A DETECTION OF THE Deuils Sophistrie wherwith he robbeth the vnlearned people of the true byleef in the most blessed Sacrament of the aulter Timeo ne sicut serpens euam seduxit astutia sua ita corrumpantur sensus uestri excidant asimplicitate 2. Cor. 11. 1546. ¶ STEVEN Bisshoppe of Winchester to the reader COnsyder gentle reader how ful of iniquite this tyme is in whiche the hyghe mysterie of our religion is so opeÌ„ly assaulted Byleue not euery spirite and mystruste thyne owne iudgement aboue the reache of thy capacite If thou beest hungry for knowledge take hede thou fallest not on euery careyn Be desyrouse of the very truth and seke it as thou art ordered by the direction of Christes churche and not as deceytfull teachers wold leade the by theyr secrete waies Folow God and his mynisters whom he ordereth to rule and rather conforme knowlege to agre with obedience where goddes truthe repugnethe not vnto it then with violation of obedience which is a displeasaunt fault to enterprise the subuersion of goddes honoure and glory Finally reade wheÌ„ thou readest with fauour to that truth whiche the consent of Christes churche hath from the beginnynge commended vnto vs and reuerentlye at theyr handes receyue the true vnderstaÌ„dynge of scriptures whose true testimonie hath certified vs of the selfe same scriptures And haue alwaies in remembraunce the wordes of saint Iames howe God resisteth the presumptuouse and arrogant and geueth grace to suche as be in spirite meke and lowly whiche gyfte God graunte the and well to feare A DETECTION OF the Deuyls Sophistrie wherwith he robbeth y e vnlearned people of the true belefe in the moost blessed Sacrament of the aulter THe first chiefe and pryncypall poynt of deceyte and sophistry is to make euery maÌ„ thiÌ„ke of him selfe further then is in dede in him by this persuasioÌ„ that god graunteth true vnderstandinge and wisedome to euery man that wold haue it hath nede of it asketh it in his name whiche hathe suche an euydente truth in it as no man can dyrectly deny it and gainesay it for so god doth in dede yet not so as the vnlerned do take it thinketh it to be vnderstanded For albeit god giueth al knowlege to fede the soule as he giueth also all foode and nourriture to the corporall bodies and it is for both generally sayd Iacta super dominum curaÌ„ tuam et ipse te enutriet â–ª wherin god hath also to shew his omnipotency giueÌ„ sodenlye speche to them that could not speake as to Ieremy geuen the vnlerned sodenly knowlege to confound the great clerkes chaunged water into wine in a moment to make chere to gestes of the feast and multiplied by his blessing the fiue loues to the necessary releef of the hungry fed his people with manna in desert and geuen theÌ„ for releef out of the hard dry stone water Yet we may not hereof presume that god bycause he can alwaies therfore also he wil alwaies contynually worke new myracles and giue his giftes out of ordre and make heruest in February or children and rude ignorantes lerned before they go to scoole And in dede we myght aswel and better aske our bodely foode without our labour and sesonable time as aske the knowledge of lernynge to instructe the soule without tyme or â—ue endeuor wherwith to attayne the same It is goddes worke that we come by it when we come by it with our labour and teachynge of other for neque qui plantat est aliquid neque ê— rigat sed qui incrementum dat deus And we that in our Pater noster aske our daylye bread knowledge it to come of god when we haue it and yet no man bosteth him selfe to haue it by cause he hath asked it or loketh otherwise for it but by thapplyeng of his labour and industry thervnto which persuasion if these symple vnlerned had in the atteinynge of wisedome they wold mistrust their owne iudgement and thinke themself as they be vnlerned and with out longe exercise and diligent endeuor with a vessell mete and apte to receiue the same not thinke theÌ„ selfe to haue obteined that gifte of god ne be able for want therof to discusse of lerning This false persuasion of lerning wherewith the deuyll inueigleth the simple and ingendreth in them a pryde of conninge and vnderstandinge whiche they haue not is the foundacion roote wherupon is buylded and groweth false doctrine in the high misteryes of our religion specyally in the most blessed SacrameÌ„t of thaulter wherin diuerse haue of late peuersely reasoned vnlearnedly spoken w t such presuÌ„ptuouse pride intollerable arrogancy as declare plainly the same to procede of the spirite of the deuyl ful of errours lyes blyndenes ignoraunce by reason wherof they stuÌ„ble in the playne way can not see in the mydde day For what can be more euidently spoken of the preseÌ„ce of Christes natural body and bloud in the most blessed sacrameÌ„t of the aulter theÌ„ is in those wordes of scripture whiche our Sauioure Christ ones said and be infallible truth and styll sayth in consecration of this most holy Sacrament by the coÌ„mon ministre of y e church This is my body But againste this truth the deuyll striueth and fyghteth by his ministers lewde apostles with sophistical deuyses wherwith he troubleth the grosse imaginacioÌ„s of the symple people And hauynge ones enchaunted the rude wyttes with this charme of presuÌ„ptuouse knowledge wherof I spake before wherby the ignorauÌ„t waxeth so arrogaÌ„t as he maketh himself able to iudge and discerne betwene playnnes and craft bytwene reason and sophisticacion betwene argument and argument exposition and expositioÌ„ suche as be thus ouerthrowen in their iudgement and so blynded in themselfe the deuyll easely entangleth and byndeth fast to him with carnall reasons deceitfull expositions crooked argumentes and counterfet coÌ„tradictioÌ„s and therby leadeth them away captiue and thralde from the true catholtque byleefe in this moost holye sacramente which sophystry and deceptes be diuersely tempered after these sortes AND FYRST to the carnall man the deuyll bringeth carnall reasons and for conformation and proufe of them calleth to witnes the carnall senses both of the bodye and soule And streyght thyne eye sayeth there is but bread and wyne Thy tast saith the same Thy felinge and smellynge agre fully with them Herevnto is added the carnall mans vnderstandyng whiche bycause it taketh the begynning of the senses procedeth in reasoning sensually And as the Epicures dyd concludeth that y e senses togither can not be deceyued wherevpon also the Epicurians saide the sonne was but two fote brode because theyr eye iudged it to be no bygger And from this they wolde not be brought but remayned as ferme in that foly as some heretiques do in this mischeuous deuellysh misbeleefe against the moost blessed Sacrament of the aulter Wherefore all suche as ground their errour agaynst
beleef good christeÌ„ men taugh by the spyrite of god haue not receyued for it can not be maynteyued of Christes wordes who spake playnely This is my body makynge demonstratioÌ„ of the bread when he sayd This is my body by the myghte of whiche wordes of Christe that was demonstrate by the demonstratioÌ„ this which was the bread was altered and chaunged into his body wherby the substaunce of bread was conuerted in to the substaunce of his moste preciouse body wherin was declared Christes meruelouse power wherof Theophilus speaketh in this wyse Our lorde condescendynge to oure infirmitie altered not the fourme of bread and wyne but coÌ„serueth them turneth the bread and wyue into y e truth of his fleshe and bloude and this is the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of Christes speach whiche and yf we vnderstande so as the breade shuld remayne then folowe many absurdyties and chiefely that Chryste hath taken the nature of bread as he toke the nature of man and so ioyned it to his substaunce And then as we haue God verely incarnate for our redemption so shulde we haue God impanate and then shuld we haue in Christe besydes the diuine essence two other substauÌ„ces absque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be compelled to fayne to the truthe that christen eares abhorre to the subuersion of the same as we haue seen amonge other come to passe Wherfore as the truthe whiche the churche hath and dothe playnly and syncerely teache is moost certeyne and sure grounded vppon the playne wordes of oure Sauyoure Christe in the moost blessed sacrament so euery christen man shulde receyue it and beleue it fyrmely without wauerynge or diuisyng any addition to the same Let men forsake theyr carnal erthlye senses and the wycked kynred of malicious seducers get the out thense good reader and resorte to the company of true faythful men and knowledge with them the reuelation in the moste blessed Sacrament of the presence of the naturall bodye and bloude of oure sauyour Iesu Christ whiche caro et sanguis can not declare but onlye Pater noster qui est in coelis who hath declared it and taughte it oure mother the churche ANother point of the deuelish sophistrie is betwene y e wordes and meanyng wherein the deuyl shyfteth y e matter thus Where the wordes of scrypture be playne euydente manyfeste and confyrme the catholique truth there the deuyll deuyseth an other meanynge and aduertiseth his scholers that the wordes be nothynge withoute the meanynge and therfore sayth he we must vnderstande Chrystes wordes as he ment them and therfore saith the deuyl beware of the wordes and take hede of the meanyng Christ sayth the deuyl sayd This is my body but take hede sayth sathan what Christ ment O abhominable Sathan full falsely doest thou meane O good christen faythful man marke thou this sophistrye For it is in dede a true lesson that the very worde of god is the true meanynge of scripture and who hath that true meanyng which is not taughe by maÌ„s wyt and deuyse of vnderstanding but by declaration from god reueled to the churche he hath goddes wordes to hys comforte and consolation and who hath the wordes of scripture peruersely taken is therwith infected and poysened to his coÌ„fusion as the Arrians Sabellyans and an infinite numbre of heretikes haue ben So as it must nedes be grauÌ„ted that in the meaning of scripture is the marie the carnel the swetnes y e fode the hony of scripture without whiche the wordes be a bytter shale and an harde bone without foode or sustenaunce This must nedes be confessed of all men as an euident truthe whiche the deuyll abuseth by cauyllacion and sophistrie to ouerturne the truthe in the moost blessed sacrament of thaulter For openynge of which sophistrie it is to be consydered that somtyme in scripture the wordes be so placed and ordered as the meanyng is vttered and opened with the wordes at ones and hath such lyght of the wordes as they appere bothe togyther and without further serche be streyght coÌ„ueyed to our vnderstandynge Somtyme agayne the wordes be such or so vsed and placed as they brynge not theyr meanynge streyght with them in the same lyght but more darkely and as it were hydden vnder the wordes Nowe in the fyrste sorte of wordes whiche brynge theyr sense with them yf we shuld in them cal for a meanyng And when we rede Humiliauit semetipsum dominus noste lesus Christus factus obediens vsque ad mortem Our lorde Iesus Christe hath humbled hym selfe beynge obedyent to the deth we shulde call for a meanyng and saye we muste vnderstande these wordes as sayncte Paule mente them Can we meane any thynge by callynge soo for a meanynge but to calle the certayne meanynge quam aenigma sit loeÌ„m Heliam esse intellectu opus ad intelligendum inquit Qui habet aures ad audiendù audiat Ita inducens eos vt interrogent ac discant Whiche wordes in latin be in englysh this sentence And yf ye wyll receyue it he is Helias whiche shulde haue coÌ„me If ye wyll sayth Theoph. receyue it that is to saye iudge it ryghtly and not with an enuiouse mynde he is Helias whom the prophet Malachie sayd shulde come For saincte IohnÌ„ that came before Christ and Helias haue ben bothe allotted to one office The one to go before y e fyrst comyng of christ and the other before the laste commynge And then shewynge howe this was a darke speache y t IohnÌ„ was Helias conteyned a secrete vnderstandynge in it and requyred therfore another sense to be perceyued sayd He that hath eares of hearynge let hym heare so inducyng them to aske learne Thus saith Theophilacte by whome we be learned of the circumstance to note the meanyng if it be hydden and so not onely the wordes to be noted in theyr common sense but the meanyng to be asked and learned which lesson neglected as the deuyll medleth with such as marketh it not engendreth in y e knowledge of truth a greate perplexite wherof the deuyl taketh opportunite to inueigle them and somtyme preacheth somtyme writeth to the vnlearned on this wyse Christes wordes be true when he sayde This is my body but as he mente them For so he sayde he was a waye he was a vyne he was a doore but he was not a naturall vyne he was no such way as men walke in no such doore as men coÌ„monly entre into but only a resemblaunce of all these bycause he is our waye to heauen oure doore to entre in to lyfe our vynestocke in whome we as braunches be nouryshed kepte in lyfe And so lyke wyse ê™ the deuyll when Christe saith This is my body he meaneth that it is onely a resemblaunce a figure a tokeÌ„ a signe of his body which semeth a stronge argumeÌ„t to suche as haue not theyr senses exercised as s Paule saith to discerne good euyll that is to saye truthe from
