on fridayes lent The Apostle doth call this The doctrine of Deuils That we should for the cleansing of our sinnes flee to masses and propiciatorie sacrifices It is horrible saâ—riledge directly against the office and glorie of Christ who onely and alone is appointed by the scripture to be the propitiation for our sinnes That by auricular confession enioyned penance the fetâ—ers of sinne may be loased and the fier of purgatorie qnenched The Gospel of Christ teacheth an other doctrine which wil take notyce of no sacrifice nor clensing of sinne but of the only death and passion of Christ Iesu. And hee saieth S. Iohn is the propiciation for our sinnes Likewyse S. Peter That through his name all that beleeue in him shall receaue remission of sinnes To the same effect wee heare out of the Euangelical doctryne that wee bee iustified through fayth without woorkes But the Popes dulcymer soundeth otherwise which sâ—eming as it were to yeelde some little interest of iustifying to faith yet transposeth the chiefe perfection therof vnto works Christ doth make this proclamation he that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life But the Popes prelates cry out That ther is none other passable way to heauen but which is procured with holy woorkes and passing integritie of life Paule doth pronounce hee is our righteousnesse meaning that all bee accompted for righteouse as many as beleâ—ue in Christ. These iolly fellowâ—s doo vrge against him that we become righteouse not by the meane of our beliefe in Christ but in that we bee righteousely doing workes yet peraduenture they wil not deny this That Christ is our righteousnes but the meane whereby hee dooth iustifie vs they allowe noâ— Christ by fayth the Papistes by woorkes Christ freely the Papâ—â—tes not without condition of charity annexed Whereas Christ dooâ—h cure vs in like manner as the serpent in olde time did heale the wounded which was done by only looking vpon it This can not the Papistes away withal in any wyse Moreouer whereas wee bâ—e taught by the woords of the scriâ—ture that by one oblation they are made perfect which be sanctified for euer The Pope doth deny that there is but one only oblation vnlesse Christ be dayly offred for a sacrifice to his father in their propiciatory masses Christ instituting his last supper intoo the remembraunce of his body and blood did distribute to al ingeneral the bread and wyne withal and commaunded the same to bee done in lyke maner The Pope commaundeth otherwise to deliuer the people one parte of the sacrament only without the wyne Christ departing from the earth did promise that hee woulde send an other comforter that the Church shoulde not want a comforter to supply his absence And dare the Pope not beeing satisfied with the holy spirite of Christ whom Tertullian called by the name of Christes vicar presume to cal him selfe Christes vicar or shall wee beleeue him in his presumption Paul doth deny them to bee partakers of Gods righteousnes which doo seeke too establishe their owne And with what edge dare these Romanists which carue out their owne righteousnes so greedily conceaue too partake with Gods rightuousnes The same Paul teacheth That Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto rightuousnes to al that beleeue But let vs see this notable famous schoole of Rome to what end it leadeth vs what way it carryeth vs. Forsooth not from the lawe vntoo Christ not from woorkes vnto faith not from faith vnto righteousnes but setting the carte before the horse euen as though the ende of the lawe were not Christe but the marke of Christ were the lawe haling vs backewarde from faiâ—h to woorkes from the Gospel to the law from the spirite and truthe to shadowes to coapes to annoylinges to shauings to holiwater to stagelyke gestures to ceremonies to rytes to outwarde geugawes to obseruaunces of places times persons and succâ—ssions too mens traditions and constitutions too penitentiary satisfactions from these to rightuousnesse and in fine from Christianitie too Iewishnes so that besides onely circumcision wanteth nothing to make vs appeare the disciples of Moyses rather then the disciples of Christ. The Lord dooth commaunde vs in a certaine place to searche the scripturesâ— bycause saieth hee they beare witnesse of mee The Pope dooth forbyde that Not permitting the people to reade in their owne house nor too heare in the Churches so much as the promise made vnto them in their baptisme but in the toung which they vnderstande not Christe in his Gospel can in no wise disgest