prodest quicquam c. But in such maner of thoughts sayth Cyprian fleshe and bloud doe not helpe any thing at all For as the maister himselfe hath declared these wordes are spirite and lyfe neyther doth the fleshly sense enter in vnto the vnderstanding of so great a déepenesse except there come faith thervnto The breade is meate the bloud is lyfe the fleshe is substaunce the body is the Church A body bicause of the agréeing of the members in one bread bicause of the congruence of the nourishment Bloud bicause of the working of lyuelynesse Flesh bicause of the propertie of the humane nature that he hath taken vpon him Christ doth sometime call this sacrament his owne bodie sometime his fleshe and bloud sometimes bread a portion of euerlasting life whereof he hath according to these visible thinges giuen part to the corporall nature This common foode being chaunged into fleshe and bloud doth procure lyfe and encreasing vnto bodies and therefore the weakenesse of oure fayth being holpen by the accustomed effect of things is by a sensible argument taught that the effect of eternall lyfe is in the visible sacramentes and that we are made one with Christ not so much by a bodily passing into him as by a spirituall And agayne in the same Sermon he sayth Esus igitur carnis huius quaedam auiditas est quoddam desiderium manendi in ipso c. The eating therefore of this fleshe is a certaine gréedinesse and desire to dwell in him whereby we doe so presse and melt in our selues the swéetenesse of loue that the taste of loue that is poured into vs may cleaue in the roofe of our mouth and bowels entering into and making moyst all the corners both of our soules and body Drinking and eating doe appertayne both to one reconing And as the bodily substaunce is nourished by them and liueth and contynueth in health so the lyfe of the spirite is nourished with thys foode that doth properly belong thereto And looke what foode is to the fleshe the same is fayth to the soule Looke what thing meat is to the bodye the same is the worde to the spirite with more excellent power performing euerlastingly the thing that fleshely nourishments doe worke temporally and finally Hitherto Cyprian If it had pleased you to haue weighed all these wordes of Cyprian I thinke you could not for shame haue wrested his former wordes to such purpose as you doe concluding that if we haue not Christes body and bloud in the sacrament for our externall sacrifice whereby we may mitigate c. then we should be no better then Turkes c. S. Cyprian himselfe doth in these words that I haue cited out of the same Sermon expound his meaning in the former wordes cyted by you to be farre other then that which you gather and conclude vpon them In déede if the Capernaits had deuoured the body of Christ and none could haue bene saued but such as had bene partakers of the same with them a very small number should haue bene saued by him And when that number had bene dead his religion must néedes haue bene at an ende for they should haue had no more sacrifice for sinne for as much as he which should be the alone sacrifice for sinne had bene by them eaten vp and consumed When saint Cyprian therfore had thus spoken of the grosse opinion of the Capernaits he doth immediatly adde these words Sed in cogitationibus c. But in such maner of cogitations fleshe and bloud doe profite nothing at all For as the maister himselfe hath taught these wordes are spirite and lyfe c. And agayne afterward he sayth Esus igitur carnis huius c. The eating of this fleshe therefore is a certaine gréedinesse and desire to abide or dwell in him c. It is manifest therfore that saint Cyprian ment not to teach Cyprians meaning that vnlesse the body of Christ be really and substantially present in the sacrament the Church can haue no sacrifice and so consequently no religion but his meaning was to teache that it was not a fleshely but a spirituall eating that he spake of And that by faith the Church hath Christ her euerlasting sacrifice for sinne not offered by the massing Priestes euerye daye but offered by himselfe once for all and yet still present with God as all things both past and to come are For with God there is neyther time past nor to come but all present Other sacrifice to mitigate or please God the Church neyther hath nor néedeth anye For Christ hath by that one sacrifice once offered made perfite as manye as be made holye that is Hebr. 10. as many as be sanctified by the holy spirite of adoption And where as you compare vs to the Turkes as hauing no peculier sacrifice to offer I must tell you that you do belye your friend Cluniacensis Watson belyeth Cluniacensis whose testimonie you vse to prooue the Turkes and vs to be one sect His wordes be these Nam cum sint his nostris diebus quatuor in mundo precipuae diuersitates sectarum hoc est chirstianorum Iudaeorum Saracenorum Paganorum si Christiani non sacrificant iam nullus in mundo sacrificat Iudaei enim more suo c. For where as at thys day sayth Cluniacensis there be in the worlde foure chiefe diuersities of sects that is Christians Iewes Saracens and Paganes if the Christians doe not sacrifice there is none in the worlde that doth sacrifice For the Iewes according to their maner beholding all thinges with Oxe eyes and lyke Asses bearing the burdens of Gods lawe without taking anye fruite thereof doe sacrifice in no place bicause they saye that Ierusalem alone is the place where God must be honoured and worshipped in sacrifices c. And afterwarde speaking of the Paganes Petrus Cluniacensis he sayth Et cum slendi homines ignominiosius alijs a Diabolo his multis modis nobis ignotis deludantur sacrificia tamen nec Creatori nec creaturae exhibent Sed quod innatus error docuit absque omnium sacrificiorum notitia custodiunt Where as these men méete to be bywayled are of the Deuill by these and many meanes that we knowe not deluded more shamefully then other yet doe they not giue any sacrifice eyther to the Creator or to the creature But beyng without the knowledge of all sacrifices they doe obserue that thing which naturall error hath taught them Here it is manifest that your Cluniacensis sayth not that the Turkes onely are without sacrifice for the Paganes Turkes are euen by his playne wordes two seuerall sectes and farre ynough a sunder Cluniacensis a corrupter of scripture But what thoughe Cluniacensis and you did agrée in all poyntes Are you of such credit that nought that you say maye be denied A more manifest wrester and corrupter of manifest scriptures then Cluniacensis was did neuer set Pen to Paper except
