infirmities sake to auoide that horror and feare which if we should receaue theÌ„ in their owne likenes and not vnder the for me of thiÌ„ges wherewith we ar better acquainted we wer of all likelihood suer to fall into I caÌ„ not here passe ouer in sileÌ„ce that notable and euident testimony of this worthy bishop and learned father vttred to this purpose by him in an other place in thiese wordes Antequâm coÌ„secretur panis est vbi auteÌ„ verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Ante verba Christi calix est vini et aquae plaenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficitur qui plaebeÌ„ redemit that is to say before that it be coÌ„secrate it is breade but wheÌ„ the wordes of christ ar come vnto it it is christes body Before the wordes of Christ there is a cup filled with wine and water as sone as Christes wordes haue wrought their effect there is made that bloud which redemed the people If these auctorities alleaged out of S. Ambrose be not able to stop the mouthes of our aduersaries if they will yeat nedes presse vs with their faithelesse howes and whies and will deale with almightie god so streightly that they will graunt him to be hable to doe no more theÌ„ their simple wittes caÌ„ atteine to the maÌ„ner of the doing whereof I shall yeat moste humblie desier them to beare with me if I alleage once againe the same excellent and learned bishop S. Ambrose I meane most plainely refelling all such faitheles Caparnaites as leaning more to fraile reason then firme faithe haue their doubtefull mindes euer waltering and tottering in the truthe of this sacrameÌ„t His wordes ar these Nunquid naturae vsus praecessit quum Iesus dominus ex Maria nasceretur Si ordinem quaerimus viro mixta foemina generare consueuerat Liquet igitur quôd praeter naturae ordineÌ„ virgo gener auit hoc quod coÌ„ficimus corpus ex virgine est Quid hic quaeris naturae ordinem in Christi corpore cum praeter naturam sit ipse D. Iesus partus ex virigine That is when our lorde Iesus was borne of the virgin Marie was naturâ—s vsage practised If we seke after her ordre women haue first the companie of men and then so conceiue and bring furth after It is manifest therefore that the virgin brought furth besides the course of nature and this bodie which we doe consecrate is the same that was borne of the virgin Whie demaundest thow here in the sacrament the order of nature to be kepte in Christes bodie where as besides nature oure lorde Iesus him selfe was borne of the virgin Hetherto haue yowe harde of what minde holye S. Ambrose was touching the controuersie moued in these our infortunate daies about the moste blessed sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud In whome I haue taried somewhat the longer for that that bothe he proueth moste manifestlie the presence when he affirmeth that Chrstes fleshe in the sacrament is so verilie his true fleshe as Christe was the true sonne of his father and excludeth all figures all signes all representation when Christ was in none of these senses his fathers sonne and also the chaÌ„ge and alteration of the breade and wine in to the true substaÌ„ce of Christes fleshe and bloud by alleaging th'examples which had otherwise bene in vaine of Moses rodde turned in to a serpeÌ„t the yron flotting aboue the water the bitternes of the waters of Marath turned into swetenes and such like with answer to such carnall obiections as ar wont to be commonlie made ageinst this truthe and last of all for that of all other he giueth moste plainelie vnto vs the cause whie in this greate miracle our lorde god chaungeth not the accideÌ„ts but onelie the substance By all which thinges he giueth vs moste manifestly to vnderstaÌ„d that he ment no lesse theÌ„ he spake For otherwise if Christes bodie had not bene trulie there but a signe thereof not in veritie but in imagination all his proufes to proue the same had bene nedeles whereas he might and for his greate wisdome and learning no doubte would to all such as either had doubted of the presence or traÌ„substantiatioÌ„ with much more facilitie haue answered with our aduersaries that there was no chaÌ„ge at all in nature or substance nor no presence there of Christes true bodie then to haue heaped together a nombre of examples whereof euerie one conteined a true chaunge in nature to haue proued that which was not or to haue alleaged the miraculouse conception of Christe or to giue anie cause why his bodie appeareth not like a bodie wherebie to bring the simple people in to a perniciouse and damnable errour But forasmuch as his greate trauailes taken in the defence of Christes church ageinst the wicked Arrians doe well witnes to his posteritie how far he was from all such impietie we must nedes conclude that S. Ambrose did not onelie so write but also beleue that in the blessed sacrament after the wordes of consecration is the verie true and naturall bodie of our lorde Iesus Christe the substance of breade and wine passing into the substance of his fleshe and his bloud From