hath the true vnderstandinge of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluation To this church Christ maketh promis in the .xvi. of Iohn Ioh. 16. saying Whē that spirite of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this churche also he maketh that other promis written in the .xxviii. of Mathew where he sayth Math. 28. Beholde I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholyke churche thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assisted alwayes of Christ him selfe neuer yet fayled frō the tyme of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fayl to the worldes ende nether can it be deceaued in any necessarye truth accordyng as Chryst promyseth in the .xvi. of Mathewe Math. 16. saying That hell gates shal not preuayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catholyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapiter of his first epistle to Timothe Timoth. 1. calleth the catholike church the piller and grounde of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a company as among whych the trueth is openly preached ells Chryst woulde not haue sayd as it is wrytten in the .v. of Mathewe A citie that is set on a hyl Math 5 can not be hyd nether do men lyght a candel and put it vnder a bushel but on a candelstycke and it geueth lyght vnto all that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke churche is an vnknowen churche seing it is that citie which our sauiour there ment and that candell of whiche he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryste and refuse the doctryne thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in readyng of scrypture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into erroure and ignoraunce euē as a man that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour 2. Peter 1 Saint Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapiter of his second epistle geueth vs a most certayne and sure rule which if we folowe we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstande scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure worde of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take hede as vnto a lighte that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntyl the day dawne and the daye starre aryse in your hartes So that you first knowe this that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the scripture came neuer by the wil of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holi ghost Here you se how saynt Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meanynge of Chrystes churche and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or companye And in the thyrde chapiter of the same Epystle 2. Peter 3 he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to be vnderstanded whych they that are vnlearned vnstable doo peruerte as they doo also the other scriptures to theyr owne destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be warned afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S. Peter telleth the very cause why men mysvnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knoweledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignoraunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe pryuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scriptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytyng to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture 1. Timo 9 geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Timothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody and auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge whiche S. Paule sayth was commytted to Timothies custody was the truth of the catholyke fayth which he sayth some fell frome by reasone of new fangled termes and by reason also that they tooke vpon them knowledge beinge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrd chapiter of his seconde epistle to Timothie 2. Timothei 3 he farther sayeth Contynue thou in the thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. Ireneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke agaynst Valentyne the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapiter of the same boke sayeth Ireneus in his third boke against Valentine chap. 4. touchyng the catholyke churche in thys maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rych tresury all truth that who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of lyfe for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what and yf a controuersy should happen to ryse vpon neuer so smal a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the Apostles were conuersaunt and ther learne the truth in that controuersy ye what yf the Apostles had lefte behynde them no writyng at all must we then not haue folowed the order of tradition delyuered by them to such as they committid the churches vnto to which tradition manye barbarous nations beleuing in Christ do giue credite with out any other wrytyng then that which is in their hartes wrytten Al this wryteth Ireneus and within a lytle after he sayeth Yf to these barbarous nations any man should preach in their owne language these inuentions of heretikes by and by they would stoppe their eares and flye as farre as they could frō him and not once here his blasphemous talke thus sayeth S. Ireneus Now yf christen people at this presēt would folow this trade which this blessed martir here speaketh of thē should no mā runne into heresy but al mē shold cleue fast vnto the wholesome doctrine of the catholike church abhorre and detest whatsoeuer any precher wold vtter vnto thē contrary to the same For whosoeuer preacheth any doctrine not agreable to the general receiued doctrine in the open knowen church he it is such as be like to him of whō our sauiour biddeth vs to beware saiyng in the .vii. of Mathewe
instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which are in darkenes an instructour of the folyshe a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourme of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou that prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest sacriledge thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshoner God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is euydente by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such knowledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for his sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god agayne and to haue aboundaunce of grace geuen vnto hym by which grace he should both in his knowledg be the better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For this amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal man was made in all partes like vnto one of vs sinne only excepted and he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a meruelous sort that as in vs the body being of one nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this incomprehensible vnion of the godhed manhed in Christ Iohn 1. S. Ihon speaketh in the fyrst chapiter of his gospell saying Verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God Was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue .xxxiij. yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holy prophetes whiche were to be fulfylled of hym before his passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefullye procured of the deuil against him to raunsome mankynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that this raunsome shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefull wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcing of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of his syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precious bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs therein to beholde the excedynge great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not his onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge all men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so paynefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seynge he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet his passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaute in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites thereof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wil and consent without the whiche we can not be saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne defaute were fallen into the estate of endles misery and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onely sonne our sauiour Christ Remember that synne and nought els brought vs fyrst oute of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incessantly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyll who being vanquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right fayth of Christ valiantly withstande hym whiche to doo graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaryng how the redemption in Christ is appliable to vs. ALthough the death and passion of our sauiour christ be in value a sufficient raunsome for the synnes of the whole world yet in effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neyther Turke Iew nor infidell wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passiō of Christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the .xvi. Mar. 16. chapter of S. Marke that Whosoeuer doth not beleue shall be dāpned Agayne euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyl lyuer eternall death beleue he neuer soo wel As S. Paule witnesseth in the .v. chapiter of his Epistle to the Galathians Gala. 3. where he sayth Walke after the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of the fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the fleshe These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye woulde But and yf ye be led of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The dedes of the fleshe are manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry wytchcrafte hatred variaūce contencion wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkennes glotony and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in tyme past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heauē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Christe these two poyntes are requisit of our behalf the one to beleue rightly the other to lyue vpryghtlye whiche two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to knowe except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche whiche catholyke churche our sauioure Christe hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for all men to come and repayre vnto to learne suche truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerlastyng life This catholike church and no other company
