most louely desire toward vs he hath suffered him selfe not only to be sen of such that longeth after him but also to be towched to be eateÌ„ and also there teth to be set in to his fleshe that they al might be satisfyed wyth the desyre or loue of hym ✿ By these wordes of Crisostome we may redely perceaue that these wordes of Iob were a very prophicie of the blessed sacrameÌ„t The which prophicye Christ hath fullfyllyd in that he hath fulfylled this request of Iobes seruantes sufferyng and permyttyng vs hys seruantes to be satisfyed of hys fleshe not by fayth onlye but as Crysostome sayth in that we eate and set oure teath in to hys fleshe ✿ Next vnto Iob I place the prophet Malachie who after that he had rebuked in the voyce of God the olde ieweshe sacrafyces and auaricie as well of the prestes as of the people shewynge them howe they had poluted the name of God in that they had offered poluted breade vpon the aulter of God sayd Mala. 1. ✿ I haue no mynd or wyll toward you neather wyl I receaue any offeryng at your handes from the east vnto the weast my name is great among the heatheÌ„ And in euery place a clene pure sacrifi ce or oblatioÌ„ is sacrificed and offered vnto my name for my name is great amoÌ„g the heatheÌ„ sayth our lorde of hoostes ✿ This sacryfice that the prophete speaketh of in this place can be none other then the blessed sacrifice of the aulter For there is no man beynge of meane lernynge iudgement that wyll vnderstande it of any of the sacryfices of the old lawe of Moyses But rather wyl vnderstaÌ„de it thus That the holy ê“phete ê“phicied the ende of al the imperfect carnall sacrifices of the leuiticall lawe and the institucyon of one moost perfect and holy sacrifice of the bodye and bloode of Christ But here a subtyl sacrameÌ„tarie wyll saye that this prophecie ought to be vnderstand of the oblacyon only that was made vpon the crosse But this maner of vnderstandynge wyll not stande with the veritie of the letter For that oblacyoÌ„ made on the crosse was offered but in one place only and that was vpon the mounte of caluarie But the sacrifice that the prophete speaketh of here as he sayth shulde be offered and sacrificed in euery place sygnifyenge with out doubt the sacrifice of the aulter sacrificed euery where in the churche of Christe whyche is the very bodye and bloode of Christ Now by cause that Christ shulde seclude and abrogate the olde and imperfect sacrifyces of the leuitical lawe and shulde set one mooste purest ê‘fect and sempiternall sacrifice of his bodye blood in place as the end and perfectioÌ„ of the former sacrifices therfore the ê“phet called the blessed sacrament a pure and a cleane sacrifyce offered in euery place vnto his name Certaynly thys could not be so pure clene a sacrifice that it shuld be preferred and set in place of al the other mosaicall sacrifices yf it were nothynge els then bare bread For the deuout fatheres of the olde testament dyd offer vp as pure as cleane bread and as deuoutly as we do And then also shulde the bread of proposition in the mosaycall temple haue ben as cleane and as pure a sacrifice as is the sacrament Yf it were so theÌ„ what neadeth the exchang and permutacyon Wherefore we must nedes vnderstande in this sacrifice the presens of the blessed mooste pure and immaculate bodye and blood of Christ sacryfised and offered vp in the blessed sacrament vnto the name of god euery where But yet a craftye herytike wyll vnderstande or rather wreast this ê“phecye vnto the oblacyon or sacrifice of faith of prayer and of al other godli dedes That can not be so after Luthers opinioÌ„ for al our good dedes with him are synfull whyche is a detestable heresye wherfore diligent reader remeÌ„ber wel that the ê“phete in these his wordes doth ê“myse here that a sacrifice shulde come that shulde succede in the place of the olde mosaical sacrifices whom he rebuked as vncleane but the sacrifice caÌ„not be fayth prayer eather such other good dedes For these were not ordeyned to take the place of the old sacrifices for these were vnder the old law sacrifices who doubteth but that the old faithful fathers offered vp busilie mooste perfect faith most deuote prayers godly dedes innumerable wherfore it is manyfest that this prophecie was spoken ment of the blessed sacrament whiche yf it were but onely bread as I haue sayde it