them which say Loe heere is Christ Loe there is Christ. And what els doth the Pope if not in woordes yet in very deeds who commaundeth al Christians ingeneral to become subiect too Peters chaire which chayre may bee placed no where but in Rome as though Christ or Peter doo make their aboade no where but in the Citie of Rome or at the least wyse more readyly there then else where Lyke fable to this is that other whereas all manner of woorshipping God aright is not tyed too any heâ—gâ—h of hils or famousnes of ciâ—ies that the heauenly maiesty is most rightly called vpon in that place wheresoeuer he is worshipped in spirit truthe The Pope of Rome doth make a far other minglemangle of this spiritual worshipping god not only with inâ—umerable Idols shapes of earthly creatures but skatâ—ereth the same abroade into manifolde infinite seates of pilgrimages stations hilles temples and places As though the only authority of Câ—rist coulde of it selfe auaile very litle vnlesse it were vnderpropped with ruinous pillers of Saincts or as though Christ were not able to mynister helpe in al places indifferently being prayed vntoo with lyke affectioÌ„ of religioÌ„ EueÌ„ so they which gadd to Rome to visit the tombe of Peter and Paul or raunge to Compostella to see S. Iames or which doo conceaue in their mindes that the Sainctes be more effectual in one place then in an other what say they els then loe here is Christ loe there is Christ. If the heauenly father doo require such woorshippers which woorshippe him in spirite and trueth to what purpose serueth so special a prescription of stations and holy Seas so greate and tediouse chace rechace hither and thitherof pilgrims for deuotion sake Hithertoo haue I disclosed the maskinges of the Popish religion though not al that I could yet as many as wil serue our present purpose sufficiently ynough Nowe that I may bee so bolde to leade the Pope home too his owne person I will call him backe to the very roote of his progeny and stocke euen to Saint Peter himselfe whome as hee vaunteth to bee the founder of his Sea so will I vouche the same against him for a witnesse too confounde his doctryne This therefore do I demaunde of this good Syre whether Saint Peter ought to bee numbered in the number
their Christian Brethren seeyng in outwarde semblaunce and behauiour they doe so courâ—giously braue them selues vpon the meekenesse of Christe vpon the Faith of Peter and the spirit of Paule Wee doe reade in the Scriptures that the moste holy Apostle S. Paule him selfe doth in the mightie power of the spirit thunder out That the weapons of our warrefare be not carnal but mightie in spirite to the subdewing of strong holdes wherewith we doe suppresse euil thoughtes and doe subdewe all power extolling it selfe against the wil of God and leade captiue all thoughts and imaginations to yeelde dewe obedience vnto Christ c. First you see weapons named heere not of one Paule nor of one Peeter but our owne weapons saith he that is to say general weapons common with the vniuersall Church of Christ which are then at the leaste to be exercised not rashly against all persons nor vpon euery light occasion but euen when necessitie vrgeth against those if any shall happen to beeâ— which doe waxe insolent and stifnecked against the knowledge of God and their dewe obedience vnto Christ. Of which sorte if any may be founde faultie in that Realme that may preiudice the grace of Christ surely I will not in any respect abridgâ— condigne correction according to the censure Apostolique But nowe whereas that whole nation to the vttermoste of their power doth indeuour to become the Seruants of Christ whereas there is not one so much that doth not prostrate him selfe to the maiestie of the Sonne of God and to his diuine Godheade that doth not worship him in Spirit and trueth yea and worship him there where the Scriptures haue enthronized him that doth not thankfully acknowledge his Heauenly benefites that doth not yeelde dewe reuerence to his Sacraments that doth not onely professe all obedience linked togither with faith to be dewe vnto him but also repose all their affiaunce and confidence in him Finally whereas in their churches all matters are so orderly administred by them as that no defect may be founde of any thing apperteining too the duetie of true christianitie wherein nothing is admitted that is not consonant to the sacred authoritie of the Euangelicall institution I beseech you Syr Pope of Rome what woulde you desire more What seemeth it not sufficient in your conceite