why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he veryly thought and beleued that no one beynge broughte vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at anye tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speaketh but of those foresayd three degrees of vncharitablenes for that it is not lykely christen men being traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at anye tyme procede in the violatyng of charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauiour hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise any man may so doo but thereby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For aunswer to thys question it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs all kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els Forasmuch then as in the third of Mathewe Math. 3 S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scrybes and pharisies adders brode and S. Paule calleth the Galathians fooles Gala. 2. and men without vnderstāding in the second chapiter of his epistle wrytten to them Luc 24 yea Chryst himselfe in the .xxiiii. of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and sloo of belefe and the thyng which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must saye that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassours and offenders thereby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that thys kynd of rebuking is laweful and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth no good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wysheth hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharitable mynde doth thou hym or tushe at hym or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him foole idiot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs lette all accustomed rancor and malyce from henceforthe be vtterlye banyshed from emongest vs that we dwellyng in charitie may dwel in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen with hym for euer which graunte vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghost to whome be all honor and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce the inestimable goodnes of almightye God and his inestimable mercye towardes vs nothing deseruing the same yf ther be any spotte of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankefulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fal downe in body and soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his transgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of God you haue a sufficiente and moost euident declaration in these godly and deuoute homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation and redemption of mā Neuerthelesse for your further instruction ghostlye comforte in this behalfe I haue thought good to lette you vnderstande an other hye benefyte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauynge perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenlye benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whiche our deare and dreadfull Sauyour both before and after his paynefull death dyd ordeyne and appoynt to be for euer to vs a moost louynge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyllar of truth in al oure doubtfull daungers Whiche churche forsomuche as it hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that many more is the pytie hath separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue runne a straye beynge ledde and caried with euery waue and wynde of newe lernynge I purpose by Gods grace to open shortely to you what this churche is ☜ what maner of churche it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professynge one fayth of God and one vse of all the holy sacramentes whiche churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauyoure Iesus Christe it is moost derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent names as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum coelorum c. that is to saye The bodye misticall of Christe the spouse of Christe the kyngedome of heauen For S. Paule speakynge of Chryste fayth Ephes 4. That he hath appoynted sundry officers to maintayne the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the body of Christ And kynge Salomon taught by the holy ghost did forsee the dignitie and beutye of this holye churche and sayde in the name of GOD therebye Vna est columba mea perfecta mea That is to saye One is my dooue Cantic 4. and my perfyt one With many other such louyng wordes as my syster my spouse c. And saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue there wyues Ephes 5 euen as Chryst loued the churche Lykewyse in the holy Gospell our sauiour Chryste doth compare the churche to sondry thynges vnder the name of the kyngdome of heauē Math. 20 as vnto a king which made a maryage for his sonne sometymes to tenne Vyrgynes Math. 25 and many such other by al which names and callyngs we may lerne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and dearely beloued to almyghty God who for hys churche sake dyd giue hys onely sonne to most vyle death and for the which also he hath prepared the kyngdome of heauen Nowe forasmuche as we rede of an other churche in the holy scrypture which is called Ecclesia malignantium Psalm 25 The churche of the malingnant noughtye people And yet of late a great number of scismaticall persones being in verye dede members of thys malygnant churche haue vsurped to thē selues the name of the true churche I intende to gyue you sufficient instruction to dyscerne and know the true churche of Chryst from all hereticall and scysmaticall congregations Fyrst this holye and true churche of Chryst is called in our Crede as it is in dede the catholyke churche That is to saye the vniuersal church bycause it is not lurkyng in anye corner or any one country but is in all countryes dyspersed neyther is thys catholyke churche hid from vs or inuisible or vnknowen but we may easely dyscerne and know the same For christ doth call it Ciuitatem supra montem A citie vpon an hyll Math. 5.
