Testament wherein there remaineth not anie more question of shadowes and figures and wherein if it bee nothing but a sillie sleight representation if it be nothing but an intricate and infolded thing if it bee not altogether plaine and cleare assuredlie wee may bee bolde to say and that without any doubt that it is but an humaine inuention yea and therefore that it is not there to bee found at all CHAP. III. That the pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse hath no foundation in the newe Testament OVr aduersaries say Our Lord saide to the woman of Samaria The howre is come that you shall not worship the Father anie more Iohn 4. either in this mountaine or in Ierusalem but the true worshippers shal worshippe in spirite and truth And what proue they from thence To adore say they is to sacrifice but if they said that it were to serue God they said somewhat to the purpose But yet what followeth of this Certainelie that the seruing of God shall not bee any more tyed to one place but spread all ouer the worlde according to the saying of Malachie And as assuredlie that in steade of the more carnall manner of seruice wherewith he was serued vnder the law hee shall hereafter bee spirituallie serued and in a worde that after the materiall sacrifices as saye the Fathers the spirituall sacrifices shall succeede Saint Augustine sayeth Doest thou seeke for anie holy place August in Iohan t. 15. make thy selfe in thine inwarde partes a Temple vnto God for the Temple of God is holie and that are you Wouldest thou pray in a Temple Pray within thy selfe c. chaunging all this outward and materiall seruice into an inwarde and spiritual Cyrill Cyrill in Ioan. l. 2. c. 93. He signifieth and setteth forth the time of his comming which chaungeth the figures of the lawe into truth the shadowes into a spirituall seruice according to the doctrine of the Gospell c. And Origen in like manner Chrysost aduers Iud. hom 2. Chrysostome sayeth That is there shall bee no more Sacrifices nor Priesthoode neyther yet kingdome in Iudea that so they may bee wayned from the receiued custome of the necessitie of worshipping in one certaine place and to bring them to a kinde of seruice that is more spirituall and full of Maiestie Idem de cruce de spiritu hom 3. in hom veniet hora c. In like manner expounding this place in an Homilie for the purpose hee coulde not finde anie Sacrifice but that of prayer grounded vppon the doctrine of veritie neither anie worde tending that waye Cardinall Caietan in the same sence In spirite that is to saye not in the Mountaine not at Ierusalem not in anie one certaine place nor with a temporall seruice but with an inwarde and spirituall c. And in faith that is in knowledge c. Ferus likewise In spirite in asmuch as they shall haue receiued the spirite of adoption crying in him Abba Father In truth in asmuch as they shall call vppon him in his Sonne which is Truth it selfe Offering sayeth hee afterwarde no more anie quicke or liue creatures but their owne bodies in Sacrifice a holie oblation and offering and not the Sacrifice of the Masse But how will they possibly now frame themselues to make their conclusions from this place God shall bee adored and serued in spirite no more in one place but euerie where no more in the sacrificing of beastes but in the sacrificing of our selues Therefore the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the sinnes of men therefore the Masse must bee saide euerie where c. But they come nearer vnto the point and giue an instance from the institution of the holy supper and this is also our proper part and possession It is said Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Doe this in remembrance of mee and to doe in the scripture signifieth sometimes to sacrifice Therefore the matter here in hand must needes bee a sacrifice And our Lord had taken the bread and the cup and had saide This is my bodie This is my blood therefore he did sacrifice vnder the kindes of bread and wine his body and his blood vnto God his Father and by vertue of these wordes iuioyneth all succeeding Priestes to doe the like a worlde of errors cauillations and false surmises in a verie few wordes And the long time since they were confuted and ouerthrowne in all these their argumentes might haue bin sufficient to haue caused them to cease from the vsing of thē any more Facere in Latine signifieth to sacrifice but by an abridging of the language to doe some holie thing but that this is more vsuall in the writinges and workes of Poets then of Orators and that seldome not often and onely then when the mater in question doth manifestlie appeare to be about a sacrifice as I say may euidentlie bee seene needeth not to be gessed at And here therefore we stand vppon the quite contrarie As that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is neuer vsed to sacrifice as far off is faire in the French tongue but the Euangelists and Apostles writ in Greeke So that the controuersie here is about an ordinarie or common and not anie picked or vnwonted phrase the contention is not euidentlie and manifestlie of a sacrifice for it is so farre from apparatiues as that the sharpest sighted Fathers did know nothing therof And further the Hebrew word Asa and how much more the Greeke doth neuer signifie to sacrifice but when a sacrifice or oblation doth follow it as facere haedum agnū c. or facere haedo agno c. to offer a kyd a lambe c. their interlineall Glose is not acquainted with this subtill shift Hoc facite that is saith it At oft as you shal eate this bread and drinke this cup shew forth the death of the Lord vntill his comming But let vs admit that it is so Hoc facite sacrifice this what shall we make then of it To sacrifice the bodie of Christ But Christ saith Which is giuen for you and to giue is not to sacrifice Wherefore it is not the same action which Christ performed for a man to sacrifice if Christ did not sacrifice And afterwarde Which is giuen that is which is now at this present instant giuen and deliuered vp to bee crucified for vs. The olde translation approued by the Councell of Trent hath translated it Dabitur and not Datur referring the same to his suffering vpon the Crosse and not to the holy supper Chrysostome and Origen Dabitur effundetur which shal be giuen which shall bee shedde and offered vppe And Chrysostome addeth the reason how that for the comforte of his Disciples our Lord taught them that his passion was the mysterie of the saluation of mankind the Masse also enemie vnto it selfe in this point hath read it so Let vs say then that these wordes Hoc facite haue relation to the institution of
Saint Ambrose saide to the water of baptisme O water which washest the worlde by the bloude of Christ which hast merited that is to say hast beene made worthie to bee a Sacrament of Christ c. shall hee be thought to haue adored shall he be iudged to haue transubstantiated it into Christ And when their pretended Amphilochius crieth O worshipfull and reuerende conception meaning of the virgine make vs inheritors of eternall life preserue thy people and thine heritage c. shall hee haue crowned this conception with the Godhead And when themselues say to the oyle Aue sanctum oleum sanctam Chrisma I salute thee O holy oyle or holy vnction To the Crosse Aue Rex noster due spes vnica I salute and pray God blesse thee O our King our onelie hope shall they bee thought to haue really transubstantiated him Nay rather let them acknowledge that this place concludeth nothing Epiphan in Anchor let them remember that Epiphanius did heretofore name this mysterie vnto vs An insensible thing that Pachymeres compareth it to Nazianzene his Passeouer And therefore that this manner of speech is an Apostrophe a Rhetoricall figure that in other points they do not agree amongst themselues as whether the body of Christ be there dead or aliue hauing a soule or not hauing a soule sensible or insensible c. And therefore that they are first to agree themselues before they go about to fortifie themselues from this place Origen When saith hee thou eatest and drinkest the bodie and bloud of our Lorde Orig. in diuers euang loc hom 5. the Lorde entereth in and commeth vnder thy roofe and therefore humble thy selfe with the Centurion c. Hee meaneth then that the Sacrament is adored and then he meaneth also that wee adore the Saintes that is to say vertuous people when they come to see vs. For hee teacheth in the same place two waies by which Christ entreth into the faithfull the one when the Minister of the Church visiteth them the other when they receiue the incorruptible meat of the Sacrament And this is that which he saith elsewhere That God is in vs by the preaching of the Apostles and by the Sacrament of his bloud Idem Lom â— And that this visitation is wrought in vs by the word and spirit he declareth and maketh plaine there also Speake onely the word saith he come onely with thy word Thy word is a looking glasse it is a perfect worke shew forth in this thy bodily absence the power of thy spirit c. If then according to Origen wee ought to adore the Sacraments and ministers then with as good right such men as are godly and vertuous but if these then it must be onely with a ciuill worship and adoration and so must that wherewith wee worship the other And if the adoration due to God alone being giuen to good men maketh idolatrie then also if it be giuen to Sacraments or ministeres or els this place concludeth nothing Chrysostome The wise men worshipped this bodie in the manger Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. they worshipped it with feare and trembling Let vs at the least follow these barbarous and rude men wee which are citizens of heauen He speaketh of the bodie of Christ represented in the Sacrament and exhorteth the people to come thereunto with reuerence But the wise men verily did not worship him as God but as a king And therefore this is but to returne to that which Saint Clement sayeth Clem. l. 2. constit Draw neere vnto this Sacrament with the same reuerence that you would doe vnto a King that is to say vnto some honorable person He addeth Thou seest him not in the armes of a woman but thou seest the Minister present the spirite aboundantly shedde vppon this sacrifice The Priest verily with the eyes of the bodie but the spirite with the eyes of the spirite For was it not more readie otherwise if hee had had any such purpose to say as following the opposition Not in the armes of a woman but in the handes of a Priest Not the spirite shedde vppon the thinges set before them that is to say vppon the Sacraments But Christ sacrificed himselfe But the coherence and scope of the matter doth carrie vs to conceiue That Chrysostome laboured to raise the heartes of those that were present from base and lowe thinges vnto high and heauenly thinges when hee saith vnto them That there are not anie but Eagles that approach and come neere vnto this bodie Those saith hee that haue nothing to doe with the earth that haue the eyes of the vnderstanding sharpe clearely seeing and bent vpon the Sunne of righteousnesse Hee transporteth and conueigheth them as much as in him lyeth aboue the heauens when hee sayeth vnto them also Wee must with the wise men worship this bodie This bodie verilie which is no more on earth but on high at the right hand of God And then verilie after all these Hyperboles in spirite and not in bodie that is saith hee In as much as this mysterie causeth that the earth is a heauen vnto thee that the gates of heauen are open vnto thee that thou hast accesse and entrance thereinto c. And afterward how Verily In purging thy soule in preparing thy spirite to receiue these mysteries to see touch and eate this bodie After the same manner verilie that Saint Ierome saide of Paula Thou hast offered by faith the same offeringes that the wise men did offer thou hast worshipped with them God in the cribbe Chrysost in Lithurg c. But say they hee prayeth vnto him in his Liturgie I meane that which is attributed vnto him as Christ truely and not the Sacrament Heare saith hee O Lorde from the seate of the glorie of thy kingdome which art set with the father who aidest succourest and relieuest vs here below inuisiblie c. O Lord haue pittie vppon mee poore sinner c. Here I appeale to their owne consciences whether hee frame this his prayer vnto God or the Sacrament Is this to draw vs to gaze and looke vpon the Altar or to raise vs vp vnto the heauens of heauens Saint Ambrose Ambr. de spirit sanct l. 3. c. 12. Psal 95. 98. Worship his footstoole that is the flesh of Christ saith he which we worship in the mysteries which the Apostles worshipped in Iesus c. And Saint Augustine in like manner No man eateth this flesh except hee haue first worshipped it Who doubteth that wee ought to worshippe the flesh of Christ Christ inseparablie God and man Who doubteth likewise that no man can eate this flesh if hee haue not first worshipped it worshipped it by a true faith worshipped it with heart and affection c. But wee worshippe it after the same manner that wee eate it Wee eate it as wee take it and wee take it as wee touch it In truth but in spirite in spirite but in truth And God forbid that
from the Gospel the same is not ioyned to the Church for this is all one saith he after the maner whereby Antichrist was brought in vnder the name of Christ by counterfetting things likely thereby subtilly to frustrate the truth where as it had behooued him to haue returned to the originall of truth haue hasted back to the spring-head to see at what place the pipes conueying the water vnto vs were broken by this meanes to haue lent his eare vnto the doctrine of the heauenly Master For saith Nazianzene vnto the Arrians The church is not defined by multitude if they haue the people we haue the faith if they haue the golde and siluer we haue the true doctrine succession must be valued by pietie and not by Sea or seate Who so retaineth the same doctrine of faith hee possesseth the same Sea as he that retaineth the contrarie in the same Sea is to be helde as an enemy Because saith Saint Chrysostome The Church consisteth not in walles but in faith so that where faith is there the Church is where faith is not there the Church is not This is the true Ierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures As also saith he he goeth not out from the Church that goeth out from the bodie but rather he that forsaketh the spirit the foundation of the ecclesiasticall truth We then saith he are gone out from them in respect of the place but they froÌ„ vs in respect of faith we haue left with them the foundations of the walles but they haue left with vs the foundations of the Scriptures Saint Ambrose Christ alone is he whom no man ought to forsake or change away to whom it is by good right said Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of life It is then giuen vs in charge aboue all things to seeke out the faith of the Church in which if Christ dwell howe that then wee must make choise thereof namely for our habitation but if wee finde therein either an vnfaithfull people or an hereticall teacher that spoileth the dwelling such Synagogue is to be auoided And if to be briefe a Church forsake the faith it behooueth vs to forsake and abandon it c. And he yeeldeth a reason Christ saith he is the rocke Petra non Petrus S. Ambr. l. 1 de paenit c. 9. the foundation of the Church that is faith if thou be in the rocke thou art also in the church But to the end we may not take one rocke for another Know saith he that they which haue not Peters faith can neither haue Peters portion and inheritance Saint Ierome expounding the Creede He hath not said I beleeue in the holie catholike church but I beleeue the holie church The holie church is that which keepeth the faith of Christ in the integritie and soundnesse thereof It consisteth not of walles but vpon the veritie of doctrine VVhere faith is there is it also and there it was at such time as heretikes possessed all these churches In Psal 133. VVouldst thou enter into this church and that by the right way In Psal 5. It is the reading of the Scriptures Do thou O Lord so lay out and fit my way as that I may not fall or take offence in these Scriptures seeing that by them I desire to enter into thy church Yea saith he these Scriptures they are the kingdome of God himselfe In S. Mat c. 21. And when