whether the body of a perfight man maye be vnder so litle a broken peace of breade And many such other folysh questions which behoueth with sobernesse to be entretyd of amongest suche persons as haue theyr wyttes exercysed in disputynge reasonyng vpon souche high matters But as vnto the laye people it dothe suffise that they do beleue that after the wordes of consecration be once by the minister spoken ouer the creatures of bread and wyne that ther is incontinent the very body bloud of our sauiour christ which nether can be deuided nor yet receaue any hurt nor is not mete to receue any maner of iniury whatsoeuer chauÌ„ces do become of the outward formes of bread and wyne For if the sacred body of our lorde should be throwne into the myre or into any vyle gonge or any otherwise vnto any irreuerent parsonnes thinkinge should be iniured or soylde in dede the mooste iniury that can be done vnto it is whan it is receued into the mouth of a wicked synfull parson whiche is sore soyled spotted with greuouse and odible sinne Now surely it is therfore sittinge for our christian religion to entreat and order the outwarde formes of breade and wyne of the holy sacrament with all due reuerence But as concerning the very body of our Sauiour it self lyke as God after his nature is no lesse glorious in a vyle synke than he is in heauen and canne by no malyce of man or chaunce by man or otherwyse happeninge receaue any hurt or iniurye no more can the glorified body of our sauiour Christe what iniurye soeuer be doone vnto the outewarde tokens of breade and wyne And to be breife agaynste all doubtes and seruples of mannes weake knowledge Lette vs fyrst call to oure myndes the immesurable power of God vnto whome nothinge is impossible yea vnto whoÌ„ ther is nothing but it is light to be done so it be his pleasure that it should so be whiche saide Take eate This is my bodye And in a nother place of the same Epistle he saithe At the masse tyme the Angelicall sprites do with moste humble reuerence staÌ„de a boute the Alter ther to do there worshippe and lowly reuerence he also is there present whome all the heauenly hoostes of blessed sprites do desire to behold and loke vpoÌ„ And a litle after Let all preistes therefore consider the highnes of their profession whan they do staÌ„d at the aulter they haue aungels to minister vnto them These be the wordes of the famous clerke Erasmus Rothorodame whereby all Christian people maye knowe what was his opinion in the Sacrament not disagreing from the olde fathers here before written ¶ Thomas Cramner in his Cathechisme in the .cc.xxxv. lefe of the fyrst syde CHrist sayth of the breade this is my bodye and of the cuppe this is my bloude Wherefore we ought to beleue that in the sacrament we receaue truely the bodye and bloud of Christ For God is almighty and he is able therfore to do all thinges what he wyl Wherfore when Christ taketh bread and saith Take eate this is my body we oughte not to doubte but we eate his very body And whan he taketh the cuppe and saith Take drinke this is my bloude we ought to thinke assuredly that we drinke his very blode And this we muste beleue yf we will be counted christiâ—n men And where as in this pâ—â—illous tyme certayne dysceytfull persons be founde in many places who of very frowardnes will not graunte that there is the body and bloude of Christe but deny the same for none other cause but that they can not compasse by mannes blynde reasone howe this thinge shoulde be brought to passe ye good children shall with all diligence beware of suche persons that ye suffer not youre selues to be deceaued by them For suche men surely are not true Christians neyther as yet haue they learned the firste Article of the Crede whiche teacheth that God is almyghtye whiche ye good children haue already perfectlye learned wherfore eschew suche erronious opinions and beleue the wordes of oure Lorde Iesus that you eate and drinke his verye boâ—â—e and bloude in the Sacrament aâ—thoughe mannes reason cannot comprehende howe and after what maner the same is there present Wherfore doubte not good chyldren but there is the bodye and bloude of our Lorde whiche we receaue in the lordes supper For he hath sayde so and by the power of his worde hath caused it so to be Wherefore seynge Christ sayth do this as often as ye do it in remembraunce of me it is euident thereby that Christe causeth euen at this tyme his bodye and bloude to be in the Sacrament after the maner and fasshion as it was at that tyme when he made his mauÌ„dye with his disciples For else we coulde not do it in the remembraunce of hym that is to saye to receaue his bodye and bloud euen so as he hym selfe dydde geue it to hâ—s disciples And let not the folysshe talke of vnbeleuers moue you