S. Ambrose let vs goe one steppe farder to S. Austen He in a certeine place examining these wordes of the Prophete A dor ate scabellum pedum eius worshippe ye his fotestole psalm 98. hath these wordes Suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem accepit Et quia in ipsâ— carne hiâ— ambulauit ipsam carnem ad manducandum ad salutem dedit nemo autem illam carneÌ„ manducat nisi prius adorauerit inuentuÌ„ est queÌ„admoduÌ„ ado retur tale scabelluÌ„ non solum non peccemus adoraÌ„do sed peccemus noÌ„ adoraÌ„do That is to saie for he toke earthe of earthe because fleshe coÌ„meth of earthe and of Maries fleshe he toke fleshe And forasmuch as he walcked here in that fleshe and hath giuen to vs the same fleshe to be eaten to our saluation and no man eateth it but he first worshippeth it the meanes is founde how such a fotestole of our lordes maie be worshipped and we not onelie not sinne in worshipping it but sinne in not worshipping it Heare yow M. Iuell S. Austen telling yow that Christes fleshe is here giuen to vs to be eaten the same that he toke of the virgin Marie the same that he caried about with him in this worlde Heare yow not your selfe vanquished which take from it all manner of worship in the sacrament and violentlie wrest these wordes of S. Austen to Christes bodie in heauen which interpretation how far it goeth from the minde of the author to omit all other proufes your owne selfe haue well declared when you graunte that there he must be worshipped where he is eaten which seing it is here in earthe what moued
one other so verie a dizzard as him selfe that will saie the nature of the parchement of his lettres patentes to be chaÌ„ged in to earthe grasse wood waters worthe by the yeare a thousand pounde If there had bene no other change in this breade but that it is nowe as he saithe made of common and prophane holie and consecrate neuer woulde Chrisostom haue exhorted vs to worshippe that bodie on the altar which the wise men worshipped in the mangier neuer woulde S. Austen haue saide that theie sinne which worshippe it not By this maie it appeare that your friende is he M. Iuell that hath plaide the lourdeine with his maister and therefore well worthie the whip For where he had prouided for his geastes a moste preciouse and costlie feaste this honest companion stealeth all awaie and leaueth them in stede thereof a bare piece of bred And thus much to satisfie your chalenge in this pointe Now to the next article which is of the vse of the Sacrament vnder one kinde THAT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRIST THE COMMVnion was ministred vnder one kinde EVen as in the controuersie of the popes supremacy yow denie M. Iuell that there ought to be any other heade ouer the churche here militant in earthe then Christ him selfe which is the chief not as though yow knewe not right well that gouernement for the appeasing of schismes and repressing of heresies to be the best or as though if your god Iohn Caluin had had that auctoritie ouer all the worlde wer it twise as large againe as it is you would haue founde any faulte therewithall and not haue thought him able to rule the same well ynough but onely of a cancred hatred that you beare to the Catholike churche sometimes your mother a vaine pleasure that yow take to thwart her in her doinges and last of all because that gouernement serueth not your turn as yow finde faulte with priuate masses not as though yow alowed any but onely to banishe froÌ„ the fathers sight if it might be the laufull enheritor and to set vp the misbegotten bastard to abolishe and vtterly extinguishe the sacrifice of the newe testament which that crafty wily serpent forsawe so long before if he wer once able to quenche that burning charitie and earnest desire of often receauing the blessed body and bloud of Christ which then was so commonly emongest christian men in vse and he alas hath nowe obteined he should in time to come by his wicked membres be with the more ease able to bring to passe euen so in this present controuersy fareth it with your doinges When all the worlde maie see that you which charge vs so hotely with no lesse then that greate and heinouse crime of sacrilege as of robbing the laie people of Christes bloud in the communion which is notwithstanding an impudent lie robbe not onely them but the cleargy also except yow had rather call it by an honester name of exchaunge bothe of Christes body and bloud toe The which thing leauing to the indifferent reader by him at his laisure more earnestly to be weighed I shal nowe proue vnto yow that within the first six hundred yeares after Christe the sacrament of the altar was ministred vnder one kinde But here I must warne yowe of this one thing before hande that I meane in this article and the nexte to giue yow but onely a taste of oure proufes not a full bytte as in the two first I haue Which I praye you not to impute to want either of matter or good will but onely to this that when I was thus far entred in this simple treatise it