abhorre as detestable and damnable wyshing you and all other to doe the same Embraceing now at the last the knowne truth which hath bene long time hid by ignoraunce from the greatest number that bare the name of Christians and is nowe by the knowledge of the holye worde of God made knowne to as many as will knowe it and be not wilfull blinde Such truth as you haue taught I doe wyllingly embrace and doe not any thing at all mislike with any thing for the Authors sake But my misliking is with the matter that is not to be lyked And when I doe at any time seme to mislike with the Author it is for that his words haue no grounde in the holy worde of God which is as the touchstone to trie all mens writings by Let vs both pray for the spirite of Humilitie that we may thereby be made meete to receyue and retaine the knowledge of the truth which God will neuer giue to the prowde and such as thinke themselues peerelesse and therefore disdaine the brotherly admonitions of such as in their sight are to simple to be teachers of such as they be The Lorde Iesus graunt that spirite to as many as professe his name that we may once be of one minde in the house of the Lorde to his glorie and the confusion of Satan Amen FINIS To the Christian Readers HAuing occasion oftentymes to be in place where suche as are not yet perswaded that the Popes Church can erre haue bene bolde to vtter their minds fréely affirming that the doctrine which the Protestants teache is erronious and false especially concerning the presence of Christ in the Sacrament of his body and bloud and the sacrifice of the Masse I haue perceyued that the same haue bene chiefely perswaded stayed by these two Sermons made by Doctor Watson in the first yere of Quéene Maries reigne I haue therefore wyshed that some man of lyke learning would haue published in print an answere to those Sermons that thereby such as haue bene disceyued by the subtiltie thereof might by the plaine and simple aunswere be brought to the knowledge of the truth which no doubt the greatest number of them would embrace if they might once be brought to sée it Yea I know some of them doe hunger and thirst to sée what may be sayde to the contrarie of that which they are yet perswaded in by that which séemeth to them vnaunswerable But whiles I thus wyshed with my selfe many yeares are passed by and I feare me manye soules haue perished being blinded by the subtilty of these Sermons And hitherto I can not vnderstand that any man hath once purposed to aunswere them Although therefore I be of many the most vnméete and of some most dispised accounted and reported to be none of the learned yet rather then the prowde Philistine should still blaspheme the God of Israell and defie his whole armie no man being so hardie as to buckle with him I haue in the courage and confidence of dispised Dauid taken in hande to fight the combat with him and doe not doubt by the helpe of Dauids God eyther to cause him to yéelde or to lye headlesse dispised and forsaken euen of his owne sort and folowers Some man will say peraduenture that it is but a vayne bragge to make such a chalenge knowing that the aduerse party may not without lycence encounter with mée and if he shall obtayne lycence yet shall not his doings be suffered to come to light vnlesse the same shall be lyked by such as fauour my cause For my part I wishe that it were as frée for him to replye to thys mine aunswere and to publishe the same as it is for mée to aunswere his Sermons and I know that if he be able and wylling to replie he can neyther lack libertie so to doe nor meanes to publish it when it is done This obiection therfore is but vaine But that you may haue some vnderstanding of that which I haue done in this aunswere deare Christians and with better will read it thorowe and weigh it I will in fewe wordes declare the effect of my doing therein First I haue faythfully reported the Sermons as they are to be séene in his printed Copie altering or chaunging no one sillable or letter but such onely as doe manifestly appéere to be faultes escaped by the ignoraunce or negligence of the Printer Secondly I haue weighed and considered the Authorities that he hath alledged with their circumstances setting downe the same in wryting to be séene that you may in the feare of God weigh the same also and iudge whether he haue applied them aright or not And thirdly I haue aunswered by the lyke or greater Authoritie all that he hath laboured to confirme by Authoritie eyther of the scriptures or auncient fathers The Lorde Iesus direct you all in the reading of these Sermons and aunswere that you may vnderstande and embrace the truth of the matters in controuersie in life and conuersation glorifie him that hath with his spirite of comfort caused mée to go thorow wyth this aunswere notwithstanding the manifold waies that Sathan hath sought to cause me to cast it aside Fare you well Yours in Christ Robert Crowley ¶ The Table for the notes of the first Sermon in order of letter A. B. C. c. A AMbrose ouerthroweth watsons foundation Folio 18. A rule to bee folowed in reading of fathers Fol. 27. Against priuate Masse Fol. 29. Austen expounded by hymselfe 33. Against whom Ireneus wrote 54 A straunge signification of Symbolum 99. Auncient writers must bee reade with fauour 101. A note for vniuersall signes 118. An oration without a Nominatiue case 141. An argument lyke watsons argument 160. A worthy promotion 174. A homely shift 177. Another is not the same 182. A foule ouersight in one that would be a Catholike Bishop Ibidem All thinges reconed more is loste then wonne 207. B BErnarde was the floure of his tyme. 9. Bernard was deceiued in some things 12. By Watsons doctrine no Infants can be saued 72. C CYprians wordes in the same Epistle 25. Chrysostomes and Basilles iudgement 28. Chrysostomes meaning 31. Cyprians meaning 41. Cluniacensis a corrupter of scriptures 42. Christes purpose in speaking 54. Contradiction in watsons words Folio 70. Christs incarnation is the cause of our resurrection 88. Chrysostome is no man for Watson 115. Christes manhood can bee but in one place 116. Cyprians meaning was farre other then Watsons 119. Christ must be in the minde before the sacrament c. 138. Craftie handling of the fathers sayings 139. Christ is no charmer 176. Chrysostome vseth the figure Hyperbole 189. D DEgrees of holynesse 177. Descant without good playne song 187. E EQualitie of Byshops by Cyprians iudgement 26. Erasmus his iudgement vpon the thirde Tome 29. Election in Christ maketh men worthy c. 69. Effects doe spring out of efficient causes 97. G GErson against Mayster watson 47. God is the efficient cause
