immaculatus vnus I do euery day sayd saint Andrewe sacrifice to God almyghty whiche is the true and one god not the smoke of incense not the flesshe of lowing bulles not the bloude of gootes but I sacrifice dayly in the aulter of the crosse the lambe withoute spotte whose flesshe after all the faythfull people haue eaten it and droncke the bloude of it the lambe that is sacrificed contynueth hole and on lyue And all be it this laÌ„be is verely sacrificed and the fleshe of it verelye eaten of the people and the bloude of it verelye drunken yet as I sayde it remaynethe hole without spotte and styll on liue These be the wordes of the holye Apostle and martyr sainte Andrewe who knewe the truth of that is written by the euangelystes before the Euangelyes were wrytten and he knewe it taughte of our sauiour Christe and speakethe herein consonantlye to the wordes of scrypture and the faythe of the catholyque churche wherein yf thou wylte spurne because Saynte Andrew speaketh of daylye sacrifice and Sainte Paules true doctryne is that Christ was but ones sacrificed on the crosse then it was as saint Paule sayeth to the Hebrewes perfited for euer beynge a hole and sufficient sacryfice for all the synnes of the world Thou doest herein reherse a true sayeng of saynt Paule suche as all the worlde must confesse For the sacrifice of Christe is eternall and is one perfyte consummate suffycient auayleable sacrifice and nedeth no repetitioÌ„ or iteracion for the more validitie of it And yet this truth is nothing touched or preiudicate with y e dayly sacrifice of Christ in the aulter whiche to him y t beleueth is easely declared to hym that will wraÌ„gle against all truthe is in vayne entreated of and as Hylarius sayth Non est humano aut seculi sensu in rebus dei loquenduÌ„ Godly matters shulde not be commened of after carnall vnderstandynge â–ª But as saynte Andrewe spake so y e church doth practyse it For Chryste is daylye offered and sacryficed on the aulter If thou askest by what auctorytie it may be aunswered by thauctorytie of Chrystes word who said Hoc facite Do this and saynte Paule as Damascene noteth it sheweth howe longe in the wordes donec ueniat tyl he come hath from the beginning taught his church so to vnderstande hym â–ª If thou askest howe can ones manye tymes stande togyther This howe declareth yf if it be contencyous thou doest not yet beleue but arte in mystruste of the churche that teacheth the and if thou askest in humilitie Sainte Chrysostome in expoundinge that place of s Paule to the Hebrewes where he ones offeringe is spoken of openeth and dyscussethe thy doubte as foloweth Nonne per singulos dies offerimus Offerimê° quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius Et una est haec hostia non multae Quomodo vna est non multae Et quia semel oblata est illa oblata est in sancta sanctorum hoc autem sacrificium exemplar est illius idipsum semper offerimus Nec nuÌ„c quidem alium agnum crastina aliuÌ„ sed semper idipsum Proinde unâ— est hoc sacrificium Aliquin hac ratione quoniaÌ„ in multis locis offertur multi Christi sunt NequaquaÌ„ sed unus vbique est Christus hîc plenus existens illic plenus unum corpus Sicut enim qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora ita etiam unum sacrificium PoÌ„tifex autem noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerrimus nunc quae tunc oblata est consumi non potest Hoc autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem quideÌ„ fit eius quod factuÌ„ est Hoc enim facite inquit in meaÌ„ coÌ„memorationeÌ„ NoÌ„ aliud sacrificiuÌ„ sicut pontifex sed idipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationem sacrificij operamur Sed quia sacrificij huius meÌ„tionem feci uoeo pauca ad vos dicere quae recor damini pauca quidem mensura magnam autem habentia virtuteÌ„ vrilitatem Non enim nostra suÌ„t sed diuini spiritus quae dicuntur Quae ergo sunt Plurimi ex hoc sacrificio semel accipiunt in toto anno alij bis alij saepius Ad omnes ergo nobis sermo est non ad eos qui hîc suÌ„t tantum sed etiam ad eos qui in eremo sedent Illi enim semel in anno perticipantur fortassis enim post duos annos Quid ergo est Quos magis acceptamus Eos ne qui semel an eos qui saepius an illos qui rarò accipiuÌ„t Neque illos qui semel neque qui saepius neque qui rarò sed eos qui cum munda coÌ„scientia qui cum mundo corde cum uita irreprehensibili istùc semper accedunt Qui verò tales noÌ„ sunt neque semel Quid ita quia iuditium sibi accipiunt damnationem supplicium Et noÌ„ mireris Sicut enim cibê° naturaliter nutritorius extans si in eum qui prauis cibis corruptus est incidat omnia perdit corruÌ„pit efficitur occasio morbi sic etiam ista quae ad haec terribilia pertinent sacramenta Frueris mensa spiritali mensa regali iterum polluis coeno os tuum perungis vnguento praecioso iterum foetoribus