it is said God is a consuming fire he will baptise vs with the holy Ghost and with fire c. And Hugo the Cardinall in like manner And thus you may see by these ancient fathers how they haue made a purgatorie of the holy Ghost and of the temptations and trials happening in this life the paines of purgatorie which cannot be except in the other And Lyranus In the spirit of iudgement for our Lord hath satisfied for the Church by the way of iustice in the spirit of zeale because he hath performed it in a great measure of charitie and loue And yet this is one of the textes whereby Bellarmine laboureth to make his cause so strong And here we are not to forget his vnsound and vnfaithfull dealing for that which S. Augustine hath spoken expresly De nouissimo iudicio of the last iudgement wherein saith he the daughters of Syon shall be refined graunt it saith he in as much as they shall be seperated from the wicked as the pure gold from his drosse in the furnace admit it also in this respect for that all creatures shall as then passe through the fire and likewise all manner of soules according to the opinion of that time this hee turneth and wresteth to help for the building of his purgatorie which they pretend to take place and seaze vpon men at the time of their departure out of this life And we are to request the reader to marke the deceit he worketh vpon the place Peter Abbot of Clugni abuseth either ignorantly or impudently another place Esay 8. Esa 8.19 Shall the people require a signe and vision of their God for the quicke and for the dead For so he alleadgeth it whereas the text saith Shall not a people inquire at their God shall they runne for the liuing to the dead reprouing such as did runne to south sayers sending them backe as is said afterward to the law and to the testimonie c. In deed the Septuagints haue translated it Shall they inquire of the dead concerning the liuing that is to say concerning the businesse and affaires of the liuing And the Chaldie paraphrast Euerie man saith hee inquireth and asketh counsell of his idolles so the liuing take counsell of the dead And Origen likewise You to whom God hath giuen his law will you go to inquire of the Deuils which are in verie deede dead Hieronym in Esa c. 8. And Saint Ierome vpon Esay saith As the infidels do aske counsell at their false Gods so the faithfull ought to runne to the true God and to the lawe and to the Prophetes inspired by him c. Lyranus saith as hee saith Saint Cyrill Cyril in Esa l. 5. orat 5. Would you aske counsell sayeth the Lord of the dead for the liuing you which are aliue is there any reason that you shoulde inquire of the deade of the bodies which lie in the graues or of the soules which it may bee are in hell Nay rather saith hee you which are quickned by the liuely worde of God will you go vnto sorcerers and Magicians which are dead in their soules Now the argument of Peter of Clugni was thus framed There are visions of the dead and therefore a Purgatorie but it is grounded as we haue seene vpon an vnsound Grammar or rather vpon the corrupting and deprauing of the old expositor wherein as some note there was as in S. Ierome Pro viuis à mortuis and not ac mortuis And this is the more likely in asmuch as for the most parte he applyeth himselfe to the Greeke text And in deed Cardinall Hugo said Amortuis of the dead for the liuing that is to say to aske counsell of images which are like vnto dead men which is a ridiculous and foolish thing Esay 9. Wickednesse saith the Prophete shall burne like a fire Esa 9.17 It shall deuoure the briars and the thornes and shall bee kindled in the thicke places of the forrest c. This is one of Bellarmine his maister-pillars There the Prophete threatneth the people of Israel From the head vnto the taile the boughes and the stumpe the Magistrate and the false prophete These are his wordes And after that hee hath denounced the anger of God to fall vppon the Magistrates and vppon the men in authoritie hee addeth That it shall not stay there but that it shall set on fire and deuoure the common sorte which hee compareth to bushes of thornes or to a thicke growne vnderwood And it is made plaine by the wordes following And the people shall bee as fewell or a baite for the fire no man shall haue pittie vppon his companion to spare him c What agreement is
Hell and Purgatorie That all whatsoeuer miserie all the men in this world had indured from Adam vnto that time did not come any thing neere vnto the paines and punishment that is therein c. And that had not Saint Ierome come in the meane time they had beene neere to haue receiued the sentence of condemnation for not hauing belieued it c. Thus we may see a thing then which nothing is more naturall the doctrine of lyes maintained and nourished by a lie it selfe CHAP. X. What prosperous proceeding Purgatorie attained vnto in the Church of Rome and by what degrees IN the ende after that our aduersaries cannot all this while make choyse of any one of the Fathers to whose opinion they may trust and hold themselues in this matter of Purgatorie for wee freely permit and allow them their choyse out of them all notwithstanding that wee haue runne through the space of those fiue hundred yeares next after our Lord Purgatorie affirmed and avouched by Gregorie Anno. 600. Deut. 18.11 Esay 8.19 August de cura pro mortuis gerend Vpon what foundation he buildeth his doctrine Gregor Magn. in Dialog they are constrained to haue recourse to Gregorie Bb. of Rome liuing about the yeare 600 euen vnto that Gregorie which of the custome of the Gentiles made a Law in the Church of Christ of Origen his curiosities a necessarie deuotion of the speculations of the olde Fathers who had gone before him a grounded principle and firme Maxim and of S. Augustines doubt an affirmatiue doctrine but grounded also altogether vpon other raasons then had bene alleadged by the former as reuelations apparitions of spirits and others such like delusions directly contrarie to that which is said in the Law Who so goeth to aske counsell of the dead is an abhomination vnto the Lord as also against the Maxim which S. Augustine is so carefull for to proue That the soules of the dead intermeddle not with the affaires of those that are aliue The doctrin then of S. Gregorie in brief is That as at the breake of the day and in a browne colour the darke is mingled with the light is called the twylight so the neerer we come to the day of iudgement so much the more inter-course and communitie shall there bee betwixt spirits and men What solide or sound stuffe can hee picke out of this foundation seeing hee presupposeth and setteth downe the end of the world to bee as then And this is the cause why saith hee that men doe attaine speaking of his owne time to know the estate and condition of Soules a thing lesse knowne to such as went before Of Paschasius his soule he learneth how that it indured his Purgatorie amidst the scaldings of hotte waters because that in a certaine schisme falling out amongst the Popes he tooke part with Laurence not with Symmachus And thereupon he inferreth that good soules which halt and come short be it neuer so little in the workes of righteousnesse are detained kept backe for a like proportion of time from the inioying of heauen From the soule of a certaine Lord how that it serued at the bathes to pull off the hose and shoes of all such as came to them vntill the time that a certain Priest to whom it made it selfe knowne had offered two loaues such as had beene accustomed to bee offered for it As also from the soule of a Monke who died hauing in store the summe of three Crownes how when there was a holy day kept in his name it receiued the Communion in Purgatorie c. Hee inferreth that when the trespasses are not vnpardonable there is meanes to procure a remedy and helpe for the same by the offering of a sacrifice c. And his Dialogues are full of such friuolous tales Howsoeuer that Schoolemen doe not admit into Purgatorie any faults or sinnes how sleight so euer but the paines and punishment only he concludeth notwithstanding that there is no way to be followed but to do well so long as we are here without trusting to that which may be done afterward But what manner of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what steadfastnes of faith is there in all this Or rather what hath it but it may giue vs to belieue that these were spirits of deceipt watchfull and painefull in their craft and occupation euen in perswading the world to that which might deceiue them Tertullian saith Tertull. de Anima c. 5.7 These apparitions are but the mockeries and deceits of the euill spirit who carrieth himselfe priuily vnder the shapes of liuing men or masked and disguised after the manner of men deceased c. God hath sufficiently declared vnto vs in the parable of the poore and rich man that Hell is not open for any to come forth c. no not to winne credite to Moyses and the Prophets c. To be short all manner of representation or apparition of soules that is without body is nothing else but a delusion nothing else but witchcraft Chrysostome after the same manner Chrysost hom 29. in Math. hom 13. Idem de Lazaro hom 4. The possessed with Diuels will crie sometimes vnto thee and say I am the soule of such a one but wilt thou belieue it No not so saith hee for this speech commeth of the fraud and deceipt of the Diuell It is not the soule of any dead person that speaketh so but it is the Diuell that counterfeiteth the deepelier to deceiue and abuse the people For of a certaintie the soule seperated from the body goeth not vp and down wandring in these lower regions the soules of the righteous are in the hand of God those of the sinners after this life are quickly by force carried away The historie of Lazarus and the rich man doth proue the same vnto vs. And againe Wouldest thousee that the doctrine of the Scriptures and of the Prophets is of an other manner of weight then that of the dead which rise againe consider and know that whosoeuer the dead partie may be yet he is a seruant but as for the Scriptures it is the Lord which speaketh in them And therefore though a dead man reuine and liue againe though an Angell come downe from heauen yet let vs principally belieue the Scriptures For the Author of them is as wel the Lord of the dead as of the liuing of men and of Angels And therefore what the Scriptures teach vs most clearely let vs not goe about to learne of the dead c. And there is an Article in the auncient Synodes That such visions vnder the colour of soules are of the Diuell But what then may we thinke that Tertullian or Chrysostome would haue said to Gregorie Verily that these visions had beene of the Diuell Verily and his Purgatorie also a doctrine of Diuels And againe some haue doubted of these Dialogues that they were not his because that in the rest of his bookes hee seemeth to be more graue And
