the scripture But the Hebrewes who had the benifice of Gods word cleare and open did sinn more greuosly in their vnbilefe committing Idolatry and blasphemy than the heathen For it was euen as he that seith the ditch and yet of purpos and willingly falleth in to it It is plaine that he doth moch more sinne who hath thexpresse commandment of the lord and knoweth his will and noth withstanding yet doth against such commandement and will than he that knoweth it not Luc. 12. as the Sauior saith in S. Luke That is to say the seruant that knoweth the will of his master and doth it not shall be worthily beaton with many stripes but the seruant that knoweth not the will of his lord and doth it not shall be beaton too but not so moch as he that knoweth it And for this caus the Hebrewes whan thei worsshipped the calff in the desert they did moch more greuosly sinn than the heathen who did honor the Idols for so moch as that not long before thei were cowncelled by God him selff who gaue them the lawe and commanded them that thei shuld not make any ymage to honor and yet thei made it against Gods expresse commandment And so as many other times as thei haue committed Idolatry as we haue in the bookes of the Kings and of the Prophetes thei haue moch more offended God and more greuosly sinned than the heathen And the Idolatry and vnfaithfulnes of his own peple was more abhominable in Gods sight and did more prouoke him to anger than that of the heathen And for this caus also thei were more threatned than the ame heathen And how many scorgis how many ouerthrowes haue thei suffred for the sinn of vnbilefe and Idolatry The 10. tribes of Israell for what caus were thei so offt by God scorgid and at the last berefft of their right 4. Reg. 17. and by Salmanasar King of the Assyrians led in to continuall bondage as it is writton in the boke of the Kings but only for Idolatry The tribe off Iuda how many wayes was it striken as well off their borderers that is off their next neighbors as affter by a peple that came farr off as the Caldees and the Assyrians were why was it sent in to exile to Babylone Why was the temple destroyed and euery thing ouerthrowen but only for their Idolatry Be caus thes things be knowen I doo not labor to recite the stories where thei be writton and therfor I passe them ouer Exod. 32. Deut. 4. 2. Parali 7. Ierem. 43. 44. Esa 65. Ezech. 9. and. 43. Exod. 4. Deut. 7. 3. Reg. 14. Ezech. 8.20 4. Reg. 23. How offten hath God threatned the ouerthrowe to Idolaters Loke in Exodus in Deuteronomy in Paralipomenon in Ieremy in Esay in Ezechiel and in very many other placis of the Prophetes Idolatry in the scripture is called abhominacion becaus God hath it most chefely in hatred Loke in Exodus in Deutronomy in the 3. boke off the Kings where Achias the Prophet foretelleth the exile and sparkeling off the tribe off Israel for Idolatry and also in Ezechiel In all thes places the scripture calleth Idolatry Abhominacion becaus that God as we haue sayd hath it in meruelos hatred This fowndacion being laid that God hath chefly in hatred Idolatry in what so euer sort it be done but moch more in his own peple than he had in the other And this becaus his peple had the knowlege off God and were taught with his word the trew worship off God that is to say how thei ought to worship him and honor him the other peple were not soo the which sinned by ignorans It doth fitly folow also that iff there shall be fownd Idolatry among the Christians who be now Gods peple that that shal be more abhominable before God than any other not only of the heathen but also of the Hebrewes For where as the knowlege off God and off his trewe worship is gretter and the trowth is more manifest in that place Idolatry and vnbilefe be greater sinnes and gretter abhominacions before God than where there is not so moch knowlege nor the truth so open But who dowteth that there shuld not be in the Christian peple a greater knowlege off God and off his trew worship and off Christ who is the truth it selff by the witnes off him selff the which saith in S. Iohn I am the way Iohn 4. the truth and the liffe than in any other peple and nacion doth not he witnes the truth talking with the Samaritane as Iohn writeth that the Christians that is to say the peple gathered to gether of by leuing Iewes and heathē which we be turned to Christ by Gods grace shuld be the trewe worshippers that shuld worshipp the father in spirite and truth Haue not we more knowlege of God hauing greater knowlege of Christ by whom God is truly knowen than the Hebrewes who will dowt this but he that knoweth not what Christ is Also this time is compared to that of the lawe vnder the which the Hebrews were as the day is to the night For thei had the flesshly worship that is to say thos sacrifices and nōber of ceremonies and we haue the spiri◅uall Coloss 2. Thei had the shadows and we haue the body as Paul saith to the Colosseis The knowlege that thei had was dark becaus it was shadowed with figures and certen veales or couerings owrs be clere bare and open wee doo better knowe Gods benifites thorow Christ than thei how sinnes be forgeuen vs how we be Iustified and saued Now we knowe that Christ is deade for our sinnes Rma 4. and is risen again as Paul saith for our rigthuosnes We know that he suteth at the right hand of God and where he is there we shal be Iohn 12. as he witnesseth in Iohn And of this we be sure We byleue certenly as an artikle of our faith that Christ is trewe God and trewe man The comen sort of the Iewes did not clerely knowe thes things as we doo And that it is the truth Iesus Christes Apostles them seluis although thei had hard him a long time and had conuersacion with him yet thei did not think that by death and chefely that death off the crosse he shuld redeme the world and that he shuld be a sacrifice and satisfaccion for our sinnes To him that hath redd the stories of theuangelistes this that I say is plaine Iff it be so than that where the knowlege of God of Christ of the threw worship is greater Idolatry vnbilefe and blasphemy be more greuos sinnes than where there is not so gret and so clere knowlege Surely iff we shall find thes so greuos sinnes in the Christen peple we must of necessitie conclude that thei shall more displease God and shall be more hatefull vnto him than all the Idolatries all the vnbilefes and all the blaspemies off the heathē yea and off the Hebrewissh peple too