illud imples Dic mihi rogo post annum perceptionem participaris quadraginta dies putas tibi sufficere admundationem peccatorum totius temporis iterum septimana transeunte trades teipsum scrdibê° primis Dic enim mihi si saluus factê° quadraginta diebus ab egritudine longa iterum te illis morbificatoribus cibis tradas nonne primum laborem perdes Si enim naturalia sic mutantur quanto amplius uoluntaria Vt puta ueluti quid dico Naturaliter uidemus sanos habemus oculos secundum naturam sed aliquando ex mala quadam affectione leditur noster obtutus Si igitur naturalia mutantur quanto amplius quae ad voluntatem pertinent Quadraginta dies tantum tribuis saluti animae tuae arbitror autem quia neê° quadraginta dies speras propitiari deum locaris magis I wyl traÌ„slate al this place for it maye edifie the reder in this other matter Do we not saith s Chrisostome offer daylye We do in dede offer but in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of his death And it is one sacrifice not many Howe is it one and not many For being ones offered it is theÌ„ preseÌ„ted in y e inward most holy place wherof this our sacrifice is a represeÌ„tacioÌ„ so as we offer alway the same not one lambe now another at another tyme but at all tymes y e same So as it is but one sacrifice or els by the same reasoÌ„ bycause christ is offred in many places we myght saye there were many Christes whiche is
〈◊〉 the laten men call Scabellum But let vs see brethren what we be bydde to worshyppe In another place the scripture saieth Heauen is my seate and the earthe is the stoole of my feete Ergo then god byddeth vs to worshyppe the earth for he tolde in another place what was the stoole of his feete And how shall we worshyppe the earth seynge the scripture sayth euidentlye Thou shalt worshyppe thy lord God and here he sayeth Thou shalte worshyppe the stoole of his feete Expoundynge moreouer vnto me what is the stoole of his feete saith The earth is y e stole of my fete Here I am in a daubte I am afrayde to worshippe the earth least he shuld cōdemne me that made heauen earthe Againe I am afrayde not to worshippe the stole of my lordes feete because the Psalme sayethe vnto me ▪ Thou shalte worshyppe the stole of his feete I aske what is the stole of his feete and scripture telleth me The earth is sayth god the stole of my feete Beynge thus tossed to and fro I turne my selfe to Christ for hym I seke here and fynde howe without violatyon of goddes honoure the earthe maye be worshypped and so wythoute vyolacyon of goddes honoure the stoole of his feete maye be worshypped Chryste tooke of the earthe earthe for the flesshe is of the earth and he toke flesshe of the flesh of Marye and because in that flesshe he walked here and gaue the same flesshe to be eaten of vs for oure saluation no man agayne eateth that flessh but he fyrst worshyppeth it It is so founde out how the fotestole of our lorde shulde be worshypped and therwith also this that not only we shulde not synne in worshippynge of it but contrary wyse we shuld synne and we shuld not worshyp it Thus speaketh saint Austen of the Sacramente of thaulter thus speaketh he of the worshyppynge of it so plainely as the deuyll hath no poynt of sophistrye to iuggle in it but to saye sainte Austine was a man whiche is one of the general shyftes in an extremite an other that the worke if the place make against hym was not his it is named to be But this worke is saint Augustynes without any suspicion to the contrarie Mary a man I muste confesse he was and so were all tho I haue spoken of before whome I haue not brought to proue the truth of the natural bodye of Christ in the sacrament of thaulter For the few wordes of scripture spokē of christ him selfe when he sayde This is my body to good men proue that sufficiently and any other studied corroboration to good men neadeth not to euell obstinate men is superfluouse Accordyng whervnto saint Basyll instructed hys scolers with what feare faith and affection they shulde come to the holy cōmuniō He bad them lerne feare of saynt Paule sayenge to the Corynthyans He that eatethe vnworthelye eateth iudgemente and condemnatiou He bad them learne fayth of Chrystes wordes when he sayde Take ye and eate ye this is my body And as for deuotion and affection of mynde he bad them loke of the loue Christe bare to his churche And therfore I trauaile not herein to learne mē faith by authoritie of men but bycause I see what a companye they be that impugne oure true faithe with lyes and sophistrye I haue taken payne to reherse these that ye maye reade of another company that mainteyned the true faith with the truthe whiche were so no table clearkes so greate learned men so exercysed in scriptures soo rychelye endued with the specyall gyftes and graces of god as men shulde haue more comfort to kepe