our aduersaries for we praise and honor the Lord in his saints glorifying his name for the singular graces which he hath bestowed vpon thē for the edifying of his Church acknowledging the meruailes that hee hath wrought by his power in the weaknesse of their ministerie hauing chosen them base and vile that they were for instruments of his power of his wisedome of his goodnes to carrie his name amongst the people hauing assisted them in their trauels deliuered them from infinite tribulations and in the end of their course crowned them with glorie And afterward wee praise and magnifie themselues in the gifts which it hath pleased God to distribute vnto them of his grace and fauour and specially that hee hath shewed them this fauour to vse them for the setting forth of his glory Math 25. Heb. 3. for that hauing well imployed their talentes giuen them of the Lord they are entered into his ioy for that they haue beene faithfull in the house so that they haue not loued or spared their owne liues Apocal. 12. euen vnto the death whereby they haue receiued of his liberall mercie the white garment c. And from thence wee are led along to a third honour that is to set them before vs as patternes of our life to pray to God to vouchsafe vs the fauour that wee may follow their vertuous steppes their holinesse their humilitie zeale and constancie following the exhortation of the Apostles Bee ye followers of me Rom. 15. Hebr. 12. as you haue vs for a pats terne and example And in another place Be ye not slothfull but followers of them which by faith patience haue receiued the inheritance of the promises After this fashion say I honor we the Saints praising God in them praising them in God and conforming our selues vnto thē by his grace And all this according to the precepts examples which we haue in the scriptures wherein their liues their deathes haue beene set out vnto vs to those endes whereas our aduersaries haue made them ridiculous by their deuised and faigned legendes and still doe make the name of Christ in stead of being glorified to be blasphemed by these their fooleries which they deliuer to the poore people for their principall instructions whereas for fiue hundred yeares after our Lorde they were condemned to be false Gratian. D. 15. ex Gelasio and by the Bishops of Rome themselues reiected as thinges inuented by such men as were either heretickes or infidels suborned thereunto by the malice of the Deuill himselfe to discredite the name and faith of Iesus Christ But rather wee denie with the scriptures that we ought either to flie vnto them for succour or els worship them For these seruices are due vnto God alone and to take them as intercessors betwixt God and vs is not belonging to them it is the office of our onely Mediator Iesus Christ our Lord Neither yet ought we to make any imployment of their merites or workes of supererrogation eyther to appease the wrath of God or to supply our vnworthinesse or else the passion of our Lorde for this were to annihilate and make of no effect his perfect sacrifice And this is that which wee haue to condemne in the Masse in this place wherein the Priest contrarie to that which hath beene tolde vs so oft namely that God is the onely searcher of heartes doth confesse his sinnes to the Angelles to the virgine Marie to the Saintes and Saintesses and prayeth them to bee intercessors for him vnto God wherein hee prayeth God to pardon his sinnes not by the merite of Christ nor by his blood but by the merite of all the Saintes and specially Of those whose relickes are vnder the Altar c. And wherein the sacrifice as they pretend of Christ is offered to God in the honour of the virgine Marie and of the men saintes and women saintes c. And these thinges we affirme to be directly against the word of God against the analogie of faith and against the vnitie of the auncient Church Now let vs consequently heare if our aduersaries haue any thing to say to the contrarie In Genesis 41. Iacob blessing the children of Ioseph vttereth these wordes Gen. 18.15.16 The God that fedde mee euer since I was vnto this day the Angell which hath beene my protection from all euill blesse these children And my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac bee called vppon or cryed lowde vppon by them c. Out of this place they gather that the Angels and Saintes ought to bee called vpon and praied vnto But as concerning the Angell whereof hee speaketh it appeareth that it was no created spirit for then Iacob would not haue ranked him and made him equall with God neither had hee praied vnto him or done other like thinges and vsed the verie same tearmes which are belonging to the Lord This Angell then is he of whom the Prophet Malachie speaketh Malach. 3. the Angell of the couenant the Sonne of God himselfe the Mediator of the old and new couenant in the beholding of whom the Patriarkes found grace with the Lord Eoxd 10.19.13 21 14.24 That Angell which is sometimes by Moses in Exodus called an Angell sometimes Iehouah that in like tearmes of speech alluding vnto these that is then when there is any speech of the conduct and guiding of Iacob that is to say of the people of Israel of his Church And thus haue the olde writers spoken Tertul. de Trinit c. 15. Tertullian expounding this place saith As hee hath not doubted or made any scruple in calling Christ an Angell so let no man be afraid or sticke to call him God seeing hee vnderstandeth here that in the blessing of his children hee is God and called vppon and likewise an Angell But and if that any hereticke shoulde obstinately sette himselfe against the truth that here is properly spoken of an Angell in this let him bee conuinced by the force and power of the truth c. Saint Hillarie alleadgeth it in the same sence vpon Psalme 123. Hilar. in psal 123. Chrisost in Genes c. 48. That wee ought to owe and ascribe all our graces prosperitie and deliuerances vnto the one onely God And after the same manner Chrysostome And as for that which is said of the name of Abraham being called vpon by his children it is a common and accustomed speech of the Hebrews vsed when they will speake of those men or women which are ingrafted into a familie Esay 4. as in Esay seuen women desire of one man that his name may bee called vppon by them that is to say that they may bee called by his name or held for his c. And in this place is plainly deliuered the adopting of the two sonnes of Ioseph which Iacob reputeth and holdeth to bee by place and right as capable of inheritance in the parting of the land as his
And amongst men who was more great then Iohn Baptist of whom the Lord saith amongst those that are borne of women c. Thou seest then this great mountaine to shine but heare his confession We haue saith he all receiued of his fulnes It is then from him of whom they haue receiued that we must looke for our succour and not from these mountaines from Christ the Sonne of the most high and soueraigne father c. And if thou lift not vppe thine eyes by the scripture thou shalt not bee admonished and taught how to bee enlightened of him Saint Ierome haue lifted mine eyes Hieronym in psal 121. the eies of my spirite vnto the toppe of the bookes that is of the laâ— and the Prophetes from whence I see comming vnto mee my Lord my aide and my helpe that is Christ and so Saint Augustine vpon S. Iohn doth expound it of the scriptures I an other place Saint Ierome ioyneth these two places together to the same end August tract 1 in Iohan. Hieronym in Esa c. 52 l. 14. I â—â—ue lifted mine eyes vnto the hils and I haue lifted mine eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the â—â—auens opposing and setting them against the ordinarie intention and drift of the â—â—euill who would curbe and keepe in our soules vnder the slauerie of these inferior pâ—wers Theodoret Being compassed and set about with calamities say the captiues of Baâ—lon Theod. in psal 120. we haue cast our eyes on euery side but we know that there is no help of man that can do 〈◊〉 good we rest in the good pleasure and will of God c. Saint Bernard likewise speaking of Christ persecuted in the Church and in his members saith Who is hee that without teares can see the teares of Christ Bernard in ep ad Simonem Abbatem S. Nicol. lifting his eyes from the deepe pitte of mire and elay vnto the mountaines from whence help and succour is to come vnto him c. And surely then not from the Saintes for they know themselues to stand in neede to bee helped of Christ but rather saith he From the Lord which hath made heauen and earth Caietan also most fitly and for the purpose saith This is here as a dialogue betwixt the people and the Prophet shall I here stand and waite for my helpe from the mountaines from the princes and potentates of the earth nay rather from the Lord c. In the Psalme 134. it is said Iudicabit Dominus populum suum in seruis suis deprecabitur Psal 134.14 Of a bad and naughtie Grammar construction they make a bad piece of diuinitie He shall bee prayed vnto say they in his seruants But the Hebrew saith Hee shall repent himselfe or he shall be appeased towarde his seruantes And so haue Caietanus Pagnin and Arias Montanus their interpretors translated the same And the Chaldie Paraphrast in like manner that is That God according to his mercie will be appeased towards to his people At the least they should haue kept themselues vnto their Glose which from a badde translation hath notwithstanding gathered a good doctrine Deprecabilis saith it efficietur seruis suis exaudiendo seruis suis placabilis fiet hee will bee intreated at the prayers of his seruantes and in the same manner Haimo But let vs heare the fathers Haimo in psal 134. Saint Augustine hath read it Et in seruis suis adorabitur and expoundeth this place of the casting off of the Iewes and calling of the Gentils comming into the Church on euerie side Saint Ierome Consolabitur and gathereth the former sence thereof also That the Lord shall bee comforted in the incredulitie of the Iewes and in the faith and beliefe of the Gentiles But Theodoret commeth more neere vnto the purpose and scope of the Prophet For saith he Thou O Lord seeing vs assailed by enemies wilt not cast vs off neither wilt thou chasten vs according to our sinnes And thus likewise Caietanus But say they doth not intercession presuppose inuocation Now the fathers of the olde Testament haue caused the names of the Patriarkes to steppe in to helpe their prayers If intercession presuppose innocation Genes 32. Exod. 32. Deutr. 9. Psal 131. Exod. 6.5 32.13 Leuit. 26.42 Dan. 3. Deut. 8.26.34 1. Kings 8. Psal 89. Iacob said The God of my father Abraham and Isaac deliuer mee c. Moyses Call to minde thy seruantes Abraham Isaac and Iacob Call to mind thy seruant Dauid and his afflictions c. But assuredly they do plainly enough expound themselues in the same places To whome saith Moyses thou hast sworne by thine owne selfe I will multiply their seede and giue vnto them this lande And Salomon Performe vnto thy seruant Dauid that which thou hast said the couenant that thou hast assured and confirmed vnto him c. And the Lord himselfe I haue remembred my couenant made with your fathers and not your fathers not their merites to witte they all alleadging to God and God vnto them the whole cause and reason of the graces and deliuerances that they craued at his hand or that hee performed vnto them to be the free promise which hee vouchsafed to make to the Patriarkes to Dauid to his people c. and not their merites which as wee shall see hereafter are none at all at Gods hand And this is the same which the Glose saith in the like places Firmiter promisisti non licet mutari Thou hast infalliblie promised and it is not lawfull for thee to reuoke or change thy promise But whereas they go about to deriue and find the originall of intercession these places cannot serue for an example For by their owne coafessions those that were in the limbes could not be intercessors And that wee may not need to bee still repeating the same thing let this which hath beene saide serue and be vnderstood of all such like places In Iob 33. Iob. 33.23 Elihu after he had shewed by how diuers sortes and waies God chastiseth men for their amendment hee addeth these wordes according to the old translation If there bee an Angell speaking for him one of a thousand to declare of the equitie of this man Then will he haue mercie vpon him and say deliuer him for I haue found wherefore to bee reconciled vnto him c. Thereupon they infer that Angels do make intercession for vs. But according to the Hebrew the truth of the word translated Angell is ambiguous and may be taken for a messenger and seemeth also presently after that it ought to be vnderstood for a prophet or interpreter of the will of God as in the booke of Iudges 2. Chap. And that because of the worde which followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say an Interpreter And hee saith not for him but with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him make God acquainted with the vprightnesse of the man but vnto man his