that Christ who alone preserueth the estate of his church be glorified in his owne Church vnlesse the pompe of the Pope be enterlaced with the glory of Christ reuerenced with semblable obedience And from whence els come these tumultes these flashes of lightening and stormes of of thunderboltes raysed vpp Is it bicause they doe yeelde their obedience too Christe as it behooueth them to doe or bicause they humble not theÌ„ selues to the Pope If the glory of Christ be your glory as of right it ought to be what needeth any contention then why doe you noâ— cast downe your proud Peacockes tayle and call your selfe backe againe into the societie of generall obedience But if ye thinke it not sufficient that the sonne of GOD may be magnified without the Romish Bishop why then surcease from hencefoorth to be taken for the seruaunt of Iesu and the heire of Peter For what other thing did Peter or Paule vaunt vpon but the onely glory of Iesu Christ Whether by occasion sayth he or in truth so that Christ be preached herein do I reioyce and will reioyce What say you to this That Christ himselfe whiles hee dwelte here vpon earth would haue a speciall testimonie lefte behinde him howe farre he was both in woordes and deedes estraunged from crauing or groping after glorie who embasing him selfe of his owne freewill euen to the ignominie of the Crosse by howe much he disclaimed from the title of glory so much the more ouerflowing aboundance of glorie did ouerspreade him by onely despising of glory I do not seeke saith he myne owne glory but there is one that seeketh and iudgeth Agayne the same Christ being on a time despised and cast out from that most churlish city did not so attempt any matter of reuenge therefore as that hee seemed very greuously offended with them which did prouoke him to take vengeaunce O heauenly mildenesse of a meeke spirit woorthie of all reuerence and honour You knowe not sayeth hee of what spirite you bee The Sonne of man came not for too destroy but to saue mens liues Now let vs compare the one with the other to witte the Uicar with his head You haue heard how the Lord being not entertayned vpon the way what he did and what answere he gaue But what the Pope woulde haue done in this case if he had beene present furnished with like power to be auenged I doe not here discusse Truely how he behaueth him selfe at this present little England alone may be a sufficient testimonie which hauing now ouer many yeares beene plagued with that Romish ruffler and worne out euen to the bare stumpes with much adoe shaking from her shoulders that yoake of intollerable thraldome durst prâ—sume at the last to cast from out her territories this Tâ—oian horse and reduce her estate to the auncient iberties Hereof springeth that Canker hereof arise these Tragicall furies wherewith he woulde seeme ready to deuoure not the bodies of menne onely but the very soules also if hee were able Goe to nowe and what cause can this â—remshapeâ— Uicar vouch at the length why hee shoulde thus mingle heauen and earth together and rake vpp from the deepe those swallowing Sandes of gaping gulfe Let vs nowe see what the mater is The Pope of Rome is banished out of English soyle in that hee woulde be a Ruler I confesse but as a soiourner he is not excluded But Christ notwithstanding is receiued him doe they imbrace as their Lorde his voice they doe acknowledge and bee obedient vnto but because they knowe not you Sir Pope if they receiue you not why should you storme at it You require pardie that they shoulde couple you with Christ in their worshipping But put the case that Christ can in no wise bee receiued into England vnlesse the Pope be banished neither the Pope haue any possible footing there except they thruste Christe cleane out of their Coastes Whether of these two thinke you conuenient to bee obeyed by them since they can not possibly serue bothe at once Iohn the most worthy Prophet of all Prophets yea more then a Prophet doth cry out in the Desert It behoueth that he increase and that I doe diminish And will you not permit the glory of Christ to growe forwarde in his owne Temple vnlesse your pompe be made copemate of his glory Who bâ—eing his humble seruant faithful freend in deede as in outwarde apparance and words you doe professe to beâ— why then indeuour as seruiceably and faithfully to aduaunce the honor of your Lordâ—â—â—d Maister and withall accept as louingly of your followe seruauntes who dutifully serue the same Lorde