was giuen me by a frinde to vnderstande that aswell in this point as in all the reast by yow chalenged yow haue of late by a notable learned man bene so applied with stoare of wholesome viandes that the wiser â—orte take yow to be rather in such termes as yow care more how to digest that which yow haue allready receiued then that yow once thincke of crauing any more Beare with me therefore if I beare with your weake stomacke Nowe to the matter Yow saye that to ministre the communion to the laitie vnder one kinde is an acte vnlaufull coÌ„trary to Christes ordinaunce and a thing in the primitiue churche neuer vsed or harde of But for proufe of the coÌ„trarie I reason thus Christ our sauiour ministred this sacrament vnder the onely kinde of breade his apostles practised the vse thereof after the same maÌ„ner The churche receuing it from them hath continued the same vsage Therefore it is laufull which we defende and blamed of our aduersaries without cause That Christ first ministred this sacrament vnder one kynde it appeareth by the historie of the ghospel where is mencioned howe that oure sauiour in the waye betwene Hierusalem and Emaus happening apon two of his disciples entred with them in to a certeine house where he ministred to them the sacrament vnder that one kinde of breade That this was the sacrament and not common breade these wordes of the euangelist Benedixit ac fregit porrigebat illis he blessed it he brake it and he deliuered it to them doe well proue Seing that those wordes he blessed and brake it ar in no place of the scripture to be founde applied by Christ or his apostles to prophane or common breade nexte for that the effect wrought by that breade that was the opening of their eyes doeth giue vs also to vnderstande that it was his blessed body and no other thing To these reasons I maye here adde the auctoritie of S. Austen Chrisostome Beda and Theophilactus all fower agreing that this was the blessed sacrament and not as the aduersaries woulde haue it common or prophane breade S. Austens wordes ar these Non autem incongruenâ—er accipimus hoc impedimentuÌ„ in oculis eoruÌ„ a Satana fuisse factum c. that is to saye We doe not verilie take it amisse to thincke that this miste was cast before their eyes by Sathan that they should not knowe Iesus but yeat euen suffred by Christ so to doe vntill they had receiued the sacrament of breade that being thereby made partakers of the vnitie of his body the lette or impediment of the enemie the diuell being remoued and taken awaye they might knowe Christ. Hetherto S. Austen with whome speaking incidently of this breade the vertue and holinesse thereof agreeth that learned bishop Chrisostom in an homely that he writeth apon the .7 chapitre of S. Mathewe in this wise Si auÌ„t tale esset quod de manu sacerdotis accipitur quale est quod in mensa manducatur c. If it wer such which is receiued at the priestes handes as the breade which is eaten at the table euery man would receiue it from the table and no man at the priestes handes Therefore oure lorde by the waye did not onely blesse the breade but he gaue it also from his
saieth This is my bodie and not contented there with least some man might otherwise construe his wordes because he had at other times spoken by figures addeth the selfe same which shalbe betraied for yowe then which wordes if all the worlde would lay their heades together to deuise howe he might haue spoken more plainelie theie shall neuer finde the waie they bring vs a glose cleane contrarie to the texte that it signifieth his bodie that it is a figure thereof But what seing as S. Ambrose saieth oure lorde Iesus witnesseth vnto vs that we truly receaue his body and bloud shall we dout of his credite and witnes Naie we haue other councell and better by Cirillus who biddeth vs not to doute whether this be true or no but to embrace in faith the wordes of our Sauior who for as much as he is the truthe it selfe we maie well be suer can not lie Thus maie yowe see good Readers what it is to deale with heretikes whose propertie is alwaies to crie for scripture and in whose mouthe there is nothing so coÌ„mon as verbum domini verbum domini the worde of the lorde the worde of the lorde and yet when all is done and their request satisfied that is scripture brought to them theie ar not asshamed such is their impudencie either to saie that it is at all no scripture or that it maketh nothing ageinst them or to call that euident for them that in the iudgement of as manie as either ar wise or learned is moste euident ageinst them And of this disease if yowe had not M. Iuell bene daungerouslie sicke yowe would neuer haue put me or anie man elles to the paine to labour anie farder in the boulting oute of that truthe wherein Christe hath so plainelie opened him selfe as neither hath he nede by anie other to be expounded nor easelie can anie such I trowe be founde as shalbe hable more plainelie to expresse the same then hath Christe him selfe our maister allreadie doen. Notwithstanding