which are with God haue not any foundation in the Scriptures Whereby for certaine we get as much aduantage at the least Ioh. 4. against our aduersaries as the Iewes against the Samaritans That we worship that which we know euen God who hath vouchsafed to manifest himselfe vnto vs in his word They worship that which they know not namely the Saints for the inuocating of whome there is not any thing deliuered or declared vnto vs in the same But they will deriue and fetch it from certaine places The consutation of certain places wrongfully applied as consequently following vpon the same and these are now to be examined of vs. For say they those which liue here pray vnto God one for an other and doe vse the praiers one of an other vnto God wherefore should such as liue in heauen aboue lesse performe the same for such as are liuing heere below and those below make lesse vse of such as are abiding on high The oddes and difference betwixt the one and the other doe furnish vs with store of answeres And first we haue an expresse commaundement to pray one for an other here below and a promise accompanying the commaundement and so consequently a blessing when these our praiers are made in faith Which falleth out contrarie in the matters of pietie and seruice of God exercised without any foundation in his word for so it falleth out to bee an vncertaine worke and therefore without faith and therefore also sinne and by consequent displeasing vnto God Secondly we belieue that the Saints in heauen are inflamed with charitie towards the Church neither do doubt of their hartie desire of the good of the same as vnto the bodie for the glorie of God and to euerie particular as they are members of the same for their saluation And to proceed thus farre is not beyond the bonds of pietie so that a man learne to stay himself there But we denie that they either see our necessities or heare our sutes and complaints affirming that this should make them like vnto God the onely searcher of hearts and our aduersaries themselues dare not say it They answere that they see our thoughts not as they are in our spirits but in God And we answere them that this is a deuised fantasie without any foundation and that the created spirit doth not pearce or enter into the spirit not created but on the contrarie that if it were otherwise that then the Angels should know all things in God as wel the things to come as those that are present seeing that with him euerie thing is present Now there are many things vnknowne vnto them for the mysterie of our saluation was hid from them before and now at this day they are still ignorant when the day of iudgement shall bee Luk. 15. c. But they say that the Angels reioyce in heauen at the conuersion of sinners c. And therefore they are able to know it and wee doe not denie it But by meanes that it is their office and dutie to bee imployed and set on worke of God for to serue the faithfull whereupon the Apostle calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 1. Pâ—al 34. Psal 91. Act. 13. ministring spirits to whome God committeth saith the Psalmist the care of his seruants He maketh them to pitch their tents round about them c. But there is no such thing said of the Saints no not of Dauid himselfe who after he had serued in his generation by the wil of God was laid vp with his fathers And againe that praier which is of such importance vnto Christians must not bee grounded vpon the subtile deuises of mans braine but vpon the soliditie and soundnes of the word of God For certainly God can reueale what it pleaseth him either vnto the liuing or vnto the dead But wee are not to make a common rule of his miracles neither any commaundement of his reuelations vnknowne vnto vs from his power saith Tertullian the Diuine dooth neuer reason to his will but rather from his will vnto his power and that by a more forcible reason seeing the holy Scripture doth teach vs the contrarie 2. King 22.20 God saith vnto Iosias I goe about to gather thee vnto thy forefathers and thine eyes shall not see the euils which I will bring vpon this place The people of Israell saith also in Esay Thou art our father Esay 63.16 August de cura pro mortuis gerenda c. 13. notwithstanding that Abraham know vs not c. And from these two places Saint Augustine gathereth that the Saints know nothing of all the matters that happen vnto men in these words The dead and deceased doe not meddle with the affaires of those that are liuing neither to know nor yet to helpe or further them They are in rest and as for the troubles and turmoyles of them that are liuing they doe not disquiet them God promiseth to Iosias that he should die before to the end that his eyes might not see the euils the spirits then of the deceased are in aplace where they see not what is done in this life c. Adde thereunto that the greater part of the other fathers as we haue seene before haue taught that the Saints at their departure out of this life doe not inioy the sight of God but are in a place of rest expecting and waiting for the resurrection that so they may receiue the fulnesse of their glorie Now those which held this opinion could not approoue the reason which our Aduersaries alleadge for the inuocation of Saints that is that their soules and spirits doe see euerie thing in God nor by consequent this inuocation if so bee it doe depend and follow thereupon Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.26 Hee that soundeth the heart dooth know the affection of the spirit Salomon vppon the subiect and matter of prayer how in our afflictions wee must haue recourse vnto God 1. King 8. For saith hee thou alone knowest the hearts of all the Sonnes of men This reason should haue no force if these two generall propositions were not true together That man is not to praie to anie but him that knoweth all things And that God is hee alone which knoweth all things But where the word of God faileth them they forge humane reasons A confutation of their human reasons and those a great deale more vnmeete to bee admitted in Diuinitie as that which intreateth of God then those of the Ciuill Law to bee admitted in Physicke or on the contrarie because also that that in hauing an infinite subiect which is not knowne otherwise then as it pleaseth him to vouchsafe to reueale himselfe is infinitely and beyond all proportion exceeding all others In the Courts of great Princes say they there is not any man that goeth directly to the King hee hath need to make waie for the same by the fauour and mediation of some great Lord who is imployed neere
spirite by which wee belieue and say that Iesus Christ is the Lord which no man can say by the libertie and freedome of his will but onely by the holy Ghost c. This is the same with that which the Bishops of the East did write vnto the Bishops of Africke S. Barnard Bernard de grat liber arb Libertas a peccato In the fall Adam fell from his not being able to sinne to his not being able to doe any thing but sinne hauing altogether lost the libertie of taking aduise and counsell c. as also that which he had of forbearing to sinne And this losse happened vnto him by the abusing of the libertie of his will c. Being fallen from his will it is not still remaining free for him to raise vp himselfe againe by the same For although at this day be would doe it yet the case so standeth with him as that it is not in his power not to sinne It must be Christ that must inspire and indue him with new vertue by his restauration that the Lord may transforme vs into this image howbeit euen then our perfection commeth not in this life but in the life to come c. And he is full in all his bookes of such places which shal hereafter be seene as better opportunitie serueth Peter Lombard saith Lomb. l. 2. d. 25 After sinne till there be a restauration by grace man is ouercome and pressed of concupiscence and hath infirmitie to doe euill but hee hath no grace to doe good And therefore he can sinne but he cannot cease to sinne and that damnablie c. Againe In that Adam hath sinned of free will and that sinne hath ouercome him he hath lost his free will Libertatem inquam à peccato the libertie that hee had to keep himselfe from sinning whereof the Apostle speaketh whereas the spirit of the Lord is there is the libertie and truth of the Gospell If the Sonne deliuer you not you cannot bee free c. And this libertie consisteth in being free from sinne for to serue and obey vnto righteousnes c. which thing they haue attained onely and not any others whome the Sonue hath repaired by grace c. And therefore Anselme said Anselm in 14. ad Rom. as Lombard doth alleadge him The whole life of infidelles is nothing but sinne For there is no goodnesse or felicitie to bee found where the chiefe goodnesse or felicitie is wanting Thom. in 2. sent dist 31 32 c. Thomas likewise layeth vs downe these Maxims The person of Adam hath infected nature and nature now infecteth the person the bodie infecteth the soule not by working vpon it but by receiuing from it for the soule is the proper subiect of originall sinne Idem l. 1. d. 41. Originall sinne is indifferently in all and the punishment thereof is likewise in all no man can satisfie for it but God onely making himselfe man No man can forsake or shake it off of himselfe for from the estate of nature to the estate of grace no man can passe either by free will or by merite but per appositionem gratiae ex mera gratia by the adding and applying of grace c. It may be Not one to be excepted no not the holy virgine August de nupt concupise Idem de perfect iustit Idem contr Iul. l. 5. c. 9. that they haue excepted some persons from this common and generall condition at the least the virgine Marie Let vs heare then Saint Augustine All flesh that is borne by the carnall copulation of man and woman is sinfull flesh That onely which was not so begotten is without sinne that is to say the humane bodie of our Lord. Againe Whosoeuer thinketh that there hath beene anie either man or woman for in Latine he comprehendeth both the sexes except the alone Mediator of God and men to whom the remission of sinnes is not needfull he is contrarie to the holie scripture wherein the Apostle saith by a man sinne is entered into the world c. Yea saith he in another place hee is an hereticke For if as without all doubt it is the flesh of Christ bee not sinfull flesh but like onely to sinfull flesh what remaineth but that it onely being excepted all other humane flesh is sinfull flesh c. Then he concludeth And who so denieth this iâ— a detestable hereticke Yea the flesh of the virgine For saith he It appeareth that concupiscence which Christ would not haue to beare any stroke at all in his conception hath caused the propagation of euill into all mankind For the body of Marie although that he did spring from thence did not notwithstanding transfuse any part of the same concupiscence into the body of Christ because shee did not conceiue thereby And it is not here to be obiected which he speaketh of in an other place that it is not his purpose to speake of the mother of our Lord when the question is of sinne Idem de natu grat c. 6. Because shee hath had greater measure of grace giuen her to ouercome all the parts and parcels of sinne For in that he saith to ouercome it presupposeth a combat with sinne for the ouercomming whereof shee had need of new grace To which purpole wee alleadged Origen heretofore Whereas if she had not beene redeemed iustified and sanctified by the blond of Christ then shee had not beene it at all S. Ambroâ—e saith Ambr. in Luc. Immaculatâ— Partus nouitare Idem in Esay Our Lord Iesus is he alone of all those that haue beene borne of women which hath not felt the contagion of earthly infection and that by reason of the new and extraordinarie manner of his conception and generation which was without spot or touch of sinne Againe Euerie man is a lyar and no man without sinne except God alone It is therefore to bee obserued that not one that is of man and woman that is to say of the coniunction of their bodies that is without sinne Anselm l. 2. Cur deus hom c. 16. in 2. ad Cor. c 5. as also that he that is without this sinne was also begotten without this manner of conception c. Anselme I would know saith he how of this sinfull lumpe of this mankind altogether infected with sinne God should draw foorth a man without sinne Tanquam azymum de fermento being as much as if a man should go about to make a Loafe of vnleauened bread out of a lumpe that is nothing but leauen For although that the conception of this man were pure and vndefiled yet the Virgine out of whose wombe he was taken was conceiued in iniquitie and her mother conceiued her in sinne and therefore also borne with originall sinne for shee likewise hath sinned in Adam in whose person all haue sinned Rom. 5.12 Whereby we may see the impudencie of our aduersaries who vpon the second to the Corinthians where it is said All