his ascention that is to saye to speake to vs and companie with vs as he dyd with his apostelles and disciples or to be felte of vs as he was of saynte Thomas to the satisfaction of oure bodely senses whiche absence of Christe in conuersation repugneth not to y e truth of our catholyke faith whiche is that christ presenteth and exhibiteth vnto vs his natural body and bloud in the sacrament of thaulter For the diuersyte in the maner of beynges present taketh away the coÌ„trarietâ— that shulde seme in the matter Now as touchyng the myscoÌ„struynge wronge takynge and somtyme false bearing in hand of that the good holy fathers of Christes churche haue written of the most blessed sacrament oâ— thaulter First I shall saye this that howe so euer the same holy doctours do agre in the most certeyne truth of our beleef moche labour hath ben taken to pâ—ke out wordes and sentences and disâ—eueryng them out of theyr places by cyrcuÌ„stauÌ„ce wherof they had theyr true vnderstandynge to make them sound to such as wold haue it so to the coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of their vntrue and false doctrine in this most blessed sacrament And lyke as suche as labour to coÌ„found the truth be the chyldren of darkenes So in the scriptures and doctours also they resorte to serche the truth iÌ„ obscure darke places where they maye haue opportunite to iuggle and deceiue the symple reader For where the doctors speake playnly against theyr falsehead they fare as though they knewe not y t place or had not redde it and then resorte to an other place not so open and playne and there fall to coÌ„iectures and constructions of theyr owne and labour in exposition of those obscure places as thoughe they could there more certeynly declare the mynde of the doctours to conferme theyr lyes then the doctours theÌ„ self do in another place of theyr owne workes where they playnly openly manifestly and without ambiguite declare them selfe to agre with the truth And where as the truth grounded in scriptures and opened more clerely by holy writers hath ben in Christes churche â–ª after discussion and triall sette forth in a holsome fashion and coÌ„uenient ordre of wordes whiche wordes the true meanyng and vnderstandyng purged from all ambiguities whiche mans busy witte hath also in holy wordes engendred to thintent as we beleue one truth we myghte also in wordes speache vniformely agree in the same truthe Suche as labour to breake this godly agremeÌ„t in harte and tonge they neuer ceasse tyll by speache they maye brynge the truth agayne in a corner and with pretence they meane well speake symply without obseruation euen as they haue redde forsoth in that holye man for example in dede a holy martyr saint Cipriane for hym they alledge Whiche sainte Cyprians speche as it was by hym deuoutly vttered not disagreyng from the truth so is it by these men maliciously brought forth wherby to interrupte the consente truely agreed on bothe in the speache and vnderstandyng I wyll somwhat speake of this one speach of saynte CypriaÌ„ particularly wherby thou mayest esteme good reader the deuyls sophystrie in handelyng of y e reste We beleue truely as the catholyke church teacheth that there remayneth no substaunce of bread in the sacrament of thaulter but y e onely substaunce of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe And yet sainte Cyprian speakynge deuoutly of the food and nourriture whiche good Christen men receyue in the communion of this mooste holy Sacrament whereby the body and soule be conioyned with Christe vseth the worde Panis and calleth y e blessed sacramente sacramentaleÌ„ panem whiche wordes be not perfitely expressed in englysh if in traÌ„slatioÌ„ it were termed sacrameÌ„tal bread as malicious fayned simplicitie pretendeth but rather sacrameÌ„tal fode for Panis in latyn is a general word signifieth not only bread wherew t meÌ„ be fed but also al other nourriture wherw t man is susteined which the word bread doth not in englysh but soundeth to vs a name of special nourriture foode made of corne Now if any man shall vnder pretence of symple playne speache cal always that breade in english which he findeth in laten called panis he myghte of well wheresoeuer he founde sella in latyn call it in englysh a saddell and then in translatinge some places oute of latyn into englyshe he shuld somtime set sodenly on horsebacke in englysh him that he redde in latyn sitting in a seat on y e grouÌ„d Herin the ignoraunt that perceiue not this wyll saye I vse sophistrye but I open the deuyls sophistrye herein wherwith he doth abuse the people in speache and entangle them so in it as they for want of other knowlege can not wade out therfore alloweth him that wheÌ„ he readeth in saint Cypryan y e sacramente of the aulter called sacrameÌ„talem panem calleth it in englisshe sacramentall bread And here he spurneth and wyll ye make me beleue sayth he that panis signifieth not breade then for confirmacion adde this Say we not in oure Pater noster PaneÌ„ nostruÌ„ quotidianem da nobis hodie whiche is translate in englisshe Gyue vs to day our dayly breade And in dede if I wolde replye throughly herevnto I muste saye more then it were necessarie now to entreate yet I may not passe it all ouer For I muste saye that panis in our Pater noster signified not only bread but all foode bothe for the body soule and is so well knowen by the exposition that in thenglysh when it is translate bread we may easely conceyue by a parte the reste and by signification of some parte the hole But where as there is an extour spredde by the deuyll abrode against Christes myracle in consecration of his moost preciouse body in the sacrament of the aulter â–ª whiche errour is that there shulde after y e consecracioÌ„ remaine bread in this time of errour to translate in euery place the word panis that signifieth in some place foode into the english worde bread can that be without a maliciouse purpose to aduaunce the deuilles enterprise with his sophistrie cloked vnder pretence of plaines After whiche sorte of outwarde simplicite wherwith to cloke malice Some when they shulde speake of the blessed sacrament with the catholike churche confesse the truth therin plainly openly then they say they will speake as saint Paule spake his wordes they wyl vse whiche were writteÌ„ by the holy ghost and for so muche they say true and herewith they wyll aske disdainefully whyther any man wyll correcte saynte Pauls teachinge as though there were any suche sacrilege intended against gods scripture where in dede this is onely desyred and necessary in Christes church that one shulde vnderstand another al coÌ„ceiue one true meaning of S. Paul whose moste holy true wordes diuers as s Peter sayth haue for y e hardnes of theÌ„ peruerslye vnderstanded them for the exchewynge whereof it
immaculatus vnus I do euery day sayd saint Andrewe sacrifice to God almyghty whiche is the true and one god not the smoke of incense not the flesshe of lowing bulles not the bloude of gootes but I sacrifice dayly in the aulter of the crosse the lambe withoute spotte whose flesshe after all the faythfull people haue eaten it and droncke the bloude of it the lambe that is sacrificed contynueth hole and on lyue And all be it this laÌ„be is verely sacrificed and the fleshe of it verelye eaten of the people and the bloude of it verelye drunken yet as I sayde it remaynethe hole without spotte and styll on liue These be the wordes of the holye Apostle and martyr sainte Andrewe who knewe the truth of that is written by the euangelystes before the Euangelyes were wrytten and he knewe it taughte of our sauiour Christe and speakethe herein consonantlye to the wordes of scrypture and the faythe of the catholyque churche wherein yf thou wylte spurne because Saynte Andrew speaketh of daylye sacrifice and Sainte Paules true doctryne is that Christ was but ones sacrificed on the crosse then it was as saint Paule sayeth to the Hebrewes perfited for euer beynge a hole and sufficient sacryfice for all the synnes of the world Thou doest herein reherse a true sayeng of saynt Paule suche as all the worlde must confesse For the sacrifice of Christe is eternall and is one perfyte consummate suffycient auayleable sacrifice and nedeth no repetitioÌ„ or iteracion for the more validitie of it And yet this truth is nothing touched or preiudicate with y e dayly sacrifice of Christ in the aulter whiche to him y t beleueth is easely declared to hym that will wraÌ„gle against all truthe is in vayne entreated of and as Hylarius sayth Non est humano aut seculi sensu in rebus dei loquenduÌ„ Godly matters shulde not be commened of after carnall vnderstandynge â–ª But as saynte Andrewe spake so y e church doth practyse it For Chryste is daylye offered and sacryficed on the aulter If thou askest by what auctorytie it may be aunswered by thauctorytie of Chrystes word who said Hoc facite Do this and saynte Paule as Damascene noteth it sheweth howe longe in the wordes donec ueniat tyl he come hath from the beginning taught his church so to vnderstande hym â–ª If thou askest howe can ones manye tymes stande togyther This howe declareth yf if it be contencyous thou doest not yet beleue but arte in mystruste of the churche that teacheth the and if thou askest in humilitie Sainte Chrysostome in expoundinge that place of s Paule to the Hebrewes where he ones offeringe is spoken of openeth and dyscussethe thy doubte as foloweth Nonne per singulos dies offerimus Offerimê° quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius Et una est haec hostia non multae Quomodo vna est non multae Et quia semel oblata est illa oblata est in sancta sanctorum hoc autem sacrificium exemplar est illius idipsum semper offerimus Nec nuÌ„c quidem alium agnum crastina aliuÌ„ sed semper idipsum Proinde unâ— est hoc sacrificium Aliquin hac ratione quoniaÌ„ in multis locis offertur multi Christi sunt NequaquaÌ„ sed unus vbique est Christus hîc plenus existens illic plenus unum corpus Sicut enim qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora ita etiam unum sacrificium PoÌ„tifex autem noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerrimus nunc quae tunc oblata est consumi non potest Hoc autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem quideÌ„ fit eius quod factuÌ„ est Hoc enim facite inquit in meaÌ„ coÌ„memorationeÌ„ NoÌ„ aliud sacrificiuÌ„ sicut pontifex sed idipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationem sacrificij operamur Sed quia sacrificij huius meÌ„tionem feci uoeo pauca ad vos dicere quae recor damini pauca quidem mensura magnam autem habentia virtuteÌ„ vrilitatem Non enim nostra suÌ„t sed diuini spiritus quae dicuntur Quae ergo sunt Plurimi ex hoc sacrificio semel accipiunt in toto anno alij bis alij saepius Ad omnes ergo nobis sermo est non ad eos qui hîc suÌ„t tantum sed etiam ad eos qui in eremo sedent Illi enim semel in anno perticipantur fortassis enim post duos annos Quid ergo est Quos magis acceptamus Eos ne qui semel an eos qui saepius an illos qui rarò accipiuÌ„t Neque illos qui semel neque qui saepius neque qui rarò sed eos qui cum munda coÌ„scientia qui cum mundo corde cum uita irreprehensibili istùc semper accedunt Qui verò tales noÌ„ sunt neque semel Quid ita quia iuditium sibi accipiunt damnationem supplicium Et noÌ„ mireris Sicut enim cibê° naturaliter nutritorius extans si in eum qui prauis cibis corruptus est incidat omnia perdit corruÌ„pit efficitur occasio morbi sic etiam ista quae ad haec terribilia pertinent sacramenta Frueris mensa spiritali mensa regali iterum polluis coeno os tuum perungis vnguento praecioso iterum foetoribus illud imples Dic mihi rogo post annum perceptionem participaris quadraginta dies putas tibi sufficere admundationem peccatorum totius temporis iterum septimana transeunte trades teipsum scrdibê° primis Dic enim mihi si saluus factê° quadraginta diebus ab egritudine longa iterum te illis morbificatoribus cibis tradas nonne primum laborem perdes Si enim naturalia sic mutantur quanto amplius uoluntaria Vt puta ueluti quid dico Naturaliter uidemus sanos habemus oculos secundum naturam sed aliquando ex mala quadam affectione leditur noster obtutus Si igitur naturalia mutantur quanto amplius quae ad voluntatem pertinent Quadraginta dies tantum tribuis saluti animae tuae arbitror autem quia neê° quadraginta dies speras propitiari deum locaris magis I wyl traÌ„slate al this place for it maye edifie the reder in this other matter Do we not saith s Chrisostome offer daylye We do in dede offer but in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his death And it is one sacrifice not many Howe is it one and not many For being ones offered it is theÌ„ preseÌ„ted in y e inward most holy place wherof this our sacrifice is a represeÌ„tacioÌ„ so as we offer alway the same not one lambe now another at another tyme but at all tymes y e same So as it is but one sacrifice or els by the same reasoÌ„ bycause christ is offred in many places we myght saye there were many Christes whiche is
immortalite when they haue sene a sycke man receiue the sacrameÌ„t not a quarter of an houre before his natural deth as though in that man the host consecrate wherein the body of Christ in present shulde with goddes iniury moulde or corrupt wast and consume And yet these right vses of the most blessed sacrament coÌ„teyne as straunge matter to mans seÌ„ses and carnall iudgement as do the leude and blasphemouse tales deuised and tolde wherby to inueigle mens vnderstaÌ„dynges and spoyle them of their true byleef And yet also these breakinges and vses of the moost blessed sacrament were neuer hyddeÌ„ in the churche ne kept secrete as thoughe the true belefe shulde therby decay or be diminished The churche hath not forborne to preache the truthe to the confusion of mans senses and vnderstanding whervnto men faithfull and obedient haue yelded acknowleginge gods omnipotency which mans reasoÌ„ can not matche The true churche hath taughte plainly and teacheth that by the omnipotencie of gods worde the substaunce of bred is conuerted to the substaunce of Christes natural bodye whiche is there then by his myghty power not by mutacyon of place by leauynge of heauen where he is euer present but by his infinite power wherby he can do all and of a specyal fauour to wardes vs worketh continually in his churche this mysterye and miracle and in forme of bread and wyne exhibiteth and presenteth himself to be eaten drunken of vs So as there is in the sacrameÌ„t of thaulter none other substaunce but the substaunce of the body and bloud of our sauiour christe yet remayneth the fourme and accidentes of bread and wyne not altered by this myracle froÌ„ knowledge of the senses wherwith they were before known also by gods sufferaunce subiecte to the same passibilite they were in before And yet here in this mystery and myracle wrought by gods power we acknowledge y t contrary to the comeÌ„ ordre of nature the substaunce of bred beyng conuerted into the naturall bodely substauÌ„ce of our sauiour Christ the other accideÌ„tes of bred wyne as quantities qualities remayne stil without iniury of Christes most preciouse body be as we dayly se altered broken and remayniÌ„g abyding without theyr owne fourmer substaÌ„ce of the creatures of bred wine whervnto they were by nature adioyned do now seruice theyr creatoure there present the very substauÌ„ce of all substaunces vnder which accidentes that is to say as we truely speake vnder fourme of bred and wine the naturall body receyued of vs iÌ„ the sacrameÌ„t of thaulter who so ordred himselfe to be eaten and dronken of vs in his last supper whiche continueth styll tyll the worldes ende with a perpetuall continuaunce also of the meruelouse workynge of the same festemaker presence of the same most preciouse meate Christe him selfe cum ipse sit coÌ„uiua conuiuiuÌ„ wher w t he coÌ„tinually fedeth such as come vnto hym in his churche which church according to his commaundement by special mynisters deputed thervnto vseth and exerciseth the same fest in the most holy masse where vnto good christen meÌ„haue daily accesse which most holy feste when men abuse as the Corynthians dyd it is their condemnation and can be nothyng preuidiciall or daungerouse to good mennes true beleef Suche I saye as haue their faith established vpon the true teachyng of the church that after the wordes of consecration the substaunce of bread is turned into the substaunce of the natural body and bloude of our Sauiour Christe Against which teachyng good men kicke not with howes and whattes for that is a token of incredulite if the chauÌ„cell were with fyre sodenly burned as hath happened by diuerse chaunces they thinke not christ that is god immortall there killed because he was there in the hoste after consecracion or forbeare anye whyt lesse to worshyp christ whom with theyr eyes of faith they se present in the sacrament of thaulter because their bodely syght perceyueth not any visible alteracion of the host before the consecracion after fynally such good meÌ„ beleue most stedfastly without sclaunder of theyr senies that the breakynge of the most blessed sacrament by the ministre in the masse doth no violacioÌ„ to christes most precious body there present â—e breaketh the most precyouse body whiche is impassible but only the fourme of bread vnder whiche it is coÌ„teyned and that the same most precyouse bodye is after hooly in eche of the partes of the host broken without any encrease in nuÌ„ber as thoughe there were theÌ„ many christes preseÌ„t but alwayes one christ the same christ But y e deuyl taketh his oportunite of mans carnall lyuynge whiles the bely hath the vpperhaÌ„d among a great many of the world by reason wher of the senses be had in estimation sturreth vp this abhominable heresy against the most blessed sacrament of the aulter vpon the senses maketh the chyefe groundes wherby now that afore was passed ouer in sylence when mennes senses were brought in obedience with true byleef is questioned and enquyred of as a newe matter And nowe men be asked how a mouse can eate god howe god can corrupt and waxe mo uld how god can be broken in pâ—eces which be fondly framed questioÌ„s And to y e great prouocatioÌ„ of gods hygh indignation blasphemously vttered Answer me then saith the deuyll by his apostels wherunto a true aunswere is this and the simplicitie required in a christeÌ„ maÌ„ sufficient Beleue that a mouse can not deuour god byleue that god can not corrupt Beleue that god can not be broken now after he is ones riseÌ„ and beleue also therwith that Christ god and man is naturally presente in the sacrament of thaulter For so Christe saith So the church of god teacheth So we be bounde to byleue If thou beest further taughte of the deuyll to replye y t if there remayne in y e host no substaunce but the substaunce of the body and bloude of Christ it must nedes be then that the same corrupteth or elles when goth it awaye or where haue ye scripture to declare the going away and departyng of Christ from the hoost And if Christ departe then is there no substaunce remayning where is no substaunce is nothynge And so thou wylte saye as the deuell lerueth the that by this teaching we shall haue nothynge somwhat And in dede the deuyl hath taught the to speake somewhat that is in effecte nothynge or worse then nothynge wherunto if men in these dayes can not aunswer probablye as I doubt not a great number can and yet in this tyme the world is rather occupied in garnyshynge the tonge with wordes theÌ„ to entre the further consyderatioÌ„ of iÌ„tricate sophistication wherby to be able to refell the same Shall the true faith of the churche in this hyghe mystery perish in the by the deuyls secrete tentation bycause I or such other can not aunswer thy sophisticall argument
