you selfe M. Watson Coloss 1. He is not ashamed to saye thus grounding his wordes vpon Saint Paule to the Colossians Vbi est secundum Apostolum ministerium quod absconditum fuit a saeculis c. Where is according to the saying of the Apostle the ministerie that hath bene hid since the beginning of generations and is nowe opened to his saintes vnto whome God would make knowne the ryches of the glorie of this sacrament among the Gentiles which sacrament is Christ the hope of glorie Where saint Paule hath sayde Mysterium the misterie or hid secret Cluniacensis sayth Ministerium the ministerie And where Paule sayth Qui est Christus Cluniacensis sayth Quod est Christus which sacrament is Christ For immediatly before he had sayde Sacramentum in place of Mysterium The sacrament in place of the mistery And all this is to make men beléeue that saint Paule wryting to the Colossians had taught them that the sacrament of Christes body is Christ himselfe Much such matter is manifest in your Cluniacensis I estéeme his aucthoritie therefore euen as I estéeme youres And so I doe estéeme those notable wryters which at this daye doe terme our Religion by the name of Mahumets sect For whatsoeuer they or you say or wryte we are well able to proue that we hold the true and catholike fayth which was taught by the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the foundation thereof With the Prophets we beleue the promise of God concerning the sending of his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe that in the fleshe he might satisfie for the sinnes of all his elected and chosen children And with the Apostles we beleue that he is come and hath by one sacrifice once offered satisfied for al their sinnes that be of that number And that there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne Hebr. 10. And that the Church of Christ is bound continually to offer vnto God a sacrifice of thanks for this so great and frée redemption by the sacrifice of his owne onely begotten sonne And that this sacrifice of thankes is our obedience in walking in those good workes that God hath prepared for vs to walke in This is not to prepare a way for the Turkes to ouerunne all as you say it is But this is to be at defiaunce both with Turke and Pope But for the auoyding of these absurdities WATSON Diuision 11. and for suche causes as I shal God wylling declare hereafter I presuppose this foundation of christes body to be really present in the blessed sacrament to be stedfastly beleeued of vs all vpon the which I builde all that remayneth now to be sayde Which foundation although it hath beene vndermined of many men and many wayes therfore requireth a full and perfite treatise to be made of it alone yet as I intende not to occupie all this time in that so I maye not well so slenderly leaue it that hath bene so much and often assaulted but shall declare the summe of that moueth me to continue still in that truth I was borne in to keepe still that fayth I was baptised in and put on Christ which fayth seing it is vniuersall if I should leaue it I should forsake Christ and be an heretike not folowing that forme of doctrine I receyued of my fathers and they of theirs from the beginning but chosing my selfe a newe waye and newe maysters that please me being so condemned by mine owne conscience and iudgement which is the very propertie and definition of an heretike CROWLEY The obsurdities ye speake of we haue something touched alreadie The other causes that moue you we minde by Gods help to saye somewhat to when you shall declare them But in the meane while let vs sée the summe of that which moueth you to continue still in that fayth you were baptised in c. WATSON Diuision 12. There be three things that holde mee in this faith the manifest and plaine scripture the vniforme aucthorities of holy men and the consent of the vniuersall Church These three be the argumentes that a christen man may stick vnto and neuer be deceaued specially if they be knit and ioyned togither concerning one matter but if they be seperate then some of them be but weake staffes to leane vnto As for example the scripture without the consent of the church is a weapon as meete for an heretike as for a catholike for Arius Nestorius and such other Heretikes did alledge the scripture for their opinions as the catholikes did but their alledging was but the abusing of the letter which is indifferent to good and euill and deprauing of the true sense which is onely knowne by the tradition and consent of the catholike church so that the one without the other is not a direction but a seduction to a simple man bicause the very scripture in deede is not the bare letter as it lyeth to be taken of euery man but the true sense as it is delyuered by the vniuersall consent of christes church Lykewise the writings and sayings of the fathers if they be but the minde of one man without the consent of other were he neuer so well learned and vertuous otherwise yet his wrytings I say in that point be not a confirmation for an ignoraunt man to holde him in the truth but a temptation to seduce him and pull him from the truth The consent of the Church is alwayes a sure staffe the verie piller of truth whether it bee in things expressed in the letter of the scripture or in things deliuered vnto vs by tradition of the Apostles He that holdeth him by this staffe can not fall in faith but stande in truth The thrée staues that you saye you leane vnto CROWLEY are very good stayes such as a man may be bold to trust vnto especially as you haue wel said when they be knit and ioyned togither concerning one matter But if they be seuered then some of them be but weake staues to leane vnto Hitherto you haue said very wel But when amōgst these thrée staues you make the consent of the Church onely to be the sure staffe and the scriptures and sayings of learned and godly fathers without the consent of the Church to be but a seduction or tentation to seduce the simple and ignoraunt man me thinketh you shewe your selfe to beastly blinde Where was this sure staffe of yours when all the Apostles were so farre from the hope of the resurrection of their maister that they could not beleue the report of them that had séene him after he was risen againe Marc. 16. Had this consent of theirs in vnbeliefe bene a sure staye for men to leane vnto And was the prophecie of Dauid at that time a seduction or tentation Psalm 16. Act. 2. to seduce a simple ignoraunt man bicause it was not ioyned with the consent of the Church Did Christ go about to seduce the Iewes when hée bad them search
