their vntrueth and their deuelish setting furth of the same and to kepe vs in in the right waie that we erre not with them if we will geue eare to good ād holsome doctrine And therfore seing God hath sent soche plentie of good authours yt were pitie but that they shoulde be brought furth wherby God in his trueth maie glorified and his people in the same edefied Of all these that remain first cometh to hande the learned grecian Euthymius who withoute all darke maner of speache openeth to vs the true vnderstanding Euth in 26 Matth. of S. Paules saing Thus he writeth Quemadmodum panis confortat ita Christi corpus hoc facit ac magis etiarn corpus animam sanctificat Et sicut vinum taetificat ita sanguis Christi hoc facit insuper praesidium efficitur Quodsi de vno corpore sanguine omnes fideles participamus omnes vnum sumus per ipsam horum Flesh vnited to the Sonne of God by assumption the same vnited to vs by participacion myst eriorum participationem in Christo omnes Christus in omnibus Qui edit inquit meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem in me manet ego in eo Verbum siquidem per assumptionem carni vnitum est baec rursus caro vnitur nobis per participationem As bread doth comforte so doeth the bodie of Chryst also this and more yt sanctifieth both bodie and soule And as wine dothe make gladde Euen so the blood of Chryst doth this also and moreouer yt ys made a defence And if all the faithfull do partake of one bodie and bloode we are all one by the same participacion of the mysteries For all be in Chryst and Chryst in all he that eateth saieth he my slesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him For truely the Sonne of God ys vnited to the flesh by assumption Thys flesh again ys vnited to vs by participacion Thus Euthym. I nede not as to me yt semeth to saie anie thing to the opening of this authours minde For he ys both plain in himself and also plainlie dothe open the minde of sainct Paule vnto vs. Whose sentence he setteth furth in the plain tearmes and leaueth the tropes For wher sainct Paule saieth that we that eate of one bread and drinke of one cuppe are one bodie He saieth that we that partake of one bodie and bloode are made one So that wher the text calleth Bread and cuppe in S. Paule meē the bodie ād blood c. yt bread the expositour calleth yt the bodie and what the text calleth the cuppe that this authour calleth the bloode Wherfore the true mening must be taken as the expositour doth expownde yt For somoche then as the expositour doth expownd the bread and the cuppe calling them the bodie and the blood yt can not be auoided but that yt ys so except the Aduersarie will saie that the text expowndeth the exposition For vnto that sense that he wolde wrest all the authours vnto the text ys more nearer then the exposition The aduersarie wolde haue yt bread and the text calleth yt bread The Aduersarie wolde not haue yt the bodie of Chryst but this authour saieth yt ys the bodie of Chryst Wherfore to the sense of the Aduersarie the text ys more clere then the exposition And so yt cometh to passe as before ys saied that the text expowndeth the exposition whiche ys after the maner of other of their doinges For they turn the catte in the panne and make light darknesse and darknesse light But thowe Reader be thowe sure that Chryst who hath promised his holie spiritte to his Church which ys the pillour of the trueth hath not left yt contratie to his promisse destitute of this guide of trueth these thousand yeares but yt was that Spiritt that did leade the minde and the penne of these holy Fathers to vnderstand and perceaue the true sense of the scriptures and so to write yt to vs. God hath left vnto vs bread euen the holie scripture to feede vs withall but as he bidde his Apostles to breake the breade that he had Ioan. 6. Bread of the woord of God how yt ys brokē blessed for the siue thousand people so by his mynistres in the church he hath commaunded the bread of the scripture to be broken to the people and what ys yt to breake yt but to expownd yt And why shoulde they expownd yt yf their were not places to be opened and cleared by exposition And therfore I saie these holie fathers being appointed to breake this bread of the woorde of God vnto vs ther ys no doubte but as they had learned of the master of trueth so they brake yt truly vnto vs and haue geuen vs the true vnderstanding of yt And therfore the bread and the cuppe expownded by so manie to be the bodie and bloode of Chryst yt must nedes be true that by so manie and so manie yeares hath with concorde and consent withoute contradiction ben preached taught and written This also ys not to be ouerpassed that thys Authour leaueth yt not vntaught howe we are made all one in Chryst bicause saieth he we do all partake of one bodie and bloode we are all made one by the participacion of the mysteries So that although he well knewe that we are all made one in Chryst by faith and charitie yet he also saieth that we are made one by the participacion of the mysteries And that yt shoulde moste manifestlie well be be perceaued what maner of vnion this ys of the whiche he speaketh here when he had alleaged the saing of Chryst He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I him mening therby to proue this vnion he by most plain woordes openeth the same saing The Sonne of God ys vnited to the flesh by assumption this flesh again ys vnited to vs by participacion wherby yt ys very manifest that we are vnited to Chryst by the vnion of his flesh For that flesh vnto the whiche the Sonne of God was vnited that same ys vnited to vs. Chryst was vnited to vs by his incarnacion we be vnited to him by participacion c. So that as Chryst was vnited to vs by taking of our flesh in his incarnacion and so was made one with vs In like maner we are vnited to him by the taking of his flesh in the Sacrament and are therby made one with him Wherfore note that he saieth not that we are in the receipt of the Sacrament vnited to Chryst by faith but by participacion of his flesh And yet this authour was not ignorant that we are also vnited to Chryst by faith But minding to open the peculiar commoditie of this mysterie he teacheth that by flesh we are vnited to Chryst Consider therfore Reader that wher the Aduersarie trauaileth to obscure and hide the benefittes of God whiche he geueth to the woorthie receauers of his
holie scripturs he reprehended them imagining cōtradictiōs in thē he reputed thē saith Niceph. as things of naugh to yowe contēne the learned cōmentaries ād writings of the Saincts of God vpō the scripturs ād matters incidēt ād apperteining to the scripturs with skoffes yowe trauail to reprehēd their graue authoritie ād godlie writings Yowe plaie and dallie with them before the people like a ioung Porphirie as though they were things of naught Thus yow maie see as all that be wise and staied by Gods grace doo see howe fullie herin yowe bear the image and iustlie folowe the steppes of him that fiercelie as yowe doe persecuted with deadlie hatred the church and religion of Chryste Your third offence ys yet worse and more heinouse wher yowe haue vttered so manie vntrueths and lies euen aduersus Dominū aduersus Christū eius against our Lord ād against his Chryste against his holie gospell and against his holie woord Ys yowr matter soch M Iuell as yt can not be mainteined without lies and as the holie man Iob saied Nunquid Deus indiget vestro mendacio Hath God nede of your lies No so litle nede hath he of lies that he will destroie al thē that speak lies as the psalmist saieth But that I seē not to charg yowe without proof as yowe do other ys not one of your chalenging articles against the presence of Chrysts bodie and blood in the blessed Sacr ys not the doctrine yowe teach and preache in that poinct directlie contrarie to the doctrine of our Sauiour Chryst Whē he saieth This ys my bodie This ys my blood and yowe auouche and teache that yt ys verie bread and verie wine ys not this a contrarie doctrine to his ys yt not plain against his manifest woorde ys yt not in effect to charge him with vntrueth though yowe daie not yet in flat woordes saie that he lied The craftie sleight yowe vse in handling the scripture wher the trueth of Chrysts doctrin doeth appeare ād your wielie suppressiō of those woords which cheiflie declare the same trueth ād opē yowr vntrueth doe wel proue youre wicked meening to be none other For taking the woords of S. Paule for the theme of your sermō yowe produced thē truncatedlie and passed thē with moch sleight Thus yowe vtter thē I haue receaued of the Lord that thing which also I deliuered vnto yow that ys that the lord Iesus in the night that he was betraied took bread ād ther yowe end Wher although yowe pretēted to teach the first instituciō of the Sacr. yet either of malice to suppresse Christs trueth or for feare to disclose your own vntrueth you wold not or durst not reherse the verie words of the instituciō which I wish al mē to note but both in the latin ād inglish as your faith staeth in bread and as yow wold the faith of your audiēce should do the like your theme ended in bread in so moch as whē yowe come to your last matter to speak of priuate Masse as yow tearm yt though falselie for ther ys none soch and to proue yowr Cōmuniō beginne again to repete the woords of the instituciō Lord what shift yowe make to suppresse the words of Chryst This ys my bodie This ys my blood in the which lieth al the effect of his instituciō These woords yowe flie as frō a serpēt yowe cā not abide the sownd of thē ād therfor with shamful craft yowe passe thē saing thus Chryst in the last supper ordeined a Cōmuniō ād shewed no maner token of priuate Masse as maie plainlie appeare both by the woordes that he spake and also by the order of his doings For be tooke the bread brake yt deuided yt ād gaue yt to his Disciples and saied Drinke ye all herof These be yowr own woords Yowe pretēded to proue your matter by Chrysts woords ād order but whē yowe come to the verie point yowe do not as moch as touch his woords but skippe ouer thē so well maie your prof appeare bi thē ād so loath are yowe to vtter Christ words that his trueth might appear ād your falshead be disclosed Against your first offēce which ys your abuse of the doctours in mutilating their saings as yow doo Anacletus in falsifieng their meening as yow do Tertullian and S. Cyprian in craftie alleaging two or three woordes that apparantlie maie seem to make for yowe leauing oute the rest that mightilie maketh against yowe as yowe doe sainct Augustine in corrupting authours by putting woordes to their saings which they haue not as yowe doe with Leo wherbie euidentlie appeareth yowr contēpt of their autoritie whom by so manie means yowe labour to abuse to shadowe and hide the trueth by them so clerelie settfurth I come in right vse reuerentlie alleaging them whollie and fullie producing them truelie reporting them and their mening iustlie letting euerie of them plainlie to testifie that whiche he hath written and causing euerie one to speake his owne woordes without corruption And that yowe maie perceaue that the catholique Churche ys strong against the whiche the gates of hell the power of heresie shall not preuaill knowe yowe that yt ys Terribilis castorum acies ordinata a terrible fortresse in most goodlie order appoincted Oute of the which fortresse in goodlie order ys comed a great nombre against yowe marching by cooples eche coople to shewe the vnitie of trueth and faith professed in bothe Churches being one of the greke church and other of the latine churche and the seniours for the most part placed in the forewarde These haue I brought furth not one alone and by piece meale so to rume awaie with the matter as yowe doo but in good nombres and with their full saings and the same doo I oftentimes conferr together that the full and perfect cleernesse of the trueth in ther consonant sentences maie appear and shine to all that list to looke therat and be disposed to knowe the trueth Against yowr second offence which ys the mocking of holie writers and Saincts wherbie yowe seke to dishonour and deface bothe them and the religion they professed I come with due reuerence and honour of them whō I knowe by Chrysts promesse to be honourable before the Father in heauen for their constant confession of his holie name whilest they liued here vpon earth Wherfor as being vpon the earth they were not gests and straungers but the felowes of Saincts and of the house of God I tearme them as senatours of the Parliament house of Chryste as knowing the enacted and receaued trueth of the matters of faith perteining to that house For this cause I regard all their writings which the catholique Churche hath allowed considering that the same Churche that hath taught me that the gospell that ys the verie woorde of God written by the mocion and instruction of his holie Spirit hath taught me that these mens wiritings vpon the same are good and commendable And as with S. Augustine
former sentence semeth to teache that yf a Christian fall in to mortall sinne after that he ys christened and hath receaued the giftes of God therunto appertaining that he can not be reconciled by penaūce and so were all hope of mercie for the remission of sinnes clean taken awaie Which thing one Nouatus by occasiō of this scripture vnderstāding yt in the Nouatus sense that yt semeth in the first face to haue taught verie stoutelie and so becam the Authour of a wofull and wicked heresie Against whiche Athanasius wrote an epistle to Serapio wher he declareth that the same saincte Paule receaued the incestiouse Corinthian and also the Galathians that had erred Athanas in faith to whom he saied O insensati Galatae quis vos fascinauit non obedire veritati O insensate Galathians who hath bewitched yowe that ye shoulde not obey the treuth And yet afterwarde he saied Filioli mei quos iterum pariurio donec Galat. 3. Ibid. 4. formetur in vobis Chrystus O my litle children of whom I trauaill again in byrth vntil Chryste be fashyoned in yowe The second sentence also semeth vtterlie to denie all means to atteign to gods mercie after we haue wilfullie fallen to sinne whiche sentence yf yt shoulde be vnderstanded as it sowndeth desperaciō shoulde reign and hope shoulde be abandoned What shall I saie for the vnderstanding of the scripturs by the common people vnlearned when not onelie manie other learned men through their euell or wrong vnderstanding of them haue swarued and fallē into sundrie and diuerse heresies But also saincteHierom and saincte Augustin two lightes and pillers of the Christian orbe haue dissented vpon the vnderstanding of a sayeng of saincte Paule to the Galathians wher he saieth When Peter Galat. 2. was comed to Antioche I withstoode him openlie bicause he was wourthie to be blamed In the which their disagrement ther was nothing committed that either charitie betwixt thē was empaired or yet anie heresie obstinatelie defended but raither the trueth learnedlie enquired and searched Wherfor Reader I saie vnto thee Noli altū sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare For arrogācie is mother of errour Put on therfore an hūble spirit and in reading of the scriptures submitte thy self to the teaching of thy Rom. 11. Arrogācie mother of errour Mother the churche For the loulie bowing man maie easelie go withoute harme wher the stowte high looker shall breake his browe Be humble therfore and feare to trust thine owne iudgement in the exposition of the scriptures and so will the Spirit of God rest vpon thee For vpon whome saieth he Esay 66. shall my Spirit rest but vpon him that ys humble and fearing my woordes THE FIFT CHAPITRE DECLARING THE MINdes and Iudgementes of the Fathers and doctours vpon the difficultie of the Scriptures YT nedeth not to trauaill anye more in this matter when as I suppose the Reader ys by this that ys allreadie saied so perswaded that he wil with hand and foote as they saie go with me and ioin with me in one sentence and minde Yet that the arrogancie of the stoute ignorant and vnlearned and the vntrueth of the learned maie be confownded and suffer their wourthie shame the Reader shall heare the iudgement of the famouse learned Fathers and doctours as touching the difficultie and obscuritie of the scriptures Wherbie the impudencie of soche arrogant persons maie clerlie and manifestlie be perceaued and they if they haue not as the Prophet Hieremie in the voice of God saieth of the people of Israell gotten an whoores forehead and will not be ashamed maye then in dede be ashamed Hierem 3. Origen a man both auncient and famouse in learning handeling this place of saincte Paule to the Galathians Vos in libertatē vocati estis fratres Bretheren ye Galat. 5. Orig. 19. li. Storm are called vnto libertie saieth thus Difficilis locus est et ita à nobis disserendus videtur An hard place this ys and thus vnto me yt semeth to be expownded And after along discourse in the exposition of the same texte he saieth thus Quamobrem spiritum scripturae fructusque quaeramus qui non dicuntur esse manifesti Multo quippe labore et sudore et digno cultu in scripturis fructus spiritus inuenitur Vnde arbitror Paulum diligenter et cautè de scripturae sensibus dixisse carnalibus Manifesta sunt opera carnis De spiritualibus vero non vt ibi posuisse Manifestus est fructus Sed ita Fructus autcm spiritus est charitas gaudium pax etc. Wherfore let us seke the Spirit of the scripture and the fruicts of the same whiche are not saied to be manifest For trulie the fruicte of the Spirit ys fownde in the scriptures with moche labour and swette and wourthie trauaill Wherfore I Scripture must be studied withe moche labour thinke Paule diligentlie and warelie of the carnall senses of the scriptures to haue saied the workes of the flesh are manifest But of the spirituall senses not to haue putte as in the other The fruicte of the Spirit ys manifest but thus The fruicte of the Spirit ys charitie ioye peace c. Hitherto Origen In the whiche saing first by expresse and plain woordes ye perceaue hym to saie of that place of saincte Paule ther alleaged that yt ys an harde place And asterwarde he concludeth of the wholl scripture that the spirituall senses and vnderstandinges therof are not manifest but are to be sought with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill Whiche he proueth by saincte Paule Nowe thinges that be easie and plain are acquired and gotten with moche facilitie without Laboure or with verie easie labour hard thinges be not so gotten but contrarie wise Wherfor by Origen yt maie be concluded that forasmoche as the right senses whiche he calleth the spirituall sense or vnderstanding of the scripture are to be gotten with moche labour swette and wourthie trauaill they be not easie but raither hard Sainct Hierom exhorting Paulinus to the studie of the scriptures as well by the exāples of Ethnickes and Philosophers as Plato Pithagoras Apollonius and soche other whiche for knowledge trauailed ouer seas and contries as also by the examples of christians as of Saint Paule Timothie Tyte and soche other maketh it not an easie matter but raither teacheth howe moch difficultie ys therin To the whiche pourpose he saieth Aperiebantur coeli Ezechieli qui populo peccatori clausi erant Reuela inquit Dauid oculos meos et considerabo mirabilia Hieron ad Paulinū de lege tua Lex enim spiritualis est et reuelatione opus est vt intelligatur ac reuelata facie gloriam Dei contemplemur Liber in Apocalypsi septem sigillis signatus ostenditur quem si dederis homini scienti literas vt legat respondebit tibi Non possum Signatus est enim Quanti hodie putant se nosce literas et tenent signatum librū
entreth not into their stomackes I meen into their solues ther to fede them and make them lustie and fatte that yt maie appeare in their faces in their outwarde conuersacion and godlie liuing Theise be the verie wasters in dede not wourthie to haue accesse to treasure houses storehouses and places of plentie Some other likewise lacking grace and discrecion abuse thinges of plentie As the father leauing to the Sonne great treasure for the mainteināce of his liuing and the mercifull releiuing of soche as haue nede the sonne abuseth and absumeth the same in mainteining of quarrells Suites contencions and molestations of his bretheren and other for whiche cause better yt had ben that soche treasure had ben deliuered vnto him as he had neded yt to helpe his necessitie than he hauing the libertie of the wholl wickedlie shoulde abuse yt Euen so men withoute grace and discrecion hauinge libertie to come to the treasure of the scripturs wher yt was geuen them to good vse as to maintein the godlie life that they shoulde lead in Christ and by counsell to relieue thē that haue nede of yt they abuse yt to Scisme and Heresie wherby cometh contencion Sectes and diuision to the great molestacion of their christen bretheren Wherfore were yt not better that this treasure were deliuered vnto them by soche as God hath appointed and so to vse yt well then hauing libertie of the wholl to abuse all Howsoeuer then this Proclamer to winne the people by flatterie wolde haue the scriptures common to all sortes yet as to the auncient Fathers yt hath appeared the best waie that yt shoulde be deliuered So shall our miserable experience teach vs at the last that yt ys the best waie Valdo a man alltogether vnlearned hauing a desire to cōme into this storehouse of God caused certain bookes of the scripture to be translated Valdo whiche he reading withoute vnderstanding fell into diuerse heresies and became an Authour of heresie hauing many foloweing as his Secte which Valdenses siue Pauperes de Lugduno were called after his name Valdenses and by an other name Pauperes de Lugduno the poor men or people of Lions Oute of the same fountain of ignorance saieth Alfonsus sprang an other sorte of Heretikes called Begradi Turelupini men plainlie ignorante and clere Begardi Turelupini withoute all learning All whiche mens errours proceaded of a peruerse sense and wrong vnderstanding of the scriptures whiche they through ignorance mixed with malice framed to them selues according to their phansies Nowe Reader hauing heard the mindes of the great learned and holie Fathers of the Churche as touchinge the difficultie of the scriptures the Luther ād zuīg their straunge doctrines Luther in Assertiō reading also and vnderstanding of the same of whom also and at whose handes ye must learne the vnderstanding of them what trueth ys to be thought in Luther and Zuinglius whiche so plainlie to the contrarie arrogantlie affirme the scriptures to be easie and plain for all men to vnderstand make yt free for all men to read and expowde them teache that not onelie men but also womē maye openlie preache the woorde of God And for the mainteinance of the same most wickedlie auouche all chrysten men and women to be preistes and to all theise mischeiuouse and wicked heresies adde this most pestilent heresie that as well a childe and a woman absolueth as the Bishoppe O Lord how manifestlie repugnante be theise pestiferouse assertions vnto the scriptures howe moche confownding and breaking the orde of the catholique Churche howe farre dissenting from all the holie Fathers Luther cōtrarie to himself yea and in some of theise how moche dothe Luther dissent from him self In one booke he teacheth as ys saied before that ther ys no difficultie in lib. de seruo arbitrio Luthers prowdbragges and lies the scriptures and boasting himself to be ignorant in no parte of them provoketh all men to bring him anie one place that he can not expownde This ys one mete to be an Heresiarch in Satans Sinagog that to gett him credite with his disciples extolleth him self with Luciferane pride accōpanied with falshood and lieng euen vnto the heauens But saincte Augustine endewed with an other Spirit and depressing and making himself lowe saieth of himself thus Fateor me in scripturis Dei plura nescire quam scire I acknowledge miself not to knowe mo thinges in the scriptures of God then to knowe Thus saieth saincte Augustin And yt ys easie for all men to iudge that betwixt theise two their ys no comparison whether ye haue respecte to excellencie of learning or sanctimony of lief But what trueth ys yn this saieng of Luther his owne woordes in an Luther in praefatione super psalmos other place shall be iudge thus he saieth Quocirca ingenuè me confiteri oportet me ignorare an legitimam habeam psalmorum intelligentiam wherfor I must francklie confesse that I am ygnorant whether I haue the lawfull vnderstanding of the psalmes or no. And a litle after that he saieth again Scio impudentissimae temeritatis eum esse qui audeat profiteri vnum librum scripturae à se in omnibus partibus intellectum I knowe him to be saieth Luther of most impudent Luther speaketh diuerselie as though he were not one but two diuerse mē rashnesse or foolish blodnesse that dare saie that he vnderstandeth anie one booke of the scripture in all partes Conferr theise two saienges with his other sentence before and then iudge of the Spirit of the man wolde ye not thinke them the sainges raither of two men the one sobre and the other drunke or the one sobre and the other stark madde When I conferred him in his first saing with saincte Augustin yt semed to me that I hearde Goliath and Dauid the condicions of the parties so well resembled eche other Neuerthelesse howe wicked so euer his Spirit and doctrine ys ther haue ben and yet be to manie that embrace and folowe the same For haue not The peoples arrogante irreuerēcia to diuiue matters the people vpon this persuasion of the easinesse of the scriptures taken a great boldnesse to read and dispute of the highest and hardest matters of all the scriptures Wil they not dispute and determine in predestinacon Ys yt not a common matter almost at euerie meting that man hath no free will Do not the Tauerns sownde of iustificacion Are not Barbre Shopps Schooles teaching God to be cause of Sinne doo not Innes and Alehouses swarme with disputers of the Sacramentes Howe manie ther be what ys the force of them what ys the Sacrament of the Altare what ys the woorthinesse of yt And what yt conteineth Do not the mouthes of women boies and Girles breath oute most filthie stincking and abhominable Blasphemie against this blessed Sacrament and the ministracon of the same in streetes high waies and feldes Ah Lord ys this the reuerence that aught to be geuen to the
