†A godly and necessarye admonition of the Decrees and Canons of the Counsel of Trent celebrated vnder Pius the fourth Byshop of Rome in the yeares of our Lord. M. D. LXII and. M. D. LXIII Wrytten for those godlye disposed persons sakes whych looke for amendement of Doctrine and Ceremonies to bee made by generall Counsels Lately translated out of Latine Psalm xxvi Odi ecclesiam malignantium I haue hated the Congregations of the wycked Math. xv What soeuer my heauenlye father hath not planted shalbe plucked vp by the rootes ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwellyng ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martins ¶ Cum gratia et priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium The. xix of February 1564. These bookes are to be sold at hys shop vnder the Gate ⧠The Preface to the Reader OUr Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christ when he hadde confirmed the mindes of his Disciples agaynste the daungers of persecution whych they shoulde be in daunger of for the confession of the truth of his doctrine with a spirite thurstyng our saluation brake foorth into these woordes What profiteth it a man sayd he though he win al the world if he lose hys own soule Or what recompence shal a man geue for his soule And his meaning was to admonish not onely his Disciples but also al vs together with them how much the saluation of soules is to be made of which being deliuered from the bodye and once abiected from God can by no price or recompence he redemed agayne But then are they most of al endaungered when they straye from the true knowledge of God and his syncere woorshipping For God is lyfe and truth and therefore the death of the soule is to decline froÌ„ the rule of the wyl of God reuealed in Christ. But bicause the Lorde speaketh not vnto vs from heauen but hath vpoÌ„ earth instituted the ministery of teaching whereby men are instructed of the wil of God we see that for that cause I say men are diuerslye affected For they which teach in the churche of God doo not euerye where professe one and the selfe same doctrine And when Christ sayde of true teachers He that heareth you heareth me And agayne If he shal not heare the church let hym bee vnto thee as an Ethnicke and a Publicane they excedinglye doubt vnto what congregation in so great a diuersitye of opinions they ought to soyne them selues For on the one syde they are holden by ordinary succession as they caâ—… it and custome and consent of very long tyme in whose congregation yet neuerthelesse they see very many errours and no small abuses which they them selues vnderstand and iudge that they ought of necessity to be amended On the other side against humane traditions they heare the expresse woorde of God brought foorth and vrged but for asmuch as they fynde among those meÌ„ also occasion to be offended and chiefely bicause they thinke that the chaunging of doctrine and ceremonies pertaineth not vnto euery man but vnto the ordinarye power they can scarse tel which way to turne them selues They flye therefore vnto the authority of a Counsel as to an onely sanctuary whereby they iudge that dissension sprong in the Church may most commodiously be taken awaye Of which thyng when deliberation was had long tyme and often by the orders of the Empyre neither yet by any conditions whereby on eyther syde it was requyred it could be obtained the saluation of many men hath by the stay of so long tyme bene miserably endaungered And although such are iustly to be reproued whych neglecting the very sounding from heauen of the sonne of God Heare him haue a regarde vnto the authority of men for the consideration of our saluation is not so obscurelye taught but that euen the moste simplest in fayth may comprehende it yet I thinke not that this kinde of men is to bee abiected But rather in that part wherin we see that they ar sicke we must after the exaÌ„ple of the Apostels to our power study to heale theÌ„ For that happeneth in this our time which we reade happened at Ierusalem on the day of Pentecost after the ascention of Christe into heauen For when the people saw and heard the Apostels with sundry tounges celebrate the wonderful things of God whom yet the Priestes Scribâ—…s and Phariseis had a litle before condemned and persecuted they were vtterly at their wyts ende and in doubte whose doctrine they should embrace For Christ seemed no lesse to commend the doctrine of the Phariseis than the doctrine of the Apostels when he said Upon the chaire of Moses syt the Scribes and Phariseis that which they say doo ye What maruaile is it if the rude and vnlearned people were doubtfull For the Phariseis vnto whom they were so long tyme addicted in learning the woorshippyng of God taught one thing and the Apostels an other thing The selfe same thing vndoubtedlye wee see happeneth in this our age For with our Elders great hath bene the authority of the Church of Rome wherewith the eyes