Priests onely Make thée no grauen Image sayth he yes say you we will haue our Churches full c. Wherefore if God haue disceyued you it is not bicause you haue beléeued his worde but bicause you haue loued lyes more then truth and therefore God hath iustly giuen you ouer In efficaciam erroris euen to the force and strength of error 2. Thess 2. as saint Paule wryteth And so is your error a iust punishment for the credite that you gaue vnto lyes And although God neyther doth nor can disceyue any man in such sort as you doe meane yet he sayth that in such meaning as I haue written Ezech. 14. he doth disceyue such as you are for the wickednesse of such people as you haue instructed Thus hauing spoken something of the scriptures WATSON Diuision 29 as this short time would permit there remayneth also the second thing which I sayde moued mee to continue in thys fayth which is the authorities of auncient fathers that haue flourished in the preaching of Gods truth in all ages with authorities I thinke verily in no age haue bene so curiously sought so diligent founde out and so substantially wayed as in this our time And all this is bicause the oppugnation of the truth in this matter hath extend it selfe not onely to the scriptures but also to the doctors to euery particle and title of the doctors whose wrytings haue bene so scanned tried that if any thing could haue bene gathered piked out of their books eyther by liberal writing before this mistery came in contention or by misconstruction of their words or by deprauatiō of their meaning that could seme to make against our fayth herein it was not omitted of some but stoutly alledged amplified inforced and set forth to the vttermost that their wittes coulde conceaue which if God hath not infatuat leauing them to speake so as neyther fayth nor reason could allow lyke as they haue with their vanities seduced a great sort the more pittie so they should haue vndermined and subuerted the fayth of a great many mo that were doubting and falling but not cleane ouerthrowne thankes be to almightie God Of these authorities although with a little studie and lesse labour I could at this time alledge a great number yet cōsidering the shortnesse of the time which is almost spent I shall be content to picke out a fewe which doe not onely declare the minde of the author but also conteyne an argument to proue and conuince the truth of our fayth and such an argument as neyther figuratiue speeche nor deprauation of the wordes or meaning can delude And first I shall begin with the weakest that is with the suspition of the Gentils Tertullian in his Apologie teacheth howe the Gentiles did accuse the Christen men for kylling of yong children ertul. apol Capit. 7. and eating of their fleshe he sayth thus Dicimur sceleratissimi de Sacramento infanticidij pabulo inde We are reported and accused as most mischeuous and wicked men for the sacrament of kylling of children and eating their fleshe and drincking their bloud Historia Ecclesiast lib. 5. Capit. 3. Eusebius also in this historie of the Church wryteth of one Attalus a martyr who being roasted in an yron Cradell with fyre put vnderneath when the sauour of his burnt fleshe came to the smelling of the people that looked on he cryed with a lowde voyce to the people Lo this is to eate men which you doe which fault ye make inquisition of as secretly done of vs which you commit openly in the mid daye By this accusation we may vnderstand that our sacramentes and misteries in the beginning of the Church were kept very secret both from the sight and knowledge of the Paganes that mocked and scorned them and also of those that were Catechumini learners of our fayth and not yet baptized for many great causes which I shall not neede to rehearse nowe And yet for all the secret keping of them being so many Christen men and women as there was they could not be kept so secret but that some ynkeling of them came to the eares of those that were Infidels and vnchristened insomuch that where as in deede and verie truth by the rules of our religion we did eate the fleshe of Iesus Christ our Lorde and drinke hys bloud ministred vnto vs in the sacrament the Gentiles as they were curious to know new things so they came to knowledge of the rumour of our doings eyther by the bewraying of some false brethrē or else by the simplicity of other that of zeale without knowledge would haue conuerted the vnfaythfull to our fayth heard secretly that wee christen men in our misteries did eate mans flesh and drinke mans bloud which they for lack of faith and further instruction began to compasse in their wittes how it was possible so to doe and therefore some of them blinded by their owne foolishe suspicion conceaued and published amongst other as it was most likely vnto them that we in our secret misterie did kill yong children eating their flesh and drinking their bloud and therevpon accused certayne before the Magistrates of thys heynous crime which they coulde neuer trie out to be true as they did accuse But for our purpose it appeareth plainly that we would neuer haue kept our misteries so secret if they had beene but ceremonies of eating of bread wine nor they would neuer haue accused vs of such beastly and vnnatural crimes being men of such reason learning and equity as they were if there had not bene some truth in their accusation which in deede was true for the substaunce of that they alledged but not for the maner of the thing for it was and is true that we in our misteries eate fleshe and drinke bloud but yet we doe not kill and murder yong children and eate their flesh and drinke their bloud And therfore I alledge the sayings of Tertullian and Eusebius the which is also in Origen the sixt booke contra Celsum to declare the accusation of the Gentils against vs concerning the eating of fleshe and drinking of bloud which could neuer haue commed into their heads so to haue done if there had not bene a truth in that matter which they by their reason could neuer see otherwise then they alleged which we by our faith do plainly see and know as it was ordeined by Christ our Lord. And for that cause Tertullian did cast in a vaine worde saying that we were accused of the sacrament of kylling of children which worde Sacrament standeth there for no purpose but to declare vnto vs that this their accusation did rise for lack of the true and precise knowledge of our Sacrament which is true concerning the eating of fleshe and drinking of bloud but not true concerning the kylling and murdering of children CROWLEY After you haue something spoken of the scriptures how much to the purpose let the readers