ommbus quae habebā dubia sciscitarer I haue not frō my youth ceassed at any time either to read or ells to aske of learned men soche thinges as I knewe not Nether haue I had or vsed my self as manie do as master to my self But of late euē speciallie for this cause I wēt to Alexādria that I might se Didymus ād that I might aske of him soche doubtes as I had in all the scriptures Thus sainct Hierom. In the which reporte ye do heare howe cleresoeuer Luther and Zuinglius make the scriptures that saincte Hierō fownde doubtes therin and for dissolution of thē trauailed to Alexandria to Didymus In which facte also yt maie be learned that yf sainct Hierō so notable a mā sought a famouse mā to learn him yt maie well beseme other so to doo Did not Damasus being Bishoppe of Rome send to saincte Hierō to be aunswered in certain doubtes and disdeined Damasus learned of S. Hierom. S. Augustin of S. Amb. Many learned of S. Aug. not to learn of him Did not saincte Augustin go to Millen to saincte Ambrose to heare him and to learn of him Howe many that were learned worte to sainct Augustin to be taught of him in diuerse matters of scripture Yt wolde well fill an whollvolume to nōbre vppe those that haue trauailed cōtries to heare and learn of good holie learned men and that haue written to other for the like And therfore to conclude this matter I will no more but bringe in the saieng of sainct Clement the holie Martyr and disciple of saincte Peter the Apostle and then enter into the matter which principallie I haue in pourpose to treacte of Saincte Clement in his fiste epistle writeth thus Relatū est nobis quòd quidā in Clemens epist. 5. vestris partibus cōmorantes aduersantur sanis doctrinis prout eis videtur non secū dū traditiones patrū sed secundū suū sensum docere videntur Multas enim quidā vt audiuimus vestrarū partium secundum ingeniū hominū ex ijs quae legunt verisimilitudines capiunt Et ideò diligenter obseruandū est vt lex Dei cum legitur non secundum propriā intelli gentiālegatur vel doceatur Sunt enim multa verba in diuinis scripturis quae possunt trahi ad eum sensum quem sibi vnusquisque spontè praesumpsit Sed fieri non oportet Non enim sensū quē extrinsecus adulteretis alienū extraneū debetis quaerere aut quoquo modo it sū ex scripturarū autoritate consirmare sed ex ipsis scripturis sensum capere veritatis Et ideò oportet ab eo intelligentiā discere scripturarum qui à maioribus secundum veritatem sibi traditam seruauit vt ipse possit ea quae rectè suscepit competenter asserere Yt ys reported vnto vs that some duelling in your partes are aduersaires to wholsom doctrines and are perceaued to teache euē as yt liketh thēselues ād not according to the traditiōs of the Fathers but according to their own vnderstanding Some of your countries as we haue heard take many likelihoodes of those thinges that they do read according to the witte of men And therfore yt ys diligentlie to be looked vnto that the lawe of God whē yt ys red be not red or taught according to mens owne vnderstanding For ther be manie woordes in the scriptures of God which maie be drawen to that vnderstāding that euery mā at his own pleasure hath chosen But it maie not Scripture maie be drawen to diuerse senses so be doen. For ye ought not to seke an vnderstanding diuerse and straunge which ye maie adulterate or by any maner of means by autoritie of the scripturs in the outwarde face to confirme but of the scriptures themselues to take the true vnderstanding And therfore ye must learn the vnderstanding of the scriptures of him who kepeth yt according to the trueth deliuerid vnto him frō his elders that he maie also agreablie teache that he hath well receaued Thus farre Sainct Clement To take and embrace this ordre I meen to mistrust oure owne iudgemētes ād therfore to heare our Fathers ād vpō their iudgemētes not vpō our own phātasies to staie our selues in the true vnderstāding of the scriptures I haue yf my iudgement faill me not geuen thee gentle Reader god occasion For first to remoue and disproue the false saing of Luther and Zuinglius who haue taught that the scriptures be easie and plain to be vnderstanded wherun to this proclamer willing the scriptures to be common semeth to agree and consent I haue proued by diuerse and sondrie places yea and by whol bookes of the olde Testament that the same ys verie harde and full of difficulties not able to be dissolued but by a mā wel exercised in the reading and knowledge of the same And the like haue I doen of the gospells As for the epistles of saincte Paule yt ys proued by the inuincible testimonie of sainct Peter that they be harde ād be depraued of manie to their own damnaciō And that this might fullie appeare to thee I haue at large opened and proued the same not onelie by the saing and iudgementes of the best ād most auncient fathers of Chrystes Churche as of sancte Clement Hierom Chrysostome and other but also by their maner of atteigning to the vnderstanding of the scriptures for that they be hard Whiche their maner I haue also declared by their owne testimonie The difficultie of the scriptures thus proued cōtrarie to the sainges of Luther and Zuinlius I haue proceaded to declare by the scriptures first and after by the famouse learned Fathers howe we shall come to the vnderstāding therof Wher yt ys made manifest that we must atteign therunto by the teaching of the preistes which God hath appointed to be pastours ād teachers and Fathers of the people to feede thē to teache thē and to bring thē vppe in God And yet maie we not learn of euery one that taketh vpon him the Teachers meet to be folowed name of a pastour teacher or Father but of soche as teache the lawe of our heauēlie Father and ther withall forgetteth not the lawe of our mother the holie churche Theise two propreties he must haue iointlie for the one withoute the other sufficeth not in a teacher as by sainct Hierom yt ys declared Who also as saincte Clement teacheth must be soche one as teacheth the vnderstanding of the scriptures according to the trueth that he hath receaued and learned of his elders According to which counsell I minding to searche the vnderstanding of certain scriptures which be in controuersie I will repair to them that be the elders of Christes Churche whiche I terme his Parliament house and to learn of them the true vnderstanding of those scriptures I wish therfore the reader to submitte his iudgement vnto them as I will doo and all affection sett aparte to learn of them we ought to learn of
who I doubte not will so well and clerely open to vs the trueth of that matter that we seke that except we will not see we shall perceaue yt The holie spirit of God geue vs the gifte of vnderstanding and an humble and docible heart to receaue and embrace his trueth THE NINGHT CHAPITER DECLARING that oure redemption was prenunciated by promisses figures and prophecies and what the promisses be and to whome they were made ALmightie God beholding the miserable ruine of man and mercifullie entending the repaire of the same by his prouident wisdome Sap. 8. quae disponit omnia suauiter which disposeth all thinges louinglie according to his foreknowledge whiche was from euer declared vnto man the mean howe by whom and when hys laps or fall shoulde be restored assuring hym of hys redemption euen by the woorde of hys owne mouthe that wher man through hys fall had experience of the sore burden of Gods iustice he might also haue a taste and hope of his mercie and beholdinge the goodlie contēperament of bothe in God might frame also in him self a right temperature of feare and loue fearing for iustice and louing for mercie and therby in good ordre of spirituall melodie yoifullie finge with the Prophete Dauid Misericordiam et iudicui cantabo tibi Domine Mercie and iudgement will I sing to thee o Lord. Psal 102. For Misericors Dominus et iustus Oure Lord ys mercifull and righteouse Thus I saie Man hauing in practise that God ys a God of iustice lest he Assurāce of mercie promised to man before full sentence of iustice was pronounced shoulde be ouerwhelmed and depressed with desperacion for lacke of mercie Before the ful sentence of Gods iustice was pronoūced assurāce of mercie was made that mā being nowe pressed with the one should be releiued with the other Inimicitias ponam inter te et inter mulierem et semē tuū semē illius ipsa conteret caput tuum I will put enemitie said allmightie God to the Serpēt betwen thee and the woman betwen thie seed and her seed the same shal tread downe thine head By the whiche woordes assuredlie our first Parentes conceaued a firme hope of a Messias of a Redemer and of a Sauiour to come of the seed of a woman that as the Enemie the Deuell had craftelie supplāted and therbie ouerthrowē mā So he by noble victorie wrought on the crosse and accepted and approued by the iustice of God shoulde debel the enemie the deuell and take the spoill from him whiche was mankinde And as our righteouse and neuer the lesse our mercifull Lord God had signified this gladde tidinges of Redēption to oure first Parentes that they might vnderstand the mercie of God and therby conceaue and haue hope and comforth Euen so likewise did he to our Fathers the holie Patriarkes and other our elders notifie the same by diuerse means as by promisses figures and prophecies Of the whiche three I shall by Gods helpe seuerallie speake And first as the order leadeth I will treacte of promisses To our Father Abraham God declared the gladde tidinges of our Redemption by promisse saing thus In semine tuo benedicentur omnes nationes terrae Gen. 22. In thy seede shall all the nacions of the earth be blessed Who was this seede by whom al nacions shoulde be blessed and howe they shoulde atteign Promisse made to Abrahā vnto yt saincte Paule to the Galathians by the teaching of the holie Goste declareth saiēg To Abrahā and his seed were the promisses made He saieth not in thie seedes as to manie but yn thy seed as of one which ys Christe As saincte Paule here by the instruction of the holie Goste expowndeth this promisse to be made of Christe So doubte ye not but the same holie Galat. 3. Spiritie had breathed the like breath into the holie Patriarke Abrahā wherbie he vnderstood that Christ after the flesh shoulde descend from him and that this blessing shoulde by him happen to all nacions For all nacions shall atteign to this blessing that beleue with faithful Abraham as saincte Paule declareth in the same chapiter The scripture saieth he seing before hand that God wolde iustifie the heathen through faithe shewed before hande glad tidinges to Ahraham saing In thee shall all nacions be blessed So Ibid. 3. then they whiche be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham In the whiche declaracion we maie learn that the promesse was made to Abraham the fullfillinge of the said promisse shoulde be doen by Christe who ys that one seed the receauers of this promisse are the faithfull To kinge Dauid also he opened the same by promisse saienge De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam Of the frnicte of thy bodie shall I seetevppe vpon thy seat whiche woordes of the psalme are a rehersall of the promisse made to king Dauid in the second booke of the kinges wher yt ys written thus I will sett vppe thy seed whiche shall proceade of thy bodie and will 1 Reg. 7. stablish his kingdom he shall builde an house for my name and I will stablish the seat of his kingdom for euer Whiche promisse although the Ieues wolde haue to be vnderstanded and perfourmed in Salamon yet yt can not so be for that these woordes I will stablish the seat of his kingdom for euer can not be veryfied in Salomon whose worldlie kingdom ys finished and vtterly extingnisshed and was so before the coming of Christe according to the prophecie of the holy Patriarke Iacob who prophecied thus Non auferetur sceptrum de Iuda dux de femore eius Gen. 49. donec veniat qui mittendus est ipse erit expectatio gentium The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda and the lawegeuer from betwixt his feet vntill he comme that shall be sent and he yt shal be whom the gentiles shall looke for By whiche prophecie yt ys manifest that at the coming of Christe the kingdom of the Iewes shoulde ceasse wherby yt ys consequent that the Christ ys the seed Promised to Dauid and not Salemon Rom. 1. promisse of God made to Dauid tendeth not to Salomō and his Successiō whose kingdom must haue an ende as the prophecie of Iacob signified But yt respecteth Christe who lineallie descended from Dauid Qui factus ost ei ex semine Dauid secundum carnem whiche was borne to him of the seed of Dauid after the flesh as sainct Paule saieth whose kingdom ys euerlasting accordinge to the prophecie Super solium Dauid et super regnum eius sedebit vt confirmet et corroboret illud in iudicio et iustitia amodò et vsque in sempiternū He shall sitte vpon the seat of Dauid and in his kingdome to sett vppe the same and to establish yt with equitie and righteonsuesse from hence furth for Esay 9. euermore That this ys to be vnderstanded onely of Christe the rest of the sentence goinge
Ascendisti in altum cepisti captiuitatem accepisti dona in hominibus Thow arte gon vppe on high thowe hauest led captiuitie captiue and receaued gistes for men That the Prophete did in this sentence speake and prophecie of the ascension of Christe saincte Paule ys wittnesse who alleaging this prophecie proceadeth vppon yt thus Vnicuique nostrū data est gratia secundùm mensuram donationis Christi Propter quod dicit Ascendēs in altum Ephes 4. captiuam duxit captiuitatem dedit dona hominibus c. vnto euerie one of vs ys geuen grace according to the measure of the gifte of Christe wherfore he saieth when he went vppe on high he led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men That he ascended what meeneth yt but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth He that descended ys euen the same also that ascended vppe aboue all heauens to fullfill all thinges By the whiche woordes that saincte Paule taketh the sainge of Dauid to be a prophecie of Christes Ascencion yt ys more manifest then yt neadeth anie further probacion of me or anie other man But this scruple perchaunce maie moue a diligente reader that the Psalme saieth Thowe arte gon vppe on high thowe hauest led captiuitie captiue and receaued giftes for men or emonge men Accepisti dona in hominibus And the Apostle saieth Dedit dona hominibus He hath geuen giftes to men betwixte geuinge and receauing ther ys a great difference This doubte doth saincte Augustine dissolue writting in this wise Sed Aug. l. 15 de Trinit cum Propheta dixerit Accepisti dona in hominibus Apostolus maluit dicere Dedit dona hominibus vt ex vtroque scilicet verbo vno Phrophetico Apostolico altero quia in vtroque est diuini sermonis autorites sensus plenissimus redderetur Verūque enim verum est quia dedit hominibus et quia accepit in hominibus Dedit hominibus tanquā caput membris suis accepit in hominibus idem ipse vtique in membris suis propter quae membra sua clamauit de coelo Saule Saule quid me persequeris But when the Prophete hath saied Thowe hauest receaued giftes in men or emong men the Apostle hath chosen to saie Thow hauest geuen giftes to men that oute of both sainges the one of the Prophete the other of the Apostle by cause that in bothe ys the autoritie of Gods woord a most full and perfecte sense might be geuen For both be true bothe that he gaue giftes vnto men and also receaued giftes in men He gaue giftes vnto men as the head to the membres the self same also receaued giftes in his membres for the whiche his membres he cried from heauen Saul Saul why doest thowe persequute me Thus moche sainct Augustin Albeit the Scriptures be copiouse and plentifull of Prophecies as well of this matter as of other all teachinge vs one trueth though they be vtterred by diuerse organs or instrumentes of the holie Goste forbicause the holie Goste the Schoolemaster of all trueth ys but one Yet I will not molest the Reader with the rehersall of anie mo well knowing that the truthe ys as Holie Gost schoolmaster of all trueth perfecte as sure and as substācial in one sentēce of the holy Goste as in twēti Neuerthelesse he that ys desierouse to read mo prophecies of this matter I referre him to the xlvj psame to the lxiij chapiter of Easie and to the second of Micheas as the holie learned fathers haue taught me Thus praise be to God I haue through his helpe profourmed that that I entended namely declared that the misteries of our Redemptiō were by diuerse meanes that ys to saie by promisses figures and prophecies reueiled vnto the Fathers by Allmightie God and that in diuerse ages and times as in the time of the lawe of Nature in the time of the lawe of Moyses All whiche promisses figures and prophecies promised figured and prophecied soche thinges as by our Sauiour Christe were fullfilled accōplisshed and ended whiche so beinge they haue their ende according as Christ himself saied Etenim quae de me scripta sunt finem habent For the thinges whiche are written of me haue an ende Luc. 22. THE THIRTENE CHAPITER HOW THAT MELCHIsedech was a figure of Christe bothe in preisthood and sacrifice NOwe to approche to the matter in this first booke principallie entended Wheras Allmightie God did paint open and shewe the misterie of our Redemption by promises figures and prophecies in the olde testament to the great comforth of thē that liued in that testament whiche Redemption ys alredie wrought doen and perfected Euen so hath he by figures and prophecies shadowed and spoken before of thinges that shal be doen in the new Testament as a perpetuall memoriall of the same redemption to the great and spirituall comforth of them that liue vnder the newe testament whiche memoriall ys nowe in the Churche of Christendom vsed and continned For as by his bloodsheding vpon the Crosse he did the verie thing in dede that the legall Sacrifices did prefigurate shadowe in the olde testament So by the same blood he as being the thing yt felf and the verie light causingge figure to ceasse and the shadow to be remoued abolished the olde Testament and established and confirmed a newe Testament not to remayn for a season as the other was appointed to do when Moises saied Hic sanguis Testamenti quod mandauit ad vos Deus This ys the bloode of the Testament whiche God hath made with yowe But a newe euerlasting Testament according Exod. 24. Hebr. 9. Hebr. 13. Aeternum Testamētū as saincte Paule saieth This euerlasting Testament hath accordinglie an euerlasting preist and an euerlasting sacrifice The euerlasting preist ys our Sauiour Christe as wittnesseth sainct Paule Nec Christus semetipsum glorificauit vt pontifex sieret sed qui dixit ad eum Filius meus es tu ego hodie genui te Quemadmodum in alio loco dicit Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Neither did Christe glorifie him self to be made the high preist but he that saied vnto him Hebr. 5. Thowe arte my Sonne this daie haue I begottē thee As he saieth also in an other place Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech The euerlasting sacrifice ys the verie bodie and bloode of the same our Christes bodie and blood an euerlasting sacrifice Luc. 22. Sauiour Iesus Christe whiche as he according to the ordre of his preisthood did sacrifice in his last Supper vnder the formes of bread and wine So did he geue auctoritie and cōmandement to the Apostles and ministres of his Churche to do the same saing Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationē This do ye in the remembrance of me The continuance of the doing of this thing in the remembrance of him sainct Paule declareth saing Donec veniat vntill he come
authoritie or credite ys he of that teacheth in the pulpet by speaking then he that teacheth by open writing Yf ye will not beleue me writing ye will not beleue me preaching Yf ye wil beleue me preaching for that I speake the trueth by the scriptures and auncient fathers Beleue me also writing the trueth by the scriptures aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers And yf these alowed writers of these later daies teach the trueth by the scripturs aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers theÌ„ must they neds be receaued And ther for trulie yt ys necessarie that they be alleaged to th eÌ„tent the trueth maie be perceaued to be one throughout all and that they being ioined with the auncieÌ„tes yt maie be seeÌ„ that the same trueth is taught now that was taught a thousand yeares agoÌ„ before And therfor haue I determined not to geue place to this refusall of Heretiques but to alleage the Authours of these later yeares that the coÌ„sonancie and vnitie of the trueth maie be perceaued in all ages and that ther ys no other trueth taught now theÌ„ was taught in the Primitiue Church and the time of the Apostles yea no other trueth then was taught by oure Sauiour Chryst himself and by his holie Spirit the Authour of all trueth Wherby the foule railinges and slaunders which bemost comoÌ„ lie in the mouthes of the enemies maie be taken awaie and they of their vntrueth and malice woorthilie confownded Thus moche I thought good to saie for that in this book I minde to vse the testimonies of these late writers for th entent aboue specified And nowe therfore to Theophilacte the Grecian I shall ioin the learned doctour Nicolaus de Lyra a latin Authour who writing vpon the sixt of S. Iohn cometh to this text Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh and expowndeth yt thus Postquam egit de pane spirituali qui est Verbum hic consequenter agit de pane spirituali qui est Sacramentum After he hath don saieth this Authour of Chryst with the spirituall bread which ys Nico. Lira in 6. Ioan. the woorde here consequentlie he treacted of the spirituall breade whiche ys the Sacrament What dothe this authour dissent from the Fathers dothe he not signifie that Chryste before the sentence so often alleaged did speake of the spirituall bread hys Godhead which he calleth the woord And doth he not now saie that in yt that foloweth Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament These be sufficient to declare the true vnderstaÌ„ding of our Sauiour Chrystes processe and ordre in the sixte of S. Iohn And for that ye perceaue the same aswell after the minde of Chryste the verie texte so leading vs to vnderstand yt as also after the minde of diuerse learned authours I will nowe procead to see the vnderstaÌ„ding of diuerse textes of the rest of this chapiter that treacte of the blessed Sacrament THE FOVRTH CHAPITER BEGINNETH A further proof of the former matter by S. Cyprian and Euthymius THis distinction of these two breades last before mencioned perceaued and being withall remeÌ„bred that at this text The bread which I shall geue ys my â—…esh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Chryst began to speake of the Sacrament and continueth the disputation therof to the ende of the chapiter to proue the same more manifestlie to the Reader and withall to make yt clere that that processe ys not of a figuratiue flesh but of Chrystes verie propre flesh and bodie I will beginne at the same text and so descending to the last by a nombre of the most auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house open both the one and the other I trust to the full contentacion of the godlie Reader The firste that shall shewe hys minde of this matter shall be the holie Martyr Cyprian who saieth thus Panis vitae Christus est panis hic omnium non est sed noster est Et quomodò dicimus Pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est sic paneÌ„ nostruÌ„ vocamus quia Christus noster qui eius corpus coÌ„tingimus panis est Hunc autem paneÌ„ dari nobis quotidiè postulamus ne qui in Christo sumus Eucharistiam quotidie ad cibuÌ„ salutis accipimus intercedente grauiore aliquo delicto dum abstenti noÌ„ coÌ„municantes à caelesti pane prohibemur à Christi corpore separemur ipso praedicante monente Ego sum panis vitae qui de caelo descendi Si quis ederit de hoc pane viuet in aeternum Panis quteÌ„ quem ego dedero caro mea est pro seculi vita The bread of life ys Chryst and this breade ys not the breade of all men but yt ys ours And as we do saie Oure Father because he ys the father of all that do beleue and vnderstande Euen so also oure bread call we whiche touche his bodie bicause owre Chryste ys bread This breade we dailie desire to be geuen vs least we which be in Chryst and take the Sacrament dailie to oure meate of health some greuouse offence coming betwene while we being excoÌ„municated and not receauing be forbidden from the heauenlie bread maie be separated from the bodie of Chryste he himself openly saing and teaching I am the bread of life whiche descended from heauen Whosoeuer shal eate of this bread shall liue for euer The bread which I will geue ys my flesh for the life of the worlde Thus moch S. CypriaÌ„ In this sentence I doubte not but ye perceaue that this holy Martyr applieth the sentences of the sixt of S. Iohn to the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood According to whiche vnderstanding he calleth Chryst our bread S. Cyprian aplieth the sixt of S. Iohn to the Sacrament whom he so calleth not onelie bicause of his Godhead but also bicause he feadeth vs in the Sacrament with his bodie For saieth he we being in Chryste do receaue the Sacrament dailie to the meate of health But yf by sinne we forbeare to receaue the heauenlie bread we be separated from the bodie of Chryste Wherby we maie perceaue that not onelie the sixt of S. Iohn ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament But also when S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament the meat of health the heauenly bread and the bodie we are taught that in the SacrameÌ„t ys the verie presence of that bodie to the which proprelie these goodlie titles maie be wourthilie applied Whiche bodie can be none other but the bodie of Chryst God an man But forasmoch as the faith of this famouse Father and holie Martyr Cyprian in this poinct hath ben notablie and manifestlie declared in sentences before alleaged in the first booke and more herafter shall be spoken I will not nowe trooble the reader with any longer declaracion of the same but will ioin with Cyprian one of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house euen Euthymius a grecian whose sentence Reader yt shall