who are wonte to aske this question How can the preiste or minister make the bodye and bloude of Christ To this I answere that the mynister dothe not this of hym selfe But Christ hym selfe dothe gyue vnto vs his fleshe and bloude as his wordes dothe euideÌ„tly declare In the .cc.xxxiiii. And this is the meanynge and playne vnderstandyng of the wordes of the Lordes supper Wherfor learne them diligently I praye you that when ye be asked what is the coÌ„munio or the Lordes supper ye maye answer it is the true bodye true bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ hymselfe to be eaten and dronken of vs Christen people vnder the forme of breaâ—e and wyne ¶ In the fyrste booke of common prayer set forth by kynge Edwarde the syxt fol. c.xvi HEre vs O mercifull father we beseche the and with thy holy sprite and worde vouchsafe to blesse and sanctifye these thy gyftes of breade and wyne that they maye be vnto vs the bodye and bloude of thy moste dearly belouyd sonne Iesus Christ And in the .cxxi. lefe And ye muste not thinke lesse to be receaued in parte then in the hoole But in euery of them the hole bodye of our sauiour Iesu Christ ¶ Of prayinge for the deade BE liberal vnto al men liuinge yet let not to do good euen vnto them that are dead Ecclesiasticus .vii. Set thy bread and wyne vpon the burieng of the iust and eate and drinke not therof with synners Tob. iiii So he gathered of euery one a certayn insomuch that he brought together two M. Dragmes of siluer whiche he sente vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice be offered for the misdeede In the whiche place he dyd wel and right for he had some consideration and ponderinge of the lyfe that is alter this tyme. For if he hadde not thoughte that they whiche were slayne dyd yet lyue it had ben superfluouse and vayn to make any vowe or sacrifice for them
you all which haue in hand any spiritual charge to holde vse kepe and execute the same with oute any repyne or reprehension Here after foloweth the order of the wordes which Saynt Clement vsed in saying masse after this maner We desyre the O Lorde that thou wilte send thy holy sprite vpon this sacrifyce whiche maye make this breade the body of thy Christ and that which is in the cuppe the blode of thy Christ ¶ S. Denyse the Arapagyte whom Paule makyth mencion of in the Actes of thappostelles .xvii. Chapter and was his disciple SAynte Denyse one of the nomber of the seuere Iudges of Athens conuerted by Saynt Paule And by Saynte Clement with these holy men Rusticus and Elutherius sent into Fraunce In the thyrde parte of the seconde Chapter entreatynge of Ecclesiasticall gouernaunce In the last ende of al thinges dew to be done in perfight baptysinge The bishop calleth the baptyzed to the most holy Eucharist and geueth vnto them the Godly communion of the chefe and moste souerayne sacrament of the body blode of our Lorde Iesus Christ And in the fyrst part of the .iii. chap. Nor it is almoste Godly or right any deutye belongynge a preistes office to be executed oneles he accōplishe this diuine and moste riall sacrament of Euchariste And in the seconde parte of the sayde chapter And the principalles of the same order together with the preistes do put vppon the aulter the holye bread the chalyce of benedictiō when there hathe gone before an vniuersall prayse and confession of the hole quere That done the reuerente prelate makinge an holy prayer doth shew holy peace to all the congregacyon And when they haue one another saluted the mysticall reheresall of holye thinges is made And when the prelate and other preistes haue washed their handes the Byshoppe standeth at the myddes of the aulter All the onelye electe and chosen preistes that shall receaue taken oute of the nombre of the mynisters do stande aboute But the byshoppe as sone as he hath praysed and extolled the Godly gyftes maketh the holy and high misteries and sheweth openly those thinges whiche he hath extolled before hyd and couered with reuerent tokens And holdinge in sight reuerently the Godly rewardes he hym selfe is turned to the holy cōmunion of the Lordes maundeth and dothe exhort the people to take parte At the last communion receaued and geuen to all that come to receaue it he geueth thankes and fynyssheth the mysterys And in the third parte of the same Chapiter in this maner trulye whan that the last moste excellent bounty of God is praysed magnified the diuine drink and cuppe of blessynge is handled propoūded And it foloweth but marke this also that the reuerent tokens being set vpon the aulter by the which Christ is betokened taken and by by without delay the description of sayntes is there present declaringe their inseperable coniunctions and moste holye and high vnyon with Christe And it foloweth