de illo cuius nostis sacrisicium Ther were before the sacrifices of the Iewes after the ordre of Aaron in the offringe of beastes and that in mysterie The Sacrifice of the body and blood Sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys nowe diffused troughout the worlde of our Lorde the whiche the faithfull and they that haue red the gospell knowe was not yet Whiche Sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the woorlde Sette before your eyes therfor the twoo sacrifices both that after the order of Aarō and this after the ordre of Melchisedech For yt ys written The Lord hathe sworne and yt shall not repent him Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Of whom ys yt saied Thowe arte a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Of our Lorde Iesus Chryste who was this Melchisedech King of Salem Salem was before time that same Cittie which as the learned haue declared was afterwarde called Hierusalem Therfor before the Iewes reigned ther the preist Melchisedech who ys written in Genesis the preist of the high God was ther. He mett with Abraham when he had deliuered Loth from the hand of them that did persecute him and he ouerthrewe them of whom he was holden and deliuered his brother And after the deliuerance of his brother Melchisedech mette him So great a man was Melchisedech of whō Abrahā was blessed he brought furth bread and wine and blessed Abrahā and Abraham gaue him tithes Beholde what he brought and whom he blessed And yt ys saied afterwarde Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Dauid spake this in spirit long after Abraham Melchisedech was in the time of Abraham Of whom in an other place saieth he Thowe arte a preist For euer after the ordre of Melchisedech But of him whose sacrisice ye knowe Thus farre saincte Augustine Ye haue here heard the distinction of the two orders of preisthead of Aaron and of Melchisedech Ye haue heard also the distinction of the two sacrifices the one according to the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchisedech What this sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys sainct Augustin hathe declared wher he saied The sacrifice of the bodie and Sacrifice auouched blood of our Lorde was not yet whiche sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the worlde What he meeneth when he saieth as yet the sacrifice of the bodie and bloode of our Lord was not and also whether this sacrifice be after the ordre of Melchisedech in a breif sentence of fewe woordes he doth verie plainlie in an other place open and declare Sublatum est sacrificium Aaron caepit esse sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech The sacrifice of Aaron was taken awaie And the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedcch beganne By the which sentence yt ys manifest that while the sacrifice of Aarō endured this sacrifice was not vsed But whē that was taken awaie this sacrifice began Likewise he hath taught also that the sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryste ys the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech For wher before Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacr. ys after the order of Melchisedech he saied that the bodie and blood of our Lord was not yet And nowe he saieth that the sacrifice of Melchisedech began when Aarons sacrifice was taken awaie What doth he ells fignifie but that they be all one thing that ys that the bodie and blood of Chryste be the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech And so conuertiblie that the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys the bodie and blood of Chryste Which bodie and bloode be no wher ells offred in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech but in the sacrifice of the Altar wher bread and wine be turned into the same bodie and bloode For the bodie of Chryste vpon the crosse was a bloodie sacrifice perfected with bloodshedding after the maner of Aarō Therfore the holie sacrifice of the Altar which as sainct Austen saieth ys nowe diffused and spredde through all the world ys the verie bodie and blood of Chryste Although this that ys alleaged oute of sainct Augustin ys so plain that the Aduersaries can not but see the trueth and so strong that they can not against saie yt Yet that they maie see all this that ys spoken confirmed and made more plain and that so being confownded by the euident trueth they maie geue ouer their erroure and yelde vnto trueth we will heare the sentence of the same saincte Augustine treating of this same matter in an other place Thus yt ys Coram regno patris sui mutauit vultum suum dimisit eum et abijt quia erat ibi sacrificium secundùm ordinem Aaron et postea ipse corpore et sanguine suo instituit sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Mutauit ergo vultum suum in In Psalm 33. Cōcion 3. sacerdotio et dimisit gentem Iudaeorum et venit ad gentes Before the kingdom of his Father he hath chaunged his cowntennce and lefte him and went awaie bicause ther was ther the sacrifice after the ordre of Aaron And after ward of his bodie and blood he instituted the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech He chaūged therfor his contenaunce in preisthead and left the people of the Iewes and came to the Gentiles Thus sainct Augustin Dooye marke what ys here saied Yf ye doo ye must nedes vnderstand yt yt ys so plain For what can be more breiflie and more plainlie saied then that Chryste did institute a sacrifice of his bodie and blood after the ordre of Melchisedech By this breif sentence manie thinges be aunswered First where the Aduersaries most slaunderouslie haue saied to bring the thing in hatred emongethe people that the Pope made the holie Sacrament a sacrifice to obscure the glorie of Chryste and to diminish the woorthinesse and merit of Chrystes sacrifices vpon the crosse and therwithall to bring the people into beleiff that the Sacrifice of Chryste vpon the crosse was not sufficient withoute this And that without authoritie as this Proclamer saieth we offer vppe Chryst vnto his Father And thus with a nombre of like lies The Pope and the Papistes were made Authours and founders of this sacrifice Not the Pope nor the Papistes made the sacrament a sacrifice but Chryst himself after S. Augustin But basshe and be ashamed thowe slaunderouse mā thowe Enemie of the trueth and open thine eies to see and thine eares to heare what saincte Augustine that holie Father and learned doctour here teacheth that ys that Chryste did of his owne bodie and blood institute a sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech So that Chryst euen by this bolie Fathers testimonie ys the institutour and founder of this blessed Sacrifice and not the Pope neither the papistes as thowe termest them But they be the humble receauers of this same institucion of
a swete sauoure to God were not the sacrifices of the olde lawe soche Doth not Moises from Gods mouth so terme them Yt can not be denied but the scripture doth so call them But as Chryste saieth Nemo bonus nisi solus Deus Ther ys no man good but God alone And yet again he saieth Bonus homo de bono thesauro prosert bona The good Man oute of good treasure bringeth Luc. 18. Matth. 12 God good by nature man by participacion furth good thinges So though God alone of him self and of his diuine nature be onlie good yet men be good also not of them selues nor of their owne natures but by participacion of the goonesse of God So ther ys one sacrifice whiche onely ys pure for that yt ys pure of yt self whiche sacrifice ys the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Iesus Chryst Other sacrifices that be called pure and clensing sacrifices they be so called by participacion that they doo please God and purifie men by the vertue and merite of that pure Sacrifice Iesus Chryst who ys the lambe that was slain from the beginning of the worlde geuing vertue to all sacrifices that were yet offred from the beginninge of the worlde And therfore when the Prophett putteth Apoc 13. this difference to this sacrifice that shall succead the sacrifices of the Iewes that yt shall be a pure sacrifice Yf yt were pure but by vertue of other as the sacrifices of the Iewes were then were this woorde pure no woorde of difference but raither a superfluouse woorde making no distinction betwen the two sortes of sacrifices But for so moche as the Prophet hath put yt as a difference seing the other were pure by vertue of other this must nedes be the sacrifice that ys pure of yt self whiche as ys before said ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst Neither maie this nowe be drawen to that most blessed Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst vpon the Crosse For that Sacrifice in that maner was offred in one place onelie that was vpon the mounte Caluarie But this Sacrifice saieth God by the Prophet ys offred in euery place Wherfore of necessitie this must be vnderstanded of the pure Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood offred on the Altar which ys offred not in Hierusalem not on Sacrifice of the crosse and of the altar al one in substāce but diuerse in maner Caluery but in euery place where Chryst ys knowē and receaued Whiche sacrifice although in maner of offring yt differeth from that offred vpon the Crosse yet in substance yt ys all one Nowe ye maie perceaue that the expositions of the stāderd bearers of the wicked armie of the enemies of gods trueth ys but a violēt or a wrested exposition and will not be born of the text THE FOVRE AND THIRTITH CHAP. EXPOwndeth the Prophecie of Malachie by Martialis and Irenaeus THat the Aduersaries shall not saie that I am iudge in mine owne cause although I am certen that I builde vpon the rocke Yet to the better contentacion of the Reader and more manifest confutacion of these Aduersaries I will reporte the Iugement of the right auncient Elders of Chrystes Parliamēt house as touching the enacted trueth of this matter by their owne woordes Sanctus Martialis a great auncient in Chrystes house as being one of Chrystes disciples and after the death of his and our master almost continuallie in the Companie of the Apostle Peter ys a notable wittnesse of this trueth and wourthie to be credited This holie man maketh menciō of this prophecie of Malachie