it is said that the Lord hath translated the kingdom of heauen from the Iewes vnto vs it is as much as to say that he hath taken the Scriptures from them to giue them vnto vs. In them saith Saint Augustine we finde Christ in them wee are to seeke and search for the Church in them and by them it is shewed vnto vs. Aug de vnit Eccles And let vs not once imagine that we haue and hold the church because we are in that wherein Ambrosius or Optatus haue beene before vs no nor yet because there are miracles wrought therein for euen our Lord himselfe woulde that his disciples should be confirmed by the Scriptures more then by any other meanes and of that nature are the titles precepts and foundations of our cause Cont. Petil. l. 3. c. 6. in Psalm 69. If then saith he there be any question either of Christ or of the church or of any thing whatsoeuer that belongeth either to life or faith cursed bee hee that goeth out of the Scriptures To the ende that thou maist not be deceiued and that no man may cause thee to take him for Christ that is not Christ that for the church which should not be the church hearken vnto the voice of the shepheard he hath shewed himselfe vnto thee he hath shewed thee the church In Ioh. ser 131 My sheepe heare my voyce c. The church is the house of God but it is not God wee beleeue the church but we beleeue not in the church It is the mother In Epist Ioh. tract 3. In Psal 103. Obpubilatur Epist 48. Sâ—rm 237. de Temp. ad Lucernam Ber. in conuer S. Paul ser 1. but the two testaments are her teates from them we must sucke the milke of all the mysteries of our saluation The Bishops may erre there haue beene of them authours both of schismes and heresies The church in like maner is sometimes eclipsed and marred with wet and tempestuous weather The surest course is to make the Scriptures our looking-glasse as also for vs to walke in the torch-light of the scriptures O Lord our good God said Saint Bernard such as seeme to holde the Primacie in the church Iâ— Cant. ser 76 are the formost most forward to persecute thee It is not inough for such as should be our guard and watchmen to giue ouer their care of protection and vigilancie except they further worke our spoile At the least saith he elsewhere let him abound in his sense vnderstanding that will Epist 77. but as for vs I could wish that they would let vs abound in the sense of the Scriptures In the meane time Durand appellat mensuram fidei in prefat Sentent Thomas regulam intel ectus in â— ad Tim. cap. 6 lect 1. Scot. mensur Theol. in l. 1. Sent. q. 1 Gerson regulaÌ„ fid de coÌ„munic sub vtraque against these Scriptures the law of the Church the measure of faith the rule and bridle of all maner of vnderstanding I speake according to the Schoolemen themselues Thomas Durand Scotus Gerson c. These miserable Doctors and teachers either of this world or of the Prince of this world enemies of the true light children of darknesse seeing they please themselues so greatly therein doe not cease to furnish vs with appeales being imployed euer and anon more in making of such then of any other bookes So that if we had nothing else against them but that we might iustly suspect
ad Thess hom 3. in Gen. hom 13. in S Iohn hom â—6 in Esay c. 1. in proaem in Ep. ad Rom. in S. Mat. hom 49. in S. Ioh. hom 58. in S. Mat. hom 22. The Euangelicall Apostolicall and Propheticall bookes do plainly teach vs what we are to beleeue concerning diuine things Saint Chrysostome All things are cleare in the scriptures they declare themselues not suffering any man to erre The truth lieth not hidden or obscure therein except it be vnto such as will not search for it As the light is to the eie so is the law of God vnto our spirits such as looke not therto doe walke in darknesse Our whole mischiefe is for that we reade it not that same which is a doore by which doe enter both the sheepe and the shepheardâ— more necessarie for the simple idiot then for the learned doctor To be short in that confusion which shall happen vnder Antichrist we shall not be able to tell whither to haue recourse but to the Scriptures and there are none but those which are of a peruerse heart that doe not vnderstand the mysteries being such as in whom the spirit of truth resteth not There might a whole volume be compiled of the like places Epiphanius All things are cleare and euident in the Scriptures to such as with a holie discourse according to reason will heare the worde of God Epipha haeres 69. 70. Hieronym in Matt c. 22. In Esay c. 8. Saint Ierome They erre because they know not the Scriptures and seeing they are ignorant in them they know not the power of God c. If we follow not the testimonies conteined in them darknesse will oppresse vs and ouerrun our doctrine c. Saint Augustine against the Donatists Augu. de vnit eccles c. 5. Let vs make choise of the plaine and manifest places for if they should not be found such in the Scriptures in vain should it be said that wee shall finde in them to lay open the things shut vp to make cleare such as are dark and obscure Again Epist 3. There is not any such great difficultie in the Scriptures to come by the things necessarie vnto saluation the making likewise whereby they are wouen set togither is to be come by of all There is matter fitting all sorts of spirits as to correct the peruerse Praua parua to nourish the weake and yong nouices and to delight such as are growne old and great In the things that are manifestlie apparant in the Scriptures De peccat melitis l. 2. c. vit are clearlie founde to be all those which concern faith maners When we reason of any thing that is verie obscure if wee bee not helped by the cleare testimonie of the Scriptures man must be curbed and kept short for presuming too farre De doct Christian l. 2. c. 6. The holie Ghost hath in such sort qualified them as that in the cleare places they feede our hungrie appetite and in the obscure they sharpen our dull taste wee are refreshed with the things that are cleare and set on worke by the obscure and darke The profoundnesse of this worde sharpneth De verb. dom serm 11. de verb. Apost serm 13. and setteth an edge vpon our indeuours neither doth it for all that denie vs the vnderstanding thereof c. Now if thou thinke to inferre hereupon then there is obscuritie therein and of this obscuritie to conclude either an impossibilitie of vnderstanding of them or else a secking of something therein that is not there to be found De verb. Apo. Serm. 13. To the one he answereth thee The euill spirit hateth vnderstanding for feare that by vnderstanding he should be forced to do and practise according thereunto Planissime De doct Christian l. 2. c. 6. And to the other That out of all these obscurities there is not almost any thing gathered that is not elsewhere deliuered in verie plaine and cleare sort In briefe to the ende thou maist not bring in any distinction betwixt the word written and vnwritten where as the Psalmist saith Thy worde is a torch vnto my feete c. This is saith he that worde which is contained in the holy Scriptures And againe The faithful that cleaueth to them cannot be dazeled with the iniquitie of the world no more then the starres fixed and set in the firmament which cannot haue their light put out by the night So farre is it from him as our aduersaries doe to terrifie the fathfull with going about to make them afraid of it by reason of the obscuritie that is therein Yet so it is But there are darke places 2. Pet. 3. will you say as that there are difficult things in the Scripture for S. Peter likewise saith That in the Epistles of Saint Paule there are c. And what booke is there in any maner of facultie whatsoeuer which hath not some yea and many moe But if thou hadst diligently read this text and well weighed the Relatiue it would haue appeared that he saith not that the Epistles of Saint Paul are difficult but cortaine things in certaine points which he handleth in them And indeed what higher thing is there then the mysterie of our saluation or more profoundly expounded What thing more obscure then that of the Trinitie or more clearlie vttered But thou shouldest therewithall haue added that which followeth That the ignorant and vnstable doe wrest them as they also doe other places of Scripture to their owne destruction Verilie for these obscurities the Fathers did not driue Christians from the Scriptures but rather encouraged them to labour therein so much the more Iren. l. 3. c. 12. contr haeres You haue say they vnto vs this furtherance that there is not anie contrarietie therein and further that one place may expound but not make more intricate an other If we could but say as much of the Bookes of other sciences wherein so many contradictions as also antinomies doe encounter and crosse one another how manie difficulties should we auoide how much of our way and trauaile might we thinke our selues to haue gained Lib. 2. c. 46. contr hâ—res Irenaeus saith The whole Scripture which God hath giuen vs will be found to agree togither the things spoken manifestly do expound the parables therein Ambr. in psal 119. serm 8. c. Saint Ambrose There is much obscuritie in the Scriptures but if thou knocke with the hande of thy Spirit at their gate thou shalt begin to gather the reason of that which is there said and it will be set open vnto thee not by any other means then the word it selfe Augu. de doct Christian l. 2. c. 25. Iren. l. 2. c. 46. contr haeres Basil in Aseeticis 267. Aug Ep. 48 de doctrina Christiana l 2. c. 6. S. August To illustrate the obscure maners of speaking let vs take our paternes from the manifest ones
and so of plaine and euident sentences for the opening of the hidden couert ones But otherwise if vnder the colour of obscuritie thou labor to gather any point of new doctrine Irenaeus will say vnto thee Thou must reason from the cleare places of the Scripture and not from parables Saint Basil The things that may seeme darkly spoken in one place are most cleare in another Saint Augustine Who is so impudent as to expound anie place of Scripture for himselfe by an Allegorie if he haue not an other verie cleare place in the Scripture which may make it plaine Seeing likewise saith he in another place That of all that which is obscure therein Lomb. l. 3. d. 5 there riseth not any thing almost but that which is cleare elsewhere Lombard Tho. in Sum. q. 147. art 10. Pet. de Alliac Where as the Scripture is silent it will be good for vs not to affirme any thing Thomas Thou canst not reason from an Allegoricall sense c. To be briefe the Cardinall Alliaco That the scripture is a lampe that giueth light and that wee must haue recourse thither to haue saluation Gerson That an idiot a woman yea a childe Gers de Script de exa doct Pic. in Quest an Papa sup Concil are better to be beleeued alledging the Scripture then the Pope and a whole Councell And the Counte Iohannes Picus Mirandula after the same manner So farre off were these men who yet were the lights of their time from this darke opinion sprung no doubt out of the pit of vtter darknesse That the Scriptures were not any thing but darknesse But in a word the mischiefe is for that we will finde it difficult because that in the clearnesse thereof it is impossible for vs to finde out our inuentions obscure because that our traditions cannot stand before this light and imperfect because that neither by it nor before it we are able to defend our imperfections Yet so it is that our aduersaries replie that there are controuersies amongst vs that wee cannot agree of the expounding of the places which are alledged respectiuely How they must be expounded and therefore who shall expound them vnto vs who shall cause vs to admit of one exposition more then of another Let vs striue thitherward hauing Gods grace to assist vs let vs come thereto with the Zeale of his glorie the loue of the truth and the desire of saluation and then a meane knowledge ioyned with a good conscience would speedily attaine the ende And for some small taste thereof may it please the reader to examine certaine rules that follow being those which the auncient fathers doe teach vs. The first is That we be agreed vpon the Canonicall Scriptures thereby to auoyde the confounding of them with the Apocrypha that is To agree of the bookes called Canonical of the setting downe of the spirit of God for iudge rightlie discerned and distinguished from euerie spirit of man for humane scripture after the maner of monie is so much the more hurtfull and damnable by how much the coine that it hath counterfeited is the better and hereof the olde Church hath had a speciall regard I call this the first because that by this doore it did perceiue both vanities and heresies to enter into the Church vnder a fained name of our Lord and his Apostles They tell vs that the Scripture is the ballance the rule and the squire c. Hieronym ad Laetam And therefore to render to things their weight measure and streightnesse it is necessarie that it should be iust And this is that which S. Ierome telleth vs Let vs looke vnto our selues to beware of the Apocrypha bookes and if we will reade them c. let vs know that they are not theirs by whose names they are called that many faultie things are mingled there amongst that it craueth a singular prudencie in him that looketh to gather golde out of mud and in a worde that we must not reade them ad dogmatum veritatem for the confirming of doctrines So farre off is he from beeing of iudgement that wee shoulde rake togither the dregges of all manner of such Authours from all parts therewith to defile the Church And in another place In Symb. Ruf. in Praefat in Prou. in Reg. in prolog Galeato Hiberas naemas Certaine peruerse men to strengthen their opinions haue inserted vnder the name of holie personages things that they neuer writ and notwithstanding there are some which preferre these Hiberian fables before the Authētike bookes And this is the cause why S. August doth presse the heretikes continually with the Canonicall Bookes and refuseth the Apocrypha wherin they did their whole indeuour to ground themselues Let vs lay aside both on the one part the other that which we produce frō elswhere then out of the Canonicall bookes let vs shewe forth the holy Church by the holy Oracles let vs search for it in the holie Canonicall Scriptures c. To them I yeeld this honour that their Authour could not erre any maner of way the others I read in such sort how holy or lerned soeuer they might be as that I beleeue them not in that which they say because they say it but because they perswade me either by the Canonicall bookes or else by probable reason c. And therefore he saith further Ep. 19. ad Hieronym l. 2. con Dona. c. 3. con Faust l. 11. c. 5. The aduised searcher of the holy Scriptures shall reade them first all ouer but those onely which are called Canonicall for then he shall be able to reade the others more safely being alreadie instructed in the faith of the truth for feare that otherwise they might forestall and get the aduantage of a weake spirit abuse it with dangerous lies infect it with some preiudicate opinion cōtrarie to sound vnderstanding Lib. de Ciuit. Dei c. 15.23 For although therin be found some truth notwithstanding because of many vntruthes they are vtterly without all Canonicall authoritie And in the meane time what impudencie is it to go about to make him to giue credit to the decree by committing the offence of a most notorious lie D. 9. c. in Canonicis acknowledged also by Alphonsus of Castres to haue said That the Decretall Epistles of the Bishops of Rome are of the same authoritie Cyril Hierosol Catech. 4. that the Canonicall Scriptures Cyrill Patriarke of Ierusalem Studie these Scriptures onely which wee boldly and confidently reade in the Church but haue not any thing to doe with the Apocrypha Nazian de veris Scripturae libris Nazianzene In them wee see the light c. But to the ende that the bookes that are excluded from thence may not deceiue thee learne to know the true and legitimate number c. If you find any other then those holde them for base and bastardlie ones Yea and this was one of