of auncient time and the Authours of the later time Yf ye obiecte that Chrysostome did vse no soche woordes as this Authour dothe For Chrysostome though he saied that yt was the very meat that saued the soule yet he did not saie that this very meat was vnder the formes of bread and wine as this man doeth Ys this trowe yow abhorring from the sainges of the auncient Fathers though Chrysostom dothe not here speake yt by expresse woordes as this Authour doth Dothe not Chrysostome saie that this ys no parabolicall speache wherby what dothe he ells insinuate but that ther ys the thing euen as yt ys spoken of Chryst whiche ys the verie flesh the very meat of the faithfull Yf this flesh be verilie ther as most certenly yt ys and we do see but the forme of bread then yt ys ther vnder the forme of bread But to declare vnto yow that this maner ofspeache and wordes ys not of late vsage or of late or newe inuencion harke what sainct Augustin saieth Caro eius est quam forma panis opertam in Sacramento accipimus sanguis Lib. sente Prosp A plain place for M. Juell eius est quem sub vini specie sapore potamus Yt ys the flesh of him whiche we receaue couered in the Sacrament vnder forme of bread And yt ys the blood of him whiche we drinke vnder the forme and taste of wine Do ye not heare in these woordes of Saint Augustine the same forme of woordes vsed by Dionise Do ye not heare the forme of bread and Formes of bread and wine a speache knowen to S. Augu. wine Do ye not heare that Chrystes flesh ys vnder the one and his bloode vnder the other Why then do ye sticke still in the mire Why do ye not frame your selues to be obedient to the faith of Crystes Churche Or do ye thinke that ye alone haue the true faithe whiche the Churche had not in the time of sainct Augustine Why do ye perseuere deceauing the simple and vnlearned feading them with lies in stead of trueth with heresie in stead of faith and with Scisme in stead of vnitie of Gods religion Saie not nowe as yt hath ben your common slaunder that these late writers were full of corrupte doctrine For ye see yet that they teache no other doctrine in this matter then the auncient Fathers did And yet in this saing of sainct Augustine ther ys one thing wourthie of note that wher the Aduersaries trauailed to impugne this doctrine of Chrystes being in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wine by the alteracion or chaunge of the significacion of this woorde species Species and forma vsed both in one significaciō saing that the woorde doth signifie the nature or kinde of a thinge and not the outwaade forme Let them here weigh well and consider saincte Augustines maner of speache who taketh here this woorde species applied to the wine in the same significacion that he taketh forma applied to the bread But this woorde forma ys taken for the outwarde forme wherfor this woorde species must nedes be so likewise And here also I wolde wish the vnlearned that haue erred in this matter that they wolde be aduertised by this good Father and learned man Dionise that they will not abuse these sentences of the scripture Petra erat Christus verè foenum est populus The stone was Chryste and Truly the people ys grasse to the maintenaunce of their errour that bycause these be spoken figuratiuelie therfor this also Caro verè est cibus My flesh ys meate in verie dede Ys spoken figuratiuelie For yf ye will so then might ye make these sentences Tu es Christus filius Dei viui Thowe arte Chryst the Sonne of the liuing God Et verè filius Dei erat iste And trulie this man was the Sonne of God ye might I saie make these sentences figuratiue speaches and so consequentlie subuert the sense of holie scripture and all our faith Therfor vnderstand by this Authour that they be figuratiue speaches or speaches so vsed for some agreablenesse of the thinges compared together and do not ouertwartly turn that to impugne the trueth that ys brought in example for the declaracion of the trueth as I hearde a Reader do in Cambridge who being willing to please the worlde he liued in began to impugne the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament and the Masse Schoole argumentes made for the opening of trueth produced of a Protestant to cōfirme a false doctrine And to make his matter good in apparaunce he induced manie argumentes and delighted him self very moche in them as by whiche his matter was moche confirmed and strengthed as he thought In the hearing of the argumentes methought they were soche as I had readde wherfor the lecture being ended I repared to my studie and supposing I had readde thē in Dunce I tooke him in hande and turned and fownde them Whiche as Dunce had moued against the truthe to be solued for the better declaracion and opening of the trueth So did this man bring them in against the truth to confirme his false doctrine So that soche argument as Dunce framed for an argument of impugnacion this reader vsed yt as an argument of confirmacion And so I feare verilie that manie seke good Authours and what they finde in them to impugn falsheade with that do they defende and fortifie the same Wherfor reader do not the like here that what this Authour bringeth in for a better and further declaracion of the trueth thowe take yt to impugne the trueth I thought yt good also not to omitte that this Authour saieth that we receaue in the Sacrament the very reall and wholl bodie of Chryst with veines sinnewes and bones for that I haue hearde some of the Iewish Capharnaites aske what do we receaue Chrystes bodie bones and all Howe can yt come wholl in to my mouthe Ah thow man of litle faith why doest thowe doubte bicause thowe imaginest with the Capharnaites no other presence but after the grosse corporall The presence of Christes bodie in the Sac. no more impossible thē many other his workes which some as impossible to naturall knowledge maner But thowe errest fowllie He ys ther spirituallie and yet verilie and really and no more to be thought impossiblie to thee than that that bodie was born of a virgen then that yt walked vpon the sea then that yt was transfigurated on the mount then that yt rose from death life then that yt passed oute of the graue the monument being still fast shett and close then that yt entred into the Apostles the doores being shett then that yt ascended into heauen all whiche factes yf thowe measure by naturall knowledge they will seme as vnpossible as the other For naturall knowledge wondereth and saieth howe coulde the bodie of Chryst being a perfect bodie Hauing flesh and bones passe oute of the sepulchre the sepulchre not being opened
the bodie of Chryst And before the woordes of Chryst yt ys a cuppe full of water and wine but when the woordes of Chryst haue wrought ther ys made the bloode that redemed the people Gregorie nissen saied the bread by the woorde ys chaunged into the bodie as yt was saied of the woorde mening Chryst This ys my bodie And again he saieth we doe beleue that the bread sanctified by the woorde of God ys chaunged into Greg. Niss ser cathec Hier. ad Hed. qn 2 Isich in Leuit li. 6. ca. 22. the bodie of the Sonne of God S. Hierom saied Let vs vnderstand that the bread which our Lorde gaue vnto his Disciples ys the bodie of our Lorde and Sauionre forasmoch as he saied This ys my bodie aÌ„d that the cuppe ys that of the whiche again he saied Drinke ye all of this This ys my blood of the newe Testament Isichius saied he receaueth the sacrifice by ignorance that knoweth not the power and dignitie of yt that knoweth not that yt ys his bodie and Ang. in Psalm 33. con 1. Chrysosthom 83. in 26 Math. hom 51. in 14 Marc Cyrill ad CalosyriuÌ„ bloode in verie dede but receaueth the misteries and knoweth not the power of theÌ„ S. Augustine saied that Chryst was born in his owne handes when geuing furth that same his bodie he saied This ys my bodie For he did beare that bodie in his handes Chrysostome saied Forasmoche as he hath saied this ys my bodie let vs be holden with no doubte but let vs beleue and with the eies of our vderstanding let vs verilie see yt Again he saied He that saied This ys my bodie alltogether with his woorde he made the thing also S. Cyrill saied Doubte not whether this be true or no sith he manifestlie saieth this ys my bodie but raither receaue the woorde of our Saiouur in faith For he forasmoche as he ys the trueth he lieth not S. Gregorie saied Chryst ys offred for vs in this misterie of the holie sacrifice Ther trulie his bodie ys receaued his flesh to the health of the people ys geuen abroade his Grego li. 4. Dial. ca 58 blood ys nowe shedde not vpon the handes of the vnfaithfull but into the mouthes of the faithfull And again whiche of the faithfull can doubte in that time of the sacrifice at the woorde of the preist the heauens to be opened in that misterie of Iesu Chryst coÌ„panies of Angells to be preseÌ„t vnto high thinges lowe thinges to be coopled vnto heauenly thinges earthlie thinges to be ioined one thing also of inuisible and visible thinges to be made Isidor saied The sacrifice that ys offred of the Chrystians vnto God Chryst our Lorde and master did first institute when he gaue to his Apostles his bodie and bloode before he wolde be betraied as yt ys redde in the Gospell Jsidorus de â—ffi â—ccl ca 1â— Iesus tooke bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue them to them Thus haue I breissie tocuhed so moche as maie serue to prooue the second proposition of the catholiques Yf anie desire to see anie more of these authours let him repair to their chapters and ther shall he see them at large And nowe ye see that as by manie wittnesses the figure in the first proposition was denied so by all these that Chryst in his woordes spake of his verie bodie yt ys here affirmed And yet all these notwithstanding yf the Aduersarie can bringe furth but one auncient Father that by expresse woordes saieth as he saieth that Chryst in his supper did not speake of his bodie or that his bodie after coÌ„secracioÌ„ duelie doeÌ„ ys not in the Sacrament I will ioine with him The Proclaimer more arrogantlie theÌ„ trulie saieth of the catholique Churche and that with repeticioÌ„ saing once again I saie as therby with The bragge of the proclamer boldecountenance to beare oute his fal shood and vntrueth that of all the woordes of the holie scriptures of all the examples of the primitiue Churche of all the olde fathers of all the anncient doctours in these causes they haue not one Nowe iudge whether he be true or no and what credditte ys to be geueÌ„ vnto him in other matters that so shameleslie speaketh in this To the farder proofe of the trueth of Chrystes substanciall presence in the Sacrament also beside that that ys saied of manie of the authours seuerallie I haue treacted of tansubstancion wherfor I remitte the reader thither and nowe hauing but one scripture in the Euangelistes to speake of I will breiflie touche yt and so finish this second booke THE FIVE AND SIXTETH CHAP. TREACTETH of the bread blessed and geuen by Chryst to the two disciples in Emaus and prooueth by Theophilact and Bede that yt was the Sacrament IN the gospell after sainct Luke we read that Chryst ioining him self to two of his Disciples goinge to Emaus wheÌ„ he cam thither Luc. 24. he satte downe with them And tooke bread and blessed and brake yt and gaue yt to them and their eies were opened and they knewe him And these Disciples returned with ioie to Hierusalem and tolde the The bread geuen to the Disciples in Emaus was Chrystes blessed bodie Apostles what was doen in the waie and howe they knewe him in the breaking of bread This bread that was here blessed and broke and geuen to the Disciples the holie learned men do testifie not to be common bread but to be by the blessing of Chryst made the bread of life euen his owne bodie Wherfor seinge yt ys so vnderstaÌ„ded I thought yt apperteining to that pourpose that I haue taken in hande to see the mindes of the holie fathers in yt And at this time to ascende I will beginne with Theophilact who writeth thus vpon the same scripture Insinuatur autem aliud quiddam nempe quod oculi corum qui benedictum panem assumunt aperiuntur vt agnoscant illum Magnam enim Theophil in 24. Luc. indicibilem vim habet caro Domini An other thing also ys geuen vs to vnderstande that ys that the eies of theÌ„ which doe take the blessed bread are opened that they maie knowe him mening Chryst For the flesh of Chryst hath a great and vnspeable power Thus he By this authour yt doeth not onely appeare that Chryst gaue vnto the two disciples his bodie but yt ys also euident For when he had first saied that their eies were opened that receaued the blessed bread so well that they might knowe Iesus immediatelie opening what this blessed bread was he saieth For the slesh of Chryst hath an vnspeakeable power The blessed bread then blessed of Chryste to be geuen to the Disciples was so of him blessed by the testimonie of Theophilact that yt was made the flesh of Chryst Whiche he prooueth by the effecte For although Chryst had walked with them somoche waie and had conferred with them and had rebuked their slacknesse of faith and
appeareth not flesh in the Sacr. like vnto his holie flesh and yt auailed to his augmentacion and sustentacion after the maner of man Therfor nowe also the bread ys chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde And howe saieth he dothe yt not appeare flesh but bread That we shoulde not abhorre from the eating of yt What can be saied against these so manifest and so plain testimonies Maie we not or raither aught we not to saie as these holie famouse and learned men do raither then to saie as a fewe phantasticall heretiques and Apostaties do Let vs beleue these pillers of Chrystes Churche and beleuing them seke to be saued as they be Thus haue ye hearde enough I suppose to declare vnto yowe that by consecracion whiche Haimo spake of the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament And therfor Manna as he saied signifieng the bodie of Chryst consecrated signifieth the very reall and substanciall bodie of Chryst And thus hauing opened the minde of this authour who as he ys agreable to the holie auncient Fathers before alleadged So ys he plain and pithie to the readers and strong and mightie to debell the Aduersaries I will come to heare Theophilacte expownde the same place of Sainct Paule Thus he writeth Vt enim nos aqua Baptismi perfusi corpus dominicum manducamus Sic Manna illi mari traiecto in esum sunt vsi Et quemadmodum ipsi Domini sanguinem bibimus Sic illi erumpentem è percusso lapide aquam biberunt As we washed A plain saing for M. Iuell with the water of Baptisme do eate our Lordes bodie So they hauing passed through the sea vsed Manna for their foode And as we drinke the bloode of our Lorde So they dranke the water that gushed out of the smitten Rocke Thus Theophilacte These two testimonies be so like in sense and phrase that they might raither be iudged to come oute of one minde and oute of one mouthe them from two men different in time distant in place and contrie But God who ys not as Sainct Paule saieth Dissentionis Deus sed pacis 1. Cor. 14. The spirit of vnitie among catholiques vnitatis The God of dissention but of peace and vnitie who by his holie spirit wrought that Multitudinis credentium erat cor vnum anima vna The multitude that beleued were of one heart and of one soule made them being of one faith to speake one thing as he did his foure holy Euangelistes Who although they did write in diuerse times and places yet they agreed in vnitie of one trueth But they that can not content them selues with that ordre and condicion that God hath placed them in but being puffed vppe with the spirit of pride go aboute to buyll the tower of Babell to get them a name The spirit of diuision among Protestantes God by his spirit of humilitie and vnitie not working withe them their tounges are diuided and dissention ys among them they agree not they speake not of one thing as yt ys easie to see in the schoole of confusion euen an other Babell the Tower of the wicked name of Luther Among whose disciples was nor ys the spirit of vnitie neither were nor be yet that multitude of one heart nor of one soule but of diuerse Luther he spake with one toung and saied the verie bodie of Chryst was in the Sacrament reallie and substanciallie Oecolampadius he spake in an other toung contrarie to his Master and saied that Chrystes bodie was not ther but as in a sign Some other of Luthers disciples saied that Magistrates and rulers must be obeied Some of them had other tounges and saied that we are called to libertie and therfor we be all equall and owe no obedience to Man Some tounges saied that children must be chrystned again Some other tounges saied naie Some tounges saied that ther were but two Sacramentes Some saied their were three Some otherwise with a nombre of diuisions not onely among the multitude but among them selues I meen that one of them in all places and at all times did not agree with him self but here saied this in an other place clean contrarie as hereafter by the helpe of Gods grace more at large shall be shewed But God qui facit habitare vnius moris in domo Who maketh men to Psal 67. be of one minde in the house maketh men that dwell in his house of his holie Churche to be of one toung of one minde to beleue one thing and to saie one thing Therfor let these men of Babell go these men of confused tounges and let vs heare the people of agreement Ye see I saie howe Theophilacte agreeth with Haimo and yf ye ascende to Oecumenius to Chrysostome and other ye shall see soche agrement in sense soche liknesse in woordes that a man might saie that they were all spoken not of diuerse men but of one man Conferre them together Reader and trie my ttueth I shall not nede to trooble thee with many woordes to open the saing The Iewes eate Māna we our Lordes bodie They dranke water we the bloode of Christ of Theophilacte for yt ys so euident and plain that yt nede no expositour Onelie I wish that for the pourpose that he ys alleadged that ye note first that he compareth Manna and the water to the bodie and bloode of Chryst as the figures to the verities in that he saieth As we eate our Lordes bodie So they Manna As we drinke the blood of our Lorde So they drinke the water of the Rocke That by the bodie and blood of Chryst he meneth the bodie and bloode in the Sacrament whiche he most manifestlie affirmeth and by expresse woordes denieth the onelie figure of the Aduersarie so wickedlie auouched Cap. lx yt appeareth in his exposition of this saing of Chryst This ys my bodie in the six and twenteth of Sainct Matthew and in the fourtenth of Sainct Marke whiche bothe be alleageth in the seconde booke in the exposition of the same saing of Chryst Likewise also dothe he vpon the vj. of Sainct Iohn wher he saieth thus Theoph. in 6. Ioan. Marke that the bread which ys eaten of vs in the mysteries ys not onelie a figure of the bodie of our Lorde but the flesh yt self of our Lorde For he did not saie the bread whiche I will geue ys a figure of my flesh But yt ys my flesh In this sentence yt perceaue Theophilacte not onelie auouching the verie substanciall presence of Chrystes flesh in the Sacrament whiche ys the Reall presence auouched and the hereticall figure denied catholique doctrine but also denieng the figure whiche ys the hereticall doctrine What wicked obstinacie ys this that wher this Authour denieth yt to be a figure they affirme the contrarie and wher he affirmeth the substanciall presence of Chrystes flesh they denie yt Yf the Aduersaries had but one soche place to denie the presence as certen I am they