after this maner S. Martialis Martyr epist. ad Burdegalē cap. 3. Sacrificium Deo creatori offertur in ara non homini neque Angelo Nec solùm in ara sanctificata sed vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut restatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aternam offerimus dicentes Spiritus est Deus eos qui adorant eū in spiritu veritate oportet adorare Ipse enim corpus habens immaculatum sine peccato quia conceptus est de Spiritu sancto natus ex Maria virgine ipsum in ara crucis permisit immolari Quod autem Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam The sacrifice ys Chrystes bodie and blood ys offred euerie wher a pure oblacion to euerlasting life offred vnto God our creatour on the altar not vnto men nor vnto Angell nor onelie on halowed altar but euery wher ys offred to God a pure oblacion as he hath wittnessed whose bodie and blood we offer to euerlasting life sainge God ys a spirit and they that adore him must adore him in spiritte and trueth For he hauing an immaculate bodie and withoute Sinne for he was conceaued by the holie Gost born of the virgen Mary he suffred that same bodie to be sacrificed on the altar of the Crosse And that that the Iewes did sacrifice by enuie thinking to abolishe hys name from the earthe we for cause of our health doo sett furth in the sanctified altar knowing that by this onelie remedie life ys to be geuen and death to be driuen awaie Thus moche this holie Martyr Martialis What a notable sentence ys this Do ye not see that he maketh mencion of the saing of the Prophet Malachie saing Euery wher ys offred the pure oblacion or sacrifice And perceaue ye not that immediately he saieth that we offer the bodie and blood of Chryst vnto euerlasting life And that this his mening should not be wrested nor mystaken he declareth what bodie of Chryst we offer and what bodie we offre in what place and to what effect wher The bodie of Chryste whiche we doo offer ys that bodie that the Iewes offred by enuie The place that we offer yt on ys the halowed altar The effecte that the Iewes sought by the offring of Chrystes bodie was to take life from him and therby to abolish his name from the earth The effect that we chrystians seke by the sacrificing of his bodie on the altar ys to magnifie hys name and by that sacrifice as by the only remedye to gett vs life and to driue awaie death Note well that this holie Martyr and auncient Father teacheth that pure doctrine that the primitiue church of the Apostles did professe and teache And iudge yf the church that nowe ys which the Aduersaries haue so vilely reuiled and so maliciously railed on hath taught anie other doctrine then this holie disciple of Chryste hath taught The Churche hath taught and doth nowe teache that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament of the altar reallie This holie man teacheth that the same whiche the Iewes crucified we sett furth vpon the holowed altar The Iewes crucified the reall bodie of Chryste Wherfore we sett
So that in this maner of speache Chryst did but answer the opinion of the Iewes and therfore did not assertiuelie saie that Iohn was Helias but Chryst did not assertiuelie saie that Iohn was Helias with a circumstance yf ye will receaue yt whiche thing also ys noted of Chrysostome Significauit autem Ioannem Heliam esse Heliam Ioannem Vtrique enim vnam administrationem susceperunt praecursores ambo constituti sunt ▪ Quare non dixit hic est profectò Helias sed si vultis suscipere hie est He signified Iohn to be Helias and Helias Iohn For bothe they haue taken one administracion and both be made percursours Wherfor he did not saie this ys verilie Helias But yf ye will so take yt this ys he Thus Chrysost Neither ys yt the propre sense or vnderstanding of this proposition that Iohn ys a figure of Helias or Iohn ys a signe or token of Helias as by this he wolde proue the other saing of Chryst This ys my bodie to be vnderstanded for that this ys spoken with a circumstance and as yt were with a condicion and not simplie as Chryst saied This ys my bodie Now to applie all these other scriptures which Oecolampadius hath brought in Marke diligētlie I beseche thee good Reader yf anie of them all be of like speach as these woordes This ys my bodie The scripture saieth not The doue ys the holie Goste neither dothe yt saie that either the breathing into the Apostles or the fierie tounges be the holie Gost But farre otherwise as ys allreadie saied and farre vnlike to this maner of speache Thys ys my bodie For the one ys spoken by a liklihead and therfore vsed with this terme as the other by the very substance and therfore expressed with this woorde ys And yet withall note howe yt pleaseth God that as he made Balaams Asse Occolāp likned to balaams asse to speake to the reproche of her master so yt pleaseth him to woorke in this man who through malice made dumbe to speake the trueth willinglie but yet vnwittinglie hath broughtin these scriptures whiche being considered and weighed make nothing against the trueth but moche for the trueth And first wher he began his building with our text Petra erat Christus The rocke was Chryst whiche