whose name is the repentaunce done of the which you wold that the spoken confession should be a parte In whose name I say is it made Is it made in the name of thother saincts or â—…n Christs name he himself suerly hath said Luc. 24. that repentauÌ„ce and remissioÌ„ of sinÌ„es ought to be done â—…n his name as we haue in sainct Luke And why â—…hen haue you not put him in this youre confÃteor If at all you beleue in him what will they â—…ay here paraduenture they will say that there is mention made of Christe in these words ConfÃteor deo Christ being god And also in that â—…ther place where there is made mencion of all the the saincts Christ being also a sainct A goodly answer And why is there not made meÌ„cion of Christ â—…s man seing that there is mencioned the rest that â—…re onely creatures Christ is not onely god but Rom. 3. Timo. 2. Hebr. 7. â—…so man and oure aduocate in that he is man Why â—…oo not we confesse oure self to him and pray to â—…im seing he onely is apointed by god to be our â—…ediatoure and intercessour and not the other â—…aincts as muche as we vnderstand by the holly scriptures And so much the rather also that we be â—…ot certeine that the other saints here vs And if we should make particular mencion of the others who although they be by gods fauour saincts yet they were not without sinn Wherfore should we not muche rather make mention of Ihesus Christ the sonne of god the saincte of sanictes and the hallower of al the rest Collos 2. And in whome dwelleth the fulnes of the god head bodely as S. Paule saith It is plaine therfore that this Confiteor deo oâ—… the Masse is not Christian for that it burieth Christe After the Confiteor is said the miserea tur tui and the indulgentiam and absolutioneÌ„ and the deus tu conuersus and the Ostende nobis domine misericordiam tuam c. Where neither is made any mention of Christe This ended they say two prayers the first is this Take from vs o lord we pray the al oure iniquities that we mai with pure mindes come to the holy of holies through Christ oure lord Amen This prayer were godly if there were not these words holye of holies or at the leasts if there were that had the true meaninge of them But because it semeth to shewe that that materiall aultar vpon which the Masse is sayd should be the holye of the hollies therfore it is superstitious and telleth not the trueth for the holly of the hollis was according to the scriptures a place in the tabernacle deuided from the rest by a certein veele or Corthein whether you will call it as it is written in Exodus Exod. 20. into which place none did entre except the high priest once in the yere And it signifieth the heauen whither Christ is now entered after he had ended his euerlasting raunsomming â—…s sainct Paule saith to the Hebrues Hebr. â—… So that seing this aulter wherupon the priest sayth Masse is not the hollie of the hollies but an inuention of men and not apointed by god It is called vnproperly ye falsely the holly of the hollies for that place the holly of the holiyes is ended as also the aultars be and is no more sence that Christe is come who hath ended that materiall tabernacle the leuiticall sacrifices and all that outward and ceremoniall worshipping Matth. 27. Marc. 15. And in token of that as the Euangelists wryte when Christ dyed on the Crosse that veele which parted the holly of the hollies from the rest of the temple was deuyded and torne in two from the topp to the grounde geuinge vs to vnderstand that the ceremoniall law in euery parte ended by Christ. It belongeth not then to vs to make moe new holly of hollies hauing no word of god for â—…t Where as neuertheles if the prayer had vnderstode by the holly of hollyes the heauen where Christ is entered aÌ„d wherin also we shall by his me â—…rits aÌ„d the grace of god enter the praier had bene â—…trew aÌ„d godly but this is not the inteÌ„t as it semeth for it enteÌ„deth to speake of the misteri of the Masse aÌ„d of that aultar to the which things meÌ„ ought to goo as they say with a pure minde and a cleâ—â— conscience Ther followeth next another praier which 〈◊〉 priest saieth in euery Masse softly and bowing hâ—…self to the aulter that is We beseche the o lord 〈◊〉 the deseruings of thy sainctes whose reliques 〈◊〉 here and of all the saincts that thou woldest voâ—â—safe to forgeue me all my sinnes Amen A folish â—…cked and blasphemous prayer first he saieth tâ—… by the deseruings of the sainctes that haue the reliques in that aultar or in the hallowed stone they say And who knoweth that they be reliqâ—… of saincts What fuerty hath the priest therof Pâ—… aduenture they be the reliques I will not say whome And yf haplye there shal be there no reliques of sainctes as I thinck and beleue in a grâ—… parte yea in the more parte of the aultars that â—…re are no reliques of sainctes in dede what shâ—… auaile this there praier in that parte making meâ—…tion of the sainctes that be not Then what wickâ—…nes and blasphemie is this to geue the remissionâ—… sinnes to the deseruings of mere men who thougâ—â— they be saintes yet they all haue had nede of the sâ—…me forgeuenes of sinnes 3. Reg. 8. 2. Petr. 6. Psal 142. and no one of theÌ„ was 〈◊〉 any time without sinne as the scripture saieth 〈◊〉 many places And Christ in the prayer that 〈◊〉 taught the holy Apostles declareth the same Eccles 18. Matth. 6. who â—â—â—eth that they should say when they pray forgeuâ—â—â— oure debts that is to say oure sinnes as we for 〈◊〉 oure dettours And S. IhonÌ„ saith 1. Ioan. 1. If we shall 〈◊〉 we haue no sinne we deceaue oure selues and truâ—…th is not in vs. What blasphemy I say is this to gâ—â—â— such remission to mere men thesame being 〈◊〉 office onely of Christe The holy scripture â—â—â—n it speaketh of the forgeuenes of sinnes it makâ—â—â— no meÌ„tion of any but of Christe and teacheth vs that by his onely merits sinÌ„es are forgeuen And this praiers doth geue it Ioan. 1. Acto 4. to the deseruings of other saincts IhonÌ„ Baptist pointing to Christ saieth beâ—â—â—d the lamm of god behold him that taketh away 〈◊〉 sinnes of the world and meaneth him onely â—â—d S. Peter in the Actes of the Apostles saith theâ—â—s none other name vnder heauen geuen to men 〈◊〉 which we must be saued If there be none other â—â—me by which we are saued but that of Christe nor by other deseruings then his whye then do we â—â—ing in in that case any other but him what meaâ—…th this to be saued if not to be freed from sinn 〈◊〉 Aungell also saieth to Ioseph as S. Mathew