custodire dominicae traditionis veritatem Et quod prius apud quosdam videtur erratum Domino monente corrigere Vt cum in claritate sua maiestate coelesti venire coeperit inueniat nos tenere quod monuit obseruare quod docuit facere quod fecit It agréeth sayth Cyprian with our religion feare and place of priestly office most dearely beloued brother that in the mingling and offring vp of the Lords Cup we kepe the truth of the Lordes tradition and that we doe by the warning that the Lorde giueth correct that thing wherein we sée that other haue heretofore erred That when he shall begin to come in his owne brightnesse and heauenly Maiestie he may finde that we hold fast that wherof he gaue vs warning obserue that which he taught vs and doe that which he did Such words as these are not for you to loke vpon For they will bid you leaue of your masking garments in your ministration and to set aside your halowed cups Vestiments Altars and Superaltaries wyth all your crossings turnings and halfe turnings with the reast of your Apishe toyes For Christ neyther taught nor vsed any of all those thinges But when Cyprian sayth In sacrificio quod Christus est non nisi Christus sequendus est In that Sacrifice which is Christ none must bée folowed but Christ the first part of the sentence must serue your purpose to proue that the reall and naturall bodye and bloud of Christ is the substaunce of the sacrifice of the church and that the same is really and substantially present in the sacrament thereof but the later part of the same sentence must not put vs in minde to doe in the ministration thereof that which Christ did and commaunded vs to doe The wordes that Watson cyteth make nothing for him Thus without shame you cite that for your purpose which when it is taken whole togither maketh manifestly against you Yea the verie first part of that sentence which you apply to your purpose when it is well weighed maketh nothing for you For what is more common among the fathers then to call the signes by the names of those things that they doe signifie Chrysost in Epist ad Heb. homil 17. And doth not Chrysostome speaking of the same sacrament say thus Nō aliud sacrificium sicut pontifex sed idipsum semper facinus magis autem recordationē sacrificij operamur We doe not sayth Chrysostome make another sacrifice as the high Priest doth but alwaye one yea we doe rather make a remembraunce of a sacrifice By these wordes of Chrysostome it appeareth that though the fathers vsed to call the sacrament of Christes bodie a sacrifice yet they vnderstood it to be but the remembraunce of that sacrifice that Christ offered on the crosse once for all I would not gladly diminishe the aucthoritie of Cyprian or anye other auncient writer but I am sure you your selfe M. Watson wyll not buylde vpon euerye sentence of Cyprian as you doe vpon this For then coulde you not set your holy father of Rome so highe aboue all the Bishops of christendome as you doe Cyprian li. 4. Epist 2. Loke in the fourth booke of his Epistles and the seconde Epistle where you shall finde these wordes Ac si minus sufficiens Episcoporum in Africa numerus videbitur etiam Romae super hac rescripsimus Equalitie of Bishops by Cyprians iudgement ad Cornelium collegam nostrum qui ipse cum plurimis coepiscopis habito concilio c. And if the number of Byshops in Africa sayth Cyprian shal séeme to small I haue writtē to Rome also concerning this matier euen to Cornelius our felow in office who also holding a counsell with many bishops ioyned with him c. This Cornelius whome Cyprian calleth his fellow officer was Bishop of Rome when Cyprian wrote these wordes Yet I thinke you will not gather hereof that there was an equalitie betwixt them vnlesse you minde nowe at the last to denie the supremacye of your holy father And yet you may a great deale more iustly gather that vpō these words then that which you would maintayne of the other Yea I suppose that you and all your felowes are not able to proue that Cyprian ment not to teache an equalitie amongst all those Byshops that he speaketh of But whatsoeuer he ment in this place or any other it becommeth vs to folow the rule that he giueth Cyprian lib. 2. Ep. 3. in vnderstanding the words that he or any other auncient father hath left in wryting Si solus Christus audiendus est sayth Cyprian non debemus attendere quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putauerit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus prior fecerit Neque enim hominis consuetudinem sequi oportet sed Dei veritatem A rule to be folowed in the reading of Fathers If Christ onely be to be harkened vnto we must not marke sayth Cyprian what any man before vs hath thought méete to be done but what Christ which was before al hath done before vs. Neyther ought we to folow the custome of men but the truth of God This is a perfite rule méete to be folowed of all men in the reading of the auncient fathers wrytings Then come you to Basils Masse where as you say are written these wordes Tu es qui offers c. O Christ our God thou art he c. As for your maner of Englishing of Basils words I leaue to you and your Printer to amend In whom the fault is I know not It shall suffice that I aunswere your matter First with your leaue M. Watson you belye Saint Basils forme of Masse For if that be his that was imprinted at Andwarp Anno. 1562. out of an olde Booke of the Latine translation as the Printer sayth then is there no such matter as this that you cite in all S. Basils forme of Masse But S. Chrysostomes Masse translated by Leonhardus Thuscus hath wordes in the same sense that these be that you father vpon Basils Masse The words be these Concede a me peccatore indigno famulo tuo offerri tibi haec sacramenta tu enim es offerens oblatus suscipiens distributus Christus Deus noster If I might be put in trust to translate these wordes into Englishe I would say thus Graunt that I being a sinner thine vnworthy seruant may offer vnto thée these sacraments for thou being Christ our God art he which art the offerer and art offred which art he that doest receiue and art distributed Thus much haue I done for you M. Watson to helpe to saue your credit least some of your friendes should begin to mislyke with you for cyting matter that is no where to be found For though your father Chrysostomes wordes vpon Basil they can beare with you well ynough Yea though you doe racke them a little to serue your purpose Chrysostomes and Basils iudgement can not