pledge is giuen For in that sense is Symbolum taken here And vnlesse you can proue that these be efficient causes you shal neuer prooue that our immortalitie and resurrection be the effects thereof The lyke may be sayde to the Conseruatorium ad immortalitatem aeternae vitae A conserue or a thing that preserueth our bodies to the immortalitie of eternall life But bicause it is your custome to cite matter in such sort that the true meaning of the Author can not be perceyued by the wordes that you cite I will let the reader sée all the wordes that Athanasius doth in that place write of that matter Sed proptered ascensionis suae in caelum mentionem secit Athanasius De p ccato in spiritum sanctum vt eos a corporali intellectu abstraheret ac deinde carnem suam de qua locutus erat cibum è supernis caelestem spiritualem alimoniam ab ipso donandam intelligerent Quae enim locutus sum vibis inquit spiritus est vita Quod perinde est acsi deceret Corpus meum quod ostenditur dâ—tur pro mundo in cibum dabiâ—ur vt sparitualiter vnicuique tâ—â—buatur fiat singulis tutamen praeseruatioque ad Resurrectionem vitae aeternae Ita quâ—que Samaritanam abstrahens Dominus a rebus sensibilibus Deum esse spiritum pronuntiauit vt deinceps illa non corporalia sed spiritualia de Deo cogitaret But for this cause did he make mention of his ascention into heauen that he might drawe them away from the bodily vnderstanding and that they might afterwarde vnderstand his fleshe whereof he had spoken to be foode from aboue heauenly and spirituall nourishment and such as he must giue For sayth he that which I haue spoken vnto you is spirite and lyfe Which is as much as if he should say My body which is showed and giuen for the world shall be giuen to be meat that it may be spiritually giuen to euerye man and that it maye be to eche man a defence and preseruation vnto the resurrection of eternall lyfe In like maner also drawing the Samaritish womaÌ„ from sensible things the Lorde affirmed that God is a spirite that from thence forth she should not think of God as of corporall things but as of things spirituall Now let the indifferent reader iudge how faithfully you haue vsed your selfe in alledging the saying of this auncient Father His grounde is the wordes of Christ in the sixt of Iohn Where speaking of the eating of his body he sayth It is the spirite that doth giue lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothing at all The words that I haue spoken vnto you are spirite and lyfe Which is sayth Athanasius as much as if he should say My body which is showed and giuen for the world shall be giuen to be foode that it may spiritually be giuen to euery man and that vnto eche man it may be made a defence and preseruation to the resurrection of eternall lyfe And to make his meaning playne Athanasius sayth that Christ made mention of his ascention into heauen that he might draw his hearers from the bodily vnderstanding And further he sayth that our sauiour talking with the Samaritish woman did draw hir from sensible things affirming that God is a spirit that so she might imagine no corporal thing to be in God but al spiritual I can not therefore but thinke that such as will ioyne with you in alledging this place to proue immortalitie and euerlasting lyfe to be the effect of the sacrament of Christes body and bloud are by obstinate wylfulnesse blinded as you doe shewe your selfe to be For it is as manifest as the cleare sunne light that his meaning was to disproue the grosse opinion of all such as imagine The meaning of Athanasius that Christ should giue his fleshe to fill the bellies of men And to teach that such as will benefite by eating of his body must eate the same spiritually and not carnally And that when it is spiritually eaten it is Tutamen praeseruatioque ad resurrectionem vitae aeternae A defence and preseruation vnto the resurrection of eternall life But this is not to teach that it is the efficient cause of our immortalitie and resurrection as you labor by this other places to proue But nowe let vs sée what you haue founde in Ireneus that was a great deale older then Athanasius He hath sayde Quomodo dicunt carnem c. By what reason doe they saye that our fleshe goeth wholy to corruption seing that it is nourished with the body and bloud of our Lorde This place of Ireneus is sufficiently opened before in the aunswere to that which you haue sayde of the first circumstaunce of the sacrament which is who it was that spake these words This is my body c and is playnely proued not to make any thing for your purpose eyther there or here Yet we haue not sayde any thing to that other place which you cite out of the fift booke of this Ireneus where he sayth Ireneus li. 5. Quomodo carnem negant capacem esse c. How doe they denie c. I might put you in remembraunce of that which Erasmus wryteth concerning his iudgement of the authoritie of this booke for I am sure you can tell that he hath written thus Censura Eras Roterodami In hoc quinto libro quum multa scripturarum loca diligenter explicentur quaedam tamen insunt quae nisi quis comode interpretetur non satis congruere videntur cum bis dogmatibus quae hoc tempore praescribit Ecclesia Where as in this fift Booke there be many places of Scripture diligently expounded yet are there certaine things in it which vnlesse a man doe well interpret doe not séeme to agrée verie well with those doctrines that at this time the Church doth prescribe Auncient writers must be read with fauour c. And afterwarde he sayth Sed in huiusmodi multis veteres illi cum candore nonnunquam cum venia legendi sunt c. But in many such things those auncient wryters must be read with fauour and sometime with pardon also But be it that Erasmus had not giuen vs this warning is there not warning ynough giuen vs in the wordes of the place it selfe to looke well to the wryters meaning You doe according to your custome cite those wordes onely which may at the first sight make some shewe of that you would proue by them But according to my custome I will let the reader sée the whole circumstaunce that he may be able to iudge which of vs both goeth most nigh to the meaning of the writer His wordes be these Vani autem omnimòdo qui vniuersam dispositionem Dei contemnunt carnis salutem negant regenerationem eius spernunt dicentes non cam capacem esse incorruptibilitatis Sic autem secundum haec videlicet nec Dominus sanguine suo redemit