cold not be the pure cleane sacrifice that the ê“phete promyseth here Bycause therfore that it coÌ„tayneth the very immaculate pure bodye blood of Christ therfore it is the pure cleane sacrifice which is offered iÌ„ euery place bycause the name of Christ is great amoÌ„ge the heatheÌ„ Yet least our obstinate aduersaries myght say that these auctorites of scripture be to farre fet to geue any euident profe of the real presens of the body of Christ in the holy sacrameÌ„t â–ª we wyll therfore bring in to coÌ„firme ratifie this verytie more euydeÌ„t more playner testymonies of the scripture And we call fyrst to record with vs the wordes of the ê“mise that our sauyour Christ had vnto his disciples writteÌ„ in the sixt of saynt Iohan wher christ most playnly made this ê“mise Ioh. 6. And the breade sayth he that I wyl geue it is my fleshe for the life of the world And in the same chap My fleshe sayth he is verely meate my blod is verely driÌ„ke But the iÌ„uincible streÌ„gth of this place of scripture the gret craftie subtil wyt of herytikes wold fayne escape by a false glose rather by an opeÌ„ly and manifest lye sayng that our maister christ meÌ„t nothiÌ„g in these wordê of the blessed sacrameÌ„t Where I wold the christane reader shuld wel way coÌ„sider diligeÌ„tly for the true intellection of this place howe this place of the scripture hath ben vnderstaÌ„ded of the churche of Christ who is only the true interpreter of the scryptures and not to geue credens to rashely vnto the erronyus expositours very corruptures of the scriptures as are al suche Iewyshe Caphernaites and obstinate sacramentaries whiche are voyd of the trueth lackyng the spirite of Christe by cause that they are seperated frome the churche by theyr detestable herysies But rather leaue vnto the exposition vnderstaÌ„ding of the catholike church of the lyuiÌ„g god which is as saiÌ„t Paul sayth 1. Tim. 3. the pyller grouÌ„d of veritie trueth How the church hath vnderstande it froÌ„ the begynnyng we shal soue gather perceaue by the auÌ„cieÌ„t catholyke wryters interpÌ„tours Who wryt in theyr tyme not contrarye vnto the churche but as the holy goost instructed them speciallye Clemens in libro 10. recognÌ„ Ad Iaco. fratreÌ„ dnÌ„i Oportet ab eo intelligentiam discere scriptutaruÌ„ qui eam a maioribê° secundum veritatem sibi
stormes and tempestes of heresyes that the dyuell hath araysed specially agaynst the blessed sacrament of th aulter as well by the vehemeÌ„t stormes of pestilent bokes as also by the venemous wyndes and blastes of secrete deuelyshe doctrines Wher â—â—e I shall mooste hartely desyre the christian reader yf he be lerned of hys moost gentle charitable censure iudgement And yf eather letter eather worde hath escaped me or the printer as there hath some let the same with his penne gentlye correct it Yf he be vnlerned let hym take the frutes and commodities there of gyuyng the prayse and thankes ther of to God bycause I haue laboured it cheftly for him And yf the same shal fynd any worde or sentence here that semeth vnto hym obscure or darke let the same iuge that eather suche wordes hath escaped me vnwarelye eather that I could not openlye and conueniently set suche matter so breuely in playner sentence And for as muche as an order in thinges not onelye delyghteth the beholder as the bewty therof but also makyng the matter more sensible and playne it causeth the reader to beare awaye and retayne the better that whyche he hathe redde therfore haue I here set forth breuely the order that I haue taken in the proces of thys rude thynge Where the cristiane reader shall vnderstande that the former part of the fyrst Sermon she wyth that the admyrable workes of god were wrought of God to manyfest the glorye of hys synguler power and to buylde faythe in vs. And vppon thys grounde I haue proued the possibilitie of the myracles wrought by God in the blessed sacrament of the Aulter by the other myraculous workes that the scripture telleth vs to haue ben wrought by the power of God And bycause we beleue suche myracles and yet se theÌ„ not we ought also of lyke reason to beleue the myracles in the holy sacrameÌ„t thoughe we se them not bycause that the scripture affyrmeth them to be trewe and sayth in the voyce of Christ Thys is my bodye For vppon the veritie of these wordes dependeth the veritie of all the other