condemned them as appeareth by these vvords of his reâ—ocation set dovvne in M. Fox I desyre my lord god of pardon and forgeuenes And now againe â—s before also I do reuoke and make retractation most humbly submitting my self vnder the correction of our holy mother the church c. the yere 1377. After vvhich time he made yet againe an other reuocation the yere 138â— as in the same author appeareth Albeit al this notvvithstanding M. Fox reciteth as a verie great argument of the gospel that VViclefs sect increased priuily and daily grew to greater force truly so great that they made traiterous conspiracies against the king him self as is recorded in the Acts of Parlament and common stories and in part â—auntingly noted by M. Fox vvho vvriteth that king Henry â— decreed most cruel punishement against such as should hereafter solow VViclefâ— doctrine against whom he held a Parlament at Leâ—ester the which peraduenture saith theâ— had noâ— bene so wel holden at London because of the fauourers of the Lord Cobham and other VViclefs solovvers But to returne to my purpose of VViclef and to end his storie although most Protestant vvriters as I haue said recken him for one of their chief most reuerend Apostles namely M. Fox vvho placâ—th him in redd letters first in his Calender Ihon wiclef preacher martyr though he dyed in his bed searce an honest man yet some other ProtestaÌ„t vvriters there are of a more sincere vpright iudgement vvho for the reasons aboâ—e noted recken him as he deserued in the number of ranke heretikes Amongest vvhom Ioachimus Vadianus of Zurich a right Zuinglian vvriteth of him that albeit he saw somwhat in matter of the gospel yet in nounullâ—s foe le lapâ—us est in sundry points of religion he vvas fowly ouerseen much more geuen to scoâ—fing prating then became a sober Diuiâ—e And Pantaleon a sacramentarie likevvise in his Chronologie accounteth him for an heretike as he doth also his scholer Ihon Husse though canonized by M Fox for a martir as likevvise he is in the Scottish Calender of vvhom he saith further that by vvarrant of that great Apostle Martin Luther that quibusdam bonis multa pestifera admiscuit amongest a few good things he mingled a number of wicked pestiferous And these are the principal vvhich since Berengarius time haue bene publishers of the Zuinglian faith touching Christ not present in the sacrament ¶ Out of al vvhich before I conclude this chapiter one general infallible rule I vvil sett dovvne coÌ„monly geuen by al Diuines to proue any sect or opinion heretical and the rule is that VVhensoeuer there ariseth any preaching or doctrine in the church to the Christian people nevv and straunge and vvhich the Pastors and Bishops of the church reproue and disallovv as false such preaching doctrine certainly is heretical This proposition is iustified by the vniuersal tenor and drift of the vvhole testament old nevv in al places vvhere it entreateth of the Catholike church of the nevv Testament for so much as of that church it vvas of old prophecied by Christ performed that it should be put in possession of al truth and by the meanes of Bishops Prelates and Pastors held in the same truth by vertue of the holy ghost and continued vvithout error vntil the end of the vvorld The knovvledge of truth in this Church shal be abundant as the waters of the sea God shal be therein a perpetual teacher God shal make vvith that church such an eternal couenant that the truth once deliuered to it shal be continued from one to an other from seed to seed from generation to generation for euer so long as the vvorld endureth god shal set vpon the vvals of this church right true vigilant pastors and vvatchmen which neuer at any time day nor night shal cease from preaching the truth Thus the prophetes foretold For performance of vvhich Christ promised to be vvith them for euer al daies vntil the end of the world He promised them the holy ghost the spirit of truth to abide with them and their successors for euer to teach them and leade them in to al truth vvhich spirite he sent at the time appointed in the day of Pentecost finally for this purpose before his departure out of this vvorld he placed in his church Apostles prophetes pastors doctors to rule gouerne maynteine preserue in truth that his church so dearly purchased vvith his blud vntil his second comming to iudgement Thus much for the profe of this first proposition Ioyne thereto for a second But the doctrine of BereÌ„garius vvas nevv and strange to Christian people and condemned generally by al Bishops and Pastors then liuing in vnitie of Christs church ouer the vvhole face of Christendome The proofe of this is gathered out of al historiographers liuing about those tymes and out of the practise of the church For as before is noted a number of Councels some general many particular vvere essembled against it and condemned it at Rome at Vercellis at Tours in Italie in France in Germanie and other parts of Christendome as the Histories record Berengario illiuâ— temporis Theologi bellum omnes indixere The Diuines of that time euery one bad warre and defiance