the substance of the forme albeit that comonly the doctors agree with Bonauenture And here is to be noted that according to the opinion of Scotus it is not yet knowē what shuld be the wordes of cōsecracion of the wine but in part It is sure that he said the truth that neither he nor Bonauenture nor Thomas of Aquina nor as many moo scole doctors as be defenders of the masse euer knewe certenly the very poinctt which shuld be the partes of consecracion And this is the profe theroff For iff thei had knowen it there shuld not haue bene so great a diuersitie and confusion of opinions as we haue sene And we could yet iff we wold speake of others This their so gret diuersitie sheweth plainely that thei neuer knewe it nor neuer were certen of the matter And it is most certen that iff the opinion that thei defend were trewe there shuld neuer haue bene so many and so diuers opinions What a vaine thing is it than to say that by the vertu of certen wordes shuld be made a changing of the breade and the wyne in to the body and blood of Christ which thing not withstonding by the holy scripture cānot be shewed that is that by the vertu of certen wordes the substance of things shuld be chāged and of the other part not to knowe or not to be certen which shuld be thos wordes Thei speake also in such sort of this consecratoin that affter their owne opinion the church or the peple that heare the masse are neuer certen whether the consecracion be made or not For the master of sentencis saith in the iiij that the heretikes can not bring it to passe that is to say to consecrate And also he saith yow must haue the intent for otherwise yow consecrate not And who can be certen either of the faith or of the intēt of him that celebrateth Surely no man being such things in the consciens of man which none seith but god and he that celebrateth Therfor the peple that heare the masse is neuer certen whan the consecracion is made and whan not The cause whi this confusiō is amōg them first is because thei knowe not properly what maner of thing consecracion is For consecracion meaneth one thing and thei thinck it shuld haue a nother meaning Besides thei beleue or at the least cause mē to thinck that thei beleue and thei preach the same as an article of the faith that that breade and that wine is changed th one in to the trew ād substāciall body of Christ that is to say the breade the other that is to say the wyne in to his blood And thei say that Christ really in body ād sowle as gret and as thick as he was vpon the wood of the crosse and as now he is in heauen is wholly in that litle host and wholly in that cupp where the wine was And thei will that here there shuld come to gether many miracles and thei hold that this meruelos change which thei call transsubstanciaciō shuld be done by the vertu of thos wordes of the consecracion And thei will that consecraciō doth meane changing of breade in to the body and of wine in to the blood made with thes wordes So that they make this consecracyon as the inchanters were wont to make their inchantmēts with certē wordes wich they being deceiued by the deuel thinck to haue vertu to worke certen wōderfull effectys So doo they that thinck with thes wordes spoken softly ouer the breade and the wyne to change by vertu of the same the bread and the wyne in the body and blood of Iesus Christ Thes ij be the causes why they know not with what wordes the consecratyō is made nor whā it is made ffor hauing that opinyon that they haue that is to say that there is made that meruelous change of bread ād wine thes wordes hoc est corpus meum make than the difficultye and they knowe not what thing is shwesd by this word hoc For iff the breade be shewed the saing appeareth falss vnto them because the breade is not the body of Christ tyll all the wordes be spoken and whan they shewe the breade the wordes be not yet spoken Than seing the body is not yet there there can not be shewed by this word hoc the body which yet is not And if they say they shewe the body by this hoc that saing hoc est corpus meum semyth to them vntrew likewise for seing the body is not yet there in that host it can not be shwed in it And thus not knowing how to make trewe that saing what soeuer sort they shuld speake it they goo abowt writhing it a thowsand maner of ways ād wold fayne help the matter if they could but they fynd not the way for god will not As it chāced to Pharaos coniurers that could not doo that they wold Exo. ◅ So thei wold yet for all that holding that opinyon they hold and for to geue credyt to the masse they wold yet I say make that saing agree with this theyr opinion but there is no meanes how Let them turne it yet as they will theyr opynyon standing Christes saing hoc est corpus meum cannot be made trewe Thā theyr opynynō is most false which cānot stād with gods truth that is to say his word It is chanced also to them as to thos that wold haue bylded the gret tower of Babilon and haue made it meruelos high as it is writon in Genesis Gene. ◅ but god confused their tonges that one dyd not vnderstand a nother allthough that all did agre to the bylding of it Euē so it hapnyth to thes carpēters or builders of the masse wich also wold if they could lifft it vp euen to heauen and make it be cownted as a godly thing and an high worship And thei all are agreed to this workmanship And because they see that iff thei hold not that the trew body of Christ is in the host ād his trew ād naturall blood in the cupp the masse shuld not be in price or any estimacion but rather by and by shuld decay therfor aboue all things thei take hede to this to persuade and by all meanes thei can to make the peple beleue that Christ is really and bodily in that host and that cup. Neuertheles god hath confused their tōgs ād their mindes in to so many waies and opiniōs in to so diuers fansies ād spechis that the one is disagreing ād cōtrary to the other This is now a plain and a manifest tokē that this workmāship pleaseth not god and finally shall fall to the grownd to the intent that the saing of Iesus Christ may be verified that eueri plantinge which the heauinly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Mat. 15. We doo not now intend to goo abowt to proue here that that their opinion is false that is to say that the breade and wine shuld be changed