he saied was a figuratiue speache yt ys proued that ther ys none but a plain speache for the spirituall rocke was Chryste Therfore yt standeth well to be applied to the catholique trueth that as the rocke was not figuratiuelie but verilie Chryst so the substance of the Sacrament of the aultar ys not figuratiuely but verilie the bodie of Chryst And as the holie Gost was verilie vnder a corporall forme like a doue and verilie present with the fierie tounges and also verilie geuen to the Apostles with the breathing of Chryste so ys the bodie of Chryst verilie and trulie vnder the corporall formes of bread and wine Presence of the holie Gost vnder the forme of the doue with the fierie tounges and breath of Chryst conferred with the presēce of Chryst in the Sacr. as the holie Goste vnder the forme of a doue and verily also geuen to the faithfull as the holie Goste to the multitude And vnder that corporall forme as trulie receaued of the Chrystians as the holy Gost was by the breathing of Chryst receaued of the Apostles So that ther ys a conformitie and great likelihead betwixt these scriptures and moueth the Chrystian very stronglie to beleue the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament For as we are taught to beleue that the holie Goste was vnder a corporall forme bicause the scripture saieth that the holy Gost descended in a corporall forme so are we taught to beleue that Chrystes bodie ys vnder the forme of bread bicause the scripture saieth that Chryst blessing the bread saied Thys ys my bodie and so of the rest And as the scripture saieth not that the doue or the tounges were the holie Goste No more dothe yt saie that the forme of bread ys the bodie of Chryst But as the scripture teacheth that with these formes the verie thinges be geuen and not the bare signes onelie so are we taught that with the the forme of bread ys geuen the very thinge sanctified whiche ys the verie bodie of Chryst himself sainge Take eate This ys my bodie Thus maie ye perceaue howe goodlie God hath sett furth hys mysteries that one maie aptlie be conferred with an other as that therby the faith of the weake maie be moche holpen and the faith of the strong moche comforted and delighted and the more when they maie see howe God turneth the weapons of the enemies vpon them selues and so withe their weapons defendeth vs. THE FOVRTH CHAP. BEGINNETH TO DEclare by the holie fathers of what thinges Manna and the water be figures NOwe this text of S. Paule being truly expownded according to the mindes of the holie catholique fathers and deliuered from the violent wresting of the Aduersarie yt ys time and place conuenient that we seke of what things these two yet not applied that ys Manna and the water be figures of That they be figures yt ys most certen but of what thinges yt ys in controuersie The Aduersarie affirmeth Manna to be onely of the woorde of God a figure as wherby the soule of man ys fedde as the Iewes were in desert But the good catholique teacheth that yt ys not onely a figure of the woorde of God but also of the bodie of Chryste in the Sacrament wherwith man ys fedde to euerlasting life and made strong to walke through the desert of this worlde to the heauenlie lande of promisse And for further openinge of this matter vnderstand that one Irenaeus wrote an epistle to S. Ambrose asking whie God did not rain Manna from heauen as he did to the Iewes S. Ambrose answering him treacteth not onelie of Māna yt self but also of that whiche was figured by yt And so in that processe declareth that not onelie Ad Jrenaeum epla 62 the worde of God ys a spiritual Māna but also the bodie of Chryst in the Sament ys Manna Thus writeth S. Ambrose Quaeris à me cur Dominus Deus Mannapluerit populo patrum nunc non pluat Si cognoscis pluit quotidiè pluit de coelo Manna seruientibus sibi Et corporeum quidem illud Manna hodie plerisque in locis Quāto praestantiora sunt haec superioribus iuuenitur Sed nunc non est res tanti miraculi quia venit quod perfectum est Perfectum autem panis de coelo corpus ex virgine de quo satis Euangelium te docet Quanto praestātiorà sunt haec superioribus Illud enim Manna hoc est panem illum qui manducauerunt mortui sunt Hunc autem panem qui manducauerit viuet in aeternum sed est spirituale Manna hoc est plumia spiritualis sapientiae quae ingeniosis quaerentibus de coelo
holie scripturs he reprehended them imagining cōtradictiōs in thē he reputed thē saith Niceph. as things of naugh to yowe contēne the learned cōmentaries ād writings of the Saincts of God vpō the scripturs ād matters incidēt ād apperteining to the scripturs with skoffes yowe trauail to reprehēd their graue authoritie ād godlie writings Yowe plaie and dallie with them before the people like a ioung Porphirie as though they were things of naught Thus yow maie see as all that be wise and staied by Gods grace doo see howe fullie herin yowe bear the image and iustlie folowe the steppes of him that fiercelie as yowe doe persecuted with deadlie hatred the church and religion of Chryste Your third offence ys yet worse and more heinouse wher yowe haue vttered so manie vntrueths and lies euen aduersus Dominū