And in the Gospell of Saynt Mathewe also teachynge the order of brotherly reconciliation he saythe Yf thy brother trespasse agaynst the go and tell him his faute betwene hym and the alone but yf he hear not the Math. 18 yet take with the one or two yf he heare not them than tell the churche Oh Lorde howe shall he tell the church yf it be not knowen as the euyll doo contende Lykewyse Saynt Paule speaking to the preystes and elders at Ephesus Actu 20. doth warne thē to take hede to them selues and to al the flocke amonge whome the holy ghost sayth he hath placed you to rule the churche of God Thus playnely the scrypture declareth that the catholyke churche is and oughte to be manyfestly knowen yet lest you should anye thynge doute of the vnderstandynge of these scryptures heare I besech you howe playnely Saynt Augustyne doth wryte hereof Sicut per uerba dei nouimus ubi sit plātatus paradisus sic per uerba Christi ubi sit ecclesia didicimus Contra Petil. lib 2. Cap. 13. As by the woordes of God we know wher paradyse was planted so by the woordes of Chryst we haue learned where the churche is Marke here good people that Saynt Austen in thys place doth write agaynst an heretike being one of the donatyste secte who denying the catholyke churche dyd ascrybe the fayth of chryst and al saluation to them selues onely being a smale parte of Aphrica lyke as all scismatical congregations in thys late tyme haue done some saying in germany here is Chryst here is the churche some in Heluetia here is christ here is the churche other in Bohem here is Christ here is the churche and we in Englande here is chryst and here is the churche Wherof euery one dyssentyng from an other and that in maters of great weyght doth declare that the spyryte of God which is the spirite of truth and vnitie promysed by Christ to the catholyke churche dothe not leade nor gouerne suche sectes neyther oughte they to mayntayne and set furth false doctryne to the people vnder the name of the churche yet sainte Austen in the same place addyth hys or rather gods threatnyng Ibidem saying Ab isto uniuerso ad partem quamlibet quisquis separat hominem ille diaboli filius homicida conuincitur Whosoeuer doth seperate one man frō thys whole to anye parte he is proued to be the sonne of the deuyl and a very manqueller Alas than in what heauy case are those that haue separate from the catholyke churche not one man onely but many thousandes surelye in heauye and miserable case vnlesse they doo speadelye and in due tyme repent and doo penance Moreouer to knowe more manyfestly the catholyke churche of Chryst we ought to consider what Saynte Paule wryteth of the foundation thereof For al scismatycall congregations though they grounde them selues apparantly vpon the holye scrypture yet haue they there profession seuerally taken of some noughty man as saynt Augustyne sayth They are called euery one by proper names August de uitilitate cred Cap. 7. whiche they dare not denye But the catholyke churche though heretykes haue named it papysticall yet receyued it neuer any other name but catholyke and chrystian but al mē that rede may se how gloriously some haue vsyd the name of Marchion Ebion Arrianus Manicheus Pelagius Donatus and in our tyme lykewyse the name of Luther Zwinglius Carolstadius wyth thousandes such other which hereticall fashion S. Paule doth rebuke in hys epystle to the Corinthyans who were euen in lyke case and bostyng vpon men sayd Ego Pauli Ego apollo I hold of Paule 1 Cor 3 and I of Apollo But the holy apostle rebuketh them saying As longe as there is amonge you enuying and stryfe or sectes are you not carnall So that euerye chrysten man and woman may playnely se by the scrypture that these hauynge suche diuision and sundrye sectes amonge them selues are by S. Paule accompted altogether carnal and farre vnworthy to vse the name of the churche whiche is the onely and chaste spouse of Christ Ephes 2 But of the catholyke churche saynt Paule sayth Now therfore ye are not straūgers and foreyners but you are citisens with the saynctes and of the housholde of God and are buylded vpon the foundation of the Apostles prophetes Iesus Chryst hym selfe being the heade corner stone And further bycause saynt Paule throughe the holy Ghost in him dyd forsee that all heretykes would callenge to them selfes the aucthoritie of the Apostles prophetes and that they wold with out authoritie or knowlege wraste theyr writinges euery one to there owne sense therefore this holy apostle Ephes 4 in the same epystle tellyth vs the order whych Chryst hath apoynted to be obserued in hys church for he sayth that Chryst ascending into heauen dyd gyue gyftes to men and that he made some apostles some prophetes some Euangelystes some shepardes and teachers declarynge thereby that in the catholyke churche there are orders and offycers