king for the Emperor against Infidels against temptacyō for the petyciō of the teares for to fynd things lost for shepe for oxen beare with me If an hors haue a disease in his eye or in one of his leggys thei caus masse to be sayd for hym It is also good for thes that confesse I meane that heare the confessyon becaus it maketh them gett good mony and other things Forthei geue penans to them that thei heare in confessyon that is to say that thei of force cause them to say massys and thei make thē to pay lustily in such sort as thei make thei make them somtyme scratt the head again And what hath the herbe betonica which hath so many vertews as Anthonius Musa sayth to doo with the masse It is no meruel that it shuld be good for so many things becaus that thei that haue fownd it owt and haue framed it haue much more powr than the Apostles as paul sayth 2. Corin. 13. to whom was geuen powr to bylde and not to destroy But the masse makers haue the fulnes off powr to peruert to cōfownd to destroy and to ouerthrowe euery thing And whan thei haue done all this that pleaseth them no man may say vnto them why doo ye soo Becaus thei be aboue all and may be iudged of none how like ye this so gret a powre Let no man therfor meruell of thes so many vertewes of the masse O IESV CHRIST which art come to repayre the decayes whan wilt thow amend thes disorders Christ hath ordeyned the sacrament to one end that is to say for a rememberans and thei vse it for a thowsand other endes From whens gather thei that the masse shuld haue so many vertews as thei say it hath This is a very gret abuse and to gret a disorder The sixt abuse is that he that saith it doth applie it for whom it pleaseth him As for example for him that hath waged him or for any other his well doer or for father ād mother or for other his kinsfolk as though it were his to bestowe the vertewis or the benifites of the masse as he shuld think good Surely this is vnfitt that a sinner and parauenture a wicked man shuld haue auctoritie to bestowe such benifites I make a differens betwene the praing and the bestowing the benifites of the masse for as thei think such benifites be christes benifites and how can this be seing such vertew procedith not from him that doth celebrate but from god only and from Christ him selff The seuinth abuse is that one masse shuld be more solempne than a nother That which hath fairer and richer furniture that which is song which is rong with the gret bells that is there descanted where as be candlestickbearers Accolites deacons subdeacons many lightis plaing on the organes and such owtward knacks Thes such masses thei call solempne masses And the moo ād greater ceremonies their be the more solemne those massis be Thei folow the Iewis or els the Idolaters the which in worshipping of their gods did make solempnities of feastes and of reioisinges That kind of worship in the hebrew peple was not blamed becaus it was ordeined by god but yet in a figure of spirituall things and to entertaine that peple inclined to Idolatry that thei shuld not committ Idolatry But to vs christians it nedeth not to make thes solempnities and pompes seing the time is come of the trewe worshippers the which ought to worship god in spirite and truth and not with owtward deckings as christ saith in S. Iohn Ioh 4 ▪ Yet furthermore seing the dignitie of the sacrament comith from his thing signified and from the institutor of the same it is not conuenient to make it one time more solempne than a nother And as all the baptismes be alike iff thei be trowe baptysmes so will we saye of the sacrament of thanksgeuing that one is not more worthy than a nother Theyght is that one masse doth more a vayle than a nother according to the dignitye of the parson That is to say the bysshops masse doth more auayle than the plaine prestes the abbats more than the monks for if thei shuld not more auayle thei shuld not sell them dearer This is an abuse Rom. 2. becaus that before god there is no respect of persons nor the seruyces that be done to god be not more accepted of hym becaus one is sett in a greater state and dignitye but whan he hath a greatter fayth and religion Furthermore yff the masse in it selff be that that hath the vertewes the strength and efficacy of working it hangeth not of men but of god only why make thei than one more greter and more worthy than a nother according to the diuersitye of persons A nother is that it can not be sayd withowt so many deckings as be the Amises the albys the phanells the stolys the cordgirdles the sandales many towels altares chalises corporassis animates as thei call them and a halowed stone And all thes things must be blessed and consecrated The deckings also be of diuers colors according to the diuersitie of the daies In the feast of martirs thei put on redd On the virgins daies white on the cōfessors other colors Here we haue deckings of lyning cloth of say of all colored cloth here be some of silk of veluet of damask of chamlet of satten of cloth of gold and of siluer Iff it be a blame worthy thing for a man or a woman to be ouer costly decked as paul saith in his pistle to Timothy 1. Tim. 2. 1. Petri. 3 and Peter in the first pistle for so moch as it is a vanitie why shall it not be blame worthy for one that handleth gods things to be ouer costly decked as though god shuld be delighted in owtward things who wold haue the inward decking and the decking of the mind What meaneth it that there is not made so gret solēnitie at gods word Thei put not on thā so many garments And to the masse that is mans inuentiō thei vse so moch honor What nedeth it for the ministratiō of the sacrament to set a brode so mani things ād to make so gret a furniture Thes things be Iewish or rather heathnish than otherwise I remember I haue hard that in Rome there were fownd certen Imagis of the flamynes which were prestes of the gentiles clothed thorowtly like the prest at masse The which geuith to vnderstand that such decking is an heathnissh thing The vse of so many garments and of the consecracion of the same is the ordinance of pope Stephan the first and came frō the Iewis The corporassis was the diuise of Sixtus the first the chalises first were made of wood Zepherinus the pope did institute that thei shuld minister in vessels of glasse Affter it was appointed that thei shuld minister neither in wood nor in glasse becaus that the wood being vnfast the wine entrid into it And the