manly but brutyshe and sauadgely vnder what fourme so euer it bee couered and hydden Wherefore this loathesomnes doth not consiste in the rawenes but in the very humayne fleshe not in the beholding but in the nature of the thinge it selfe not in that which the eye doth beholde but in that which the heart doth conceyue For if according too the olde prouerbe the wolfe will not deuoure wolues fleshe nor the dogge dogges fleshe is there any man beeing of any manly nature that woulde not abhorre to bee fedde with mans fleshe vnder whatsoeuer fourme it were shrowded or doe ye thinke that Christe did euer conceiue any such matter as when hee helde the bread in his handes wherewith he determined to feede his disciples would therefore exclude bread quyte out of doores to the ende hee might gorge the mawes of men carnally with his naturall fleshe beeing both rawe and aliue contrary to nature without any necessitie without all cause altogether vnprofitable and frutelesse Wherfore you doe not by this meanes exclude lothsomenes from out the sacred mysteries Lombard when you turne the fourmes of bread and wyne into the fleshe of Christe but you choppe a loathsomnes in rather so that nowe this supper may seeme not honourable but horrible if so be that excluding bread and wyne this bee true that you speake that there remayneth nowe nothing to eate but the substaunce of flesh and blood which substance neuerthelesse ye will not vouchsafe to be seene in it owne kynde but vnder an other kynde Wherein ye become two maner of wayes iniurious to the sacrament coupling together therewith a twofolde absurditie First bicause you defraude the fourmes and accidentes of bread of their true and proper subiect Secondly bicause you doe in like maner robbe the very naturall substance of the body of his proper accidentes so that nowe there remayneth neither any substaunce of bread at all nor any fourme of a body on this wyse the Poetes as it seemeth were wonte to describe their Chymeres Neuerthelesse this is not spokeÌ„ to that end as though we would banishe Christe cleane out of the sacrament or that we might seclude our selues from partaking with the holy bodie of Christ in this heauenly Supper But for this reason chiefly y t this holy CoÌ„munion may be cleared from all grosse absurditie If you will demaunde by what meanes Ambrose will answere you verie learnedly who will tel you that ye drinke out of the holie cuppe not blood it selfe but the likenesse of blood rendering the reason why bycause it shall breede sayeth he no loathsomnesse to the stomack And againe in another place hee doeth beare vs witnesse that wee receyue the Sacrament in a likenesse That which Ambrose doth verifie of the likenesse others doe affirme in a figure in a mysterie in a Type in a memoriall Moreouer the same Ambrose writing of the Eucharist sayeth It is the memoriall of our redemption And bycause we be enfranchised by the death of the Lorde wee doe signifie our mindfulnesse of the same death in eating drinking the Lords blood which were offered for vs. And again in the same place The blood saith he is a testimonie of Gods great liberalitie in the Type whereof we doe receiue the mystical cuppe of the blood to the preseruation of bodie and soule Where he calleth the Mystâ—cal cuppe a Type Nowe who is so vnskilful that knoweth not that a Type doeth signifie nothing else than a forme a likenesse and an example Agaiâ—e who knoweth not what great diuersitie there is betwixt likenesse and trueth it selfe and that they bee so contarie eche to other that they cannot agree togither by any meanes Whereby you may learne two things Lombarde both that the horror is taken away and that the substaunce of breade and wine abydeth neuerthelesse still vnempaired All which beeing thus concluded vpon as appeareth by plaine demonstration before all that your lying and false assertion infringible as you tearme it is become windshaken altogither wherewith you mainteyne so stoute a combate for the kingdome of accidentes and your transubstantiation as that yee leaue no place nor space for breade and wine in the Sacrament but calling all backe to visible fourmes plant all your whole batterie of the materiall part of the Sacrament vpon these buttresses of shadowes onely Which fourmes though retaine still the names of the things which they were before yet doe ye denie them to be the very thinges themselues Wherevpon if at any time the names of breade and wine doe occurre in the holy Fathers of the Church the same ye teache to be vnderstoode on this wise To witte that they bee called breade and wine not in respect that