companye with them in the open lyghte of truth goddes high way then to lurke in darke corners or folowe the leadynge of suche as beynge blynde of the ryght eye for want of grace and learninge and more blynde on the lefte eye with malyce and enuye fall them selfe in the pitte of goddes indignacion and drawe other after them One thynge I wyll note whiche is worthye notynge that there hath not ben in any tyme any one Maister teacher or otherwise the deuylles stoute champion to impugne our true beleefe in the sacramente of the aulter openlye but he professed therwith some other opinion so euidentlye abhominable as he myght be knowen by that other lye to be sent from the deuyll And fyrste that we reade of be the Maniches whose detestable opinion is vniuersallye abhorred Second the Messalyans who sayde the sacrament dydde neither good nor hurte muche like Fryth who after all his conflicte wold gladly haue come to thys neyther to graunte the sacramente nor denie it Now these Messalyans professed thys for truth also that it was an euyll thinge to laboure with their handes and gaue them selfe onely to sleape and called their visions in there dreames prophecies and pretended to be saued by onely prayer as Luther affirmeth by only faith Were not these men marked on both sydes trowe ye to be knowen for noughte Wyclefe denied the Sacrament of thaulter and on y e other syde affirmed all thynges to come to passe by mere and absolute necessitye with whiche opinion all suche be infecte at this day as impugne the sacramente And is not that an euident marke that god hath suffered them to fall in reprobum sensum so as they speake they wote not what speciallye when they waxe angrye as some do that men wyll not folowe them when by their opynyon the same necessytie that maketh them to speake so angerly maketh other also if they so do and it be as they saye by y e same necessitie to laugh them to skorne And further if absolute necessite reigned ouer man then shulde a thefe or a murderer be as muche made of and commēded for playenge his parte accordinge to his place of necessitie as he that liueth soberlye For bothe worke by necessite And if they wil by this opinion resemble god to y e directour of a playe as they do in dede appoyntynge euery man a parte to playe as lyketh him then because to lyue viciously and abhominably is more troublouse fuller of vexacion and the busier part then to liue wel vertuously whiche hath lesse care in dede because he hathe a busier parte appointed him that is necessitate to liue euil then he that is necessitate to lyue well the same playenge his part aptely as he can not do otherwise ledde by necessitie shoulde in that rule be more rewarded then he that lyueth well if any thynge myght be called wel And if there were any difference betwene vyce and vertue vice shoulde be preferred vertue and more rewarded becaue it is the more laborouse part to playe and so shulde all be ouerthrowen as in deede all shall be where the holy sacramēt of thaulter is neglected Whervnto suche other opinions suche malice such enuy such hatred is ioyned as worketh in it selfe the subuersion of al. Wherof god giueth euident markes and tokens yf
domino quod tradidi uobis I haue receyued of our lorde whiche I haue by tradition delyuered vnto you Whereby and by that foloweth when he saith Cetera cum venero disponam I shall ordre the reste when I come it appereth he hadde taught the Corrinthians the summe of this hygh mistery and the vse of it without writyng before and wolde adde more whē he came whichmore he taught and yet we haue no wrytynge of it but the churche hath not forgotten it but hath taught it without writynge as she receiued it And it appeareth in that epistle of S. Paule that rehersynge suche tradicion as they had receiued of hym he blameth and reproueth them for the not obseruation of it And thus muche for the worde institution that pleaseth which scripture hath not and the worde tradicion abhorred that scripture hathe so as wordes go but by fauour as this matter is hādled But y e matter of this obiectiō must be aunswered seriousely which is grounded vpon the texte of scripture Frustra colūt me doctrinis hominum They worshippe me in vayne wyth the doctrine of men the true sense wherof is all oute of thys purpose and the vse of thys scrypture as it is mysvnderstanded serueth to ouerturne all For the churche is congregate of men and women whyche both be comprehended vnder that worde men And all the outwarde teachynge in this churche hathe ben by men All thappostles sent to teache the gospell were mē Saynt Paule at his conuersion frome darkenes to lyght when it was said to him y t it shuld be tolde hym what he shuld do then was Ananias by god ordred to go to Paule and declare what he shuld do Moyses leader of y e synagoge y e figure of our