be trewe baptisme becaus there is the substance of the same that is to say the water And affter thos holy wordes that is to say I baptise the in the name of the father the sonn and of the holy goost Amen Euen so is it of the masse that for all that that there be many things added and that it is infolied with many diuicis of men yet the substance not withstanding of the sacrament is there that is to say the bread and the wine ād the wordes of the consecraciō the which things be instituted and ordeined by Christ him selff nor our purpos is not to allowe any other thing but Christis plaine institution And allthough there be made a certē worship we doo not worship the sacrament For god forbid we shuld but we doo worshipp Iesus Christ and no nother Therfor we doo not sinne going to the masse for so moch as that we doo not approue any other thing than that which is good and that which is of god The rest we leaue and we gather as it is comonly said the rose and leaue the thornes To conclude The fifft reason thei bring furth thexamples of the holy scripture that is to say of Nicodemus of Ioseph of the citie of Aramathea which both were secret disciples of Iesus Christ Luk. 23. Iohn 3.7.19 And theuangelistes doo witnes of them saing that thei were Iust Ioh. 3.7.19 And of Nicodemus Iohn writeth that he came first to Iesus by night Affterward he defended him in the cowncell of the Iewes In the end he caried an hundreth pownd of mirrh and Aloes to Christes buriall Surely thes were holy and iust men yet thei hidd them selfes for feare of the Iewes the which cowld not haue bene iff thei had not dissembled with thother Iewes doing as they did 4. kings 5. Thei bring furth also thexample of Naaman Sirus of whom it is writton in the iiij booke of the kings that Heliseus granted him that he might enter in to the temple of Remmon which was an Idoll and to worshipp in the same with the king of Siria Naaman being the chefe of the same kings warr And why may not we also doo the like Now thes and other like reasons and scusis be no nother but pretenses to doo euell and leaues with the which men wold yet couer thos things that thei doo but thei be deceiued as we will make it appeare But first we will proue our purpos that is to say that by no meanes it is lawfull to a Christian to say nor to heare no nor to be present at the masse and affter we will answer to thes reasons He that goeth to the masse doth iij. great euels He that goth to the mass doth 3. great euils First he doth against the honor nor of God Secondly against his neighbors safetie Thirdly against his own sowle helth That he doth against Gods honor I will proue it It is plaine that in no case it is at any time lawfull to doo against Gods honor for so moch as the honor and glory of God with the angels with mē ād with all maner of creatures is of more importans than the heauen and the earth becaus that God hath made euery thing for his glory as Salomon saith in the Prouerbis that is Prouer. 16. the lord hath wrought all things for him selff ād the wicked for the euell day That he who goth to the Masse or saith it or standeth there present at it doith against Gods honor it is to plaine for that we haue in the former discours hetherto proued that the Masse is the greatest abhominacion that euer was in all worlds becaus that there is committed a most gret Idolatry and that honor that belongeth only to God and Christ is geuen to plaine creatures The Masse is full of falsodes of supersticions of abuses of wickednessis and of blasphemies against God and Christ And how can it be euer lawfull in any case let it be what so euer it will for a Christen man to say it to heare it or to be present at it And iff a gentle man do more esteme his honor than his own liffe how moch more ought we to esteme Gods honor for the which we ought to gyue not only one but infinite liues iff we had so many And so moch the more as euery life is his gifft and procedeth from him yea is his We doo reade that many Idolaters haue bestowed their liffe for their earthly cōtry and for thonor of the same the which notwithstonding affter this present life did loke for none other And shall the Christiā feare to giue his mortall life for Gods honor and Christes for thē of whom he is euery way most sure that he shall haue euerlasting life I proue this thus Paul saith to the Romains euery thing that is not of faith is sinn Who is he knowing what maner a thing the Masse is that knoweth not likewise the same to be against Gods word Iff it be so how than can one with faith and good consciens be present at a thing the which he iudgeth to be blasphemos damnable and against God And who dowteth that he who doeth against his consciens sinnith let him doo what so euer he will It is not therfor lawful by any maner of meanes to be present at the Masse That he doith against his neighbors safetye likewise proue it First he offendeth and hurteth them that haue not yet the knowlege of Christ For so moch as whā thei see one that hath the knowlege of the gospel stād at the Masse herken to it bowe him selff and knele to the Sacrament and worship it what els can thei thinck but that he hath the self same opinion that thei them seluis haue And this being persuaded thei be confirmed in their error saing to them seluis behold him who was come to that newe opinion or religion now he changeth his mind and returneth to the old faith the which he had forsaken Surely he wold neuer haue returned iff he had not knowen that he was deceiued by the pretens of the gospell and perceiued that with vs is the trewe gospell the trewe church and Christes religion God forbid that we shuld forsake our opinion the which he with euident dedes doth shewe to be good And with thes thoughtes thei be enstranged from the gospell and from the truth and be confirmed in error Do yow thinck that this is a small euell with our example to estrange the mindes of men from the gospell and and from Christ and to confirme them in Antichrists church Secondly it hurteth the weake faithfull the which begin to bileue the gospell for whan thei see that thei who better vnderstād thā thē selues goo to the Masse thei become weaker in faith ād occasion is geuen them to returne to their first errors And affter this sort in the rase of faith thei be stopt not only hindered becaus thei begin to dowt And what