nos neque Calix Eucharistiae communicatio sanguinis eius est neque panis quem frangimus communicatio corporis eius est Sanguis enim non est nisi á venis carnibus á reliqua quae est secundum hominem substantia qua verè sactum verbum Dei sanguine suo redemit nos Quemadmodum Apostolus eius ait In quo habemus redemptionem per sanguinem eius remissionem peccatorum Et quoniam membraeius sumus per creaturam nutrimur Creaturam autem ipse nobis praestat solem suum oriri faciens pluens quemadmodum vult cum Calicem qui est creatura suum corpus confirmauit ex quo nostra auget corpora Quando ergo myxtus Calix factus panis percipit verbum Dei fit Eucharistia sanguinis corporis Christi ex quibus augetur consistit carnis nostrae substantia Quomodò carnem negant capacem esse donationis Dei quae est vita aeterna quae sanguine corpore Christi nutritur membrum est eius quemadmodum Apostolus ait in ea quae est ad Ephes Epistola Quoniam membra sumus corporis eius de carne eius de ossibus eius non de spiritali aliquo inuisibili homine dicens haec Spiritus enim neque ossa neque carnes habet sed de ea dispositione quae est secundum hominem quae ex carnibus neruis ossibus consistit quae de Calice qui est sanguis eius nutritur de pane qui est corpus eius augetur Altogither veine are those men which doe contemne the whole order that God hath set denie the saluation of the fleshe and despise the regeneration thereof saying that it is not able to receyue incorruptibilitie For by this meanes that is to saye if these sayings be true neyther hath the Lorde redéemed vs with his bloud neyther is the cup of thankesgyuing the communion of his bloud nor the bread that we breake the communion of his bodye For it is not bloud except it come from the veynes and fleshe and the other substaunce which is of mans nature Wherin the sonne of God being borne in déede hath with his owne bloud redéemed vs. Euen as his Apostle also sayth in whome we haue redemption the forgiuenesse of sinnes through his bloud And bicause we are members of him and be nourished by the creature And he it is that giueth the creature vnto vs causing his sunne to arise and rayning in such sort as it pleaseth him when he sayde for a suretie that the cup which is a creature is his body whereby he doth giue encrease to our bodyes When the mixed Cup therefore and the bread that is made doe receiue the sonne of God it is made the Euchariste or thankesgyuing of the bloud and body of Christ whereof the substaunce of our flesh is encreased and doth consist How doe they denie that fleshe is able to receyue the gift of God which is eternall lyfe sith the same is nourished with the bloud and bodie of Christ and is a member of him as the Apostle saith in that Epistle which he wrot to the Ephesians For we are members of his body of his fleshe and of his bones not speaking these wordes of any spirituall or inuisible man for a spirite hath neyther bones nor fleshe but of that disposition of partes that is in mans nature which doth consist of fleshe sinewes and bones which is nourished by the cup that is his bloud and encreased by the bread that is his body Nowe let the Reader iudge whether Ireneus may be vnderstanded to meane in this place as you by cyting his wordes What maner men Ireneus had to doe with would haue him séeme to meane First it is manifest by hys wordes that he had to doe with such men as did vtterly denie the resurrection of our bodies And he proueth that their assertion is verie veyne sith our bodies be nourished in this lyfe by the same creatures that our sauiour Christ hath made the sacramēts of his body and bloud which creatures we receyue at his hande for he causeth the sunne to arise and to warme the earth and he it is that giueth raine to moysten the earth whereby the same bread and wine that he hath assuredly sayde is his body and bloud doe grow out of the earth wherby he doth giue our bodies encrease And to what purpose should he institute the sacrament of his body and bloud in those creatures if our nature which he hath taken vpon him and is nourished by these creatures should not by him be made incorruptible and immortall Howe can they therefore sayth Ireneus denie that fleshe is able to receyue the gift of God which is eternall lyfe sith the same is nourished with that creature that is the bloud and body of Christ and is a member of him as the Apostle sayth c. Which wordes must be warily considered least we should thinke that Ireneus doth deny that the church of Christ is the spiritual or mistical body of Christ affirming that the same is his very naturall body which he tooke of the substaunce of the Virgine Marie Wordes that must be warily considered But when these wordes be well weighed it appéereth that Ireneus was earnestly bent to disproue not onely the opinion of such as doe denie our resurrection but also their opinion that did affirme that Christ tooke not mans nature vpon him but had a fantasticall body and therefore he applyed the wordes of Paule against that error saying Non de spirituali aliquo c. He spake not those wordes to the Ephesians of any spirituall or inuisible man but of the disposition of partes that is in man which consisteth of fleshe sinewes and bones Vnderstanding Saint Paules wordes in that meaning that the wordes of Laban must be vnderstand when he sayde to Iacob Genes 29. Os meum es caro mea Thou art my bone and my fleshe That is thou art of the same lynage that I am and descended out of the same loynes So Ireneus vnderstandeth saint Paules wordes in that place to signifie that Christ and we concerning his mans nature be descended out of the loynes of one man that is the first man Adam And so he concludeth that for as much as our nature is nourished and encreased by those creatures bread and Wine wherein Christ hath instituted the sacrament of his body and bloud and doth therefore call the same creatures by the names of those things that they be sacraments of the same nature must néedes be made incorruptible and immortall through him that hath receyued it to himselfe and is himself incorruptible and immortall Watson is to bolde with Ireneus Wherfore it séemeth to me M. Watson that you are to bolde with Ireneus when you affirme that his meaning is such as we finde to be contrarie to his playne and manifest wordes For he sayth that the