myracles wroughte in the blessed sacrament And fynally I do applye the myracles of the blessed sacrament vnto the other myracles of God to shewe them to be of equal possibilitie and impossibilitie ✿ In the seconde Sermon I haue fyrste declared certayne fygures of the olde lawe to appertayne vnto the sacrament And then I haue brought in dyuers places of scripture to proue that thynge to be so in dede which I shewed in the fyrste sermon possible For lyke as I shewed in the former sermon the reall presens of Christes bodye in the sacrament wyth al the myracles possible by the other myraculous workes of God so do I in this sermon proue it by the scriptures to be sâ— of a treuth ✿ In the thyrd I haue set in place fyrste the promyses that Christe made vnto the Churche Wherof I haue iustlye collected that standynge the veritie of those promyses that thyng muste nedes be of infallible truthe the whych the churche hath beleued and taught so many hundred yeres In the seconde place I haue brought in the conselles after them the testimonies of the auncient wryters to proue that the churche hath alwaye retayned this same fayth of the sacrament that we now do hold syth the apostles tyme. Yet here I haue not recyted al the wryters of al tymes for who can so do but I haue selected chosen onely such as I haue thought of moost antiquitie and auctoritie and that from .vii. or .viii. hundred yeares vpwarde and haue not mencioned neather alleged any that writ within these vii huÌ„dred yeres bycause that they are in maner innumerable and moost of theÌ„ so familiar that theyr faythe in thys matter is very manyfest vnto the meane learned Thyrdlye I haue answered to the moost comeÌ„ reasons that semed vnto me mooste strongest that are made for the contrarie And where I haue not handeled thys moost excellent mystery of our faâ—th wyth so exquisite lerning and exacte iugement as a man of greate lytterature and learnynge wolde haue done I shall moost humblye and hertelye desyre the christian reader to esteme and waye not howe homelye base and rude thynge is here coÌ„pyled but rather to iuge from howe syncere mynde and good wyl it hath proceded and to what ende and intent I thus enterprysed to dyuulgate and set it forth where in I haue sought chefly the settyng forth of the syncere and catholyke faythe of the churche of Christe and the spirituall lucre and gayne of my christiane brother to the honour of almyghty god Vnto whome be immortall glorye laude and prayse worlde with out ende Amen ij Petri vltimo ¶ VOS fratres prescientes custodite ne insipientium errore traducti exidatis a propria firmitate ¶ A Prayer vnto the Sacrament in the Masse tyme. O Moost myghtyfull Lorde and moost mercyfull redemer and sauiour Iesu sonne of the eternall lyuing god which of thyne own nature beyng most inuisible and immortall hast of thyne ineffable mercy and incomparable beninguitie vouchsafe in the ende of the worlde to appere visibly vnder the garment of our frayle temporal nature amoÌ„gest mortall men by moost mortall passion paynfull death hast redemed vs mortal synners froÌ„ the perpetuall death mortal dampnation of hell For the merytes of thy paynfull death preserue vs by thy special grace thys day euermore froÌ„ the daunger of al mortall offence And moost blessed byshop our hyghe preest which hast moost deuoutly offered visibly vpoÌ„ the crosse by death thys thy moost blessed bodye moost pretious bloode for our redemption hast also most gratiously ordayned the very same reall and naturall bodye and blood to be offered of thy catholyke churche inuisibly in the blessed sacrameÌ„t as a memorye of the crewell oblation made vpon the crosse vntyll that thou shalt come to iugemeÌ„t Vouchsafe most gratious God that thys blessed sacrifice of thy bodye blood nowe offered vnto the in the blessed sacrament maye be in the vertue merites of thy blessed death increase of grace vertue in the good and strength vnto the frayle purchase of repentauÌ„ce vnto synners helpe and comfort both to quycke and deade And mooste louynge sheparde of oure soules which of thy moost intyre loue haste bestowed thy precyous lyfe for vs thy wreched waÌ„dering shepe vouchsafe gracious good keper of our soules to colect to gather to gether in to one syncere fayth catholyke all christiane people colected together good lorde rayle inclose them stroÌ„gly within thy churche catholyke wyth the rayle of louelye godly feare that they straye not neyther in belefe neyther in lyfe good Lorde oute of thy swete pastures of syncere fayth and Godlynes And suche as are astraye deuyded froÌ„ thy flocke by error or herysye moost petyful pastor drawe and force them out of the blynde hedges of herysye and forth of