to Berengarius so soone as be durst publish his new opinion of the Eucharist Here of the conclusion folovveth plaine and most assured that Berengarius opinion vvas heretical therefore the contrary that is the Catholike opinion vvhich holdeth against Berengarius is the true doctrine of Christ and his Apostles deliuered by theÌ„ to the church in the church conserued and continued in al ages in al times in al Catholike countries and realmes vntil our age VVherefore to end the argument of this chapiter vvithal to stoppe the vvrangling of certain English Diuines vvho more like Grammarians and sophisters then vvise or learned men very childishly thinke to auoid vvhat so euer is alleaged for Christs presence in the Sacrament by conâ—erring together certaine vvords and phrases by vvhich kind of Diuinitie they may and some of their brethern do inferre Christs presence on the crosse to be tropical and figuratiue no lesse then in the sacrament to proue I say that the church and al auncient fathers according to the scriptures vvrote and meant as I haue before declared I vvil shut vp this matter vvith Erasmus vvords vvherein also I vvil comprise the summe in a maner of al that hitherto hath bene declared vvhose authoritie I vse the rather for that the Protestants somtimes much extolle him as a great profound Diuine deepely seene in the Fathers and no enemy to their side to vvhom among others the chief proctor of the English church M. Ievvel yeldeth such high praise as that he calleth him a man of famous memorie whose name for learning and
A TREATISE CONTEYNING THE TRVE CATHOLIKE AND APOSTOLIKE FAITH OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE AND SACRAMENT ORDEYNED by Christ at his last Supper VVith a declaration of the Berengarian heresie renewed in our age and an Answere to certain Sermons made by M. Robert Bruce Minister of Edinburgh concerning this matter By VVilliam Reynolde Priest Ioan. 6. 51. The bread vvhich I vvil give is my flesh the same vvhich I vvil give for the life of the vvorld AT ANTVVERPE Imprinted by Ioachim Trognesius M. D. XCIII TO THE RIGHT EXCELLENT AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES THE SIXT BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF SCOTLAND HAVING of late perused examined answered certain Sermons preached in Edinburgh by one who entitleth him self Minister of Christs Euangel there for sundry causes most excellent and gratious Prince I haue ben induced of that my smale labour to make a present vnto your royal Maiestie First for that the Author of those Sermons published them vnder the name of your Highnes it seemed to me conuenieÌ„t that the Answere also should be offered vnto the same personage by conference whereof he might be able better with indiffereÌ„cy to iudge of both Next whereas those Sermons conteyne false doctrine against the sacraments against the eternal Testament of Christ ordeyned in his last Supper against the peculiar sacrifice and worship of God evermore and vniuersally practised in the Gospel and new law since the first preaching thereof by Christ and his Apostles and not only this but also they manifestly imply the foundation and ground of plain infidelitie of discrediting al the old new Testment of denying the chief and souerain articles of Christian faith who can blame me if where I perceiue so great daunger intended there I study to repel the same if where poison is addressed to infect the very hart of religion and head of the common welth there I oppose a counterpoison against that infection if I couet to preserue sound that which others endeuour to corrupt and desire by right argument of true Theologie to conâ—â—rme and establish that which the aduersarie by sleight Sophistrie and heretical cauils laboureth to ruinate ouerthrâ—w And thus to do as Christian dutie requireth for any article of our Christian beleef for the benefite of any Christian sowle like otherwise to perish so much greater is the obligation wherewith my self and al other English Catholikes acknowlege our seluâ—s bouÌ„d to our Countrymen the inhabitants of England and Scotland but especially in a singular degree vnto your royal person Vnto whom as the lawes of both â—eâ—lmes descent of blud custom inheritance drawen from the auncient kings of the one and other nation in ciuil respect geueth right to succede in gouernment of both crownes with al their dependences so is it the continual prayer of Christian Catholikes not only in both those nations but also in al prouinces of Europe that it wil please God so to inspire and direct your Ma. tus hart that yew may gouerne them in such Christian sort touching faith matter of eternal saluation as your most noble progenitors haue done froÌ„ the first Christened Prince to the last from Donaldus vnto Quene Marie your Graces most honorable most renoumed most constant religious mother who hauing so many yeres susteyned hard impri sonment and finally cruel death and martyrdom for profession of that first auncient Apostolike faith hath thereby left a glorious and immortal president to al her aftercoÌ„mers who clayme teÌ„poral