must procede where that faylâ—th the reste is hypocrysye But els y t the body shuld not folowe and obey the soule and be affected as y e soule is and with outward semely gesture represente the same that we myght not say as Dauyd dyd Cor meum caro mea exultauerunt in deum viuum My harte my flesh hath reioysed in the lyuinge god there is no such scripture but Christes hauoure in y e tyme of his prayeng teacheth the contrary for he fell downe on his face and praied And the publicane commended in the gospell knocked on his breste and prayed And in this auctor thou seest an exhortacion for men to laye their handes on crosse And good men haue taken greate comforte in the signe of the crosse wherewith they haue blessed them selfe and haue bene glad to receaue the blessinge of other with the token of the crosse â–ª And therevpon Tertullian in his worke De resurrectione carnis saith Caro signatur vt anima muniatur The flesshe is marked that the soule may be defended But to returne to my purpose to note vnto y e that is notable in Damascene in the letter C. to theÌ„ that aske and humbly question how these misteries be wrought lyke auÌ„swer may be made as Gabriell made vnto our Lady by occasioÌ„ wherof thou mayest marke two sortes of questions wherof one proceding of pride arrogancie doubtfulnes and mystruste declareth incredulitie such as the Capharnaites made when they said How can this man gyue vs his fleshe to eate And another in mekenesse and humilite with desyre of so moche knowlege only as the secrecie of y e thinge permitteth wherin y e hole is remytted to goddes power and omnipotencie â–ª with which our Lady contented herself sayde Ecce anâ—illa dnÌ„i fiat mihi secunduÌ„ verbuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Lo the handmayd of our lord be it to me according to thy word which was goddes worde by the omnipotencie of which wheÌ„ we se how many thiÌ„ges aboue mans capacitie haue bene wrought why shulde it not suffice to stay men from further arguing and reasonynge in the most blessed sacrament of the aulter Another thing thou maiest marke in the letter D y t this auctor testifieth howe Christ made the breade and wyne with water his body bloud wherby thou maist perceiue how it hath ben taughte in the churche constaÌ„tlye that after the consecration the substaunce of bread remaineth not and yet it is called breade for it is called that it was as I shal speake hereafter And albeit when thauthor alludeth to the cole sene by Esaye as thou mayest se in the letter K. he maketh thys resemblaunce that as the cole is not wood alone but wood with fyre so the foode of communion whiche is in latin panis communionis and in greake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath y e dietie adioined vnto it thou maiest perceiue by that streight foloweth howe he vsed the worde Panis to signifye the body and flesshe of Christ wherâ—vnto the deitie is annexed whiche body and flesshe is the substaunce of the nourriture in this holy meat accordynge as Christe sayde Panis quem ego dabo vobis caro mea est and Caro mea vere est cibus whiche flesshe hauyng the godhed annexed vnto it is of two partes as the cole is and remayneth two natures and so is a dubble meate â–ª to fede the body and soule of man whiche be lykewise two partes of man And when he sayde in the letter D. the breade hath the deitie annexed vnto it he signifieth the body and flesshe of Christ into which by goddes omnipotency the bread is conuerted as thou mayest plainly see declared by hym in the place where thou fyndeste the letter F. and the sentence before in whiche he speaketh so playnely and openly as can not be desyred more euydence for the matter I can not pretermytte also to note vnto the this that maye serue for a lesson to such as be captiouse of wordes and by the outwarde apparaunce of them note contradictions thou shalte fynde in the letter M. that the sacrameÌ„t is two and not one and in the letter F. one and not two which be no contraries Fyrste in that place where he sayth they be not two is signified that there is not two substaunces of the breade and the body of Christ but onely of Chrystes substaunce Againe there be not two bodyes of Christe one in heauen anothere in the sacrament for as he saythe after in the letter E. the body of Christ descended not but as we truely beleue in the article of our Crede he sytteth on the ryghte hande of the father and theÌ„ yf thou askest how can it be so the aunswere is goddes worde is omnipotent the maner inscrutable In the other place where he saith the sacrament is two dubble as in the letter F there he declarethe him self that he speaketh of two natures the humanitie the godhed Thou maiest note also that albeit in one place he sayeth Christes body is verely in the sacrameÌ„t it is not a figure yet in the latter parte he sheweth how it may be called a figure not so but there is the very body of christ but y t it is in y e sacrament a pledge of the glory to come and his feadinge vs here a fygure of that feadynge we shall haue in heauen whiche in the thinge is all one for Chryste is the feaste here and there but the maner differeth For then we shall haue full fruytyon by knowledge and contemplacion in the steade of oure faythe and hope wherby we receaue frutefully Christes feadyng here Thou maieste note also in the letter O. howe afraied he was to be mystaken bycause he spake of the generacion of the spirite whereof Christes flesshe was conceiued leste he shulde be sene to agree w t the Marcionistes and deny Christes naturall bodye So captious haue noughtye men euer ben that study to make of truthe matter of contentioÌ„ In the letter N. thou shalte se the carnal reasons aunswered in fewe wordes with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greake whiche sygnyfyeth a detestacyon of the speache before as we speake wyth one syllable in englyshe fye And fye worse on theÌ„ that so say and amend not And of the coÌ„pany of suche he amonisheth all to beware in thende and note his reason whye with that also saynt Paule alleged of the ethnike author Corrumpunt bonos mores colloquia praua Euyll talke corrupteth good maners I wryte now to the multitude in whiche be manye to whom I neaded not to haue made these notes onlesse I wolde for formalitie gather notes as lawiers do in their lessons but yet I take my selfe suche pleasure in redynge of the author in thys place who so lyuely godly setteth forth this matter and so fully aunswereth al thwartinges to the contrary that I my selfe delyte to tary in him and wolde haue the reader do the lyke For
sine ipso potare non possumus quotidiè in sacrificijs eius de genimine uitis uerae uineae So rec quae interpretatur electa rubentia musta calcamus nouum ex hijs uinum bibimus de regno patris nequaque in uetustate litterae sed in nouitate spiritus cantantes canticum nouum quod nemo potest cantare nisi in regno ecclesiae quod regnum patris est Lette vs here this that the breade which our Lorde brake and gaue to hys disciples is the bodye of our lorde our Sauyoure he hym selfe sayenge vnto them Take ye and eate this is my body And the cuppe is that whereof he spake agayne Drynke of this all This is my bloude of the nevve testamente vvhiche shall be shedde for many This is the cup of whiche we rede in the prophete I shall take the cup of the sauyour And in another place How excellent is thy cuppe that is so plentifully filled If theÌ„ the body of our lorde be the breade that descended from heauen and the wine that he gaue his disciples is his bloude of the newe testameÌ„t whyche is shedde for manye in remyssyon of synnes lette vs putte awaye the Iewes fables and lette vs ascende wyth oure lorde into the greate chaumber strowed and clensed and lette vs take of hym alofte the cuppe of the newe testamente and kepynge our Easter let vs with him be made drunke with the wine of sobernes For the kyng dome of God is not meate and drinke but iustice ioy and peace in the holy ghost Nor Moses dyd not giue vs y e true foode but our lorde Iesus him selfe beynge the geste feast it selfe him selfe that dyd eate is eaten His bloude we drynke and withoute him can not drynke dayly in his sacrifices we presse out redde muste newe wyne of the grape of y e true vyne tree the vyne of Sorec whiche is interpretate chosen and hereof we drinke newe wine of the kyngdom of the father not in the oldenesse of the lettre but in the newenes of spirite syngyng the newe songe that no man can synge but in the kingedome of the church which is the kingdome of the father Nowe ye haue herde s Iheromes wordes full of mysteries but so to the pointe to testify the misterie of the sacrament of thaulter as the more coulde not be desired for our instruccion in the true vnderstandynge or rather a true Eccho of that is truely vnderstanded For the original truth procedeth of Christes wordes the true sound wherof redoundeth in good mens brestes being apte and mete to receyue the same so rendre the noyse as they receyued it frome the mountayne of truthe oure sauiour Chryst by y e holye ghoste taughte vttered spredde abrode by whom good men be ledde into all truthe lyke as euyll men by the deuyll his aungelles be ledde into all falsehed and lyes Of whome beware and regarde not Ioye Bale Turnoure Frith whome theyr owne malyce with the deuylles suggestion hath subuerted Regard not what peruerse obstinacie worketh in refusinge god and resisting his powers of the worlde thexample whereof hathe latelye appeared in such as suffered who being ouercome with intollerable presumptiâ—â— on and disperate malyce obstinately continued in their peruersitie to thende openly The deuyl hath his wytnesse as s Austen saith and frowarde obstinacye in falseheade hath in the world counterfeted the constancie of martyrs as vyce with ypocrisy in many hath resembled vertue Therfore in Christes true martirs not the paynes onelye wherein they were tormented but therwith the cause wherefore they were persecuted was specially regarded For els as werynes of this lyfe hathe wrought among many a vehemeÌ„t desyre to be hence esteming no paines to achue their entente and therefore haue mooste cruelly deuysed theyr owne death many times letted haue wilfully coÌ„tinued in prosecutioÌ„ of the same so hath froward stubbernes mixte with vaineglory done the lyke as â—mong many in our tyme hath manifestlye appeared In whiche the Anabaptisâ—es and Sacramentaries haue with a deuelysh pertinacy mainteined their heresies whose wilfull death in obstinacie yf iâ— shulde serue for an argumente to proue y e truth of their opinion the truth of gods scriptures shuld be brought in muche perplexite and men drawen hither and thither as peruerse malyce shulde leade But god that is mercyfull suffreth not man to be tempted with these argumeÌ„tes more theÌ„ may be borne of mannes infirmitie And yf suche as lately suffered were seuerallye considered there maye appeare tokens sufficiente besides the condicion of the matter they suffred for to declare their zeale not to haue proceded of the spirite of god but of arrogaunt pryde and presumption the spirite of y e deuyl which is no tyme to speake on nowe but I shall adde what sainte Austine saith the readyng wherof is frutefull and leaue the remembraunce of these monstruouse proude people whose doynges be vnfruteful to them selfe and other S. Austen saith thus vpon the .xcviii. Psalm in thexposition of this text Et adâ—srate scabellum pedum eius quoniam sanctum est worshyp y e fotestole of his seat for it is holye Quid habemus adorare ScabelluÌ„ pedum eius SuppedaneuÌ„ dicitÌ„ scabellum quod dicuÌ„t graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixerunt Latini scabellum alij dixerunt suppedaneum Sed videte fratres quid nos iubeat adorare Alio loco scriptura dicit Coelum mihi sedes est terra autem scabellum peduÌ„ meorum Ergo terram iubet nos adorare quia dixit alio loco q sit scabellum pedum dei Et quomodo aborabimus terraÌ„ cuÌ„ dicat apertè scriptura Dominum deum tuum adorabis hîc dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Exponens autem mihi quid sit scabelluÌ„ pedum eius dicit Terra autem scabellum pedum meorum Anceps factus sum timeo adorare tertam ne damnet me qui fecit coeluÌ„ terram Rursum timeo non adorare scabellum pedum domini meiquia psalmus mihi dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Quaero quid sit scabellum pedum eius Et dicit mihi scriptura Terra scabellum pedum meorum FluctuaÌ„s conuerto me ad Christum quia ipsum quaero hîc inuenio quomo do sine impietate adoretur terra sine impietate adoretur scabellum pedum eius Suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem accepit Et quia in ipsa carne hîc ambulauit ipsam carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedit nemo autem illam carnem manduâ—cat nisi prius adorauerit inuentuâ— est quemadmodum adoretur talâ— scabellum pedum domini noÌ„ soâ—luÌ„ non peccemus adoraÌ„do sed peâ—cemus non adorando What haue we to worshyppe The stole of his feete for so we call that stayeth vnder the foote That the greakes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 the laten men call Scabellum But let vs see brethren what we be bydde to worshyppe In another place the scripture saieth Heauen is my seate and the earthe is the stoole of my feete Ergo then god byddeth vs to worshyppe the earth for he tolde in another place what was the stoole of his feete And how shall we worshyppe the earth seynge the scripture sayth euidentlye Thou shalt worshyppe thy lord God and here he sayeth Thou shalte worshyppe the stoole of his feete Expoundynge moreouer vnto me what is the stoole of his feete saith The earth is y e stole of my fete Here I am in a daubte I am afrayde to worshippe the earth least