traditam etnat in so weyghtye a matter And we maye be sure that the churche hath alwaye the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of the scripture for as muche it is alwaye gouerned by the spirite of veritie Wherfore the expositions of suche catholyke and auncient wryters are to be thought of muche more trueth then are the false newe fangled expositions of those that wyth theyr gaye gloses confoundeth the text and swarueth from the whole churche of Christ The auncient wryters vniformely doth vnderstande this place of saynt IohnÌ„ to be ment of the blessed sacrament as you shall see that lysteth to reade and can iudge in theyr workes And for the trial hereof I shal recyte here some of the mooste auncient of them Origenes super numeruÌ„ Homilia 7. Origene wrytyng vpon the nuÌ„bers allegeth the same texte of S Ioh. vnderstandyng it of the holy sacrameÌ„t whose wordê be these ✿ Those thyngê that were done before were done obscurelye but nowe are they in theyr owne nature and veritie accomplished before baptisme was obscurely in the cloude and in the sea but nowe the generation is in the own nature in water the holy goost Then was the meate obscurely iÌ„ maÌ„na but now it is in the owne nature and the fleshe of the sempiternall worde of God is very meate accordyng as Christ said My flesh is verely meate and my bloode is verely drinke Crisostome also sayth vpoÌ„ the .vi. of s IohnÌ„ in this wyse Ioh. 6. Crisostâ—Ì„e in IoheÌ„z ✿ Christe sayth he in these wordes I am the bread of lyfe spake of the breade of hys diuinite or Godhed but by and by he wyl entreate of the mysteries sygnifinge the sacrameÌ„t for so doth Criosostome cal it Yet First he here disputith of his diuinitie sayng I am the breade of lyfe For this was not spoken of that body of whom about the ende of this chapter he speaketh of sayng And the bread that I wyl geue it is my fleshe For the diuiniâ—ie of him was bread bycause it was god the worde or the second person in trinitye euen as this bread is made by coÌ„myng therunto of the holy ghost the celestiall bread Now be holde good reader how diligently apertly Criosostome maketh distinctioÌ„ and puttyth differeÌ„s betwene the wordes that were spoken of the diuinitie of Christ and the wordes that Christe spake appertayning-vnto his bodye vnder the mysterie of the holy sacrament And sayth that from these wordes in the syxt of saint IohnÌ„ And the bread that I wyl geue it is c. and so vnto the ende of the chaptre Christ speaketh of the blessed sacrament Nowe where our peruerse herytikes denyeth that anye worde in this chapter apperteynyth or was ment of the sacrament they haue here Crisostome an auncient wryter ther aduersarie who expoÌ„dith the latter part of thys chapter vnderstandyng it of the blessed sacrament Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z Cyrill vpon saynt IohnÌ„ declaryng the vi chap. vnderstandyth it also of the blessed sacrament whom he nameth the misticall benedictyon and saythe vpon thse wordes of Christ Except you eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his blood you shall haue no lyfe in you ✿ And how he wyll geue sayth Cyrill hys fleshe to be eaten he teachith them not for thei cold not perceaue yet how greate benefites they sholde obtayne yf they eate it in faythe He declareth ones or twyse that by the loue and desyre of eternall lyfe they myght be forced vnto faythe whereby they myghte be the easelyer and soner taught For thus sayth Esaie the prophete Yf you wil not beleue you shal not vnderstaÌ„d Wherfore it was neccesarye firste to radicate faith in the mynde and theÌ„ to aske the thynges that a man ought to seke and enquyre But they before they beleued inquired and asked importunely For thys cause oure Lorde howe it shulde come to passe dyd not declare but exhorted theÌ„ to enquire it by fayth But wheÌ„ his disciples had firme fayth then he brake breade and gaue them saynge Take eate this is my body the cuppe also he gaue aboute saynge