Of the vnperfect worke vpon Saint Mathew wherein Arianisme sheweth it selfe most euidently howsoeuer notwithstanding condemned and conuinced by Chrysostome in all his bookes c. The Liturgie how can it proceede from S. Iames seeing it euery where speaketh of this worde Consubstantiall a name in his time not heard of in the Church The booke of the Hierarchie how can that be made by S. Denys at least the Areopagite seeing it citeth Clement Alexandrinus Or that of Christian questions Iustine Martyrs seeing it speaketh of the Manichies De variis quaest q. 23. Or how can that of diuerse Questions bee made by Athenasius seeing it alledgeth Athanasius the great That of the calling of the Gentiles by S. Ambrose seeing it speaketh of the Pelagians Those by Clement Abdias and Iulianus Africanus which are full of Temples of Altars and of Porches of Sextens chambers seeing they were built in the honour of Saint Iohn at Ephesus That of the Resurrection in Ethiopia that by the commaundement of S. Mathew in a time when al Christendome dreamed of nothing but Martyrdome When as there was nothing more busily prouided then pyles of wood to burne the Apostles and their disciples withall And when they prepared nothing but Theaters from whence the people might behold them deuoured of wilde beasts And yet forsooth these are the goodlie bookes whereto our aduersaries for the most part doe appeale for ayde and that oftentimes in those things which haue beene the cause why they were condemned of falshood and which haue caused the Church to account of them but as fables But after all who knoweth not how greatly the heretikes haue giuen themselues to falsifie thē how greatly they haue bestirred themselues to slip in either some of their heresies S. Hieronym in Symb. Ruff. as Ruffinus witnesseth in the bookes of Clement and S. Ierome in many others or of their Traditions as it is easie to be obserued in those of the Montanists And if further according to the measure of the growth and getting of foote of errours in Christendome the Church of Rome haue beene also carefull as we haue seene at Trent to cut off or alter in the bookes of the Fathers what soeuer might be founde to impugne their superstitions and who can doubt of this practise to haue beene followed for the space of many ages hauing beene guided by one and the same spirit who shall be able to assure himselfe of the truth sinceritie and naturalnesse euen of the most legitimate Seeing in Gratian his Decretall wee may marke so manie places of the Fathers and Councels notoriouslie corrupted according as the authoritie of the Pope or powerfulnesse of deceipt did growe in the Church and tempered ad sensum currentem as they call it according to the disease of the time and course of the Market Seeing by name in the Copies of Beda and Theophylact who are of the time when the doctrine of the Eucharist began to varie we perceiue by the comparing of them with old bookes found in Monasteries places concerning this matter either gelded or cut out or added and augmented And thus also it is euen at this day wherein great personages haue complained themselues how they haue beene driuen to labour to discerne and finde out for vs the stiles and spirits of writers from whose paines taken herein wee may ease our selues in the practising of this rule And let this bee saide for no other ende then of manie to giue an example in some few particulars of the cursed practises that Sathan hath continued in the Church for the bringing in of his errours vnder the name of the most approoued Teachers And this verilie not newe or straunge seeing that euen presently after the life time of the Apostles if Saint Iohn who ouerliued them had not prouided against it he had fathered some vpon Saint Paule Saint Peter and certaine others and those also of the peregrination of Saint Paul and Thecla which our aduersaries at this day labour to raise againe out of the graue and to set in their former liuelihood and credite The third is That we marke diligently if the father or ancient Doctor which we handle To consider well if such father haue vsed a good translation haue followed a sound translation haue well vnderstood the words and phrase of the Text in controuersie or not for for example what apparance is there that the Commentaries of S. Hillarie or of S. Gregorie vpon Iob of S. Ambrose S. Augustine or S. Bernard vpon the Psalmes can alwaies reach vnto the sense and meaning when they haue vsed a translation wherein there are almost as many faults as words That S. Anselme or S. Gen. 3. Bernard should be able to gather good doctrine from that place in the translation of Genesis Ipsa conteret caput Serpentis the woman and not Christ shall breake the Serpents head Gen. 4 Or out of that other Gen. 4. Quam vt veniam merear from whence our aduersaries gather the doctrine of merit There where it is My punishment is greater then that I can beare Whereas then we shall find that a Father shall haue followed a false translation we shall not possiblie be able to come by a true exposition so that in such case we are to preferre and make more account of the least that shall haue had it right then him who shall haue followed the false following the precept which they themselues did giue vs here tofore That we are not to rest vpon the Latine translation but to haue recourse vnto the originall and fountaine whether Hebrew or Greeke And now behold the fourth which is that when we are once agreed of the literall sense we should weigh the expositions of the Fathers the Interpreters both in the ballance of the Scripture and in the analogie of faith respect their pietie doctrine and time wherein they liue and receiue their opinions with reuerence whether they shall be differing or agreeing in one or arising from diuerse and sundrie persons let vs preferre that which is spoken in handling the place of purpose before that which is spoken in touching of it by the waye that which is saide in teaching familiarly before that which may bee spoken rhetoricallie as it somtimes falleth out in preaching that which is spoken affirmatiuely before that which is spoken doubtfully that which is spoken from the proper sense of the Authour before that which is spoken by imitating of another that which is gathered from the literall sense before that which is drawne from some allegoricall sense which proueth not and aboue all that which is spoken of some place in cōtrouersie before the controuersie rise at such time as there is nothing sought after therein but the simple truth yea or otherwise after it hath beene argued when as we shall haue searched out thereof for the fortifying of our opinion Here also will occasion be administred to put difference betwixt the Fathers according to the degree
is swaruing and degenerating from the other wee must first consider after what manner the holy Supper was instituted that holy Supper which is the sacrament of the new Testament and succeeded the feast of the Passeouer which was the Sacrament of the olde that holy supper which is the true commemoration and memoriall of the sacrifice of the lambe without spot or blemish slaine for our sinnes the figure and representation whereof had before beene liuely set out in the Paschall lambe For we do altogether agree in this all the sort of vs that as the law was ordained to leade vs to grace Moses and the Prophets to bring vs to Christ euen so all the propitiatorie sacrifices of the law were to fit and to prepare vs for the laying holde vppon that true and onely propitiatorie the very lambe which taketh vpon him the sinnes of the worlde And all the sacrifices of thankesgiuing likewise which were offered for the acknowledgement of temporall benefites serued to stirre vs vp to the consideration of this great and vnspeakeable spirituall benefite which it pleased God according to the riches of his mercie to manifest and lay open in his Sonne And therefore as we must come to the knowledge of the Masse by the holy Supper so to that of the holy Supper by the Passeouer the holy Supper hauing succeeded the Passeouer by the institution of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Masse in the Church of Rome hauing taken vp the place of the holy supper through the corruption which hath beene brought in by the See and gouernment of Antichrist Behold therefore the institution of the Passeouer in Exodus Pharao perseuering in his rebelliousnes Exod. 1◠That the holy Supper came in place of the Passeouer God declared vnto Moses that he would roote out all the first borne of Egypt yet neuerthelesse to the end he might put some difference betwixt the vessels of his wrath and those of his mercie he would spare the first borne of Israell spare them I say not because of any their merites but for his owne compassions sake through the fauour purchased by the lambe slaine for sinne from the foundation of the world Wherefore hee ordained that in euerie familie betwixt two euens a lambe without spot for a type and figure of the true and verie lambe should bee killed and eaten that with the bloode thereof the postes of the houses of his people should be sprinckled to the end that the destroying Angell might passe ouer as an euident warning and admonition that whereas this blood was not sprinkled what familie or person soeuer it might be there was nothing but matter for his wrathfull anger to worke and feede vpon that moreouer this killing of this lambe should bee renewed euery yeare and that for euer to teach and instruct the ages to come as well in the memorie of the benefites alreadie receiued as in the expectation and faithfull looking for of greater that were to come and to be receiued Now in this institution wee haue both a Sacrament and a sacrifice to consider and thinke vpon In the Passeouer is a Sacrament and a sacrifice The Sacrament giuen of God vnto his people for a seale and assurance of his promise and of the fulfilling of the same for to this end are the Sacraments giuen of God vnto his people when he saith And this blood shal be for a signe vnto you in your houses that when I shall see it I will passe-ouer and that there shall not be any deadly stroke amongst you when I shall smite Egypt A sacrifice offred vp to God by his people for as properly are sacrifices offered vp to God by the people as Sacramentes come from God are giuen to the people as is witnessed when he saith And this day shall be for a memoriall vnto you and you shall keepe holy this feast in your generations in as much as God smote Egipt and passed notwithstanding ouer our houses c. Such a Sacrament notwithstanding as leadeth vs from this lambe vnto another lambe from this blood vnto an other bloode and from this temporall effectualnesse vnto a spirituall in as much as it is chosen without spotte it is for a signe of our Redeemer his innocencie and in that it is slaine it serueth vs for a signe of his death and passion in that it is eaten it is a signe to vs of that life and nourishment which wee draw from his death and of our communicating of his flesh and of his bloode as being bone of his bones flesh of his flesh c. And a Sacrifice also which besides that it is truely and verily one of the number of those which were of praise and thankesgiuing ceaseth not neuerthelesse any manner of way to hold the place of a propitiatorie seeing that this lambe offered by the father of the familie doth prefigure vnto vs the lambe which the heauenly father did sacrifice vpon the tree of the crosse for the saluation of such as were of his houshould through faith and our Propitiation in his bloode as it is expounded by S. Iohn the fore-runner Ioh. 1.19 Behold the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And by the Euangelist in better forme referring and applying that to the substance and truth which was ordained and decreed of the type and figure To the end saith he that the Scripture might be fulfilled There shall not one of his bones be broken Now our Lord the true and verie lambe The same in the holy Supper to what end which came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it kept the feast of the typicall or figuratiue lambe with his disciples both according to this institution as also according to all the circumstances thereof Hee kept it I say the fourteenth day of the moneth beginning at the euening according to the order of the Hebrewes the first day of vnleauened bread betwixt two euens that is to say betwixt the euening Sacrifice and the Sunne-set Therein hee likewise obserued the accustomed washing excepted onely that hee therewithall endeuoured to draw men euermore from the naked ceremony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the doctrine contained therin there he taught vs humilitie washing the feet of his disciples whose dutie it was without all doubt to haue washed his Thereat after Supper he distributed and gaue the bread and the cup from hand to hand vnto his Apostles as he was wont to do vpon that day among the Iewes in a certaine kind of collation which they call Aphicomin of the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise Kinnuah but in steed of the words which euery housholder did vtter in this distribution which intimated no other thing to those that stood by then the miseries they sustained in Egypt and Gods mercy which had deliuered them from the same our Lord in this action as oftentimes elsewhere raiseth their spirites from the type to the truth from the shadowe to the
neither Canon nor beginning nor any note or marke of any part of this Office and seruice which now they vse more then the bare words of the institution which are repeated in the same Howsoeuer that Hugo de S. Victor Hugo de Sacram altaris Gabr. Biel. lectione 36 Innoc. 3. de celeb missae c. cū Marth et ib. glossae be not ashamed to say that the Canon of the Masse is of like authoritie with the Gospell and that Gabriell Biell haue much enhaunced the same saying That that onely worde Enim which they haue added to the wordes of our Sauiour Christ cannot be left out in that place by the Priest without committing of mortall sinne CHAP. II. That the Masses fathered vpon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ are notorious and meere suppositions WHat shall become then will you say of the Masses or Lithurgies which are so confidently builded founded vpon S. Peter S. Iames S. Mathew S. Andrew S. Marke S. Denis Areopagite S. Clement c. all Apostles Euangelistes or disciples I answere that we will in this Chapter take away whatsoeuer scruple of doubtfulnes or cloude of darknes that may arise to the troubling of any mans minde about the same Onely let the readers beare about them such care and diligent watch and attention as they would do in the receiuing of some paiment least they should be deceiued with false money or as they would vse in some suit for the auoiding of counterfeit writing or false euidence yea rather a great deale more because the sonne is much greater the inheritance of a far higher nature as containing in it our title and interest vnto eternall life Assuredly if these Masses rise from such authors as are the Apostles and Euangelists there is cause for vs to yeeld stoope for they were gouerned by the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost is alwaies like himselfe and so by consequent it must follow that wee giue vnto them the honour which wee vse to giue vnto their Epistles and Gospels But if on the contrarie it will be proued very clearely that they cannot be of the Apostles or Euangelistes then let vs confesse that that which they teach is worthily to be suspected of vs to be the meere seed tares of the enuious man which bestirred himselfe in the night yea and that in most abhominable manner For as there is none so hardie as to falsifie and counterfeit the coine of the Prince but such as in whom the spirit of lying and rebellion raigneth so there cannot any be found so bold and impudent as to counterfeit the spirit of Christ the style hand of his Apostles saue such as in whom the spirit of Sathan beareth rule and sway But I speake not this vpon any conceit of these pretended Masses which can nothing preuaile against vs seeing that our aduersaries themselues dare not auouch them for authentike seeing also that there is neuer a Priest of them all amongst the Latine Churches which can perswade himself to haue made a good consecration by following of their rules seeing also that we can fortifie and strengthen our owne cause diuers sorts of waies by them seeing the confession therein is not made vnto any but vnto God alone seeing the Communion is therein administred vnto all the people and vnder both