right from succession of her blud to make the like or greater accompt of that right which cometh by succession to her in faith for which she with Heroical fortitude neglected her blud her libertie her crownes and what so euer is most deere to Princes in this world and for which neglect her name is more honorable before God his Angels her memorie more famous among Christians of this age and so wil be to al posteritie then if with refusal of that faith that is with refusal of Christ eternal blisse she had gayned as many teÌ„poral crownes realmes as they haue liued dayes howres who were occasioners of that so straunge woÌ„derful execution Now if it shal please your Grace to bestow some voyd tyme in overrunning this smale booke I nothing doubt but touching the argumeÌ„t here intreated that is touching the external seruice honour done to God by sacrifice and sacrament in his church your Grace shal easely see the manifest cleere euidece of our Catholike cause the truth thereof set downe in the most plain scriptures of God the coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce thereof testified by vniforme consent of al Antiquitie the first original roote of the coÌ„trarie heresie which now beareth greatest sway in your realme of ScotlaÌ„d as also in England from what fountaine it sprang by what Apostles it was spread by what Sophistrie malice dissimulatioÌ„ it hath encreased by what wickednes ignoraÌ„ce impietie it is maynteyned finally to what plain Atheisme or Paganisme it teÌ„deth For which cause many potent kings princes although otherwise circumuented by false ministers or seduced by evil counsailers vpon some humane reasons colourable coÌ„modities craftely obiected they departed from the vnitie of Christs church intangled them selues with other heresies of this tyme yet could they never be induced to approue or so much as to permit within their realmes this ZuingliaÌ„ or CalviniaÌ„ heresie because they were thoroughly resolved that it was the very bane pest of wel ordered coÌ„mon welthes for that it breadeth in her Sectaries a licentious libertie to beleeve what they fist against God his church and to live how they please against the magistrate his civil lawes to which it preacheth that no obedience is due for conscience sake Among which Princes for exaÌ„ples sake to name one lest I seeme to charge theÌ„ vniustly Christianus 3. king of Denmarke a Prince of great wisdom and experience grand-father to that vertuous Princesse whom your Highnes hath chosen for your spouse and Queene when as the congrègatioÌ„ of such kind of Protestants expelled from England by Queene Mary sought laboured by al meanes possible to obteyne harbour in his realme only for a few dayes vntil the extremitie of winter were somwhat passed over if not in regard of their religion which they said was purely Euangelical yet in consideratioÌ„ of many feble old men and wemen many infants yong children which were in the company vnable without certain hazard of their liues to abide any more trauail on the seas in that extreme season this notwithstanding that king otherwise of nature clemeÌ„t and mercyful and professing the Gospel as they cal it would by no meanes condescend that they should remayne any time within his dominions except they forthwith without farther disputes abandoned and condemned their Sacramentarie heresie which he iudged to be directly against the Gospel of Christ against the Articles of the Christian beleef against the publike quietnes
three or fovver bretherne eating and drinking their symbolical bread and vvine hovv can ether that confirme to vs the child to be saved or this that such eaters and drinkers eate spiritually Christs flesh and thereby shal haue eternal life Certainly if the minister out of the vvord did not tel them so much before the bread and vvine vvould neuer confirme nor scarce signifie such spiritual eating much lesse eternal life ensuyng thereof So that vvhereas ordinarily in common practise vvhence these men take their Theologie in this point seales confirme words and vvritings among men and vvithout a scale the vvord and vvriting is of no great force or value in lavv to make a bond and obligation the seale geuing al strength force thereto here it is cleane contrarie For al dependeth of the vvord and the vvord geueth strength vertue and force to the seale not the seale to the vvord and the vvord vvithout the seale is altogether sufficient carieth vvith it ful entier and perfit authoritie vvhereas the seale vvithout the vvord is nothing at al but as M. B. truly saith a common peece of bread so that truly to speake the vvord is rather to be accompted a seale to the bread then the bread a seale to the vvord Again these men in making such comparison vvaigh not the true nature and difference of vvords and seales as they are vsed in things diuine humane In humane because men are mortal and mutable and false so that vve can not take hold of their vvord vve are enforced to vse other meanes for our assurance and certification as first to put their vvords in vvriting and then to ratifie both vvord and vvriting by