Drynke of thys al this is the cuppe of my blood that shal be shede in remission of synnes Nowe thou ê‘ceauist that he declared not the difficultie of the misterie vnto them askyng without faythe But when they had faythe he declared vnto them without askyng These are Civil wordes ✿ Saynt Cipriane Ciprianê° suê‘ orationem dominicam the martir expouÌ„ding the pater noster vpoÌ„ this peticioÌ„ Gyue vs this day our dayly bread saythe Christ whose body we do touche is our cottidiane bread this bread we do desire to be geuen to vs euery day lest we that are in the church do receyue oft times the holy sacrameÌ„t of the aulter for the bread of our helth by anye great or notorius cryme abstainiÌ„g seperated froÌ„ the celestial bread shuld be seperated froÌ„ the bodi of christ he pÌ„achiÌ„ge warning vs him selfe I am the bread of lyfe that came frome heauen yf anye eate of this he shal liue euer The bread that I wyll geue it is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world Then where he sayth that he shall lyue euer that eateth that bread it is manyfest that he speaketh of them that toucheth Hyllarii de trinita te lib. 8. his body And after the maner of coÌ„munion receyuith the blessed sacrament ✿ Hillarie in his eight boke De trinitate vnderstandith this sixt chapter of IohnÌ„ to be spoken of the sacrament and so doth he allege it I wold haue brought in saint Augustine with manye moo holy wryters but the breuenes of a sermon wyll not suffer so longe matter Wherefore I refer the reader vnto saynt Augustines fyrst boke against Cresconium the .xxv chapter also to the fyrst boke De precatoruÌ„ meritis et Remissione the .xxx. and .xxiiij. chapters and vnto many other of his workes wherin he playnly declareth him selfe to vnderstand this syxt chapter of IohnÌ„ of the blessed sacrament And so doth all the catholyke wryters vpon the scriptures take and vnderstande vniformely thys place of scrrpture For they expound interpret the same of the blessed sacrament Vnto whose expositioÌ„s any cristyane man yf he be not besydes hym selfe wyll geue more credite then vnto the erronyous and false gloses of blasphemus apostataes frome Christes fayth For in such serious matters of the fayth Augustinê° post Yre Eligo in bis verbis hoc intelligere quod oiÌ„s vel pe ne oiÌ„s frequeÌ„tat ecclesia the fathers wold neither flater neither faine but in the feare of God speake the verite of scrypture accordyng as they beleued to be the truthe theyr conscience berynge wytnesse Whose fayth vnderstaÌ„ding was none other but the fayth and the vnderstanyng of the churche of Christ which cold not erre Wherefore firmely staÌ„deth the veritie of thys text maketh most euidently for the real presens of the body and blod of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t by cause
hym that is omnipotent and Lorde of nature it is possible For he can alter nature when hym pleaseth and do wonderfull thynges innumerable that infynytely transendeth the blynd reason of man of the which thynges this is one Where in God hath altered and changed the course of nature and that in such sorte that it passeth the compasse of mannes reason to knowe or tell howe Yet is it is very trew and possible vnto him that sayd these wordes when he ministered the sacrament This is my body as I haue declared in the former two sermones In the fyrst by the lyke myraculous workes of God lefte vnto vs reported in the scripture And it is not onely possyble but also it is in verye dede as I haue declared in the second sermon bothe by the fygures of the old testament and also by the plaine scriptures of the new testament And in the thyrd sermon I haue confyrmed the same fyrste by promyse of Christ made vnto the churche secondly by the faythe of the churche contynued from the apposteles tyme. And for the confyrmacyon of the same I haue brought in the conselles and also the testymonyes of the mooste classical and auntient wryters froÌ„ .vii. C. yeres vpwarde vnto the appostles tyme lastly I haue thus as thou haste redde answered vnto suche of the argumentes and reasons that are made to the contrarye as semed mooste craftye and lykely ConteÌ„ted to make answere but to these few For yf that I shulde haue answered to all theyr folyshe reasons the folly of them wolde haue yrked the reader and I shulde haue exceded in prolixite the length of