aduersus Christū eius against our Lord ād against his Chryste against his holie gospell and against his holie woord Ys yowr matter soch M Iuell as yt can not be mainteined without lies and as the holie man Iob saied Nunquid Deus indiget vestro mendacio Hath God nede of your lies No so litle nede hath he of lies that he will destroie al thē that speak lies as the psalmist saieth But that I seē not to charg yowe without proof as yowe do other ys not one of your chalenging articles against the presence of Chrysts bodie and blood in the blessed Sacr ys not the doctrine yowe teach and preache in that poinct directlie contrarie to the doctrine of our Sauiour Chryst Whē he saieth This ys my bodie This ys my blood and yowe auouche and teache that yt ys verie bread and verie wine ys not this a contrarie doctrine to his ys yt not plain against his manifest woorde ys yt not in effect to charge him with vntrueth though yowe daie not yet in flat woordes saie that he lied The craftie sleight yowe vse in handling the scripture wher the trueth of Chrysts doctrin doeth appeare ād your wielie suppressiō of those woords which cheiflie declare the same trueth ād opē yowr vntrueth doe wel proue youre wicked meening to be none other For taking the woords of S. Paule for the theme of your sermō yowe produced thē truncatedlie and passed thē with moch sleight Thus yowe vtter thē I haue receaued of the Lord that thing which also I deliuered vnto yow that ys that the lord Iesus in the night that he was betraied took bread ād ther yowe end Wher although yowe pretēted to teach the first instituciō of the Sacr. yet either of malice to suppresse Christs trueth or for feare to disclose your own vntrueth you wold not or durst not reherse the verie words of the instituciō which I wish al mē to note but both in the latin ād inglish as your faith staeth in bread and as yow wold the faith of your audiēce should do the like your theme ended in bread in so moch as whē yowe come to your last matter to speak of priuate Masse as yow tearm yt though falselie for ther ys none soch and to proue yowr Cōmuniō beginne again to repete the woords of the instituciō Lord what shift yowe make to suppresse the words of Chryst This ys my bodie This ys my blood in the which lieth al the effect of his instituciō These woords yowe flie as frō a serpēt yowe cā not abide the sownd of thē ād therfor with shamful craft yowe passe thē saing thus Chryst in the last supper ordeined a Cōmuniō ād shewed no maner token of priuate Masse as maie plainlie appeare both by the woordes that he spake and also by the order of his doings For be tooke the bread brake yt deuided yt ād gaue yt to his Disciples and saied Drinke ye all herof These be yowr own woords Yowe pretēded to proue your matter by Chrysts woords ād order but whē yowe come to the verie point yowe do not as moch as touch his woords but skippe ouer thē so well maie your prof appeare bi thē ād so loath are yowe to vtter Christ words that his trueth might appear ād your falshead be disclosed Against your first offēce which ys your abuse of the doctours in mutilating their saings as yow doo Anacletus in falsifieng their meening as yow do Tertullian and S. Cyprian in craftie alleaging two or three woordes that apparantlie maie seem to make for yowe leauing oute the rest that mightilie maketh against yowe as yowe doe sainct Augustine in corrupting authours by putting woordes to their saings which they haue not as yowe doe with Leo wherbie euidentlie appeareth yowr contēpt of their autoritie whom by so manie means yowe labour to abuse to shadowe and hide the trueth by them so clerelie settfurth I come in right vse reuerentlie alleaging them whollie and fullie producing them truelie reporting them and their mening iustlie letting euerie of them plainlie to testifie that whiche he hath written and causing euerie one to speake his owne woordes without corruption And that yowe maie perceaue that the catholique Churche ys strong against the whiche the gates of hell the power of heresie shall not preuaill knowe yowe that yt ys Terribilis castorum acies ordinata a terrible fortresse in most goodlie order appoincted Oute of the which fortresse in goodlie order ys comed a great nombre against yowe marching by cooples eche coople to shewe the vnitie of trueth and faith professed in bothe Churches being one of the greke church and other of the latine churche and the seniours for the most part placed in the forewarde These haue I brought furth not one alone and by piece meale so to rume awaie with the matter as yowe doo but in good nombres and with their full saings and the same doo I oftentimes conferr together that the full and perfect cleernesse of the trueth in ther consonant sentences maie appear and shine to all that list to looke therat and be disposed to knowe the trueth Against yowr second offence which ys the mocking of holie writers and Saincts wherbie yowe seke to dishonour and deface bothe them and the religion they professed I come with due reuerence and honour of them whō I knowe by Chrysts promesse to be honourable before the Father in heauen for their constant confession of his holie name whilest they liued here vpon earth Wherfor as being vpon the earth they were not gests and straungers but the felowes of Saincts and of the house of God I tearme them as senatours of the Parliament house of Chryste as knowing the enacted and receaued trueth of the matters of faith perteining to that house For this cause I regard all their writings which the catholique Churche hath allowed considering that the same Churche that hath taught me that the gospell that ys the verie woorde of God written by the mocion and instruction of his holie Spirit hath taught me that these mens wiritings vpon the same are good and commendable And as with S. Augustine