wherefore reuerently of his Byshoply office after his holy prayse of the diuine workes he humbly excusethe hym selfe for that he offeryth and sacrifyseth the helthfull hoost whiche is ouer hym cryinge vnto hym comely at fyrste sayinge Thou hast sayd do this in remembraunce of me Then thus great a mysterye being of God inymytation of hym selfe he doth require and praye to be made a semblable to Christ as frayle mā may that he maye bothe make the sacrament worthely and purely distribute it And that they who be aboute to receaue the holy communion may worthely take parte with hym And so he mynistreth the moste reuerente mystery and setteth them in sight propounded holilye vnder signes Either else he openeth and discouereth the couert and vndeuyded breade brekynge it in peces partynge one chalyce amonge thē all he dothe multyply shaply distribute the vnite of our Lordes blood contayned within the sayde chalyce Thus consumyth the holy mysterye For that wyne symply and secretly the bloud of our Lorde by his dyuyne worde in his assumption of our humayne nature hathe gone before and occupied place or he was entered that compound and visible signe of his incomparable bownty power wherein it is mercyfully made euident with how suer a knot of socyetye he hath fastened vs to hym ioyninge his diuine excellent existence to our earthy matters Surely let vs agre with hym euen as members with the body let vs be glued vnto hym by semblablenes of clene godly lyuing Lest murdered with vglye vyce we may be made vnmete for the dyuine and moste delicate members being not able to styck with him but slydynge into cōtynuance of naughty lyfe The wordes of the holy man Marcial which was sent of saynt Peter to preache the gospell A Sacrifice is offered vpon an alter vnto God not to man nor Angell Nor that is not onely done vpon an alter halowed but a clene sacrifyce is offered vnto God in euery place as he dothe testifye whose boody and blood we offer to optayne euerlastynge lyfe Truely euen the same offerynge which the Iewes made in despyte wenynge to haue abolished his name oute of the earthe whiche we make in the consecrate alter for our saluation knowyng beleuing onely by this remedy to attayne lyfe and escape death For this the Lorde commaunded vs to do in remembrance of hym ¶ Ignatius the disciple of Saint Iohn the Euangelist LEt the stable Eucharist be demed affirmydly the bodye and bloode of Christ And in his epistle that he writeth vnto the Romayns I desyre saith he the fode of God the heauenly fode of lyfe which is the fleshe of Iesu Christ the sonne of the lyuinge God who was borne in the last tyme of the fead of Dauid Abraham I desyre for to drynk the bloode of hym who is loue with out corruption and lyfe euerlastyng They do not admyt the Eucharist and oblations bycause thei do not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesu christ which flesh suffred for our synnes whiche fleshe the father by his benignitye hathe steryd vp Saynt Alexander byshop the Fyrst martyr C.xx ¶ Alexanderin his Epistle to all churches IN the oblation of Sacramentes whiche be made solemply at masses the passion of our Lorde is to be mengled to the intente that his passion may be celebrate whose body and bloud is made so that all wicked and supersticious opynions abolyshed breade only and wyne myxte with water maye be offered in the sacrifyce for synnes and crymes therby are done awaye with the whiche oblations the Lorde is contented and pleased and will forgeue high and gretious offēces for what more myghty and suffering sacrifice maye be then of the body and bloud of Christ ¶ Saint Ireneus Polycarpus disciple in his .iiii. boke AGaynst the heresyes of Valentius and suche other We offer those thinges vnto hym whiche belongeth vnto hym preachinge accordinglye the communion and vnitie of fleshe and sprite for lyke
that is outewardly felte Agayne dayely this oblation though Christ once offeryd be cause we synne dayely in synnes withoute whiche mortall infirmitie cannot lyue And therfore be cause we dayely do fall christ dayly misticallye for vs is offered within the Catholike church in mystery of christes body Nothinge more is done of a good prest nothinge lesse of an euell preist Nothīg more is done of a good Preists then of an euyll for he is not consecrated in the merite of the consecratour But in the worde of the creatour and in the vertue of the holy sprite For if it were in the merite of the preist it should not pertayne to Christ But now as he is which baptiseth so is he whiche by his holy sprite dothe make this creature of breade his fleshe and wyne his bloude In Glo. ord superi Cor. ca. xi Ther be two maners of eatynge of our Lorde one is sacramentall by whiche Ther be two maner of eatings of Christe do