some hyer some lower whom the rest ought both diligently to heare and humbly to obey So dyd the same S. Paul 1 Timot 4 Tit. 1 before hys death apoint Timothe to the offyce of a Byshoppe and also Tite he dyd leaue in Creta that he shoulde ordeyne prestes in euery citie whiche preistes and Byshoppes should not be dysdained or litle regarded as in this tyme of manye they are but they shoulde dooyng there duetie haue double honoure and faythfully gouerne the church Actuo 20 Tit. 2 as saint Paule sayeth And writyng to Tite he byddeth him exhort and rebuke with al feruentnes of commaūdyng by these places of the holy scrypture you may easely see and vnderstand that in the catholyke churche there are and ought to be degres and orders and that whosoeuer doth breake contemne or deny the same he denieth and forsaketh the verye truth and ordinaunce of Chryste and his Apostles Nowe further we oughte to consider that as S. Paule dyd ordeyne Timothe and Tyte yea and other byshoppes and Preistes in his tyme so they by his commaundement dyd in theyr tyme ordeyne other delyueringe also to them the doctryne whiche they haue receaued of Paule and by contynuall discurse of tyme euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vpper hande accordynge to Christes promyse Math. 16 neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll and wicked synners For Christ hym selfe Math 13 doth compare the churche to a nette caste into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at the ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by
forasmuche as the holye ghoste is the gouernour and ruler of the catholyke churche we ought there onely and in no other corner to serche the true vnderstandynge and dyscernynge of the scryptures And for this cause the aucient fathers were they neuer so godly and so wel learned yet woulde they neuer presume vpon theyr owne iudgementes but euer referred them selues to the vnderstandyng and interpretacion of the catholyke churche before them Therfore the godly lerned and ancient father Ireneus Ireneus li. 3 capi 4 wryting agaynste schismaticall heresyes sayeth thus Quid enim si qui de aliqua modica questione disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias c. that is to saye but what and yf there were contencion concerning some smal question were it not necessarye to returne to the mooste auncient churches and immediatly after he sayeth Quid autem si neque apostoli quidem scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt hijs quibus committebant Ecclesias What sayeth this holye father yf the Apostles had lefte to vs no scripture at all had it not bene necessarye to folowe the order of that tradition whyche they delyuered to those to whome they dyd bequethe the churche Alas good people howe farre are manye in these dayes gone from this olde and aunciēt rule this blessed martir here exhorteth or rather commaundeth that yf any small dyscorde thoughe it be in a matter of lytle importaunce doo chaunce that we woulde not accordyng to our fantasy iudge therein but though we haue no scripture for the same yet sayeth he we ought to folowe kepe and obserue the tradition of the aunciente churches Where as in these late dayes the impudente procedars haue taughte the zely people that euery man shoulde and may be a iudge of controuersyes and that we oughte to obserue no tradition nor ceremonye other than we fynde in the holy scrypture Of suche the same holy Ireneus dooeth speake thus after many other notable lessons to the same purpose Omnes autem hij decidunt a veritate Ireneus li. 4 Cap. 43. et heritici quidem alienum ignem afferentes ad altare dei id est alienas doctrinas a celesti igne conburentur c. All these sayeth he doo fal from the trueth and the heretykes truely bryngynge straunge fyre to the aulter of God that is to saye straunge doctrine shal be brent with the heuenly fyre With suche lyke threatnynges in the same place to those that disobey the authoritie of the churche Lykewyse sainct Augustyne speakynge of the baptysme of chyldren and howe that sacrament can profyte them seynge many die before they know the effecte of the same affyrmeth that the faythe of those that brynge the chylde to christenynge shall profyte the childe that is broughte but for his probacion August de li. arb lib. 3. Cap. 23. he bryngeth thys Hoc commendat ecclesie saluberrima authoritas This thynge the mooste holsome aucthoritye of the churche doethe commende And euen wyth lyke reuerence the same saincte Augustyne dooth many tymes submytte all hys iudgementes Epist 7. In proemio Li. 3. De. Tri. and woorkes to the catholyke churche And fynally to declare hys iudgemente concernynge the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche He saieth thus Ego vero Euāgelio nō crederem nisi me catholicae Ecclesiae commoueret authoritas that is to say Truely August contra epist Manich. Capi. 3 I would not beleue the Gospell onles that the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche dyd moue me thereto And we ought here to consyder that after the ascension of our sauioure Christe for the space of certayne yeares there was no gospell at all wrytten but all thynges concernynge the faythfull christians were ruled and gouerned by the dyscyples of Christ beyng than the heades of the church Afterwarde we rede that dyuers of the dyscyples of Christe dyd wryte Gospelles as sainct Bartylmew Nicodemus and an other Gospel