because bothe yowe and your compaignions like cauilling Capernaites stande apon Christes meaning which as yowe saie was not all one with his wordes and also on this that we haue no olde writers to mainteine as it pleaseth yowe to terme it oure newe doctrine of Christes reall presence in the sacrament I shall assaie to make yow vnderstande at the least those good people whome yow haue so far abused that we haue agreate sorte more that saie with vs that Christes blessed bodie after the wordes of consecration duelie by the priest pronounced is reallie substantiallie and corporallie the same that was borne of the virgin Marie the same that he walcked in here in earthe the same that as him selfe witnesseth was deliuered for vs to be crucified on the crosse present in the sacrament then euer yow or the best that taketh your parte shall in susteining the contrarie be hable of them all to giue a right answer to anie one And here I shall first alleage that auncient writer Tertullian in whome writing aboue thirtene hundred yeares sence I finde to this purpose these wordes Caro corpore sanguine Christi vescitur vt anima de Deo saginetur non possunt ergo separ ari in mercede quas opera coniungit that is to saie Our fleshe feedeth on the bodie and bloude of Christe that the soule also maie be made fat by feading on god theie can not therefore be separated in rewarde which haue bene ioined and coupled together in worcking Note here I beseche yow good readers ageinst our aduersaries that would shift of this place with their olde accustomed answer that the breade is called his bodie for that it signifieth and representeth no lesse vnto vs those wordes of Tertullian where he saieth that the bodie and the soule can not be seuered in receauing their rewarde whome one office oâ— ministerie ioineth together If the bodie fede apon bare breade as our aduersaries affirme and not apon Christes blessed bodie and blood as Tertullian saieth howe then caÌ„ theie be saide to concurre in one ministerie where as either of them fedeth diuerâ—lie on diuerse thinges Or will yowe saie M. Iuell that flesh can fede apon signes or figures Trulie whether it can or no I durst referre the resolution hereof to your selfe if being shut vp without meate or drincke two or thre daies in some close roume it might be my chauÌ„ce to come to your speâ—he at the last I thincke yow would beâ—hrowe him that would râ—ake yow such an aâ—gument Yowe haue thought earnestlie apon meate all this while therefore yowe haue eaten your fill And would con him but little more thancke that would painte on the walles of your chambre the signe of a fat capon and bid yow eate and spare not But was Tertullian thincke we of this minde alone No trulie For besides him we haue to confirme the faithe of the churche in this pointe all the auncient writers as manie as by occasion make anie mention of this moste blessed Sacrament Emongest whome I â—hall next alleage S. CipriaÌ„ that holie and blessed martir Who in his worcke De duplici martyrio touching this matter hath these wordes Reliquit nobis edendam carnem suam Reliquit biâ—â—nduÌ„ sanguinem vt per eadem alâ—remur per quae sumus redempti Christ hath left vs his fleshe to eate â–ª and his bloude to drincke to the entent we might be noorished by the same thinges by the which we wer redemed Trulie if we be noorished by the same thinges by the which we haue bene redemed then ar we not noorished we maie be bolde to saie with a signe or figure of his bodie which onelie and nothing elles these newe founde vpstartes would make vs beleue to be in this Sacrament The same holie martyr in an other place hath to the same purpose these wordes The breade which our lorde deliuered to his disciples being changed not in forme or shape but in nature by the omnipotencie of the worde is made fleshe This place of S. Cyprian serueth me to double vse For bothe it manifestle proueth the reall presence and which yowe also denie and call a newe inuention vâ—knowen to thauncient fathers and first harde of in the councell holden at Laâ—er 〈◊〉 vnder Innocentius the thirde the transubstantiation of the breade into Christes naturall fleshe Your coÌ„mon answer that the base creatures of breade and wine be after the consecration changed and transmuted from common breade to be a Sacrament to be a signe a remembraâ—nce a signification of Christes bodie and bloude yea to be in the steade of his bodie it selfe whereas before the consecration it was no such thing can serue yowe no longer For all this induceth no change in the nature or substance of the breade no more then if a cartar to daye should be turned into a kinge to morowe or placed in his seate of maiestie to represent his parson he coulde be saide to be