Domini His words be these Vt enim de vsualibus sumamus exemplum datur anulus absolutè propter anulum nulla est significatio datur ad inuestiendum de haereditate aliqua signum est ita vt iam dicere possit qui accipit Anulus non valet quicquam sed haereditas est quam quaerebam In hunc itaque modum appropinquans passioni Dominus de gratia sua inuestire curauit suos vt iâ—usibilis gratia signo aliquo visibili praestaretur Ad haec instituta sunt omnia sacramenta ad haec Eucharistiae participatio c. That we may take an example from among those things that be vsuall a King is delyuered as a King without condition and it hath no signification And the same is giuen to inuest in some enheritaunce and so it is a signe so that the partie that receyueth it may now saye The King is a thing of no value but the inheritance is the thing that I sought After this sort the Lorde therefore drawing néere vnto his passion did of his owne frée mercy prouide to inuest those that appartayned vnto him that the inuisible grace might by some visible signe be set forth and shewed For this purpose were all sacraments instituted The participation of the Eucharist was instituted for this purpose and so was the washing of féete To coÌ„clude Baptisme which is the beginning of all sacraments was instituted for this purpose wherein we are planted togither to the similitude or lykenesse of his death wherefore the thrée solde dipping doth beare the figure of the thrée dayes space that must now be celebrated This matter is farre disagréeing to that which you cite out of your Bernarde Watson hath a Bernard of his owne I conclude therefore that your Bernarde is not the right Bernarde but a counterfait of your owne making Such a one as your Emisenus is And therefore his Sermons are printed by themselues with this note before them Proculdubio non a nostro Bernardo editi fuerunt Without doubt they were neuer of our Bernards setting out Thirdly we maye consider that these wordes WATSON Diuision 16 be the performaunce of a former promise where Christ as it is written in the sixt Chapiter of S. Iohn promised to giue vs the same fleshe to eate that he would giue to the death for the lyfe of the worlde saying Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est Iohn 6. quam ego dabo pro mundi vita The bread which I shall giue vnto you is my flesh which I shall giue for the lyfe of the world Which promise we neuer read that Christ which is the very truth can not lye did euer at any time performe but in his last supper when he gaue his bodye and bloud to his Disciples and to promise his fleshe and to giue bare bread and not his fleshe is no performing but a breaking of his promise and a deluding of them to whome he made the promise For as for the interpretation which some men make of Christes words that he will giue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spiritually by faith is but a vaine and fained glose for that text And although Christ doe so giue it to be eaten by faith yet we maye not exclude one truth by another truth as Sophisters doe For Christ gaue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spiritually by fayth euer from the beginning of the worlde and also at that present when he spake those words so that it were a verye vaine thing for Christ to promise to giue a thing which he euer before and also at that present and euer after contynually doth giue But it was neuer so taken of any good auncient aucthor which all with one consent doe expounde this text of saint Iohn of the giuing of his fleshe in his last supper vnder the forme of breade and therefore Cirillus wryteth Cirillus in Iohn li. 4. Capit. 14. that oure sauiour Christ did not expounde and make plaine the maner of the mistery the performaunce of this his promise to them that asked the vnfaythfull question Howe without fayth but to his Disciples that beleeued him and asked no such question of him he declared the maner of it in his last supper Wherefore we maye well conclude vpon this circumstaunce that Christs flesh is verily present in the sacrament to be giuen vnto vs bicause he promised before that he would giue vs the same fleshe for our foode that he would giue on the crosse for our redemption CROWLEY The thirde circumstaunce you saye that you consider is a promise that our Sauiour made when he sayde the bread that I shall giue is my fleshe c. If I did not knowe your blindnesse and shamelesnesse in fathering vpon the auncient Writers such matter as they neuer ment to vtter in their wrytings I coulde not wonder ynough at your beastly boldnesse which driueth you to saye that all the good auncient Writers doe with one consent expound the wordes of saint Iohn as you doe But after this great boast you giue vs a taste of your small roste as the common saying is and you make Cyrillus to speake after your fantasie in this sort Our Sauiour Christ did not expounde c. But that the reader may sée how faythfully you deale with Cyrillus in this point I will let him sée the words as they be written in the place that you note in the margent His wordes be these Misericors certè mitis Christus est vt à rebus ipsis videre licet Non enim aspere ad crudelitatem eorum respondit nec vllo modo contendit sed viuificantem huius mysterij cognitionem iterum atque iterum in mentibus eorum imprimere studebat Et quomodo quidem carnem suam dabit ad manducandum non docet quia intelligere illi non potuerunt Quam magna verò bona si cum fide manducabunt adipiscentur id iterum atque iterum aperit vt aeternae desyderio vitae ad fidem compellantur per quam etiaem doceri facilius poterint Esay 7. Sic enim Esaiaes dixit Si enim inquit non credideritis nec intelligetis Oportebat igitur fidei primum radices in amimo iacere deinde illa quaerere quae homini quaerenda sunt Illi verò antequam crederent importunè quaerebant Hac igitur de causa Dominus quomodo id fieri possit non enodauit sed fide id quaerendum hortatur sic credentibus discipulis fragmenta panis dedit dicens Accipite manducate hoc est corpus meum Calicem etiam similiter circumtulit dicens Bibite ex hoc omnes hic est Calix sanguinis mei qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Perspicis quia sine fide quaerentibus mysterij modum nequaquam explanauit credentibus autem etiam non quaerentibus exposuit Vndoubtedly sayth Cyrill Christ is mercifull and mylde as a man maye perceyue euen by the