he said it is the spirite that quickneth and the fleshe profiteth nothing And the words that I haue spoken vnto you are spirit and life c. How your conclusion of a reall eating of Christ in the sacrament by the seruice of our bodies c. maye folowe vpon these words of Austen I leaue to the iudgement of all that be learned and not obstinately blinde in this matter Cyprian Ser. De Caena To that which you cite out of Cyprians Sermon De Caena Domini and Origine vpon the booke of Numbers I referre you for aunswere to the wordes of the same Cyprian in the same Sermon where he sayth thus Dixerat sanc huius traditionis magister quod nisi manducaremus biberemus cius sanguinem non haberemus vitam in nobis spirituali nos instruens documento aperiens ad rem adâ—â— abditam intellecluin vt sciremus quod mansio nostra in ipso sit manducatio potus quasi quaedam incorporatio subiectis obsequijs voluntatibus iunctis affectibus vnitis The teacher of this tradition had sayde that vnlesse we would eate him and drinke his bloud we could haue no lyfe in vs instructing vs by a spirituall document and opening our vnderstanding to a thing that is so secretly hid that we might know that our eating is our dwelling in him and our drinking as it were a certaine ioyning into one body with him by gyuing ouer our selues wholy to serue him by ioyning our willes to his and vniting our affections And to the wordes of Origine also in the same Homily that you cite Origines in Num. ho. 16. and not many lynes after that which you point at where he sayth thus Bibere autem dicimur sanguinem Christi non solùm sacramentorum ritu sed cùm sermonem eius recipimus in quibus vita consistit sicut ipse dicit Verba quae locutus sum spiritus vita est It is saide that we drinke the bloud of Christ not onely in the rite of the sacrament but also when we receyue his wordes in which lyfe doth consist euen as he himselfe sayth The words that I haue spoken are spirite and lyfe Now let your friendes iudge what you haue gayned by that you haue cyted out of Cyprian and Origine And for your sentence that you haue picked out of Chrysostome to helpe out with the matter August ad Bonifacium Epist. 23. I referre you for aunswere to that which Austen hath written to Bonifacius whose wordes I haue cyted in the ninth deuision of this aunswere But to make short it appéereth by thys that I haue written that the Gospell commaundeth no externall nor reall drinking of bloud wherfore it is no necessarie consequence that in the sacrament of Christes bloud his bloud is not figuratiuely nor yet only spiritually dronken but really by the seruice of our bodies although you doe beare vs in hande that Chrysostome doth so affirme both in his .24 Homily vpon the first to the Corinths and also in his Homily to those that were lately graffed into Christ For both in those places many other Chrysostome doth giue that name to the sacrament which is proper to the thing wherof it is a Sacrament according to Saint Austens saying to Bonifacius As touching the expounding of the wordes of Salomon by Austen Chrysostome and Isychius Watson belieth three at once I must néedes tell you that you belye them all three For none of them doth say as you would beare vs in hande that they doe say Austen speaketh most of the matter and sayth thus Mensa potentis quae sit nostis August in Ioh. tract 47. vbi est corpus sanguis Christi qui accedit ad talem mensam praeparet talia Et quid est praeparet talia Quomodo ipse pro nobis animam suam posuit sic nos debemus ad aedificandam plebem ad asserendam fidem animam pro fratribus ponere You know what the table of the mighty man is where the body and bloud of Christ is he that commeth to such a table must prepare the lyke thing And what is it to prepare such lyke things Euen as he gaue his lyfe for vs so must we giue our lyues for our brethren to edifie the people and to defende the fayth Here is no mention made of the sitting at the table discerning of the thing set before them nor of the putting to of the hand All that Austen hath sayde here Epist 23. is fully answered by that which he hath written to Bonifacius Chrysostome sayth thus Sed veniunt ad mensam potentis Chrysost in Psalm 22. consyderantes ea quae apponuntur eis accipere cum timore tremore tribulationes efficiuntur consolationes But they come vnto the table of the mightie considering those things that be set before them to receyue with feare and trembling their tribulations are become consolations This is farre from that which you report in his name But you could not sée that which he writeth a little before Watson can pretend shortnesse of time When he will not say all that he should where he sayth thus Et quia istam mensam praeparauit seruis ancillis in conspectu eorum c. And bicause he hath in the sight of them prepared this table for his seruaunts and handmaydens c. As is afore in the answere to the .26 deuision of this sermon If shortnesse of time would haue suffered you to rehearse al those words they would haue marred altogither and therefore you did wisely to dissemble them As for the place that you cite out of Isychius it is aunswered before and néedeth not nowe to be aunswered any further But here I must tell you that this is no simple dealing to vrge the interpretation of a fewe that felowed the Gréeke as you say both against the text in Hebrue and the exposition that such as were learned in the Hebrue tongue haue made vpon this place Yea and that in so weightie a matter as thys is You knowe that Salomon was an Hebrue and wrote his Prouerbs in Hebrue and shall we leaue his wordes in Hebrue and take that which we find in the Gréeke contrarie to or differing from that which is manifest playne in the Hebrue If Austen had had the vnderstanding of the Hebrue tongue he would not haue done so I mislike not the expounding of that text by the Alegorie for the text may well beare it But to Alegorize vpon a text that differeth from the same text in the tongue that it was first written in by the Author thereof can not but be misliked And much more it is to be misliked August libr. 12. Confess Cap. 25. that any mans priuate iudgemeÌ„t vpon any part of scripture should be made a sufficient ground to build our fayth vpon as the same S. Austen hath said Saint Hierome who vnderstood the Hebrue tongue doth Alegorize farre otherwise