changed in nature Athanasius writing of the miracle that happened aboute a certeine image of our sauiour whome certeine Iewes M. Iuell in a towne named Berytus in Syria nailed vnto a crosse and so long continued their malice in persecuting the same after the maÌ„ner of their fathers crueltie towardes Christ him selfe or ourefalse Christians behaueour towardes his saide image in these our daies that water at the length and bloud issued in greate quantitie oute of the syde thereof hath these wordes Nec esse â—liter aestimandum est à veré catholicis praeterid quod à nobis scribitur quasi ex carne sangâ—ine Christi aliquid possit in mundo inuâ—niri â–ª nisiâ—illud quod in ara per manus sacerdotum quoâ—idie spiritualiter efficitur That is Neither is it by true catholikes otherwise to be thought then we haue allreadie written As though there might be founde anie parte in the whole world of Christes â—â—eshe and bloud sauing that which 〈◊〉 on the altar by the handes of the priestes dailie spiritually made Thus much touching this matter hath Athanasius But this auctoritie I knowe yow will assaie to auoide by cauilling apon the worde spirituallie made In which sence yowe will saie yow denie not but that Christes fleshe and blood although not on the altar is yet neuertheles present on your communioÌ„ table But ageinst this sorie shifte we replie that Athanasius saide not in this place that Christes fleshe and bloude was spirituallie on the altar which if he had so long as he excluded not the corporall presence also had made nothing ageinst vs for we bothe knowe and graunte that after bothe those manners his blessed bodie is there but that by the priest the same was spirituallie made as though by the adiectioÌ„ of this worde spirituallie he woulde take awaie all occasion of offence â–ª from such either weake or frowardâ— consciences as happelie might imagine some other kinde of making Christes fleshe and bloud then by the omnipotent power of goddes moste holie spirite And that this was the meaning of Athanasius and no other it shall most manifestlie apon the knowledge of the cause for which he spake these wordes appeare It is apparent by the place that he was of this minde whereas the bishop of Berytus caused diuerse vessels of glasse to be made and parte of this blood that issued out of the image to be put in the same and to be distributed in to diuerse partes of the worlde that all men might vnderstande the marueilouse worcking of almightie god that that bloud which was showed in manie places in his time and saied to be of Christes was parte of this whereof he wrote For truelie quoth he sauing on the altar there is no where elles in the worlde any other parte of Christes fleshe and bloud Now I praie you good Readers iudge in differentlie if Christes true fleshe and true blood had not bene in the sacrament but a signe or a representation thereof onelie is it likelie that Athanasius would haue made an exceptioÌ„ of that which was not at all that he would haue written so foolishelie as no noddie would haue spoken Euerie exception must be of some thing conteined vnder the rule bothe lawe and reason saie from the which the exception is made And therefore if one would saie there is no man that runneth sauing such a horse he that should so saie would be counted but an asse We may therefore boldely conclude that this auncient father and learned doctour bothe spake and ment of Christes bodie trulie naturally and corporally present in the sacrament seing that otherwise to haue made in that place any mention thereof had not onelie bene impertinent and nothing to the purpose but fond also and a thing moste ridiculouse Eusebius Emissen of this matter in a certeine homelie of his hath these wordes Sicut autem quicunque qui ad fidem veniens ante verba baptismi adhuc in vinculo est veteris debiti his verò commemoratis mox exuitur omni faece peccati ita quando benedicendae verbis coelestibus creaturae sacris altaribus â—â—pâ—nuÌ„tur antequâm inuo eaâ—ione summi nominis consecrentur â–ª substanâ—iâ— illic est panis viâ—i post verba autem Christi corpus sanguis Christiest Quid mirum autem est si ea quae verbo creâ— râ— potuit possit crâ—atâ— conuertere The which wordes in our tongue sounde thus much Euen as he that comming to our faithe what so euer he bâ— before the wordes of baptesme pronounced is yâ—t still in the daunger of the bande of his olde debâ—e and the same being once rehersed is now quit thereof and free from all spot of sinne so when the creatures ar laide on the holie altars to be blessed with the heauenlie wordes before theie be by the calling on the name of the highest consecrated there is the substance of breade and wine But after the wordes of Christ pronounced there is his bodie and bloud Terribilis est locus iste M. Iuell This is a terrible place and able alone to breake the backes and stoppe the mouthes of all that brutishe broode crept in to the world from the filthie neaste of Luther or Caluin his winges This one auncient father wer hable if we had no other to discredite yow before all the world which haue so impudentlie auouched that we haue not all emongest vs so much as one auncient writer to affirme no not colourablie the doctrine of the catholike churche concerning transubstantiation Doeth not Eusebius in this