kindes and for that also that the Canon thereof is farre differing from that of the Latine and finally for that they are said in a language that is commonly vnderstood of all and for many other reasons which shall be handled in their place And that the rather in good sooth for that it is our dutie for that testimonie sake which we do owe vnto the truth to make our selues parties against them and that the more by reason of the horrible hugenes of deceiuing lies so impudently broached in the matters concerning our saluation Then let vs enter into the listes The lithurgie of S. Iames. and trie the strength of that which they pretend make shew of to haue beene done by S. Iames. S. Iames the iust say they the brother of our Lord did first set downe the Masse in writing he hath offred sacrifice after the manner of the Iewes as also after the manner of the Christians and to him alone before all or any one of the rest of the Apostles it was permitted by the Iewes because of his tribe holines of life to go into the most holy place Iudge what apparance of truth is in these assertions when as S. Iames who had seene and learned yea did teach that the onely sacrifice of our Lord Sauior Christ did put an end to all the sacrifices of the law should not yet giue ouer but continue to offer sacrifices according to the Iewish fashion and manner that the Iewes who did abhorre and detest nothing so much as the Apostles persecuting S. Iames vnto the death and Ananias still holding the place of the high Priest wold euer permit suffer him to do any such thing that as they add with the garments of the high priests but principally in cōsideration of his stock and lineage a thing making him to be so much the more suspected of the Romaines who had the gouernment ouer Iudea But still they continue their claime and say Concil Constant 2. in Trul. Canon 32. that it was alleadged in the second Councell of Constantinople against thē who did not mingle water in the Sacrament of the holy Supper Let vs adde then that this was neere vpon seuen hundred years after that Christ was ascended that of all that time it had neuer a tongue to speake Whereas of a truth if it had beene true and known so to be from of old it wold not haue beene forgotten of the former councels seeing the power and authority thereof comming from so great an Apostle would haue beene able to haue put downe and made nothing worth all the controuersies though neuer so great that were moued and raised in the same In the Councels of Ephesus the first and the second where the controuersie was handled against Eutiches and Nestorius and where the Fathers produced no proofe of antiquitie besides a certaine place out of Eusebius and Origene in which the holy virgin is called the mother of God Iudge you and thinke what aduantage they had got against Nestorius if they had had forth comming this Lithurgie wherein fiue or sixe seuerall times she is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the virgine that did beare and bring forth God namely all that which may growe from the saying and testimonie of an Apostle yea all that which the testimonie of the spirite of God is able to afforde to the establishing of the truth of a doctrine of such importance and weight as also to the authorizing of the first and principall Canon of those Councelles And yet notwithstanding some holde that Proclus Archbishop of Constantinople was present at the first and disputed against
heresie both Iesus Christ the author of the sacrament and the whole Primitiue Church but hee was intreated to doe it by the fathers of this Councell two yeares after this decree for the iustifying and confirming of the same after the best manner that hee was able And this he performed to the vttermost that hee could as may appeare by the proude arrogant and presumptuous clauses hee inserted into the same to the offending of all Christendome therewithall Licet Christus aliter instituerit licet Primitiua ecclesia aliter obseruauit howbeit that Christ haue otherwise instituted it The foolish reasons of the Councell Can. Interrogo vos D. de Consecrat 6. and the Primitiue Church otherwise obserued it c. and that with this Notwithstanding following vpon the said clauses and a little more grounded vpon the reasons of these good fathers alleadged in the saide Councell which are those that follow The first That a licour may be shed S. Augustine in like manner saith that the bread may fall and is hee therefore of iudgement that it ought to be cut off and not at any time to be vsed in the sacrament Secondly That it cannot be carried without daunger neither indeed was it euer ordained to bee carried and the Churches which carried the same to the sicke did neuer busie or trouble their mindes with this inconuenience Thirdly That it might be frosen in winter and that it might turne and become tart in summer And thus it was subiect to do during those 1200. yeares wherein it was vsed and yet not a word in all the old fathers to bee seene concerning these questions Quid siacescat quid si congelescat aut computrescat c. Fourthly That it may hurt and annoy the heart after that so many people haue drunke of it but in the Primitiue Church they vsed to communicate as oft and oftner and in greater multitude Fifthly That in some countries wine is not to be come by but either at a very deare rate or otherwise very hardly Neither was it lesse deare or scarce amongst the Christians in the Primitiue Church Sixtly That whiles it was practised the laitie did touch the cuppe Where are they forbidden to touch it seeing they are bidden to take it Seuenthly That some haue ouer long beards and that other some haue the Palsey c. How much more tollerable were it to cut off the beard then the cup and to supplie the infirmities of such as haue the Palsey rather then to cut off the perfection of the sacrament And who seeth not that all these reasons are hatcht vnder the hen of Transubstantiation vnknowne vnto the whole Church for euer before The eight That the dignitie of the Priests and of the laitie by this should be all alike where haue they euer read that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles did make any distinction or difference in the sacrament The ninth Men would then co nceiue that the sacrament consisted more in taking of it then in consecrating of it in receiuing of it then in seeing of it and thus we should come back again from our pretended sacrifice vnto the sacrament And who can doubt hereof seeing our Lorde hath said Take eate drinke c. The tenth Euerie man will iudge if it shall be giuen to the people that then it will be alwaies necessary and needfull And what more vrgent and vnavoidable necessitie can there bee then for the disciples of Christ to fulfil the wil of their maister Lastly That then the Church of Rome should haue failed in the sacraments and the Councell of Constance in the matter of faith and manners whereuppon would followe a contemning of the Church and consequently a schisme in Christendome Now heere indeed is the sore and pinching griefe and it is for nothing else but for the top of honour that all this contention falleth out But how much better had it beene to haue bewailed and wept for the fault committed when they heard the cocke crow And doe we not see how God hath cursed all these reasons bent vpon the setting vppe of a pompe and statelinesse and not to the establishing of the Church when as vnder pretence of auoiding of a pretended schisme they haue made themselues odious and abhominable vnto the greatest part of Christendome But our worthie maister Gerson doeth take the checke and is offended at this clause of Notwithstanding and therefore setteth his wits vpon the racke to find out some others but no lesse blasphemous then those alleadged by the good foresaide fathers were sottish and ridiculous That the cup had no ground in the word of God and that it was not of the necessitie of the sacrament That it was not appointed or ordained for any but the Apostles and in them for the Priests That men must not hold so much of the scripture as they must of the traditions of the Church that is as Cardinall Cusanus saith in his second epistle to the Bohemians That the institution of the scripture doeth change in time and apply it selfe vnto the ceremonie that is currant and receiued in the church Secundum currentem ritum ecclesiae But the strongest of all the rest and that which alreadie hath beene practised in that place is that in this point Viendum est sayeth hee brachio seculari contra refragantes that is there must the secular power bee stretched out and punishment with all hote pursute bee executed vpon those that will not obeye vnto this Canon neuer trobling the braine with disputing and arguing aboute the matter and that the Emperour must bee exhorted to put his helping hand thereto freelie and willinglie But it is not to bee belieued how much blood hath beene shed in Bohemia Morauia and other Prouinces for the taking away of the blood of Christ from the faithfull The Pope will haue obedience what price soeuer it cost the people to keepe this pretious pledge of the blood of Iesus Christ freelie exposing themselues to losse of goods and life In fine the affaires of Christendome so vrging in respect of the Turke The Councell of Basill there was held some twentie yeares after the Councell of Basill where the Pope whose custome it is to stretch out and shrinke vp his constitutions and ordinances at his pleasure according to the length of businesses which he hath in hand did decree cleane otherwise The faithfull sayeth hee whether they bee of the Laitie or of the Cleargie are not bound by the commaundement of the Lord to receiue the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist vnder both kindes but the Church gouerned by the spirite of truth must ordaine how the Communicantes Conficientes and not those which consecrate it ought to receiue the same according as it shall seeme expedient in respect of that reuerence which is due vnto the Sacrament whether therfore a man cōmunicate vnder one kind or vnder two according to the ordinance obseruation of the church it auaileth vnto saluation vnto such
of such as they did represent to such as could not reade that that was the occasion wherefore thou didst breake them And therefore vppon condition that they will containe themselues within the bonds for which they were admitted and receiued that thou art content to suffer them to enioy them And to be briefe if any man will make any those hinder not but if they beginne or offer to worship any then looke about thee and suffer it not in any case Now I could haue wished that as Gregory said to him Teach them by the scriptures that they must not worship them for it is written c. that he also had added yea but they ought not to haue them for instruction for so also it is written c. But the mischiefe is Ierem. 10 Abacuc 2 that the good man found the cleane contrarie in the scripture In Ieremie Ierem. 10 Abacuc ◠That the wood is a doctrine of vanitie In Abacuck That molten images are nothing els but the tellers of lies So that this Bb. though caried away with the waue of time and the multitude of people is one who speaketh all one with a certaine Councell which was held in the same age If thou canst without the people their making of any stirre or talke about it Concil Carthag 4. beat downe the Altars which haue beene erected to any other end then to be memorials of the Martyrs but let them alone tolerate them if they begin to stir And who hath not any other reasons then those of the Pagans euen the very same which the heathen Philosophers did vse to alleadge against Serenus for the supporting of these relikes of Paganisme Which saith Athanasius when they perceiued themselues pressed hard by the Christians in the matter of their images answered Athanas contr Gent. that they were visible signes to know the nature of the inuisible God and that they are as bookes vnto the ignorant by which they come to the vnderstanding of celestiall things But Athanasius and Eusebius do scoffe at these answers And hereupon also S. Augustine hath told vs That those are subiect and apt to learne lies who seeke for Christ Iesus his Apostles in the paintings of wals not in the scriptures Within a short time after Pope Boniface the same who aduanced Phocas the parricide to the Empire for images had exceeding great need of the patrons and protectors opened the temple of all the Gods that were at Rome called Pantheon by the licentious libertie and free permission which he gaue to euerie man to deuise and do therein and in stead of the images of all the Gods Sigibert Plat. Blond l. 9 Dec. 1. he placed therein the image of the virgin Mary and of the saints as likewise at the same time there were set vp in the Chappell of Laterane the images of Phocas and Leontia his wife because he had graunted the Pope the supremacy and supreme authoritie ouer all other Bbs. Afterward about the yeare 700. it was ordained by the sixt generall Councell Synod 6. c. 82. Constant 3. Gregor Cedren in hist that whereas it had beene the custome to picture represent our Lord vnder the similitude of a lambe he should frō thence forward be pictured in the similitude of a man seeing that the truth was come in place had abolished shadowes for thus it saith To the end we may be put in mind of his conuersation in the flesh of his passion death in them of our redemption And all this while no one word of the adoring and worshipping of them howsoeuer Gratian do most falsely cite bring this Synode for the adoration of images Gratian. de consecrat D. 3. c. venerabilis Zonara tom 3 taking in stead therof a canō of the second councel of Nice which began Venerabilis as Zonora◠doth teach vs that Polydor who had not as yet seen the canons of this councel alleageth at the sight of the country that the worshipping of the images of the Saints was resolued vpon Now at this time fell in the great strife and contentions which happened about this worship and adoration Wars falling out about images or to speake more properly the warres of images or rather of the Empires vnder the colour of images This sixt general councell had condemned the heresie of the Monothelites that is their heresie who acknowledged but one will in Christ namely a diuine will And Constantinus Pogonatus had caused to be painted in the porch of S. Sophies temple in Constantinople the images of all the fathers which had beene present at that councel But Philippicus holding the foresaid heresie cōming to bee Emperor caused such images to be taken away Pope Constantine in despight caused them to be painted in S. Peters porch not those onely which had beene at the sixt generall councell but all the fathers which had beene at the 6. general councels Wherefore now the question of images which had beene but as an accessorie becōmeth chiefe principall especially after the Synode held in the time of Constantinus Copronymus Bedo l. 2. Paulus Diacon l. 6. c. 11. wherin all the decrees of the sixt generall Synode were approued that especially against the Monothelites saue only that therein images were condemned for which alone the strife contention continued the controuersie of the Monothelites lying extinct and buried Then Constantine the Pope called a councell at Rome Lib. Pontisic Plat. where he caused it first to be affirmed and decreed that images ought to be honoured and excommunicated the Emperor Philippicus c. And it is no maruell seeing he also was the first which would haue his feet kissed in the citie of Nicomedia by the Emperor Iustinian And from that time forward the cruell wars for images betwixt the East and West the Greek and the Latine church the Emperors and the Popes entred and set in footing Philippicus is driuē out of his kingdome by Arthemius and Arthemius by Theodosius who hauing need of the Pope his fauour for the installing of him ordained that images should be restored But this man dying about the end of the yeare Leo the third called Isauricus succeeding him tooke vpon him the hearing of this matter Anno 730. Sigibert Paul Diacon l. 21. together with his diuines and to that end assembled a Councell at Constantinople all things being reasoned and debated by the scriptures the worshipping of images making of praier vnto them was therein condemned the Archb. Germanus who defended thē deposed the idols broken the painted pictures defaced blotted out a cōmandement and iniunction from the Emperor Bonfin l. 8. dec 1. Anton. Arch. Florent 1. 14. c. 1. S. 1. Canon Perlatum D. 3. de consecr that the determination and sentence of this councel shold be obaied Gregory the 2. to the contrary taketh this occasion to strengthen himself make his part strong in