was called Euangelium Nazareorum But the authorite of the churche dyd onely admitte those fower euangelistes which nowe the whole churche dooth retayne Whyche thing might well seme maruelous seynge that bothe saincte Bartylmew and Nicodemus were present and dyd see the woorkes of Christ and also dyd here hys doctryne where as sainct Luke dyd learne hys gospell of saincte Paule and other and so lykewyse dyd S. marke but hereby it dooeth moost playnly appere that the catholike churche onely hathe this hye aucthorite to dyscerne scriptures and that scriptures allowed by the church shoulde not be refused of anye particulare persons Nowe therefore seynge that the catholyke churche bothe hathe delyuered to vs the scripture and in all ages and tymes hath bene taken of all Godly lerned men for the true iudge thereof I exhort and beseche all you good christen people that in all doutes opinions and controuersies ye would resort to the holy churche and there learne what the same catholyke church hath beleued and taught from time to time concernynge doutes or controuersies and yf wyth lowly and meke hartes ye wyll so doo surely the holy ghoste wyll instructe you he wyll comforte you and he wyl leade you into al trueth But yf in suche case ye wil fly from the catholike church aske coūsell of your selues or of any that dooth swarue from the sayd churche than for so muche as the holy ghost is not your guyde you shall fall from ignoraunce to errour and from doutyng and dysputyng to playne heresy and so from one to another to the vtter confusion An other aucthoriti of the churche of bothe body and soule Yet beside this great authoritie of the churche whereof you haue hearde there is an other gyuen by God of mooste hye excellencye that is power to forgyue and pardon the penitent synner and to punishe and correcte the obstinate or frowarde synner which power and aucthorite Leuit. 13. as it was fygured in the preesthood of the olde lawe as in Iudgynge of leprose persons and in punyshynge to death those that did not obey the priest euē so is it giuen by our sauiour Christ in very dede Deut. 17. in the gospel to his Apostles and to all theyr successours For after that our sauioure hadde rysen from deathe he came amonges hys Apostles and brethed vpon them and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum dimiseritis peccata Iohn 20. dimittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt That is take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you shall forgyue they are forgyuen to them and whose synnes you doo retayne they are retayned Whyche aucthorite by playne woordes gyuen by Christ though some hath or doo contemne and set at noughte Ciril in Iohn Lib. 12. capi 20. yet saincte Cyrill byddeth them cease to merueyle that Christ should giue suche power for he sayeth Certe absurdum non est peccata remitti posse ab illis qui spiritum sanctum in seipsis habeant
and saint Paule at Rome saieth thus I thinke it not done without a great cause that in one day in one place and vnder on persecutoure they bothe dyd suffer In one daye for that they should come to Christ together In one place that neither of theym bothe shoulde be destitute of Rome and vnder one persecutoure that lyke cruelty should slaye them bothe The day was for their merite the place for theyr glory the persecutour for theyr vertue And in what place I praye you dyd they suffer martyrdome Euen in Rome whiche is the heade and chyefe citye of the worlde to the intente that where the head of superstition was there should rest the heade of holynes and where the prynces of the heathen did dwel there the princes of the churche shoulde lye Thus sayeth saint Ambrose wherevnto agreeth Egesippus Egesippus an auncyent wryter in his thyrde booke of the distruction of Hierusalem and lykewyse Dionisius Dionisius the byshop of Corinthe Corinth and Caius also whiche lyued in the dayes of zepherinus Sepherinus the Byshop of Rome as more at large appeareth in the .xxv. Chapiter of the foresayde seconde booke of Eusebius Eusebius Ecclesiasticall hystory Nowe that we haue in the homely goyng next before this declared that our sauioure dyd appoynt Saincte Peter to a greater and hygher offyce then he dyd any other of hys Apostles and haue in this homely intreated of the abode of saincte Peter and martyrdome at Rome we wyll consequentlye proue that the Byshoppes of Rome haue alwayes in the catholyke churche bene estemed iudged and taken for sainct Peters successours euen in that hys special and hyghest offyce and that to hym and thē by the wyll of God doeth appertayne the gouernement of Christes hole flocke on earthe And fyrste I wyll begynne wyth the aunciente Authour Ireneus Ireneus 3. Lib. aduersus hereses who in the thyrde Chapiter of hys thyrde booke agaynst heresyes doeth say that the church of Rome is the greatest the eldest and the best knowen of all churches and that it was foūded by the moost glorious Apostles Peter and Paule and that through the succession of the byshops of Rome frō sainct Peter vntyll hys tyme the trueth was deryued from hande to hande that it might there easely be foūde and had And herevpon he sayeth further these wordes Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatē necesse est omnem conuenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vbique fideles That is to saye For vnto this churche meanyng and poyntynge the sea of Rome for the more