they be so but bycause they were once so and that the very substance thereof is gone farre away and that therein is nought resiant nowe that is elemental besides the onely names of elementes and emptie fourmes onely of breade and wine the names whereof they doe reteyne still but haue vtterly lost the verie substaunces themselues and do conteyne nought else now besides the naturall and substanciall bodie of Christ by the which bodie neither bee the fourmes affected nor doth the bodie affect the fourmes Loe this nowe is your gay diuinitie in describing the Sacrament the which howe agreeth with the Scriptures with the iudgementes of the auncient Faâ—hers with the antiquitie of the purer primitiue Church â—nd with fayth it selfe nay rather howe farre and wide it is dissonant and diâ—crepant from all truth and reason it shall not bee amisse to discouer in fewe woordes for I thinke it not coâ—uenient to vse many wordes herein And first wheÌ„ we heare that saying of Paul Let a man proue himselfe and so let him eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe c. May any man bee so boyde of reason to affirme this to be spoken touching the fourmes and not the materiall part of breade and wine for what shall we say may any man ymagine that to eate to breake to eate of the breade to drinke of the cuppe is to bee referred to emptie and bare shadowes of bread and wine onely and not to the naturall breade In the Decrees is a certaine â—entence extant vouched out of Hylarie whereof we made mention before The bodie of Christ sayth he that is receiued of the altar is a figure whiles the bread wine are apparantly seene with eyes but it is the very body when the inward fayth apprehendeth it for the bodie and blood of Christ. c. To the same effect and in like plaine phrase of speech writeth Cyprianus The Lorde sayth Cyprian did vouchsaâ—e to call wine by the name of his blood the liquor which was enforced by the presse out of the grapes and clusters and made into wine c. For what shal we say do we easily wring accidents of wine out of grapes clusters not rather the very substancial liquor of
the doctrine and opinion touching the substaunce and fayth of this sacrament was then in that olde auncient age amongest those Catholike and godly auncient fathers and howe farre this your newe vpstart chaungeling of â—raÌ„substantiation doth differre not only from al auncient antiquity but also from the trueth of the scripture it selfe which many of your own frateâ—ny Impes of this later age did not onely very wisely forsee but very frankely confesse as your selfe do know wel ynough For I suppose the name of the Author or the wordes of the Author at the least bee not vnknowen vnto you who albeit neuer durst deny transubstantiation himselfe yet feared nothing â—o vâ—ter his iudgement thereof freely The Churche saieth hee did but very lately set down the determination touching transubstantiation for before that it was thought sufficient that the true body of Christ was conteined really either vnder consecrated bread or by any meanes els but afterwardes when the churche began to looke more narrowly into the substaunce of the matter and to enter into more exact consideration therof it gaue foorth a more resolute determinatioÌ„ of the same c. To the same effect almost writeth also Iohn Fisher bishop of Rochester not the least Apostle of the Romish church who in his booke entituled A Defeâ—ce for the King of England discoursing vppon transubstantiation and the vse of the sacrament commeth at the last to this conclusion to wit that TraÌ„substantiation is grouÌ„ded more vpoÌ„ the authoritie aud determination of the church then can be iustifiable by the scriptures of God the Gospel Wherein he did not amisse For who doth not know that in that first nourcery of the Primitiue Churche yea and many hundred yeeres after whenas Bede Bertram and Rabanus Maurus were liuing in the world euen vnto that vnlucky hatching of Hildebrande and Innocent the thiâ—de not so much as this name Transubstantiation was euer hearde of vntill at the length in a Councell holdâ—n at Laterane in Rome the solemne edicte was established of banishing the substaunce of bread quytâ— out of the sacrament For if at any tyme before that councel the church had defyned any certain and grounded docâ—rine touching the same how falleth it out theÌ„ that there is such a continual falling â—ut amongest theÌ„ that folowed after in diuersities of opinion and iudgement about that transubstantiatiâ—n which some of them do stoutly maintaine some do vtterly