Idols which they haue learned of their Fathers That wee must cleaue and sticke to God as hee is manifested vnto vs in his Scriptures August l. 3. de doctrin Christ Idem de locu ad Genes As for that which is obiected of the Cherubins they answere it by S. Augustine That there is a commaundement from God for the making of them and that it is the taking of the signes for the thinges To the annointing of the pillar of stone by Iacob they likewise answere from the said S. Augustine That Iacob did it to signifie a mysterte in the annointing of this stone and not for to honour the pillar of stone Comming in the end to that point as to affirme That when there had neuer been anie Images in the Church that then faith hope and charitie were no whit in worse plight and that when they are in the same for monuments and remembrances simplie that then the same vertues are not thereby embased or made worse But that they may not be forced vpon them who would not haue them nor permitted them in any wise who would haue them to worship them in any maner or sort whether it be by praying vnto them kissing them or gilding them and much lesse in offering vnto them c. Now this booke is sent vnto Pope Eugenius the second by the foresaide Emperours by the hands and mediation of the Bbs. Ieremy and Ionas that they may impart the same vnto him being therewithall inioyned to beseech him in their names that he would examine it throughlie and shew himself willing and forward to satisfie the consciences of the Emperours of the East as also that hee would vouchsafe to send his Legates together with the saide two Bishoppes vnto them with whome they shall also finde for the same purpose at the place of taking shippe Halitgarius and Amalarius in the behalfe of the Synode for the better yeelding of an answere and reason of the resolution and iudgement which they embraced and approued therein And it is to be marked that in the letters which they writ vnto Ieremie and Ionas containing their aduise how to demeane themselues they writte vnto them that they should intreate the Pope kindlie and rather to incline to yeeld and giue place then to dispute and argue the matter for feare say they of incensing the Romish obstinacre pertinaciam Romanam whereby hee might take such an opinion as from which he would neuer be remoued This was in the yeare 825. Anno 825. Of the Crosse As concerning the Crosse we haue seene what the olde Writers haue taught againe it is verie certaine that those ages were far off from that which is practised at this daye For the Synode of Francford speaketh of the Crosse after the maner of S. Paule and of the purer antiquitie vnderstanding by the same the whole mysterie of our redemption accomplished vpon the Crosse as likewise the afflictions which happen continuallie amongst the members of Christ In this sence S. Paule sayeth That he gloryeth in the crosse and woulde haue that Iesus Christ should be crucified daylie before our eyes that is that wee shoulde euerie howre remember the sham full and ignominious death which he hath suffered for vs by dying for our sinnes Chrysost ho. 1. 2 de Cruce Homil. de Cruce latrone de Cruce Dominica and so seeke for our life in him In the same sence Chrysostome sayeth The Cross is vnto vs the cause of all blessednes the hope of the Christians the resurrection of the dead and the ouer throw of the Diuell But of what Crosse doth hee speake assuredlie of the same whereof hee had spoken before To day he did hang vpon the Crosse that is of the death and passion of our Lord That Crosse saieth hee which he hath not left here vpon earth but carried vppe to heauen that is which hee hath ouercome by his resurrection which he hath garnished and cloathed with all manner of glorie that Crosse which wee must beare Not by laying sayeth hee a peece of wood vpon our shoulders but by preparing and making our selues readie to shed our blood at all occasions for his glorie c. And S. Augustine in like manner All the sacraments are perfected by the Crosse S. August For what are the sacraments both of the olde and of the new law but dumbe signes without this Crosse Likewise Honorius Bishoppe of Autun Honor August in Cemma Animae Nowise man worshippeth the Crosse but rather Christ that was crucified thereon c. notwithstanding that he liued in the midst of grosse and palpaple darkenes But what Communion or Fellowshippe is there betwixt the Crosse thus taken and vnderstood and these two crosse peeces of wood wherto Ionas doth applie the former benefits blessings or with this doctrine of Pope Adrian That when we see the Crosse we must say vnto it We worship the Crosse and we worship the Speare c. And therefore the foresaid Claudius Bishoppe of Turin and brought vp from his childhoode vnder Charles the Great Adrian in Ep. ad Constan Iren. reasoned verie well to the purpose and doubtles like vnto himselfe both for his stile and intention saying If we must worship the Crosse because that our Lord sufferd his death and passion vpon such a peece of wood then let vs worship all virgins because hee was borne of a virgin let vs also worship the maunger and swathing cloutes because hee lay therein because he was wrapped therein thornes reedes and speares for such were instruments vsed about him in his passion Asses for Jesus entred into Ierusalem sitting vpon an Asse c. But so the truth is that our Lord hath commaunded vs to beare and not to worshippe the Crosse c. And I doe not as yet see that Ionas hath deuised or found out anie thing to aunswere him withall As for the second Councell of Nice as it was in all mens sight ill begunne so it contented not the consciences of the Grecians in anie respect at all For Constantine as he grew out of his minoritie and came to age and his libertie did repeale difanull the same The Emperour Michaell did set it vppe again and persecuted the gainsayers The Emperour Leo the fourth an Armenian encouraged by the Monkes of Greece which cried out that to worshippe Images was idolatrie did pull them downe againe Michael le Begue and Theophilus his sonne Zona tom 3. did chastise and correct such as did maintaine them Theodore his wife came by his death to the Regencie and being perswaded by other Monkes did reestablish them with great seueritie Her sonne Michael Bardus being come to full age did destroy and ouerturne them againe Likewise Zonara the great patron and maintainer of Images doth tell vs that he made the Pope his Legate to consent and agree thereunto Insomuch as that pope Adrian obtained of Basill the successor of this Bardus that there shoulde a Councell
hath the Greeke translated it The Chaldie Paraphrast in like manner Your praier shall bee vnto me as a cleane sacrifice c. But the Prophet his purpose is to oppose and set the Gentiles against the Iewes the Leuiticall Sacrifices which they had defiled to the puritie of the seruice which shal be at the comming of Christ not of one people but amongst all manner and sortes of people If incense be taken according to the bare letter will they say that incense and the Masse are both one will they bring vs backe againe to the Iewish ceremonies or rather to the ceremonies of the Gentiles but if it bee taken figuratiuely who shall better interprete the figure then Dauid My praier commeth vnto thee O Lord as incense Then S. Iohn There was offered vp vnto him saith hee much incense to the end that hee might offer vp the praiers of all the Saintes vpon the golden Altar which is before the throne Againe The smoake of incense rise vppe from the praiers of the Saintes the golden viols were full of perfume which were the prayers of the Saintes c. Let vs adde that they are of iudgement that incense carrieth not with it anie propitiation Genebrard in Lithurg Dionâ—s And if this worde Oblation or Offering bee taken literallie can they denie that Minha the word which the Prophete vseth here doth not signifie in the whole booke of Leuiticus anie other thing then the offeringes of fruites and other thinges without life peace-offeringes and sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing And what analogie or correspondencie can it then haue with a sacrifice for sin And if it bee thus what shall follow then but that in the Masse there is nothing offered but bread and for a thankesgiuing But and if it bee taken figuratiuelie what better interpreter can there bee found then the spirite of God and that in the newe Testament which speaketh not to vs but of spirituall sacrifices of the preaching of the worde of thankesgiuing and of the consecrating of our selues Tertul. a duer Marcion l. 4. aduersâ—ud c Tertullian saith expounding this place In euerie place shal be offered a pure sacrifice that is to say sayeth hee a simple and single hearted praier from a pure conscience Againe Hee addeth saith hee speaking of spirituall sacrifices and in euerie place there shall bee offered in my name pure and vndefiled sacrifices Aduers Marcion l 3. Againe Bring vnto God O yee nations of the Gentiles because that vndoubtedly the preaching of the Apostles was to passe throughout the whole world Againe Euerie where there shal be offered pure sacrifices vnto my name And what manner of ones Hieronym in 1. Malach. Gloriae scilicet relatio the yeelding of glorie blessing praises and hymnes and not a worde of the Masse S. Ierome vpon this place Let the Iewes knowe that they are not to offer anie more goates and bulles but incense the praiers of the Saints and that not in anie one prouince of Iudea as in the onelie Cittie of Ierusalem but throughout the whole worlde a cleane sacrifice as is to bee seene in the ceremonies of Christians And again The sounde of the Apostles is gone throughout all the endes of the worlde Idem in Esa c. 52. Euerie where there is sacrifice offered to God And herein is accomplished the word of the Prophet namelie in that that God is purelie preached and purelie called vpon in euerie place And Chrysostome after the same manner Chrysost t. 2. hom 16. ex varus in Matth. Euseb l. 1. Demonst Euang. c. 6. 10. Eusebius in expounding this place We sacrifice therefore and burne the memoriall of this great sacrifice according to the mysteries which haue beene taught vs yeelding thankes to God for our saluation offering vnto him religious hymnes and holy praiers We sacrifice vnto the high God the sacrifice of praise a sacrifice full of sweete smell Wee sacrifice the same after a new fashion according to the new Testament a pure offering and sacrifice But in all this what matter is there concerning propitiation Theodoret doth expounde it of the abolishing of the legall sacrifices Theod. in Malach c. 1. and of the seruing of God in spirite and truth as our Lord himself auouched in the speech which hee made vnto the Samaritanish woman and thus doth the greatest number take and expounde it But here they replie vpon vs all this is olde is there no question of any thing that is newe this may bee aunswered in a word That the Prophet sayeth A pure offering and not a new offering But let vs graunt vnto them this worde new Ireneus will answere them Iren. l. 4. c. 34. Chrysost cont Iud. l. 3. Oblationes hic Oblationes tillic There are sacrifices and here are sacrifices sacrifices in Israel sacrifices in the Christian church the kinde and manner is onely changed inasmuch as then they were offered by seruantes and bondslaues but now by freemen or rather to speake more fitlie by sons and children Chrysostome in like manner sayeth A newe sacrifice because it proceedeth from new hope because it is no more offered by fire and smoke but by the grace and spirite of God But say they there are certaine Doctors that haue vnderstood it of the Eucharist and wee say vnto them againe on the other side that there are other some which haue vnderstoode it otherwise as we haue caused it apparantlie inough to bee seene heretofore But wee contend not in this place about the Eucharist but about the sacrifice of the Masse not about a sacrifice of praise but a sacrifice propitiatorie And therefore let vs not abuse the Fathers vnder the colour of this word seeing there is not anie one to be found Iren. l. 4. c. 32. that hath so much as once thought vpon it Ireneus saith Christ giuing aduice and counsell vnto his Disciples to offer vnto God the first fruites of his creatures not as of anie necessitie in God but that they might not bee vnthankefull and vnfruitfull tooke that which by creation is bread and gaue thanks saying This is my bodie c. teaching that the sacrament of the new Testament is new And hee addeth thereto Which the Church taking from the Apostles offereth throughout the whole world vnto God the first fruites of his giftes to him that giueth whatsoeuer foode and nourishment we haue That is to say because that the auncient Christians were wonte to offer of their fruites vnto God as wee haue seene heretofore by many places out of the same Ireneus and from out of them they tooke the bread and the wine which were distributed in the holy Supper the remainder being giuen to the poore or conuerted to the necessarie vses of the Church The question then that riseth hence is of the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and not of a propitiatorie sacrifice of the sacrifice of fruits and things without life and not of the reall sacrificing of our
The sacrifice and oblation is Christ for Christ our Passeouer hath beene slaine c. Againe Melchisedec offered to Abraham bread and wine Christ hauing taken mans nature offered the priesthood it selfe vnto the father that so he might become our priest after the order of Melchisedec which hath no succession for he abideth and continueth for euer offering sacrifices and giftes for vs. And first hee offered himselfe to vndoe and loosen the sacrifices of the old Testament he becomming the oblation sacrifice priest and altar c. Not appointing any longer the successions of this priesthood vnto any tribe or stocke What then It may be making them able to succeed by the calling of priestes Nay rather he saith Giuing them freely to bee saued according to that righteousnesse which is by the holy Ghost And this is spoken generally for all Christians Then let our aduersaries note and obserue here by this place how ill fauouredly they alleadge the sacrifice of Melchisedec the Paschall lambe c. to bee accomplished and perfected in the pretended sacrifice of the Supper seeing that vpon the crosse of Christ as saith Epiphanius both these and all others going before are made perfect and fulfilled Chrysostome Christ is not crucified euerie day for hee hath vndergone but one sacrificing Chrysost aduers Iud. at 4. Idem in Ioha hom 17. et ad Heb. hom 13. but once onely to be offered for our sinnes but by that once hee doth continually purge and cleanse vs. Againe If Christ be perfect then he neuer sinneth and liueth euer wherefore then should hee offer many sacrifices for vs c. There is but one sacrifice one onely hath purged vs besides this there is nothing but fire and deuouring hell Wherefore the Apostle doeth throughly view and behold the same on euerie side alwaies saying one priest one sacrifice least that any man thinking that there were moe might grow the more secure and void of all suspicion of being deceiued And in another place In the heauens wee haue Sacrarium a holy and consecrated place in heauen wee haue a priest in heauen an oblation where is also our sacrifice Idâ—m hom de cruce spirit 3. Let vs then offer such sacrifices as may find place of receipt in this holy consecrated place not any more sheepe or oxen these thinges are come to an end but our reasonable seruice And what reasonable seruice The thinges that are offered by the soule and according to the spirit Iohn 4. because that God is a spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth c. How farre doth this differ from the interpretation which Bellarmine doth giue vnto vs vpon this place That is spirituall thinges and such as sauour nothing of the bodie as gentlenesse patience temperance mercifulnesse c. Thus thou seest the sacrifices