he shuld cōdemne me that made heauen earthe Againe I am afrayde not to worshippe the stole of my lordes feete because the Psalme sayethe vnto me ▪ Thou shalte worshyppe the stole of his feete I aske what is the stole of his feete and scripture telleth me The earth is sayth god the stole of my feete Beynge thus tossed to and fro I turne my selfe to Christ for hym I seke here and fynde howe without violatyon of goddes honoure the earthe maye be worshypped and so wythoute vyolacyon of goddes honoure the stoole of his feete maye be worshypped Chryste tooke of the earthe earthe for the flesshe is of the earth and he toke flesshe of the flesh of Marye and because in that flesshe he walked here and gaue the same flesshe to be eaten of vs for oure saluation no man agayne eateth that flessh but he fyrst worshyppeth it It is so founde out how the fotestole of our lorde shulde be worshypped and therwith also this that not only we shulde not synne in worshippynge of it but contrary wyse we shuld synne and we shuld not worshyp it Thus speaketh saint Austen of the Sacramente of thaulter thus speaketh he of the worshyppynge of it so plainely as the deuyll hath no poynt of sophistrye to iuggle in it but to saye sainte Austine was a man whiche is one of the general shyftes in an extremite an other that the worke if the place make against hym was not his it is named to be But this worke is saint Augustynes without any suspicion to the contrarie Mary a man I muste confesse he was and so were all tho I haue spoken of before whome I haue not brought to proue the truth of the natural bodye of Christ in the sacrament of thaulter For the few wordes of scripture spokē of christ him selfe when he sayde This is my body to good men proue that sufficiently and any other studied corroboration to good men neadeth not to euell obstinate men is superfluouse Accordyng whervnto saint Basyll instructed hys scolers with what feare faith and affection they shulde come to the holy cōmuniō He bad them lerne feare of saynt Paule sayenge to the Corynthyans He that eatethe vnworthelye eateth iudgemente and condemnatiou He bad them learne fayth of Chrystes wordes when he sayde Take ye and eate ye this is my body And as for deuotion and affection of mynde he bad them loke of the loue Christe bare to his churche And therfore I trauaile not herein to learne mē faith by authoritie of men but bycause I see what a companye they be that impugne oure true faithe with lyes and sophistrye I haue taken payne to reherse these that ye maye reade of another company that mainteyned the true faith with the truthe whiche were so no table clearkes so greate learned men so exercysed in scriptures soo rychelye endued with the specyall gyftes and graces of god as men shulde haue more comfort to kepe companye with them in the open lyghte of truth goddes high way then to lurke in darke corners or folowe the leadynge of suche as beynge blynde of the ryght eye for want of grace and learninge and more blynde on the lefte eye with malyce and enuye fall them selfe in the pitte of goddes indignacion and drawe other after them One thynge I wyll note whiche is worthye notynge that there hath not ben in any tyme any one Maister teacher or otherwise the deuylles stoute champion to impugne our true beleefe in the sacramente of the aulter openlye but he professed therwith some other opinion so euidentlye abhominable as he myght be knowen by that other lye to be sent from the deuyll And fyrste that we reade of be the Maniches whose detestable opinion is vniuersallye abhorred Second the Messalyans who sayde the sacrament dydde neither good nor hurte muche like Fryth who after all his conflicte wold gladly haue come to thys neyther to graunte the sacramente nor denie it Now these Messalyans professed thys for truth also that it was an euyll thinge to laboure with their handes and gaue them selfe onely to sleape and called their visions in there dreames prophecies and pretended to be saued by onely prayer as Luther affirmeth by only faith Were not these men marked on both sydes trowe ye to be knowen for noughte Wyclefe denied the Sacrament of thaulter and on y e other syde affirmed all thynges to come to passe by mere and absolute necessitye with whiche opinion all suche be infecte at this day as impugne the sacramente And is not that an euident marke that god hath suffered them to fall in reprobum sensum so as they speake they wote not what speciallye when they waxe angrye as some do that men wyll not folowe them when by their opynyon the same necessytie that maketh them to speake so angerly maketh other also if they so do and it be as they saye by y e same necessitie to laugh them to skorne And further if absolute necessite reigned ouer man then shulde a thefe or a murderer be as muche made of and commēded for playenge his parte accordinge to his place of necessitie as he that liueth soberlye For bothe worke by necessite And if they wil by this opinion resemble god to y e directour of a playe as they do in dede appoyntynge euery man a parte to playe as lyketh him then because to lyue viciously and abhominably is more troublouse fuller of vexacion and the busier part then to liue wel vertuously whiche hath lesse care in dede because he hathe a busier parte appointed him that is necessitate to liue euil then he that is necessitate to lyue well the same playenge his part aptely as he can not do otherwise ledde by necessitie shoulde in that rule be more rewarded then he that lyueth well if any thynge myght be called wel And if there were any difference betwene vyce and vertue vice shoulde be preferred vertue and more rewarded becaue it is the more laborouse part to playe and so shulde all be ouerthrowen as in deede all shall be where the holy sacramēt of thaulter is neglected Whervnto suche other opinions suche malice such enuy such hatred is ioyned as worketh in it selfe the subuersion of al. Wherof god giueth euident markes and tokens yf
men neglecte them not and the deuyll shewethe him selfe so openlye as al maye se him that be not wilfully blynde And muche more euidentlye the same shall appeare vnto you by consideracion of these good vertuouse holy mens writinges in this matter whiche I haue reherced myndinge to be shorte passe ouer the great number that is to saye in this place al that syns these Myeres haue ben teachers and written for the edificacion of Christes churche besides a great manye of them that wrote before THyrdely let vs consider how the deuyl tosseth the wordes and first theword sacrament wherby he wolde it semed that by that name it was euer mente that it is onely a signe and tokeÌ„ of an inuisible grace and in as muche as it is a signe it is not the thing it self as the churche teachethe For a signe and a thinge whereof the signe is muste neades differre Wherevnto â–ª I saye that the worde Sacramente as manye other wordes in speache haue the like hath thre significations to oure vnderstandynge One moste general in whiche it signifieth any secrete hidden thyng without difference whither the same hydden thing be holy or no. And after that acceptioÌ„ it is applyed to many secrete matters and misteries both godly natural Another acceptioÌ„ is specyal is restrained to signifi the seuen special holy misteryes in our religion which we cal and be the .vii. sacramentes vnto whiche y e name sacrament is in the comen speache onelye applyed whervnto this diffinitioÌ„ is truely attribute a sacramente to be a visible signe of an inuisible grace Another acception is in a most special signification wheÌ„ we speake of the sacrament of the aulter whych doth vs vnderstande a specyall difference of excellencye from the other sacramentes as wherein is present the plentye of all grace and the purchacer of all grace receyued in the other sacramentes Chryste hym selfe Whereof when men be thus lerned and taughte and the thing so set forth truely as it is in dede it is then mere sophistrie to resort to disputacion of the word wherwith to ouerthrowe the truth of the thynge After whiche sorte they daly also that make foundacion of argument to proue y e substauÌ„ce of bread to remaine in the mooste blessed Sacrament bicause S. Paule calleth y e sacrament breade and yet in dede saynt Paul calleth it this breade whiche importeth a speciall vnderstandinge and to suche as truely beleue the myracle of christes coÌ„secration of his most preciouse bodye turnynge by the omnipotency of his myghty word the substaunce of breade into the substaunce of his naturall bodye to suche men of true belefe y e thing remayneth as it is ne is in their conscience altered with expression of y e name of that it was And that whiche before the consecration was commen breade with the naturall substaunce of bread is now by goddes speciall myracle in his secrete operation omnipotent the onelye substaunce of the bodye of our sauyoure Christe And so maye be called with an addition wherewith to marke the mistery this breade But whye shulde the name trauayle vs when we rede so ofte in scripture thinges to be named not as they be but as they were and the rod turned in to a serpent by gods miracle before Pharao styl to be called a rodde when it was a serpent but the rodde was conuerted by gods power into the serpent and styll called it a rodde when it was not so But why should men be so scrupulouse in names After god had signified to the patriarche Iacob that he shulde be called no more Iacob but Israell yet afterward the same scripture testifieth howe god spake to Israel ad puteum iuramenti and called Iacob Iacob Here if a man wolde trifle in the sounde of the worde Iacob shulde he not make an argumente to improue the truthe of that god had spoken wherewith the deuyll myghte inueigle the presumptuouse ignoraunt that estemeth him selfe so muche as he measureth al knowledge by his rude capacitie But here thexercised senses in learninge can consider how names be of two sortes sometime they do onlye signifie anye litle token of the thynge whervnto they be added and then we may not make foundacion of the name as declarynge hollye the thyng signified or to be demed the propre name After whiche sorte Chryst was called synne bycause he dyed for synne and yet had not synne in hym as the word shold import And when we speake thus that Chryste saueth synners we sygnify by the worde synners suche men as were synners and be by Chryst washed purged from synne mete to be receyued to saluacyon For as Saynte Paule sayth to the Ephesians Chryst purgeth his churche and leaueth neyther spot ne wrincle And when we call noughtye men christen men we signify not by the name what they be now in dede for they be the deuyls men and not Chrysten men but callynge them nowe Christenmen we signifie y t they were ones in the state of grace at the tyme of their baptisme We call a mans writinge also his hande onely because his hande wrote it In whiche sorte of naminges the significacion extendeth no further for declaracion of the thinge named theÌ„ the pointing or direction of a maÌ„s finger with a parte of speache called a pronowne as this or that Mary other names that be added to geue lighte and knowledge of the substauÌ„ce nature or chiefe qualitie of the thynge those be so ioyned and knytte to the thynge as they do not onely poynte it but open it also and be not onely an out warde marke of the thinge but presente to oure vnderstandynges what is conteined in the thinge it selfe And therfâ—re as the name Iacob was onely an outward marke of the corporall man of the patriarche So Israel declared the speciall fauoure of God wherby Iacob sawe god whâ—che the word Israell doth signifie the continuauÌ„ce whereof god promysed saienge he shulde no more be called Iacob but Israell Accordinge whervnto after the breade is consecrate by y e preiste goddes minister and by the omnipotâ—cye of Christes myghtye worde is conuerted into the bodye of Christe the name that â—ignifieth the substaunce of that sacramente is the body of Christe And therefore the same sacrameÌ„t can no more be called breade but the bodye of Christe as Iacob shulde no more be called Iacob but Israel And yet as scrypture sayth in the hystory oâ— Iacob God called after that Iacob againe by the name Iacob without preiudice of the truthe of goddes worde spoken before that he shulde be no more so called So Saynte Paule calleth the same holy sacrament breade because it was soo before the consecracyon and yet so he calleth it withoute preiudice of the truth that it is in dede beinge not breade but the very body of Christ at the time when it is by hym neuerthelesse called breade As Iacob was in dede Israell by goddes fauoure when he was after by gods mouth
this moost blessed Sacrament vpon the testimonye of theyr sight their taste felyng or smell or otherwise vpon their carnall vnderstandinge bycause they can not by their carnall reason compreheÌ„d it all such be bestly and blynd and farre from the knowledge of the miseries of our religion as wherin our senses and reasoÌ„ be vy faith condempned and reproued finally declare them selue to be suche men as seme to require teachinge in the principles and begynnynges of our religion wherin their grosse carnall reasons yf they were truly mortified they shulde not so stobbernly and arrogantly meddle in the discussion of the inscrutable misterye in the most blessed sacrament of thaulter For yf theyr senses were by true faith ouerthrowen put to confusioÌ„ in the bylefe of y e holy trinite y e father of heaueÌ„ the sonÌ„e holy ghost to be inseparably deuided in thre ê‘sons diuisibly eioyned iÌ„ one godhed essece which Gregorye Nazianzene speaketh thus in greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein we knowe by faith the truth so to be howe so euer our reason spurneth and tentech vs to the contrarye If these mennes senses were tamed in the beleuynge scripture of creation of the worlde by god in time and of nothynge contrarye to the discussion of mans reason whiche the philosophers coulde not temper to agre that of nothynge was anye thynge made If in the misterie of the incarnation of our sauioure Christe the rebellion of mans senses were throughlye trode vnder fete and brought in due subiection to gyue place to faythe wherby we byleue that the sonne of god which we confesse truly to be immensus was yet conteyned in the holy virgins wombe a creature to conteyne the creatour and as the churche reioysing doth daylye acknowledge in worshypping the blessed vyrgin Marye Quem totus non capit orbis In tua se clausitviscera factê° homo Whiche to mannes reason implieth an insoluble contradiction to saye that in her wombe shulde be shut in that al the world could not conteyne And then further the true story of Christes gospel wherin is truely reported to vs howe Christ entred to his disciples after his resurrection the gates beynge shut and role out of his graue the same remaining styl shut which to our vnderstandyng maketh a signification of two bodies to be in one place togither and occupie the same place at one tyme And is to mannes sensuall and carnal knowledge impossible and is neuerthelesse in y e said myraculouse passage of our sauyour Christ moost truly verified But if in these and many other the carnall man had in the foundacion of our faith fully acknowleged his weaknes his bliÌ„dnes his imbecillitie ignoraunce the same wolde neuer presume agayne eyther to improue the presence of the naturall body of our Sauiour Christe in the most blessed Sacrament of the aulter in fourme of bread wine by carnal deuyses ne trauayle to be satisfied in consideration of the circumstauÌ„ces of the same For lyke as in the other misteries of the Trinite