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
say in the Sacrament but in the reading of the scriptures for the true meat the true drinke which is receiued of the worde of God is the knowledge of the Scriptures And therefore sayth S. Augustine That Iesus Christ is preached by tongues by Epistles and by the Sacraments of his bodie and blood c. That is to say that the Sacrament is a dumme worde or as hee himselfe calleth it a visible worde the worde a speaking Sacrament a Sacrament receyued by hearing that is to say Christ and life by Christ in them both The third that euerie Sacrament consisteth in three things in the signe A sacrament consisteth of the signe of the thing and of the word in the thing signified and in the worde and institution of God The signe giuen by the Pastor and receiued by the hand of the faithfull which goeth into the stomacke the thing giuen of God and receiued by the faith of the faithful which goeth vnto the soule and that by the mediation of the worde and working of the holy Ghost which accompanieth it which goeth together with the thing signified in the signe and yet not changing it in his nature but rather making it of a bare Element a Sacrament of a common creature a sacred and of an earthly an heauenly one to be short the instrument of our regeneration coniunction and vnion with Christ wherein lieth our life The signe which is visible the thing that is to say grace which is inuisible the operation of the worde and of the spirit incomprehensible And againe the signe which hath properly his analogie and proportionall relation to the outward man Grace that is to say the thing signified to the inward man inasmuch as he is renued nourished and fostered by the spirit in his spirit vnto which the Sacrament is properly offered vnto the soule I meane not vnto the bodie vnto the inward spirit August in serm ad Infant ad alt de sacram Idem de cruit 〈◊〉 10. c. 5. Idem in Quaest super Leuit. q 84. Idem de Corp. Christ Chrysost hom 83. in Mat. Anno 900. Raban l. de Sacr. Euchar. c 9. Pach. de Corp. Sang. Christ Lombard l. 4. d. 1. Bernard in Serm. de Caen. Dom. The signe called of the Fathers by the name of the Sacrament Tertul. cont Marc. l. 4. Hilar de consecr d. 2. Chrysost in Mat. hom 83. August in Ioh tract 26. Idem apud Grat. exsenten Prosper Rom. 2. and not to the outward senses And this thing also we shall be throughly instructed in by the fathers S. Augustine saith A Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace a signe of a sacred thing wherein is seene one thing with the outward sense and an other thing is vnderstood of the spirit Againe The Lord sanctifieth by an inuisible grace by the holie Ghost and there lieth the whole fruit of the visible Sacraments without this what are men able to profit c. Againe A Sacrament is a ceremonie wherein vnder the couert of visible things the diuine power worketh more secretly and priuily our saluation Chrysostome Christ hath giuen vs insensible things insensible ones Rabanus A sacrament is called all that which by the ordinance of God is giuen vnto vs for a pledge of our saluation when the thing visibly done doth inuisibly worke within vs all maner of other things c. And Paschasius Lombard in the verie same tearmes And Saint Bernard intreating vpon this matter giueth vs an example A Sacrament saith he is a sacred signe A Iewell may be giuen onely for a Iewell but it may bee giuen also to inuest and set a man in possession of an inheritance And then we say the Iewell is of small value and that it is the inheritance that we looke and seeke for And thus saith he our Lord drawing neere his death had care to inuest his elect and put them in possession of his grace for which cause this inuisible grace was giuen vnto them by some visible signe c. Where we are to obserue that the worde pledge and the similitude of the Iewell or ring are of antiquitie And this for our definition That which we call the signe the fathers do sometimes call the Sacrament how soeuer ordinarily this whole holy action is so called As wheÌ„ they say That the Sacrament is diuerse and differing from the thing of the Sacrament that is to say that the thing is one and the Sacrament of the same another that is to say again that the signe is one thing and the grace which is the thing signified is an other The figure is one thing saith Tertullian but the thing of the figure another The figure is one thing saith Saint Hillarie and the truth another The figure that which is seene without the truth is that which is belieued within The sensible thing saith Saint Chrysostome is one thing and the intelligible another The Sacrament saith saint Augustine is one thing and the power of the Sacrament another The Sacrament of the thing saith he is that which some take receiue to life others to destruction The thing that is to say grace whereof the Sacrament becommeth a Sacrament that is to say a signe that no man doth communicate to his ruine and destruction but euerie man to life and saluation And hereof we haue examples In Circumcision vnder which many had the signe and not the thing wherupon we see that the Prophets call the Israelites Of vncircumcised hearts And saint Paule saith That Circumcision became to them vncircumcision And in the Manna wherein some saith saint Augustine did eat nothing but Manna alone but others did tast and feed vpon the bodie of Christ In Baptisme which he saith that Simon the Magitian receiued without thâ— iâ—uisible grace the signe without the thing The signe and the thing notwithstanding The neare coÌ„iunction betwixt the sign and the thing for asmuch as they cannot be considered the one without the other being correlatiues and so the one presupposing the other are so conioyned and coupled togither that the one is oftentimes named for the other wherein the fathers do solemnly forewarne vs to take good heed that wee take not the signe for the thing nor the thing for the signe For the signe is the signe of the thing signified for but in regard thereof it cannot be a signe and on the contrarie it cannot be both the signe the thing togither neither in whole nor in part no more then a sonne is not a sonne but in respect of a father and cannot notwithstanding be a sonne and a father at once in one and the same respect so Circumcision the signe of the couenant is called the Couenant and the Passage or Pascal Lambe the Passeouer or Passage the rocke Christ and the water of Baptisme Regeneration c. All of them being but signes or remembrances of the couenant Circumcision of the heart communion with Christ Regeneration of man
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
man as that we destroy and take away the veritie of the body For it is no good consequent that all that which is in God Idem in Iohn tract 78. is euerie where as God is c. And in an other place vppon these words Vado Venio ad vos He went saith he as man he staied behind in as much as he was God hee went in as much as he was but in one place he staied and abode still in as much as he was euerie where Againe Idem de verb. Dom. Serm. 60. de Tem. Serm. 40. It is expedient for you that I goe although saith he that he bee alwaies with vs by his Diainitie But and if hee had not gone away from vs corporally we should haue seene him daily with these carnall eyes and should neuer haue belieued in him spiritually c. And for this cause hee hath absented himselfe in body from all the Church to the end that faith might bee edified and builded vp Cyril Alex. in Ioh. 9. c. 21. l. 10. c. 39. S. Cyrill It is meete that all the faithfull belieue that howsoeuer our Lord bee absent in body yet he is present by his power to all them that loue him c. And reciprocally no man doubteth seeing he is ascended into heauen but that he is absent in the flesh though present in body c. What is this then I will not leaue you comfortlesse That is how that after he is ascended into heauen risen from the dead Idem l. 6. dial de Trinit he is in vs by his spirit c. And againe what is the meaning of this I am in the midst of two or three assembled in my name Verily saith he when as man he was conuersant here vpon earth he filled notwithstanding the heauens not leauing therfore the companie of the Angels And on the otherside likewise where as now he is in hraue Idem l. 11. c. 3. li. de Incarn c. 21. Fulgent ad Thrasimund l 2. he ceaseth not to fil the earth with his power c. He appeared for vs on high before the father and he ceaseth not to dwel here below in the Saints by his spirit c. being absent according to his humanitie but present according to his Diuinitie Fulgentius One and the same Christ saith he is a locall man that is to say tied to one place in as much as he was borne a man that is to say of the Virgine and notwithstanding God infinite that is to say without limitation of place measure or bounds in as much as he is of the Father according to his humane nature absent from heauen when he was vpon earth and leauing the earth when he ascended into heauen according to his diuine nature notwithstanding not leauing the heauens when hee descended nor the earth when he ascended into heauen Vigil l. 1. cont Eutych c. Vigilius B. of Trent It is expedient for you saith he that I goe c. And how will he goe saith he vnto the father who neuer is from him He which is all in all with the father and of whome all things are full c. But saith he This is because he caried out of this world his humane nature which he had taken of vs c. He is then gone from vs according to this humanitie but in respect of his Diuinitie hee saith vnto vs I am with you vnto the end of the world Idem l. 4. But againe now the daies will come that you shall desire to see the Sonne of man and shall not see him c. Verily because he is after a certaine manner both absent from vs and present with vs By the forme of a seruant which he carried from vs into heauen he is absent from vs and by the forme of God which remoueth not from vs here on earth hee is present with vs Circumscribi loco and so by this meanes he but one the same becommeth present with vs and absent from vs c. But seeing saith he that the word is euery where wherefore is not the flesh also euery where These certainly are things very diuers different to be limited bounded within one place and to be euery where The Son of God had a beginning as cōcerning the nature of his flesh but he had not any if you consider the nature of his diuinitie In regard of that he is a creature but in regard of this the