eate as well the good as the euell An other is spirituall wherby the good onely dothe eate And this is not only to eat Christ and in his sacrament to take his boodye but to dwell in Christ and haue Christ dwellinge in hym For they do eate hym spiritually whiche in the vnitie of the Churche whiche that sacrament dothe signifye doth abide For he that discordeth frome Christ nor eateth Christes flesh though he do dayly to his Iudgement take a sacrament so greate a thinge Contra. Epist fundament ca. v. I wolde not beleue the gospell except the auctorite of the churche had moued me In his .iii. boke .xxii. cha xxviii sermon agaynst Maximinum The Sacrament of the alter is a figure of Christes death and passion of the misticall body of the Churche and of his naturall bodye ther in present Augustin de uerbis diu Ser. xi That same that he also saithe Who eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym how shall we vnderstāde it Maye we vnderstande also thē of whom the Apostle spake that they did eate to them selfe drinke iudgement when they did eate the same fleshe and drinke the same bloude the fleshe it selfe the bloude it selfe Dyd not Iudas the wicked sellar and betrayer of his master when he dyd eate and drinke as Luke the Euangelist declareth the Fyrst Sacrament of the fleshe bloude of Christ made his owne handes dwell in Christ or Christ in hym Finally many that with fayned herte eate that fleshe drinke the bloude or when they haue eaten and dronken be come apostatase do they dwell in Christ or Christian in them But withoute doute ther is a certayne maner of eatinge that fleshe drinkinge that bloude after whiche maner whosoeuer eateth and drinketh dwelleth in Christ and Christ in hym Therfore not in what soeuer maner any man eateth the fleshe of christ and drinketh the bloude of christ he dwelleth in Christ and christ in hym but after a certayne maner whiche maner he saw where he sayde these wordes Ang. de bap li. v. ca. viii It was neuerthelesse the bodye of our Lorde also vnto them to whom the Apostle sayde he that eateth vnworthely eateth and drinketh iudgement to hym selfe ¶ Here foloweth the worde of Saynt Ierome vpon the .xxi. cha of Ose I Haue geuen to the Iewes the eatinge of my bodye I beinge both the meate the gest so dyd he vnderstande christes wordes Also vpon these wordes of Malachye the fyrst chap. ye offered vpon myne alter poluted breade saithe Ierome we poluted breade that is the bodye of Christ when we vnworthelye come to the alter and being foule do drinke clene bloud for when sacramentes be defiled he whose they be is defyled super Math. ca. xxvi They supping Iesus toke bread whan the figuratyue passeouer was fulfilled and he had eaten the fleshe of the lambe with his disciples he toke breade whiche dothe comfort mans harte and he went ouer to the sacrament of the trew passeouer that as in prefiguringe of hym Melchisedech the preist of the highe god did offeringe breade and wyne he dothe also represent the truthe of his owne bodye God forbyd that I speake any wronge thinge of them whiche succedyd the apostolyke degre do with their holy mouthe make the bodye of Christ Ad Litū Cap i. by whom euē we be christians If lay men be commaunded that for prayer they abstayne frome the company of theyr wyues what is to be done of the byshope or preist whiche is dailye aboute to offer cleane sacrifice for his owne synnes and the peoples Let vs rede the bokes of the kinges and we shall fynde that the preist Abimalech wolde not fyrst gyue vnto Dauid and his seruauntes of the shewbreades But that he dyd aske hym whether that his seruantes were clene frō theyr wyues not frō straungers but frō their owne wiues and but that he hard that they abstayned yesterday the daye before frome worke of wedloke he wolde not haue graunted them the breades whiche he had afore denyed So moche is betwene the shewbredes and the body of Christ as is betwene a shadowe a bodye betwyxte an ymage and the truthe betwene exemplaries of thinges to come and those thinges whiche were prefigured by the exemplaries Vpon the fyrst chapter of Tyte Preistes do offer dailye for their synnes and the peoples also pure sacrifices and the preist maketh christes bodye at masse Saynt Barnard sayth as Christ gaue his fleshe for vs so he gaue his fleshe to vs in that mistery to redeme vs in this to fede vs. ¶ Petrus Lumbardus in his .iiii. boke Chap. xii PEtrus Lumbardus sayth in his .iiii. boke and the .xii. chap. After this it is asked whether that that the preist doth maye be sayde properly a sacrifice or immolation and whether Christ be dayly immolate and offered or onely once Whervnto it may be shortly aunswered that whiche is offered and consecrated of the preist is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memorye