sealing But in God and things diuine it is not so But for so much as God is immortal immutable and constant vvhose vvord is vvorking and vvhose vvord once vttered is as sure certaine infallible and irreuocable as if it vvere vvritten in faire velem in a thousand exemplars confirmed by as many seales here can be no vse of any such seales as is amoÌ„g men because no such seale can add any more authoritie or certaintie to his vvord as it doth to ours How beit it pleaseth him some times to vse some kynd of confirmation vvhich may not vnfitly be compared to a kind of sealing as vvhere the Euangelist saith that vvhen Christ was ascended his Apostles preached euery vvhere our lord working with them and confirming their dostrine and preaching with signes and miracles of vvhich kynd of confirmation the storie of the Acts of the Apostles is ful But these were miraculous noâ— sacrameÌ„tal seales applied truly properly to speake not to coÌ„firme gods vvord or promises but to confirme vnto the heaâ—ers the authoritie and credit of the preachers the prophets Apostles and disciples of Christ as euery vvhere appeareth both in the old testament nevv And therefore as S. Paul teacheth such miraculous signes and seales properly are not for faithful men Christians but for faithles and infidels to dravv them to faith and Christianitie And this is a far different kind of seales from the sacraments vvhereof vve here entreat vvhich neuer any learned father or vvriter called seale in the Protestant sense For albeit sometime S. Augustin vseth the vvorde and applieth it to the sacraments as also do some other Doctors yet they neuer meane nor applye them as do the Protestants but cal them seales ether because they signe the faithful vvith such a marke vvhereby they are distinguished from the vnfaithful or because they conteyne in them a secret holy thing that is inuisible grace in vvhich sense the booke of the Apocalyps is said to be signed vvith 7. seales in both vvhich senses S. Austin S. Gregorie Nazianzene calle them seales or because they geue perfit and absolute grace vvhereby a Christian being vvashed from his sinnes and made the child of god in baptisme receiueth farther strength to persist and stand fast in his Christian prosession and fight constantly against the enemies of Christ and his church the deuil and his ministers is confirmed in hope and hath as it vvere a pledge of eternal life in vvhich sense S. Cornelius an auncient Pope and martyr and after him S. Leo the Great calle the sacrament of confirmation a seale The vvords of the first are VVhereas Nouatus the heretike was only baptised but afterward tooke not such other things as by order of the church he ought neque Domini sigillo ab Episcopo obsignatus suit nether was signed with the seale of our lord by the bisshop in the sacrament of confirmation how I pray â—ow receiued he the holy ghost to strengthen him in his Christian saith S. Leo in his 4. Sermon de natiuitate Domini Stand fast in that faith in which after yow were baptised by water the holy ghost yow receiued the Chrisme of saluation the seale or pledge of eternal life In these senses and perhaps some other tending to like effect the auncient godly fathers calle the sacraments seales as questionles euery sacrameÌ„t and especially that of the most blessed Eucharist is a most admirable signe and seale and confirmation and demonstration of gods infinite mercy and Christs infinite loue towards mankynd But the sense of the Protestants as it is foolish fond nevv vvithout al vvit and reason and not only so but also wicked impious heretical Anabaptistical as hath bene shevved neuer taught by the holy scriptures of god by any Apostle Evangelist auncient father or Councel so I can not greatly enuy at Bezaes glorious triumph vvhich he maketh to him self and his maisters for the first invention thereof wherein he so flattereth and pleaseth him self that hauing expressed the same in such sort as here M. B. doth and I before out of Beza haue alleaged he suddenly from explication of the scripture breaketh out in to admiration of him self and his companions in these vvords This my exposition coÌ„cerning circumcision a seale of iustice al other sacraments seales in like maner if a man compare with such things as not only Origenes but also sundry other of the auncient fathers albeit for godlines and learning most famous haue written vpon this place he shal doubtles find what greâ—â— abundant light of truth the lorde in this time hath powred out vpon vs of al other men most vnworthy thereof No doubt a vvorthy doctrine for such Doctors and in deed to be vvondered at vvhich being so necessarie for the church as these men make it for it conteyneth the true faith of the sacraments vvhereas Origen S. CypriaÌ„ S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Leo. S. Basil S Gregorie Nazianzene and sundry other for holines and learning most famous as he confesseth could neuer find it out and yet these men Caluin Beza and Iohn Cnox for learning not very famous and for horrible filthines and abomination of life not to be named and not heard