saith Christ of thos that offend the litle ones Math. 18. Marc. 9. Luc. 17. He that shall offend saith he one off thes litle ones the which bileue in me it were better for him that a mill stone shuld be hanged abowt his neck and that he were drowend in the depth of the sea Thirdly he hurteth the stowt and strong in faith and hurteth the Christian cause it selff becaus he maketh that the wicked men more boldlie do say euell of the trew faith doo wrong it and make it hatefull many maner of wayes Is not this daily sene that how many moo men do opēly enter in to a lye and in to an error that so moch the more falsoode is strengthned and the same lye confirmed and the trewth more downe beaten And the wicked men becom so moch the more fearce and stowt to down beate the good caus and all thos that defend it as thei see it waxe weaker He doth also against his own sowle helth For whā he goth to the Masse against his consciens he sheweth that he loueth better him selff than Christ and God and the tymed liffe more thā the euerlasting and he is condemned by Christes sentens the which saith he that loueth his sowle Iohn 12. that is to say his tēporal liffe shall lose it and he that hateth his sowl in this world shall kepe it in euerlasting liffe And in luke he saith iff any mā come to me ād hate not his father his mother his wife his childern his brethern and sisters yea ād his own life he can not be my disciple Luc. 14. Is not this well knowen that thei that haue the knowlege of the gospell and goo to the Masse goo thether for feare least thei shuld loose their goodes and be affraied least thei shuld be persecuted why folow thei not the cowncell yea the cōmandement of Christ who saith feare not thos that kill the body becaus thei cā not kill the sowle Math. 10. but rather feare him that can send the body and sowle to destructiō in to hell fire So that than thes grownd workes remaining that the going to the Masse is against the honor of God the profite of his neighbor and against his own sowle helth that goth thether It is an easy thing to answer to thos reasons or rather scusis that certen make of the which we haue spoken before Where as first thei say that thei goo to the 1. Masse to auoide the offending of the simple and weake and to th entēt that thei shuld not thinck of them that thei were despisers and mockers of religion or els heretikes and enemyes off the church iff thei goo not to the Masse And that for such respect it is good to dissemble so lōg till that such weakelings might be brought to the trewe knowlege I answer that there be 2. sortis of offences the one is called an offence geuē thother an offence taken The first offence is whan a man doth any euel work by the which he offendeth his neighbor As for example iff one shuld blasp heme or committ some thefft or els otherwise shuld expressly doo against Gods commandement This maner of offence is an offence geuē becaus that he who doth such an euell work doth surely giue occasion of offence the work being of it selff wicked and against God Or els iff the work off it selff were not wicked but might be lefft vndone withowt offendinge God and yet the man not hauing respect to his weake neighbor wold doo it to satisfie his appetite As for example there is one that hath the knowlege of the gospell and of Christ and knoweth that a Christian may at all times with thankes giuing 1. Timo. 4. vse euery meate for his neede ād shall chance somtime into the company of certen simple and ignorāt men the which shall thinck greuosly toffend iff thei shall eate flessh on the friday and he that hath the knowlege to satisfie his appetite will eate of it not hauing respect to thos poore sowles the which be offended with him for that eating This maner of mā sinneth and doith against charitie as Paul saith to the Romains Roma 14. Iff for meate thy brother be trobled thow dost not now walk according to charitie And in the 1. to the Corinthes he saith 1. Corint 8. rather than the meate shuld offend my brother I will neuer eate flessh Thes such like offences be called offencis geuen becaus in dede the man giueth such occasion of offence and sinneth But there is a nother sort of offencis the which as I haue said before are called offences taken shat is to say whan a man is offended for things for the which he ought not to be offended but taketh occasion of offence withowt iust cause as certen doo that be offended at good workes affter the maner of the Phariseis which were offended with Christ becaus he healed certen sick men on the Sabbath day or els be offended iff a man abstayne from wicked workes Now this such kind off offence is no sinne becaus the man properly doth not geue offence but other doo take it for offence the which thei ought not to doo yea thei offend esteming and cownting that to be offence which is well done The faithfull and godly man ought not to passe euen as Christ passed not though other were offended for such workes or things for so moch as that a man must cease frō well doing or els must nedes doo euel that wold auoyde such kind off offencis Euen so it is in this case Iff any will be offended that one goth not to the Masse or els that the Images be not honored a mā ought not to care for it For iff it had neded to care for such offencis it had bene fitt for the martirs that thei shuld haue worshipped the Idols For the Idolaters were offended at them becaus thei worshipped them not Yea I say that the simple and the weake haue more occasion off offence speaking of the trewe offence and be more offended iff one that hath knowlege goo to the Masse than iff he wēt not For as before I haue proued by such going thei be hurt for so moch as that thei be confirmed in their error the which is moch wors for them to be so offended than to be offended for that other offence the which is no trew offence in dede To the saing of thapostle the which saith that he did applie him selff to all men and that we ought to doo the same and to goo to the Masse with them that goo I say that thapostle Paul did applie himselff to all men in thos things that did not offend God as was in certen ceremonies and in his maner off liffe and in certen customs which were no sinne He kept company with the Iewes and liued as thei did keping their ceremonies forbearing thos meates that thei did forbeare He did eate and drinck with the