place so affirme it truelie without all manner of colour that euen the taking awaie of our sinnes by baptesme is by him compared with the departure of the substance of breade and wine in the sacrament If therefore there remaine after the wordes of consecration anie substance of breade and wine saie also that after baptesme our olde sinnes remaine still For so reasoneth here Eusebius that the one is as true as the other otherwise his similitude should halt and be of no force And if yow yeat make strange to graunt thereto doe not his wordes that followe manifestly conuince this to be his meaning where he asketh this question what meruell is it if he that could create all thinges with his worde be able to turne and conuert one thing in to an other But of that greate nombre of testimonies which might be here for the confirmation of this truthe brought out of Eusebius this one for this time maie suffise The nexte auctoritie that I will here alleage shalbe takeÌ„ out of that valiant champion of Christes churche and holie bishoppe of Millaine S. Ambrose Who is in this matter for vs so plaine both in the controuersie of the presence and also of that other of transubstantiation as he that fauoreth those opinions most can not whatso euer he be to that effect expresse his minde more fullie His wordes I will here trulie reherse as theie ar in his
worckes to be founde worde for worde in englishe This breade saieth hâ— is breade before the wordes of consecratioÌ„ after the which of breade is made the fleshe of Christe Let vs therefore proue that which we saie How can breade be made the bodie of Christe By consecration But this consecration with what wordes or with whose is it done By the wordes of our lorde Iesus For thorough all the rest which ar spoken thanckes ar offred vnto god praiers ar made for the rulers for the people and for other thinges But wheÌ„ the priest is come to the consecration nowe vseth he no longer his owne wordes but the wordes of Christ. It is therefore Christes worde that maketh this sacrament What worde of Christe Trulie that wherebie all thinges wer made that whereby our lorde commaunded and heauen was framed that wherebie the sea and lande was created and euerie other creature fourmed Seest thow therefore of what power Christes worde is If it be of such force that of nothing it is able to make some thing howe much more is it able to turne those thinges which wer before made in to some other thing Thus far S. Ambrose The same S. Ambrose in an other place hath these wordes Thow wilt perhappes saie I see an other thing howe doe yow tell me that I take the body of Christe And this remaineth yet for me to proue Howe manie examples vse we therefore to persuade that it is not that which nature hath fourmed but that which blessing hath consecrated and that the force of blessing is greater then that of nature because by blessing eueÌ„ nature it selfe is changed Moses helde in his hande the rodde he cast it from him and it becam a serpent againe he toke it by the taile and it returned to the nature of a rodde And after this example with manie other to this ende by him out of the holie scriptures alleaged he coÌ„cludeth in this sorte If mannes blessing wer of such force that it was able to conuerte nature what siae we to that diuine consecration where the verie wordes of our sauior doe worcke This thought S â–ª Ambrose a proufe strong ynough to coÌ„uince the truthe of this sacrament And although the substance of the rod being turned in to the substance of the serpent lost also there with all his first outewarde nature the accideÌ„tes I meane which in this miraculouse change in the sacrameÌ„t is otherwise where theie remaine for our infirmities sake saufe and sounde yet was this in his iudgement no let why he might not well reason after this sorte Moses goddes seruant was able to turne a rod in to a serpent Therefore god his maister is able to turne breade in to his fleshe Neither thought he it anie iuggling because to sight breade and wine remained still as that blasphemouse tongue which of late hath taken apon him to be your champion M. Iuell ageinst a certeine treatise by a notable learned man made in the defence of the catholike faithe in certeine pointes by yow not so much by learning impugned as by malice maligned hath termed it but the miraculouse worcking of god aboue nature And yet this good man forsoothe maie not abide in anie wise to be noted one that should put anie manner of mistrust in the omnipoteÌ„cie of god but that he graunteth as freelie as we doe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob that god is able to perfourme what so euer he doeth promise that no worde is impossible to him that he hath done what so euâ—r his will was to doe And therefore he saieth that theie that so râ—porte of him and his compagnions thâ—ie must nedes doâ— it either of hatefull blindenâ—s orignorant malice Truelie good readers this man semeth to me to be like a makeshifte that falling into a companie of others making merie