allowed him in the matter of Baptisme notwithstanding his holinesse they haue refused him To be short Epiphanius and S. Augustine wrote bookes of the heresies of them that were before and in their times and although manie besides the fore mēcioned had spoken so plainlie of the blessed Sacr. that they cleerly cōfessed the presence of Chrysts bodie in the same as Martialis Ignatius Iustinus Tertullianus Hilarius and manie other yet be none of all these nor none other for that doctrine nōbred ther amōg heretiques which vndoubtedlie they should haue ben if the matter had so deserued But trulie yt was neuer yet red in anie god writer nor somoche as dreamed that the cōfessiō of the presēce of Chryste in the bless Sacramēt ys heresie or errour Nowe as touching histories witnessing the wicked beginning the miserable progresse and open end and confusion of heresies yt were superfluouse for me to write sith ther hath ben no notable heresie or heretique which are not recorded either by Eusebius Teodoret Sozomenus Nicephorus Aeneus Siluius and soche other whose bookes be dailie in mens hands By whom when your Sacramētaries heresie begā we knowe howe lōg yt continued openlie we knowe who withstood yt and wrote against yt we knowe in howe manie Councells yt hath be cōdemned we knowe Furder who haue renewed the same in these later daies we knowe when and howe Luther reigned we knowe howe Oecolampadius folowed though an other waie we knowe howe Caluine hath cōtroled both catholiques and heretiques we knowe what the doings of these and their complices haue ben and be we knowe and that they haue ben and be condēned for heretiques we know To be short ther hath ben no notable alteracion or molestacion in religion by heresie but yt ys committed to memorie in histories Yf thē your doctrine and faith your religion and profession your notable Cōmunion or raither confusiō were once good and catholique yt can not be but of so great an alteracion as to make catholique faith damnable heresie or holie cōmunion wicked diuisiō ther must be some notable mencion in histories or some auncient monimēt in writing to declare yt Yf yowe haue anie soche bring them furth and thē yowe shall doo fōwhat to allure wise men vnto yowe For in this poinct I hold him nothing wise that will repute either your doctrine faith religion or communion to be good and catholique vntill yowe shewe good testimonies and presidents of the catholique vse of them which I am certen yowe can neuer doo As for soche euidences as your self nowe and your auncetours heretofore haue picked oute of the right and true euidences of the catholique Churche I meen the holie scripturs Councells doctours and approued histories and with great boldnesse haue shewed thē to the world and auouched them to be yours and to assure your cause they are allreadie well knowē ād tried not to be yours in dede but to make all for the catholique faith and religiō and mightilie against your singular phāsies and to ouer throw your wicked heresies when they be plainlie opened and deliuered frō your craftie corruptions as they haue ben by sondrie and manie famouse learned men as well in this age as before our time And I to my power haue in this booke for soche matters as I hādle detected your forgerie and corrupting of the euidences therto appertening by your wresting glosing cutting peicing diminishing adding and other wise falsifieng the right cleer wholl perfect godlie and true testimonies of the scripturs Councells ād aunciēt doctours And soch as be so flatte against your cause as yowe can haue no aide of them but be forced therfor either to depraue their authoritie with mocking and skorning or flatlie to denie their workes they are defended and holdē in their woorthie estimacions and their denied works restored to the right authours The first therfor that ys the scripturs Coūcells and aunciēt doctours yowe can no more abuse for shame and chaleng to be on your side whē being sifted frō your sleights and clered frō your falshead all mē maie perceaue thē not to be your right euidēce making as thei do so plainlie against yowe ād mightilie ouerthrowing your cause The other that ys the later learned writers and holie fathers yow maie no lōger contemne being proued to agree as they doe with their elders and approued as they be of the church to be catholique and holie writers your skoffesand mocks against them will stand for no reason before wise men Nowe yowe vnderstand M. Iuell what I haue here doen