and liue for euer to whom be all rule honor and glory for euer and euer So be it THE END A SERMON OF THE SACRAMENT OF THANckes geuing the which declareth whether Christ be really and bodily in the same or no. I CAN NOT SAY HOW moch mirth and yoie is in my hart whan I see in this our age that there is kindeled in the mindes of many the holy desire to vnderstand gods things that is to say the inestimable and the incomprehensible treasures hidden in Christ Iesus whose knowlege passeth euery other knowlege and wisdoÌ„ and doth so farr excell Philip. 3. that Paul thapostel thought euery other thing losse and worthy the throwing awai in comparison of that Neuertheles the lord doth not geue this desire to know Christ to all men but to his own that is to say to the elect only the which he hath before the beginning of the world forepointed that thei shuld be to his praise and glory Ephes 1. Of the other side not with standing I can not but be sory seing in thes same times whan the gospell that hath bene hidden so many worlds past is by the goodnes of god lately come furth to light that there shuld be so mani and so diuers opinions of thes things that god hath Instituted to kepe agrement and peace among the faithful that is to say of the sacraments of the church in such sort as Sathan the enemy goth abowt with the self same instruments of peace and vnitie to make warr against Christ setting dissension making schismes and sowing debates amongst Christians not only among the people and comon sort but among thos that shuld be lightes glasses and examples of agrement to whom belongeth to teach other that is to say among the ministers and preachers of the holy gospell But this dere brethern ought not to offend yow nor to remoue yow from your holy purpos that yow haue in Christ but rather to confirm yow in faith and to kindle yow to make a gretter entry in to the religion and way of God for so moch as that god doth suffer such striffes and diuersities of opinioÌ„s for the benifite of his church and of the trewe bileuers First to th entent that his 1. Corinh 11 who abide constant and stowt may be manifest whan thother that haue not a trewe growndwork but a fained and vaine faith doo falle and faile Furthermore also to th entent that whan we see such disorders we shuld not put our trust in men the which may all err but we shuld come to gods word the which onlie can not deceiue and that we shuld indeuor our selues with all diligens and care to vnderstand it and that we our selues shuld looke in the scripture whether it be so or 〈◊〉 as we may reade of thos that hard Paul preacâ—â—â—…n the citie of Berrhoe in Macedony as it is writteÌ„ in in thactis of thapostels Act. 17. the which whan thei hard Paules sermon thei looked in the scripture itself whether it was so as he said 〈◊〉 â—…o And to be short to th enteÌ„t that we shuld prai vnto god that he wold geue vs the trewe vnderstanding of the same because the matters of gods spirite be not vnderstand by any mans way but by gods disclosing 2. Pet. 1. 1. Cho. 2. Now to return to the purpose of the striffe that is of the sacraments Some say that in the sacrameÌ„t of the body and blood of Christ that is to say in the breade and wyne consecrated in remembrans of his death is conteined his very body and his very blood and that there we haue really and bodily all and hole Christ as great and as thick as he was on the crosse Other some say that he is not there but there is only the breade and the wine as signes of Christes body and blood geuen for our redempcion And this controuersy and striffe is in such sort gone forward that it hath with many hindered the course of the holy gospel And it hath made that Christes enemies haue taken occasion and boldnes to blaspheme the holy lerning and gods truth But be it as it will allthough some haue coÌ„mitted a great fawt in this thing striuing euer bitterly against the contrary opinion wherby thei haue shewed them selues to be men and haue in som part spotted their own glory lessening the credite and auctoritie that the world had of them We not withstanding will comfort our seluis with Paules saing which he speaketh to the romaÌ„s Rom. 8. that to gods elect euery thing groweth to good And although that presently thorow such dissensyon we see among many nothing but disorder offence and euel yea hatred toward the gospell yet god for all that who knoweth how to get order owt of disorder and good owt of euell will caus whan it shall please him some great profite to growe owt of it in his church for the present vnknowen but in the end open thus we schuld beleue And becaus I know that many desire to vnderstand what shuld be the trewe opinion of this sacrament I for the loue of the truth for the glory of god and to doo them a pleasure and also a benifite will simply and with as moch easines as is possible sett furth the opinion which I thinck and hold for certeÌ„ hath bene and is the opinion of the Apostles all the awncienty of the holy scripture and of Christ him selff And let no man meruell though I setting the suttletyes a syde shall rather procede with simplenes and familiaritie and also though I shall reherse one thing often for so moch as that my mind is to be plainely vnderstand of all men and chefely of the simple aÌ„d vnlerned And because the thing is of so great waight that it deserueth to be handled with all diligens to th entent that all men may the more easily vnderstand it we by order and by parts will consider it And First we wil see how that there hath bene aÌ„d yet be diuers opinions of this sacrameÌ„t of the supper of the lord aÌ„d the cause why aÌ„d we will bring furth the contrary talkes and reasons to the truth Secondarily whan we haue shewed the trewe and catholike opinioÌ„ we will proue it with sure grownd workes and plaine reasons In the third place we will make it certenly appeare that this is the opinion of the holy fathers and of the old church In the fourth we will answer to the contrary saings and reasons shewing them to be vaine and of no waight In the fift and last we will serch owt from whens the error of the fals Imaginacions in the matter of that sacrament is proceded let vs than in the name of our lord begin We must vnderstand that the cause of the differens in this matter that is to say that some say that Christ is really and bodyly in the sacrament of the bread and the wyne and some other say the contrary that is to