mighty principalty of it al the hole churche of Christ that is to saye all the faythfull where soeuer they be muste assemble or repayre vnto Augustinus And sainct Augustyne agreably herevnto doth in his .162 Epistle saye that in the churche of Rome the primacy of the Apostolike Sea did euer florishe And the same sainct Augustyne wrytinge agaynste one Petilianus whyche dyd blaspheme the sea of Rome as heretykes doo nowe a dayes doeth more ouer write in this maner Yf all the byshoppes of the worlde were suche men as thou dooest moost falsely reporte theim to be what hath the sea of Rome hurted the where Peter dyd syt and nowe Anastasius sytteth or what hath the sea of Hierusalem hurted the where Iames did sit and now at this presēt Ioannes dothe sit with whome we are in the catholike vnitie ioyned and from whome ye haue deuyded your selues in youre wycked rage or fury why doest thou cal the Apostolike sea the sea of pestilence If thou doo it for the mēs sake whō thou thinkest to preache the lawe and not to fulfyll the lawe dyd our sauiour I praye the any suche iniury to the sea or chaire of the scribes and Phariseis of whome he sayeth They say but they doo not c. Moreouer the holye Martyr sainct Cipriane in the thyrde Epistle Ciprianus of hys fyrste booke speakynge agaynste certayne whyche dyd disobey contempne Cornelius the byshoppe of Rome writeth in this maner Neque enim aliunde hereses oborte sunt aut nata sunt scismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei nō obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tēpus sacerdos et ad tempus iudex vice Christi iudicatur Cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas vniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotum collegium quicquam moueret That is to saye Of none other cause are heresyes spronge vp or scismes rysen than of this that the priest of GOD meanynge Cornelius the byshoppe of Rome is not obeyed and one is not taken in the churche to be the hyghe priest for the tyme and for the tyme in Christes stede a iudge or Christes vicar vnto whome yf the hole fraternitye were accordynge to Goddes commaundementes obediente no man woulde any thing moue or styrre agaynst the colledge or companye of priestes Sainct Augustyne also wrytynge agaynste the Epistle of a Maniche whyche Epistle is intituled Augustinus or called Fundamentum giueth to the sea of Rome a meruaylous prerogatyue and dothe buylde hys faythe amongest other thinges vpon the succession of the Byshoppes of Rome who after sainct Peter dyd folowe orderly euen to hys tyme whych was .300 yeres after Christe And he wryteth in this maner Multa sunt que me in ecclesie gremio iustissime tenent Tenet me consensio populorū atque gentiū tenet authoritas miraculis inchoata spe nutrita charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suas post resurrectionē suam dominus commendauit vsque ad presentem episcopatum successio sacerdotum That is to saye there are many thinges which of very good reason doo kepe me in the lawes of the catholyke churche The consent of so manye people and nations or cuntries dothe kepe me the authoritie of the churche begon with myracles nourysshed with hope encreased with charitye and confyrmed with antiquitye doeth kepe me the succession also of bysshoppes from sainct Peter the Apostles seat or tyme to whome oure Lorde dyd after his resurrection commyt hys shepe to be fedde vnto this presēt Bishopricke meanyng Rome doeth kepe me in the catholyke churche Sainct Hierom also in his Epistle to Damasus doeth set fourthe very notably Hieronimus the primacye and supremitye of the byshoppe of Rome as beyng sainct Peters successours and amongest other thynges he sayeth thus Si quis cathedrae Petri iungitur meus est That is to saye Yf any man be ioyned to Peters chayre or hold of Peters seat meaning the sea of Rome he is myne and I receyue and ioyne wyth hym Ambrosius Sainct Ambrose also in his thyrd booke of the sacramētes and in the fyrst Chapiter doth say thus Ecclesia Romana hanc consuetudinem non habet cuius tipum in omnibus sequimur That is to saye the churche of Rome whose forme or trade we doo
substaunce of bread is turned into the substaunce of Christes bodye and so muste all men beleue that wyll be lyuely members of the catholyke churche and in that there belefe they muste honoure the bodye and bloude of oure sauioure Christe in the sacramente of the Aultare as alwayes christen people haue vsed to doo Saincte Austin in hys exposition made vpon the .99 Psalme S. Augustine vpon the .99 Psalme sayeth that it is synne not to honoure the bodye of Christe meanynge in the Sacramente of the Aultare And as it is before in thys Homily alledged he also sayeth in the name of all men We doo honoure vnder the fourmes of breade and wyne whyche we se the bodye and bloude of Christe whyche we do not see Wherefore good christen people knowing nowe what is the ryght belefe touchynge the Sacramente of the aultare embrace and folowe the same and cleaue faste to the catholyke churche the spouse of Chryste that you maye be true members of Christe to whome wyth the father and the holye Ghoste be all honoure and glorye worlde wythoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London ¶ An Homily wherein is aunswere made to certayne common obiections agaynst the presence of Christes bodye and bloude in the sacramente of the Aultare MEte it were dearely beloued in our sauioure