and representation of the true sacrifice and holy immolation done in the aulter of the crosse And Christ was once deade on the crosse and ther was offered in hym selfe but he is dayly immolate or offered in the Sacrament because in the sacrament there is made a memorye of that is once done Whervpon saynt Augusten in his .xxiii. Epistle written vpon the .vi. chap. vnto the Romaynes sayth We are assured that Christe rysing from death dyeth not now c. yet least we shoulde forget that is once done in oure memorye euery yeare is done that is to saye as often as the Pascha is celebrate is Christ as often kylled No onely a yearely remembraunce representeth that was once done and causeth vs to be moued as though we sawe oure LORDE on the crosse Also Christe was once offered in hym selfe and yet is dayly offered in the sacramente whiche is thus to be vnderstande that in the open shewynge of his bodye
ther is also Christ and his sprite and God And yet Luther is condempned as an erityke because he wolde haue bread to be Ioyned with the body whiche is contrary to the catholyk churche Melancton Saynt Ambros wold neuer haue traueled sayth Melancton vnto Oecolampadius so many miracles as he doth speake of this matter to the declarynge of goddes omnipotencye and he had not thought the nature of breade to be chaunged in this mystery ¶ Erasmus Rothorodamus vnto Coradus Pellicanus in his Epist vi c.lxxvi pag. WHat maddnes were it for me yf I shoulde pronounce that there is nothinge else in the sacrament of the Alter but onely breade wyne I do acknowelege my selfe that I were worthy of death if euer eny man harde this of me either in earnest or in boorde that there is nothinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely breade and wyne or that ther is not really there present the very bodye bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ And farther he saithe saynte Paule dothe thinke that an Angell is not to be harde if he do preathe an other gospell than the catholyke churche dothe approue and alowe â–ª yea the same churche hathe perswaded vnto me to beleue and to geue credence to the gospell by hyr instruction haue I euer learned how I ought to expouÌ„de the wordes of the gospell hitherto haue I euer worshypped in the sacrameÌ„t Christ which suffered death passion for me as all other trwe christenyd men hath done Nor yet hitherto dyd I neuer se any thing wherefor I ought to go from this mynde and stedfast opynion Nor no mans reasonynge shal be able to cary me awaye frome the holy senteÌ„ce and agrement of the fathers of Christes church For those eight wordes of Moyses in the begynnynge god made heaueÌ„ earth be of more strengthe with me theÌ„ al the argumentes reasons of Aristotle and all other philosophers True it is that the verye bodye of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ is there in the sacrament thoughe it be not to mans sences or reason perceptible But yet is that sacrament a pleage and wonderful memory of his inestimable loue towardes vs and a stedfost comfort wherby to stablysh oure hope towarde God The scripture doth make for vs. We haue these playne wordes in holy scripture This is my body whiche is geuen for you And this is my bloud which shal be shed for you Where do they fynd in holy scripture This is not my body or this is but a figure or signe and token of my bodye They shall neuer be able to bringe forth any place of the auncient doctors which shal by playne and expresse wordes contayne that there is not in the blessed Sacramente of the aulter the very body bloude of our sauiour Christ I pray you what thinge is in this matter whiche moueth you thus highly to extoll this spiritual receauing of the body bloud of our lorde in the sacrament Wolde you therby perswade vnto me that I should not holde with the corporal eatinge and drinkinge of the same body and bloude of our Lord also And wold you by that menes that I should now forsake the true doctrine whiche the catholike church hath euer still taught so manye ages together one folowinge and succedinge after another to harkeÌ„ vnto your newly inuented onelye spirituall eating and drinking of those high misteries therby vtterly secludinge the corporall eatinge and drinkinge of the same self blessed Sacrament Erasmus in his epistle to Balthasar byshop of Heldesyn pag. M. ccccc.lxxvii And suerly there is nothing more effectuall to norish in oure mother holy churche a perfight and an indissoluble concorde than that the same oure mother the Catholyke churche eatinge of one bodye and drinkinge of one bloude by one spirite is made and compacte into one bodye by whom she also receauinge life is knit vnto our lyuing head Christ And yet do we nowe se that all these great benefittes and high