est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
vpon the crosse which he graunteth to be moche more excellent then the sacrifices of the olde lawe the seconde note of the saied Chrysostome shall clerely wipe awaie his glose and disapoint him of his cloake Wherfor obserue that when he saied that Chryst prepared this woonderfull sacrisice he opened the time also when he did prepare yt He did saieth he prepare this woonderfull sacrifice when he did chaunge the sacrifice of the olde lawe and when he commaunded A plain saing for M. Juell himself to be offred When did he these two thinges Reader yf thowe marke here be two thinges the one ys that Chryst chaunged the sacrifice the other that he commaunded himself to be offred When did he these two thinges In his last supper when as sainct Cyprian saieth obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat inconsumptibilem Cyp. de Cae. cibum magister apponit Discipulis The newe and the olde ordeinaunces mett together and the lambe which the olde tradicion did settsurth being consumed the master did sett to his disciples inconsumptible meate De prodition Iudae So that for this lambe of the olde tradicion he gaue nowe inconsumptible meate to his Disciples whiche was his bodie and bloode whiche was the veritie of that shadowe as Chrysostom saieth Ille agnus futuri agni typus fuit ille sanguis Dominici sanguinis monstrabat aduentum ouis illa spiritalis ouis fuit exemplum Ille agnus vmbra fuit hic veritas Sed postquam sol iusticiae radiauit vmbra soluitur luce ideo in ipsa mensa vtrumque Pascha typi veritatis celebratum est That lambe was the figure of the lambe to Blood of the Paschall laÌ„be figure of the blood of Chryste in the Sacr. come And that bloode shewed the coming of the bloode of our Lord and that shepe was an example of the spirituall shepe that lambe was the shadowe this the veritie But after the Sunne of righteousnesse did shyne with beames the shadowe was taken awaie with the light And therfore in that table bothe the passeouer of the figure and of the trueth was celebrated Thus he In which saing ys declared that the olde lambe was a figure of our lambe Chryst whiche were together in the table as two passeouers the olde and the newe But when the newe passeouer whiche was the bodie of Chryst ther consecrated was settfurth ther as a newe passouer whiche he calleth the sonne of righteousnesse then the olde Passeouer was taken awaie and this placed in the stead Then was the olde sacrifice chaunged and a newe sacrifice appointed So that ys true that S. Augustin saieth Aliud Cont. literas Petilia est Pascha quod Iudaei celebrant de oue aliud autem quod nos in corpore sanguine Domini celebramus Yt ys an other Passouer that the Iewes do celebrate with a shepe and an other whiche we celebrate in the bodie and bloode of Chryst Yt caÌ„ not be saied that Chryst did chaung the sacrifice of the olde lawvpoÌ„ the crosse for that sacrifice was after the maner of the sacrifices of the ordre of Aaron a bloodie sacrifice as they were But this chaunge of sacrifice must nedes then be when the shewing of the chaunge of preisthead was For as S. Paule saieth Necessarium fuit secundùm ordinem Melchisedec alium surgere sacerdotem non secundùm ordinem Aaron dici Yt was necessarie that an other preist Heb. 7. shoulde rise to be called after the order of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron Chryst neuer shewed himself a preist after the order of Melchisedec but in the last supper in the which he sacrificed after that order Wherfore then was the olde sacrifice chaunged when this newe preist after the ordre of Melchisedec did shewe himself in sacrificing The trueth of this ys well proued by the seconde note in the saing of Chrysostome whiche ys that he commaunded himself to be offred Let al the volume of the Gospell be turned and searched and in no place shall ye finde that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred but in the last supper when he had instituted this holie sacrifice of his and bodie and blood Then he saied Hoc facite This do ye By which woordes he gaue coÌ„maundement to all to whoÌ„ coÌ„mission of this holie ministracioÌ„ should be geueÌ„ that they should doe that that he had doeÌ„ In that high and woonderfull institucion he did three thinges that ys he Three notable thinges doen by Chryst in the inst it â—cion of the B. Sacr. consecrated his blessed bodie and blood he offred yt in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech and receaued yt with his Apostles Wherfore saing and commaunding that his preistes shoulde that do that he then did forsomoch as among other his doinges he did then offre sacrifice Therfore he coÌ„maunded that he himself should be offred And thus yt maie be perceaued that Chrysostom looked to this place when he saied that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred Li. 4. ca. 32 Of this same sentence and minde be a nombre of the holie Fathers Irenaeus saieth Eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meuÌ„ Et calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundùm nos suum sanguinem confessus est Et noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationeÌ„ c. He took the bread saieth Irenaeus speaking of Chryst which ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise which ys a creature as we he confessed to be his blood And of the newe Testament he taught a newe oblacion c. Jn primaoration praepar S. Ambrose also in his praier saieth Ego enim Domine memor venerandae passionis tuae accedo ad altare tuum licet peceà tor vt offeram tibi sacrificium quod tu instituisti offerri praecepisti in commemorationem tui pro salute nostra I Lorde mindefull of thy woorshippefull passion come vnto thy aultar although a sinner to offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thow hauest instituted and commaunded to be The Proclamermaie her learn that Chryst coÌ„manded his bodie to be offred in sacrifice offred in the remembrance of thee for our health Ye see these two graue and auncient wittnesses testifieng with ChrysostoÌ„ that Chryst commaunded this sacrifice which he instituted to be offred What the thing ys that we offre Chrysostome by moste plain woordes declareth when he saieth that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred So that Chryst himself ys our oblacion and sacrifice which we offre not vpon our owne inuencion but vpon his holie and most louing commaundement By this latter part then of Chrysostome his saing the two other partes before noted be well proued For by that that Chryst hath commaunded vs to offre him in our sacrifice yt ys most clere
former sentence semeth to teache that yf a Christian fall in to mortall sinne after that he ys christened and hath receaued the giftes of God therunto appertaining that he can not be reconciled by penaūce and so were all hope of mercie for the remission of sinnes clean taken awaie Which thing one Nouatus by occasiō of this scripture vnderstāding yt in the Nouatus sense that yt semeth in the first face to haue taught verie stoutelie and so becam the Authour of a wofull and wicked heresie Against whiche Athanasius wrote an epistle to Serapio wher he declareth that the same saincte Paule receaued the incestiouse Corinthian and also the Galathians that had erred Athanas in faith to whom he saied O insensati Galatae quis vos fascinauit non obedire veritati O insensate Galathians who hath bewitched yowe that ye shoulde not obey the treuth And yet afterwarde he saied Filioli mei quos iterum pariurio donec Galat. 3. Ibid. 4. formetur in vobis Chrystus O my litle children of whom I trauaill again in byrth vntil Chryste be fashyoned in yowe The second sentence also semeth vtterlie to denie all means to atteign to gods mercie after we haue wilfullie fallen to sinne whiche sentence yf yt shoulde be vnderstanded as it sowndeth desperaciō shoulde reign and hope shoulde be abandoned What shall I saie for the vnderstanding of the scripturs by the common people vnlearned when not onelie manie other learned men through their euell or wrong vnderstanding of them haue swarued and fallē into sundrie and diuerse heresies But also saincteHierom and saincte Augustin two lightes and pillers of the Christian orbe haue dissented vpon the vnderstanding of a sayeng of saincte Paule to the Galathians wher he saieth When Peter Galat. 2. was comed to Antioche I withstoode him openlie bicause he was wourthie to be blamed In the which their disagrement ther was nothing committed that either charitie betwixt thē was empaired or yet anie heresie obstinatelie defended but raither the trueth learnedlie enquired and searched Wherfor Reader I saie vnto thee Noli altū sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare For arrogācie is mother of errour Put on therfore an hūble spirit and in reading of the scriptures submitte thy self to the teaching of thy Rom. 11. Arrogācie mother of errour Mother the churche For the loulie bowing man maie easelie go withoute harme wher the stowte high looker shall breake his browe Be humble therfore and feare to trust thine owne iudgement in the exposition of the scriptures and so will the Spirit of God rest vpon thee For vpon whome saieth he Esay 66. shall my Spirit rest but vpon him that ys humble and fearing my woordes THE FIFT CHAPITRE DECLARING THE MINdes and Iudgementes of the Fathers and doctours vpon the difficultie of the Scriptures YT nedeth not to trauaill anye more in this matter when as I suppose the Reader ys by this that ys allreadie saied so perswaded that he wil with hand and foote as they saie go with me and ioin with me in one sentence and minde Yet that the arrogancie of the stoute ignorant and vnlearned and the vntrueth of the learned maie be confownded and suffer their wourthie shame the Reader shall heare the iudgement of the famouse learned Fathers and doctours as touching the difficultie and obscuritie of the scriptures Wherbie the impudencie of soche arrogant persons maie clerlie and manifestlie be perceaued and they if they haue not as the Prophet Hieremie in the voice of God saieth of the people of Israell gotten an whoores forehead and will not be ashamed maye then in dede be ashamed Hierem 3. Origen a man both auncient and famouse in learning handeling this place of saincte Paule to the Galathians Vos in libertatē vocati estis fratres Bretheren ye Galat. 