deny it some do by coniecture think that others wil not graunt vnto some others haue supposed some doo so deliuer out that the substaunce of bread wyne doth remaine Lombarde himselfe doth think that there is a certain enterchaunge but what manner of enterchanuge that is whether formal or substantial or of some other fashion hee dareth not of himselfe determine any certainty Likewyse Gabriel Biel sticking fast in the same quauemyre vnable too vnwelde him selfe cleane from out the same is faine at the length too set downe by a plaine denial that in the whole Canonical scriptures can not possibly be founde in expresse woordes whether this transubstantiation dooth beginne by enterchaunging of any somwhat into the body or do without enterchaunging beginne too bee the body with the bread the substaunce and accidentes of bread remaining still What shall wee say to this that euen by the testimony of Pope Innocent the thirde his owne mouth were some persons knowen that did affirme that as the very accidentes of bread did remaine after consecration so also did the very substaunce of bread remaine withal Whereby appeareth manifestly that before that late councel of Laterane was no certaine doctryne established touching transubstantiation To the lyke effect wryteth Nicholas Cusanus Some of the auncient fathers saieth hee are founde too haue beene of this minde that the bread is not transubstantiated but is inuested with a certain substauÌ„â—e of more high valour O notable groundwoorke of transubstantiation perdy builded vppon none other platte fourme then vppon so brittle a fundation as that ridiculous decree of the Romish Church being so late an vpstarte as the which was not so much as by name onely euer hearde of or knowen which neuer peeped abroade into the worlde before Satan being let loose out of Hell after the thousande yeeres of his captiuitie was permitted too raunge openly abroade and too defile all thinges with abhominable stenche and corruption For on this wyse dyd Satan after hee was let loose beginne his first practises very neere the tyme wherein Hildebrande or not long after him Innocent the thyrd began too prop vp theyr Ierarchie ouer the worlde O Sacred and Catholike doctrine of Transubstantiation issuing from so gracious a stocke forsooth and grafted in suche an holy and seasonable a time O neate and fine forgers of fraude of whom notwithstanding if any man will demaunde for the firste Originall of y â— theyr doctrine they wyll not be ashamed to fetche the pedigree thereof euen from the very Apostles themselues and too deduce the auncientie of this theyr transubstantiation euen vnto Melchisedech not much vnlike too theyr neere Cozens the Gebaonites which too colour theyr falshoode shewed foorth theyr olde shoes so do these Romanists make a shew of the auctoritie of theyr owne Churche and the same aduaunce alofâ— as it were Gorgones heade before the eyes and eares of the vnlettered multitude with very solemne protestations Wherein theyr fraudulent guâ—le had not beene altogeather amisse if that the holy Scriptures had not long before discouered vntoo vs that same gracious Church of theirs which they glorifie with the title of Catholike to bee none other then that abhominable strumpet of Babylon And yet for all this these Gentlemen spare not too claime holde of Christe himselfe also as an especiall Patrone of theyr error but not muche vnlike their owne great graundsire Satan who long sithens gaue assaulte vpon the same Christ in his owne person with the words of Scripture synisterly wrest after the bare sense of the letter and as the Iewes doe at this present hacke the Propheticall Scriptures of the old Testament of whom Ierome maketh mention Who following the bare construction of the letter sayeth hee slew the sonne of God The selfe same almost may seeme very aptly appliable vnto them who following the bare letter of the newe Testament doe change the Sacramentes into Idolles doe extinguishe the spirite of the Scripture and doe crucifie Christe with the Iewes a frâ—she in his members againe besides this also because they doe not perceiue sufficient sauetie enough set downe for them in the scriptures they runne by heapes to the chiefe Fortresse of Gods omnipotent power What say they did not Christe affirme in plaine woordes This is my body shall wee doubt that hee was not able to perfourme that which hee spake If Christe woulde vouchsafe vpon his departure from hence to leaue behind him too his dearely beloued Spouse some speciall token or remembrance of him selfe