declareth the vse of the sacrament in the receypt of it with the seruice of our mouth Math. 19. as Christ commaunded saying Take eate which is a corporall eating not a spirituall beleeuing And last of all it sheweth the effect of the sacrament which is the resurrection of our bodies to eternall life for because Christes body being the body of very lyfe is ioyned to our bodies as our foode it bringeth our bodies that be dead by sentence of death to his propertie which is life whereof in my last sermon I spake more at large O Lorde what harde hearts haue these men to doubt themselues or to denie or to bring in question that manifest open truth in so highe and necessary a matter which in most playne wordes hath bene taught of our sauiour Christ his Apostles and Euangelistes and declared so to be vnderstand by the holy ghost out of the mouthes of all these holye fathers whome the holy ghost did assemble and inspire with the spirit of truth to the confusion of the great heretike Arius that troubled the worlde then and also did inspire their hartes to declare so plainely the misterie of thys blessed sacrament which then was without all contention beleued of al christen men onely to preuent these heretikes that arise and spring vp nowe in these latter dayes that the worlde may see how they striue agaynst the knowne truth their owne coÌ„science the determination of the hole church being enimies of God breaking his peace and deuiding themselues from the church whose end is eternal confusioÌ„ Nowe are you come to the first generall counsell CROWLEY holden at Nice in the Citie of Bithinia vnder Constantinus Magnus In the .24 deuision of your former Sermon I haue sayde some thing to the later wordes of this sentence that you cite out of the great general counsell of Nice And in the .33 deuision of the same sermon I haue graunted as much as the words that you cite there doe teach when they be vnderstanded so as the auncient fathers do vse that like maner of spéeches But here I must tell you that in the olde allowed counsell of Nice there is no part of that which you rite here found written Wherfore the authority therof must néeds be so much the lesse But graunt that the .318 Byshops had in that counsell agréed and written euen as you haue cited must we therfore beleue that Christ is in the sacrament in such sort as you teach really and substantially c. Saint Austen in his Sermon Ad Infantes which is cyted by Beda Beda in 1. Cor. ca. 10. sayth thus Vos estis in mensa vos estis in Calice You are vpon the table you are in the Cup shall we therefore saye that saint Austen ment that those persons that he spake vnto were really substantially and bodily in the cup and on the table I thinke you will not graunt it And why will you by the wordes cyted out of the Nicene counsell bind vs to beleue that Christ is after such sort present in the sacrament As touching the maruellous touching or couching of the wordes for so I suppose you spake I can not but maruell that you could not sée howe euerye one of them serueth to expresse the truth against that which you teach First they will vs to lift vp our mindes and to consider by fayth not things that are here conuersaunt amongst vs and may be conceyued by bodily senses but that are aboue and can not be conceyued otherwise then by fayth Then they tell vs that the Lambe of God is set vpon the holy table euen as saint Austen telleth his Auditorie that they are set vpon the table to teach vs that the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ is not a bare and naked signe but effectuall to the worthye receyuer that is to such as beyng members of Christ are placed on the table and in the cup with Christ in such sort as the Lambe of God is placed there that is spiritually and in a mysterie And after the same sort the same Lambe is sacrificed by the priestes when by their ministerie the members of Christ be made partakers of that holy mysterie and doe euen sensibly féele the effect of that sacrifice Hebr. 9.10 which that Lambe made of himselfe once for all as saint Paule wryteth Thirdly they declare that we receyuing the precious body and bloud of Christ in déede doe beléeue that it is the pledge of our resurrection Which maner of receyuing it pleaseth you to terme a reall receyuing As though the body of Christ coulde not be receyued by fayth verilye and in déede vnlesse the same be after your reall maner But I must put you in mind that you haue fowly forgotten your selfe when you say that the offering that the priest maketh in his Masse is a distinct offering from that which Christ made vpon the crosse for you shall finde manye of your friendes of a contrarie minde if ye search their bookes well But you would séeme to make bloudy and vnbloudy the difference betwéene those two sacrifices Here say you that is in your Masse he is offered of the priests not by shedding of his bloud but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is insacrificabÃliter after an vnsacrificable maner which is not a newe kylling of Christ but a solemne representation of his death as himselfe hath ordeyned Here the latter wordes doe confute the first For if the maner of offring in the Masse be such as can not be a sacrifice howe can the Masse be a sacrifice And if the Masse be but a solemne representatioÌ„ of the death of Christ how can it be a sacrifice offered to almightie God Not the Popishe Masse but the blessed supper of the Lorde the holy communion of his body and bloud is a lyuely representation of his death and passion And as your Emesenus sayth in the wordes that you cite for you haue taught him to speake congrue latine nowe vere vna perfecta hostia c. That sacrifice which is but one and is perfite in déede must not be estéemed by outwarde shewe nor iudged by the sight of the outwarde man but by fayth and the affection of the inwarde man But eyther not vnderstanding your Emesenus his wordes or else after your olde custome of purpose you corrupt him in the translation For you say This hoste and sacrifice is verily one and perfite as though Emesenus had poynted to your Masse sacrifice Where as it is playne that he meaneth of that sacrifice that is represented by the holy communion of the body bloud of Christ I may therefore vse the wordes of your owne exclamation against your selfe and such as be of your minde For whose harts can be imagined to be more hard then youres which in so manifest a matter as this doe not onely bring in question the open and manifest truth but also in alledging the words of fathers and counselles applie them