of this aunswere iudge you come to the second thing that you sayde did mooue you to continue in your Popishe fayth That is the Authorities of auncient fathers that haue flourished in all ages in preaching of Gods truth And to make your Auditorie to thinke that you meane to deale simply you say that we haue omitted nothing that eyther by misconsturing or deprauing might séeme to make against your fayth but haue stoutly alledged amplified enforced and set forth to the vttermost that our wyttes coulde conceyue c. But when the indifferent reader shall haue read ouer this aunswere and weighed both your doings and mine in misconsturing deprauing stoute alledging amplyfying and enforcing I doubt not but he shall sée and will say that the doings that you charge vs withall are your owne And that whereas by the helpe of God we had brought some to the knowledge of your false dealing so that they began to laye hande vpon the true fayth in Iesus Christ you and your sort haue by subtile perswations by imprisonment and by torments of fyre driuen many of them eyther to denie their fayth or else to hide it or flie their Countrie and would if you might haue contynued haue banished the light of Christes glorious Gospell for euer But the Almightie God be praysed for it your power is nowe cut something shorter A fewe Authorities you say you will picke out which shall proue and conuince the truth of your fayth And first you will begin with the weakest as who should say the Authorities that shall come in the rearewarde are thunderbolts in comparison of the first But with little study and lesse labour you could alledge a great number c. Well you will beginne with Tertullian in his Apologie where he sayth thus Dicimur sceleratissimi c. Apologet. 7. We are called most wicked c. And to his wordes you ioyne the wordes of Attalus written by Eusebius The wordes are otherwise in Latine then you doe report them in Englishe I will therefore let the reader sée them in Latine that the learned may iudge of both our doings Attalus verò cum prunis subteriectis in sella ferrea torreretur cunque nidor adustae carnis ad nares ora inspectantis populi perferrebatur Eccles hist lib. 5. ca. 3. voce magna exclamat ad plebem Ecce hoc est homines commedere quod vos facitis Quid à nobis velut occultum inquiritis facinus quod vos aperta luce committitis Nos enim neque commedimus homines neque aliud quid mali agimus But when Attalus was rosted in an yron Cradell with burning coales cast vnder it and when the sauour of the burned fleshe was brought to the nostrils and mouth of the people that stood looking on he doth with a lowde voyce crie out vnto the people Beholde this that you doe is to eate men Why doe ye searche for amongst vs as for an horrible déede done in secret that thing which you your selues doe commit in the open light For we neither eate men nor doe any other euill thing Of these two places you gather a coniecture that is that for as much as the christians were accused as eaters of mans fleshe and drinkers of mans bloud there must néedes be some occasion of that accusation Which you can coniecture to be none other but the common opinion of the christians concerning the substaunce that they receyued in the sacrament Which though they kept as secretly as possibly they might yet by one meane or other it came to the eares of the enimies of Christen profession Which for lack of fayth could not conceyue that maner of eating fleshe and drinking bloud that the christians vsed And therfore they bruted abroad their owne foolishe coniecture Which was that christians did in their sacrifice kill a yong Infant and dip there sacrificing bread in the bloud therof and so eate it But you after your maner of amplifying doe say that the christians were accused before certaine Magistrates of this heynous crime of eating the fleshe of yong children and drinking their bloud Which you can finde neyther in Tertullian nor Eusebius But so your tale hath a better shewe for your purpose that you might conclude that it could neuer haue come into the heades of the heathen thus to accuse the christians if there had not bene a truth in the matter And therefore you conclude that it is true that in those dayes the christians did and we doe nowe eate fleshe and drinke bloud in the sacrament but not true concerning the kylling and murdering of children This you say is the weakest argument that you will vse to proue and conuince the truth of your fayth by If this argument be sufficient to proue and conuince that we doe eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ in the sacrament after your sort then let me make an argument to proue and conuince that in Tertullians dayes christians did giue themselues to carnall copulation eyther in common or else at the least with their owne wyfes immediatly after their feast of communion euen in the same place where they had holden that feast For Tertullian sayth immediatly after those wordes that you cite An argumēt like Watsons Et post conuiuium incesto quòd euersores luminum canes lenones silicet teneburum libidinum impiarum inuerecundiam procurent And it is sayde that after the feast we go to incest and that Dogs that is to say Bawds which ouerthrow the lightes doe procure vnshamefastnesse of the darkenesse and wicked lustes Thus they doe report of vs sayth Tertullian But this suspition coulde neuer haue come into their heades if there had not béene a truth in the matter of carnall copulation although not incestuously as they did maliciously brute abroad As well doth this argument proue and conuince this matter as doth your argument proue that christians did in those dayes and doe nowe eate fleshe and drinke bloud in the sacrament I can not but maruaile what you meane in cyting Origine contra Celsum sith you haue sayde before that the accusers of the christians were men of great reason learning and equitie For Origine sayth in the place that you cite Origine maketh Watsons coniecture to seeme vntrue that for as much as these things be reported of christians by such as be nothing acquainted with christian religion they are adiudged to be vaine and falsely inuented against the christians What reason learning and equitie can there be in men that will falsely inuent and spread abroad such abhominable and slaunderous reportes But Tertullian hath cast in a worde that maketh vp the matter whole on your side For he sayth De sacramento insanticidij For the sacrament of kylling of children But let vs sée his words togither as Beatus Rhenanus hath set them forth Dicimur sceleratissimi de sacramento infanticidij pabulo Iudae post conuiuium incesto quòd euersores luminum