remembrance of me for asmoche as holie Ciprian saieth that Chryst hath commaunded vs to offre his bodie in sacrifice and before him so saied Irenaeus and after him so saied Sainct Ambrose and diuerse other holie learned Fathers I wolde learn of them what place ells in the scripture ther ys wherupon these auncient Fathers dooe grownde these their sainges But let them mocke and skorn at Chrystes trueth as the Phariseis and Scribes did at him self yet as Chryst remained and remaineth and shall for euer remain and shall condemne the wiked generacion So dothe and shall this trueth remain to their condemnacion And howesouer they will laboure to obscure yt yet the holie doctours who verie well knewe by the doctrine of the primitiue Churche howe the scripture ys to be vnderstanded shall allwaies open the same and make yt clere As nowe Sainct Cyprian in declaring the commaundement of Chryst doth almost speake the verie woordes of the commaundement Chryste saied Hoc facite in meam commâ—morationem This doe ye in the remembrance of me Ciprian saieth he commaunded this sacrifice to be doen in the remembrance of him Sainct Ambrose likewise growndeth himself vpon these saine woordes of Chryst when he saied I lorde being mindfull of thy honorable passion come vnto thing aultar although vnwoorthie and a sinner that I maie offre vnto thee the sacrifice that thowe didest institute and commaundest to be offred in the remembrance of thee The Ambr. oratione praepar ad Missem same allusion haue other Fathers also So that yt ys as clear as the daie light amonge the auncient doctours that Chryst by these woordes commaunded his Churche to offre his bodie and bloode in sacrifice Nowe once to ende the notes that maie be made vpon Sainct Ciprian and to stoppe the mouthes of them that speake wicked thinges as saieth the spalmist Note well the last parte of Sainct Ciprians sainges and ye shall see that both Chryst did offre sacrifice in his last Supper and that we also do òffre sacrifice yf we doe obserue and kepe the institucion of Christ For Sainct Ciprian saieth Sacerdos vice Christi verè sungitur si id quod Christus secerit imitatur sacrificium verum pleanum tunc offert in Ecclesia Deo Patri si sic incipiat offerre secundùm quod ipsum Christum viderit obtulisse The preist doeth truelie exercise the ministracion of Chryste yf he folowe that that Chryst hath doen and then doeth he offre in the Chruche vnto God the Father a true and sull sacrifice yf he so beginne to offre as he hath seen Chryst to haue offred In which sentence this maie be noted first that Chryst did offre sacrifice in the last Supper which the Aduersarie denieth Secondarely that the Church folowing the institucion of Chryste offreth to God a full and a true sacrifice whiche also the Aduersarie denieth By this then ye perceaue these two partes of the Masse that ys holie consecracion and oblacion to be doen by Chryst in his holie ministracion As for the thirde whiche ys holy receauing ther ys no controuersie betwixt vs and the Aduersarie Yt ys more then neadeth to be spoken of that both Chryst him self and all the Apostles present at the borde of Chryst did eat of that holie oblacion or sacrifice These three being the substanciall partes of the Masse and the verie true Masse in dede and being by Christ instituted ordeined and appoincted as yowe haue perceaued what can we ells saie but that Chryste ys the Authour of the Masse that he instituted the Masse and that he saied Masse Yf anie desire to be better satisfied in these two partes namely consecracion and oblacion for the first let him repaire to the second booke and ther from the xli chapiter to the ende of the booke he shall finde enoughe to satisfie him For the other in the first booke from the xxxiij chapiter to the ende of that booke he shall likewise finde that maie content him THE FOVR AND THIRTETH CHApiter sheweth the vse of the Masse vsed and practised by the Apostles THe Masse as ys saied and proued being instituted by Chryste and by him also coÌ„maunded to be practised and vsed of his Church yt shall be expedient and necessarie that we see how and in what maner that his commaundement was executed and his institucioÌ„ practised first by the Apostles and after by the holie Fathers of the primitiue and auncient Chruche For they well knowing Chrystes verie minde their doinges are to vs a perfect expositioÌ„ and declaracioÌ„of the same Wherfore minding to see them they shall yet so be seen as both the practise of the Masse of the catholique Church nowe in vse and the practise also of the Schismaticall Churche maie be plainlie laied furth and compared to the former practises that therbie triall maie be made whether of these two agree or disagree with the Apostolique and primitiue Churche Yf we of the catholique Churche dissent either from Chrystes institution or from the Apostles and Fathers as touching the substanciall parts of the Masse or anie other weightie matter of the faith let vs suffre the reproche Yf the Proclamer and and his complices haue swerued from them let them repent and seke gods mercie This I promisse before God that I will laie furth the matter as simplie for the declararatioÌ„ of the trueth as I can deuise that the fault maie be fownd wher yt ys And before I enter to declare this practise I wish the reader to be aduertised and to haue this for a generall rule that wher in this Processe we shall treact of the Masse and call yt the Masse of S. Peter of S. Andrewe of S. Iames of S. Clement or S. Dionise Masse S. Basills Masse Chrisostomes Masse S. Ambrose Masse and soche other that we doe not neither ys yt so to be betaken that these distinctions be vpon the propre significacioÌ„ of the Masse that ys that these Masses be distincted in the substanciall parts of Masse as that the Masse of S. Peter shoulde be substanciallie distincted from the Masse of S. Iames and the Masse of S. Iames substanciallie different from the Masse of S. Basill and so furth But the difference ys taken of the generall acception or significacioÌ„ of Masse that ys that they be different in extern thinges as in some ceremonies in praiers and in other gestures or maners but not in intern or inwarde substanciall thinges For in them all ye shall finde one thing onely consecrated one thing onelie offred in sacrifice one thing onelie receaued And therfore in Consecracion oblacion and receauing they being not different Masse of the Apostles and Fathers and that ys vsed nowe in the Church all one in substance But all one are not called S. Peters Masse nor S. Iames Masse and so furth But Chrystes Masse For these thinges be of his institucion and not of theirs The diuersitie of Ceremonies praiers and other maners ys of theÌ„ by the magisterie of the
in the Communion of Chrystes bodie and bloode and also that sacrifice shoulde be offred for them This doctrine S. Augustine saith Sith yt can not be denied but that praier for the dead ys good yt cannot again be denied but they be naught that saie yt ys euel shoulde not be doubted of yea yt ys so certen a doctrine that in an other place he saieth yt can not be denied Thus he writeth Neque negandū est defunctorum animas pietate suorum viuentium releuari cum pro eis sacrificium mediatoris offertur vel eleemosinae in ecclesia fiunt Neither ys yt to be denied but that the soules of the dead are releiued by the godlinesse of their frendes liuing when the sacrifice of the mediatour ys offred for them or ells almose dedes be doen in the Churche Yf by the iudgement of S. Augustine yt be not to be denied then yt ys a doctrine to be receaued and holden of a good chrystian And wicked maie he be iudged that reiecteth yt contemneth yt and derideth yt The time shall come that soche shall desire to be refresshed as did the riche glotten but they shall not be heard But that I maie once make an ende of this matter of the value of the Masse to the dead though a iust volume might be made of that that therin maie be saied yet this maie suffice to him that will be satissied For first ys shewed that the praier and sacrifice for the dead was vsed of the Apostles For proof wherof ys produced the praier of S. Iames Masse and to confirme that ther ys added both the testimonie of Chrysostom and also the maner of praing for the dead described by S. Dionise S. Paules Disciple Asterwarde for the farder declaracion of the practise of the Churche the authorities of the Masses aswell of S. Basill as of Chrysostom be alleaged And that the continuance and generall receipt of this practise maie be perceaued to be good and the refusall of yt to be euell aswell in the greke Church as in the latin Epiphanius and S. Augustine be brought furth as wittnesses testifienge that Aerius mainteining the cōtrarie doctrine was reputed esteemed and nombred among heretiques Against soche like persons did the Councell of Carthage publish a decree And that this practise might most clerelie be perceaued to be frequented in the churche the decree reported by S. Cyprian and the practise of the same decree by S. Cyprian vpon Geminius Faustinus and Victor ys added which inuinciblie prooueth praier and sacrifice to be vsed for the dead in the holie auncient churche Finallie for the proofe of the countinuāce of this sacrifice from the Apostles time to the time of S. Ambrose and S. Augustine not onely mencion ys made what S. Ambrose wolde haue doē towarde and for Faustinus sister and what was doen of S. Augustines Mother but also two places be alleaged in the which the certentie of this matter ys so taught that yt ys neither to be denied nor doubted And good cause whie we shoulde neither denie yt nor doubte of yt For yt was receaued ād obserued of the vniuerfal Churche Nowe reader when thowe seist this matter so plainlie and so euidentlie testified to thee that thus yt hath ben taught thus yt hath be doen thus yt hath ben vsed and yet all this not withstanding that the Aduersarie raigeth and raileth against yt and that that by these Fathers was taught to be heresie of him to be taught to be averitie that the Apostles and Fathers commaunded to be vsed that he commaundeth to be refused that the holie Fathers had in reuerence that he hath in contempt I suppose thowe neadest no farder aduertisement but when thowe seist him so stowtlie so arrogantlie and therfor hereticallie impugn this being so certen a trueth thowe maist iustlie thinke that he ys not ledde of the spiritt of trueth who medleth not as ys saied with falsheade but he ys ledde with the lieng spiritt And therfor iust cause hauest thowe to suspect all that he saieth and to no parte of yt to geue creditte as spoken of him but as spoken of other whose doctrine agreeth with the doctrine of the Spiritt of trueth taught in his schoole the holie Churche And nowe to ende I will ioin this yssue yf either the proclamer or anie Yssue ioined with the proclamer for praier for the dead other of his adherentes can bring anie one catholique and auncient Father that saieth that soche as departe in the saith of Chryst are not to be praied for or that sacrifice ys not to be offred for them or that charitable almosse doeth not profitt thē Let them I saie bring one aunciēt and catholique Father so writing and I dare and will not onely for my self but for asmanie as be catholique and learned promisse that we will subscribe Again reader I beseche thee if thowe be learned marke if thow be vnlearned enquire if euer anie Aduersarie in anie booke made anie argument of authoritie against this matter other then mocking lieng denieng and reproouing by voluntarie reason and will warrant if thowe wilt weigh and marke thowe shalt finde none Yf then in that side ys nothing but willfullnes and on this side thowe seist graue auncient and weghtie authoritie call vnto God for his grace and staie wher authoritie ys and flee from thence wher noisom wilfullnes reigneth THE FOVRTETH CHAP. TREACTETH OF priuate Masses as the Proclamer tearmeth them and solueth his argumentes HAuing nowe somwhat saied of two principall partes of the Masse namelie consecracion and oblacion ther remaineth the thirde principall parte to be spoaken of whiche ys receauing As touching that the Sacrament shoulde be receaued ther ys no controuersie betwixt vs and the Aduersarie For on both sides yt ys affirmed that yt shoulde be receaued But the controuersie ys aboute the maner of receauing Which standeth in two poinctes The one whether of necessitie yt must be receaued vnder bothe kindes The other whether of necessitie yt must be receaued of mo then one at once Of the first we haue spoken at large in the second booke Of the other shall be reacted here In this matter for that the catholique Church permiteth preistes in their common ministracion to receaue the blessed Sacrament alone and sekemen for their necessitie to doe the like yt liketh the Proclamer as yt hath doen other his likes with might and main to accuse the Church of transgression and breach of Chrystes ordinance And here we be all that euell ys for our so doinge Here the Proclamer triumpheth vpō vs in his own conceipt pressing and crushinge vs as he suppseth euen to the grownde so lowe that he thinketh we shall neuer be able to stand on foote again against him and hath as to him appeareth so stopped our mouthes with scriptures and the practise of the primitiue Churche and the authorities of auncient Fathers that we shall likewise neuer be able to open our mouthes against him But as
ys not taken for that loue that a man flattereth him self to haue when he thinketh he loueth his neighbour but for that charitie that S. Paule spake of when he saied Qui diligit legem impleuit He that loueth hath fullfilled the Lawe This loue causeth a man to ioin in vnitie with God and man Yt causeth obedience to an ordinarie power Yt causeth a man also to flee all corrupt licenciouse and voluptuouse life Wher this charitie ys not be his faith neuer so sownde he ys no woorthie receauer Wherfor Scismatiques and contemners of ordinarie power and voluptuouse or corrupt liuers be no woorthie Two things to be considered in S. Paules woordes receauers Thus moche being saied of woorthie and vnwoorthie receauers ther remaineth two other thinges in S. Paules woordes to be spoken of the one ys what ys receaued the other the peine inflicted for vnwoorthie receauing The thing to be receaued ys signified when he saieth This bread and the cuppe of our Lorde The peine that he shall be giltie of the bodie and blood of our Lorde For the first what the bread and the cuppe of our Lorde ys yt was opened in the exposition of the last scripture that S. Paule ment therby the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Whiche exposition shall here again be verisied and iustified by a nombre of holie Fathers to the entent the trueth receaued in Chrystes Parliament house maie be well knowen and the vntrueth of the aduersarie as well perceaued and seen The second whiche ys the pein inflicted to the vnwoorthie receauer forasmoche as yt shall be plainlie opened and declared by soche auncient writers as I shall alleage I will to auoide prolixitie omitte to speake of yt my self and referre the Reader to the expositions of the Fathers For the whiche consideracion also forasmoche as S. Paule repeteth this text again I haue thought good for the ease of the reader to ioin them together in exposition onelie letting him vnderstand the difference betwixt them that in this text the pein as ys saied of the vnwoorthie receauer ys declared in the other both the pein and the cause also ys opened Of both whiche full declaracion shall be made by the Fathers But before I entre into the exposition of these Fathers I wish the Reader The Sacramentaries abuse S. Paules woordes in two poinctes to vnderstand that the Aduersarie hath also abused this scripture in two poinctes The one that by cause S. Paule calleth the Sacrament bread Therfor yt ys after yt ys consecrated materiall bread the other whiche ys more stowtelie then trulie mainteined they saie that euell men doe not receaue the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament These their wicked assertions by Gods grace shall be plainlie ouerthrowen For yt shall be ineuitablie proued that by the bread and cuppe that S. Paule speaketh of ys vnderstanded and meāt the bodie and bloode of Chryst whiche being by S. Paule receaued of euellmen yt must necessarilie folowe that euell men receaue the bodie of Chryst in the Sacra And here maie we see the miserable strictes that men teaching an vntreuth be brought vnto who for the maintenāce of that vntrueth are enforced to fall into manie moo For the damnable heresie inuented against the presence of Chryst in the Sacrrment they are compelled to denie the plain woordes of S. Paule as ye shall in the processe perceaue But let vs heare the holie Fathers agreeablie shewing their learninges and faith in vnderstanding S. Paule of the whiche the first coople shall be saincte Cyprian and Origen S. Cyprian writing to certain Martirs and confessours and lamenting the rash admission of certain that had offended to the recipit of the holie Sacrament writeth thus of them so had admitted the offendours Illi contra euan gelii Cypr. li. 3. epist 15. legem vestram quoque honorificam peticionem ante actam paenitentiam ante exomologesin grauissimi atque extremi delicti factam ante manum ab Episcopo clero in paenitentiam impositam offerre pro illis Eucbaristiam dare id est sanctum Domini corpus prophanare audent cùm scriptum sit Qui ederit panem aut biberit calicem Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini They against the lawe of the Gospell and yowr commendable peticion before they had doen penannce before they had made confession of their most greuouse and extreame offence before anie hand was putt vpon them of the Bishoppe and the cleargie vnto penance they were so bolde both to offre for them and also to geue vnto them the Sacrament which ys as moch as to prophane the holie bodie of our Lorde Forasmoch as yt ys written He that eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthilie shall be giltie of the bodie and blood of our Lorde Of this holie Father and martir S. Cyprian if yowe will learn what ys to minister the Sacrament to anie vnwoorthie person yt ys saieth he to prophane to holie bodie and blood of our Lorde That yt ys prophaned in so doing he prooueth by this scripture of S. Paule He that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthilie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde A thing ys prophaned when yt being holie ys occupied aboute vnholie or cōmon vses As a church dedicated to God to be made a stable The ornamentes The practise of prophanaciō ys lament ablie to be seē in Englond of the same to be applied to the vanitie of mans pride as to make beddes hanginges or cooshinges The plate of yt as king Balthasar did with the plate of the temple to make them vessells for the bankettes of men So the bodie of our Lorde saieth S. Cyprian ys prophaned forasmoch as yt being holie ys cast into an vnholie thing whiche ys the vnwoorthie receauer Now if by the bread spokē of in S. Paules sentēce were not vnderstāded the bodie of our Lorde to what pourpose should S. Cypriā alleadge that text as therby to prooue the bodie of Chryst prophaned That thing ys prophaned that ys deliuered and so abused Yf thē not the bodie of our Lorde be deliuered in the Sacramēt but mere materiall bread than ys the bread prophaned and not the bodie But Cypriā saieth the bodie ys prophaned wherfore the bodie ys deliuered And here I wish the ministers of Chrystes Churche to take hede and to be verie circūspect that they looke well to whō they ministre this holie Sacramēt leest they be dot onelie giltie of the prophanaciō of the holie bodie of our Lorde but also be in verie dede not feeders but deceauers not deliuerers frō sinnes but heapers and increacers ther of as S. Cypriā saieth in the same li 3. epla 15. epistle Ea enim cōcedere quae in pernitiē vertāt decipere est Nec erigitur sic lapsus sed per Dei offensam magis impellitur ad ruinam To geue or graunt those thinges that turne to a mans destructiō ys to deceaue
26. their haÌ„des yf yt had not ben his will to haue suffred In further argument wherof also when Peter drewe his sworde and cutte of the eare of Malchus Iesus saied vnto him Putte vppe thy sworde into the sheath Shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath geuen me And as S. Matthew testifieth saied further to Peter Thinkest thowe that I can not now praie to my Father and he shall geue me by and by more then twelue legioÌ„s of Angels But howe then shall the scriptures be fulfilled for thus must yt be By all whiche processe yt dothe most euidentlie appeare that willinglie he suffred his passion So did God by his Prophet foresaie that he shoulde doo Oblatus est quia voluit He was offred vppe bicause he wolde Iudas betraied him with a kisse Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis Iudas be Esay 53. traiest thowe the Sonne of man with a kisse The prophecie saied loÌ„g before that yt shoulde so be Homo pacis mea in quo sperani qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem My owne familiar frende whom I trusted which did also eate of my bread hath laied great wait for me Psal 40. That this prophecie was spoken of Iudas Chryste him self ys wittnesse who speakinge of Iudas in the Gospell alleageth this same scripture Qui manducat mecum panem leuabit coÌ„tra me caleaneum suum He that eateth bread with Joan. 13. me shall lifte vppe his hele against me To procead in the story of the passion when the Iewes laied handes vpon him and apprehended him Discipuli omnes relicto co fugerunt All his disciples Matth. 26 fledde and forsooke him Whiche thing allmightie God had spoken by hys Prophet Zacharie that so yt shoulde come to passe Percutiam pastorem disper gentur oues gregis I will smite the sheaperd and the shepe of the flocke shall be scatered That this prophecie ys thus to be vnderstanded Christe ys witnesse Zach. 14. who in the Gospell of saincte Marke applieth yt to the same pourpose In the house of Caiphas they entreacted our Sauiour very euell For emongest other thinges Expuerunt in faciem eius They did spitte in his face Of the whiche the Prophete Esaie spake as though yt had ben doen to hys own Mat. h. 26 Esay 50. person Faciem non auerti ab increpantibus conspuentibus in me I turned not my face from shame and spitting on me That in the morninge the cheif preistes and the elders of the people had a councell against Iesus to putte him to deathe yt was not ouerpassed withoute prophecie For the Prophete Dauid speaketh thus of yt in the person Mat. 21. of Chryste Circumdederunt me canâ—s multi concilium malignantium obsedit me Manie dogges compased me rownde aboute the councell of the wicked laied siege Psal 21. against me When Iudas as yt foloweth in the storie seing Chryste condemned brought the moncie again sainge I haue offended betrayeng an innocent Mat. 27 bloode and that the cheif preistes wolde not putte these siluer plates into the treasurie bicause yt was the price of blood but tooke couÌ„sell and bought with them a potters fielde to burie straungers the Euangelist himself affirmeth the prophecie therby to be fulfilled saing Then was that fulfilled whiche was spoken of by the Prophet Hieremie sainge And they tooke thirtie siluer peices the price of him that was valued whom they bought of the children of Israell and gaue them for the potters feilde Theise woordes be not fownde in Hieremie after the translation of the Bibles that nowe be comonly vsed yet this prophecie maie well be alleaged oute of Hieremie For saincte Hierom saieth that he hath red a booke of Hieremie in the Hebrue tounge in the whiche this sentence ys conteined woord for woorde But emoÌ„ge the prophetes that we haue in vse nowe Zacharie hath yt most plainlie wher we read yt thus Yf ye thinke yt good bring hether my price Zachar. 11 Yf no then leaue So they weighed down thirtie siluer peices the value that I was priced at And the Lorde said vnto me Castyt vnto the potter a goodlie price for me to be valued at of them And I tooke the thirtie siluer peices Matt. 27 and cast them vnto the potter Thus moche Zacharie In whose woordes ye perceaue the price of him that was solde which was thirtie siluer plates for the whiche summe our sauiour was solde Ye perceaue further more what was doen with those thirtie plates In the prophecie they were cast to the potter And the cheif preistes cast theÌ„ likewise to the potter for they bought a porters feilde with theÌ„ to burie strangers in Thus maie ye se how agreable thinges doen in the Gospell be with the prophecie and how liuelie and well the one aunswereth the other Pilate hearing that Iesus was a man of Galilie which belonged to the iurisdiction of Herode he sent him to Herode before whom the high preistes and Scribes accused him straitlie But Herode with his men of warre when they had despised him they sent him again cloathed in a white garment vnto Pilate Wherby the prophecie was fulfilled which saied Quare fremuerunt geÌ„tes populi meditati sunt inania Astiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in Psal 2. vnum aduersus Dominum et aduersus Christum eius Whie do the heatheÌ„ so furiouslie rage together and why dothe the people ymagen vain thinges The kinges of the earthe stand vppe and the rulers take counsell together against the Lorde and against hys enointed That this prophecie of Dauid was herefullfilled the holie Goste by the holie multitude testifieth in the actes of the Apostles which in their praier to God praied thus Domine tu es qui fecisti caelum et terram etc. Lorde thow arte God which hast made heaueÌ„ and earthe the Sea aÌ„d all that in theÌ„ ys Which Act. 4. in the holie Gost by the mouth of thy seruauÌ„t Dauid our father hauest saied why did the heatheÌ„ rage and the people ymagen vain thinges The Kinges of the earth stoode vppe and the rulers came together against the Lorde aÌ„d against his enointed And of trueth against thy holie childe Iesus whom thow hauest enointed both Herode and also Ponce Pilate with the gentiles aÌ„d the people of Israell gathered theÌ„ selfs together in this Citie to doo what soeuer thy haÌ„des and thy counseil determined before to be doen. Thus ye se not onelie the Gospel aunswereth the prophecie but also by meÌ„ full of the holie Goste yt ys so taken vnderstaÌ„ded and applied To procead in the storie When Chryst was before Herode who questioned withe him manie woordes he aunswered nothing as S. Luke testifieth Luc. 23. Matth. 27. So being before Pilate when he was accused of the cheif preistes and elders as S. Mathew wittnesseth he aunswered nothinge And wheÌ„ Pilate also saied to him doest thowe not