Domini participes esse mensae Demoniorum I would not sayeth saint Paule that you should be made companions of Deuilles You can not or you may not drinke the Lordes cup and the cup of the Deuils You may not be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of the Deuils By which wordes it is manifest that saint Paule did purpose to perswade the Corinthes that such as would be christians must withdrawe themselues from all Idolatrie and kéepe the religion of Christ pure and vnspotted with the mixture of any heathenish Gods seruice But you M. Watson will make vs beléeue that saint Paule meaneth to teach that our knitting togither into one body with Christ is the effect of your sacrament of the aultar For so you doe expound the words that you cite out of Paule Nonne communicatio c. That is to say say you doth it not ioyne and knit vs in the vnitie of one bodye in Christ Sauing that I doe know it to be your common custome thus to handle both the scriptures and the wrytings of the auncient fathers I would wonder that euer you could for shame make such interpretation of these wordes But nothing may be wondered at which custome hath made common Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. But you haue Chrysostome to take your part you say who noteth vpon this place that Paule sayth not it is the participation but the communion of one bodye First I must note here that you haue done you wot not what For you haue founde out for your maisters of the newe learning that which some of your fort haue sayde could not be founde in any part of the scripture That is that the sacrament of Christs body is called a communion But let vs sée what Chrysostome hath sayde For it were not wisedome to trust you when you cite his sentence without his wordes as you doe here His wordes therefore are these Quare non dixit participatio Quia amplius quiddam significare voluit multam inter haec conuenientiam ostendere Non enim participatione tantum acceptione sed vnitate communicamus Quemadmodum enim corpus illud vnitum est Christo ita nos per hunc panem vnione coniungimur Why did he not call it a participation Bicause he was wylling to signifie a greater matter and to shew that there is great agréement betwéene these things For we doe not communicate in taking and receyuing onely but in vnitie also For euen as that body is vnited vnto Christ euen so are we by this bread ioyned togither in vnion Now let the Reader compare these words of Chrysostome with those that you haue vsed in your Sermon as though they were Chrysostomes And so shall he be able to iudge how faythfully you haue dealt therin Chrysostome sayth that Paule doth not call it a participation but a communion bicause he would by that worde signifie a greater matter then he could by the other and shewe that the things vsed in the communion doe verie much agrée with those that doe cōmunicate As though he should haue sayde it is a greater matter to communicate with Christ and christians then only to be partaker of those creatures which be vsed in communicating For such as doe communicate with Christ and christians are become members of that body wherof Christ is the head and doe receyue from Christ spirituall lyfe strength and comfort as naturall partes of a naturall body doe receyue naturall lyfe strength and comfort from their naturall head And such as doe communicate with Christians are coupled togither in the felowship of members of one body not onely with these christians that are nowe lyuing but with those that haue bene before and those that shall be after also And the creatures bread and wine doe serue verie well to signifie this communion both with Christ and christians And therefore Paule would vse the worde Communion rather then participation And that this is Chrysostomes meaning in that place is playne by the wordes that folow and I haue set downe in wryting Non enim participatione c. For we doe not communicate c. Where in the last sensence he sayth Euen as that body meaning the Church that communicateth in vnitie is vnited vnto Christ so are we that be members of that body or Church ioyned togither in vnion by the vse of this sacramentall bread And here is another thing that maketh verie well for your purpose M. Watson Chrysostome sayth Per hunc Panem By this bread The matter or substaunce that he speaketh of Chrysostome is no man for Watson doth he call bread but you and your sort will none of that Wherefore Chrysostome is no man for you But Cyrillus must helpe out with this matter Cyrillus li. 12. Capit. 32. He sayth say you that Gods sonne going into euery man as it were by deuision of himselfe yet remaineth whole c. But hauing little cause to trust your report I will cite his wordes as he wrote them He sayth thus In singulos enim partibiliter transiens vnigenitus animam atque corpus eorum per carnem suam sanctificans impartibiliter atque integrè in omnibus est cùm vnus vbique sit nullo modo diuisus For the onely begotten sonne passing into euerye one particularly and sanctifying both their soules and bodies through his owne fleshe is after an impartible maner wholy in euery one seing that he being but one is in euery place and is by no meanes deuided If there were nothing else to be gathered of the circumstaunce of this place the verie wordes are open ynough to declare the meaning of the writer to be farre other then you would haue it séeme to be For he sayth Cùm vnus vbique sit nullo modo diuisus Seing he being but one is in euery place and not deuided by any meanes By which wordes it is manifest Christes manhoode can be but in one place at once that he speaketh there of the deuine nature of our Sauiour Christ which is present in euery place and absent in none But his bodily presence neither is nor can be in many places at once as S. Austen teacheth wryting to Dardanus But besides this the words that go immediatly before doe shew that Cyrill maketh this a mistical signification of that which was done by the souldiours at the passion of Christ when they did cast lots for the coate of his that was without seame And he sayth Nam quatuor orbis partes ad salutem reductae indumentum verbi id est carnem eius impartibiliter inter se partitisunt In singulos enim c. For the foure partes of the worlde being brought to saluation did after an inpartible maner deuide among themselues the garment of the sonne of God that is his fleshe For the onely begotten sonne c. By which wordes it is playne that Cyrill meaneth of that partaking of the fleshe of Christ which is amongst the faythfull by