which are past away and gone as also the others succeeding them and comming in their roomes then let vs offer these Those are of our goods but these are of our vertues those are without vs but these are within vs c. Againe Christ was the sacrifice and the Priest the offerer and oblation The Altar that was the Crosse not vnder any roofe other then the whole cope of heauen that so all the putrifaction and infection of the aire might bee purged away Behold here the one onely priest and propitiatorie sacrifice of the Church But the particular and speciall Sacrifice of euerie Christian as also Sacrificer to offer vp the same sacrifice vnto God is euerie particular person in his place as hee teacheth vs saying What is then thine Altar surely thy spirituall vnderstandinge And what is thy spirituall sacrifice All thy good workes And what is thy Temple A pure heart wherein God taketh pleasure to dwell c. What then Idem in Mat. hom 83. Hom. 26. in ep ad Heb. hom 17. And saith hee nothing of the Eucharist in that place Yes verie excellently If Christ bee not dead saith hee whereof should this sacrifice bee a signe or seale Againe Wee offer but in remembrance of his death And againe That which God did long ago for the saluation of the Iewes in bringing of his benefites to their remembraunce by many feastes and solemne meetinges the same doeth hee now but more aboundantly in vs by this kinde of sacrifice stirring vs vppe to a continuall thankesgiuing for his benefites towardes vs. Where briefly wee haue thus much to note that there is not any sacrifice but one that doeth really purge and cleanse vs that is the bloode of Christ the Eucharist in as much as it is a sacrifice is a pledge a recording and a remembrance Hom. 7. ad Hebr. Some obiect and alledge against vs these wordes Wee offer the same Sacrifice nowe a daies that wee offered then for it wasteth not in offering Not an other Sacrifice as the high priest did but the same But let vs listen a while vnto that which followeth Or rather sayeth hee wee recorde and call to minde this Sacrifice Cyrill handleth this matter at large Iulian reproached the Christians Cyril 10. cont Iulian. because they had no moe Sacrifices Nay sayth hee wee haue farre better then yours or then those of the law For wee offer vnto God the spirituall sacrifices of vertues as Faith Hope Charitie c. spirituall praises And to this purpose hee alleadgeth Sainte Paule Offer vppe your bodies vnto God a liuing sacrifice c. God sayeth hee hath commaunded the lambe but for a figure of Christ but for to shew that this was a transitorie sacrifice hee commaunded them to eate it in hast a great oddes and difference in respect of that which our aduersaries themselues would inferre That the sacrifice of the Paschall lambe must bee dayly and still continued in the reall sacrifice of the true lambe that is in the Masse Idem in ep ad Hebr. hom 11. In another place Art thou ignorant howe that the whole priesthoode is giuen to the whole Church of God to all the faithfull people Giue eare vnto Sainte Peter who speaking of the faithfull sayeth you are a chosen generation a royall priesthoode c. Thou hast therefore the priesthoode because thou art a priestly nation and therefore also thou must offer vnto God the sacrifice of praise the Sacrifice of prayers the sacrifice of mercie the sacrifice of chastitie the srcrifice of righteousnesse the sacrifice of holinesse c. Againe Our true high priest Iesus Christ is then as yet standing vpright Idem in Leuit l. 9. and will fill his handes with small brayed incense Hee pondereth and wayeth what euerie Church vnder the Sunne doeth offer how well it bestoweth and imployeth her perfume how skilfull shee is in braying of the same that is to say how euerie one of vs doeth frame his actions how wee doe spiritually search and wade into the secreate deapthes and wholesome streames of the holy scriptures Where likewise he may seeme
goest about to worship them then it is that the good Angell is displeased with thee c. And in an other place That which the greatest of the Angels doth worship Colere Idem de Vera relig c. 55. tom 10. the same is that which is to bee worshipped of the most base and meanest of all men for because of fayling toworship it the nature of men is become the last and worst For the Angels are not become either wise and vnderstanding or true and iust by any other then man but euen from one and the same wisedome and from that one and the same immutable veritie Euen the truth and wisedome of God of the same substance with the Father which hath thought good to take vpon him the nature of man to teach vs thereby that man hath no other to worship and adore then him which is adored and worshipped by euerie creature indewed with vnderstanding and reason Seruitute And leâ— vs know and belieue that the good Angels are also of the same mind that wee should worship with them one and the same God and therefore we doe honour them with brotherly loue but not with diuine worship or seruice neither doe we build any Churches vnto them and that because that Religon doth bind and restraine vs to the one onely Almightie God c. And thus you may see one of the foundations of Inuocation irrecouerably vndermined by this that we are not to adore any but the one only God that the Angels and Saints take it for offered iniurie when we doe otherwise That Inuocation hath an interest in Adoration as apart thereof c. And now behold here an other Idem in Psal 29. That there is not any mediatour but one onely that this one onely God will not bee called vpon and praied vnto but by this mediator If thou consider saith he the Diuinitie of our Lord Jesus Christ wee find not in it either matter place or affection for praier For in the beginning was the word c. But hearken to that which followeth after The word became flesh thou hast herein a Maiestie wherunto to pray and an humanitie that praieth for thee For this was spoken by the Apostle and that after the resurrection Who sitteth saith hee at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. In as much as he hath vouchsafed to be a mediatour betwixt God and men And what is this God The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And what are men Sinners wicked and vngodly mortall Betwixt this Trinitie and the iniquitie and infirmitie of men was a mediatour made euen a man But it may be that this man is not placed ordained al alone for the executing of this charge office Non est quo eas nisi ad me Non est qua cas nisi per me In Iohan. tract 22. Idem de Relig. Serm. 55. tract 10. Praeteripsum Idem in Psal 109. but heare yet further Behold what thy Sauiour saith vnto thee Thou hast not whether else to goe besides me thou hast not whereby to goe thither but by me Walke by Christ so thou commest to God thou goest by him thou goest to him Seeke not wherby thou maiest come to him otherwise then by him He was made the way by which thou hast to come I say not vnto thee seeke the way he that is the way is come vnto thee arise walke walk by good manners walke on foote Whosoeuer runneth out of this way the more hee runneth the more he waÌ„dreth because that he draweth the more backward out of his way And for as much as praier is the meane by which man approcheth vnto God he explaneth himself the more carfully Ther is not saith he any righteous praier but by Christ Again that praier that is not made by Christ is sin Let his praier saith he be turned into sin And wherefore Because it was not made by the mediatour of God men Iesus Christ the man What then the Saints Martyrs Apostls angels cannot they be mediators cannot they be our aduocates Let vs heare him Idemâ—ontra Parmen l. 2. c. 8 S. Iohn saith not saith he you haue an Aduocate as seperating himselfe from amongst sinners as though forsooth hee had had no more need of the propitiation which is made by the Mediator sitting at the right hand of the father making intercession for vs for then he had spoken arrogantly and falsely And if he had said you haue me for a mediator with the father I obtaine pardon for your sinne as Parmenian who set the Bishop in the place of the mediator betwixt the people and God it had beene yet worse Exoro Who would haue taken him for an Apostle of Christ Yea who wold not on the contrarie haue taken him for Antichrist To the end therfore that Christians may keepe the vnitie of the spirit in al their praiers let theÌ„ be assuredly perswaded of one onely mediatour For Christians doe recommend one an other in their praiers but he alone is the true mediator which maketh intercession for all and for whome no man praieth So Paul though a principall member vnder the head but yet notwithstanding a member recommendeth himselfe to the praiers of the faithfull he maketh not himselfe any mediatour betwixt the people and God but he praieth that all the members of the body of Christ would praie for him c. For if Paul were a mediatour then all his fellow Apostles should be so likewise Non constaret ei ratio Idem in 1. Ep. Ioh. And if that there should be any mediatour then Paul himselfe should misse in his accompt when as hee saith one God one mediatour of God and of men c. In an other place We haue an aduocate c. Behold and marke Iohn the same that dranke vpon the Lords breast c. He saith not you haue but we haue and he saith not you haue me for an aduocate but you haue Christ. And he chused rather said hee to put himselfe in the number of the sinners that he might haue Christ an aduocate then to set himselfe downe for the aduocate in the place of Christ and to be found condemned amongst the proud and arrogant He that hath held this hath not spotted himselfe with heresie hath not fallen into schisme For hence it is that schismes arise when men say we are iust and righteous we sanctifie the vncleane we iustifie the wicked we praie we obtaine c. And the Saints then saith hee doe they not pray for vs And the Bishops doe not they pray for the people Read but the Scriptures and you shall see that the Bishops doe recommend themselues vnto the people The Apostle saith praying alwaies for vs the Apostle for the people the people for the Apostle you for vs wee for you all the members one for another the head for all c. And then the Saints liuing and not the dead for
spirite by which wee belieue and say that Iesus Christ is the Lord which no man can say by the libertie and freedome of his will but onely by the holy Ghost c. This is the same with that which the Bishops of the East did write vnto the Bishops of Africke S. Barnard Bernard de grat liber arb Libertas a peccato In the fall Adam fell from his not being able to sinne to his not being able to doe any thing but sinne hauing altogether lost the libertie of taking aduise and counsell c. as also that which he had of forbearing to sinne And this losse happened vnto him by the abusing of the libertie of his will c. Being fallen from his will it is not still remaining free for him to raise vp himselfe againe by the same For although at this day be would doe it yet the case so standeth with him as that it is not in his power not to sinne It must be Christ that must inspire and indue him with new vertue by his restauration that the Lord may transforme vs into this image howbeit euen then our perfection commeth not in this life but in the life to come c. And he is full in all his bookes of such places which shal hereafter be seene as better opportunitie serueth Peter Lombard saith Lomb. l. 2. d. 25 After sinne till there be a restauration by grace man is ouercome and pressed of concupiscence and hath infirmitie to doe euill but hee hath no grace to doe good And therefore he can sinne but he cannot cease to sinne and that damnablie c. Againe In that Adam hath sinned of free will and that sinne hath ouercome him he hath lost his free will Libertatem inquam à peccato the libertie that hee had to keep himselfe from sinning whereof the Apostle speaketh whereas the spirit of the Lord is there is the libertie and truth of the Gospell If the Sonne deliuer you not you cannot bee free c. And this libertie consisteth in being free from sinne for to serue and obey vnto righteousnes c. which thing they haue attained onely and not any others whome the Sonue hath repaired by grace c. And therefore Anselme said Anselm in 14. ad Rom. as Lombard doth alleadge him The whole life of infidelles is nothing but sinne For there is no goodnesse or felicitie to bee found where the chiefe goodnesse or felicitie is wanting Thom. in 2. sent dist 31 32 c. Thomas likewise layeth vs downe these Maxims The person of Adam hath infected nature and nature now infecteth the person the bodie infecteth the soule not by working vpon it but by receiuing from it for the soule is the proper subiect of originall sinne Idem l. 1. d. 41. Originall sinne is indifferently in all and the punishment thereof is likewise in all no man can satisfie for it but God onely making himselfe man No man can forsake or shake it off of himselfe for from the estate of nature to the estate of grace no man can passe either by free will or by merite but per appositionem gratiae ex mera gratia by the adding and applying of grace c. It may be Not one to be excepted no not the holy virgine August de nupt concupise Idem de perfect iustit Idem contr Iul. l. 5. c. 9. that they haue excepted some persons from this common and generall condition at the least the virgine Marie Let vs heare then Saint Augustine All flesh that is borne by the carnall copulation of man and woman is sinfull flesh That onely which was not so begotten is without sinne that is to say the humane bodie of our Lord. Againe Whosoeuer thinketh that there hath beene anie either man or woman for in Latine he comprehendeth both the sexes except the alone Mediator of God and men to whom the remission of sinnes is not needfull he is contrarie to the holie scripture wherein the Apostle saith by a man sinne is entered into the world c. Yea saith he in another place hee is an hereticke For if as without all doubt it is the flesh of Christ bee not sinfull flesh but like onely to sinfull flesh what remaineth but that it onely being excepted all other humane flesh is sinfull flesh c. Then he concludeth And who so denieth this iâ— a detestable hereticke Yea the flesh of the virgine For saith he It appeareth that concupiscence which Christ would not haue to beare any stroke at all in his conception hath caused the propagation of euill into all mankind For the body of Marie although that he did spring from thence did not notwithstanding transfuse any part of the same concupiscence into the body of Christ because shee did not conceiue thereby And it is not here to be obiected which he speaketh of in an other place that it is not his purpose to speake of the mother of our Lord when the question is of sinne Idem de natu grat c. 6. Because shee hath had greater measure of grace giuen her to ouercome all the parts and parcels of sinne For in that he saith to ouercome it presupposeth a combat with sinne for the ouercomming whereof shee had need of new grace To which purpole wee alleadged Origen heretofore Whereas if she had not beene redeemed iustified and sanctified by the blond of Christ then shee had not beene it at all S. Ambroâ—e saith Ambr. in Luc. Immaculatâ— Partus nouitare Idem in Esay Our Lord Iesus is he alone of all those that haue beene borne of women which hath not felt the contagion of earthly infection and that by reason of the new and extraordinarie manner of his conception and generation which was without spot or touch of sinne Againe Euerie man is a lyar and no man without sinne except God alone It is therefore to bee obserued that not one that is of man and woman that is to say of the coniunction of their bodies that is without sinne Anselm l. 2. Cur deus hom c. 16. in 2. ad Cor. c 5. as also that he that is without this sinne was also begotten without this manner of conception c. Anselme I would know saith he how of this sinfull lumpe of this mankind altogether infected with sinne God should draw foorth a man without sinne Tanquam azymum de fermento being as much as if a man should go about to make a Loafe of vnleauened bread out of a lumpe that is nothing but leauen For although that the conception of this man were pure and vndefiled yet the Virgine out of whose wombe he was taken was conceiued in iniquitie and her mother conceiued her in sinne and therefore also borne with originall sinne for shee likewise hath sinned in Adam in whose person all haue sinned Rom. 5.12 Whereby we may see the impudencie of our aduersaries who vpon the second to the Corinthians where it is said All