Christ that we all should so fully wholy cleaue to the faith of Christes catholike church that no appearaūce of reasō to the cōtrari therof shoulde cause vs once to doute or stagger in any part part of the same For such a kinde of faith doth God requyre of vs and for suche kynde of faythe good christen people are in scripture called Abrahās children Roma 4 which Abraham as it is wrytten in the fourth to the Romaynes cōtrary to hope beleued in hope that he should be the father of many nations accordynge to that which was spokē So shal thy sede be And he fainted not in the faith nor yet cōsidered his owne bodi which was now dead euen when he was almost an hundred yeare olde nether yet that Sara was paste chylde bearynge he staggered not at the promyse of god through vnbelefe but was strōg in the faith and gaue honor to god fully certified that what he had promysed the same he was able to make good Yf we then wil be the childrē of Abraham we muste not faynt in faith nor consyder gods woordes after the course of nature Saint Paule in the .x. 2. Corin. x. chapiter of his seconde epistle to the Corinthians geueth vs an example in hym selfe howe we shoulde alwayes brynge reason in subiection to faithe sayng The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to ouerthrowe stronge holdes to destroy counselles and euery hyghe thynge that exalteth it selfe agaynste the knowledge of God and to brynge in captiuitye vnto the seruyce of Christe all vnderstandinge What thinke you is the cause why the Iewes beleue not on Christe Verely fyrste because he was borne of a Vyrgyn which is contrary to the course of nature Secondly lykewyse he was in vnitie of person God man whyche how it may be no mans wyt is able by natural power to conceaue thyrdly because he beyng God and man suffered the death of the crosse which for God to be content to do semeth to naturall reason a thynge moost absurde but good christen folke geuyng place to faith do most vndoutedly beleue on Christ God mā crucified according to that S. Paule writeth in his fyrste Chapter of his fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians i. Corin. 1. saying We preache Christ crucifyed to the Iewes a stumblyng blocke to the gentels a folishnes but to so many of the iewes gētels as ar called Christ the power wysedome of God And agreably here vnto he sayeth also in the nexte Chapiter folowynge My talke my preaching was not in the persuasible woordes of mans wysedome but in shewynge of power and of the spyryte that youre faythe should not rest in the wisedome of man but in the power of God This generall aduyse and counsel of S. Paule may and ought so to staye vs in the faythe of the catholyke churche that nether carnall reasons grounded vpon the feble intelligence of mans natural wyt nether the deceatfull iudgement of oure senses shoulde make vs once to doute of any one trueth in Christes religiō were it neuer so contrarye to the course of nature neuer so farre aboue our capacities and neuer so absurde to the appearaunce of our outwarde senses But forasmuch as throughe the iniquitie of these later euyll yeares dyuers haue hadde sondrye fonde dowtes and scruples put into theyr heades especyally agaynst the presence of Christes body bloude in the Sacrament of the aultare and throughe such dowtes haue swarued from the true belefe therein therefore here shall folowe aunsweres and solutyons to such dowtes as haue ben most commen that from henceforthe no man shall nede to be seduced by them or other lyke Obiection ¶ Fyrst it hath bene obiected that our sauiour Christ immediatlye after that he had instituted and delyuered to his Apostles the sacramente dyd say vnto them Do this in remembraunce of me Vppon which wordes some haue concluded that the bodye of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacramente ¶ But let vs duely waye the wordes Aunsvvere and meaning of the same and we shall moost plainly perceaue theyr erroure and mysvnderstandyng Saincte Paule in hys fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Corin. xi and in the .xi. chapter of the same Epistle intreating of the institution of the Sacrament of the aultare and ther openynge the true sense of that commaundemente of Christ saythe in this maner As oft as you eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe you shal shew forthe the Lordes death vntil he come So then the remembraunce whyche oure sauioure there requyreth of vs is the remembraunce of hys death which is past and not presente and therefore after most proper maner of speache may well be remembred Now this remembraunce can in no wyse possibly be so lyuely and so effectually worke in oure hartes as when we most certenly beleue that in the sacrament of the aultare is veryly the selfe same body in substaunce which died for vs and therfore the Prophet Dauid foreseyng in spirit this so excellēt a memorye sayeth in hys .cx. Psalme Psal 110. Oure mercyfull gratious Lord hath made a memory of all his merueylous workes and by by declaring in what maner he maketh that memory he addeth those woordes he hathe geuen a foode to suche as feare him This fode which the Prophet sayeth that Christ should leaue in remembraunce of al his maruelous workes that is of his incarnatiō his passion his ascension and glorye in heauen and other lyke workes moost chiefely is to be verifyed of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe in the sacramente of