so with varietie of colours to make yt perfecte Euen so Christ did in the table He did both describe the figure of the passouer and also shewed the possouer of the truth Wher willt thowe that we make readie for thee to eate the passouer That was the Iudaicall Passouer But let the shadowe geue place to the light And the ymage be ouercōmed of the truthe Thus Chrisostom What neadeth me here to trauaill to open the Authours mening where he himself vseth so plain speche that he neadeth no interpretour He hath not onelie made a iust comparison betwen the olde Paschall lambe and our Paschall lambe but also by tearmes applied to them he hathe declared the contentes of thē and what they be That lambe saieth he was a shaddow This lambe the trueth That lambe a figuratiue passouer this the true Passouer I wolde to God all that haue romed astraie in the matter of this blessed Sacrament wolde open their eies and clerelie beholde howe by these woordes true and trueth whiche Chrisostom in this sentence so often hath vsed the true faith and the trueth of the faith of the Churche the piller of trueth ys taught maintened and aduaunced and the falsed of the false prophetes and preachers weakened and conuinced These preachers teache that the Sacrament ys but a figure a sign or token of Christes bodie Chrisostom saieth that the olde Paschall lambe was but a figure but our Paschall lambe caten in the Sacrament ys the trueth That the shaddowe This the light Yf then the olde Paschall lambe were the figure and the shaddow and our newe Paschall lambe the trueth and the light thē are they moche more then bare figures and signes for they are the verie thinges But to make an euasion from this argument they will saie that Christ ys our true Paschall lābe and ys truelie eaten in the receipte of the Sacrament Heretiques euasion frō Chrysostō And therfore we saie with Chrisostom we haue the trueth and the verie true Paschall lambe ys receaued of the faithfull euen the very bodie of Christe But if yowe procead to demaunde of them yf the verie bodie of Christe be consecrated on the Altar and deliuered by the preist to the hande or mouthe of the faithfull and so receaued here they starte backe and can not abide this voice that yt shoulde be on the Altar but onelie in the heart of the godlie receauer But Chrisostome saieth that his true Passeouer wherbye he meneth the bodie of Christ was on the table where the olde passeouer was In that table saieth he both the Passeouer of the figure and of the trueth were celebrated And that none occasion of misunderstanding or wresting of his woordes Figuratiue passouer ād true Passouer both in one table shoulde be taken he speaketh the same sentēce after warde in more plain woordes saing Christ in the table did bothe describe the figure of the Passeouer and shewed also the true Passeouer Note then bothe that Christe did shewe the true Passeouer And that he did shewe yt in the table whiche bothe do importe a reall presence For to shewe the true thing ys to shewe the verie thing yt self to shewe the verie thing yt self ys to shewe the reall presence of the thinge To shewe yt in or vpon the table importeth a substanciall maner of beinge farre differente frō their spirituall maner of beinge whiche ys onelie in the hearte For yt ys outwardlie vpon the table and therfore neadeth a presence reall And here somwat more to presse the Proclamer yt wolde be learned of him why S. Hierom and S. Chrisostom call not the iudaicall Passouer the light the trueth ād the veritie as they do oure Paschall lambe seing as he and his likes do saie they receaued Christ as well as we and we in our Sacrament no more them they for they spirituallie and we spirituallie and our Sacrament no better then theirs But vnderstand Reader that they so saing speak lies and deceaue thee The holie Fathers calling the olde sacramētes figures and shaddowes and ours the light the trueth and the thinges in dede teache that those sacramentes had not the verie presence of Christ and that our Sacrament hath And that ye maie the better perceaue that Chrisostom meneth as here ys declared ye shal heare him in an other place vttering his minde and faith yea the faithe of the Churche in his time in more plain and expresse woordes Thus he writeth Ipsa namque mensa animae nostrae vis est nerui mentis fiduciae vinculum fundamentum spes salus lux vita nostra Si hinc hocsacrificio muniti migrabimus Homeli in 10. 1. Corin. maxima cum fiducia sanctum ascendemus vestibulum tanquam aureis quibusdam vestibus contecti Et quid futura commemoro Nam dum in hac vita sumus vt terra nobis coelum sit facit hoc mysteriū Ascende ad coeli portas diligenter attende imò non coeli sed coeli coelorum tunc quod dicimus intueberis Etenim quod summo honore dignum est id tibi in terra ostendam Nam quemadmodum in regijs non parietes non tectum aureum sed regium corpus in throno sedens omniū est praestantissimū ita quoque in coelis regium corpus quod nunc in terra videndum tibi proponitur Neque Angelos neque Archangelos non coelos non coelos coelorum sed ipsum horum tibi omnium Dominum ostendo Animaduertis quónam pacto quod omnium maximū est atque praecipuum in terra non conspicaris tantum sed tangis neque tangis solùm sed comedis co accepto domū redis Absterge igitur ab omni sorde animā tuā praepara mentē tuā ad horū mysteriorū susceptionem Etenim si puerreguis purpura diademate ornatus tibi ferēdus traderetur nónne omnibus humi abiectis cum susciperes Verùm nunc cum nō hominis regiū puerū sed vnigenitū Dei filium accipias dic quaeso non horrescis omnium secularium rerūamorē abiicis That table ys the strenght of our soule the Sinnewes of the minde the bande of trust the fundacion hope health light and our life Yf we beinge defended with this sacrisice shall departe hence with most great trust we shall as couered with certain golden garmentes ascend to the holie place But what do I reherse thinges that be to come For while we be in this life this misterie causeth that the earth ys an heauen vnto vs. Go vppe therfor vnto the gates of heauen but not of heauen but of the heauen of heauens and diligentlie marke And then thowe shalt beholde what we saie For The thing woorthie of most honour ys in the Sacrament trulie that that ys woorthie of most highest honour that shall I shewe thee in earthe For as in Kinges howses not the walls not the golden Rooffe but the Kinges bodie sitting in Throne ys most cheif and woorthiest
saieth sainct Paule Thus ye see howe well the thing figured aunswereth the figure And albeit that no mā can bring anie other thing in the newe testamēt that ys figured by the Shewe bread but our heauēlie bread before saied Yet for that I will not chalēge to me any soche credite or Authoritie that by cause I saie yt ys so therfor yt ys so as manie of our Pheudochrystians doe I shall repair to the holie elders of Chrystes parliament house and teache by them what was the enacted and receaued trueth in his matter And first I will heare what sainct Hierom saieth Siautem Laicis imperatur vt propter orationem abstineant se ab vxorum coitu quid de Episcopo sentiendum Hieron ca. ◠ad Titū est qui quotidie pro suis populiue peccatis illibatas oblaturus est victimas Relegamus Regum libros inueniemus sacerdotem Abimelech de panibus propositionis noluisse dare Dauid pueris suis nisi interrogaret vtrum mundi essent pueri à muliere non vtique aliena sed coniuge Et nisi audisset eos ab heri nudiustertiùs vacasse ab opere coniugali nequaquam panes quos prius negauerat concessisset Tantum interest inter propositionis panes corpus Christi quantum inter vmbram corpora inter imaginem veritatem inter exemplaria futurorum ea ipsa quae per exemplaria praefigurabantur Quomodò itaque mansuetudo patientia sobrietas moderatio abstinentia lucri hospitalitas quoque benignitas praecipuè esse debent in Episcopo inter cunctos laicos eminentia sic castitas propria vt ita dicam pudicitia sacerdotalis vt non solùm se ab immundo opere abstineat sed etiam à iactu oculi cogitationis errore mens Christi corpus confectura sit libera Yf the laye men saieth sainct Hierom be cōmanded that for praier they Laie men cōmaūded for praier times to abstein from their wieues abstein frō the cōpanieng with their wiues what ys to be thought of the Bishoppe whiche dailie for his owne sinnes and the peoples shall offer vnto God vndefiled sacrifices Let vs reade the bookes of the kīges and we shall finde that Abimelech the preist wolde not geue to Dauid and his seruātes the shewe breade besore he asked wether the seruātes were cleā not frō a straunge womā but frō their viues And except he had heard that frō yesteraie and the daie before they had absteined from the worke of matrimonie he had not graunted them the bread whiche before he had denied Ther ys as great Difference betwixt the Shew bread and the bodie of Chryst difference betwene the Shewe bread and the bodie of Christe as ys betwene the Shaddow and the bodies betwene the ymage and the trueth betwene the exemplars of the thinges to come and the thinges themselues that were perfigurated by the exemplars Therfor as mekenesse pacience sobrietie moderacion abstinence frō lucre hospitalitie also and benignitie shoulde be chieflie in a Bishoppe and emōg all laie men a surmoūting eminēcie So also a propre or peculiar chaistitie Chastitie required in a preist and as I might saie a preistlie shamefestnes that not onelie he shoulde whith holde himself frō the vnclean worke but also that the minde whiche shall consecrate the bodie of Christe maie from the casting of the eie and from wandring of thought be free Hither to saincte Hierom. In whiche woordes cōcerning the thing which ys nowe principallie sought wher as he saieth ther ys as great differēce betwene the Shew bread and the bodie of Christ as betwē the shaddow ād the bodies betwen the ymage and the trueth What ells dothe he geue vs to vnderstāde but that the Shew bread ys the figure ād the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament the thing figured Whiche thing figured yf yt were also but a figure as of late the people be taught howe coulde ther be so great differēce betwne a figure and a figure as betwene the shaddowe and the bodie betwene the ymage and the trueth Wherfore contrarie wise let euerie man perceaue that as this holie learned mā in the statutes of Chrystes enacted faithe doth teache as the Shewe bread was the shaddowe So ys the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament a verie bodie and as the Shewe breade was the ymage So ys the thing represented the verie tueth Obiection But peraduēture some captiouse false Chrystā will saie I adde more then my Authour speaketh of and wrest him to my pourpose For wher this Authour saieth that ther ys as moche difference betwene the shewe bread and the bodie of Chryst I adde and saie the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament Whiche sainct Hierom speaketh not Answer I adde nothing to the Authours mening For although he saieth the bodie of Chryst absolutelie withoute anie addicion of the maner of the bodie here or ther in plain vision or in mysterie whiche maner whatsoeuer yt be the substance ys all one yet he meneth of the bodie of Chryst in mysterie or in Sacrament For by the example of the puripuritie of life that was required to the eating of the Shewe breade in the olde lawe he moueth the Bishopps of the newe lawe to soche puritie and cleannesse of life as to that lawe ys meet to be had And forsomoche as the office of a Bishoppe aboute the Sacrament Preistes must consecrate offre ād receaue standeth in thre pointes that ys yn consecracion oblacion and reauing he frameth an exhortaciō to this pourpose thus that seing they in the olde lawe which shoulde eate of the Shew breade must haue soche puritie that they might not for a time knowe their one vieues moche more they that cōsecrate offer and receaue the bodie of Cryste whiche as farre excelleth the Shew bread as the bodie dothe he shaddowe must excell them of the olde lawe in puritie and cleannesse of life Nowe then when saincte Hierom speaketh of the bodie of Chryste that ys cōsecrated by the Bishoppe and so offred in sacrifice and receaued dothe he not meen of the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament And when he speaketh of the bodie consecrated dothe he not meen the verie bodie of Chryst reallie in the Sacrament as the holie Churche doth teache and beleue In this sentence also sainct Hierom doth not onelie impugne the heresie of the Sacramētaries in that he teacheth the veritie of Chrystes bodie in the Wanton lustes of Bishoppes and preistes reproued Sacrament but he also reproueth the fleshlie wanttōnesse of our Bishoppes and preistes in these daies who against all lawe and ordre being preistes take wieues as they terme thē and vnder the countenāce of pretensed matrimonie continewe their vnchaist and viciouse life who shoulde excell all the people in puritie and cleannesse of life to thintent they might cōsecrate the bodie of Chryste and dailie offer pure sacrifice to God for thē selues and for Cōsecraciō and sacrifice put awai
for to kepe women the people as sainct HieroÌ„ saieth they should But bicause these high fuÌ„ctioÌ„s and the keping of womeÌ„ caÌ„ notioin together raither theÌ„ they will put awaie ther womeÌ„ they haue deuised to putte awaie the coÌ„secracion of the bodie of Chryst and the sacrifice also whiche they shoulde offer Of whiche matter for that yt ys impertinente to my pourpose I will not speake but ouerpasse yt and not medle withall Nowe haue ye here heard one wittnesse of the one side of the higher house of Parliament reporting the trueth of this matter We will heare one of the other side and of the lower house to reporte the same trueth who shall be Damascen Thus he saieth Hunc panem panes figurabant propositionis This Li. 4. c. 14. de orthodox sid bread mening the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament did the Shew bread figure That he speake of the bodie of Chryst the learned reader shall sooen perceaue if he will peruse this place in Damascen wher he shall finde that after he moste plainly had affirmed the verie reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the SacrameÌ„t by the woordes of our Sauiour Chryst in the vj. of Iohn and in the other Euangelistes he cometh to exhortacion for the wourthie receauing of the same saing thus Proinde cum omni timore conscientia pura indubitabili fide accedamus veneremur ipsum omni puritate animi corporis Accedamus ei desiderio ardenti manus in modum crucis formantes crucifixi corpus suscipiamus Therfor let vs comme to yt with all feare Dam. ibi and pure conscience and with a sure faith and let vs woorshippe him whith all puritie of minde and bodie Let vs go to him whith burning desire fashioning our handes in maner of a crosse let vs receaue the body of him that was crucified And after a fewe scriptures alleaged he speaketh the woordes whiche I before recited that the Shewe bread did figure this bread Wherby yt ys euident that he meneth that he Shewe bread was a figure not of a figure but of Chryst him self who promised that the bread that he wolde geue shoulde be his flesh whiche flesh he wolde geue for the life of the woorlde Ioan. 6. THE THREE AND TWENTHETH CHAPIT ceadeth in the proof of the same by S. Augustine and Isychius ALthough the Authours alleaged might suffice for the declaracion and proof of this matter nowe entreacted of yet for the ful contentacion of the reader some mo shall be brought to make the thing more plain and the truthe more certen The first of these shall be sainct Augustin who saied thus Dicit cessisse pani pecus tanquam nesciens tunc in Domini mensa panes Propositionis poni solere et nunc Ad Casulanum epist. â—6 se de agni immaculati corpore partem accipere Dicit cessisse poculo sanguine non cogitans et nuncse accipere in poculo sanguineÌ„ Quanto ergo melius et congruentius vetera transisse et noua in Christo facta esse sic diceret vt cederet altare altari gladius gladio ignis igni panis pani pecus pecori sanguis sanguini Videmus in ijs omnibus carnalem vetustatem spiritali cedere nouitati He saieth that the beast hath geuen place to the breade as though he knewe not that euen then the Shew breades were wounte to be putte vpon the table of our lorde and that nowe he dothe take parte of the bodie of that vndefiled lambe He saied that bloode hathe geuen place to the cuppe not remembring that he also nowe doth receaue blood in the cuppe Howe moche better therfor and more agreablie shoulde he saie that the olde are goen and new be made in Chryst so as the Altar gaue place to the Altar the swoord to the swoorde fire to fire breade to breade beast to beast bloode to bloode We doo see in all these the carnall oldenesse to geue place to the spirituall newenesse Thus farre S. Augustin In these woordes S. Augustin correcting the euell saing of one that saied that in the coming of the newe Testament the Sacrifices of the olde lawe whiche were doen in beastes as sheepe laÌ„bes kiddes heckfers oxeÌ„ and soche other did geue place to breade meening the Sacrament dothe declare that these proprelie did not geue place to yt As though he should saie that these beastes wer not figures of the SacrameÌ„t but of the blooddie Sacrifice of Chryst offred vppoÌ„ the cross after the maner of AaroÌ„ But he saieth the shew breads gaue place to our bread And therfore he saieth that the Aduersarie saing that the beastes gaue place to bread he spake yt as though he knew not that the Shewe breades were wount to be putte vpon the table of our Lord mening that the Shew breades were a figure of the Sacrament And therfore when the truth came those breades as the figure must nedes geue place to the true bread which ys Chryst in the blessed Sacrament And therfore S. Augustin teaching this man to make due applicacion of eche figure to the thing figured saieth that he should better haue saied that the Altar gaue place to the Altar signifieng that the Altar of the Iewes was a figure of the Altar of the Chrystians and that bread gaue place to breade signifieng that the Shew bread was a figure of our blessed breade Obiection oute of S. Augustin But here perchaunce the Aduersarie will saie that sainct Augustin calleth the Sacrament but breade mening that the Shew bread was a figure of the Sacramentall breade I wolde to God the Aduersarie who being aduersarie to Gods trueth ys most aduersarie to hys owne sowles health wolde in soche sentences of holie Fathers as narrowlie looke and espie the trueth whiche they do teache as he dothe for some one woorde to make some apparant shew to maintein his heresie and false doctrine Answer Trueth yt ys that S. Augustin doth call yt bread to shewe the iust applicacion of the figure to the thing figured That bread was the figure of bread for outwardlie yt appeareth bread and inwardlie yt ys the true breade that ys the bread of life But marke sainct Augustin well and ye shall haue nede of no expositour to knowe his faith and mening in this saing For in the beginning he saieth that the beast hath geuen place to the bread as though he knewe not that the shewe breades were wount to be sett vpon the table of our Lorde and that nowe he doth take parte of the bodie of the vndefiled lambe to whiche bodie and not to sacramentall bread the Shewe bread gaue place Note well sainct Augustin therefor here that speaking what thing he dothe receaue doth saie not sacramentall breade but the bodie of the vndefiled lambe which ys the lambe that tooke awaie the sinnes of the worlde So that which he first called bread nowe he calleth yt the bodie of the vnde filed lambe who ys the
of Scripture Doctour or Councell taught that the presence of Chryst was in the Sacrament yf yt were receaued Yf not ther was no presence And vpon this reseruacion of the Sacrament was of him denied Oute of this Luther sprang first Corolstadins who impugned his masters doctrine and taught as our Proclamer teacheth that ther ys no presence of Carolstad Chryst in the Sacrament With whom shortlie ioined Oecolampadius and Zuinglius Whiche first among all other wrote and sett oute their bookes Oecolamp Zuinglius against the Sacrament and denieng the wholl as of consequence yt must be they denied the parte also And for that the Lutherans and the named Sacramentaries did pietifullie disturbe rent teare and diuide those contries of Saxonie and Heluetia with other in Getmanie with these rehersed heresies and an infinite nombre mo whiche dailie grewe vppe to the great endammaginge of manie chrysten Soules Paule the thirde then Bishoppe of Rome to represse these heresies called a Councell at Trident wher emonge manie other good and godlie determinacions as touching the matter of the reseruacion whiche we haue nowe in hande ys this Canon Consuetudo asseruandi in sacrario sanctam Eucharistiam adeò antiqua est vt eam Conci Trident seculum etiam Niceni Concilij agnouerit Porro deferri ipsam sacram Eucharistiam ad infirmos in hunc vsum diligenter in ecclesijs conseruari praeterquam quòd cum summa aequitate ratione coniunctum est tum multis in Concilijs praeceptum inuenitur vetustissimo catholicae Ecclesiae more obseruatum Quare haec sancta Synodus retinendum omnino salutarem hunc necessarium morem statuit The custome to kepe the holy Sacrament in the holie place ys of soche antiquitie that the worlde Nycē Coūcell did agnise Reseruacion in tyme of the Nicen Councell did agnise yt Moreouer that the Sacrament shoulde be caried to them that are sicke and for this pourpose to be diligentlie kept in Churches be side that yt ys agreable to equitie and reason yt ys also fownde to be commended in manie Councells and in the most auncient maner of the catholique Churche obserued Wherfor this holie Synode hath commaunded this holsom and necessarie maner to be reteined and kept still Thus moche the Councell I wish that the reader taking these woordes as the woordes and saing of a Councell and as the agreable saing of a great nombre of learned men wolde marke and learn ther in first that the vse of the reseruacion ys of great antiquitie Secondly that reseruacion to the entent the Sacrament shoulde be allwais readie for the sicke ys here testified to be commaunded by manie Councells Thirdlie that this Councell iudgeth meet and consonant to reason that yt shoulde be doen. Fourtly that by the autoritie of a Councell they haue commaunded this vse of reseruacion to be reteined and continued Yf all these be as they ought to be well weighed why shoulde they not conteruaill yea and so weightilie weigh down all contrarie sainges as these shoule be as a light feather in respecte of a thousande weight when they be in lanceis to be weighed together Yf a Parlament of a Realme geue soche authoritie to the Actes and Statutes ther made that the priuate talke of rebelliouse and disobedient persons Yf a Parlament be of force to binde why not a Councell though they be manie can not dissolue them Why ys not the like preeminence geuen to the Parlament of Chrystes catholique Churche Wher decrees are made not by the people of one Realme but of manie yea of all christian Realmes that list to come and theie not vulearned but learned Yf the one doth binde why not the other But not minding to enter into the disputacion of so large a matter and ther by to make to long digression from my pourpose I will staie and yet wish the reader to consider what foloweth in the same Councell decreed against soche as shall contemptuouslie speake against this matter of reseruacion Soche a Canon ther I finde Si quis dixerit non licere sacram Eucharistiam Canon 7. in sacrario reseruari sed statim post consecrationem astantibus necessariò distribuendam aut non licere vt illa ad infirmos honorificè deferatur Anathema sit Yf Deniers of reseruacion accursed anie man shall saie that yt ys not laufull to reserue the holie Sacrament but that streight waie after the consecracion yt ys of necessitie to be distributed to them that be present and that yt ys not laufull reuerently to carie yt to them that be sicke accursed be he Although I knowe the Aduersarie contemneth thys heauie sentence forsamoche as he vilipēdeth and derideth the Councells Yet I thanke God of that his grace I regard them I reuerence their sentence I feare and dread the same hauing in minde the sainge of our Sauiour Chryste Qui non Math. 18. audiuerit Ecclesiam sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus He that willnot heare the Churche let him be to thee as an ethnicke and publicane And again Qui Luc. 10. vos spernit me spernit et qui me spernit spernit eū qui me misit Hethat despiseth yow despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me This being spoken and ment of the Apostles and their successours the spirituall rulars of the Churche the Proclamer and hys likes so doing what doo they ells but as Chryst saieth contemne him and hys Father yf they saie they contemne not the rulars of the Churche but obeie them let them answere me Whom did their great fathers Luther Carolstadius Oecolampadius Obedience of the newe Churches how yt stādeth Zuinglius Bullinger c. obey in the Churche yf ye wyll saie they coulde obeye none of all the wholl Churche that was then and before for yt was no Churche well let this your false aunswere stande Yf then your Churche began with Luther he being sole head why did Carolstadius Oecolampadius and the rest disobeie him Yf all they were the Churche why did Thomas Monetarius and Swēckfeldius disobey them and not heare them But to be shorte good Reader they obey none neither will they heare anie but onelie soche as saye as they saie And this ys propre to euery secre of them so that the Oecolampadians will not heare the Lutheraus the Anabaptistes will not heare the Oecolampadians the Swenckfeldians will heare none of all these Yet euery of these sectes saie they be the Churche and euery of them Euery sect of Protestātes chalenge to thē the woorde of God and the name of the Churche saie they haue the very woorde os God and therupon they saie they builde And yet the woorde of God as yt ys one so hath yt one trueth whiche euery one of these for saking do miserablie adulterate that holie and blesset woorde of God and in stede of trueth sell vnto the people their hereticall lies vnder the