of many men are yet styl blinded But no lesse yea rather farre greater is the authority of the woord of God whereby are reproued errours and abuses which haue throughe the negligence and auarice of men crept into the Church A man that wyl ryd him selfe our of these difficulties ought not vtterly to be vnskilful in holy matters and so to be addicted vnto the Church that in the meane tyme he same not against the manifest wil of God expressed in the woord of the Gospel But there are two rockes betwene which godlye men must wyth great care and diligence sayle For some by reason of lightnes of mind without iudgement and true faith embrace euery maner of religion But other some to stubbornlye resist and wyll not once so muche as vauchsafe to know the doctrine set foorth bicause their minde is bent vnto an opinion which they defend for the truth Or bring ouercome with the pleasures of this worlde they haue no care of the truth nor saluation of their soules But there is none amongest them that are trulye godlye so rude to thinke that so great inconstancye of minde in the doctrine of religion or stubbornes in errors should be numbred among vertues but by the holy scriptures they are taught that either of them is to be auoyded For against inconstancy the Apostle speaketh Let vs not be as â—…ytile ones wauering neither let vs be caried about with euerye wynde of doctrine But against stubbornes in errour Iohn hath left in writing Proue the spirites whether they be of God Wherwith the selfe same Apostle agreeth Quench not saith he the spirite despise not prophecies But proue ye al thing that which is good hold But bicause it is a singular gift of God to proue spirites and as the Apostle saith prophecye that is the naturall interpretation of the holy scripture belongeth not to euery man Manye suppose that thys
but beleueth in him which iustifyeth the wicked his fayth is imputed vnto righteousnesse And agayne Therefore we are iustifyed by fayth that the promes should be firme according to grace And Dauid sayth blessed is the maÌ„ vnto whoÌ„ the Lord hath not imputed sinne And in an other place the same â—…postle sayeth By grace you are saued through fayth and that not of your selues for it is y â— gifte of God not by workes leaste any man should boaste But what nede we to bring forth many testimonies of y e scripture when as the Prophets do euery where teach that the whole consideration of our righteousnesse is to be sought for in the mercy of God applied by fayth for Christs sake In the knowledge of himselfe shall my righteous seruant iustifie many and he shall beare their iniquityes There is no other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men wherin we ought to be made safe This doctrine of Christ of the Prophetes and of the Apostles concerning the free remission of sinnes by faith for Christes sake in his only passioÌ„ and death and vtterly obteyned for vs by his obedience the Councell of Trent condemneth as erronious hereticall and deuilishe Wherfore howsoeuer they should graunt vnto vs all other thinges and should in all thinges come to our opinion yet can there be no agreement made betwene vs them so long as they perseuere in this their wicked opinion which as I haue sayd vtterly ouerthroweth the chife head and foundation of the doctrine of the Gospell No lesse impiety hath the 13. Canon wherein we are taught by reason of our infirmitie vnaptnes continually to doubt of the remission of sinnes before God But this opinion is repugnant to the manifeste testimonies of the Scripture and also to the definitioÌ„ and nature of fayth For to beleue is nothyng ells than fyrmely and assuredly to appoynte and not to doubt and with coÌ„fidence to geue assent and by y â— meanes doubtyng is contrary vnto faith Wherfore wheÌ„ we are bidden to beleue we are prohibited to doubt Repent sayth Christ and beleue the Gospell And of Abraham it is written And he was not weake in faith neyther coÌ„sidered he his own body whiche was nowe dead c. But he doubted not at the promise of God thorough vnbelief but was made stroÌ„g in faith geuing the glory to God being fully assured that he whiche had promised was also able to do it And therfore it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnesse I am assured sayth Paul y â— neither death nor lyfe c nor any other creature can seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. He writeth also vnto y e Ephe sians In whome we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence thorough faith And Iames saith Let him aslte sayeth he with faith nothing doubting for he which doubteth is like vnto a waue of the sea whiche is moued and caried about of the wynde let not that man therfore thinke that he caÌ„ receaue any thing of the Lord. Also Let vs therefore go boldly vnto the throne of his grace y t we may obteine mercy find grace to helpe in tyme of nede These and like testimonies of the holy scripture teach that by no meanes