Creator In respect of that he is a subiect to be contained in one place but in respect of this it is not possible for him to be contained in any place c. And this is the Catholike faith fession which the Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs which the Martyrs haue confirmed and ratified and which the faithfull haue conserued and maintained euen vnto this present c. And that in such sort that although the founders of Transubstantiation haue laide such doctrines as are contrarie to the succeeding ages Bed in hom Paschah Bernard in 1◠Serm. de Caen. Dom. serm 6.9.10 Hugo part 8. c 13. memit theol Cyril 9. in Io. c. 21. yet this foundation hath alwaies remained firme In Beda Christ ascending vp to heauen after the resurrection left his Disciples corporally how be it the presence of his diuine maiestie did neuer leaue them In S. Bernard I goe from you saith the Lord according to my humanitie but I do not goe away from you according to my Diuinitie I leaue you without my corporall presence but J arde and assist you with the presence of my spirit And thus haue all the old Schoolemen spoken so farre as that he which hath said otherwise hath beene reputed for an Eutichian or Nestorian according to the saying of S. Cyrill Ne quis in duos filios Christum diuidere auderet To the end that no man might be so bold as to diuide Christ into two Sonnes c. And of such like places a man might make vp a whole volume But followeth it that to the end it may retaine the humane nature that the bodie of Christ must needes bee bounded and made subiect to one certaine place What other thing is it that all these Doctors haue said in their making of it a locall and circumscriptible bodie and subiect to locall motions c. S. Ambrose saith Ambros Ep. 22. l. de Incarn Domini de spir sanct There was in Christ the same truth of body that is in vs. Againe Euerie creature is bounded within certaine limits of his nature and that that hath not a bounded and limited power cannot be called a creature If then thou consider the Son of man as man why doest thou not leaue him that which belongeth vnto man If as a creature for so we call him according to the phrase of antiquitie in as much as hee is man what doest thou cal in question his circumscriptiblenes if thou be not purposely minded to
Cyrill The Lord went in to his disciples the dores being shut and that by surpassing through his omnipotencie the nature of things And therefore let no man trouble himself with seeking out of the cause but let him rather consider that the question is not here of a meere man like to our selues but of the Almightie Sonne of God to whome whole nature is subiect This was therefore after the same manner that his walking vpon the sea was which naturally is not giuen to beare vp our feet and note that this was before his bodie was glorified and therefore when thou readest this beware that thou be not turned aside to forsake the true faith c. And if thou bee not able to comprehend the same blame the defects and wantes of thy spirit and say rather That whereas hee thus entred in at the dores being shut it is because he is God and yet not any other then he was at the time of his being conuersant as men amongst his disciples before his passion And in deed the better sort of their expositors of the later writers do not abuse these places to the prouing of the said pearsing through of dimensions imagined and deuised by our aduersaries which maketh that two bodies should occupie but one place The dores say they were opened Ferus in Ioh. c. 20. and why not after the same manner that God caused the earth to open and swallow vp Dathan and his confederates the sea to make way for the Israelites and to drowne the Egiptians or the gates of the prison for the deliuerance of his Apostles And if God say they were able to bring them out of a prison fast shut mortall and corruptible men at they were why should he not himselfe be as able to go in the dores close shut The miracle euermore proceeding by this meanes from the diuine power vnited vnto his humane nature and not from any change made or pretended in the same and the change also whensoeuer any is resting in the things which suffer and obey this power without any extending of it selfe by any manner of way vnto the person Durand That our Lord went in the dores being shut by some other priuie secret place but not through the dores shut c. But if any one amongst so many haue found out this denne or lurking hole wherefore of so many sundrie expositions would they haue vs to make choise of that which is most harsh and obscure And when all is done what hath this to doe with the Sacrament of the holy Supper But we answere them two thinges In the first place That in the matter of the Sacraments as also of this same as Saint Augustine hath taught vs before there is no question to be made concerning any miracle And in the second place That this Maxime abideth euer firme that in God there is not yea and no toge ther and therefore that no miracle how great soeuer can imply any contradiction For the one S. Thomas telleth vs That a miracle commeth of admiration Tho. in 1. parte Summ. q. 105. art 7. that admiration falleth out when the effects are manifest but the cause hidden secret But here we all agree that the effects are hidden secret wherupon they are called mysteries And hereupon also S. Augustine doth roundly cut off all the controuersies saying That the Sacraments are things of great note estimation amongst men August de Trinit li. 5. c. 10 that they may be reuerenced as religious things but that they ought not to worke any admiration in vs as if they were miracles And by name he speaketh there of the holy supper As in deede there was neuer any miracle read of whose effectes were not cleare and manifest to the sences And to the second S. Thomas telleth vs God is not Almightie in respect of the things wherein there is contradiction because that they cannot be accounted of as possible things Thom. 1. p. Summ q. 25. art 3. 4. aduer ger t. l. 1 c. 84. l. 2. c. 25 August de Trini l. 15. c. 14 And he layeth downe for an example That he cannot make one thing and that which is contrarie to the definition of the same as a man vnreasonable a triangle and not three angles or three lines c. Because saith he This should be to haue them and not to haue them And to speake in better tearmes with Saint Augustine Because that This shoulde bee an vnablenesse and want of power for great is the power of the word sayeth hee in that it cannot lie for that therein there cannot bee Est non est but Est est Non non c. But are wee not in Saint Thomas his tearmes when there is made and set before vs a bodie without quantitie a quantitie without dimensions and a locall thing without any place a quantitie therefore without quantitie a bodie without a bodie And thus then they destroy the humane nature of Christ wherein lyeth the principall consolation of mankind the article also of his ascention into heauen of his sitting at the right hand c. that is to say euen our Creed In the sixt place let vs see how they deale with his diuinitie Transubstantiation iniurious to the diuine nature of the Sonne of God It is a rule amongst all the ancient fathers as we haue seene that men should distribute the Sacraments that is to say the signes but that God alone is the giuer of the thing but more particularly in this wherein it pleaseth the Sonne of God to giue himselfe vnto vs his flesh and his blood for our nourishment vnto eternall life But with what reuerence can we say that another giueth it vs and that in such sort as that it dependeth not vpon the institution of the Sacrament in it selfe neither yet of the vertue of the wordes which they call sacramentall but as in the workes and feates of Magicke in which strong imagination worketh the effect of the intention of the priest which vttereth them Whereupon it followeth that God must needs haue tyed his grace to the intention of the confecrating priest and not to his owne institution accompanied with his holy spirit And the Sonne of God shall not be ours that is to say the life which is in him shall not distribute it selfe vnto the faithfull further then the discretion of this intention shall extend And it shall bee in the power or rather in the weaknes of the Priest to frustrate and send away emptie a whole assemblie and companie of Christians gathered together in the name of Christ feruently desiring in a true faith and longing after his grace which hee hath included in this precious gift which he hath vouchsafed freely to bestow vpon them of himself in stead that he hath so graciously declared his good will vnto vs saying When two or three of you shall be gathered together in my â—ame J will bee in the
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
heauenly word c. What is there saith Bellarmine more cleare then this But and if it bee so cleare a case let him answere vs why Thomas of Aquin Thom. part 3. Summ. q. 75. art 8. and all those after him condemne this Proposition of Saint Ambrose That the flesh or body of Christ is made of the bread It being obserued saith hee That it cannot be properly said that of a not essence an essence may bee made c. And if it cannot be said properly must it not then needes be improperly And who can or ought to make this impropernesse propernesse better then himselfe Therefore he addeth But seest thou the efficacie of the word of Christ And if then it haue such vertue in it selfe that the things that were not doe thereby beginne to be as namely in the creation Vt sint quae erant in aliud commutentur How much more effectually shall it worke and bring to passe that things be againe that which they were before and that they may bee changed into an other thing Now then what meaneth this To be that which they were but to continue in their nature And by consequent To be changed into an other thing but to change their condition vse Bellarmine taketh himself to haue plaid the tall fellow when he aunswereth that Saint Ambrose vnderstandeth that they are the same that they were without but not within And is it enough to say so But Saint Ambrose himselfe easeth vs of all these cauils in an other place Ambros de iis qui myster initiant The true flesh of Christ saith hee is that which was crueified and buried Of this true flesh the Sacrament is a Sacrament and our Lord doth proclaime it This is my bodie before the blessing of the heauenly words an other kind is named after the consecration the bodie of Christ is signified and before the consecration another thing is said after the consecration it is named bloud What is that then in Saint Ambrose by Saint Ambrose himselfe The bread by the consecration to bee made the bodie of Christ the Cup his bloud Euen to be made Sacraments to signifie to point out the bodie and bloud of Christ But he must not plaie the wrangler here and say That by the word Kinds he vnderstandeth the apparant accidents of bread and wine as the transubstantiators haue afterward said For when he saith Before the blessing of words another kind is named by kinds he cannot but vnderstand the substances of bread wine for are they not as yet according to their owne speeches bread and wine And againe this age of the world had not yet learned that Accidents are called Kinds But he doth yet further explaine himselfe Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c 4 by the comparison of Baptisme Peraduenture thou sayest I see not the kind of bloud But saith he it hath the resemblance of it And what manner of resemblance For euen as thou hast receiued the resemblance of death Viz. in the dipping that is in Baptisme so hast thou drunke the resemblance of his precious bloud to the ende that there may not remaine any horrour of bloud and notwithstanding that it worketh the price of redemption Againe Thou thy selfe wast but