Lorde representing yt by this Sacrament Hauing no regarde of the contempt of the Aduersarie contemning the learned men of the later age I will among manie that maie be brought for the auoiding of tediousnesse and yet to shewe the conformitie of doctrine in this age with the auncient age bring the exposition of one named Hugo whose saing ys this Dixerat quòd sumerent corpus Domini sanguinem in commemorationem eius hic determinat in quam quia in Dominicae passionis Hugo Car. in 11. 1. Co. He had saied that they shoulde receaue the bodie and blood of oure Lorde in the remembrance of him Here he determineth in what remembrance In the remembrance saieth he of our Lordes passion Nowe ye haue heard diuerse expownding these woordes Hoc sacite do this all agreing that they are to be refered and vnderstanded to and of the substance and vse of the Sacrament that ys that yt shoulde be receaued in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and deathe But that we are by those woordes commaunded to obserue that maner and forme that our Sauiour obserued in his ministracion otherwise then ys saied both in the The Proclamer vseth his owne authoritie in expounding the scriptures for he hath none other last chapiter and in this also ther ys no one title in these Authours By this then yt maie well be thought and supposed that this man vsing his absolute authoritie for lacke of other helpe had iuuented and framed soche an exposition vpon this scripture as was not knowen to the auncient expositours nor yet to them of the later time and so verie like neuer seen written or heard spoken hefore this time And yet with a pretense of simplicitie and synceritie yt ys commended to the people as the trew syncere woorde of God when yt hath neither Gods woorde nor aide of holie Fathers to bear yt but ys a plain inuencion of his owne void of all trueth Thus moche being doen by authoritie I shall also by good reason proue The Proclamer his exposition im pugned by reason his exposition false For he him self graunteth that for fiue or sixe hundreth yeares after Chryste the Churche vsed the institucion of Chryst purelie and well withoute the breach of Chrystes woorde or commaundement But for the most parte of that time they did not obserue the practise of Chrystes institucion in soche forme and sorte as he did him self Wherfor to practise that that Chryste did in his last supper in some other maner or sorte then he did ys not the breach of his woorde Yf yt be not the breach of his woorde then ys this mans exposition false That the primitiue and auncient Church vsed an other forme and maner in the ministracion of the SacrameÌ„t then Chryst did in the institucion of the Masses in the primitiue church varied freÌ„ the forme and maner of Chrystes institucion same the Masse of saincte Iames of the whiche this man maketh mencion the Masse of saincte Basill the Masse of Chrysostome the Masse vsed in Millan by sainct Ambrose with the wholl practise as well of the Apostles as of other doth moste manifestlie testisie And these Masses vsed in the primitiue and auncient Churche did all agree in the Substance of the Sacrament But in the forme maner and sorte of ministracion ther was great diuersitie one moche varieng from an other and euerie one of them varieng from the maner that Chryste vsed and yet euery one godlie and good We maie then conclude that either the primitiue and auncient Churche varieng from the forme and sorte of Chrystes ministracion did offende which ys not to be thought or ells that this Proclamer so wresting the scripture to maintien his false Docttine hath offended which I dare auouche maie well be saied We maie also impugne this exposition by this mans owne practise who Proclamer his reason impugned by his owne practise being soche a precise reformer of the abuses of the Church as he termeth yt will not in his doinges committe anie notoriouse abuse howe so euer he doth in his woordes Yt ys notoriouse that he ministreth in other sorte and forme then Chryst did Wherfor yf ther be no abuse in his doing ther ys abuse in his sainge For his saing and doing in this matter be plainly contrarie He saieth we must practise in soche sort and forme as Chryste did but his doinges be not in soche sort and forme as Chryst did That his forme ys not soche as Chryst vsed yt ys more manifest then I neade to make rehersall For Chryst ministred when the Apostles had eaten this man when the people be fasting Chryste in the euening this man in the morning Chryste I am not certen but Jâ—udge the best with vsuall vuleauened bread this man withe wafer cakes Chryste withoute any other straung garment then his owne vsuallie worn this man in other garmentes appoincted to that pourpose Chryst did sitte with the twelue this man standeth with an vncertain nombre with manie other like And here yf this expositour will haue his exposition streictly laied to all the forme sorte of Chrystes doing in his supper I wolde learn of him whether I knowing a man to be farre vnworthie to receaue the blessed Sacrament shall admitte him to the table and ministre vnto him notwithstanding his vnwoorthinesse bycause that Chryst did knowe Iudas to be vnwoorthie and yet ministred to him But to return ye maie perceaue that the forme and sorte which this man vseth in his communion ys moche in many thinges discrepant from the doinges of Chryst in his supper And yet I suppose that he thinketh Chrystes maner in ministracioÌ„ of the SacrameÌ„t neuer since vsed well of him self in his so doing Yf then his doing be good then ys his exposition naught And to coÌ„clude seing the Apostles the Fathers of the primitiue Churche the auncieÌ„t doctours that were within three foure and fiue hundreth yeares of Chryst obserued not the forme and sort that Chryste vsed in the ministracion of his Supper nor any other age since that time neither this man himself hath or dothe practise the same we maie boldelie saie that yt ys no charge geuen of Chryste to do all thinges in the ministracion in soche sorte and forme as he did but the substance doen the other thinges be of no necessitie but be at the libertie of the Churche to dispose and ordre as yt hath doen. Then as manie thinges haue ben doen aboute the ministracion whiche Chryst did not So maie reseruacion be doen though Chryste did yt not This argument then being as I trust fullie solued I finde nothing in his sermon that he obiecteth against this matter of reseruacion directlie But I finde a prettie sleight that he vseth as therby to make his audience beleue that to reserue the SacrameÌ„t ys an abuse whiche sleight when I haue opened to the reader he shall I trust perceaue that vnder the pretence and cowntenance of synceritie and
de illo cuius nostis sacrisicium Ther were before the sacrifices of the Iewes after the ordre of Aaron in the offringe of beastes and that in mysterie The Sacrifice of the body and blood Sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys nowe diffused troughout the worlde of our Lorde the whiche the faithfull and they that haue red the gospell knowe was not yet Whiche Sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the woorlde Sette before your eyes therfor the twoo sacrifices both that after the order of Aarō and this after the ordre of Melchisedech For yt ys written The Lord hathe sworne and yt shall not repent him Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Of whom ys yt saied Thowe arte a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Of our Lorde Iesus Chryste who was this Melchisedech King of Salem Salem was before time that same Cittie which as the learned haue declared was afterwarde called Hierusalem Therfor before the Iewes reigned ther the preist Melchisedech who ys written in Genesis the preist of the high God was ther. He mett with Abraham when he had deliuered Loth from the hand of them that did persecute him and he ouerthrewe them of whom he was holden and deliuered his brother And after the deliuerance of his brother Melchisedech mette him So great a man was Melchisedech of whō Abrahā was blessed he brought furth bread and wine and blessed Abrahā and Abraham gaue him tithes Beholde what he brought and whom he blessed And yt ys saied afterwarde Thowe arte a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Dauid spake this in spirit long after Abraham Melchisedech was in the time of Abraham Of whom in an other place saieth he Thowe arte a preist For euer after the ordre of Melchisedech But of him whose sacrisice ye knowe Thus farre saincte Augustine Ye haue here heard the distinction of the two orders of preisthead of Aaron and of Melchisedech Ye haue heard also the distinction of the two sacrifices the one according to the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchisedech What this sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys sainct Augustin hathe declared wher he saied The sacrifice of the bodie and Sacrifice auouched blood of our Lorde was not yet whiche sacrifice ys nowe diffused throughoute all the worlde What he meeneth when he saieth as yet the sacrifice of the bodie and bloode of our Lord was not and also whether this sacrifice be after the ordre of Melchisedech in a breif sentence of fewe woordes he doth verie plainlie in an other place open and declare Sublatum est sacrificium Aaron caepit esse sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech The sacrifice of Aaron was taken awaie And the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedcch beganne By the which sentence yt ys manifest that while the sacrifice of Aarō endured this sacrifice was not vsed But whē that was taken awaie this sacrifice began Likewise he hath taught also that the sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryste ys the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech For wher before Sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacr. ys after the order of Melchisedech he saied that the bodie and blood of our Lord was not yet And nowe he saieth that the sacrifice of Melchisedech began when Aarons sacrifice was taken awaie What doth he ells fignifie but that they be all one thing that ys that the bodie and blood of Chryste be the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech And so conuertiblie that the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys the bodie and blood of Chryste Which bodie and bloode be no wher ells offred in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech but in the sacrifice of the Altar wher bread and wine be turned into the same bodie and bloode For the bodie of Chryste vpon the crosse was a bloodie sacrifice perfected with bloodshedding after the maner of Aarō Therfore the holie sacrifice of the Altar which as sainct Austen saieth ys nowe diffused and spredde through all the world ys the verie bodie and blood of Chryste Although this that ys alleaged oute of sainct Augustin ys so plain that the Aduersaries can not but see the trueth and so strong that they can not against saie yt Yet that they maie see all this that ys spoken confirmed and made more plain and that so being confownded by the euident trueth they maie geue ouer their erroure and yelde vnto trueth we will heare the sentence of the same saincte Augustine treating of this same matter in an other place Thus yt ys Coram regno patris sui mutauit vultum suum dimisit eum et abijt quia erat ibi sacrificium secundùm ordinem Aaron et postea ipse corpore et sanguine suo instituit sacrificium secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Mutauit ergo vultum suum in In Psalm 33. Cōcion 3. sacerdotio et dimisit gentem Iudaeorum et venit ad gentes Before the kingdom of his Father he hath chaunged his cowntennce and lefte him and went awaie bicause ther was ther the sacrifice after the ordre of Aaron And after ward of his bodie and blood he instituted the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech He chaūged therfor his contenaunce in preisthead and left the people of the Iewes and came to the Gentiles Thus sainct Augustin Dooye marke what ys here saied Yf ye doo ye must nedes vnderstand yt yt ys so plain For what can be more breiflie and more plainlie saied then that Chryste did institute a sacrifice of his bodie and blood after the ordre of Melchisedech By this breif sentence manie thinges be aunswered First where the Aduersaries most slaunderouslie haue saied to bring the thing in hatred emongethe people that the Pope made the holie Sacrament a sacrifice to obscure the glorie of Chryste and to diminish the woorthinesse and merit of Chrystes sacrifices vpon the crosse and therwithall to bring the people into beleiff that the Sacrifice of Chryste vpon the crosse was not sufficient withoute this And that without authoritie as this Proclamer saieth we offer vppe Chryst vnto his Father And thus with a nombre of like lies The Pope and the Papistes were made Authours and founders of this sacrifice Not the Pope nor the Papistes made the sacrament a sacrifice but Chryst himself after S. Augustin But basshe and be ashamed thowe slaunderouse mā thowe Enemie of the trueth and open thine eies to see and thine eares to heare what saincte Augustine that holie Father and learned doctour here teacheth that ys that Chryste did of his owne bodie and blood institute a sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech So that Chryst euen by this bolie Fathers testimonie ys the institutour and founder of this blessed Sacrifice and not the Pope neither the papistes as thowe termest them But they be the humble receauers of this same institucion of
secōd wher Chryst saied which I shall geue for the life of the world that bread saieth Bede did our Lord geue whē he offred himself to God the Father on the altar of the Crosse I nede not here to note that Bede expowndeth this text of the Sacramēt wher the woordes are so plain But this I note that he calleth the flesh of Chrystes bodie vpon the crosse called bread Chryste offred vppon the Crosse bread as well as the same flesh deliuered to the disciples in the last supper Wherby it appeareth that wher the Aduersarie when he findeth the Sacrament called bread do the take occasion to maintein his errour and saie that it ys but bread yt ys no good argument Neither doth it any more conclude that the Sacrament ys but breade bycause it ys called bread then that Chrystes bodie on the crosse ys but bread bicause it ys called bread Chryste calleth himself being whollie God and man as Cirill saieth bread And therfor bothe the godhead and the manhead of Chryste maie be called bread and be of Chryste him self in the sixt of S. Iohn so called But yet therfore yt ys no good consequent that the bodie of Chryste shoulde be but materiall breade So likewise ys yt no good consequent that the manhead of Chryste shoulde be but materiall bread Yf then these two in the person of Chryste be called breade and yet be not materiall breade why shoulde not they being in the Sacrament be called bread and yet be no materiall breade But raither this ys to be saied according to the sainge of Chryste in this place of S. Iohn and also Bede expounding the same that as the flesh of Chryste vpon the crosse ys called bread ād yet ys verie flesh So ys the blessed flesh of Chryst in the Sacrament called bread and yet ys yt verie flesh Chryste so saing that the breade whiche he wolde geue was his flesh Thys his geuing as ye haue heard Bede expownd was vnto his disciples vnto whom he gaue his flesh called breade As ye haue hitherto heard diuerse whiche be of good authoritie ād high estimacion in Chrystes Church which all haue expownded this text of S. Iohn to be spoken of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament not as in signe but by reall presence So God ayding ye shall heare some other liuely and agreablie expownding the same Therfor now shal Cyrill also a Father of the Greke Churche geue his testimonie This man like himself learnedly and godly expownding the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn saieth thus Antiquus ille panis figura Cyrill in 6. Ioan. imago vmbraue solummodò fuit nec quicquam praeter quà m quòd corruptibile nutrimentum ad modicum tempus exibebat Ego verò sum ille panis viuus ac viuificans in aternum Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est quam ego dabo pro mundi vita Vides vt paulatim magis magisue se aperiat explicet mirificum hoc mysterium Dixit se pauem viuum et viuificantem qui se manducantes faceret corruptionis expertes donaret immortalitate Nunc dicit panem illum carnē suam esse quam daturus erat pro mundi vita per quam nos illam participantes viuificaturus Siquidem verbi viuificans natura illi ineffabili illo vnionis modo coniuncta viuificantem eandem effecit propterea participantes viuificat ista caro eijcit ab eis mortem interitum penitus expellit That olde bread was onelie a figure an image a shadowe neither did yt geuevnto the corruptible bodie any thinge els but a corruptible nutrimēte for a litle time But I saieth Christ am that liuing and quickning bread for euer And the bread that I will geue ys my flesh which I wil geue for the life of the worlde Thow seiest how by Chrystes flesh in the Sacrament geueth life to the receauers litle ād litle he more ād more openeth himself ād doth declare thiswōderful mysterie He hath saied that he ys the liuing and quickning bread whiche shoulde make the partakers of yt withoute corruption and geue thē immortalitie Now he saieth his flesh ys that bread which he wolde geue for the life of the woorld And by the which he wolde geue life to vs that do receaue the same For truly that quickning nature of the Sonne of God conioined to that flesh by that vnspeakable maner of vnion hath made that flesh quickning and therfore doth this flesh quicken the partakers of yt For yt doth cast oute death from them and vtterly expelleth destruction I thinke yt not obscure to yow to perceaue that Cyrill in this saing dothe both expownde this sentence of Chryst so often allready spoken of of the flesh of Chryste in the Sacrament And also that he doth here as he doth all most euery wher in this chapiter teache the verie presence of Chryst in the same For after he had alleaged the saieng of Chryste note that he doth aduertise vs how Chryste doth open him self and dothe plainlie set furth this wonder full mysterie For wher before he saied that he himself was the bread Now he doth more open himself and saie that bys stesh ys breade And that he speaketh of the flesh of Chryste in the Sacrament he declareth by that that he saieth that yt geueth life to them that be partakers of yt For the propre partakinge of Chrystes flesh ys in the receauing of this holie Sacrament This being plainlie declared by Cyril who draweth by the line cōcord with the rest of the aunciēt fathers as ye do perceaue yt maie be knowē that on both sides of the Parliament house God hath euer remained with one receaued truthe of this Sacrament THE SEVENTH CHAPITER ENDETH THE exposition of this text by Theophilacte and Lyra. FOrasmoche as ther remaineth more matter to prosequute in the expounding of the rest of this sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn for the proof of the veritie of Chrystes reall presence in the blessed Sacrament I shall adde onelie two mo wittnesses to geue ther testimonie of this text nowe in hande and so ending the exposition therof proceade in my matter and pourpose entended by like exposition of other mo textes in the same chapiter The first of these shal be Theophilactus who expownding this texte geueth Theophilact in sextam Ioan. a plain testimonie of the trueth Attende saieth he quòd panis qui à nobis in myste rijs manducatur non est tantùm figuratio quaedam corpo is Domini sed ipsa caro Domini Non enim dixit Panis quem ego dabo figura est carnis meae sed caro mea est Transsormatur enim arcanis verbis panis ille per mysticam benedictionem accessionem sancti Spiritus in carnem Domini Et ne quem conturbet quòd credendus sit panis caro etenim in carne ambulante Domino ex pane alimoniā admittente panis ille qui māducabatur in corpus eius
Deo defertur oratione petitur pro populo pro regibus pro caeteris Vbi venitur vt cōsiciatur venerabile Sacramētū iā non suis sermonibus vtitur sacerdos sed vtitur sermonibus Christi Ergo sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum Let vs then teache this How Cōsecraciō how yt ys doen cā that that ys bread be the bodie of Chryste By consecraciō By what ād whose woordes ys the consecracion Of our Lord Iesus For all the other things that be saied laude ys geuē to God peticiō ys made in praier for the people for kinges and other Whē the time ys comed that the honorable Sacrament shall be made then the preist vseth not his owne woordes but the woordes of Chryste Therfor Yt ys the woorde of Christe that maketh this Sacrament A plain place of S. Amb. for master Iuell Thus moche S. Ambrose whose woords are so plain that I nede not by notes vnto yow declare the same ād his testimonie so cōsonaunt and agreable with the Fathers before alleaged for this matter her hādled that ye maie euidētlie perceaue howe one trueth and the self same doctrine hath bē cōstantly taught in the diuerse ages in the whiche these Fathers liued And to ascend a litle higher and nearer to the Apostles time we will for the full declaracion of this treuth and doctrine allready auouched heare Eusebius Emis in homil pasch Christ doth consecrate his own bodie by turning the substance of bread c. the testimonie of Eusebius Emissenus an auncient Father in Chrystes church who saieth thus Inuisibilis sacerdos visibiles creaturas in substantiam corporis sanguinis verbo suo secreta potestate conuertit The inuisible preist with his woord by a secret power turneth the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode Thus Eusebius Whome heare yowe here tomake the bodie of Chryste dothe not the inuisible preist which ys our Sauiour Iesus Chryste and not the preist who ys but the ministre as the Auersaries maliciouslie blaspheme But leauing to thee gentle reader to weigh and consider what maner of people they are that haue feigned soche abhominable vntrueths as to saie to deceaue with all that the preist made God and to iudge what credite aught to be geuen to soche as with lies slaunders and blashemies go aboute to maintein their detestable heresies I will ioin one more of like auncientie to this Eusebius and then I trust this maie satisfie thee in this matter And this shall be Cyprian that holie martir who speaking of euell receauers Cypr. decoena Dom. saieth thus Melius erat illis mola asinaria collo alligata mergi in pelagus quà m illota conscientia de manu Domini accipere qui vsque hodie hoc veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū creat sanctificat et benedicit piè sumentibus diuidit Yt were better for thē a milstone tied to their neckes to be drowned Christ doth create sanctisie and blesse his own bodie a plain saig of S. Cyp. in the sea then with an vnwasshed consciēce to take the morsell at the hāde of our Lorde who vntill this daie doth create and sanctifie and blesse and to the godlie receauers diuide this his most true and most holie bodie Thus Cipr. Do ye not see and learn by this holy martir who doth make the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament Oure Lord saieth he dothe euen till this tune create sanctifie and blesse this his most holie bodie Note also against these signe makers and figure feigners that he saieth not he createth a bodie But his bodie Corpus suum and not an imaginatiue bodie but veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū his most true ād most holie bodie And he did not onelie so do in his last supper as the Petrobrusiās saied sed vsque hodie creat vntil this daie he dothe create sanctisie and blesse this his most true and most holie bodie Wherbie ys taught that Chryste and none other dothe cōtinuallie create in that holie ministraciō ād make his bodie Nowe ye haue heard frō the latter daies vntill the time of this holie martir Cipriā and Eusebius before alleaged who were nere to the primitiue churche what hath bē taught as cōcerning this matter in diuerse ages and that Supra li. 1. cap. 31. aswell in the Greke Church as in the Latin Churche whiche ys that Chryste himself doth woorke this wonderfull worke of consecracion to make present in this blessed sacrament his verie bodie and bloode and not the preist who as Chrysostom hath taught speaketh the woordes but the power and grace of God dothe consecrate the thinges Wherfore Reader take hede of this wicked sorte of people who as ye maie perceaue haue not onelie for the setting furthe of their wicked heresies wickedlie slaundered the wholle Churche and the holie ministerie of the same But also most impudētlie haue spoken the contrarie of that that the famouse learned holie Fathers haue taught What trueth maie be thought to be in thē in other matters by this ye maie coniecture But nowe leauing this matter as sufficientlie declared and proued against them I will resume my entended pourpose to expownde the sixt of saincte Iohn wherof ye haue heard one texte and the testimonie of diuerse Fathers auouching the same to be vnderstanded of the blessed Sacrament and of the reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the same Nowe will I proceade to other textes in the same chapiter touching this matter THE NINTH CHAPITER EXPOVNDETH THE next text that foloweth in sainct Iohn THe next text folowing in the sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn ys this Litigabant ergo Iudaei adinuicem dicentes Quomodò potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum The Iewes stroue emong them Ioan. 6. selues sainge How can this felowe geue vs his flesh to eate The Iewes vnto whom as saincte Paule saieth vsque in hodiernum diem cùm legitur Moyses velamen positum est super cor eorum Vntill this daie when 2. Cor. 3. Moyses ys red the veill ys putt vpon their heartes their vnderstandinges being carnall and couered with so grosse a veill that they coulde not perceaue the spirituall talke of Chryste they stroue together and asked howe he coulde geue them his flesh to eate They lacked the right principle of the vnderstanding of his matter whiche ys faith Esay 7. For Nisi credideritis non intelligetis Vnlesse ye beleue ye shall not vnderstaud They did not vnderstand yt bicause they did not beleue yt No more shall they vnderstande vntill they turne vnto God by true beleif as saincte Paule saieth Cùm autem conuersi fuerint ad Dominum auferetnr velamē de corde eorū Neuerthelesse when they turne to our Lord the veile shall be taken awaie frō their hearte And then shall they not vse this woorde of incredulitie and doubtfullnesse whiche neuer passith from man but in the wante of faithe as saieth Chrysostom