we ought to put doubt or diffidence in the mercy of God towarde vs and of the obteynement of remissioÌ„ of our sinnes but we must firmely settle our selues without any doubting or distrust that thorough faith our sinnes are forgeuen vs by the free mercy of God for Christes sake But in that they adde hauing no regarde to our owne infirmitie or vnaptâ—… these holy fathers will not in dede haue vs to doubt of the promises of God whiche is most certaine and most firme and abideth alwayes in one sorte but if we looke vpon our owne infirmitie in graunting perseuering for this our infirmitie I say we must continually doubte so long as we liue here To this we aunswere y â— we must in dede haue a great regard to our infirmities and vnaptnesse and we must acknowledge diligently consider it for by it we are vnapt and vnworthy to receaue to be partaliers of the grace of 〈◊〉 as the CeÌ„turion speaketh in the Gospel Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe c. â—…nd Dauid sayth Haue mercy vpon me O God c. Also As thou Lord looke vpon our iniquities Lord who shalbe able to abide it Also I am a worme and no man â—…c And the Apostle sayeth I am not worthy to be called an Apostle bycause I haue persecuted the Churche of God Dauid also Lord enter not iudgement with thy seruaunt bycause no liuing maÌ„ shalbe iustified before thee And is not this to acknowledge his own infirmitie and vnaptnesse But the ende of this acknowledgyng is not a diffideÌ„ce or doubting of y â— will of God towarde vs but it rather ought to stirre vs vp that we vtterly dispairying in our owne strengthes shoulde with a sure and firme fayth without any doubting seke righteousnesse life and eternall life in our only Lord sauiour if there remayne any doubtyng in the flesh let vs say with him in the Gospel Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Wherfore the holy scripture teacheth that men ought so to be assured oâ—… y â— grace mercy of God towardes them that in the meane tyme they forget not their owne infirmitie study to make their electioÌ„ firme by good workes and not that by consideratioÌ„ of this their infirmitie they should doubt of the fauor of God towardes them For the takyng awaye of which doubt the Sacramentes were instituted by Christ by which the promyses of God are applied vnto euery man and theyr heartes are sealed by the spirit of Christ. Of Baptisme Peter writeth That Baptisme also maketh vs faste not the puttyng awaye of the filth of the fleshe but the taking to witnesse of a good coÌ„science with God by the resurrection of our Lorde Iesuâ—… Christ from the dead For euen as by takyng witnesse câ—…uenantes are performed so God in Baptisme as it were takyng vs by the right hand confirmeth that he will be a mercifull God vnto vs in Christ that he wil forgeue our sinnes and receaue vs into grace For this cause also the Apostle sayth ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne in feare but ye haue receaued the spirite of the adoption of the sonnes of God by whom we crye Abba father For that spirite beareth witnesse to our spirite that we are the children of God Also Ye are scaled with the holy spirite of promise whiche is the pledge of our inheritaunce Wherefore it is both extreme impietie and also ignoraunce of holye Scriptures to bryng men into a continuall doubte bycause of their infirmitie wherewith also the nature of the sainctes is infected Whiche thyng this present Canon doth wherein all the doctrine of
the Prophetes and of the Apostles is condemned And euen by this onely article though all the other were conuenient the godly reder may iudge that the Papistes and we striue not as the sayeng is aboute moone shine in the water but about a thing most wayghty For the foūdation of our saluatiō the most proper ende scope of the Gospell is to teache that men beyng penitent and beleuing from the hart hauyng no regard to their sinnes or to their owne infirmitie and vnaptnesse shoulde assuredly appoint and without all doubtyng firmely beleue y ◠for Christes sake they haue remission of al their sinnes that they are in the fauor of God and haue eternall lyfe This foundation of our saluation and this onely consolation of afflicted consciences the fathers of the Counsell ouerthrowe by this their decree of perpetuall doubtyng where vnto all y ◠Idolatry and superstition of the Papacy leaneth For take away doubtyng and Purgatory is taken awaye Peregrinations or Pilgrimages to the Images of Saintes the opinion of Merites of Fastynges and prayers the sacrifice of the Masse for the quicke and the dead inuocation of sainctes such like al these things I say if you take away doubting are taken awaye But contraryly to affirme defend doubting is to take away faith to abrogate the promises of the Gospel and vtter ly to blot it out of the hartes of men The like pernitious error is stablished in the 18. Canō That a man being iustified and set in grace may perfectly fulfil the law