to the whiche yf either yowe or anie other for yowe shall by railing Rethorike make a pretensed answer I do yowe to witte that I will not vouchsafe to putt my penne to the papire for that kinde of answer For I haue begonne with yowe in an other sort and like a diuine railing I haue left to ruffins and skoldes and coolours of persuasions to rethoricians directlie according to my profession with all plain trueth haue I proceaded Yf answere therfor shall be made let yt be either a direct answere or none Direct answer ys soche as I make to yow where yowe abuse the vnderstāding of the scripture or doctour to proue the same vnto yowe where yowe falsilie to alleage the place truely where yowe corrupt to shewe the right saing when yowe adde and put to to declare what yowe adde and put to whē yowe leaue oute to expresse the woordes so by yowe left oute And finallie by full plain and expresse testimonie of scripturs Councells or doctours as the condiciō of the matter requireth to open and declare the trueth and by like authoritie to proue and cōfirme the same Thus haue I doē to yowe in plētifull maner in euery matter here by me handled so that the trueth of euerie thing ys so fullie opened and by good authoritie so confirmed that I trust euerie man that will see maie see and euerie man that will vnderstand maie vnderstand where the weight of the trueth ys Read therfor M. Iuell and diuorcing your self frō vainglorie to the which ye haue hen a lōg time maried let your vnderstāding be captiuated vnto the seruice of Chryste Let not your vain estimaciō in errour and heresie detein yowe to come to the honorable estimacion that ys gotten in the professing of Gods trueth Let yt not be saied of yowe as the holie father and Pope Leo saied of Eutiches Noluit intelligere vt bene ageret Iniquitatē meditatus est in cubili suo My good will was that this mi doing should haue bē in your hāds a lōg timeer this for yt was finished full three years past but sicknesse pouertie and lacke of oportunitie to printe yt haue thus long staied yt But sith nowe at the last yt ys by Gods helpe comed abroad I heseche him of his great goodnesse to graūt that it maie be to his honour ād to the helpe of his people ād that it maie be a medicine of health to yow ād
who I doubte not will so well and clerely open to vs the trueth of that matter that we seke that except we will not see we shall perceaue yt The holie spirit of God geue vs the gifte of vnderstanding and an humble and docible heart to receaue and embrace his trueth THE NINGHT CHAPITER DECLARING that oure redemption was prenunciated by promisses figures and prophecies and what the promisses be and to whome they were made ALmightie God beholding the miserable ruine of man and mercifullie entending the repaire of the same by his prouident wisdome Sap. 8. quae disponit omnia suauiter which disposeth all thinges louinglie according to his foreknowledge whiche was from euer declared vnto man the mean howe by whom and when hys laps or fall shoulde be restored assuring hym of hys redemption euen by the woorde of hys owne mouthe that wher man through hys fall had experience of the sore burden of Gods iustice he might also haue a taste and hope of his mercie and beholdinge the goodlie contēperament of bothe in God might frame also in him self a right temperature of feare and loue fearing for iustice and louing for mercie and therby in good ordre of spirituall melodie yoifullie finge with the Prophete Dauid Misericordiam et iudicui cantabo tibi Domine Mercie and iudgement will I sing to thee o Lord. Psal 102. For Misericors Dominus et iustus Oure Lord ys mercifull and righteouse Thus I saie Man hauing in practise that God ys a God of iustice lest he Assurāce of mercie promised to man before full sentence of iustice was pronounced shoulde be ouerwhelmed and depressed with desperacion for lacke of mercie Before the ful sentence of Gods iustice was pronoūced assurāce of mercie was made that mā being nowe pressed with the one should be releiued with the other Inimicitias ponam inter te et inter mulierem et semē tuū semē illius ipsa conteret caput tuum I will put enemitie said allmightie God to the Serpēt betwen thee and the woman betwen thie seed and her seed the same shal tread downe thine head By the whiche woordes assuredlie our first Parentes conceaued a firme hope of a Messias of a Redemer and of a Sauiour to come of the seed of a woman that as the Enemie the Deuell had craftelie supplāted and therbie ouerthrowē mā So he by noble victorie wrought on the crosse and accepted and approued by the iustice of God shoulde debel the enemie the deuell and take the spoill from him whiche was mankinde And as our righteouse and neuer the lesse our mercifull Lord God had signified this gladde tidinges of Redēption to oure first Parentes that they might vnderstand the mercie of God and therby conceaue and haue hope and comforth Euen so likewise did he to our Fathers the holie Patriarkes and other our elders notifie the same by diuerse means as by promisses figures and prophecies Of the whiche three I shall by Gods helpe seuerallie speake And first as the order leadeth I will treacte of promisses To our Father Abraham God declared the gladde tidinges of our Redemption by promisse saing thus In semine tuo benedicentur omnes nationes terrae Gen. 22. In thy seede shall all the nacions of the earth be blessed Who was this seede by whom al nacions shoulde be blessed and howe they shoulde atteign Promisse made to Abrahā vnto yt saincte Paule to the Galathians by the teaching of the holie Goste declareth saiēg To Abrahā and his seed were the promisses made He saieth not in thie seedes as to manie but yn thy seed as of one which ys Christe As saincte Paule here by the instruction of the holie Goste expowndeth this promisse to be made of Christe So doubte ye not but the same holie Galat. 