possibilia sunt Deo Si enim potuit ante passionem clarificare illud sicut splendorem Solis quare non potuit post passionem ad quantam vellet subtilitatem in temporis momēto redigere vt per clausa ostia posset intrare Neither let vs geue eare to them that denie the same bodie to haue risen Christes bodie against the nature of a bodie entred through the shett doores that was putte in the graue Neither let yt moue vs that yt ys written that sodenlie he appeared to his disciples the doores being shett that therfore we shoulde denie yt to be a mans bodie bycause we see yt against the nature of this bodie to entre in through the shette doores For all thinges are possible to God For yf he coulde before his passion make yt as clear as the brightnesse of the Sunne why might he not after his passion also in a moment of time bring yt to asmoche a subtilitie as he wolde that he might entre in through the shett doores Note here in saincte Augustine that where the Aduersarie wolde not that the bodie of Chryste shoulde be in diuerse places for offending the lawe of naturall ordre he saieth that Chryst against the nature of this bodie entred in through the shett doores so that the bodie of Chryste maie not be bownde to the lawe or ordre of nature for that he ys the lord of nature not an onelie man but a person that ys God and man as Cirill saieth Clausis Cyrill in Joan. li. 12. cap. 53. foribus repentè Dominus omnipotentia sua natura rerum superata ingressus ad Discipulos est Nullus igitur querat quomodò corpus Domini ianuis clausis penetrauit cùm intelligat non de homine nudo vt modò nos sumus sed de omnipotente filio Dei haec ab Euangelista describi Nam cùm Deus verus sit rerum naturae non subiacet quod in caeteris quoque miraculis patuit The gates being shett our lorde through his omnipotencie the nature of thinges beinge ouercomed sodenly went in to his disciples Let no man therfore aske howe the bodie of our Lorde went through the gates beinge shett forasmoche Chryst ys not subiect to lawe of nature as he maie vnderstand these thinges to be described of the Euangelist not of a bare man as we be nowe but of the Allmightie Sonne of God Who forasmoche as he ys verie God ys not subiecte to the lawe of nature Whiche thing did appeare in other his miracles also Thus Cyrill Nowe ye haue heard a sufficient nombre of holy learned Fathers auouching this great miracle of Chryste not as some of the Aduersaries saie that he came into his disciples after the doores were shett after the maner of other men neither as some other of them do saie that he caused the doores or walls to open and so came in neither that an Angell did open the doores to him as to the Apostles that were in prison but that he being verie God gaue vnto that his manhead that singular subtilitie aboue all other that yt was not subiect to nature as Cirill saieth but aboue nature so farre and in soche excellent degree that yt might passe through those doores the doores not broken as saincte Ambrose saied In this matter thus moch haue I laboured both that the miraculouse worke of Chryst might not be obscured nor shadowed by the malignitie of men and also that yt might be perceaued that in the workes of Chryste we maie not so looke to the ordre of nature to naturall reason or naturall philosophie that for the mainteinaunce therof we shall denie the worke of Chryste Naturall philosophie hath manie propositions that will not stande with oure faith For naturall philosophie teacheth that mundus est perpetuus the worlde ys perpetuall or ouerlasting Faith teacheth that In principio creauit Gen. 1. Deus coelum terram In the beginninge God created heauen and earth and Psal 191. that therfore the worlde had a beginninge And yt teacheth also that yt shall haue an ende For coelum terra transibunt heauen and earth shall passe awaie Of the whiche both the Prophete saieth In principio Domine terram creasti et opera manuum tuarum sunt coelitipsi peribunt tu autem permanes c. Thowe in the beginning O Lorde didest laie the fundacion of the earthe and the heauens are the workes of thy hand They shall perish but thowe doest abide Of the whiche matter also saincte Peter maketh plain declaracion Likewise naturall philosophie teacheth quod vnum corpus non potest esse simul semel in diuersis locis that one bodie can not be at one time in diuerse places But faith teacheth vs as yt ys declared in the last chapiter that Chrystes bodie ys and maie be in diuerse places Naturall philosophie teacheth that duo corpora non possunt simul esse in vno eodem loco Two bodies can not be together in one place Yet the Scripture teacheth as ye haue heard the holie learned Fathers vnderstand them that Chrystes bodie entred in through the doore and so ther were two bodies at one time in one place Nowe therfore forasmoch as these two that ys that the bodie of Chryste ys in diuerse places and that the bodie of Chryste and the doore that he entred through were in one place be the workes of God let vs in the consideracion of them forgett naturall philosophie and remembre faith That these appertein to faith yt ys proued by a nombre of the holie Fathers and both these be acknowledged of them to be miraculouse workes of Chryste aboue nature And as these workes were verilie doen by Chryste So ys the other mencioned in the chapiter before doen by Chryste Wherfore chrystian reader weigh well what in these two chapiters ys saied howe many holie and learned Fathers be alleaged howe plainlie they testifie the matter and haue regarde to them staie thy self by them and be not caried awaie with them that haue nothing to confirme their doctrine but naturall philosophie For as touching the matter spoken of in this chapiter let the Aduersatie bring anie one sufficient Authour that shall by expresse woordes teache the contrarie and I will ioin with him THE TWELVETH CHAPITER AVNSWERETH certain obiections that seme to impugne the catholique doctrine of this matter THere ys nothing so true in all our holie faith but some heresie Nothing so true but he resie maie impugne yt Deut. 6. Heresies against God and euerie person in the trinitie maie be fownde to against saie yt and argumētes deuised to impugne yt Yt ys a most a certen trueth that ther ys but one God the scripture saieng Deus noster Deus vnus est Owre God ys one God Yet ther were that taught that ther̄ were two Gods as Apelles and Manichaeus Who taught that ther was a good God and an euell And for the mainteinaunce of this their heresie had
their argumeÌ„tes whiche apparantlie confirmed their sainges Yt ys a verie treuth that Chryst ys both God and man and yet ther were that saied he was not God as Ebion and Cerynthus and ther were that saied he was no man as Eutyches and Dioscorus Yt ys a certen trueth that God the Sonne ys God coequall and consubstanciall to the Father yet Arius saied that he was a creature not equall to the Father in deitie power or maiestie Yt ys an infallible trueth that the holie Goste ys God yet Macedonius taught that he was a creature Yt ys a certen trueth that Chryste suffred death for vs yet ther were that saied that yt was Symon Cyrinensis of whome ther ys mencion made in the Gospell that he bare Chrystes crosse These and an innumerable sorte mo haue all apparant argumentes to make a cowntenance that their doctrines be true and do intermingle in August ho. All false doctrine hath some treuth admixed dede some trueth with their falshead as sainct Augustine saieth Nulla porrò doctriâ—a falsa quae non aliqua vera intermisceat Ther ys no false doctrine that dothe not intermingle some treuth therbie the better to vtter their heresie So of this matter of the presence of Chryste in heauen and in the Sacrament apparant argumentes be made by other Aduersaries to deceaue the people which well weighed and examined haue no force nor weight to proue that they intended As for this Aduersarie the Proclamer as yt ys saied made no argumente in his matter for that he wolde haue the people receaue but his onelie bare proclamacion wherfore to him the aunswere ys soen made But his great master Oecolampadius heapeth vppe in dede a great nombre of Scriptures by quotacion onely which he saieth he shall not nede to alleage Scriptures alleaged against the presence by Oecolamp at large bycause yt ys an article of our faithe that Chryste sitteth at the right hande of the Father Of the which scriptures I will alleadge some that the reader maie both knowe them and also perceaue that they be not against the doctrine of Chrystes Churche as touching the reall presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament In saincte Iohn his gospell we finde written thus Iesus knowinge that this howre was comed that he shoulde go oute of this worlde to the Father c. And in an Joan. 13. other place thus A litle while saieth Chryste and ye shall not see me and a litle Ibid. 16. while and ye shall see me For I go to the Father And in the same place I went furth from the Father and came into the worlde again I leaue the worlde and go to the Father Jbid. Again in an other place And nowe I am not in the worlde and these be in the worlde and I come to thee And in the Actes of the Apostles This Iesus that ys taken from Act. 1. yow into heauen shall so come as ye haue seen him going into heauen These and all other like scriptures that teache vs of Chrystes going to his Father of his exaltacion aboue all poures and soche other we reuerence theÌ„ Phil. 2. we accept them we beleue them we embrace them For they teache vs that which we doo confesse that Chryste ys God that he ys ascended Arsicle of the Ascension impugneth not Chrystes presence in the Sacr. that he ys in glorie But when we confesse this and beleue this doth this take awaie this treuth that Chryste ys verilie present in the Sacrament No in deed For that standeth still as an vntouched truthe neither impugning the other neither impugned of the other And therfore we consesse both to be true For he that saied Vado ad Patrem I go to the Father saied also Hoc est corpus meum Hoc facite This ys my bodie This do ye Wherbie he bothe consecrated his bodie for as Chrysostome saieth Qui enim dixit Chrystome 51. in Mat. I loc est corpus meum rem simul cum verbo confecit He that saied This ys my bodie made the thing together with the woord and also gaue authoritie to his preistes to do the like Whiche thing Luther denieth not Then forasmoche as Chryste willed that this mysterie shall be continued frequented and vsed vntill his comminge in the whiche mysterie by his power ys his bodie we maie not thinke anie contrarietie or repugnaunce in his woordes but beleue that as he ys the verie truthe So ys yt all treu that he hath spoken And as he ys allmightie So ys he able to performe and make good that he hath saied And therfore aught we to beleue both that he ys in heaueÌ„ and also in the Sacrament forasmoch as by his woorde we learn his presence in bothe Yf this our Sauiour Chryste wher naturall knowledge saieth Omne graue ExaÌ„ples of manie thin ges doen by our Sauiour Chryst aboue and contrarie to nature appetit deorsum euerie heauie thinge ys inclined downward coulde yet by his power make the earthlie bodie of Peter whiche was a mere naturall bodie and therfore heauie contrarie to his nature to walke vpon the sea and when yt pleased him to leaue him to his nature to suffer him to sinke and beginne to drowne can not he at his owne pleasure make that blessed bodie of his which ys so excellentlie conceaued and born and therwith vnited to the Godhead in vnitie of person that although yt be a naturall bodie yet yt doth surmounte and ys aboue all nature and naturall bodies can not he I saie at his pleasure demise lett downe or abase that his bodie to the state and condicion of a verie naturall bodie and again at his pleasure exalte and magnifie the same aboue the state of a naturall bodie He did fast fortie daies and fortie nightes and eate no meat whiche Matt. 4. was aboue naturall ordre In the ende of that fast he was hungrie and Jbid. 17. therin he subiected him self to naturall ordre He was transfigured in the Mounte where as yt pleased him he shewed Ioan. 4. his power and made his face to shine as bright as the Sunne and his garmentes white as snowe whiche was aboue the state of a bare naturall man An other time he was wearie of his iourneie whiche was agreable to the nature of man The Iewes came to apprehend him and with the voice of his mouthe Jbid. 18. Jbid. 19. Mat. 27. he threw them all to the grownde Again he abased him self and suffred him self not onelie to be taken of them whom he had so easilie ouer throweÌ„ but also to be buffited and to be scourged and finallie to be crucified What shall I stand in the rehersall of these thinges whiche be so plentifull in the Gospell Therfore to conclude I will saie with Cyrille we maie not thinke of the bodie of Chryste as of the bodie of a bare naturall man but we must thinke of that bodie as of
saieth thus Lex Dei iam n̄on in figuris in imaginibus sicut prius sed in ipsa specie veritatls dgnoscitur Et quae prius in aenigmate designabantur nunc in specie veritate complentus The Lawe of God ys not nowe knowen in figures and ymages as before Jn Numer homel 7. but in plain trueth And soche thinges as before were described or shewed in a dark maner nowe are they fullfilled in plain maner and trueth And what the thinges be he after rehearseth of the which some be these Antea in aenigmate fuit Baptismus in nube in mari nunc autem in specie regeneratio est in aqua Spiritu sancto Tunc in aenigmate erat Manna cibus nunc autem in specie caro Verbi Dei est verus cibus sicut ipse dicit Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Before baptisme was in a darke maner in the cloud and in the sea Nowe regeneracion ys in plain maner in the water and the holie Gost Then Manna was meat in a darke maner but nowe the flesh The flesh of Chryst meat in plain maner of the Sonne of God ys verie meat in a plain maner As he him self saieth My flesh ys meat in dede and my blood ys drinke in dede Thus Origen Nowe weigh with me gentle Reader that Origen saieth that the Gospell hath not thinges in ymageis ād figures ād shadowes as the Lawe before had The Gospell hath not the figures but the verie thinges but soch thinges as were ther described by figures in the time of the Gospell are knowen in plain trueth So that the Gospell walketh not in figures but in the trueth of thinges figured Wherby Origen concludeth that the flesh of Chryst figured by Manna that was meat to the Iewes ys nowe not figuratiuelie but verilie the true meate of the Chrystians And for his authoritie vseth owre text nowe in handling saing thus As he saieth mening Chryste My flesh ys meat c. By which maner of his declaracion ys yt not most plain that this ys no figuratiue speache But that he vnderstandeth Chrystes saing as a plain assertion of a trueth withoute any figure and that they be the very thinges in dede as the woordes do plainlie signifie yt ys most certen Perchaunce the Aduersaries will saie we take the flesh of Chryst as Chryst speaketh here to be verilie meat spirituallie to be receaued in spirit but not reallie to be receaceaued of the bodie This aunswere conteineth two partes one that we do receaue Chryst but spiritually the other that we do not receaue him reallie and therfor we must receaue him in a figure Whiche bothe be directlie against Origen For the first Origen saieth that the Iewes had baptisme spiritually they also The Sacramentaries onelie spirituull receauing impugned by Origen did feed on Chryst spirituallie and dranke his blood spirituallie if we fede of Chryst none other wise wherin then doth the newe lawe excell the olde What hath the Sacramentes of the Chrystians more then the figurs of the Iewes But of this more at large in the thirde booke For the seconde if we do not receaue Chryst reallie then as yt ys saied we must nedes receaue him vnder a figure But Origen saieth that the lawe of the Gospellys not knowen nowe by figurs and ymages but by the verie trueth In the lawe of Moyses Chryste was eaten in the figure Manna Nowe saieth he the flesh of the Sonne of God ys eaten in very plain maner What ys that but that yt ys eaten reallie verilie trulie and not in figure Yf the flesh of the Sonne of God be eaten with vs in a figure why doth he saie yt ys eatē in plain and opē trueth and make soche difference betwixt the Lawes Why did he not raither saie that yt ys in both lawes eaten in figure But if ye marke him well he appointeth figures to the olde lawe and denieth figurs in the newe lawe and so teacheth that the flesh of Chryst ys verilie eaten in the Sacrament Wherby ys reiected the wicked saing of this Aduersarie proclamer that we receaue Chryst none other wise in the Sacrament then the Iewes did in Manna sauing that they receaued Manna as the figure of Chryst to come and we our bread as the figure of Chryst that ys comed For Origen saieth that we do not receaue Chryst in a figure for the lame of God ys not nowe in figurs and images but in veritie And thus be the figures of the Auersaries denied Further if we haue not and eate not Chryst reallie but in a figure of bread then was the Lawe of Moyses moche more excellent then the newe in that respecte For Manna whiche came from heauen so miraculouslie and had so many woonders aboute yt as the scripture doth declare was by all means and without all comparison more excellent figure then a poour litle morcell of artisiciall bread Whiche hath no excellencie by miracle or wonder but ys a plain comon vsuall thing All whiche vain confideracions are nothing but vntreuths wherby the lawe of the Gospell shoulde raither be abased then duely magnified Wherfor the singular inuencions of priuate men lefte I will creditte the woorde of Chryste and his holie inspired men declaring the same that the flesh of Chryst ys very meat in dede feding our soules spiritullie wherby we are not inferiour to the Iewes And ys receaued also corpotallie for our incorporacion to Chryst wherby we excell the Iewes And nowe that we haue heard this great auncient thus vnderstanding S. Ambrose cōmēded this text of the very flesh of Chryst not figuratiuely but verilie and truly we will nowe heare also holy S. Ambrose Bishoppe of Millan the master of S. Augustin in Chrystes faith whose fame learning and holinesse ys knowen to all chrystendom whose auncientie ys great for he liued aboute the year of our lorde 380. and therfor aboue eleuen hondreth years agon Whom I thus now commend to thee Reader partlie for that he ys not in this ordre as yet alleaged partelie that his sentēce maie the raither moue thee to creditte the trueth Thus he saieth Sicut verus est Dei filius Dominus noster Iesus Christus non quemadmodum homines per gratiam sed quasi filius ex substantia Patris Ita vera li. 9. de Sacra ca. 1. A plain place of S. Amb. for the Proclamer caro sicut ipse dixit quam accipimus verus est potus As our Lorde Iesus Chryst ys the verie Sonne of God not as men by grace but as a Sonne of the substance of the Father Euen so yt ys verie flesh as he him self saieth which we do receaue and very drinke Thus he ▪ Marke well this saing and then shall ye well perceaue the vnderstanding and mening of this scripture that yt neither suffreth yt self to be vnderstanded of the figure of the flesh of Chryst neither of the spirituall
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
of the scripture refuseth tropes and figures and enforceth to accept the propre sense onelie Wherfore chrystian Reader beware of that flattering contenaunce and deceiptfull lieng of the olde serpent Sathan flie the hissing of the vipers be not caried awaie with light creditte as our first parentes were therby to creditte the deuel and discreditte God But knowe the one to be thie enemie and feare him knowe the other to be thy Lorde God thy Sauiour and Redemer and embrace him Of the which matter harke farder to the godlie saing of Rupertus Accipe inquit comedite Hoc est corpus meum Et alibi Qui manducat carnem meam bibit sanguinem meum in me manet ego in eo Cùm haec dicit agnus Dei oportunè nobis ad memoriam recurrit illud quod dixit serpens imo per serpentem Diabolus hostis bumani generis Accipite comedite eritis sicut dij Optimae spectabiles valdè propositiones Ille serpens erat iste agnus est Ille vetus peccator iste antiquut creator Ille spiritu Diaboli falsum sibilans iste spiritu Dei verum euangelizaus Ille de ligno non suo raptor optulit Iste de corpore sanguine suo largitor dedit Ille quod non habebat mendaciter promisit eritis inquiens sicut dij Iste quod habebat quod semper naturaliter habet fideliter dedit vt simus dij dum manet ipse in nobis Illi tandem nephandissimè creditum est plusquam Deo Credatur è contrario buic Deo si non plus at saltem quantum creditum est illi Diabolo Creditum est enim quod illi pomo inesset quod non videbatur scilicet vis deos efficiendi Credatur buic Sacramento inesse quod non videtur videlicet veritas carnis sanguinis valens efficere nos corporales Vnigenito filio Dei. Hoc enim ratio vel ordo iustitiae exposcit Accipite ergo inquit comedite Accipere est fideliter credere cum gratiarum actione diligere compatienti affectu corporis huius traditionem sanguinis huius effusionem respicere Hoc fieri non potest nisi priùs reijciaturid quod ab illo malè acceptum est Illud igitur mendacium execrantes hanc veritatem accipite approbate amplectimini contra cibum mortis panē comedite vitae eternae calicem bibite salutis perpetuae He saieth mening Chryst take Conference of Chrystes woordes and the serpents and eate this ys my bodie and in an other place He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him When the lambe of God saieth these thinges yt cometh in due time to our memorie that the serpent saied or raither by the serpent the Deuell the enemie of man kinde Take and eate and ye shall be as Gods Goodlie and verie notable propositions He was a serpent this ys a lambe He an olde offender this an auncient creatour He by the spirit of the Deuel hissing oute an vntrueth this by the spirit of God preaching a trueth He a theeif gaue of the fruit that was not his This a right geuer gaue of his owne bodie and bloode He falsely promised that that he had not ye shall saieth he be as Gods This trulie gaue that he had whiche allwaies naturallie he hathe that ys that we maie be Gods forsomoche as he dwelleth in vs. Vnto him neuer the lesse most wickedly was geuen more credit then to God Vnto this cōtrarie wise let credit be geuen being God yf not more yet at the least as moche creditte as was geuē to the Deuell For yt was beleued that to be in that apple whiche was not sein that ys to saie power to make Gods Let yt be beleued to be in the Sacrament that ys not seen that ys to saie the veritie of the flesh and bloode of Chryst able to incorporate vs to the onely begottē Sonne of God Thus moche reason or ordre of iustice dothe require Take therfore saieth he and eate To take ys faithfully to beleue with thankes geuing To take Chrystes bodie what yt ys to loue with a compatient affection to beholde the deliuerance of this bloode This cā not be doen except that be reiected that of the enemie was euel receaued Detesting therfor that lie receaue approue and ēbrace this trueth and against the meat of death eate ye the bread of euerlasting life and drinke the cuppe of euerlasting saluacion Thus being by this good Father admonished of the true vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes I will nowe make the same plain before thine eyes by the testimonie of a nombre of holie Fathers to the whiche good Reader I praie thee geue good heede THE THREE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINNETH to prooue the vnderstanding of Chrystes forsaied woordes not to be figuratiue by the anthoritie of the Fathers And first by Alexander and Instinus FOrsomoche as the misunderstanding of the woordes of the supper of Chryst hath and doth maintein great and lamētable contencion among soche as professe Chrystes name and the right vnderstāding of the same ought to be the occasion of the restitucion of peace and concorde Let yt not greiue thee gentle Reader though I tarie somwhat long vpon this text in producing manie holie Fathers of Chrysts schoole who shal teache vs howe these woordes This ys my bodie were ther taught to be vnderstanded and therby shall do vs to witte what ys the enacted trueth of Chrystes Parliament house as touching this matter nowe among chrystian men in controuerfie For the plain declaracion wherof I shall produce manie of the eldest Fathers and fewe I trust that do treact of these woordes being of any fame or authoritie shall be omitted And for a speciall note to discerne the trueth from falsheade the scholers of Chryst from the scholers of Sathan and the graue and constant staied Senatours of Chrystes Parliament house from the light and vauering whisperers of the Conciliables of Sathan Marke and note well that as in the one and fourteth chap. ye haue pceaued the sectes of Sathan are merueillouslie dissected and by great and fowle contencion amōg them selues diuided So shall ye perceaue that Chrystes disciples are vnited all of one minde all of one vnderstanding all speaking one thing in full peace and perfect concorde Remembre that the high scholers and cheif noble men of Chrystes Parliament honse I meen the foure Euāgelistes and S. Paule so agree that among them there ys no one title spoken of the Aduersaries tropes and figures but euery one of them testifie the matrer plainlie leauing the woordes in their propre sense So shall ye see all this noble companie of Fathers doo Let vs then in Chrystes name heare them vtter what ys the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes Although ther are right auncient Fathers that doo verie no tablie declare and testifie the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament as Martialis