of God For although the regenerate do receaue the holy ghost yet continually as long as we liue in this life there cleaueth to our nature a natural corrup tion whose guiltnesse is forgeuen in Baptisme by reason of which corruption the godly can not performe that whiche they would For this cause made the Apostle this exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body subiecte vnto death For he had a litle before sayde That whiche I woulde I do not but that whiche I hate that I doo but I knowe that there dwelleth no good in me that is in my fleshe For to will is present with me but I finde no meanes to doo good For I do not the good thing whiche I woulde but the euill whiche I would not that I do And agayne The fleshe lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh and these are cōtrary one to the other so that ye can not do the same thinges that ye would This doctrine is necessary whereby also they y ◠are in dede godly do vnderstād y ◠howsoeuer they are regenerat yet they tā not perfectly accomplish the lawe of God lest peraduenture they should fall into a pernitious doubt if they should see in them selues also this imbec◅llitie of humane nature not vtterly and wholly regenerate against whiche infirmitie we must continually thorough y ◠grace of the holy ghost fight with a true faith The 28. Canon manifestly teacheth that the Counsell of Trent is not gouerned by y ◠holy ghost but is infected with the spirite of error For they teache that a dead faith is a true faith and that he whiche is endewed with a dead faith is neuerthelesse a Christian thē that thinke otherwise they curse But these two pointes are playnly manifestly contrary opposite vnto the doctrine of the Apostles For a true faith is a lyuely faith the gift of the holy ghost whereby man is ioyned vnto Christe but that faith whiche is not lyuely can not be a true faith And here let them heare what Iames sayth whose authoritie in other places they somuch extoll Thou beleu est sayth he that there is but one God Thou doest wel the deuils also beleue and tremble wherefore it is the fayth of deuils and not a true fayth whiche is not a liuely confidence in the mercy of God promysed by his sonne and so is it nothyng ells than a humane and vayne persuasion wherwith the greatest part of the world being deceaued falleth into eternal destruction And euen as thou mayest call the payne ted image of a man a man so mayest thou also call suche a persuasiō or opiniō faith which yet is not a true faith But what a madnesse is it to call him a Christian whiche is endued with thys dead fayth without charitye Saint Paule sayth In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision is of any force nor vncircumcision but fayth workyng through loue And to the Cor. he writeth If I haue not charitie I am become lyke brasse y t soundeth and as a cimball y ◠ryngeth But the councel of Trent acknowledgeth y ◠man to be a Christian whiche is without charitye Hitherto they haue imputed to our teachers y ◠they teach a naked fayth contemning charitye wherein they do vnto them greate iniurye But nowe these good holy fathers themselues acknowledge them for Christians which are without charitye and they counte a dead fayth for a true fayth Omittyng to speake more sharply what blyndnesse is thys Thou seest now Christian reader in howe thicke darknesse the fathers and brethren of this Counsell do syt who are vtterly ignoraunt of the whole manner of Christian Religion and of the power of fayth wherein the whole strengthe of our saluation consisteth Wherein also the iuste iudgement of GOD is to be considered for for as muche as they of purpose and obstinatlye oppose them selues agaynst the light of the truth and do holde it backe in vnryghteousnesse they are worthy of suche so greate blindnesse whereby God punisheth sinnes with synnes In the 30. Canon they confirme satisfaction for the guiltnesse of temporall payne and also the fire of Purgatory wherin maye be satisfied the Iustice of God for the guiltnesse of temporall payne Eyther of these errors are a derogatiō to y e merite of y ◠pas siō death of Christ they declare also y e the Counsell is vtterly ignorant what it is to obteine or to haue remissiō of sinnes For the holy scripture doth testifie that al they whose synnes are forgeuen thē are in the grace fauor of God as it is written I will be mercyful to their iniquitie will no more remember their sinne that is God doth so forget sinnes y t in no part he desireth to take vengeāce of thē whom being repentant he frely forgeueth thorough faith for Christes sake As touching tēporal paine to satisfie perfectly the Iustice of God all y e is layd vpō Christes shoulders as Esay testifieth The Lorde hath put all our iniquities on him He hath in dede horne our infirmities caryed our sorowes He was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our wickednesse The chastisement of ou◅ peace was vpon him And Iohn in his Canonical Epistle writeth The bloud of Iesus Christe his sonne cleanseth vs frō all sinne Also He is the propitiation for the sinnes