the creation of the world the incarnation of Christ and also resurrection of the fleshe wherof I haue not spoken but may say as I haue in the other carnal reason is excluded by certentie of faith so shulde it be in all other mysteries whiche all together be the body of our reeigion wherein we haue the true knowledge of god which the deuil laboureth to subuerte and ouerthrowe and vseth therin the instrument of mannes presumptuouse arrogance to know all as god doth and to compreheÌ„de in his capacite the same and what so euer excedeth it or repugneth thervnto to call that false folye lyes and vntruth After whiche sorte mans foolyshe wysedome hath enterprised at sundry tymes to impugne the secrete misteries of goddes hyghe wysedome incomprehensible workes And so the deuyll by the Arrians as he doth by the Turkes at this daye hath assaulted the castell and forte of our religion by denyall of Christe to be very God and with truthes falsly applied gone about to make batterye and entrye to ouerthrowe the same lyke as he hath also attempted manye other misteries But beinge in them by goddes power resisted the deuyll assayeth to make entry nowe by subuertinge the truthe in the most blessed Sacrament of thaulter and to allure y e multitude of most carnall and rude capacities diuulgeth abrode grosse carnall reasoÌ„s and wolde persuade the vnlerned that their ignoraunce in the circumstaunce how should playnely proue to them that the thing is not therwith whistleth in their eares this enchauntment If it were true that is taught in the sacrameÌ„t of thaluter by the papistes whiche terme serueth for a token to theÌ„ to proue y e matter nought such and such incoÌ„uenieÌ„ces should not to our senses folowe Do we not se saith the deuyll the sacrament of thaulter that they call god their ydol o blasphemous toÌ„gue sometyme eaten of a mouse sometyme waxe grene moulde redde moulde and blue mould and here the deuyll refressheth his yonglynges with manye abhominable tales suche as a scoffinge lestynge witte could deuyse to haue benne done Doth it not enter sayth the deuyll into the body and so furth and speaketh that lyketh him more then honest eares can endure And then the deuyll frameth the matter in fashion of lerninge and firste with a counterfet religioÌ„ of mayntenaunce of gods truth propoueth god to be impassible incorruptible and immortal which is a most vndoubted truth theÌ„ foloweth thintended lye thus That which these papistes make God call y e sacrament of thaulter that is corruptible And here the senses beare witnes The papistes god the deuyll sayth is also passible And here y e senses be also redy shall affirme they haue sene the mouse eate it mans hande breake it mans teth teare it It is also mortal saith the deuyll for the seÌ„ses beare testimony they haue sene it with a sodayn fire in a churche coÌ„sumed Ergo then with this the deuyl triumpheth â—cludeth there is not god but it is an ydol whiche wordes they vttermost blasphemouselye falsely But coÌ„sider christeÌ„ reader how far is it out of y e waye to examyne mens senses or carnall reasoÌ„ what they can depose of god or his high secrete workes This reasoning might serue to proue y t eyther Christe was not God whiche no christeÌ„ eare can endure or els not to be true which is most true certeine that Christe dyed or suffered for vs. And thus the deuilles disciple wyll reason God is impassible Christe suffred Ergo he was not god Or thus God is impassible Christe was god Ergo he suffered not So as by these reasos and reasonynges wherin the senses serue for a proufe or carnall reason frameth thargumeÌ„t eyther we must with the Arryans denye Christ god blasphemousely or consent moste folyshly to other false dreames that Christ suffred not at al. But as we be learned most truly certeynely in faith that
Christ was very God and perfyght mā and without iniury to his godhed whiche is impassible suffered neuerthelesse naturall death for he was naturall man without synne and when we knowe this truth assuredly by faith regarde not what all our senses repugne to the contrarye ne we do not leane to their testimony in it So in this high mystery of the sacrament of thaulter when we knowe by faith the presence of Christes naturall body and bloud by the mighty operaciō of his word prouoūced in the consecratiō by y e minister what a tentation is it of the deuyl to kepe a court w t our sēses carnall reasoning which be blind can not vnderstāde it of thē to make an enquest to knowe whyther my byleef therin be right or no which senses if they had bē enquired of christes body being cōuersaūt in erth theyr testimony had bē of christ y t he was but a man as other were euen as they now affyrme the Sacrament to be but brede as other brede is Theyr capacite is no further and therfore it is a madnes and ouer rude grossenes to commen with them in a matter I knowe well they can no skille of But herin we shulde leane to our faith groūded vpon goddes truth and confesse all to be so as god worketh by his omnipotēcy and therwith acknowledge the weakenes of mans capacite not able to comprehende it forasmuch as the plaine wordes of scripture declare and testifie vnto vs the presence of y e most preciouse bodye and bloud of our Sauiour Christ in the sacramēt of thaulter we should not be shaken or altered from that byleef what so euer oure sēses or carnal vnderstāding shuld barke to the cōtrary If myne eye seeth the host cōsecrate broken whiche is dayly done in the masse or deuoured by a mouse or otherwise percase abused whiche happeneth rarely is this a iust cause why my faith shulde by and by wauer and mystrust the truth by god declared vnto me Or els must carnal reasō and vnderstāding be satisfied how it commeth to passe that standyng our faith in the most blessed sacrament of the presence of the natural body and bloude of our sauioure Christ the same sacrament may be broken the same may be deuoured of the mouse the same maye be corrupte or otherwise mysused Whervnto fyrst I saye this that if after the wordes of consecratiō the hoste consecrate were so by god preserued from the iniuries and violences of other creatures as it eoulde not be brokē deuoured or corrupt it were such an outwarde myracle to the open confusiō of our carnal senses as wherby to take away the merite of our faith For vnto the faithfull suche myracles as saint Paule saith be not shewed but to the infidels And a good true christen beleuyng man knoweth this by faith that good is inuiolable impassible incorruptible immortall and that our sauyoure Christ the seconde person in trinite very god hauynge the humayne nature nowe vnite to the godhed and gloryfied can not any more suffre in that bodye violence or corruptiō ne be violate or brought to mortalyte Quia nō dabis sanctū tuum videre corruptionem And therfore what so euer mans senses affyrme of the violation corruption or destruction of the hoste consecrate a christen mannes faythe knoweth most certeinly that the most preciouse body of christ there present in that host is not violate is not corrupted is not destroyed for the faithful is asserteyned that Christus resurgens ex mortuis iam non moritur mors illi vltra nō dominabitur And therfore the same beynge truely taughte and enfourmed of goddes omnipotēcie consydereth that as Christ beynge conuersaunt in earth amonge the maliciouse Iewes before the tyme of his passion and when the same was not yet come as the gospell saith when the furiouse Iewes wolde haue precipitate him Transiens per medium illorū ibat And whē Herode slew al y e rest of y e children Christ beyng a child was preserued So in y e most blessed sacramēt of y e aulter how soeuer y e same be abused by mans malice or negligence or otherwise broken in the mystical vse of it yet the very body of our sauiour Christ there presēt continueth inuiolate impassible and is beyond the reach of any violence to be inferred by man beste or any other accidental occasion of any other cause ne y e true faithfull man can be induced by any worldly demonstration to departe or swarue from his true faith what so euer reasons may be made to the contrary he taketh them onely as tentacions of the deuill wherby to subuerte and ouerturne his stedfast faith being so firme stronge in a good christen man as the gates of hell can not preuaile against it muche lesse worldely fansies reasons or demonstraciōs and specially such as be grounded vpon the senses and carnal argumentes whiche can not atteine the secretes of gods mysteries The deuyl now a dayes diuulgeth by his wycked mynysters his leude tales of the abuses of the host consecrate when by to impugne the faith of the presence of the bodye of our sauyoure Christ And here is made mention of moulding mouse deuouryng with such lyke mysuses which the presēce of christes natural body if it were there as they say shuld defende wherein I wolde aske suche sorte of men as be moued by these reasones how moch these inconueniences so abhomynably tolde do excede and be more straunge wherby to shake our fayth but the wonderynge and murmurynge of our senses then those thynges whiche the churche doth daylye ordayne and openly do wherewith the true beleuers haue not ben offended Doth not the preiste daylye in the masse hath done alwaye breake the host consecrate in the syght of the people without offence or sclaūder of suche as haue these xv.c. yeres and do at this daye byleue the presence of the naturall bodye of Christ Haue not men of weake stomackes fearing they could not cōteine y e they receyued vsed reuerētly to forbeare to receyue y e most blessed Sacramēt where they certeynly beleued y e presēce of christes natural body to be able of power to heale body soule And haue eyther of these reuerēt vses amōge good mē empayred y e beleef amōg thē or good men ben inquisitiue howe god could be broken beynge impassible and presente in the sacrament of the aulter or bencuriouse to aske whye men shulde forbeare to receyue the sacrament for feare of any weakenes of stomack seinge god whome they beleue there present is able to heale al Good men were neuer offended with brekinge of the host whiche they dayly saw beyng also perswaded Christes body to be present in the sacrament naturally and really whervnto with worshyppinge they lyfted vp their handes and therewith nothinge doubted but god was inuiolable impassible when they saw the hoost broken in the masse ne vsed not to my struste goddes
thauthor is notable and of a great auncientye that is to say viii.c. and xvi yeres and he writeth in the greake tonge for a furder testimonye vnder title De orthodoxa fide of y e right catholique faith whiche hath nowe bene troubled in this the hyghest mysterye And herein they can not tel what they meane nor what they wolde haue they begyn to speake of an other meanynge in the vnderstandynge of Christes playne wordes when he sayde This is my body whych be the foundation of our fayth in their right catholique vnderstandynge as the churche hath taught and good chrysten men beleued hitherto THe deuyll hath another peece of sophistrye whiche is in coūterfette contradictions wherein he vseth for a preface and introduction a most certayne truth which is that truthe agreeth in it selfe and hath no parte contrarye to another Wherfore seing the worde of god is an infallyble truth it hath no cōtrarieties in it selfe All the worlde muste assent herevnto But thus y e deuyll procedeth to his cauyllaciō ab euidenter ueris per breuissimas mutationes ad euidenter falsa From thinges euydently true by lyttle chaunginges to thinges euidently fals Heauē and earth haue a kind of contradictiō Christ is in heauen where saint Steuen sawe hym Ergo he is not in earth in the sacramente of the aulter Christe ascended into heauen ▪ Ergo he tarieth not here He syttethe on the right hand of the father Ergo he is not in the sacrament of thaulter He is the creature for Omnia per ipsum facta sunt All thinges be made by hym Ergo he is not a creature made of breade He dwelleth not in temples made with mans hande Ergo he is not in the boxe vpon the high aulter Christ shall descende from heauen to iudge the quycke and the deade Ergo he cōtinueth there and is not in the sacrament of the aulter And these be taken for notable contradictions and insoluble sophismes and in effecte in all these argumentes there is no contrarite or contradiction in y e thinges but only a repugnaūce and impossibilitie to mans carnall capacite And therefore here is occasion to admonish men by the wordes of the prophet Nisi credideritis nō intelligetis yf ye beleue not ye shall not vnderstande In this hygh mysterye where god worketh his secrete speciall worke myraculously it is suffycient to know it is wroughte thoughe I can not tell howe it is wroughte ne howe it agreth with other of his workes and yet it agreeth But in this sophistrye the deuell maketh a man forget goddes omnipotencye excedynge our capacite and causeth vs to measure goddes doinges by our naturall imbecillite Because we can not be in two places at ones distaunte one from an other we iudge the same repugnaunt in god but christes beyng in heauen whiche saint Steuen truely confessed was nothinge contrarye to saynte Paules true affirmatiō that christ was sene after thascention to hym in earth It repugneth not to christes power to syt on the right hand of the father in heauen and yet fede the infinite number of his people with the same his moost precyouse body in erth It is no repugnaūce to goddes goodnes being creator of al therw t in the fourme of bread to fede vs his creatures In which we say not god is become the creature of bread as y e deuyl inspyreth his mēbres to report blasphemouslye but that christ familiarlye and of a merueilouse entier loue towardes vs consecrateth him selfe in those formes of breade and wyne to be so eaten and drunken of vs. God fylleth heauen and earth is not comprehēsible to be conteined in temples made with mans hand ne man can lymitte goddes dwellynge place God hath power ouer man but man hath no power ouer God And therefore Salomons godly temple was no habitation to restrayne goddes presence from other places And yet scripture telleth vs howe our sauyoure chryste god and man hath taught in tempels taried in temples made with mannes hande and that he dwelleth with good men and also in tēples made with mans hande for the assembly of good menne where good men truste to be releiued w t common prayer and refresshed w t the mooste precyouse foode of hys bodye and bloude he presenteth and exhibiteth hym selfe to be receiued and eaten and there is present and tarieth in the hoste consecrate not by mans ordinaunce as the deuyll inuyously and spytefullye speaketh it but by his owne institution to be a continuall and daylye foode wherwith beinge nouryshed we maye strongely walke tyll we come to the mounte of god where is euerlastynge lyfe And thys beynge of Christe in the most blessed sacrament repugneth nothinge to the continuinge of Christ in heauē tyll the daye of iudgemente whose most preciouse humaine body now glorified and vnited to the diuinitie is not diuisible by time or place ne by multiplication of tyme or place can be multiplied in number but remaineth in the same number and in variacion of tyme ▪ or alteration of place kepeth styll thappellacion to be called the same And notynge this well to be true althoughe we can not discusse it by oure reason we shall easely auoide the deuylles sophystrye in thys behalfe wherevnto we maye be somewhat induced by consideration of y t god worketh otherwise in vs who by his gifte of imaginaciō and thinkinge in our soule may represent our selfe althoughe not in oure grosse bodye whiche is corporall yet in our mynde I saye we may represent our selfe in dyuerse places at ones and one distante farre from another The philosophers that sayde Anima was tota in toto and tota in qualibet parte the hole in the hole and the hole in euery parte they coulde not se how it was and neuertheles toke it so to be and yet what a contradiccion is it to call the parte the hole And furder do not the wordes spoken of men to a multitude passe holye to euerye one of the hearers eares indifferētly that stand with in the compasse of hearyng And if y e matter be intelligible to thē al do not eche one heare and vnderstand one as moche as another beynge the speache but one and not diminished by the participation of the multitude These similitudes do nothing atteine to expresse the high mysterye of the most blessed sacrament and in many thinges vnlike and specially in this that in al these similitudes be no corporal thinges spoken of and in the sacrament is presēt christes very body but these similitudes only serue to declare y t in these lower workes of god whiche we may call Posteria eius there be many thinges excedyng our capacities to discusse thē how they be y t we know very certainly to be yet because they be common quotidian maruaile not at thē much lesse doubt of them such fondnes hath mans curiositie as was noted by this