fiat Sinempe decens est honestum teste Hieronimo ad Riparium vt lumina ardeant coram corporibus osâ—ibus sanctorum Etsi decens fuit temporibus primorum sanctorum vt lampades mortuis christianis fidelibus accendantur vt haec describit Chrysostomus sermone quarto super epistolam ad Hebraeos multo magis decens honestuÌ„ sanctuÌ„ est vt lumina coraÌ„ taÌ„ deifico et diuino corpore ChristiacceÌ„daÌ„tur The preistes aught to teach the people both with exaÌ„ple and woorde that they in adoring and woorshipping and hauing an high aÌ„d liuelie respect aboute these most godlie and vnspeakable mysteries doe feare and tremble Wherby ys manifest the errour of theÌ„ that wickedlie saie that the bodie of Chryst or the Sacrament was onely geuen to be eaten and the blood in the cuppe onelie to be drunkeÌ„ and not to be woorshipped or adored But yt ys manifest that their skorning ys vain and foolish which doe mock the lighting of lightes before the bodie of our Lord in the SacrameÌ„t saing that God ys light himself and neadeth no other light For in the olde lawe euen by the coÌ„maundement of our Lord lightes that were sett in the caÌ„dlesticke did burn before the shew breades which were onelie a figure of our Lordes bodie in the SacrameÌ„t moch more ys yt comely that this be doeÌ„ in the presence of so great a Sacrament For trulie if yt be comelie aÌ„d honest S. Hierom being wittnesse vnto Riparius that lightes doe burn before the bodies or bones of saincts And if yt were comely in the time of the cheif holie meÌ„ that lampes should burn before the faithful Chrystians that were dead as ChrysostoÌ„ describeth these thinges in his fourth sermon vpon the epistle to the Hebrues moch more ys yt comely honest aÌ„d holie that lights should be lighted before so diuine aÌ„d godly bodie of Christ Thus moch this Authour Who although he were otherwaies naught himself yet vnderstanding so me soch secrett talke against the honouring of the blessed Sacrament he hath earnestly laboured and learnedly to extinct the same So as before ys saied though some haue in their corners murmured against the honouring of Greatest antiquitie of denial of adoracioÌ„ of the Sacr ys but fourtie years the Sacrament yet sure I am that none beleuing Chryst God and man did openly write that Chryst was not to be adored in the Sacrament vntill the times of Luther and Oecolampadius none neither catholique nor heretique And therfor I shall returne the woordes of this Proclamer trulie to him whiche he vntrulie hath published to the worlde that this ys the greatest antiquitie of the wholl matter About fortie yeares agon yt was first fownd oute and putt in practise by Luther and Oecolampadius that the Sacrament might not be honoured But Chryst and his Apostles the holy Fathers in in the primitiue Church the doctours that folowed them and other learned and godly men whatsoeuer for the space of xv hondreth years and and odde after Chrystes ascension into hcauen neuer taught this doctrine that the holie and blessed bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament shoulde not be honoured neither was yt practised within anie place within the catholique Church of Chryst throughoute the wholl worlde And thus nowe be these woordes true whiche before vttered by the Proclamer were verie false And nowe wher he saieth that Honorius was the first that commaunded the Sacrament to be honoured in case yt were true as yt ys allready proued Honouring of the Sacr. vniuersaly receaued but neuer yet vniuersallie denied in the Church to be false yet ys the doctrine of the honouring of the Sacrament moche more auncient then this his doctrine that wickedly denieth yt For that by hys owne confession was begon by Honorius three hondreth years agon This doctrine but aboute fortie years agon Honorius was neuer diffamed of heresie Luther and Oecolampadius diffamed and condemned for heretiques The honouring of the Sacrament was receaued of the wholl Churche and quietly continued those three hondreth years at the least euen by this mans owne rekning The contrarie doctrine was neuer yet receaued of the wholl Churche and therfore neuer one howre quietlie continued Thus moch aduantage haue we vpon the woordes of his owne confession But he saieth that Honorius commaunded the adoracion of the SacrameÌ„t A fond argument of the Proclamer I graunt he did But what of that Will he therbie inferre that bicause he commaunded yt that yt was neuer in vse before A verie fond kinde of argument And yet as fonde as yt ys moch vsed in the Schoole of the doctrine of thys Proclamer from whence no doubte he hath learned so to dispute For euen in like maner the fleshlie sorte of them dispute to maintein their shamefull aboade with their women Yt ys saie they as this Proclamer saieth a new deuise yt ys as new fownd holie daie that preistes shoulde not marrie For yt was but of late daies inuented by Vrban and Gregorie Nowe trueth yt ys that these Popes made decrees that preistes shoulde not marrie but doth this proue that yt was neuer forbidden before No trulie Decrees against mariage of Preistes For Siluester long before them made a decree that yf a preist did marrie after he had receaued holy orders he should be depriued of his office ten years but yf he disobediently kept his woman and wolde not submitte himself to the lawe he should be condempned for euer shall we yet nowe here rest and saie that Siluester was first fownder of this matter bicause yt ys fownd that he made soche a decree Naie Calixtus was before him who made a like decree Presbyteris Diaconis Subdiaconis Monachis concubinas habere seu matrimonium contrahere poenitus interdicimus Contracta quoque matrimonia ab buiusmodi personis Calixtus disiungi personas ipsas ad poenitentiam debere redigi iuxta sacrorum Canonum defuntionem iudicamus We vtterly forbidde preistes Deacons Subdeacons and monkes to haue concubines or to marrie We iudge also the matrimonies contracted of soch persons to be dissolued or vndoen and the persons themselues to be sett to penaunce according to the definition of the holy Canons For this decree some haue ben angrie with Calixtus and haue fathered the prohibition of preistes mariages vpon him but yet they haue erred For they might haue perceaued that he in this his decree referreth the penaunce of the married preistes Deacons and other to the holy Canons So that ther was an other decree for that pourpose before Calixtus and that Canon Apost 17. was the decree of the Canon of the Apostles For soche a Canon haue they made which ys thus Ex bis qui coelibes in clerum peruenerunt iubemus vt lectores tantùm cantores si velint nuptias contrahant Of them that becomed single into the cleargie we commaunde that readers onely and the singing men yf they will doe marrie And an other like which
healthe in the remembrance of our Lordes passion suffred for vs. Whiche thing when yt ys brought by the handes of men to that visible forme yt ys not sanctified that yt maie be so great a Sacrament but by the Spirite of God woorking inuisiblie Hitherto sainct Augustin Of whome ye see that we are taught that thoug Chryst be by diuerse meanes settfurth and preached as by scriptures preachinges and by the Sacrament yet these thinges be not all of like degree For ther ys none of these called the bodie of Chryst but onelie the bread that ys consecrated by the mysticall praier that ys by the woordes of Chryst Thys ys my bodie that onelie ys called the bodie of Chryste Oecolamp craftilie abuseth S. Augustin Nowe Oecolampadius wolde that bicause sainct Augustin saieth that Chryst ys preached by scripture woorde and Sacrament that these three be of one sorte no more being in the Sacrament then in the other two But note I praie thee gentle reader howe he abuseth sainct Augustin to proue that hys wicked sainge Of this place of sainct Augustin nowe alleadged he taketh onely thus moche Paule might by signifieng preache our Lorde Iesus Chryst otherwise by hys toung otherwise by epistle otherwise by the Sacrament of his bodie and blood And vpon thys he growndeth hys argument and wolde be seen well to haue confirmed Not toung nor writing nor soche other shewing furth Chryst be called his bodie but bread and wine consetrated hys doctrine But all the rest of sainct Augustines woordes whiche folowe whiche ouerthrowe all his building he craftelie lefte oute For yt foloweth Yet doe we call neither his toung neither his epistle nor his writinges the bodie of Chryste but onely we call that the bodie of Chryste that ys taken of the fruictes of the earth and ys by the mysticall prayer consecrated that doe we call the bodie of Chryst All thys doth he leaue oute Soche was the synceritie of the man in alleaging the holie Fathers So good ys the cause that he defended that the doctours muste be mutilated and brought oute in peice meall or ells yt coulde not stand Ys yt not merueilouse that he coulde bring this place of sainct Augustin whiche although the first peice taken alone seemeth somwhat to sownde to his pourpose yet the wholl taken together ys alltogether against him Alas that euer anie man wolde so deceaue the people of God and by soche frawde and abuse of the holie writers make them to embrace erroure in stead of trueth weigh the place throughlie and yowe shall perceaue howe yt mainteineth the catholique trueth of the presence of Chrystes boin the Sacrament verie moch Ye haue nowe heard that neither the worde written nor the woorde spoken though Chryst be preached by them be called the bodie of Chryst but onely the Sacrament ys called the bodie of Chryst And why yt ys called the bodie of Chryste he declareth Not bicause saieth he by the handes of man yt ys brought to be a visible forme but bicause yt ys sanctified and made so great a Sacrament by the inuisible woorking of the holie Goste Note these two poinctes that S. Augustine saieth that the bread ys sanctified and made so great a Sacrament And again that he saieth yt ys so sanctified and made by the inuisible worke of the holie Goste Ther ys great difference betwixt the sanctificacion of the Sacrament yt self and the soule of man that receaueth the Sacrament Now Oecolampadius and Cranmer saie that the Sacramentes being dumbe Oecolamp and Cranmer their heresies creatures receaue no sanctificacion but onely the sowles of men They saie also that the holie Gost woorketh not in the thinges that be the Sacramentes but in the men that receaue the SacrameÌ„tes Thys they saie bicause they wolde auoid the presence of Chryste in the Sacrament which ys made ther present by sanctificacion of the bread But against these their saings S. Augustin saieth that the same bread that ys made by the handes of men ys sanctified S. Augustin plain against Oecolamp aÌ„d Cranmer and receauing sanctitie ys made so great a Sacrament Against them also he saieth that the holie Goste woorketh inuisiblie in the bread I wolde now learn of the Aduersaries what S. Augustine meneth by calling the SacrameÌ„t so great a Sacrament and what worke yt ys that the holie Goste woorketh inuisiblie in the bread The woorkes of the holy Gost be no trifles Yt ys great and miraculouse that he woorketh And what he woorketh S. Iames in his Masse S. Basill also and Chrysostom in their Masses by their humble praiers doe declare S. Iames thus Spiritum tuum sanctissimum demitte nunc Domine in nos in haec sancta dona proposita vt superueniens sancta bona gloriosa sua praesentia sanctificet Diuus Iac. in Missa efficiat hunc panem corpus sanctum Christi tui calicem hunc preciosum sanguinem Christi tui Sende downe now o Lord thy most holie Spirit vpon vs and vpon these holie giftes settfurth that he coming ouer them maie with his holy good and gloriouse presence sanctifie and make this bread the holie bodie of thy Chryst aÌ„d this cuppe the preciouse blood of thy Chryst Thus S. Iames. S. Basill and Chrysostome haue the like woordes See ye not nowe then howe the bread ys sanctiâ—ied See ye not what ys the worke of the holie Goste Perceaue ye not howe that S. Augustine vpoÌ„ good cause called the Sacrament so great a Sacrament ys yt not a great Sacrament Bread sanctified contrarie to Cranmers assertion aÌ„d Oecolamp in which by worke of the holie Gost ys made present the bodie of Chryst To haue hidden this trueth Oecolampadius by peice meall brought in S. Augustine But now ye haue seen the catholique faith well testified the falshead of the Aduersaries detected and to return to oure matter and to conclude ye perceaue this Sacrament by mystical praier which ys by Chrystes woordes to be consecrated the effecte of which consecracion being the bodie of Chryste as ys saied the woordes must nedes be taken without figuratiue sense Thus if my iudgement faill me not ye haue hearde two other noble men of Chrystes schoole and Parliament house very plainlie testifieng the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of Chrystes wordes yea so plainly that yt caÌ„not but moch confirme the good Chrystian and confute the Pheudochristian But to go forwarde I will ende with these two and call other two THE FIVE AND FIFTETH CHAPITER tarieth in the exposition of the same woordes by Chrysostom and Sedulius NOw among the learned Fathers of the greke church we are descended to Chrysostome of whome I maie saie as besore ys saied of S. Ambrose that he ys so full of godlie testimonies testisieng to vs the true vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes that as I knowe not whiche of them first to take so doe I merueill that they being so manie the Proclamer coulde for shame saie
sit eo manifestè dicente Hoc est corpus meum sed potius suscipe verbum Cirill ad Calosyriū Chrystes woordes manifest and without doubt saluatoris in side Cùm enim sit veritas non mentitur Doubt not whether this be true or no seing that he manifestlie saieth This ys my bodie But raither receaue the woord of our Sauiour in faith For lie forasmoch as he ys tureth he lieth not Weigh these fewe woordes of S. Cyrill well gentle Reader and first that he willeth Calosirius not to doubte whether this that Christ manifestlie saied This ys my bodie be true or no. For in that he willed him and by him all chrystians not to doubte what clls willeth he but that al errour heresie opinion wandering wauering and colde faith shoulde be remoued and firme suro and fast faith should be geuen to the woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie S. Cyrill she weth the Proclamer plain woordes whiche woordes he saieth be manifest Yf they be manifest then they haue no obscure sense then they must be taken in the sense that manifestlie lieth open before vs. That sense ys the grāmaticall sense Then the figuratiue sense ys taken awaie For that sense as the woordes be nowe spoken ys not manifest but obscure Then also must the Proclamer subscribe For by the iudgemente of S. Cyrill the woordes of Chryst be manifest Yf they be manifest as vndoubtedlie they be then ther ys one scripture that manifestly teacheth the presence of Chrystes bodie Again sainct Cyrill saieth that forasmoche as Chryst ys the trueth he lieth not but he taking the bread and wine saied This ys my bodie Therfore he being the trueth and lieng not the thinges were as he saied then were they his bodie and bloode For so saied he that they were Yf the bread and wine he saing Thys ys my bodie This ys my bloode were not made by his allmightie power and woorde the bodie and blood of Chryst these woords being spoken by demōstraciō of certain singular things in nature without anie circūstance to declare anie other sense vpō these woordes then in the first hearing they sownde to haue Yf I saie these creatures remain still in their nature and substances and be but figures of Chrystes bodie and blood then I saie that Chrystes woordes were not true For he saied that they were his bodie and bloode And by the opinion of the Aduersarie they be not so but bread and wine figures of Chrystes bodie and blood Forasmoche as my cheef pourpose ys to helpe and staie them in their faith that be vnlearned to whome quiddities in learning be raither trooblesom then pleasaunt or profitable I haue determined not to dispute with the Proclamer in anie quidditie or ells I wolde somwhat haue saied to him for The Proclamer to disgrace our faith plaieth with indiuidū vagum that yt liketh him to dallie and to aske where we finde that this woord hoc in english this poincteth not the bread but indiuiduum vagum For if yt shall be his phantasie to disgrace the trueth before the comon people by plaing with some quidditie that they can not vnderstand he maie so soen disgrace our faith in the holie and blessed Trinitie For if he lyst so to plaie he might moue matter of the distinction and relacion of the persons and by soche toieng bring the people to stagger in their faith in the blessed Trinitie as by this mockerie of the demonstracion he wolde make them fall from their faith of the blessed Sacrament Yt were conuenient that as the people should be taught simplie to beleue in God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Gost and not to be troobled with the learned quiddities of the generacion of the Sonne of the spiracion as touching the holie Goste of the procession of the same from the Father and the Sonne and with the distinction and relacion of the persons so shoulde they be taught simplie to beleue as the scripturs doe teache and the holie fathers doe declare and expownde the same that the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Chryst euen People are simplie to be taught not with Quiddities full Chryst God and man after the consecracion which as before ys declared ys doen by the secrett power of God by the worke of the holy Goste at the pronunciacion of Chrystes woordes by his sufficient mynister ys verilie reallie substanciallie and naturally present in the Sacrament and not to be troobled with demonstracions with accidentes with substances with placing of that bodie circumscriptiuelie definitiuelie by the maner of substance or by the maner of quantitie For these matters are for learned men to dispute not for good Chrystian vnlearned people to call in question of beleue In the schooles yt had ben a meit matter to dispute in the pulpitie yt was no matter to teache to edifie But yt liked him to talke of soche quiddities bicause by their obscuritie and darkenesse they being vnpleasaunt vnto the people shoulde the more myslike them and by that means haue the redier waie to deface the catholique faith and to sett vppe his heresie But I minding for that litle that in me ys to maintein that holie faith of Chryst my Sauiour that ys taught in his catholique Churche I will leaue these quiddities and simplie treact of the thing that we haue in hande And therfore nowe returning to Cyrill from whom I haue a litle digressed I saie with him that Chryst being trueth and saing This ys my bodie yt must nedes be as he saied and so simplie we must beleue the bodie and blood of Chryst according Cyrillus ibidem to his woorde to be present in the Sacrament Whiche thing as he saied here that Chryst manifestlie saied Thys ys my bodie So he manifestlie in the same epistle after a fewe lines doth open and Chryst turneth the bread into his owne verie flesh declare to be true wher he thus writeth Ne horreremus carnē et sanguinē apposita sacris altaribus cōdescendēs Deus nostris fragilitatibus instuit oblatis vim vitae cōuertēs ea in veritatē propriae carnis vt corpus vitae quasi quoddā semē viuificatiuū inueniatur in nobis That we shoulde not loath flesh and bloode sett vpon the holie aultars God condescending to our fragilities hath powred into the thinges offred the power of life conuerting or turning them into his verie owne flesh that the bodie of life maie be fownde in vs as a certain quickning seede For that I haue vpon this place of Cyrill saied somthing allreadie I will nowe no more but note vnto yowe howe manifestlie howe apertlie and howe plainlie he teacheth vs not onely that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament but also the meanes howe yt ys ther which ys that God turneth the bread sett vpon the holie aulanrs into his verie flesh After this he rendreth to vs two Two causes whie the substāce in the Sacr. being
sense and vnderstanding of them Wherfor we maie verie well conclude that the woordes of Chryst are to be vnderstanded withoute figure or trope accordinglie as this learned auncient hath taught Perchaunche the Proclamer will saie that although this authour denieth a figure in Chrystes woordes yet he doeth not as by him ys requested in his proclamacion saie plainlie by expresse woordes that Chrystes naturall bodie ys in the Sacrament To see the vanitie of this shift let vs searche howe manie thinges be called Chrystes bodie and by applicacion we shall perceaue that yt can not otherwise be but that this authour speaketh of the naturall bodie of Chryst Ther be foure thinges that be called the bodie of Chryste The figure the Churche the meritt fruit or vertue of his passion and his bodie naturall Foure thinges called the bodie of Chryst. The figure ys called the bodie of Chryst For S. Augustine saith that figures oftentimes haue the names of the thinges of the whiche they are figures This maner of bodie ys not here to be vnderstanded for yt ys by expresse woordes denied of this authour Yt ys not the Churche which S. Paule calleth the bodie of Chryst For to all men yt ys euident that the Sacrament ys not the Churche other wise then bicause the Sacrament ys a figure of the Churche Yt ys not the spirituall bodie of Chryst I meen the meritte vertue and grace of Chrystes passion For the bread and wine cannot be transmuted into yt as the Aduersarie him self doth graunt Yt remaineth then that yt must nedes be spoken of the naturall bodie of Chryst And wher of necessitie one thing must be vnderstanded and none other can ther be vnderstanded that place must nedes be called plain To be short wher a thing ys spoken of and if yt can not be applied to the figure of the thing yt must nedes be applied to the thing yt self speciallie Plain tearmes for proof of reall presc̄ce when the circumstance shall also fully prooue the same as here yt doeth For the transmutacion of the bread and wine into the thing and these terms his owne verie bodie and his own verie bloode with the comparisons of the propreties of the breade and wine to the propreties of the bodie and bloode of Chryst maketh the matter so plain that yt can not be but confessed so to be but as a man in a bringht Sunne shining daie will maliciouslie saie that the Sunne shineth nott But what doe I stande so long vpon so clere a place Yt ys time that the other that shall declare the faith of the latin Churche be produced who shall be Isidore This Isidore although he be not with in six hondreth yeares of Jsidorus cōmended Chryst yet he ys verie neare For he liued the yeare of our Lorde 626 I haue yet produced him to make vppe the coople with Euthymius both that he ys the eldest of the latin Church of them that remain and treact of the woordes of Chryst and also that he ys one that liued before anie controuersie