a sermoÌ„ Yet by these the diligent reader maye wel perceaue the great blyndnes of theÌ„ that setteth forth so boldly suche fonde folyshe reasons as though they were as strong as Achylles And yet are they verey naked of no force or strenghe Here maye you also perceaue and lament howe lytle stabylyte and slender fayth is in them that wyth suche slender reasons and fond persuacyons wyll be broughte frome the catholyke fayth of the vnniuersall churche vnto so horrible and detestable herises vnto the vtter extreme perditioÌ„ of ther soules Excepte they forsake theyr herises and returne by penauÌ„ce vnto the churche catholyke confessynge one faythe one veryte one truth The whyche that they may do I beseke the father omniotent graunte vnto theÌ„ the grace of the holy goost for the merites of his sonne Iesus vnto whom be al honor glory worlde euerlastynge I had not thought to haue answered to any mo of theyr vnresonable reasons then to thys one that I haue answered euen nowe but so to haue lefte those bablynge brawlers wyth theyr fonde and foolyshe brablymentes But bycause that the Prynter shewed me that he lacked matter to furnyshe fullye the laste leffe Therfore I thought to fyll that which wanted with this reason the answere The reason ✿ Howe can that be the bodye of Christe God and man sythe that a mouse or ratte wyll eate it the fyer doth burne it Al these thinges happeneth vnto the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter therfore it can not be the very bodye of Christe ¶ I answere That thoughe the mouse The answere or any other beast do eate the sacrament yet neuerthelesse the same is the very reall bodye of Christe Why then wyll you saye the mowse eateth the bodye of Christe whyche semeth inconuenient we graunt that the sacrament wherin is the very bodye of Christe is eaten of the mowse yet that blessed body is not digested and consumed in the mawe or stomacke neather is it altered after suche maner in the bodye of the eater whether it be mowse or man as other oure corruptible meates are For so longe remayneth the presens of the blessed bodye as the qualities of breade remayne where euer those qualities be Whether they be in the mouthe or stomake and when nature altereth the qualities of the sacrameÌ„t then leaueth the presens of the bodie of Christ those qualities so altered from theyr nature But what though the bodye of Christe eaten in the sacrameÌ„t lye in the mawe of a beast Playnlye it is no derogatioÌ„ to the verye presens of the bodie of Christ no more then yf that same blessed bodie shulde be trodden vnder the feete in the vyle dyrte For that mercyfull Lorde Christ suffered that blessed bodye to be torne and crucyfied of the crewell soldiers for our sake and yet that blessed passyon dyd not dyrogate the veritie of that blessed bodye And loke as that blessed bodye receaued of anherityke or of an vnpenitent synner is nothyng the lesse the very bodye of Christe Though it be receaued of such ê‘sons vnto theyr dampnation Euen so I say thoughe a mouse or any beast do eate it yet is it neuerthelesse the very bodye of Christe Though it neyther profyth neather disê“fyteth the vnreasonable beast which is not apt to dampnation or saluation by cause they lackynge reason wyll can not do good nother euyl Then you wyl replie and saye that the mouse may lyue by eatynge the sacrament I graunt she may Not by cause that bodye is digested and conuerted in to her fleshe but as I shewed in my fyrste sermon by cause that the qualities of bread and wyne in the blessed sacrament miraculously do norishe the eater as well as though the substance of bread were there Where ye say of the burnynge therof and mouldynes or any suche corruptyons To this I say that suche actions are executed and wrought in the sacramentall qualites of bread and wyne yet remayneth the very bodye blood of Christe vnderneath those accidental qualytes so longe as the qualytes remayne and yet that bodye of Christe is vnharmed vnburnt vncorrupte for that blessed bodye is now glorified is in corruptyble and impassible ¶ HEC est fides catholica quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque seruauerit absque dubio ineternum peribit ¶ Imprynted at London in S. IohnÌ„s strete by Nycolas Hyll at the costes and charges of Robert Toye dwellynge in Paules churche yarde at the signe of the Bell.