scimus nullis inatiatos mysterijs viderunt omnia quae intus erant quin sanctissimus Christi sanguis sicut in tali tumultu contingit in praedictorum militum vestes effusus est The souldiers came violently into the holy place of whom we knowe that some were not baptized and there they saw all things that were within and the most holy bloud of Christ as chaunceth often in such a tumult was shed vpon the garments of those souldiers Here I marke that he sayth not the figure or signe of Christs bloud but the most holy bloud an other inferiour creature can not be most holy Also I marke that this most holy bloud was reserued there in the holy temple and was not onely in Heauen to be receyued by fayth of the faythfull but also was in the temple and violently handeled of the vnfaythfull being there contemned abused and spilt vpon their garmentes Doth not this barbaricall violence and externall situation of the most holy bloud of Christ proue a reall presence of the same in the sacrament Gregory Nazianzene speaketh after the lyke maner Nazianze orat ad Arianos how that the Arians would not suffer the Catholikes to pray in their temples but troubled them killed them mingled Christes misticall bloud with the bloud of the Catholike Priestes which they slue and so forth whereby we vnderstande a reall presence of Christes bloud by that violence that was shewed vnto it of the heretikes part though Christ were there after that sort that he could suffer no violence of his part We read in saint Hierome and in diuers other Hieronimus ad hedibiam Ipsa conuiua conuiuium comedens qui comeditur that Christ is both the eater of the feast and the feast it selfe both the eater and the meat that is eaten Whereby we vnderstande that Christ giuing his body and his bloud to his disciples did receaue the same himselfe before And as Chrysostome wryteth that least his Disciples should haue bene troubled and offended hearing him say Chrysost in Math. hom 83. This is my bloud Euthymius in Mat. cap. 64. drinke ye all of this as the Caparnaites were before and so should abhorre to haue dronke of the same Christ did first drinke of the same cup before them that he might by his example induce his Disciples to drinke lykewise Hesichius in Leuit. li. 2. Cap. 8. And Hesechius sayth Ipse dominus primus in caena mystica intelligibilem accepit sanguinem atque deinde calicem Apostolis dedit Our Lord himselfe in the mysticall supper first dranke his owne bloud that was not sene but vnderstanded and then gaue the cup to his Apostles By this fact of Christ we may learne that in the cup was verily and really Christes owne bloud or if Christ did eate his bodye and dranke his bloud but in figure then he did eate and drinke it before after that maner in the Tipicall and Legall supper and then how can this mistical supper be the truth and the other the figure if this be but a figure likewise And then why should the Apostle be afrayde to doe that nowe they were wont to doe alwaies before It was no new thing worthy the newe Testament to eate and drinke Christ in a figure and therefore it is certaine that Christ in his mysticall supper did not eate and drinke his body and bloud onely figuratiuely And if ye will say that he eate it and dranke it spiritually onely then ye must say that Christ did eate it by faith for spiritual eating is beleuing And if ye say Christ did beleue then it foloweth that Christ was not God Who hath perfite knowledge of al things by sight not vnperfite knowledge by fayth as wee haue seing as through a Glasse in a darke rydle And surely they harpe much vpon this string for this heresie against the presence of Christ in the sacrament is an high way leading to the other heresie that Christ is not God as is proued by diuers wayes and arguments into which pit diuers be falling by this meanes if God doe not put vnder his hande to stay them betimes for if they continue long in this they will fall into the other no remedie whereof we haue alreadie seene experience Then if Christ did eate his body and drinke his bloud in the mysticall supper neyther figuratiuely as he did in the Paschall lambe nor yet spiritually as we doe by fayth then it is certaine that he eate it only sacramentally which is not onely in signe as the sacramentaries expounde the worde but in truth vnder a sacrament whereof the substaunce is the reall and naturall body and bloud of Christ our Lorde After this sort wryteth Chrysostome of Dauid saying thus Non contigit Dauid gustare talem hostiam Chrysost hom de Dauid Saul neque particeps fuerat sanguinis dominici sed legibus imperfectioribus educatus neque tale quicquam exigentibus tamen ad euangelicae philosophiae fastigium peruenit animi moderatione It neuer chaunced to Dauid to taste of such a sacrifice nor he was nor receauer and partaker of our Lordes bloud but being brought vp vnder lawes not so perfite and requiring no such thing yet by the moderation temperaunce of his owne minde he came to the hight of all Euangelicall Diuinitie Here is plaine that Dauid did neuer taste and receaue Christes bloud as we doe in the Gospell and yet Dauid did receaue Christes bloud figuratiuely being partaker of the sacrifices of the olde lawe which were figures of Christes bloud also he did drinke of the same bloud spiritually as we doe whose faith was as good or rather greater then oures Therefore there remayneth one other way that we drink of it which was not graunted vnto him that is to say verily and really in the sacrament To auoyde this place well they must haue mo solutions then they haue inuented yet for neyther figuratiuely nor spiritually will serue it were best for them to yeelde to the truth and confesse that it is there really the very same substaunce of his bloud that was shedde vpon the crosse though not in that forme for the reliefe of our weake nature which else could not sustaine it Here you haue heaped togither the sayings of certain writers CROWLEY to confirme that which you haue hitherto laboured to proue and doe perswade your selfe that you haue sufficiently proued And first you beginne with Chrysostome Another is not the same The same Chrysostome say you c. Here I must put you in remembraunce of that which I haue sayd before that the sentence which you cited before as out of Chrysostome was none of his Wherefore you doe wrong to Iohn Chrysostome to say that he is the same But to the purpose You say that you marke in this place of Chrysostome that he sayth not the figure or signe of Christs bloud but the most holy bloud And another inferiour