sayenge Quod ante pedes est non vident coeli scrutantur plagas that is afore the feete they se not and serche the costes of the heauen The deuyll tempted christ in a rare miracle to make of stones directly breade whiche to be the power of god the deuill then confessed and yet god dyd it not bycause it shulde not haue furthered his glorye to the deuyl who was indurate Neuertheles god whose power ruleth gouerneth and tempereth the workes of nature doth cōtinuallye in the worke of nature make of stones breade when corne is nouryshed of the stones and stones altered and resolued into erth whiche nourisheth the corne sedes and encreaseth the same and lykewyse in other workes of nature sheweth dayly manifold wonders of his power whiche we consyder not because they be commēly done and onely for raritie and newenes maruayle when we maruayle at y e is done and not for the thinge And herein the deuill vttereth his sophistrye and maketh vs forget that is continuallye done before our eyes and by impossibilite of our carnall imaginacions in thinges aboue our capacitie seduceth vs and deceiueth vs in the beleef of goddes high mysteries and specially in the misterie of the sacramēt of thaulter wherby to hynder vs and depryue vs of oure great comforte and consolation in the same wherein God instituted Memoriam mirabilium suorum escā se dedit timentibus eum that is to say a memorie of his maruailes gaue hym selfe mete to them that louingly feare hym THere resteth now to open the deuils sophistrie in the peruerse croked craftie expositions of dyuers places of scripture y e saienges of holy writers and of such wordes as be attribute to singifie and name that moost blessed sacrament vnto vs wherin hathe ben moche paine taken moch craftie imaginacion deuised to abuse the simple vnlerned wyttes and vpholde in errour the maliciouse arrogant and newe fangled iudge menetes As touching scriptures I wyl passe ouer the fransies of them who writhe the principall theife texte This is my body frō consecration of the sacrament to the demonstration of Chrystes body there sittinge and then mynistringe vnto the apostels where in they declare their malyce that they care not to chaunge the right sense with any other were it neuer so fonde and false The truth they abhorre and seke vtterly for lyes them they embrace who so euer bring them and leane to suche exposycions of the scriptures as helpe to the subuertion of the truth But let vs consyder how sophistically they handle the wordes that Christ sayde Do this in remēbraunce of me for here is made a greate matter of the word remembraunce whiche they saye declareth that Christe him selfe is not presente in the sacrament and that the sacrament is but a memorye of hym but a remembraunce of hym And here the deuyll lurketh in a litle worde but for in often repetition of remembraunces the but is taken in and the speache goethe rounde as though the wordes imported that the sacramente is but a remembraunce of Christ In whiche speache if but were lefte oute as the scripture hath it not the worde memory or remembraunce is nothinge repugnaunt to Christes presence in the most blessed sacramēt For seing christ is the eternal word of god and descēded frō heuen into earth not only to suffre for man but also to declare the wil of god to be obserued folowed and obeyed vnto of man whiche wyll of god beyng taught vs by Christ we shulde not forget but day and nyght w t the benefites also of christes passyon remember therw t the wil of god taught vs in the same passion can there be so effectuall a memoryall of Christes death teachynges declared and taught in y e same death as if with the eyes of oure faith we se present the naturall body of our sauiour christ the selfe same body that suffered If y e hearing of christes death entringe at a mannes eares or the seyng of a picture or image grauen representing christes deathe to y e bodely eyes doth styrre vp mans memory to haue remembraunce of that is done by christ for hym how moche more doth the liuely presence of christes natural body styr such as perfytely beleue the p̄sence of the same to the remēbraūce of christes passion And if among men where honest loue reigneth as betwene y e man wife such as be godly conioyned in maryage they vse to leaue for memory of eche other in their absence an image of thē selues as lyuely set forth as mans crafte can attayne knowynge by experience that y e image styrreth vp the memorie most effectually Shulde we not thinke that oure sauiour Christ moch more affected and ioyned in loue to his spouse the chyrch than any man is to his wife hath lefte the same churche his spouse a most perfitte image of him selfe that is to say hym self for a memorye who by his omnipotencye can exhibite and present hys very ymage hys owne verye bodye without chaunge of place or leauynge his seate in heauen when as oft as it pleaseth hym Who also so loueth his churche as we haue cause to thīke he wold do it and by scriptures maye vnderstand yf we close not our owne vnderstandynges that he doth it in dede in this moost blessed sacrament wherein his presence dothe most effectually styrre vp in good mens hartes such a remembraūce of hole Chryst hys benefytes and preachynges together as in thys mooste holye communyon good men be so comforted so strenghtened so confyrmed in Christes doctryne as thereby shall in their manours theyr hauyours theyr conuersation and lyuynge shewe and sette forth in them selues christes deathe with hys resurrection also whyles the day of iudgement when shall be Chrystes seconde commyng in maiestie and glorye And thus the holy vertuous man Basile expoundeth the wordes of saint Paule As often as ye eate this bread and drink the cuppe of our lord ye shall shew the death of our lorde tyl he cometh which wordes of s Paule declare the strēgth of this heuēly foode to worke this effecte and brynge forth such frute in vs not that euerye man receyuyng the sacrament shulde with his tonge then make a sermō how Christ dyed for vs whyche the presence of the sacrament it self preacheth yf men vnderstande who is there present and this poynt shuld be learned at ones and so perfitly beleued as it neaded not to be learned againe For it is the grounde foundacion and begynnyng But the sermō preaching and shewing of Christes deathe of suche as receaue thys mooste blessed sacramente worthely shulde be in their maners and lyuynge theyr loue and charitie theyr contempt of the worlde and desyre to be with god wherby shuld appere that by receiuing this most preciouse fode we remember christes death passion for vs practise it effectually and frutefully in vs. For suche only celebrate this holy communiō with an effectual
remembraunce of him And yet euyll men do receaue the same to their owne condemnation whiche good men do with a perfit remembraunce of christ whose benefites w t his preceptes they haue in effectual remembraunce Wherin forasmuch as the Corinthyans abused them selfe Saynt Paule threteneth them with gods sharpe iudgement whyche euerye manne procureth hym selfe when he receiueth the blessed sacrament vnworthely not consyderinge nor vnderstandynge that there is in that feast the very naturall bodye and bloud of our sauiour christ which s Paul signifieth in those wordes non dijudicans corpus domini Whiche wordes be translate in englyshe puttynge no difference betwene the lordes bodye And this place by suche as presumynge of their owne knowlege frame also a sense of their owne makynge or folowinge suche as willingly abuse their knowledge to subuerte the truth hathe ben mystaken and of some so taken as though the CorinthiaÌ„s were in those wordes blamed because they which is a fond imaginacion and yet men that waÌ„der alone go easely farre wide out of the right waye toke the sacrament to be the very body of christ and put no difference betwene it breade But saint Paule contrarywyse as tholde authors expounde that place declareth in those wordes non dijudicans corpus domini howe suche as eate vnworthely do not acknowledge whom they receiue For if they dyd they could not so abuse them selfe and therefore the worde dijudicans signifieth not puttinge no difference but not vnderstandynge not consyderynge as the greake interpreters say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not considerynge not vnderstandynge who is in that feast to be receiued whose presence if men considered they shoulde neade none other admonyshment howe to prepare them self to come thither and howe to vse them selues at the same And other scripture is lykewise misconstrued and crokedly expounded Spiritus viuificat caro non prodest quicâ— As thoughe it were to be vnderstanded that the presence of the natural bodye and bloude of our sauiour our christ were not fruteful to vs therefore by theyr reason shulde not be there where in dede our sauyour Christ refelled in those wordes the grosse vnderstandinge of y e Capharnaites as though oure sauiour christ had ment to distribute his natural body in lumpes of flesshe and so make them a feest of it and thervpon gaue a generall lesson vnto them whiche serueth for y e true vnderstandyng of our hole relygion which is that our godly lyfe is engeÌ„dred in vs not of the flesshe but of the spirite for quod natum est ex carne caro est quod auteÌ„ ex spuÌ„ spiritus est y t is borne of the flesshe is flesh and that is borne of the spirite is spirite and the faithfull men be not borne of the flesshe nor the flesshe reuealeth not the truth of god for the flesshye manne can not se goddes mysteries and they that dwell in the flesshe can not please god and thus scripture speakethe of the flesshe the carnal parte of man not illuminate by y e spirite of god and the Capharnaites fansied of Christes flesshe grossly to be cutte as buchers do in the market whiche so coÌ„sidered profiteth nothing but onely the spirite giueth lyfe And so spiritus viuificat caro non prodest quicquam the spirite gyueth lyfe and the flesshe profitethe nothing By which maner of spech the fleâ—she of our sauyour christes moost precious bodye beinge caro viuifica lyuely flesshe and whiche hath the holy spirite inseparablye annexed vnto it is not improued but as it is by goddes hygh power ministred vnder fourme of breade wyne is also most holsom most confortable vnto such as receyue it worthely of which christ spake Caro mea vere est cibus sanguis meus uere est potus panis quem dabo uobis caro mea est My flesshe is verely meate and my bloude verely drinke and the breade whiche I shall geue you is my flesshe And the speache of this scripture Caro non prodest quicâ— is in such wise to be taken as wheÌ„ saint Paule saith Scientia inflat charitas edificat wherein knoweledge is not vtterlye condemned but onely suche knowledge as waÌ„teth and is not tempered with charitie And lykewise littera occidi spiritus viuificat wherein not all letters and wrytinges be noted to do hurte but onely suche as be destitute and want right spiritual vnderstandinge And after y e same fourme said christ Spiritê° viuificat caro noÌ„ prodest quicâ—â— The spirit giueth lyfe y e flesshe profiteth nothyng whiche is as muche to saye after the order of vnderstaÌ„ding in the former speaches that the flesh porfiteth nothynge where the spirite of god wanteth whiche in the most blessed body of our sauiour Christ is alway present can not be seperate from it Thus I haue somwhat trauailed in thexpositioÌ„ of this text Caro non prodest quicâ— whiche in dede ê‘teyneth not to y e purpose of y e matter but only as the deuil wrangleth with it as he doth in susteining heresyes with many other and amonge other in this matter these If I go not from you sayth Christe the holy ghoste shall not comme to you And in an other place ye shall not se me for I go to my father And also in an other place I leaue the worlde and go to my father With suche lyke whiche sounde to improue the presence of Christes naturall body and blood in the sacrament of thaulter but sounde so onely to suche as before they marke this souÌ„de of wordes wold haue them to sounde so For that meane the deuyl vseth to inueigle men fyrste to allure them by â–ª some worldelye temptation to be incline able rather to this or that opinion and in many men not for anye respecte they haue to any truthe or falseshed but onelye bycause they had rather haue it vnderstanded so as they fansye then otherwyse And beynge so waywardlye affected they conceaue then of the scripture as they do of a confuse souÌ„de of belles that is to saye the selfe same sentence and meaning which they wolde haue taken and estemed for truth and none other And to such men so inueigled by the deuyll it is harde to induce the persuasion of truthe for they care not for it or be maliciouse and euyl wyllynge against the truthe And therfore wysedome as y e wyse man saith can not entre into them The deuyl for mayntenaunce of his errour he ceasseth not to note to the simple reader how Christ speaketh of goynge his waye and goyng to his father and in an other place of leauynge the worlde in an other place that he wyll be seene no more of theÌ„ And when y e spouse is gone then we shall wayle and faste All whiche in the true vnderstandyng signifie to vs the absence from vs of Christe in his bodely coÌ„uersatioÌ„ among vs in such sorte as he was before his passyon and before