5. Orig. 19. li. Storm are called vnto libertie saieth thus Difficilis locus est et ita à nobis disserendus videtur An hard place this ys and thus vnto me yt semeth to be expownded And after along discourse in the exposition of the same texte he saieth thus Quamobrem spiritum scripturae fructusque quaeramus qui non dicuntur esse manifesti Multo quippe labore et sudore et digno cultu in scripturis fructus spiritus inuenitur Vnde arbitror Paulum diligenter et cautè de scripturae sensibus dixisse carnalibus Manifesta sunt opera carnis De spiritualibus vero non vt ibi posuisse Manifestus est fructus Sed ita Fructus autcm spiritus est charitas gaudium pax etc. Wherfore let us seke the Spirit of the scripture and the fruicts of the same whiche are not saied to be manifest For trulie the fruicte of the Spirit ys fownde in the scriptures with moche labour and swette and wourthie trauaill Wherfore I Scripture must be studied withe moche labour thinke Paule diligentlie and warelie of the carnall senses of the scriptures to haue saied the workes of the flesh are manifest But of the spirituall senses not to haue putte as in the other The fruicte of the Spirit ys manifest but thus The fruicte of the Spirit ys charitie ioye peace c. Hitherto Origen In the whiche saing first by expresse and plain woordes ye perceaue hym to saie of that place of saincte Paule ther alleaged that yt ys an harde place And asterwarde he concludeth of the wholl scripture that the spirituall senses and vnderstandinges therof are not manifest but are to be sought with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill Whiche he proueth by saincte Paule Nowe thinges that be easie and plain are acquired and gotten with moche facilitie without Laboure or with verie easie labour hard thinges be not so gotten but contrarie wise Wherfor by Origen yt maie be concluded that forasmoche as the right senses whiche he calleth the spirituall sense or vnderstanding of the scripture are to be gotten with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill they be not easie but raither hard Sainct Hierom exhorting Paulinus to the studie of the scriptures as well by the exāples of Ethnickes and Philosophers as Plato Pithagoras Apollonius and soche other whiche for knowledge trauailed ouer seas and contries as also by the examples of christians as of Saint Paule Timothie Tyte and soche other maketh it not an easie matter but raither teacheth howe moch difficultie ys therin To the whiche pourpose he saieth Aperiebantur coeli Ezechieli qui populo peccatori clausi erant Reuela inquit Dauid oculos meos et considerabo mirabilia Hieron ad Paulinū de lege tua Lex enim spiritualis est et reuelatione opus est vt intelligatur ac reuelata facie gloriam Dei contemplemur Liber in Apocalypsi septem sigillis signatus ostenditur quem si dederis homini scienti literas vt legat respondebit tibi Non possum Signatus est enim Quanti hodie putant se nosce literas et tenent signatum librū
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
euery place God vsing preoccupacion wittnesseth theÌ„ to be acceptable vnto him Thus Iustinus of whom we maie learn that the Sacrifices of the SacrameÌ„t are deliuered to vs by Iesus Chryst So that the authoritie of this maner of sacrificing cometh froÌ„ him aÌ„d ys not of our selues S. Hierom ouer and aboue that that ys allreadie alleaged of him saieth thus Quòd autem ait Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech mysterium in Li. quest Hebraic verbo ordinis significatur nequaquam per Aaron irrationabilibus victimis immolandis sed oblato pane vino id est corpore sanguine Domini Iesu Wheras he saieth Thow arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech our mystery in the woorde of order ys signified not by Aaron in offring brutish sacrifices But in offring bread and wine that ys to saie the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Iesus Thus sainct Hierom. Of Iustinus we learned that the sacrifices of the Chrystians wer deliuered vnto vs by Iesus Chryst Of S. Hierom we learn that these sacrifices be the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus So by these two in most manifest aÌ„d plain woords we be taught that Iesus Chryst deliuered vnto vs the authoritie to offre in sacrifice hys bodie and bloode S. Ambrose also teacheth vs the same lesson saing thus Ego enim Domine memor In prima oratione prepar ad Missam venerandae passionis tuae accedo ad altare tuum licet peccator vt offeraÌ„ tibi sacrificium quod tu instituisti offerri praecepisti in commemorationeÌ„ tui pro salute nostra For I o Lord being mindefull of thy