vpon this place And Lyranus who was a Iewe borne doth expound it after the letter And the ordinarie Glosse Hierony in Prouer. 23. foloweth saint Hierome who vnderstandeth by the mightie man the teacher of Gods worde and by the things set before them the worde of God c. Fearing to be long therefore you might well haue spared all this and the applying of your comparison of taking and gyuing the like agayne with boasting that it auoydeth all the trifling cauillations of figuratiue spéeches c. WATSON Diuision 33. I neede not stand longer in so playne a matter although I could alledge much more out of all the auncient fathers yea more plainer then these I haue touched if any can be playner If I did but tell the bare names of the sacrament which the aucthors giue it I should proue manifestly that it were the very body and bloud of Christ and not bread and wine Ignatius calleth it Medicamentum immortalitatis Ignatus ad Ephesios antidotum non moriendi a medicine of immortalitie a preseruatiue against death Dionisius Ariopagita S. Paules Scholer calleth it hostia salutaris the sacrifice of our saluation Dionisius Hier. Eccle. Capit. 3. Iustinus Apolo Origen in Luc. hom 38. in Mat. bo 5. Cyprianus de lapsis de caena Iustinus martyr saith it is caro sanguis incarnati Iesu the flesh bloud of Iesus incarnate which names be giuen to it of the scripture and all other wryters Origen calleth it Panis vitae dapes saluatoris epulum incorruptum Dominus the bread of lyfe the deynties of our sauiour the meate that is neuer corrupted yea our Lord himself Cyprian calleth it Sanctum domini the holy one of God gratia salutaris the sauing grace Cibus inconsumptibilis the meate that can neuer be consumed Alimonia immortalitatis the foode of immortalitie Portio vitae aeternae the portion of eternall life Sacrificium perpes holocaustum per manens a continuall sacrifice an offering alwaies remaining Christus yea he calleth it Christ The great generall counsell at Nice calleth it Agnus Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi Concilium Nicenum the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Optatus an olde author giueth it diuers names as in this sentence Quid tam sacrilegium quam altaria dei frangere radere Optatus li. 6. remouere in quibus vot a populi membra Christi portata sunt vnde à multis pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis accepta est What is more sacrilege then to breake the aultars of God as the Donatistes did or to scrape them or to remoue them vpon the which aultars the vowes of the people that is to say the members of Christ are borne from which aultars also the pledge of eternall saluation the defence and buckler of faith and the hope of resurrection be receaued Hilarius calleth it cibus dominicus our Lordes meat Hilarius li. 8. Basilius in Missa verbum caro the worde made flesh Saint Basill in his Masse calleth them sancta diuina impolluta immortalia super celestia viuifica sacramenta Holy sacraments godly pure vndefiled immortall heauenly and giuing life What wittelesse and vngodly man would giue these names to bread and wine Saint Ambrose calleth it gratia dei Ambrosius de obitu fratris the grace of God not an accidentall grace receaued of God into mans soule but the verie reall sacrament he calleth the grace of God the which his brother Satirus being vpon the sea and his ship broken seeking for none other ayde but onely the remedy of fayth and the defence of that sacrament tooke this grace of God of the priestes and caused it to be bound in a stole which he tied about his neck and so trusting in that committed himselfe to the waters by vertue wherof he escaped drowning and afterward of a Catholike Bishop he receaued that same grace of God with his mouth Chrysost 1. Cor. 10. Chrysostome O with what eloquence doth he vtter this matter heare but this one place Ipsa namque mensa animae nostrae vis est nerui mentis fiduciae vinculum fundamentum spes salus lux vita nostra The verye table sayeth he meaning the meat of the table is the strength of our soule the sinewes of our minde the knot of our trust the foundation our hope our helth our light and our lyfe What names what effectes bee these and in an other Homely he calleth it Rex coeli deus Christus Ad Ephe. Ser. 3. the king of heauen God himselfe Christ which he sayth goth into vs by these gates and dores of our mouthes Cyrillus calleth it sanctificatio viuifica the very sanctification that giueth life Cirillus li. 4. Capit. 17. August Epist 163. And S. Augustine calleth it Pretium nostrum the price of our redemption which Iudas receaued What should I trouble you any longer in so plaine a matter Why should these holy fathers deceaue vs by calling this sacrament with so glorious high names if they ment not so but that it was but bread wine they lacked no grace that had so much grace as to shed their bloud for Christes fayth they lacked no wytte nor eloquence to expresse what they meant Thus did they with one consent after one maner alwayes speake and write by whose playne preaching and wryting the whole worlde of Christendome hath beene perswaded and established in this faith of the reall presence these fiftene hundred yres If they haue seduced vs meaning otherwise then they wrote then may we iustly saye that they were not martyrs and confessors in deede but verie Deuils erring themselues and bringing other also into errour But good people the truth is they erred not but taught vs as they beleued the very truth confirming and testifying that faith with their bloud that they had taught with their mouth And if there be anye errour it is in vs that for the vnlearned talking and witlesse sophisticall reasoning of a fewe men will headlings destroy our soules forsaking and not contynuing in that faythe whiche was taught by the mouth of Christ sealed with his bloud testified by the bloud of martyrs and hath preuayled from the beginning against the which Hell gates can not preuayle Nowe there remayneth something to bee saide concerning the thirde part which is the consent of the catholike Church in thys point but I am sorie the tyme is so past that I can not nowe say any thing of it in my next daye God wylling I shall touch it and also proceede in the matter of the sacrifice which I hope to God to make so plaine that it shall appere to them that will see and be not blinded forsaken of God to be a thing most euident most profitable to be vsed and frequented in Christs Church and that such slaunders and blasphemers as be shot against it shall rebound I hope vppon their owne