is necessarely requisite that preseruyng the wordes of S. Paule inuiolable as they be most holy we shuld in other wordes fashioÌ„ of speche truely agreed on in y e church confesse in all tonges the truth playnly in such wyse as such as haue their beleef establyshed in one vnderstandynge shuld also vtter the same in one maner of spech wherby the speache whiche is ordered of god to do seruyce to expresse the inwarde meanyng of the harte to the knot and coniunction of men in vnitie be not by the variaction diuersitie in it matter and occasion of discorde and confusion wherin the deuyll by his membres trauayleth by all meanes to disseuer that christ hath congregate to dissolue that christ hath knyt together But to returne to the doctors and fathers of y e church who lefte most playne and euydent testimony in their writinges of their beleef in the sacrament of thaulter euen the verye same that amonge good men continueth styll Hathe not Fryth for all that in a detestable boke remaynynge after hym in Englysshe defamed Tertulian Chrisostome and saynt Austen in that matter And hath not before hym Oecolampadius in our tyme most maliciousely and vntruelye in falsely reportynge those holy meÌ„ attempted the same And hath not this ben their crafte herein to seke out places of derkenes and ambiguitie wherewith to deceyue them selue other also As for example If they redde any doctour in anye place of hys boke cal the sacrameÌ„t of y e aulter a fygure or a signe that place they brought forth and they put to the deuylles syllable but and sayde those doctours take it to be but a signe but a figure but a memorie herein the but hath done moche hurt for it is sleighly brought in and a smal sillable For this is in dede coÌ„uenient that christ in his body lyuing shulde be a fygure signe and memory of his body deade vpon the crosse for vs Christ in the sacrament of thaulter to be a figure of his misticall body the churche whiche he vnitethe to him in that sacrament and of that effecte the sacrament of thaulter is named the holy communion and because the maner of Christes beinge in the sacrament differeth froÌ„ his maner of beynge as he satte at the borde with his disciples althoughe the selfe same body was in the sacramente that satte at the boorde and the selfe same body is now in the sacrament that is nowe in heauen not by shyftynge of places but by omnypotencye whereby god maye do all for these considerations in all these respectes the speache hath not ben abhorred to call the sacrament of thaulter a fygure and to call it a signe and a memoriall for so it is but not only a fygure not onelye a signe not onlye a memoriall but therewith the thynge it selfe as the same doctours that haue vsed those wordes sygne and fygure do plainely testyfye Nowe yf mans wytte by the deuylles instygacyon shall trauaile with sophisticacion in wordes to subuerte the truthe what can remaine vntouched of that we shoulde haue moost sure We beleue truelye that Chryste is the same substaunce with his father to the condemnacion of tharrians And yet saint Paule in his epistle to the Hebrewes calleth christe the image of his fathers substaunce Then saythe the deuyl yf Chryst be but the ymage of his fathers substance do ye not se howe but crepeth in then is he not the same substaunce Nowe bycause Christe sheweth vs the father as he sayde to Philip Philippe qui videt me uidet patreim Phylyppe he that seeth me seeth my father and in another place Nemo nouit patrem nisi filius et cui voluerit filius reuelare No maÌ„ knoweth the father but his sonne and to whom he wil reueale it Et deuÌ„ nemo uidit unâ— vnigenitus filius ipse ennarrauit Neuer man sawe god his onelye begotten sonne hathe shewed him forth For these effectes christe is the ymage of the fathers substaunce and we may not therfore make the deuyls addition of but or make the captious sophisme of Meâ—demus Alterum ab altero alterum est The image is not the thing wherof it is y e image as maÌ„ is not god of whom he is y e image Ergo Christ is not the same substaunce with the father beyng as Saynte Paules wordes before rehersed purport the ymage of his substaunce And as this argumeÌ„t is folysshe in this pointe and yet captious to deceiue the vnlearned So be the argumentes made against the sacrament of the aulter of the worde fygure or the worde sygne or the worde memorye or the worde Symbolum token whiche wordes for a certeine relatition may be spoken of it withoute preiudice of the true substaunce there present of y e body and bloude of Christ besydes those relations And thus Luther and all that folowed hym haue defended against Oecolampadius and enforced Bucer by declaration of the places to yelde vnto hym in it and to confesse the presence of the natural body of our sauiour christ notwithstanding those termes of figure signe and memorie the misconstruynge wherof was but mere cauillacion sophistrie So as to coÌ„demne the madnes of such as folowe Frith or Oecolampadius or swinglius or amonge vs Ioye Bale Turner or such like y e deuils lymmes the truth of Christes church hath thayde of al Luthers secte But w tout their ayde the truthes strength is sufficient bycanse thou mayst se reader how playnly y e holy fathers haue spoken of y e most blessed sacrameÌ„t wherby the more to abhorre the blasphemy of some such wretches as most vyllainously write speake and as they dare iest at this day I wyl of certaine notable writers such only as were before one thousand yere past take out theyr playn confession of this most blessed Sacrament by redyng wherof good men may coÌ„ceiue as much ioyfull pleasure to the confirmation of their beleef and swete meditation therin as lewde lyght persons take wanton delite to here scoffing â—estinge to the deprauation of the same non diiudicaÌ„tes corpus domini And fyrst I shall reherse y t hath beÌ„ spoken of this preciouse sacramente by one of the first since christ as of saint Andrewe thapostle who continuing coÌ„stantly in the true confession of christ and abhorryng ydolatry when he was moued therunto by Egeas said in this wise Omnipotenti deo qui unus uerus est ego omni die sacrifico noÌ„ thuris fumuÌ„ nec tauroruÌ„ mugieÌ„tiuÌ„ carnes nec hircoruÌ„ sanguineÌ„ sed immaculatum agnuÌ„ quotidiè in altari crucis sacrifico cuius carnes postâ— omnis populê° credentium manducauerit eius sanguinem biberit agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseuerat vnus Et cum verè sacrificatus sit verè carnes eius manducatae sint a populo verè sanguis eius bibi â—us tamen vt dixi integer permanet
bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Hitherto be Cirylles wordes whereby is declared our corporall habitacion in christe by this precious sacrament wherein is present christ him selfe â–ª wherof here what Hilarius Pictauiensis an olde author in christes churche in the .viii. boke de Trinitate vpon discussion of this question whither chryste be in vs by the veritie of nature or coÌ„corde agreaunce in our will aunswereth in this wise Si enim uerè uerbum caro factum est nos uerè uerbuÌ„ carneÌ„ cibo dominico sumimê° quo modo non naturaliter manere in nobis existimandus est qui naturam carnis nostrae iam inseparabilem sibi homo natus assumpsit naturam carnis suae ad naturam aeternitatis sub sacramento nobis coÌ„municaÌ„dae carnis admiscuit Ita enim omnes unum sumus quia in christo prÌ„ est christus in nobis Quisquis ergo naturaliter patreÌ„ in christo negabit neget prius noÌ„ naturaliter uel se christo uel christuÌ„ sibi inesse quia in christo prÌ„ christus in nobis unuÌ„ unuÌ„ in hijs esse nos faciuÌ„t Si uerè igitur carnem corporis nostri chruÌ„s assuÌ„psit uerè homo ille qui ex Maria natê° fuit chruÌ„s eÌ„ nosque uero sub misterio carneÌ„ corporis sui sumimê° per hoc unuÌ„ erimê° quia pater in eo est ille in nobis quomodo voluÌ„tatis unitas asseretur cuÌ„ naturalis per sacramentuÌ„ proprietas perfecta sacramentum sit unitatis If the worde was made verely fleshe and we verely receyue the worde beinge fleshe in oure lordes meate how shal not christ be thought to dwell naturally in vs who being borne man hath taken vnto him the nature of our flesshe that can not be seuered and hath put together the nature of his fleshe to the nature of his eternitie vnder y e sacrament of the communion of his flesshe vnto vs For so we be al one by cause the father is in Chryste and Christ in vs. Wherefore who soeuer wyll deny the father to be naturally in Christe he muste deny fyrst eyther hym self to be naturally in Christe or Christ not to be naturallye in hym for the being of the father in Chryst and the being of Chryste in vs maketh vs to be one in theÌ„ And therefore yf Chryst hath taken verelye the flesshe of oure body and the man that was verelye borne of y e virgyn Mary is Christ also we receyue vnder the true mysterie the fleshe of his bodye by meanes wherof we shal be one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shal that be called the vnite of wyll when the natural propriete brought to passe by y e sacramente is the sacrameÌ„t of vnite I haue thus translate this holy fathers testimony farre exceding the capacite of the symple vnlearned and yet most euidently declaringe the mysterie of the sacrament of thaulter not to be thinuention of maÌ„ as these beastes now a dayes fayne but the godly tradicion of the truthe expressed in Christes wordes plainly truely receiued also taught and continued in the church syns the beginning by this mans testimony aboue .xii c. yeres past And were it not that I thinke good men wyll delyte to reade the truth I wolde esteme it labour loste to suche as be obstinate For they be as saint Paule saith ouerthrowen in their owne iudgement and so full of malyce as nothinge els can entre But I wyll not omytte for them to prosecute my purpose And nowe shall ye here what Theophylus Alexandrinus a noble author in christes churche and in the begynnynge of christes churche saieth who declaringe the gospel of s Marke and expoundyng the wordes of christe writeth in this wise Benedicens fregit i. gratias agens fregit quod nos facimus orationes super addentes dedit eis dicens Sumite hoc est corpus meum hoc scilicet quod nunc do quod nunc sumitis Non autem panis figura tantuÌ„ corporis christi est sed in propriuÌ„ Christi corpus transmutatur Nam Dominus ait Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est sed tamen caro christi non uidetur propter nostraÌ„ infirmitatem panis enim uinum de nostra consuetudine est si uerò carnem sanguinem cerneremus sumere non sustineremus propter hoc Dominus nostrae infirmitati condescendens species panis vini conseruat sed panem uinuÌ„ in veritateÌ„ conuertit carnis sanguinis Thenglysshe whereof is this Christe blessinge brake that is to saye gyuynge thankes brake whiche also we do adding praiers thervnto and gaue it theÌ„ saieng Take this is my body the same that is to say that I nowe giue you nowe take For the breade is not an only figure of the body of christe but it is chaunged into Christes verye bodye For oure lorde saide The breade whiche I shall giue is my flesshe yet the flesshe of christ is not sene in respecte of oure infirmitie for the breade and wine be accustomed vnto vs but if we shuld se the flesshe and bloude we shulde not endure to receiue it and therfore our lorde condescendynge to our infirmitie conserueth the fourmes of breade and wine and turneth the breade and wyne into the veritie of his flesshe and bloude Thus testifieth Theophilus and who can desire a more playne testimonye in whiche thou mayest also note howe the fourme of breade and wyne by goddes goodnes remaineth in respecte of oure infirmitie and yet the breade and wyne is turned in to the body and bloude of oure sauyoure Christe whiche speache implyeth a difference betwene the substauÌ„ce of breade and the fourme that is to say apparaunce of breade whiche euery symple wytte can not coÌ„ceiue but euery witte shuld humbly reuerently beleue For Christ sayde This is my body as appeareth testified by suche as I haue rehersed being witnesses of tholde worlde when there reigned in christes churche simplicitie faith charitie mekenes deuotion with feruent religion when goddes worde dwelt in mennes hartes and came neuer abrode to walke in mennes tunges but with maiestie and reuerence accompanied with all vertuous lyuynge where as nowe iesters raylers rimers players ianglers pratelers and simperinge parettes take vpon them to be admynystratours and officers to sette forthe goddes worde whereof they make a plurell number of wordes without all fruyte and effecte But I wyll leaue these and praye god amende them and adde the deuout writinges of saint Austen saynte Iherome and sainte Chrisostome touchinge the moost preciouse sacrament of the aulter And fyrst of saynte Chrisostome that he writeth vpon the .vi. chapter of s Iohn in this matter Necessariò dicendum quam admiranda mysteria cur data sint quaenam eorum vtilitas Vnum corpus sumus meÌ„bra ex carne ossibus eius Quare
againe called Iacob whych latter callinge of Iacob dydde nothynge preiudicate the truthe of gods worde vttered before Forasmuch as this laste maner of callynge was not a through namynge of hym but only as it were a pointing to distinct outwardly the man and because he was ones Iacob is called Iacob againe As the sacrament because it was ones breade is called bread againe And now I returned to this that yf mens fayth were such as is required of christen men they wold be wiselye deefe as the serpente that stoppethe her eares and nothynge be altered with the deuyls intricacions or incantacioÌ„s in wordes and names euen as we beleue certainely that Christ is perfytte god and perfyt man what so euer names be attribute in scripture vnto hym as he is called a shepe a worme a lyon and many other And althoughe Christe saith hym selfe his father is greatter then he yet this is true that his father he be equall and yet equall and greater be in apparaunce contrarye And so beleuynge as euerye good Christen man muste beleue that Christ is equall to his father in substaunce and deitie we beleue the contrary in apparaunce to senses vnexercysed of that Christ sayd hym selfe But these notwithstandynge howe so euer thapparaunce of wordes be in scriptures we beleue the truth taught vs by y e churche as euery man lerneth to spell that sometime c with a â—yttell spelleth est in another place e with a title spelleth en as when we write AmeÌ„ and another tyme e with a tytle spelleth em as meÌ„ brum whiche varietie goeth by rule in place whereunto an humble scoler obeyeth and not by reason as an arrogant witte wolde requyre So in all the secretes and contractions as we myghte call them and misteries hydden of our religion good men haue euer leaned to the rule of teachinge in christes churche and taken a title some tyme for n and sometyme for m as they were taught the place to require and not to spell after theyr owne iudgemente as euerye man weneth it shulde be after his vehement reason of his owne diuise Doth not s Paule saith he call it breade and be not these wordes of scripture And be any words truer or better then the wordes of scripture Of whome I aske this question agayne Hath not the churche had and vnderstanded these wordes of scrypture that ye soo vehementlye alledge Hathe not the churche deliuered those wordes vnto vs And hath not the same churche notwythstandynge taughte thys truthe howe the breade by consecratyon is conuerted into the precyouse bodye of Chryste and condemned those that wolde affyrme breade to remayne and with that theyr condemnation reteyned and kepte in honoure saint Paule who wrote these wordes that ye make so greate matter of The churche hathe condemned the Arryans that denyed Chryste to be equalle wyth his father and yet the same churche hathe stylle kepte in honoure the Euangelyst that wrote howe Chryste sayde his father was greatter then he And yet the Arryans sayde they spake none other then the Euangelystes testyfyed in playne wordes as some wyll saye nowe a dayes they speake none otherwyse then Saynte Paule dothe But suche heretyques wyll heddelye spell as they lyste and not folowe the rule of ryghte vnderstandyng without whiche men muste neades wauer and swarue in their owne coniecture beynge the coniecture the rule of leade that men now a daies sensually folowe plyable to theyr fansyes eueÌ„ so fondely as some like worshipful clerkes haue taken the wordes of scrypture written by the euangelistes for god him selfe and those haue gyuen thankes to the lord for their hyghe knowledge acheued by continuall readynge by them selfe alone and hauynge a newe testamente by theyr gyrdell wherby they haue bosted them self deliuered from the greatte