cause why all thinges are not done in the vulgare tongue when as the Eucharist was instituted for all the faythfull that the Lorde myght with one mouth be celebrated Forsoth the holy fathers are affraid lest the holy mystery should be prophaned but let them declare vnto vs whether the Greke Churche vsed the Latine Canon to auoyde the prophanacion of the mystery Who seeth not that the Counsell of Trent doth not this that the people should vnderstand the way to theyr eternall saluation whilest with toth and nayle they go about to retayne an vnknowen tongue in a sacred matter whiche pertayneth to the vniuersall Churche of Christ whiche onely thyng were not to be suffred thoughe all other things in the Canon as touching the thing it selfe were vpright For Christ whome Paul also followed commaunded that in the vse of the Eucharist we should shewe forth the Lordes death And bycause the Byshops sacrificers for the most part are ignoraunt them selues of that thyng the Counsell commaundeth that by other somthing should be expounded out of the wicked Canon not that the true Churche should therby be instructed but that the impiety of y e sacrifice should be confirmed But I pray you what secret thing is ther in the Eucharist which may not without danger be set forth in a tongue knowen to the vulgare people This daunger will I open by the wordes of Christ Euery one that doth euill thinges hateth the light neither cōmeth to the light lest his workes should be reproued And these deceauers seme herein not to haue done vnwisely For so long as the Canon of the Masse was vnknowen vnto the common people it was had in price and honour but when Christian people whō Peter calleth the Clergy perceaued this decease they draue awaye the sacrificyng Priestes together with theyr sacrifice and Canon But we neglecting this decree of the Counsell let vs folowe the example of the primatiue Churche in whiche the Churche Sacramentes of God were celebrated in a tongue knowen vnto the common people The xiii decree is a lightening going before the thunder and lightening of y t curse of the doctrine of our Churches and teachers which haue by the worde of God truly perspicuously and thoroughly cōfuted this pontificall impiety of the Papistical Masse By this decree therfore are abolished all bookes written and set abrode by al the godly and learned men against the Papistical Masse in which bookes is expressed the aūcient doctrine of the Supper of the Lorde deliuered by Christ and the Apostles But y t these decrees being for the most part all of them vngodly should haue y t more authoritie should for euer be fyrme ratified there are by the publicque authority of the Coūsel published abrode brefe Canōs but yet such as are vtterly ful of vngodlynesse striking w t a curse al those that go about to reprehend the lest error of the Masse Howbeit I wil not make any confutation of these Canons of which all and singular although briefly yet sufficiently is spoken in the confutatiō of the decrees Of this thing only I thought good to admonish the godly reader diligently to waighe these horrible curses of the Counsel wherein the doctrine and practise of Christe of the Apostles and of the primatiue Church concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist is horribly cursed For vpō those which thinke cōtrarily vnto their opinion they geue not iudgemēt y t they should be borne withal as weake ones but they geue sentence that they are to be ac cursed downe vnto hell and to be deliuered vnto Sathan which go about to derogate euē the least poynt of the Papisticall doctrine in this part For all they are condemned and cursed euen as many as deny that in y e Masse the body of Christ is offred not to God y t father but is offred vnto y t Church to be eatē which ▪ denie y t the sacrifyce of the masse is a sacrifice propitiatory neither ought to be offred for y e quicke and y t dead for sins paynes other necessities which deny y t masses ar to be celebrated in y t honor of saints for y t obtein mēt of their intercession which say y t the canon of y e masse containeth errors for whiche it shoulde be abrogated which iudge that masses wherin the priest alone cōmunicateth are vnlawfull and vtterly to be abrogated And that al the faythfull may see y t the councell wil not relent no not so much as in the lest of their rites it curseth those also which affirme y t the words of cōsecratiō ought to be spokē not with a soft voyce but w c a loude voice or y t the masse ought to be celebrated in y t vulgare ◅onge as if there were required to chaunge no impiety at al. For as much as the words of the supper are a part of the shewing forth of the Lords death wil they also prohibite the shewing forth of y t death of y t lord But here lieth hiddē the magicall impiety of consecratiō whiche they attribute