promocions notwithstandinge how that through the flighty craftes of oure desaytefull and stronge aduersarye Sathan it is brought to passe that the same most beneficial gifte of the sacramente of the body and bloud of our most mercyfull moste teÌ„derly louynge Sauiour geueÌ„ vnto vs to bringe all ê‘sons into vnite coÌ„cord hath ben the matter where vpoÌ„ in olde tyme so many discencions haue rysyn and of late yeares are now agayne renewed while the some ther be whiche do deny that ther is any thinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely the outwarde tokyns of the body bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Some others do knowlege christ in the sacrameÌ„t but yet vnder the substance of bread and wine And again some ther were that sayde how that through the wordes of consecration the substaunce of breade and wyne do fyrst perishe and so succedeth after the bodye and the bloude of our Sauiour Christ Some others do holde that our Sauiour by the wordes of the consecration dothe become breade and wyne by their fantastical mindes making it but a light matter that was once incarnate and dyd for our sakes become man There haue also ben some that were called Starcoraniste whiche irreuerent parsons deserued well so vile a name because they both ymagin and speake so vylye and withoute all reuerence of so highe a Sacramente The countreye of Grece also to disquiet the vnitie of the Catholyke Churche hathe sente forth amongeste vs theyr leuayners so called because they dare presume contrarye to holy Scripture to leue the vse of pure bread vnlayuened and do consecrate in breade whiche is leuayned And after he sayth woulde to GOD that such persons as haue folowed Berengarius in his maner of erryng concerning the veritie of the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ to be in the blessed sacrament of the Alter whiche thinge he denyed so to be woulde in lyke wyse folow hym in repentynge of theyr selues as he dyd and that whiche now in our dayes be infected with the same erroure wolde so vnyte them selues vnto the catholyke Churche as he dyd whiche dyed for his offence full sore repentauÌ„t Farthermore ther hath rysen aboute this blessed sacrameÌ„t innumerable questions As how is the transubstaÌ„tiacioÌ„ brought to passe that is to saye how dothe the substaunce of breade geue place vnto the very substaunce of the bodye of our Sauioure Christ Also how the accident of breade and wyne be preserued and do remayne after theyr former substauces be gone And howe is it that these accidentes do kepe styll theyr color theyr smel their sauor and also haue power to fyll lyke other fode All whiche qualytyes the breade and wyne had in them selues afore that they were consecrate Also at what moment the body bloude of Christ doth seace to be in the sacrament Also whether that after the formes be corrupted any other fubstaunce do succede Also how that one selfe same body maye be at once in places innumerable Also
that were deade But forsomuche as he sawe that they whiche dye in the fauour and beleife in God are in good rest and ioye he thought it to be good and honorable for a reconsilynge to do the same for these that were slayne that the offence mighte be forgeuen .ii. Machab. xii Viset the sicke bury the deade and diligentlye do their exequis and diriges and praye and also geue almose for them Saynt Clement in his compendiolo We do scelebrate the daye of the departinge for those that seme to dye do not dye Therfore we remēber the sainctes our parents oure frendes And we make a solempne memorye for them that dye in the faithe And we reioyse as well at their relefe as also they desyeringe our Godly consummation and ende in the faithe And so we do not after that sorte celebrate the daye of the natiuitie for they that dye in the Lorde shall lyue allwayes Origen in Iob. And whan thou haste asked before God for whose sprit thou makest mention of for whom thou geuest yearely oblations c. Tertulian de exortacione castitatis pagi ccccc lxxxi Geue rest O Lorde to thy wel-beloued seruaunt Theodosius euen that same rest that thou hast prepared for thy saynctes that his soule turne thither from whense it descendyd Ambrosius super obitu Thedosii imperatoris Some vse to obserue the daye of the buryall some the thyrde daye some the .vii. day some the .xxx. day and some the mon the daye and euery obseruinge hath auctorite by the whiche obseruinge the necessarye offyce of godlynes is fulfilled Amb. in oratione super obitu Theodosii imperatoris I commende vnto the O Lorde God allmighty the innocent soule of my brother now deade And I offer vnto the my Sacrifice take mercifully and gladely the present or gyfte of a brother the sacrifice of a preist Amb. in oratione de obitu fratris sui satiri