fayth By which fayth we are made one misticall body in Christ and be by him indued with one holye spirite and be vnto him as dearely beloued as his owne members fleshe and bones Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. And yet once agayne Chrysostome must helpe to expounde the wordes of Paule His wordes be these say you Quid enim appello inquit communionem c. What meaneth saint Paule c. As for the fault that your printer hath made I haue amended without any more to doe as in many other places of your printed sermons I haue done but your owne subtile dealing in the translation I may not passe ouer so A man that had ment vprightly would haue translated the wordes of Chrysostome thus What doe I call communion sayth Paule We all are one and the selfe same body And what is the bread The body of Christ And what are they made that doe receyue the body of Christ Not many but one body Nowe what helpeth this to prooue your purpose That is that our knitting togither into one body is the effect of the sacrament The Communion that is to say the action of the institution of Christ in breaking of sacramentall bread doth teach that we which be partakers thereof be all one and the selfe same body and bicause we be so therefore we doe frequent and vse that action We are not therefore made one body by this doing but being so before by fayth that worketh by loue we doe by frequenting that mysterie shewe our selues so to be And the bread is the body of Christ Not as you would haue vs beléeue that it is but sacramentally The effect of sacraments And by the common rule of sacraments it hath the name of that thing whereof it is a sacrament and is called the body of Christ such as doe receyue this body of Christ are made one body and not many Not bicause they were not one body before they did receyue that sacrament but bicause they be thereby made knowne to be one body For if the receyuing of the sacrament should make them such then should it folow that as often as they receiue that sacrament they should afreshe be made one body which can be done but once And that is when being elected in Christ from the beginning they be in time moued by Gods holy spirite to beléeue in hart and confesse with mouth that Iesus Christ the sonne of God hath dyed for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our righteousnesse and receyue or doe consent to receyue or be méete to receyue the sacrament of Initiation the God hath appointed which was in the time of Moses law circumcision and is now baptisme in water Thus are we first made and shewed to be members all of one body and by the vse of the other sacrament oftentimes shewed to be the same The businesse that you make about the other wordes of saint Paule that is to say Vnus panis vnum corpus c. One bread one body c. might verie well haue bene spared For when Saint Paule sayth Omnes enim de vno pane participamus We doe all take parte of one loafe of bread he meaneth not to streatch the vniuersall signe All to all the members of the vniuersall Church of Christ A note for vniuersall signes as you would beare vs in hande that he doth but to all the members of euery particuler Church when they come togither to communicate and thereby to shew themselues mémbers of one body And the this is his meaning may well appéere by that he saith thus to the Corinthians Videte Israel secundum carnem c. Consider Israell after the fleshe Are not all they partakers of the aultar that doe eate of the sacrifices Paules purpose in these wordes is to open his meaning in the other It must néedes follow therefore that he meaneth of particuler congregations and not of the vniuersall Church as you would fayne haue him to meane you haue therefore made more a doe then néeded Let vs nowe sée what helpe you finde at the hande of saint Cyprian Cyprian De Caena Domi. He sayth Aequa omnibus portio datur c. Equall portion is giuen to al. c. According to your custome you doe here also leaue out those words the might giue light to the writers meaning I will therefore set them in wryting as they stande in the Sermon that you cite Iam nulla fit panis mutatio vnus est panis caloris continui status integri qui semel oblatus Deo in sapore dulcissimo candore purissimo perseuerat Nec solos sacerdotes ad panis huius dignitatis leuiticae praerogatiua admittit vniuersa Ecclesia ad has epulas inuitatur aequa omnibus portio datur c. As you haue cyted Nowe sayth Cyprian there is no chaunging of the bread there is one loafe of bread which hath in it a continuall heate and is of sound state which being once offered to God doth still remayne in most pleasaunt or swéete taste and pure whytenesse Neyther doth the prerogatiue of this leuiticall dignitie admit priestes onely to eate of the loaues the vniuersall Church is inuited or bidden to this feast Equall or like portion is giuen to euery one It is delyuered whole and being distributed it is not torne in péeces It is incorporated and not iniuried It is receyued and not included Dwelling among the weake it is not made weake neyther doth it disdaine the ministerie of the poore A pure fayth a sincere minde doe delight this tenaunt Neyther doth the narrownesse of oure poore house offend or pincht in the greatnesse of the vnmeasurable and almightie God If you had cyted all these words Cyprians meaning would haue bene somewhat more playne to such hearers as had not bene altogither blinded with affection to that doctrine that you laboured to maintayne It is manifest that Cyprian doth here speake of Christ which is that bread which came from heauen and was figured by the Manna that fell from heauen in the wyldernesse and by the shewe breads that were by the law appointed to be set before the Arcke in the Tabernacle and to bée chaunged euery day whereof none might eate but onely those Priestes that were of the leuiticall lyne But this bread Iesus Christ being once offered remayneth for euer And all the whole Church of Christ is called to come féede vpon this bread Euerie man that wyth pure fayth and sincere minde commeth to féede vpon him shall receyue him whole And though he be by fayth eaten of all yet is he not neyther can he be consumed nor torne in péeces Yea a little before those wordes that I haue written Cyprian sayth Vna est domus Ecclesiae in qua Agnus editur nullus ei communicat quem Israelitici nominis generositas non commendat It is the onely house of the Church wherein the Lambe is eaten none is made partaker thereof whome the nobilitie