not to the institution of Christ but to y t magical pronunciatiō of words which if it were done in the vulgare tong the people might imitate I thinke the godly reader doth now sufficiently vnderstand how much y t decrees of this coūcel of Trent are to be estemed what is to be hoped for of it Of al which forasmuch as we haue sufficiently spokē in the confutation of the decrees we wil here cease to speake farther But let vs heare somewhat also what the councel hath decreed of the communion vnder both kindes of the vse of the cup. The doctrine of the Communion vnder both kinds and of the Communion of infantes published in the v. Session of the Sacred Oeconomical counsel of Trent vnder our most holy Lord Pius the fourth most high Byshop the xxvi day of Iuly 1562. The Proheme THe sacred Economicall and general Sinode of Trent lawfully assembled in y e holy ghost the self same Legates of the Apostolicall seate being Presidents in it Forasmuch as of y ◠dreadfull and most holy Sacramente of the Eucharist there are in diuerse places sundry monsters of errors caried about by the artes of the most wicked deuil by reasō of which in diuerse prouinces many seme to haue departed frō the fayth obediēce of the catholike church hath thought good y t those thinges in thys place shoulde be set forth whiche pertaine vnto y e cōmunion vnder both kinds also of litle children Wherfore it forbiddeth all the faythful of Christ y ◠hence forth they presume not eyther to beleue or to teache or to preache otherwyse of these things than is expressed and determined in these decrees That the Laitye and Clergye which celebrate not are not bound by the law of God to the communion vnder both kyndes Chapter i. WHerfore the holy Sinode instructed by the holy ghost which is the spirit of
syime who instituted the supper vnder both kinds and not vnder one kinde only and most seuerely gaue the Disciples thys commaundement teach ye them to kepe whatsoeuer things I haue cōmaunded you But he hath sayd Drinke ye all of this this precepte therefore muste of necessitye be kept neither can it or ought it by any custome or authoritye to be abrogated But Gerson addeth and all in generall as wel they of the Clergye as teachers and Prelates whiche haue not to theyr power withstand suche a custome in woordes wr◅tings and sentences haue peryshed and all they haue peruerted the holy scripture Hereof come these teares Here the spirit of the holy Sorbonical fathers openeth it selfe Least they should altogether seme to haue erred to haue peruerted the holy scripture they iudge notwithstanding the precept and institution of Christ that y ◠communion is to be retayned vnder one kynd only Thys only they laboure for the Papistes will not seme to haue erred no not in the least thing as I haue alredy often shewed But what is more manifest what more plaine what more bryght what more perspicuous than that Christ instituted the last supper vnder both kindes Likewyse also what is more manifest what more playne and palpable than that the papistes haue torne in peces thys institution of Christ they haue with folyshe vngodly and wicked reasons violated the last will of Christ they haue in thys part peruerted the holy Scripture Who is so rude and so vnskilfull in the holy Scriptures that he vnderstandeth not these thynges It lotheth me to rehearse the reast of y ◠reasons but bycause I haue once taken it in hand I will yet take a litle more paines therin If it were of necessitie to do thys sayth Gerson then al they that teache and do otherwyse haue peryshed When there is mention made of our Elders whiche haue lyned vnder this Babilonical captiuitye I alwaies remember that saying of Christ when he prophecieth of the false pro phetes whiche shoulde come in the last tymes They shall geue saith he great signes and wonders so that if it were possible euen the very elect should be brought into errour Whereby I alwayes gather that God wyll alwayes punish those that teach peruerse thinges In the meane tyme God hath at al tymes wonderfully reserued vnto him self his elect y e they should not bow their knees before Baal and are saued as it were by fyre vnto whom God also hath forgeuen manye faultes and infirmities which haue built vpon the onely foundation Christ. c. Unto their Iudge therfore let vs leaue our elders and with a thankefull minde let vs receaue so great a light let vs returne vnto the institution of Christe and praye wyth Daniel To vs be confusion of face to our Kinges to our Princes and to our fathers which haue synned But vnto the Lorde our God be mercye and propitiation bicause we haue gone away frō thee haue not harkened vnto y e voice of the LORD OVR GOD to walk in his law c. Thirdly saith Gerson it should followe that the vertue of this Sacrament should not be more principal in the consecration than in the receauing Gerson taketh that as a thing graunted which is not true For for so muche as the Sacraments when they are