Austens workes will think either of these readings to be more like to be Austens then that which you folow And then hath Austen sayd thus By this being in the forme of a seruaunt he is a priest he himselfe offering and beyng the oblation The sacrament whereof he would haue the dayly sacrifice of the Church to be Which being the bodie of that heade doth say that she offereth vp hir selfe through him Or learneth by him to offer vp hir selfe Nowe what do these wordes of Austen make for your purpose That is to proue that the Masse is the sacrifice of the Church and that Christ is offered therein That Christ offered himselfe no man doubteth and so he was both Priest and sacrifice And that the Church hath learned of him to offer hir selfe Or sayth that she doth through him offer hir selfe no man will denie And that this dayly sacrifice of the Church wherein she offereth hir selfe is a sacrament of Christes offering of himselfe euery man will graunt For as Christ offered himselfe so doth the Church offer hir selfe being both priest and sacrifice Here is your notable place that resolueth so many doubtes It were best for you first to be out of doubt of the reading and to be sure that this which you folowe is not agaynst that which the same Austen wryteth in other places of his workes August lib. 3. de Trinitate and agaynst the holy scriptures For in such case Austen desireth no credite The other matter that you alledge out of Austen may easily be graunted and yet your conclusion neuer the latter denied August cont Faust Li. 20. Capit. 18. August ad Bonif. Epi. 23. Chrysost ad Heb. homi 17. For who will not confesse that Christians doe celebrate the remembraunce of Christes sacrifice when they be partakers of the holy Communion of his bodie and bloud And who will denie that the fathers vsed to call that holy sacrament by the name of sacrifice or oblation because it is the sacrament and remembraunce of that sacrifice that Christ offered once for all I néede not therefore to say any more of this poynt For it is manyfest that men neyther do did nor coulde at any tyme offer Christ to his father He onely was found worthy to offer a sacrifice to take away sinne And because no man can offer a greater sacrifice then himselfe our sauiour Christ hath offered himselfe once for all and remayneth a Priest for euer So that his one sacrifice endureth for euer being in it selfe infinite and shall neuer be consumed But as saint Augustine sayth Tibi hodie Christus est De verbis domini secund Lucam ser 28. tibi quotidiè resurgit Thou hast Christ this daye he ariseth for thée euery day They say the sacrifice of the Masse diminisheth and taketh away the glorie of Christ they say so but proue it not WATSON Diuision 29 But in very dede nothing doth more set forth the glorie of Christ and his true honor The honor of God is considered two wayes inwardly by fayth outwardly by extertall adoration Latria which in English signifieth the honor that is due onely to God and to no creature is the worke of fayth and sacrifice is a kinde Latria of godly honour as saint Austen sayth Ad hunc cultum latriae pertinet oblatio sacrificij August contra Faustum lib. 20. cap. 21. c. To this godly honour called Latria the oblation of sacrifice doth pertayne and for that cause it is called Idolatrie if any sacrifice be done to Idols and therefore we doe sacrifice neyther to martyr nor yet to an aungell but onely to God Fayth ought to be vnfayned and liuely and then it is true honour For hee that erreth in fayth or fayneth to haue fayth doeth not exhibit honour and reuerence due to God Againe he that hath true fayth but yet dead for lacke of charitie he giueth reuerence to god but not perfite and therefore not pleasaunt to God because he honoureth god with his vnderstanding but not with his affection He that hath true and liuely fayth honoreth and worshippeth God in spirite and truth The externall and outwarde honour procedeth from the inwarde honour and is the protestation practise and vse of it the worke of fayth outwardlye declared And whereas sacrifice is the speciall and chiefest adoration that can be therefore this sacrifice of Christes owne bodye and bloud in the Masse beyng institute of Christ by his owne expresse commaundement as I haue shewed alreadie doth not onely not diminishe the glory of God but is the verye highest honour of God that man can giue They say it is a derogation of the passion of Christ but it is not so good people for the sacrifice of the Masse doth ascribe altogither to Christ for it is the passion of Christ Vnderstand well what I say and iudge not till ye heare what I meane Cypri lib. 2. Epist 3. Saint Cyprian sayth Passio domini sacrificium est quod offerimus That sacrifice which we offer is the passion of Christ A straunge saying but yet saint Augustine declareth more plainly what is ment by it in these wordes August lib. sententiarum prosperi Vocatur ipsa immolatio carnis quae sacerdotis manibus fit Christi passio mors crucifixio non rei veritate sed significante mysterio The oblation of Christs flesh which is made in the handes of the priest is called Christes passion death crucifying not by the truth of the thing but by the mystery signifying As though he should say it is called Christes passion not for that Christ in very deede suffereth passion againe but for that in mysterye it renueth representeth and signifieth his passion againe For while that we haue no worthy thing of our selues nor in our selues to render to God for all his benefites and as the Psalme sayth Psal 115. Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi What shall I giue to God againe for all that hee hath giuen to me We may do euen as the Psalme doth answere Calicem salutaris accipiam nomen domini inuocabo I shall take the cup of our sauiour and call vpon the name of our Lord. I shal take his passion representing to God the father the worke of our redemption that we thereby being partakers of his bloudie sacrifice once made vpon the crosse and now by this our commemoration renued againe may be replenished with the fruite of his passion and death For saint Augustine sayth Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis id est August in Psalm 75. ex ipsa memoria quotidiè sic nobis immolatur quasi quotidiè nos mouet qui prima sua gratia nos innouauit Of the leauings of our cogitation that is to say of this very memory and commemoration Christ is so dayly offered of vs as he doth make vs newe men dayly which by his first grace in baptisme did once make vs newe See how