thou wast an olde creature after thou wast consecrated thou didst beginne to become a new creature c. Now wee are of this iudgement with our aduersaries that there is not any Transubstantiation in Baptisme neither in the water which washeth Idem de sacr l. 6. c. 1. nor in the creature that is washed And this is the same that is said in an other place Thou tookest the Sacrament for a similitude or resemblance but thou inioyest in truth the grace and vertue of the nature I am saith he the bread of life that came downe from heauen but the flesh is not come downe from heauen Hee tooke flesh in earth of the Virgine Idem in 1. Cor. 11. c. Againe The Testament is ordained by bloud bloud is the restimonie of the gracious worke of God for a figure of the same we receiue the misticall Cup of bloud c. Saint Basill What doe these words profit vs Take eate This is my bodie To the end that eating and drinking Basil de Baptis in Moral we should remember our selues of him who is dead and risen againe for vs And he that recalleth not to his memorie thus much is said to eate vnworthily And he maketh mention againe of the same in his Morals In the Lithurgie attributed vnto him likewise after the consecration We draw neere saith he with assured confidence vnto thy holy Altar and setting thereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the resemblances of the holy body and bloud of thy Christ we praie thee that it would please thee of thy mercifulnesse and great bountie to cause thy holy spirit to come downe vpon vs and vppon the gifts there vnfolded and laid open and the same to blesse and sanctifie c. Now they could not before the consecration bee called resemblances or figures for they were but common bread and wine wee are of the same mind and further that they are so also after the consecration And neuerthelesse they are so called by Saint Basill Wherefore they are not really the body and bloud Bellarmine of three aunsweres made heereunto reiecteth two and cleaueth to the third That the body and bloud in the Eucharist are signes of the body bloud vpon the Crosse May we iudge that Saint Basill had euer any such intent that hee euer called the accidents Gifts vncouered and laid open that hee praied to GOD in the same tearmes to haue him to send downe his holy spirit vpon the assistants and vpon the bodie and bloud of his Sonne and that hee would blesse and sanctifie them by him c. Is it possible without blasphemie And after all was it not more readie for him to say simply Wee set before thee the holy body and bloud of thy Sonne c. They obiect these words vnto vs Basil de Spir. S. ad Amphiloc Who is he amongst the holy Fathers that hath left vnto vs in writing the words of inuocation at such time as the bread of the Eucharist and Cup of blessing are shewed Men praied vnto them saith Bellarmine and then they are not figures But hee saith not that they were praied vnto but rather that God was praied vnto at such time as men prepared themselues to be receiuers of the Sacraments Namely to this end that he wold giue vnto them to present thēselues to the same with reuerence humilitie repentance an approued faith c. And frō this place they should rather haue learned that after the consecration it is euermore bread it is euermore a cup. But say they wherfore should it be accompted rashnesse to touch thē there For S. Basil saith If such as present themselues rashly to the participating of things sanctified by men
Idem in Psal 33.1 2. Ierm And how was he carried in his own hands Because that recommending his body his bloud he took into his hands that which the faithful know that is to say the bread and the cup and so he carried himselfe after a certaine maner saying This is my body c. Now let them expound vnto vs what is the meaning of this Quodammodo C. Hocest quod De Consecr D 2. Idem Ep. 118. c. 3 after a certaine sort except it be Sacramentally Or as the Canon saith Improperly not in truth but in a misterie To the end saith he that the sence may bee It is called the body of Christ that is to say it signifieth it He compareth say they the deuotion wherwith it ought to be honoured to that of the Centurion who said vnto our Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe c. But to what purpose if we receiue but the signe Where as we take the thing by faith and the signe with the hand As the Centurion receiued the Lord corporally vnder this roofe and spiritually and by faith in his soule and corporally without faith vnto condemnation spiritually by faith vnto saluation according to that which Saint Augustine saith in an other place That the Virgine is not vnâ—happy Idem in ps 98. because shee did conceiue and beare our Lord in her wombe but by faith in her soule But he hath said say they Worship his footstoole and thereby he meaneth his flesh And of his flesh he saith That no man doth eate it that hath not first worshipped it This is not then the bread And who doubteth that wee ought not to worship the flesh of Christ vnited hypostatically to the Deitie And that no man can eate it which doth not belieue it and that no man can belieue it which doth not worship it and that no man can truely worship it except that hee belieue it And is not this same against our transubstantiators which teach that the wicked eate it Of those I speake which can neither worship nor belieue it But to worship it is to worship it in heauen and not in the bread lifting vp our spirits on high and not casting downe our eyes vpon the earth And this is it that wee dispute Not saith S. Augustine the signe that is seene Idem de doctr Christ l. 3. c. 9. and which goeth away but that whereunto it ought to bee referred But let them blush and bee ashamed that they haue not added there to that which followeth Vpon what ground so euer thou fallest downe to worship looke not down vnto the earth but vp to the holy one whose foot stoole it is Idem in Psal 98. that is to say the humanitie of Christ And when thou worshippest him let not thy thoughts rest in the flesh and without being quickned by the spirit for it is the spirite that quickneth c. And this is the cause why our Lord said to the twelue c. Vnderstand sptritually that which I haue said you shall not eate this body which you see neither shall you drinke this my bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me I haue inioyned you by commandement to vse a certaine Sacrament which spiritually vnderstood will giue you life c. Had it not therfore beene better for them that they had left this place vnremembred They cite an other place That which is taken from the fruits of the earth saith hee consecrated by misticall prayer let vs take for the spirituall saluation in remembrance of the passion of our Lord Idem de Trin. l. 3. c. 4. c. it is not sanctified to be so great a Sacrament but by the inuisible operation of the holy Ghost And what is there heere for any man to doubt of As though there were no other operation of the holy Ghost but Transubstantiation For is not regeneration in Baptisme a marueilous worke also of the holy Ghost Wherein notwithstanding the water in his substance receiued not any chaunge But as for that which hee saith of the fruites of the earth and that they are made a great Sacrament they should haue learned that for to continue Sacraments they also continued fruites of the earth and for to continue fruites of the earth they did also continue Sacraments that is to say sacred signes of the grace of God And such like and lesse forcible to proue any thing are these places following It is one Passeouer which the Iewes celebrate as yet with a lamb idem contr li. Pet. l. 2. c. 37. It is an other which we receiue of the body bloud of our Lord. And who denieth it euen since the true Lamb which hath caused to cease the tipical or figuratiue and which hath take froÌ„ it both the thing and also the Sacrament Againe In stead of all the old sacrifices the body of Christ Idem de ciuit Dei l. 17. c. 20 is offered and administred to them which are partakers thereof Or who doubteth of this point And how oft hath it beene told them that the question is of the manner And in the end Idem apud Yuon Carnut Serm. ad Neophyt Idem de doct Christ l. 3. c. 16 they would find it in a place cited by Yuon Bishop of Charters Take and receiuean the bread that which was hanged vpon the Crosse and in the Cup that which issued out of the body of Christ And what is this but the same that he said to the children as here hee speaketh vnto Nouices or new conuerted Christians These things are called Sacraments because that therein one thing is seene and an other vnderstood Communicate in the passion of our Lord and keepe fast in your memories that his flesh was crucified and pearced through for you And yet this place is not found in his workes but alleadged by the said Yuon of Chartres Let onely the sound Reader iudge here what swaie or force these places can afford amongst so manie others by which they are most clearely and planely expounded Cyrill Patriarke of Alexandria giueth vs these Maximes Cyril Anâ—t 12 Our Misterie is not an Anthropophagie that is to say consisteth not in eating of mans flesh we must not set the spirits of the faithfull in the scrole of these grosse conceites beeing occupied in things that are receiued by a pure exquisite and onely faith c. Christ entreth into vs by faith and dwelleth in vs by the holy Ghost for the holy Ghost is not separated from the Sonne c. Cyril 3. c. 24. l. 11. in Ioh. Idem in Leuit. l. 7. Idem in Ioh. l. 3. c. 24. If thou stand perswaded according to the letter in that which is said If you eate not the flesh c. this letter dooth slate thee but if thou be perswaded to vnderstand it spiritually there is the spirit of life to bee found therein c. The only begotten Sonne
contrarie saith that it signifieth that which is secret and hidden vnder the formes thereof What difference is heere betwixt the forme and the body the substance and the accidents Againe some say that the body of Christ is made of the bread and his bloud of the wine as of his matter others denie it And Bellarmine doth affirme and denie both together Againe sometimes vrged out of Tertullian and Saint Augustine they acknowledge that there is a figure and sometimes they doe wholly and flatly denie it c. And they speake as vncertainly of the chaunge and transmutation Sometimes Bellarmine saith that the substance of bread is turned into whole Christ body and soule God and man sometimes into the body onely c. And sometimes that hee is there hypostatically or personally and as he speaketh with his personalitie that he may not fall into Rupertus Tuitiensis his errour sometimes that hee is not And there are that say that the substance of bread is turned into the truth of the body and others into the power and vertue of the same onely Besides others which in diuers places affirme sometimes the one sometimes the other Now what becommeth of this body afterward Their answeres herein haue no lesse vncertaintie and ambiguitie For one saith after that the kindes be altered and corrupted it withdraweth it selfe Nay saith an other it still continueth and abideth there Idem tr 1 c 19 Veg assert 205 Bellâ—rm l 3 de Euchar. c. 10 24. l. 1 c. 14 Veg. de reâ—l Praesent c. 58 Turr. tr 1 c 11 19 Scarg art 12 pro sacratiss Euchar. c 6. c Cont. Vel. Vega de Miss fol. 11 thes 19. 20. Idem de real praesent thes 84 Scarg in art 11. Turr. tr 1. c. 7 tr 2. c. 11. 