vsed are of force and vnles they be vsed they haue not the nature of a Sacrament and therfore vnles there be a receauing consecration is of no efficacy so that consecration is for the receauing whervnto it is appointed Fourthly that the Church of Rome shoulde not thinke rightly of the sacraments and should not in this be imitated Here my Gerson thou hast hit the nayle of the head A great daunger vndoubtedly might hereby be at hand vnto the Church of Rome if it be proued so grosselye to haue erred in this sacrament who would not doubt but it hath also erred in many other things Which thing hath beene already oftentimes declared vnto you of the Paparye in a maner in al the principall articles of christian religion Wherfore forasmuche as these good holy fathers wyll not seme so much as to haue erred so far is it of that they haue any care for the taking awaye of errours It is most safe for godly men to rest in y e simple truth most certain institution of Christ the church of Rome is by no meanes to be imitated which doth not onely corrupt y ◠sacramēts but also the whole doctrine of the Gospel Fiftly that general Counsels specially the counsel of Constance haue erred in fayth good maners This is no bringing in of a false belief but a most certain infallible truth that the counsels of Constance Trent haue not on ly erred in faith but also haue with a sacrilegious audacity condemned the doctrine declared of Christ as diuelysh as it is before shewed in the confutation of the Canons Wherefore ther is no cause why ye should any more extinuate their authority which in the myndes of manye the truth of the Gospel being reuealed is fallen away Bring ye forth a text of the scripture for the faithful wil not any more be satisfied with your Miters Sixtly it should be an occasion of seditions and sectes in our christianity It is an old fable y ◠the Woulf troubling the water laieth the fault vpon the shepe Who is the author of this schisme but ye you Papists by this your sacriledge Why haue ye changed the institutiō of Christ For if this had continued inuiolate ther shoulde haue bene no schisme in the Churche as touching this thing But nowe whē the church requireth his right it is answered of these good holy ones that she is seditious and schismatical Al the godly know how to beware of sedition to geue vnto the Magistrate a due reuerēce But ye for so much as ye ar not Magistrates as it is writtē But ye ar not so c. If the Magistrate being mindful of his office do defende y ◠priuelege ryght of y ◠church deliuered of Christ he is by no meanes seditious but godly doth his duty which if he neglect to do the lord his god wil punish him as it is written in Deut. But now let vs at the length brieflye heare what the Counsel of Constance doth finallye iudge of the vse of the cup. In such strife saith Gerson may a mā easly se vnles it be such as wil willingly be malepeart or by affectiō frowardly erre that the receiuing of the sacrament vnder both kindes of the laymen is not now neither at a ny time hath bene by the necessity of the commaundement of the law of God vnder the payne of eternall damnation Howbeit so long as the laymen did it the Churche so cōmaunding it or permitting it or counseling it it was wel done as when the priests did consecrate in leuened bread But now whē as vpō certaine
of Priestes But what profyte I praye you redoundeth vnto the Churche of GOD whether the Byshoppes be resident here or in any other place when as they neither teache nor yet can teach the people of y e wil of God which thyng â—…et is the dewty and office of Byshoppes But they neglectyng that haue turned thys office into Princely gouernamentes and vnder the rytle and name of Byshops they inuade the kyngdomes of the worlde hauyng no regarde vnto soules whose saluation tey ought by teachyng diligently to prouide for 〈◊〉 â—…he when they are preseut they are more hurte than when they are absent Whiche thing the Byshops them selues vnderstaâ—… better than my pen is able to expresse If they of the Papacy mynde in the Counsell earnesssly to prosecute the matter of Reformation why do they not wayghe the griefes proposed by the Orders of the Empyre vnto the Legate of Adrian the Bishop of Rome in the Imperiall assemblies at Norimberge in the yeare of our Lord. 1523. Unto whiche vnlesse they as it is mete aunswere who will beleue that they haue any regarde of thys thyng But whilest I exactely consider and waygh with my selfe all singular these things I can not hold my selfe but that I muste talke a fewe wordes with the Fathers of the Counsell Ye remember as I suppose the moste seuere admonition of the Lorde made by Malachy vnto the Priestes of the olde Testament And nowe sayth he vnto you is this commaundement Dye Priestes It ye will not heare nor consider in yput heart to geue glorye vnto my name sayeth the Lorde of holles I will send vpon you pouerty and will curse your blessynges and I will curse them bycause