passion come vnto thine Altar although I be a sinner that I maie offre vnto thee the sacrifice that thowe didest institute and commaunde Chryst instituted and commaunded the Sacrifice of the Churche to be offred in the remembrance of thee for our health Thus holie Ambrose who maketh the matter oute of all coÌ„trouersie that a preist hath authoritie to offre Chryste in sacrifice And to declare what sacrifice he saieth the same sacrifice that Chryst did institute And to lett yow vnderstand by what authoritie he wolde offre yt he saieth by that that Chryst commaunded yt to be offred in the remembrance of him As this maie well instructe the reader what ys the plain and verie trueth of this matter So yt maie verie well compell the Proclamer to confesse that this ys a plain sentence impugning his false doctrine and acknowleging other his ignorance or malice submitte him self to the trueth But yet let vs descend a degree lower towardes our time and see what was then taught Isidorus who liued aboue nine hundreth years agon in Isydorus li. 1. de off ca. 18. this matter geueth this testimonie Sacrificium quod à Christianis offertur Deo primum Christus Dominus noster magister instituit quando commendauit Apostolis corpus sanguinem suum priusquam traderetur sicut legitur in Euangelio Accepit Iesus panem calicem benedicens dedit eis The sacrifice that ys offred of the Chrystians vnto God first our Lord and master Iesus Chryst did institute When he gaue his bodie and blood to his Apostles before he was betraied as yt ys readde in the Gospell Iesus tooke bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue the same vnto them In these fewe woordes of this Authour we maie learn that Chryst did institute the sacrifice of the christians We maie learn that the thing that ys offred in sacrifice ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst We maie learn to whoÌ„ yt ys offred that ys vnto God We maie also learn what time yt was instituted euen at that time when Chryst tooke the bread and the cuppe and when he had blessed them gaue them to his Apostles Whiche was in his last Supper All these ioined to gether doo well beare the contrary proposition to this mans proclamacion that ys that Chryst gaue authoritie to offre his bodie and bloode vnto God A Consonante testimonie haue we also of Haymo who as he ys of good auncientie So ys he accompted a learned Authour This man expownding Haymo in 5. ad Heb. the epistle of sainct Paule to the Hebrues and declaring Chryst to be a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech saieth thus In cuius ordine sacerdotij Christus factus est sacerdos non temporalis sed aeternus nec offerens victimas legales sed instar illius panem vinum carnem videlicet sanguinem suum de quibus ipse dixir Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Ista quoque duo munera panem videlicet vinum commisit Ecclesiae suae in memoriam sui offerenda Vnde patet sacrificium pecudum perijsse quod fuit ordinis Aaron illud manere potius quod fuit ordinis Melchisedech quia Christus illud corroborauit Ecclesiae suae tenendum reliquit In the ordre of the preisthead of Melchisedech Chryst being made not a temporall but an euerlasting preist neither offring legall sacrifices but like vnto him meening Melchisedech bread and wine that ys to saie his bodie and his bloode of the whiche he saieth My flesh ys verilie meat and my bloode ys verilie drinke These two giftes that ys to saie bread and wine he hath committed to this Churche to be offred in the remembrance of him Thus Haimo Wherby yt yt manifest that the Sacrâ—… of beastes ys vanished awaie whiche was of the ordre of Aaron and thaâ—â—…at raither remaineth which ys of the ordre of Melchisedech bycause Chryst also hath confirmed yt and left yt to his Churche to be kept and vsed From whence the authoritie comet that the Church offreth the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech this Authour like as the other before alleaged hath declared that yt coÌ„meth from Chryste And opening what the Churche doth offer he saieth that Chryst did offre bread and wine that ys saieth he his bodie and bloode whiche bread and wine he committetd to the Churche to be offred in the remenbrance of him Plain sentences for master Juell Eycept that the calling of a man a man or an oxe an oxe be no plain speaches these sentences of these Authours in this matter be plain speaches and plain senteÌ„ces Yet to coÌ„clude this matter we will heare a greciaÌ„ speaking as plain as anye of these whiche ys Nicolaus Cabasila who although he be long yet for hys plainesse he ys pleasaunt And for that he ys a grecian we shall learn of him the faith that ys yet receaued in that Church Nich. Cabasila c. 27 as before of long tyme yt hath ben This authour shewing howe the blessed Sacrament ys consecrated sacrificed and ministred ther saieth thus Cùm venerandam illam coenam narrauit quomodò ante passionem ipsam dedit sanctis suis Discipulis quòd accepit calicem quòd accepit panem actis