Councel of Nice including it within the same CHAP. V. The continuance of the beliefe of the Fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great LEt vs proceede according to the order of time and succession of the Fathers Dionvs Hierarch l. 3. Saint Denis pretended the Areopagite for we haue said that he may seeme to haue liued about this time did not otherwise vnderstand it After saith he that the Bishop hath declared the workes of Iesus for the saluaetion of mankind according to the good pleasure of his father c. and that hee hath preached the reuerend contemplation of the same which is apprehended by the vnderstanding he taketh his way to the Symbolicall administration of the same and that according to the holy institution of God whereupon first crying vnto him Thou hast said it Doe this in remembrance of me he administreth the sacred things and setteth in open sight the things whereof hee hath preached by the pledges presented there in holy sort c. Againe By these venerable and reuerend signes saith he Christ is signified and receiued c. Where we may briefely note That the holy supper is celebrated according to the institution of the Lord and in remembrance of him That this is a Symbolicall that is to say a shadowing and figuratiue administration of the redemption of mankind represented by the signes of bread and wine the tokens of his bodie broken and of his bloud shed for vs That this institution is not tied to the fiue words where to our aduersaries would referre it for hee maketh mention by name of others Thou hast said it c. And that these signes doe signifie Christ vnto vs and neuerthelesse exhibite him vnto vs that is to say his grace Nowe what is there contained in all this tending to prooue any carnall eating They fortifie and beare themselues stout vpon Saint Cyrill Cyril Cateches mystag 4. 5. Bishop of Ierusalem but let vs see vpon what ground If you eate not my flesh c. The Iewes saith hee were offended because they did not vnderstand those things according to the spirit thinking that he had inuited them to a banket of mans flesh This should suffice to raise and lift vp our minds aboue the reall transmutation but this that followeth seemeth to them to proue their opinion very strongly Let vs holde it for a most vndoubted truth that the bread which we see is not bread although the taste thereof bewray it to be but the bodie of Christ and the wine in like manner c. And why do they not call to minde and bethinke themselues well at the least of their owne Maximes That the Catholike Church neuer saide That the bread was the bodie of Christ c. And therfore if they will haue S. Cyril a Catholike they must not haue him taken according to the bare letter But yet let vs admit him to bee the expounder of himselfe Consider it not saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as meere bread for it is the body and bloud of Christ And how Verily saith he according to the words of our Lord c. And how so euer our sences may goe about to informe vs otherwise yet let faith confirme vs therein Iudge not of these things according to the taste c. Then it is bread and wine and not accidents but not naked and meere bread and wine for they are Sacraments and sanctified instrumentes of God indowed clothed with an other qualitie that so they might cloth vs with Christ And what they are more that we receiue by faith and that grounded vpon the words of our Lord Namely that his words are spirit life But haue they then either lost or chaunged their substance Marke him yet further Verily not any more then the water in Baptisme wher of he speaketh in the same tearmes Thinke not of this water as of bare and meere water Namely Because it is not any more wawater for drinke saith Chrysostome But the water of sanctification c. Chryrost in Psal 23. Cyril Catech. 3. No more also then the vnction or oyntment whereof Cyrill saieth You are annoynted with an oynment being made partakers and companions of Christ But beware that thou accompt not of it as of a meere oyntment for as the bread of the Eucharist after inuocating of the holy Ghost is no more common bread but the body of Christ so this holy oyntment is not a bare or common oyntment after that it is consecrated but it is a benefit of Christs which by the comming of the holy Ghost hath a vigour and power of his Diuinitie Doest thou then doubt what this should meane to be no longer bare and meere bread It is as much as not to be any more common bread it is as much as to say consecrated bread Doest thou doubt how farre this chaunge extendeth it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si fiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oyntment although it bee an instrument of the grace of Christ is not changed in his nature No more is the bread and the wine of the Eucharist in theirs though instruments sanctified of God and exhibiting his grace Idem Catech. 5. For saith he further in an other place this holy bread is called supersubstantiall in as much as it confirmeth the substance of the soule It descendeth not into the bellie it goeth not into the draught but it is distributed thorough out thee throughout the whole man for the saluation and profit of the body and soule c. that is to say it goeth not in at the mouth of the body but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule distributed through all the veines of the same vnto the resurrection of life And againe Idem Catech. 4. Drinke this wine in thine heart namely this spirituall wine c. Saint Ambrose This oblation is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord c. This is not the bread that goeth into the body but the bread of eternal life which strengthneth our soules 1. Cor. 11. Againe Seeing we are deliuered by the death of our Lord in remembrance thereof in eating drinking we signified there the flesh bloud of our Lord which haue beene offered for vs. Now what should this be To be a figure to signifie to make mention of or to haue in remembrance but the same which we say That the bread is Sacramentally the body of Christ Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 4. And that which hee saith himselfe In the Sacrament is Christ But some obiect from an other place Peraduenture thou wilt say saith hee my bread is vsuall that is to say common bread know that this bread is bread before the word of the Sacraments but after the consecration of bread it is made the flesh of Christ the body of Christ c. Namely by the consecration of the
Againe that which followeth Thy bodie is broken O Christ thy cup is blessed let thy blood be to vs vnto eternall life Can this be spoken and that in their owne iudgementes but of the bread and not of the bodie seeing that in the bodie they do not allow of any breaking And in deed he calleth the kinds after the consecration Creatures in these words Per quem haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas viuificas c. By whom O Lord thou createst all these thinges as also sanctifiest and quickenest them c. But the praiers which are said after the communion which they call Post-communions will witnesse with vs of the intent of the Church We which receiue the pledge of eternall life doe humblie beseech thee that this which we haue toucht by the image of the sacrament may be receiued of vs by a manifest receiuing c. Againe Hauing beene refreshed with celestial meat drinke we pray thee that we may be made strong through this prayers in remembrance of whom we haue receiued these things Again That we may receiue the sauing effect the pledge whereof we haue receiued by these mysteries Note Pledge Image of the Sacrament communication mysteries c. which they also commonly call Commercia sacrosancta redemptionis nostrae The sacred trafficke of our redemption Celestiall gifts the celestiall Table celestiall sacraments spirituall nourishmentes which are receiued by the spirit in visible mysteries but by an inuisible effect c. Now followeth that which is attributed vnto Chrysostome S. Chrysostomes liturgie but with what apparance of truth we haue shewed before for it cannot bee of fiue hundred yeares after The prefaces therein are customarie There is something said of change but by the inuocating of the name of God and by the power of the holy Ghost not by the pronunciation of wordes and not in the nature of the elementes but in the vse for likewise after the blessing there is a prayer For the precious giftes sanctified And the bread is called Holy bread which is distributed vnto those that are present in these wordes The Lambe of God the Sonne of the father is distributed and not diuided daily eaten and neuer consumed but he sanctifieth them which are partakers thereof Can this be any otherwise spoken then figuratiuely They obiect vnto vs that it is there said That Christ is present there That he is there toucht with the hand and seene with the eye c. And would they haue all this vnderstood according to the letter How then is it said both before and all with one breath Christ is there inuisiblie It is not incident for him to bee discerned there by our sight c. And how will these contradictions in one the same Periode agree stand together but only thus by vnderstanding the signe to be spoken of in the one the thing in the other Can they any way relieue themselues still holding their opinions without falling as saith the Canon into greater more dangerous heresies then euer did Berengarius But verily Chrysost hath spokē thus elswhere Christ is crucified before your eyes his bloud runneth downe from his side c. And S. Paul likewise to the Galathians Christ is crucified before your eies As in S. Ierome Hyeronym in Psal 85. Tertul. de baptism Our faces in baptisme are marked with the bloud of Christ In Tertullian We are washed in the passion of our Lord c. In S. Barnard Washed in his bloud in Baptisme c. And all this without any reall transmutation in the elements In the Masse also vsed at this day The liturgie of the Latines although that it haue beene ouertrimmed againe and againe wee may find sorne traces and footinges thereof for the bread and the wine are there called Dona Munera giftes offerings and the same gifts after consecration are called Creatures Per quem haec omnia semper bona creas c. Whereas the massing Priestes would haue vs belieue that after they haue once gone ouer them that they become the Creator himselfe And they pray vnto God That he would vouchsafe to accept them as the offeringes of Abell c. If it were Christ himselfe with what face could this be done Furthermore there are as yet many Post-communions carrying S. Ambrose his stile As this Pignus vitae eternae c. the pledge of eternall life Again Quod specie gerimus rerū veritare capiamus Lord let thy Sacraments accomplish in vs that which they containe to the end we may receiue in truth that which we handle in figure Otherwise how wil they expound this without a figure That the bodie that I haue taken and the bloud that I haue drunke cleaueth vnto my entralles if we vnderstand it not of the entralles of the soule and by consequent of the mouth of the same according to the words which follow That so there may not remaine any spot of mine iniquities in me c. They think themselues to haue done a great act against al these so euident proofes Obiection when they can but obiect against vs That our Lord had told his disciples that hee would not speake any more vnto them in similitudes and that the question is here about a Testament wherein euerie thing must be plainely set downe But is there any that do both wittingly and willingly make the same more obscure and intricate then they doe which of them or vs doth admit therein both moe figures more strange figures But we say that there is something to be said betwixt parables and figures and that figures are giuen to make cleare and plaine not to make obscure darke And that more is there is not any place in the scripture without speaking either of their figures That the whole discourse of the holy supper is full of figures or our owne wherein there are so many figures to be found Father let this cup passe from me Let a man sell that he hath to buy him a sword This cup is the new Testament c. I will not drinke any more of this fruit Behold thy mother c. Are these figures And is there not also both before and after the passion not onely figuratiue speeches but also figured deeds The washing of the feet of the Apostles The sop giuen to Iudas c. The breathing vpon the Apostles c. in these words Receiue the holy Ghost c. And yet these figures whether those concerning actions or those concerning wordes such as both expressely signifie as also giue much light to that which is intended to bee deliuered yea more then many other wordes would haue done For what store number would haue sufficed to lay open the duetie that our Lord would that S. Iohn should performe to the virgine or the humilitie which hee recommended to the Apostles or to haue set forth the presence of the spirite which he was as certainely to send vnto
to this idol Magnificet animatua Demmum let thy soule therefore saith he praise the Lord c. Because thine eies haue seene thy saluation which we that is to say the Pope haue prepared before the face of thy people c. By the same meanes he sendeth vnto her Quaternum in in quo officium continetur a scedule or booke of the office which some hold to haue beene composed by Thomas Aquinas a great defender of this new opinion to haue had giuen vnto him therefore for a gift from the Pope a Doue of siluer whereupon it commeth that being painted he is alwaies set forth with the picture of a Doue at his right shoulder And namely he turneth the hymne Pange lingua gloriosi which Fortunatus had framed about the yeare 600. vpon the passion of our Sauiour to the honor of this feast But because as saith the Glose of Decretals In Decret de reliquils ve nerat Sanct. vbi Gloss Clem. l. 3. Pomerius De reliquiis veneratione sanctorum that this constitution was not receiued in euerie place about the yeare 1311. that is to say some 50. yeares after Clement the fift ordained in a Councell holden at Vienna that it should be obserued of all And about the yeare 1360. beganne the Processions and Tabernacles at Pauie the patterne whereof was recommended to all Christendome For in deed in that of Clements there was not as yet any mention made of bringing it forth in procession and offering of it in the streetes to worship for in it there are onely these words That this feast was ordained for the preparing of euery one to the better receiuing of him c. In like manner there is euery where mention made of two kinds But in despight that Berengarius who had striuen against and beaten downe transubstantiation was Deane of S. Maurice of Angiers hee was recommended vnto this same Cittie that he might in most singular and solemne sort celebrate this festiuall day And hence sprung the originall of the solemnities of Angiers more execrable cursed and in derision of our Lord then it was euer in any other place Since Pope Martin the fift and Pope Eugenius the fourth after the yeare 1400. redoubled the pardons againe so far forth as that those of the day of the Octaues calculated and reckned by Pomerius doe amount to fortie foure thousande daies of true pardon and that as well on his part and behalfe that looketh on as on his behalfe that communicateth And this is the goodly diuinitie of Popes vpon the holy Supper of our Lord. The pompe of Rome L. 3. Ceremon eccles Romā Let vs adde hereunto the pompe of Rome for it is yet come in of a later time after the other In the middest of the same a little before the Pope there is ledde a white ambling gelding which beareth the pretended Sacrament shut vp close and fast in a boxe This ambling gelding hath a little bell of a verie good sound hanging at his necke a sumpter-cloth is spread ouer it Lib. Pontifica lis sect 1. 2 5. 12. l. 1. 