8 Stel. Clericor for an incorruptible seede of the resurrection and that if not in substance yet in power and effectuall operation Let vs reason thus then If the efficacie and powerfulnesse be sufficient for the seede of the resurrection and incorruption Wherefore the body in our body And wherefore doe we admit this absurditie of hauing so many bodies within our bodies a thing contrarie to reason nature and all Diuinitie An absurditie wherein as yet they infold and wrap themselues For if the glorified body be supernaturally euerie where wherefore say they that he commeth downe vpon the Altar and why doe they say that hee departeth and goeth his way in respect of his body If he come downe if he goe vp why doe they say that he is not circumscript and tied to place and that he is corporally euerie where Againe sometimes they say We set our teeth in the flesh of our Lord wee deuour and feede vpon him with our teeth c. We chew him wee breake him c. And sometimes they are angrie that one should obiect it against them as their reproach they vexe themselues they denie it To bee short for we should neuer haue done if wee should goe about to gather together all their contradictions and this shall suffice for a taste when shame seaseth vpon them they are offended that a man should laye it to their charge that they haue saide That the Priests are creators of their Creator c. And by and by they come againe to their mutuall byace and doe freely vtter it That the Eucharist is no creature That it is the Creator himselfe That it is an Hypostaticall grace That it deserueth to bee adored and praied vnto c. And yet the same neuerthelesse say they that dependeth vppon the intent and purpose of him that consecrateth Now wee haue finished the whole historie of the doctrine of Transubstantiation taught in the Church of Rome The comparing of the holy supper and the Masse together But how farre is it off from the auncient simplicitie of the Christian Church and how farre from the institution made by our Lord of the holy supper The Summe wherof is thus That in the holy supper we are seriously admonished of our bond and obligation vnto our Lord and of our dutie towards our neighbour likewise nourished and strengthned in our coniunction with Christ our head whereupon dependeth our true life which approueth and maketh it self manifestly knowne as the soule doth it selfe by his motions by our zeale towards God and our behauiour towards our neighbours Therein we cal to mind our obligation when we remember according to his commandement the death and Passion of our Lord That we were dead in our sinnes dead verily and eternally seeing it was requisite and necessarie that the eternall Sonne of God should expose and giue himselfe to death euen to the death of the Crosse to redeeme and set vs free from that death therefore eternall death And thence is that action of praise and thankesgiuing that followeth solemnely obserued and performed in this action and perpetuall in our soules if we be truely faithfull For hee that willingly belieueth this great and vnspeakable benefit how can he possibly forget it How can it possibly be but that he should occupie and as it were powre forth himselfe in a continuall exercising of praise and thankesgiuing Seeing I say he sinneth euerie moment he cannot bee without matter to humble himselfe euerie moment and to haue his eye both vpon death and also vpon hell and accordingly againe he hath matter euerie moment to raise vp him selfe againe in hope by the remembrance of this eternall Sacrifice vpon the mention that is made namely in this Sacrament How that the Sonne of God hath giuen his bodie for him hath beene broken with cares and griefes and how that his bloud was shed for the remission of his sinnes And this is the cause why this Sacrament is called both a remembrance and an Eucharist or action of thankesgiuing For of the remembraunce of this benefite of this gift of saluation and by this vnspeakable meanes there followeth in euerie Christan heart a serious and heartie Eucharist or thankesgiuing But this effect by name is wanting in the Papists their Masse For this remembrance is not practised in it at all the death of the Lord is not shewed foorth there at all vnto the people This is in steed of whatsoeuer it should bee a heape of words and a varietie of gestures neither the one nor the other vnderstood Wee are taught likewise in the holy Supper our duties towards our neighbours for wee are not only created of one and the same Masse but regenerate and begotten again but redeemed and bought with one price euen bloud but made members of the same bodie and quickned by one and the same spirit but liuing mouing and feeling from one and the same head One with him through the grace of his good pleasure and will One therefore amongst our selues both by his commaundement and by naturall dutie And if the head the eternall Sonne of God haue giuen his life for vs to make vs I say his members what do
relieued if by grace we bee not borne againe in Christ. What then and what shall become of so many goodly vertues of the Pagans Let it neuer be imagined saith he that there can be any true vertue in him that is not iust let it neuer bee imagined that there is any truely iust if he liue not ex fide by faith Fabricius his torments shall be more easie then Catilines not because he was a good man but because he was not so wicked Without faith it is impossible to please God but they haue not expressed anie faith in their workes neither therefore had they anie in their heartes c. The man saith he in another place must first be changed before his workes be changed Antequà m iustificetur impius quid est nisi impius Idem serm 12. de verb. Dom. Idem cp 106. Before the wicked man bee iustified what is hee but a wicked and vngodly man c. Can there then be any thing in man whereby he may help himselfe to come vnto God except he bee first changed and regenerate by his spirite And where becommeth then our free will Hearken Man saith he abusing his free will Idem in Enchilid c. 30. hath lost both himselfe and his free will for as he which killeth himselfe in killing of himselfe liueth no more nor hath any power to raise himselfe to life againe hauing once slaine himselfe so man in sinning by his free wil and sinne becomming conqueror hath lost his free will For of whom a man is ouercome his seruant hee is and therefore man cannot be free and at libertie to worke iustly if he bee not deliuered from the thraldome of sinne and made the seruant of righteousnesse But how shall this libertie be purchased and restored to man againe being solde giuen vp and captiuated c. if he be not ransomed by him who hath said If the Sonne deliuer and set you free you shall be truely free that is to say if he cast you not in a new mould by his grace to be new creatures in Christ Idem de spirit liter tom 3. Tu non poâ—uâ—sti in te nâ—si perdere te Idem ad Bonif l. 1. c. 3. Idem de fide ad Petr. Diaco c. And therefore these are his ordinarie Maxims Free will auaileth vs nothing neyther standeth it vs in any stead it hath no power at all except it be to sinne Thou hast nothing resting in thee but the meanes of destroying thy selfe neither doest thou know to finde thy selfe except hee that made thee doe seeke thee vp Yea saith hee if he doe not draw thee that is to say if he giue thee not to belieue in Christ a power that hath no iotte of free will a power which is not but from God alone For hee concludeth in another place Euerie man is borne in originall sinnne by consequent the child of wrath and from that wrath no man can be saued but by the faith of the Mediator And no man can repent himselfe here if God doe not inlighten him if by his free and vndeserued mercy he do not conuert and turne him vnto him Prosp Aquit ad Capitul Vincent Prosper Aquitanus By the wound of originall sinne the nature of all men was corrupted and killed in Adam whence is sprung out the disease of all concupiscences and lustes and against the which there is no other remedie but the death of Christ c. Yea saith he a disease that he would needes haue and which by him was needfull for vs. For saith hee to him not to sinne was no other thing then not to be willing to sinne Idem de vita contemplat c. 2. but it is not enough for vs to be willing to liue without reprehension our will being vicious and hindered by our feeble and faint possibilitie that which was in him of pleasure choise is become to vs a necessitie euen to sinne And if you say any thing to him of the workes of infidelles hee aunswereth you in these verses Idem in epigram 81. in l. de ingrat passim Per omnes calles errat sapientia mundi Et tenebris addit quae sine luce gerit This light which he calleth faith when he saith in another place Omne etenim probitatis opus nisi semine verae Exoritur fidei peccatum est nique reatum Vertitur stirilis cumulat sibi gloria poenam Cyrillus Alexandrinus He that is become thrall to the seruitude and slauerie of sinne although that he haue cast himself of his owne free wil into this miserable slauerie cannot notwithstanding shake off this yoke when he pleaseth he must seeke deliuerance in another that is in the Sonne of God Let vs neuer make triall of or attempt any other way for the recouering of our libertie for by him alone is graunted our full freedome from sinne to the ende that sinne may not rule or raigne anie more in our mortall bodies and that in the world to come it may not find any place in vs. From whence in two wordes wee gather thus much That in our owne nature we are the seruants of sinne That it raigneth in vs without any gainsay to the procuring of the punishments that are after this life if we bee not renewed in Christ Petr. Diac. c. Episc Orient ad Fulgen. c. Episc Afric Damnatur mortis paena Petrus Diaconus ad Fulgentium Adam hauing willingly transgressed the law of God is by his iust iudgement condemned to suffer the punishment of death and is allâ— holly throughâ—ut that is to say both in bodie and soule changed into worse and hauing lost his owne freedome is become a slaue to serue the filthie drudgerie of sinne Thereupon it is that no man commeth into this worlde free from the bondes of sinne except hee who for the vnloosing of these bondes was begotten after a new kinde of conception the Mediator of God and men Iesus Christ. For what can base and vile man beget but that which is base and vile And therefore as euerie man is of Adam â—oret Pighius so by Adam euerie man is the seruant of sinne Rom. 5. c. And such deceiue themselues as say that death but not sinne hath passed throughout mankind when as there is not one of all the sonnes of men which is deliuered from this damnation death but by the grace of the redeemer c. without this grace a man might think and desire humane things but he could not either thinke of or haue any will vnto the things concerning God For the first principall foundation thereof is to belieue in the Lord of glorie crucified This commeth not from the libertie of our free will or naturall will for flesh and blood doe not reueale the same but the heauenly father to whom he will drawing him vnto this true libertie not by a violent necessitie but by a gentle infusing of his holy