It is not to be denyed that sowles of men departed are releued through the godlynes of their frendes alyue when the sacrifyce of our mediator Christ is offered for them or else almose be geuen for them in the Churche Aug. in his enchiridion ca. ex ad dulcimum When the people shall stande holding vp their handes with the preist and the dreadfull sacrifice is set forth shal we not optayne goddes fauour praying for the deade Aug. vpon the first chapter vnto the Hebrues We muste trauell as muche as maye be that the deade may be holpen not with wepinge but with prayer supplications almose and sacrifice Aug. in his .xli. Homilie i. Cor. xv I Augustyne beseche the O Lord for the sinnes of my mother Here me by the medisine of oure woundes which hange on the crosse and sitting on thy right hand and prayeth for vs c. August lib. confess ix cap. xiii Thorough the prayers verely of holy churche and thoroughe the holsome sacrifice and almes which is geuen for the spirites of them it is not to be douted the deade to be holpen that it may with them be done more mercifull of the Lorde then their trespasses deserued This geuen of the fathers the vniuersall churche obserueth that they that dye in the communion of the body and bloude of Christe when they be remembred to that sacrament it is prayed for them that is offered for them Aug. sermo xxxii oratio sacrificium altaris eleemosina prosint defunctis The soules of good men departed are not seperated from the churche or else a remembraunce of them shoulde not be made at gods Alter in the communion of Christes Alter for them Aug. de ciuitate dei lib. xx cap. ix I did not wepe in those prayers whiche we made to the O Lorde when the sacrifice of oure price or redemption was offered for my mother Monica Aug. lib. ix confessionu cap. xii My mother Monica commaunded vs not to do these thinges for her but onely she desired a remembraunce of her to be made at thy aulter O Lorde whiche she hadde dayly serued from whiche aulter she knew that the holy goost or sacrifice to be distributed by whiche the writing of our own hand sinne that was cōtrary vnto vs is done away by whiche hooste or sacrifice thy enemy the deuill is vainquisshed or ouercome Aug. in Lib. ix confessionum Cap. xiii When sacrifice either of the aulter or els of any manner of almose are offered for the dead which were baptised They ar thankesgeuing for them that be very good people and for them whiche are not verye badde they are propiciations for purchasinges of the mercy and fauour of God Eyther they do profit vnto this thinge that it maye be full remission or else at the least that the payne be made more tollerable Aug. in his prima precatione ad missa O holy father receaue thou this offeringe for thy seruaunt whiche Moyses receaued when he dyd se in sprite Receaue the gifte for thy seruaunt that he feruentlye desired that gifte and offering whiche the holy man the stronge man and the lustye man doth requyre Receaue the oblation of thy grace for thy seruaunt Valyntinian nowe departed the whiche grace he dyd neuer refuse Amb. in oratio funcb super obitu Valent. Imperat. And thou shalte performe vnto me the mercy of the Lorde not only while I lyue but euen when I am deade and plucke not thy mercy a waye from my howse for euer i. Reg. i. xx.c ¶ Of penaunce confession and satisfaction YF it chaunce at any tyme that any mans hart enuye infidelitie or any euell of these whiche we haue spoken of before hathe preuilye crepte in Let hym not be ashamed to confesse these thinges to hym whiche ruleth and taketh care and charge of the soule of man that of hym and by the worde of our Lorde and the holsome councell maye be comforte whereby he maye auoyde with safe faithe and good workes the paynes of eternall fyer and come to the rewarde of euerlastynge lyfe D. Petrus in Epistola Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem domini We comynge by and by vnto Christ are commaunded of Saynte Clement to cast all our euill thoughtes out of oure hartes and to open them and shew them to the preistes of our Lorde Ad Clementem in compendiolo suo If we reuele open and shew forth our synnes not onely before God but also before them whiche can heale or cure oure woundes and synnes thē our synnes shal be cleane blotted oute of hym with faith Beholde I will put a waye your synnes and iniquites euen as the cloudes whiche vanyshe and go theyr wayes Origen in Luke .ii. the .viii. Homil. Ther be some whiche do saye it is sufficient for them to their helth and saluatiō if they confesse their fawtes onelye to GOD to whome nothinge is hyd who knoweth the conscience of menne But they wyll not or else they be ashamed or els disdayne to shewe them selues to the preiste whome oure Lorde hath ordayned the geuer of the law