3. Spiritie had breathed the like breath into the holie Patriarke Abrahā wherbie he vnderstood that Christ after the flesh shoulde descend from him and that this blessing shoulde by him happen to all nacions For all nacions shall atteign to this blessing that beleue with faithful Abraham as saincte Paule declareth in the same chapiter The scripture saieth he seing before hand that God wolde iustifie the heathen through faithe shewed before hande glad tidinges to Ahraham saing In thee shall all nacions be blessed So Ibid. 3. then they whiche be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham In the whiche declaracion we maie learn that the promesse was made to Abraham the fullfillinge of the said promisse shoulde be doen by Christe who ys that one seed the receauers of this promisse are the faithfull To kinge Dauid also he opened the same by promisse saienge De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam Of the frnicte of thy bodie shall I seetevppe vpon thy seat whiche woordes of the psalme are a rehersall of the promisse made to king Dauid in the second booke of the kinges wher yt ys written thus I will sett vppe thy seed whiche shall proceade of thy bodie and will 1 Reg. 7. stablish his kingdom he shall builde an house for my name and I will stablish the seat of his kingdom for euer Whiche promisse although the Ieues wolde haue to be vnderstanded and perfourmed in Salamon yet yt can not so be for that these woordes I will stablish the seat of his kingdom for euer can not be veryfied in Salomon whose worldlie kingdom ys finished and vtterly extingnisshed and was so before the coming of Christe according to the prophecie of the holy Patriarke Iacob who prophecied thus Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda dux de femore eius Gen. 49. donec veniat qui mittendus est ipse erit expectatio gentium The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda and the lawegeuer from betwixt his feet vntill he comme that shall be sent and he yt shal be whom the gentiles shall looke for By whiche prophecie yt ys manifest that at the coming of Christe the kingdom of the Iewes shoulde ceasse wherby yt ys consequent that the Christ ys the seed Promised to Dauid and not Salemon Rom. 1. promisse of God made to Dauid tendeth not to Salomō and his Successiō whose kingdom must haue an ende as the prophecie of Iacob signified But yt respecteth Christe who lineallie descended from Dauid Qui factus ost ei ex semine Dauid secundum carnem whiche was borne to him of the seed of Dauid after the flesh as sainct Paule saieth whose kingdom ys euerlasting accordinge to the prophecie Super solium Dauid et super regnum eius sedebit vt confirmet et corroboret illud in iudicio et iustitia amodò et vsque in sempiternū He shall sitte vpon the seat of Dauid and in his kingdome to sett vppe the same and to establish yt with equitie and righteonsuesse from hence furth for Esay 9. euermore That this ys to be vnderstanded onely of Christe the rest of the sentence goinge
conception What the figure was ye haue heard The Prophet Esaie being taught of God thus saied Ecce virgo cōcipiet pariet filiū Behold a virgē shal cōceaue and beare a Sōne As the person of the figure for that that nature failed cōceaued ād brought furth a childe by Gods power So a virgen wher nature hath not her ordre to conceaue hath besides nature and against the ordre of nature conceaued by Gods power And this prophecie of Esaie doth wel opē ād declare the former prophecie He saied a Rod shal come furth of the kinred of Iesse ād a flower shal florish oute of his roote Virga virgo est The rodde ys the virgē the florishing flower ys the Sōne of the virgē What maner of Sōne yt ys the Prophete immediatelie declareth Et vocabitur nomē eius Emanuel And his name shall be called Emanuel Matth. 1. What Emanuel ys the Euāgelist declareth Quod interpretatur nobiscum Deus which yf a mā interprete ys as moche to saie as God with vs. Whiche interpretaciō geueth vs to vnderstād that the Sōne of this wirgē ys the verie Messias God and man who was God with vs For In terris visus est cum hominibus Baruch 3. cōuersatus est He was seen in the earth and was cōuersaunt with mē or dwelt with men So thē wher the prophete said A rodde shall bring furth a flower nowe by plain woordes he saieth A virgen shall bring furth a Sonne called Emanuel And that this was fulfilled as yt was prefigured and prophecied the Euāgelist