3. de offic sacrist wrought with the Popes armes twelue lustie cutters or ruffians walking before c. Sometimes also if the Pope go into the fieldes they send it with traine and baggage And hee that is desirous to know yet further let him reade the Pontificall bookes wherein they intreate of Processions through the Cittie of the Pope or of the Emperour his coronation But this is a thing for vs to marke and proue namely what agreement there is betwixt these inuentions and deuises of Popes and the institution of our Lord Take eate do this in remembrance of me c. As also what meanes there are for them to excuse this idolatrie There can no excuse be made for their idolatrie Summ. Angel Euchar. c 26. according to their owne Maximes They hold that If the Priest haue not had an intent and purpose actuall as some say habituall as others to consecrate that then he doth not consecrate That likewise if he had not any further purpose then to consecrate halfe a bread that then the other halfe is common breade Those then that worship if he haue not had any purpose to consecrate what do they worship but the creature And with what faith seeing when as he hath had a purpose they are not able to sound the truth and find it out Thom. Salisburiens de art predican c. 25. Wherefore it will behoue men to haue recourse to Thomas Salisburiensis his consideration as To worship vpon condition that euerie dutie and thing required to the action be well and truely done c. They hold also That the intent of him that consecrateth is not sufficient if his also that did institute the same doe not concurre Bonau in Còpend sacr theol l. 6. rub 11. that is to say that the Priest haue an intent saith Bonauenture if he worke not according to the institution of Christ To worship then in a priuate Masse is it not idolatrie seeing that Hugo of S. Victor Gabriel Biell and Gerardus Lorichius their great Maisters of transubstantiation doe openly hold and maintaine That the priuate Masse wherein there is not made any remembrance or publike Communion is against the institution of Christ And further seeing there is such an infinite number of cases such as are verie ordinarie Thom. p. 3 q 13. Ioh. de Burgo Pupilla c. 3. Gerson contr Florent Extr. de celeb Miss and notwithstanding not perceiued of those that are present wherein the priest doth not consecrate at all As If hee forget to put wine into the cuppe if the bread be made of any other then wheate flower if there be more water then wine if the wine be eager and sharpe if of seuen leaues moe or lesse he did thinke but of sixe if he haue omitted but one worde Of those wordes say I once againe whereupon they are not agreed amongst themselues c. who shall assure their faith that are present thereat of the consecration and by consequent warrant their consciences against idolatrie How that many notable personages of this time haue beene ashamed of the doctrine Pic. Mirand in Thesi◠secund Thom. Scot Idem in Apo in disput de Euch. Now it is verie certaine that manie in these our daies and times haue beene ashamed of this doctrine Iohannes Picus Counte of Mirandula durst dispute publikely at Rome against transubstantiation And his Theses are That the true bodie of Christ is locally in heauen and sacramentallie at the Altar That these wordes also Hoc est corpus meum doe not consecrate if the former be not expressed that is Pridié quà m pateretur c. That is to say that the institution lyeth not in certaine wordes but in the institution of Christ That the foure words tenentur materialiter non significatiuè Likewise he deliuereth a particular manner of eating the flesh
houshold of God doe sing in their psalmes of thankesgiuing we haue passed by fire and by water c. meaning that the hard measure of aduersitie hath not beene able to breake their course by causing them to faint neither the soft bedde of prosperitie make them to become slacke cold through delicacie c and he speaketh by name of the blessed death of S. Malachie Archbishop of Ireland Cassiodorus Because a vessell saith he well hardned and baked in the fire doth hold water better Another saith As S. Laurence passed through fire S. Clement and others through water And let this be set as a brand vpon our aduersaries that they alwaies take hold of the expositions that are least receiued and of all others the worst Caiet in psal 66. I could haue wished that they would at the least haue satisfied themselues in Caietanus his exposition saying He comprehendeth vnder these words of fire and water in briefe all the tribulations of Israel from their comming out of Egypt vnto Iordan that is we haue endured all manner of miseries and in the end thou hast made vs to come ad irriguam to a well watered soile that is to say into the land of promise Neither doth it auaile them Amb. in psal 118. serm 3. that Bellarmine to dasle the eies of the world doeth here alleadge S. Ambrose For this baptisme of fire whereof he speaketh setting the same at the entrance of Paradise allegorizing vpon the Cherubin that kept the passage in is but an appendance and limme of that ancient opinion that the world in that day when the end and consummation thereof commeth and all the creatures therein euen men and of them the most holy and sanctified should bee purged by fire and not in that space of time which shal be betwixt their death and resurrection It appeareth by these words This baptisme saith he shall bee after the end and consummation of the world when hee shall send his Angels to seperate the good from the euill Then shall the fierie furnace feed vpon iniquitie and burne it vp to the end that the iust may shine in the kingdome of God as the Sonne in the kingdome of his father And in deed saith he if that Peter and Iohn be there they shall haue their part in that baptisme Now in deed the truth is that Bellarmine doth not hold or meane that the Apostles haue passed or at any time must passe the fire of purgatorie In the Psalme 107. They cried vnto the Lord in their distresses Psal 107. v. 13. and hee deliuered them from their necessities from darknesse and from the shadow of death Thus wheresoeuer they reade darknesse the graue fire or the shadow of death there alwaies purgatorie must bee summoned to appeare This text is cleare and plaine wherein Dauid maketh a long catalogue or repetition of all the perils whereunto the life of man is subiect the deliuerances that God giueth vnto them that call vppon him although they should bee within two fingers breadth of death But they wil not belieue vs. Lyranus therfore telleth them They were stricken with remorce and sorrow in their afflictions called vpon God who deliuered them And these words frō the shadow of death August Hieron Theodor in psal 106. he expoundeth them by the psalme 23. the daunger of death As Caietan simplie vnderstandeth the same of the inconueniences of the prison S. Ierome did not acknowledge any such like thing to be contained therein but let it passe as he declareth by that which goeth before Et eduxit eos in viam rectam Neither yet S. Augustine who vnderstandeth it of the difficulties lets and impediments that the regenerate find when they should go about to do good and that after such time as God hath opened their knowledge Prosp in psal 107. Haim in psal and enlightned their vnderstanding except himselfe doe worke in them And thus doeth Prosper Aquitanicus also take it Neither Theodoret who vnderstandeth it of the darknes of ignorance and of the seruitude of sinne Haimo In darknesse that is in ignorance out of which no man can free himselfe in the shadow of death that is to say in the villanous and loose course of life which leadeth vnto death And Hugo the Cardinal taketh it in the same sence Darknes that is of ignorance the shadow of death that is faults transgressions bound that is the punishment c. Some others thus Of such as are inwrapped in heresie and are reclaimed by wholesome instruction But and if they wil cleaue to the plaine literall sence it is said There was no man to help them Where were then become the Masses and Suffrages Againe he speaketh of such as had beene rebellious vnto the word of God which had despised the counsell of the most high a mortall sinne and one of the most hainous ones that can be Now purgatorie by their owne speech is not but for veniall ones And yet furthermore if wee will credite the expositions of the old writers Dauid was but a simple fellow and knew nothing in the matter of purgatorie In the booke of the Preacher Ecclesiast 4.14 There is such a one saith Salomon which commeth out of prison for to raigne that is to say according to their vnderstanding out of purgatorie to go into the kingdome of heauen In this whole booke he discourseth of the courses alterations and changes of things happening in mans life and that which followeth in the same verse doth ouerthrow their mistaking And in like manner saith he there is such a man as of a king becommeth poore Now this should fall out contrarie to their owne doctrine that those which are once glorified do neuer fall away If this be not sufficient yet Hugo the Cardinall will help and afford vs some aid This is saith he Christ who from the prison of Pilate the graue and his handes is gone vp to receiue his kingdome Lyranus alleadgeth for an example of the one Ioseph taken out of prison to gouerne Egypt and Sedechias pulled downe from his throne of Maiestie to to be cast into the dungeon for the other I am ashamed to stand vpon the refuting of these fooleries Esay 4. yet notwithstanding we must go through to the end of them In Esay When the Lord shall haue washed away the filthinesse of the daughters of Sion and wiped the blood of Ierusalem from out of the midst of her by the spirit of iudgement and of zeale This iudgement and zeale are purgatorie Let them reade that which goeth before and that which followeth they shall perceiue that the prophet speaketh of the desolation of Ierusalem and of the restoring of the same in Iesus Christ But the Paraphrast saith By the word of iudgement and by the word of consummation He felt no smell of fire And the Glosse In the spirit of iudgement the lightest and least sinnes and in the spirit of zeale the more
grieuous both the one and the other by pennance Now the truth is cleare how that purgatorie is not pennance as also that it is not ordained for sinnes but for punishment but and if it be as some would haue it for sinnes yet it is but for pettie and sleight sinnes Ireneus saith It is the word alone that washeth away the filthines of the daughters of Sion that washed the feete of his disciples and which sanctifieth their whole bodies Clemens Alexandrinus It is the good spirituall washing which cleanseth the soule Hieronym in Esa 4. whereof the Prophet speaketh The Lord hath washed away the filthines of Sion c. S. Ierome expounding this place saith in like sort That which is but lightly foule will bee washed cleane but that which is deeply stained and defiled by being burnt in the fire And this is that which Iohn Baptist said He will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire for man can giue but water but God fire and the holy Ghost which washeth away filthinesse and purgeth away the deadly and haynous sins Chrysostome Chrysost in Matth. hom 5. c. 4. Cyril in Esa c. 4. For men are baptised with fire by temptations that are present according to that in Esay In the spirit of feruencie and zeale c. Cyrill in like manner In the spirit saith he of iudgement that is to say by a iust sentence according as our Sauiour saith Now is the iudgement of this world for hee fighteth with the world and Sathan iustifying vs by faith c. And also in the spirit of zeale by the grace of baptisme which is not begotten in vs without the spirit c. For we are not baptised with bare water but with the holy Ghost with this diuine and intellectuall fire which wasteth in vs the vncleannesse of our vicious nature and melteth and burneth all the spots of sinne Haimo ibid. c. Haimo The same holy Ghost is called the spirit of iudgement and the spirit of zeale and feruencie of iudgement because that in baptisme Sathan is iudged and as it were condemned when his power ouer man is taken away from him of zeale because he inflameth the heartes of men with loue towardes their creator scouring away the canker of sin whereof it is said God is a consuming fire he will baptise vs with the holy Ghost and with fire c. And Hugo the Cardinall in like manner And thus you may see by these ancient fathers how they haue made a purgatorie of the holy Ghost and of the temptations and trials happening in this life the paines of purgatorie which cannot be except in the other And Lyranus In the spirit of iudgement for our Lord hath satisfied for the Church by the way of iustice in the spirit of zeale because he hath performed it in a great measure of charitie and loue And yet this is one of the textes whereby Bellarmine laboureth to make his cause so strong And here we are not to forget his vnsound and vnfaithfull dealing for that which S. Augustine hath spoken expresly De nouissimo iudicio of the last iudgement wherein saith he the daughters of Syon shall be refined graunt it saith he in as much as they shall be seperated from the wicked as the pure gold from his drosse in the furnace admit it also in this respect for that all creatures shall as then passe through the fire and likewise all manner of soules according to the opinion of that time this hee turneth and wresteth to help for the building of his purgatorie which they pretend to take place and seaze vpon men at the time of their departure out of this life And we are to request the reader to marke the deceit he worketh vpon the place Peter Abbot of Clugni abuseth either ignorantly or impudently another place Esay 8. Esa 8.19 Shall the people require a signe and vision of their God for the quicke and for the dead For so he alleadgeth it whereas the text saith Shall not a people inquire at their God shall they runne for the liuing to the dead reprouing such as did runne to south sayers sending them backe as is said afterward to the law and to the testimonie c. In deed the Septuagints haue translated it Shall they inquire of the dead concerning the liuing that is to say concerning the businesse and affaires of the liuing And the Chaldie paraphrast Euerie man saith hee inquireth and asketh counsell of his idolles so the liuing take counsell of the dead And Origen likewise You to whom God hath giuen his law will you go to inquire of the Deuils which are in verie deede dead Hieronym in Esa c. 8. And Saint Ierome vpon Esay saith As the infidels do aske counsell at their false Gods so the faithfull ought to runne to the true God and to the lawe and to the Prophetes inspired by him c. Lyranus saith as hee saith Saint Cyrill Cyril in Esa l. 5. orat 5. Would you aske counsell sayeth the Lord of the dead for the liuing you which are aliue is there any reason that you shoulde inquire of the deade of the bodies which lie in the graues or of the soules which it may bee are in hell Nay rather saith hee you which are quickned by the liuely worde of God will you go vnto sorcerers and Magicians which are dead in their soules Now the argument of Peter of Clugni was thus framed There are visions of the dead and therefore a Purgatorie but it is grounded as we haue seene vpon an vnsound Grammar or rather vpon the corrupting and deprauing of the old expositor wherein as some note there was as in S. Ierome Pro viuis à mortuis and not ac mortuis And this is the more likely in asmuch as for the most parte he applyeth himselfe to the Greeke text And in deed Cardinall Hugo said Amortuis of the dead for the liuing that is to say to aske counsell of images which are like vnto dead men which is a ridiculous and foolish thing Esay 9. Wickednesse saith the Prophete shall burne like a fire Esa 9.17 It shall deuoure the briars and the thornes and shall bee kindled in the thicke places of the forrest c. This is one of Bellarmine his maister-pillars There the Prophete threatneth the people of Israel From the head vnto the taile the boughes and the stumpe the Magistrate and the false prophete These are his wordes And after that hee hath denounced the anger of God to fall vppon the Magistrates and vppon the men in authoritie hee addeth That it shall not stay there but that it shall set on fire and deuoure the common sorte which hee compareth to bushes of thornes or to a thicke growne vnderwood And it is made plaine by the wordes following And the people shall bee as fewell or a baite for the fire no man shall haue pittie vppon his companion to spare him c What agreement is