ignoraunce wherwith other were blinded for by their owne deuise iÌ„ their wyse imagination they had seene god and harde god euen face to face by hearinge and seinge the wordes of scripture which they fansied to be god hym selfe because of the wordes of sainte Ihons gospel where it is written The word was god I do not herein fayne reader but wrytte the matter in dede and in dyuerse men deprehended and founde whiche fonde errour hathe ben engendred of blynde arrogancye amongest those that thinke theÌ„ selfe able to wade throughe the scriptures withoute direction of suche teachynge as the churche taught by y e scripture of god hath gathered of y e same scryptures Damascene of whome I haue before spoken hath this good lesson that as it is signified to vs by scripture that we shall be all taught of god so by the same scripture we be admonished to aske of our elders they shall tell vs whiche declareth a maner of reachyng not to be coÌ„tempned of men who despisinge al other men for teachers as they solysshly vnawares learne other to contemne them so do they despise god accordynge to Christes wordes Qui vos spernit me spernit He that despiseth you despiseth me Here may come in percase in thys high matter a scoffe with a questioÌ„ which you And then why shal not I teache you aswell as you me or rather I you For doth not Chryst saye I knoweledge to the father thou haste hydden these thinges from the wise and shewed them to the yongelinges And Paule saith the wysedome of the worlde is folysshenes afore god And then an other question in what vniuersitie was sainte Peter made doctoure And so shall aryse the controuersy whiche the deuyll engendreth who shall teache other who shall be the scoler and who the maister wythout eche man shulde playe bothe partes as of some number eche maÌ„nowe a dayes wolde playe alone al partes and euery man be mayster to him self to himself scoler also with requeste to god that he wyll vouchesaue to teache hym secretelye by often readynge and spelling after his fashion for he may not be instruct by man nor for shame submytte hym selfe to hys felowe to make his mate his maister to haue power ouer hym accordynge to Saynte Paules wordes as he raketh them where he is fashyoned to saye to the Corynthians I wyll be vnder no mans power For soo thenglysshe hathe althoughe the sence be otherwise And this conclusion do these questions engendre where euery man muste be so aunswered as his sensualite may be coÌ„tented which is impossible But to the purpose The churche is a bodye distincte as saynte Paule saith to the Corinthyans wherein euery member hathe not one office confuselye but some be prophetes and some be pastours and teachers c. And where some be appointed to reache some other muste also be appointed to be taught howebeit to auoyde this contentyon betwene this questyoner and me and to eschue all comparyson for this time I am contente to be with hym in y e place of a scooler and aske wyth hym of other that is to saye of those that
mysteries And therefore Gregory Nazianzene hath his sentence in his sermon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There be other thinges of y e Iewes perfited with them in fygure whiche be restored againe vnto vs in mysterye So as all the thinges vsed in tholde lawe be not vtterly reproued and coÌ„dempned not to be doone but not to be so done for the figure ceassethe when truthe is come and the lawe prophetes were vnto saint Iohn baptistes tyme as Christ saide Neuer thelesse as Gregorye Nazianzene saith y e same thinges may be nowe restored mistically not at euerye priuate mannes pleasure and deuise as saint Augustyne writeth ad Ianuarium but by teachynge of the churche and orderinge y e same not for â—uperstition but direction as thapostelies dyd in the begynninge when they decreed it by inspiration of the holy ghoste that men shulde abstaine frome that was strangled and bloude whych repugned not wyth the vysyon to saynte Peter that all tâ—ynge was cleane to them that in cleannes receiued it ne dissented from christes teachinge that not to defile the maÌ„ that entreth in at the mouthe but it was a dispensacion of the truth betwene the ceassynge of the lawe and springyng of the gospell with such a teÌ„perameÌ„t as the chaunge for compassion of weake consciences shulde not be sodayne and at ones but by lytle and lytle as the daye springeth and the night goeth away UpoÌ„ which consideratioÌ„ y e same thinges were in the church of Christ forbydden y t were before for another ende forbidden in Moses lawe onely the cause of prohibicion varied but the thynge was alone But to returne to the purpose whervpon this was broughte in Distinction and ordre in tyme is not supersticiouse but necessarye and therfore with sermons or studye whiche bothe be in their tyme good to interrupte the tyme of praier that is not good greatlye worse when the sermons be suche and so fashyoned as they mayntayne talke and communication and be not directed to stirre the peoples dulle and sluggy endeuor to folow vertue and flee vyce and leauynge a parte matter of contention or reformacion to be ordered by the high powers to tell the audience of their speciall faultes and to diswade them from the same by alwaies and meanes Such were the sermons in the primatiue churche So preached Sainte Chrisostome Sainte Augustine Soo preached Gregory Nazianzene where in a sermon he made of the feast of Ester he hadde entred to speake of the secrecye of god lefte that matter with this speache 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I purpose not saith he to dispute or reason of god now but to dispense his truth that is to saye distribute it conuenieÌ„tly with al circumstaunces mete of whiche office in cyrcumspecte distribution S. Paule calleth the cheife mynystres dispensatores and him selfe sometyme fedde them with mylke and sometyme with stronger meates which is not euery mans gifte and therefore hath ben in the churche coÌ„mitted to few and in respecte of the number verye fewe and of late ouer fewe and ouer many also Ouer fewe of them that cryeth out of mens maners and ouermany of those that flatter the multitude w t vtteringe suche matter as the number of nature variable is glad to here Nowe many nowe a dayes be so trauayled in them self with hearyng the sermon as they wepe and waile and saye Quid faciemus uiri fratres Who preacheth lyke Ioâ—as to warne men of their destruction both in body and soule if they amende not their maners and lyuynge In a miserable state of iniquitie and synne some wolde haue nothinge preached but mercy with onely Christe and howe he beareth all sinne payeth all purgeth all and clenseth all whiche is true and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it can not be blamed but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a great faulte For albeit this be truth is good meate yet it is not well distribute for it wolde serue better at supper then at dyner To men lusty drowned in the worlde and ouerwhelmed with synne and in the mydde daye whiles there is tyme of wakynge the iustice of god is to be cryed out Christes second coÌ„ming to be beaten in peoples eares hys terrible iudgement to be layde before mens eyes which is a truth as the other is and profitable to be learned taught and thoughte on wherevpon men shulde be exhorted to confesse their synnes to god and his mynyster to do penaunce for synne to fast for synne to praye for synne to do almes for synne to wayle for synne Dauyd confessed and felte goddes mercy and yet cried Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea a peecato meo munda me quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper and therewith saide turbatus est a furore oculus meus his eye was troubled with goddes displeasure at the tyme he mystrusted not goddes mercy and therfore said Laboraui in gemitu meo lauabo per singulas noctes lectuÌ„ meuÌ„ he trauailed in wailing wasshed his couche with teares But nowe so be men enueigled by the deuylles sophistry as mercy extolled and sette forthe with onelye fayth and onelye sauyour and ommisufficieÌ„t nisufficieÌ„t sauiour serueth to make men forget goddes iustice waxe wantons as they be termed babes and youngelynges and clerely fal from dreade and feare of god whiche where it wanteth synne muste nedes encrease and ouerflowe and by custome mennes consciences so blynded as they discerne them not to be synnes and faultes And thus muche I haue spoken of sermons whiche and they were neuer so well made and conceiued yet so to vse them as they shoulde occupie the tyme of prayer requisite S. Gregory in an Omilie noteth not good And therefore on Christemas day when the churche hath thre masses he said he could not spend so much tyme with his audience that daye as he was wonte to do And yet sermons at those dayes as appeareth by y e sermons they made were not longe But longe or shorte as they be good holesome and requisite in the churche at their tyme necessary so hauyng not theyr tyme but with iusteling an other good thing out of ordre that is not well and moche lesse study to be vsed in time of prayer whiche prayer and study as they haue a distincte nature so they shulde be in tyme distinct And theunomians opinion by contrary exercise reproued to thinke that readinge is the onely waye to heauen But herein I haue taried ouer longe as some wyll fynde faulte at me and aske what is prayer and fastinge to the sacramente of the aulter and muche lesse sermons or study in tyme of prayer Wherevnto thus I aunswer that hauynge occasion mynystred by this greate clerke Gregorye Nazianzene I haue spoken of them And because the deuyll entendeth to subuerte all I shewe also his so phistrie in lower matters then is the sacramente of
Sainte Au gustine saith outward signes draw to christ which in them that 〈◊〉 draweÌ„ be not necessary Exod. 7. Mat. â—2 Ruc 11. Eph. 6. Mat. 26. 〈…〉 11. 〈…〉 Mat. 1â— Philip. 2. Nob. 5. Mat. 11. Mat. 16. Mar. 14. Luc. 12. Io. â— Rom. 13. Io. 6. Matt. 13. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 12. 1. Cor. 11. Io. 6. Damis 4. li. de fide orthodâ—xa ca. 14. Gene. 14. Heb. 7. * Varia nobis significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uidelicet pro compositionis ratione quam sâ—ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 participio substantiui uerbi estimes sonat quasi dicas imminens quod autem imminet etiam sâ— noÌ„ longe absit noÌ„ est tamen praesens sed futurum est caeterum quoniam proximum est graecis est crastinum Sicenâ— legitur in act Aposto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. postero die hoc est crastino aâ— quan rationeÌ„ coÌ„pyeteÌ„ter sonat futuruÌ„ Quod stuerbi coÌ„positioneÌ„ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accipias analogia deducti in adiectiuum sup substaÌ„tiale uerteris uelst â— aÌ„biguitatem praepositioÌ„is liceret insubstaÌ„tiale quest dicas insubstaÌ„ tiaÌ„migraÌ„s quod hic â—pic expressit substantiaÌ„ coÌ„seruans Ergo in oratioÌ„e dominica paneÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petimus hoc est futuruÌ„ qui nunque desinet quae nostraÌ„ substantiaÌ„ uare fulciat atque consernet Matt. 7. â— Cor. 10. God vnited to oure nature in christ Christ is the first fruites of oure nature The better that is to say the deite Double of byrth of the water holye ghoste Double meate that to Chrystes flesh vnitied to be diuâ—â—itie The breade and wyne made bodye and bloude after which makynge there is no more breade or witie but the bodye bloude Gene. 14. Heb. 9 Psal 109. Exod. â—â— Bycause bloud is not shedde it is called vnblouddy Ioh. 4. Matt. 7. Psal â—8 Tertulian Iâ—an 6. Io. 6 Act. 7. A rehersall of the dyuylles sophysme Act. 1. Hebr. 1. Hebr. 1. Io. 1. Act. 17. 1. Thes 4. â—as 7. Act. 7. 1. Cor. 15. Hier. 2. Act. 17. Mat. 4â— 9. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 13. 21 Ioan. 7. Io. 10. Matt. 4. These fond fooles were caled amoÌ„g the garmaynes Toutistes for notable folye obteinethe names for memorye of reproche as wysedome doth honor and glorye 1. Cor. 11. Heb. 6. 1. Cor. 11 â–ª 1. Cor. 11 Io. 6. Ioan. 6. Rom. 8. Io. 6. 1. Cor. 8. 1. Cor. 3. Io â–ª 6. Sapi. l. Io. 7. 8 â–ª 11 14. 16. Ioh. 14. IoaÌ„ 16. Matt. 9. Io. 20. Ciprianus Panis Matt. 6. 2. Pet. 3. Vnus panis â—num corpus multi sumus qui de uno pane uno calice participamus 1 Cor. 10. Beware of the exclusyues that they exclude the not froÌ„ the frute of the truthe Heb. 1. Ioh. 14. Luc. 10. Io. 1. This was a notable sophiste Luthers secte in wordes graunte the preseÌ„ce and yet in dedes deny it wheÌ„ they forbyd the worshyppynge of it 1. Cor. 11. D Andreas Apo. Here is eatinge driâ— king which to our senses is asmuche to saye as tearing and coÌ„suming ioyned with the true coÌ„fissâ—on of Christes impâ—ssibilite immortalytie He saith not in fygure but verely eaten â— vâ—rely dronken Heb. 8. Hilarius Luc. 22. 〈◊〉 11. D. Chrisost sup epistl ad Hebreos Heb. 9. It is specially to be marked how s Chrisostom â—alleth it the same sacrifice The same one Christe offered in euery place The circuÌ„staunces of tyme and place encrcaseâ—â— acompte in nuÌ„ber wheÌ„ wa speake of the sacryfice of christ This is to be noted for the vse of the churche in his time He required not onelye faythe but faith with a company of manye vertues He callethe it a dredful sacramente Thus was the lente spent in the prymatyue church and nowe some wold vse it like other tymes Psâ— 34. Luc. 22 1. Cor. 11. Ignatius Christes doctrine is foode called panis but in the sacrament of thaulter in the flesshe of Christe therefore he speketh here of the sacramente Ironâ—us Ephe. 5. Luc. 24 Mans flesh partaker of the gifte of god Ephe. 5. Tertull. This is verified in the sacramente of baptisme In the sacramentes of coÌ„firmation ordre and extreme vnction As with the crosse in benediction In confyrâ—mation and ordres The sacrament of the aulter Cyprianus Ephe. 5 â–ª Cyrill 1 Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 6. we be conioyned to Christe not onelye by faith charitie but also by participation of his flesh in the sacrament of the aulter 1. Cor. 10. Cyryll calleth the sacrament of the aulter the mystical benediction Christ doth coÌ„municate his flessh in the sacrament of the aulter and so dwelleth corporallye in vs. Hilarius 8. li. De trinitate Note the mysterye of the sacrament of the aulter Theop. Alex. super Marc. Mar. 14. Note this Chriso super 6. ca. Ioannis Ephes 5. Iob. â—1 The same flesh christe toke of the virgin the same he gyueth vs in the sacramente of the aulter Idem Chriso Io. 3. Matt. 14. Mar. 6 Luc. 9 â–ª 〈◊〉 ad Hedibiam Matt. 26. Mar. 14. Psal 115. Psal 22. Io. 6 Luc. 22. Rom. 14. Mat. 26. Luc. 22. Psal 115. Psal 22. Luc. 22. Rom. 14. Esa 66 Deut. 6. Lut. 4. Christ gaue thesame flesh to be eaâ—â— of vs. Bâ— sillius 1. Cor. 11. Matt. 26. Rom. 2. Exo. 7. Gene. 32. Gene. 46. Esa 5â— Psal 11. Apoc. 5. Ioan. 14. Io. 14. Io. 1. Defide orthodoâ—â—â— Interrogama iores dicâ—e tiâ—i Lui lâ— Matth. 11. 1. Cor. 3. â— Coâ— 12. 1. Cor. 1â— Ephes 4. Io. 1â— Io. 6 â–ª Matt. 4. Mar. 14â— Math. 7. Rom. 14. Matth. 21. 1. Timot. 2. 1. Châ—s 5. Eccl. â— Act. 5 Col. 2. Agust ad Ianuarium Act. 15. Act. 10. Math. 15. 1. Cor. 4. Act. 2. Ionas 3. The diuinitie The steward dshyp Psal 50. Psal 6. Ibidem 〈◊〉 Malachi â–ª 1. Math. 14 Mar. 7. Rom. 1 â–ª 1. Cor. 1â— Ibidem Act. 9 Rom. 10. Iacob 1. Psal 11â— 1. Cor. 2 Io. 4. 1 Thes 4. Heb 13 1 Reg 15 Matth. 5. 1 Cor. 11. 1. Timot. 2. Luc 24 Act. 2â— Luc. 24 â–ª IoaÌ„ 6. Note this difference howe thynges may be called be necessary in relatioÌ„ whiche els might be omytted Matt. 27. Mar. 15. Ioan. 19. Esa 55 1 Cor 14â— Eccle 2. Doynge is the meane â—waye to knowledge 1 Cor 8.