church was a mā And the prophetes were men So as if god be worshypped in vayne by teachinge of men Inanis est fides nostra our fayth is a vayne thynge whiche is ex auditu of hearing and taughte vs by men men I saye as ministres to god wherof god is thauthor à quo omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum Christ sayd Sine me nihil potestis facere But hereby appereth y t this text hath another vnderstandynge and the worde men not to signifie the hole numbre of men so as it shuld comprehend eche man throughly how so euer they be qualified but onely the corrupte state of man seuered from god and his church in christ of whiche hole state not endued w t goddes grace it is sayde Omnis homo mendax All men be lyers That is to saye all suche as haue not putte vpon them Christe who is truthe And frustra colunt me doctrinis hominū They worshyp me in vayne with the teachynges of suche as remayne in the state of men onelye and then teache their owne of them selfe For all suche teachynge is lyke the teacher that is to say carnall For the carnall man non percipit ea quae sunt spiritus deus est spiritus in spiritu adoratur and therefore god is worshipped in vaine with the teachinge of men For it hathe the pretence of worshyppe and is not directed to hym but onelye deuysed to vpholde worldelye polycye Suche deuises had Numa pompilius with the Romaines and afore him Licurgus with the Lacedemonians and of late Mahomete with the Turkes and more lately all such as haue taken vpon them to vnderstande the scriptures alone and them selfe alone deuised howe they wold haue god worshipped after their fashion withoute noyse or brute without the compasse of our eares or eyes only by readynge that they vnderstande not sauyng some be so ful of knowledge as they encombre the companye more with their harse rude voice in prattelynge then the parysshe clerke with his horse breste in singinge Of all these sortes of mens teachinges which be mens deuises seuered frō Christes churche maye be sayde frustra me colūt doctrinis hominum But such men as be membres of Christes mysticall body in his churche and haue the place of ordering and teaching in the same vnto whome other are bounde to obeye and gyue eare vnto them suche men be comprehended in this text Frustra colunt me doctrinis hominum But he that cōtemneth those thinges that they teache agreablye to the truthe receyued non hominem spernit sed deū who saith Obey such as haue the ordre of you and obedience is preferred al other sacrifices wherw t god is worshipped not invaine but meritoriouselye And therefore that texte alledged agaynste the teachinge in christes churche is as grossely abused as a key to cleaue logges For if the doctryne be not repugnaunt to the scripture or the custome suche as hyndreth not gods glory it can not be in vaine that maketh to oure edificacion procedeth from authoritie which hath power to rule and leade vs whereby we be all directed to do one thyng to declare sette forthe that we be one bodye wherein god is glorified accordynge as Chryst sayd Vt videāt opera vestra bona glorificent deū qui in coelis est And so when S. Paule ordered the women to be couered in y e churche to signifie her subiection and that she had ones offended in her preuarication agaynst her husbād and god and with presumption to haue knowledge was the ruine of mankynd and furder ordered her to kepe sylence in y e congregation this text of frustra colūt me doctrinis hominum yf it had bene then written wold not haue serued the women to replye and saye These were small matters whyche god regardeth not and therfore sayd Frustra colunt me doctrinis hominum They worshyppe me in vayne with the doctrines of men For saint Paule was not in the numbre of these men as I sayde before and his authorite was of god and the thynges ordered for a godly purpose wherwith god is in the decente semely ordre of his people duely worshipped and also pleased This matter I haue now spoken wyll be called a digressiō and out of the matter of the sacrament in dede it is not all togyther in it but toward it for I trust hereby that commen weapō shall be layde asyde of frustra colunt me doctrinis hominum whiche manye had in their mouthe as they haue a blunt dagger by their syde to be sene to speake scripture though it be nothing to the purpose And now I wyl com to the institution of christ of the holy sacrament And here men must take heede that they be not deceyued in the word institutiō as signifieng furder vnto them then the scriptures do testyfye For yf by the worde institution shulde be signyfyed a precise ordre sette forth with all the circumstaunce in the nature of a precyse lawe signifienge that it muste be frome thenseforth so obserued and none otherwise whych matter the worde institution semeth to include and soundethe so in common