the substance of bread abideth and remaineth is not repugnant vnto reason nor vnto the authoritie of the Bible on the contrarie it is more easie to vnderstand and more reasonable and doth not admit of Accidents without any subiect which is one of the difficulties that is therein to be found Make these and transubstantiation agree Fiftly If the substances be not any more there then what will ye make of the whitenesse and roundnesse Lombard l. 4. d. 12. Aimoinus ex Adem l. 5. c. 19 Platin. in vit Clem. 5. Thom opuse 59. q. 3.79 Durand in Ration l. 4. c. 41. c. These accidents in a word and whereupon founded Some of Lombard his time said That they are in the aire Lombard That they are without any subiect And Thomas after the same manner Some replie But we see that they nourish As for example King Lewes the gentle saith the Monke Aimoinus who for the space of fortie daies did not eate any other thing and an Emperour Henrie the fourth as saith Platina was poisoned in the host c. Wormes likewise are begotten therein There of one pretended miracle they make a hundred Thomas saith That they are accidentes notwithstanding but such as are able to nourish That the wormes in that which remaineth are engendred of the demensiue quantitie Others Of the substance of bread And others Of the next aire What millions of absurdities doth one absurditie beget Sixtly This miracle in summe that bringeth forth so many By what wordes is it done If it be by these words Hoc est corpus meum wherefore then doth the Priest say afterward Iube haec perferri Command that these gifts that is to say the Sacraments bee laid vpon thine heauenly Altar Lombard d. 13 l. 4. G. of in C. Vtium in V. Perfer decons d. 2. by the handes of thine Angell c. And in deed Lombard is not farre off And many collect thereby that the consecration is made in heauen by the ministerie of the Angels And if it be not by these words why then do they so delight themselues to insist vpon them And then also by what others And where is the end where the beginning Here lyeth the great controuersie And in the meane time you will say if you should heare them speake that they are all of one iudgement and that they make not any question of any thing be it neuer so small What will they say vnto vs then Durand in Rational l. 4. c. 41 Lombard l. 4. d. 2 Thom. opusc 59. 3. q. 78. Hug. Card. in Luc. c. 26. in Marc c. 4. Scot. in Rep. d. 8. q 2 Christ saith Durand consecrated by the word Benedixit And his reason is because that our Lord brake the bread before the words Hoc est corpus meum Thomas is thought to go about to draw his necke out of the collar by saying That the Euangelistes haue not kept any order therein Hugo the Cardinall deliuereth foure sortes And notwithstanding saith he There is but one true sort to become by And who is it then that shall be able soothly to declare the same Scotus saith very ingeniously and freely That he is wholly ignorant in this point and that this is a lawfull ignorance and that he that thinketh himselfe to know what and how forcible wordes are requisite thereunto is deceiued And further that the Grecians which tie not themselues to these words do not therefore faile to consecrate Is not this to say plainely enough with the fathers that the sanctifying of the Sacraments doth not depend vpon certaine words Thom. l. 4. sen d 8. art 6. Innoc 3. de Offic. Miss p. 3 C. 6. 14. Scot. in l. 5. Sent. d. 2. q 3. as magicall workes do but vpon the Lords institution Afterward Hoc what shall it be vnto vs With Thomas hoc is as much to say Hoc contentum that which is contained vnder these kinds or accidents is my bodie To Innocent the third this hoc is not any word tending to consecration is bringeth not thereunto either yea or nay And thus also saith Scotus and it signifieth an Indiuiduum vagum whereof Christ pronounceth that it is his bodie alreadie consecrated already made by the blessing going before whereof it is said Benedixit c. And Durandus swarueth not far from the same sence Durand l. 4 when he saith that by hoc there is nothing signified but that it is put downe materialiter c. To Bonauenture hoc meaneth the bread Gerson cont â—lor l 4. the substance of bread Gerson taketh it so also And Gardiner liuing within our remembrance hath followed him But this proposition The bread is or is made the bodie of Christ is holden at this day to bee hereticall And therefore they say The formes or the Accidentes of bread shall not be any lesse for how shall either one substance become another or the Accidentes a substance To Occam Hoc is as much to say as Corpus Christi the bodie of Christ Oceâ—m in 4. Sent. d. 13. q. 6. 7. Betr de Alliac ibid And what shall then the meaning of this bee The bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ And thus writeth Petrus de Alliaco A proposition saith Holcot Vaine and fond for it is idem per idem And because hee cannot bee there till all the wordes bee vttered Iohannes de Burgo addeth thereunto Hoc That which is here present vnder this kind or which verie quickely shall bee there is my bodie Holcot in 4. Sent. q. 3. And Holcot to get himselfe out of the bryers It signifieth something that is common to both tearmes termino a quo termino ad quem But he telleth not what And how much better had it beene for them to haue kept themselues to the exposition of the Fathers This is the figure of my bodie you are my bodie in a Sacrament and mysterie As also vnto the olde Canons This signifieth my bodie c. Vpon the rest of the wordes they doe not agree any better Est to some of them is a verbe Substantiue Others disallow of them and will haue it to bee a verbe operatiue And of these fellowes that holde of operatiue some will haue it expounded by Fit is made Others by Conuertitur is chaunged Others by transubstantiatur is transubstantiated c. And they will againe that Fit bee as much as Fiat And Conuertitur conuertatur c. that is to say This may bee made my bodie This may bee chaunged into my bodie c. And againe some will that as soone as it is spoken all is finished Others are of mind that the fiue words must bee fullie finished And others all that which followeth Which is giuen or which is shedde for you c. And who shall bee able to gather together eyther all their friuolous questions whereof the Fathers neuer knew one or yet all their contradictions infallible sequences both of
the vncertaintie of their doctrine as also of the spirite of lying raigning amongst them In the meane time heare them speake They iarre about a controuersie which is betwixt Luther and Caluin thinking to cloake and conceale such a multitude of contrarieties as are amongst themselues And thus when they haue cast about euerie way The Schoolemen shew that they are forced by the authority of the decrees of Lateran Hugo Card. in Mat. c. 26. in Marc. c. 14. in Luc. c. 26 now at the last they breake out and say that it is the Councell of Lateran or rather the tirannie of the Pope that tyeth their tongues like prisoners and not the concluding of their pretended reasons Cardinall Hugo in his perpetuall Postill swimmeth betwixt the truth and the errours of that time as well as hee can Hee blesseth sayeth hee but hee sticketh long in the bringing forth of the wordes of blessing as hauing purposed to accommodate himselfe to the opinion then receiued to which ende hee bringeth forth foure constructions of this texte and those verie diuerse Fregit hee brake that is to say Frangendum in cruce signauit hee signified that his bodie should bee broken vpon the Crosse Accipite take that is said hee by belieuing with the heart and confesting with the mouth Comedite eate that is by ioyning your selues to him in loue and vnitie This is my bodie this is my bloude that is that I haue giuen you for meate which I haue giuen you for drinke according to that sayeth he which hee sayeth in Saint Iohn 6. My flesh is truely meate and my bloud is truely drinke Now it is so that our aduersaries vnderstand it of the spirituall eating And afterwarde saith hee To whome giueth hee it Verily vnto his disciples His disciples and not others haue right to eate and drinke it they which go and sitte downe in his schooles that ruminate his lessons of humilitie of mildnesse gentlenesse charitie c. And yet in the meane time hee letteth not after all this to winde himselfe here and there within the errours of the time Thom. 3. p. Summ q. 76. art 1. Damasc l 4. c. 4. Thomas after hee hath spent all his breath about the prouing of the doctrine of Transubstantiation turneth backe at the last to approue of Damascen his opinion The coale is not of simple woode but it is vnited to the fire so the breade of the Communion is not simple breade but bread vnited to the diuinitie And wee agree to him if hee meane a Sacramentall vnion if hee meane that it is said of the breade This is my bodie which is giuen for you In like manner as it is saide of the cole This hath touched thy lippes therefore thine iniquitie shall go away and propitiation shall bee made for thy sinnes For hee woulde not haue it meant of any hypostaticall thing Bonau in l. 4. Sent. d. 8. d. 1. q. 3. Bonauenture doth flatly deny euerie part of Thomas his exposition That the bread was the bodie of Christ at such time as our Lord vttered these wordes This is my bodie Againe they hold it for an errour That grace is essentially contained in the Sacraments as the medicine in the boxe but they hold that it is in them in as much as they do signifie shadow it out Now the bodie of Christ vpon their consciences is it without grace That grace notwithstanding is in them if the default be not on the behalfe of the party that communicateth Could he deliuer his mind in better tearmes that the bodie of Christ is not receiued but by the faithfull And his conclusion vrgeth the matter yet further Thus vnderstanding saith he that the grace is in the soule and not in the visible signes that is to say that the effect of the Sacrament is wrought in our soules by the operation of the holy Ghost and not any miracle in the substances of the bread and the wine The same vppon the worde Eate Eating saith hee is properly found to haue respect vnto corporall thinges and from thence is translated vnto those that are spirituall And therefore if we will take well the right spirituall eating it is necessarie that wee should go from the proper signification of the word Idem in l. 4. d. 9. q 1. Scot. l. 5. Rep. in 4. Sent. d. 10 q. 1. vnto the borrowed and translated And so by this meanes he acknowledgeth a figure therein And note that hee was both a gray fryer and a Cardinall Iohn Duns saith Scotus neere hand 100. yeares after the Councell of Lateran durst bee so bold as to call the matter in question againe If the bodie of Christ bee really contained vnder the kindes and reasoneth by argument that it is not And his groundes are Idem d. 11. q. 3 That the quantitie cannot suffer it so neither the localnesse and circumscription of place which go inseperablie and naturally with a true and naturall bodie such as is the bodie of our Lord that as a temporall thing cannot bee at diuers times together no more can a locall thing be in diuers places together And therefore that the opinion which holdeth that the bread and wine abide in their substance Idem d. 2. 3 104.20 seemeth vnto him the more probable and no lesse worthie to bee embraced c. Notwithstanding that hee holdeth himselfe to that which the Church ordained in the Councell of Lateran Because it is said that Saint Peters faith shall not faile c. Although saith hee that the wordes of the scripture might bee maintained and defended by a more easie exposition Occam in centilog theol concl 25 26. c. and in all likelihood more true Occam durst propound and set downe That the bodie of Christ is euerie where as God is euerie where and that if there were an host that did fill all the world the bodie of Christ might bee together with euerie part of the same when it should bee consecrated Directly against the Councell of Ephesus which concludeth that euerie nature should retaine such his properties as could not become really communicable from one to another And from him the Vbiquitaries of this time may seeme to haue drawne their fountaine water spring But in another place hee holdeth Idem l. 4. q. 6. that the opinion which setteth downe That the substance of bread abideth and that the bodie of Christ is coexistant with it is most probable and least subiect to inconueniences not repugnant to reason neither to the authoritie of the Bible notwithstanding that hee keepeth himselfe vnto the determination of the Church and such opinion as is most commonly receiued Durand de S. port in l 4. Sent. d. 11. Gulielmus Durandus of Saint Poursain whome the vniuersitie of Sorbone calleth Magister by the way of excellencie and the most resolute Doctor and that more wisely It is rashnesse saith hee to say that the bodie of Christ by the