gost as peter saieth in the second Epistle 2. Pet. 1. and it was confirmed with great signes and meruelous miracles Nor no ◅ue of the fathers or old doctours did ◅auer desire that they should be beleued as the holy scripture but they all with one voice do say and chefely Saint Augustine that concerninge matters of fayth we should so farr beleue them as is found in the holye scripture and none otherwise And thei will that it should be laufull to denye any men yea let them be of what so euer holynesse learninge and aucthoritie you will but not to deny the holy scripture Tell me who is he that wold beleue the article of the trinitie althoughe the whole world had told him if it were not plaine in the holy scriptures who wold beleue the article of the incarnation of the sonne of god and the other articles of the fayth If gods word had not told it What can men know of such thinges except so much as god oppeneth vnto them by the scripture Loke vpō Austen in the 19 epistle The 19. pistell where he sayth in sentēce that he beareth this honoure towards the Canonicall bokes of the scripture that he beleueth seurly that no one of them hath ◅rred but for all the rest he may deny them if thei do not proue their suings by the holy scripture The 3. pistell The very same in meaninge he sayth in the hundreth and eleuenth epistle writing to fortunatianus the bishop They all beside all this that I haue sayd were of this opiniō that Christ in that he is m◅ is only in heauē bodely In the se second boke against the denatists cap. 3. Let vs say the same of the determinacions of popes and of coūcels that all may err Austen in the second boke against the donatists sayth that the vniuersall former Coūcels may be amended by thē that folow If they may be amended suerly they may err and so they that folow after them who doubteth but they mai err aswell as they that go before And we by experience ma◅ see that many councels do err for one of thē doth gaynsay an other I speak not this because that men ought not to haue reuerence to councels when they be lawfully gathered together and in the holy gost and when the determinations that be made in them be accordinge to the holy scripture as the Councell of Nece was against Arrius The councell of Calcedone against Eutiches And certein other old councels the which had gods word for their rule And these onely were gathered to gether in Christs name and in the holy gost But I say in dede that whan they determine anye maner of thinge pertaining to fayth and do not stick to gods word that we ought not to obey such councels nor men ought not to beleue them And in our dayes we haue the example of the councell of Trent the goodly determinations that it made all at the popes good pleasure whome the bishoppes cannot gainsay because they haue all sworne neauer to go against the sea Apostolike What estimation should men haue of such coūcels where no respectt is had to gods honoure nor to his worde and such as be gathered together against Christ for to quēche him out and to establish the kingdō of Antichrist shal we allow such coūcels This is a cheefe grounde The faithfull Christian is not bounde nor ought not in matters pertaining to faith to beleue the hole world together if they do not bringe forth gods worde that is to say the holy scripture for their witnesse Wel now thei wil say that they haue gods worde that is to saye Christes words who sayd this is my body and this is my bluod she winge the bread and the wyne therfore the bread and wyne be turned into Christes body and bluod and Christ is wholly in the host and in the wyne Further he sayd those words in the sixt chapter of Ihon aboue recyted where he willeth that we should eat his flesh and drink his bluod and this is not done except in the sacrament therfore he is bodely in the sacrament I answer first to those words this is my body and this is my bluod and I aske where in the scripture at any tyme is found that suche a speche as This is my bodye and this is my bluode should meane this is turned into my body and into my bluod or els my body and my bluod be in these signes I neauer found this maner of speche Therfore the fore sayd words haue another meaninge then that the whiche they geue them or that whiche the scriptures vse that is to say this is the signe of my body shewinge the bread and this is the signe of my bluod shewinge the wyne as before we haue sayd and we will also better say in the declaration of those words This is in dede their meaninge To the saings of the sixt chapter of Ihon I say that they do not alledge thē to purpose because that there Christ doth not speak of the sacramentall eatinge but of the spirituall and by faith as in the third reason we haue declared yea as Christ him self doth expounde it in the text and so all the old doctours do expounde it And cheefely Augustine who sayth beleue ād thou hast eaten so that seinge that opinion of the turninge of the substāces of the bread and wyne into Christs body and bluod nor that of his bodely presence in the sacrament cannot be proued nether by reason nor any aucthoritie that auayleth we ought to conclude that it is a fayned inuention and imagination of men and commeth not from god The reasons of the true and Catholike opiniō beinge ended before that we answer to the obiections and ground workes of the partyes contrary to the trueth there remanith to mak apere that the opinion which we haue proued is that of the old church and the forenamed doctours and holy men And because I should be to long if I wold bringe the multitude of doctours It shall suffise me therfore to tell Augustines opinion a most ware and true expounder of the old and sound opinions the which Augustine holdeth not but the opinion of the Auntiens and that which was holdē in his tyme ād of his predecessours In his Epistle to bonifacius he writeth after this sorte Epistle 23. If the sacramēts should not haue some similitude of those things of the which they be sacraments they should be in no wyse sacraments And by this lykelynes those same sacraments many tymes take the name of the things them selues Euen us therfore after a certeyn meyns the sacrament of Christs body is Christes body the sacrament of Christes bluod is Christs bluode and so the sacrament of faith that is to say the baptisme is faith and is called faith See here Augustine how he vnderstandeth Christs speache when he sayth this is my body shewing the bread and this is my bluode shewinge the