ye haue not considered it in your heart Beholde I will corrupte your seede and will cast vpon your faces the dongue of your solemne feast dayes and it shall cleaue faste vnto you And ye shall knows that I haue sent thys commaundement vnto you that my couenaunt myght stande whiche I made with Leuy sayeth the Lord of hostes I made a couenaunt of lyfe and peace with hym and I gaue hym feare and he feared me and was afrayed before my name The lawe of trueth was in hys mouth and there was no wickednesse fouâ—… in hys lyppes he walked with me in peace and equitye and dyd turne many one awaye from their synnes For the Priestes lyppes shoulde preserue knowledge and they shoulde seâ—…e the lawe at hys mouth for he is the Aungell of the Lorde of hostes But ye are gone out of the waye and haue caused many to be offended at the lawe ye haue broken the couenaunt of Leuy sayeth the Lorde of hostes Therefore haue I also made you to he dispysed and vyle before all people bycause ye kepte not my wayes but haue bene parciall in the lawe but the Lorde shall destroye both the master and the scholer out of the tabernacle of Iacob with hym that offreth an offring vnto the Lorde of hosses Knowe ye that thys admonition pertayneth vnto you vpon whome ye haue turned all the eyes of whole Christendome For euen as the Lorde made a league with the tribe of Leuy whose office was to kepe knowledge that beyng demaunded concernyng the will of GOD they shoulde aunswere and instructe the people of GOD So also woulde he haue the Byshoppes to be diligent kepers of the Apostolicall doctrine and to be successors vnto the Apostles not so much in seate as in doctrine But alas that thyng hath happened in our tymes and in the tymes of oure Elders which the Prophet complayned of concerning the priestes of hys tyme. For in steade of knowledge and the lawe of God are kept humane traditions whiche are repugnaunte vnto the lawe and will of God Ye haue departed from the way of the Lorde and haue bene an offence vnto many in the lawe of the Lord which haue embraced these doctrines Christ sayd vnto the man that was sicke of the palsey Haue confidence my sonne thy sunnes are forgeuen thee But contrarily ye Fathers of the CouÌ„sell of Trent saye Doubt my sonne and appoynt not assuredly of the remission of thy synnes The Apostle sayth The holy ghost beareth witnesse vnto our spirite that we are the children of God Contrarily ye in your Counsel decree that we must perpetually doubt and y t we must haue more regarde vnto our own vnaptnesse and weakenesse then to thys testimony of the holy ghost Christ sayth concerning the cup of the supper Drinke ye al of this Ye contrarily say Let not all but the priestes onely drinke of the Cup. Iohn sayeth Christ is made a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde And againe The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from al sinne Contrarily ye fathers of the Counsell say That not only the sacrifice of y e crosse but also the sacrifice of the masse is a propitiation for oure sinnes Also that not only the bloud of Christ but also the fire of Purgatorye clenseth vs from some sinnes Christ teacheth vs to call vpon God only Ye being gathered together in this Counsel teach coÌ„maund tocal vpoÌ„ Saints also Christ concerning y e bread of y e supper saith Take ye eate ye Ye coÌ„trary ordayne y e it must be kept til to morow included and earâ—…ed froÌ„ place to place Christ sayth That whiche entreth in through the mouth defileth not man The counsel sayth If any man at certaine times abstaine not from the eating of flesh let him be accursed S. Paul sayth Led a Bishop be y â— husband of one wife which hath obedient children The counsel sayth Let a Bishop haue neither wife nor children and let such as be ioyned in matrimony be put out and suspended from this so holy an office But who can recken vp all the thinges in whiche ye papistical priests haue departed from the law of the Lord This also was the cause why the Prophet sayde in thys place I haue made you to be despised vile to all people bicause ye haue not intended in your hart to geue glory to God Therfore also is your glory troden vnder foote as in an other place the Lorde of hostes speaketh vnto Eli the priest Whosoeuer shall glorifye me I will glorifye hym but they which contemne me shal be made vile To y â— end ye would establish the glory of the priestes ye violate and teare in peces the Testament and laste will of the Lordeâ—… namely y â— priestes should be had in honor and estimation let the lay men be spoyled with the vse of the cup as the Counsell of Constance hath decreed It greueth you very much that the glorye honâ—…ure and estimation of priestesis euery where decayed which sometymes were moste highlye esteemed of Kynges and Princes and of the people of God Inipute this contempt vnto your selues your owne sinne is the cause thereof for that ye haue forsaken the law of the Lord and haue departed