braggeth and boastâ—th of his purse wherein is neuer a crosse that he hath to spende as largelie as the best and will beare his parte as franâ—kâ—lie as the proudest what so euer he be and yeat for all his high lookes and greate bragges made before when it commeth to the gathering of the shotte he slippeth faire and well awaie and leaueth the honest companie to paye for all Euen so I praie yowe marâ—ke when it commeth to the reconing of this heauenlie bancket where is prepared for vs the moste pretiouse bodie and bloude of oure sauiour Christe where is required of vs for the shotte that faithe as saithe holie S. Basile that Christes wordes This is my bodie teache vs let vs I saie marcke howe well for all his bragges he paieth his parte Forso theyowe shall see If Christe had made his bodie in the sacrament to appeare like a bodie and his bloud to taste and showe like bloude if he might haue sene it with his eyes as the people of Israel sawe the rodde as thâ—ie tasted of the water if Christe had euer done anie such miracle before as this is that is to saie if he had turned the substance of one thing in to an other and left still vnchanged the qualities of th'other thing that it was before that it might not haue semed a iuggling if finally he had had anie neceâ—sitie to constreine him to worcke anie suche change then he woulde haue beleued as we doe notwithstanding all the apparence of impossibilitie to the contrarie These be the conditions requisite to the faith of this protestant But here it is a worlde to see while he would seme humblie to graunte the omnipotencie of god and to deliuer him selfe and his companions from that note of infamie whereinto by long struggling ageinst the same theie ar runne with all men while he patcheth and cobbleth with his rotteÌ„ lingells a nombre of clouted ifs and is like the false tincker that mendeth one hole and maketh two newe or craftie Couper that to fasten one whoope looseth three he tumbleth hedloÌ„g in to a greate heape of absurdities whereof euerie one is as greate as that which he thought to haue auoided and wherein yeat he sticketh not withstanding For if thow beleuedest man as thowe vainelie braggest that thowe doest that god wer omnipotent wouldest thow so limite and restreine his power that he shoulde not change the nature and substance of a thinge onlesse he change the accidentes thereof withall Wilt thow first see blood and taste it as did the children of Israel the water and then after beleue O notable faithe to becoÌ„pared with the gray ne of a mustered seede whose guydes the eyes and other fallible senses be Quid memorabile facis si videas credas what greate act doest thow to beleue after thowe hast seene I maye say to yow as Theophilus the B. of Alexandria sayd vnto one Autolicus to whome he wrote Thus saide the Iues of Christ our sauiour hanging apon the Crosse. Descendat nunc de cruce vt videamus credamus Let him come downe now from the crosse that we maye see
yowe to conclude that therefore he must be worshipped in heauen trulie I knowe not but suer I am that the argument holdeth à loco topico Baculus stat in angulo Ergo Christus non est in coelo I am lothe here to presse yowe with farder auctorities in this pointe bothe because I woulde not gladlie stray froÌ„ that which I haue in haÌ„de and also least therebie you might falsely thinke that you had trulie answered the place allreadie alleaged And therefore I forbeare to laye to your charge Chrisostomus who exhorteth in a certcine place of his worckes all Christian men to imitate and folowe those barbarouse men who worshipped Christe lienge in the mangier in worshipping the same on the altar who telleth yowe and vs all twise in one sentence that Christes blessed bodie being in heauen is showed vnto vs here in earthe and that it is Summo honore dignum worthy the chiefest honour But although of gentlenes I release yowe of the paines in answering to these places of S. Chrisostome yeat all the worlde loketh for thus much at youre handes that yowe shoulde giue some reason for as much as yow so vnderstande the place of S. Austen whie Christes bodie maie not aswell be worshipped on the altar as it shoulde in heauen If yow saie because there it hath annexed to it the diuinitie doe we separate them on the altar Or doe we directe our worship to it for anie other cause then for that it hath the deitie inseparably vnited thereunto wherefore of fine force yowe must confesse that seing S. Austen hath graunted that Christes bodie is receiued of vs here in earthe and yowe can giue no reason whie it should be rather honored in one place then in an other that he ment as he spake of honour to be to be doen thereto then and there as it is receaued which is not in heauen but in earthe And trulie if there wer no auctoritie therefore very reason doeth conuince the same For who is there so folishe or rather starcke madde that if his prince should doe to him being a pore man that honour that he would vouchesaufe to visite him in his pore cotage like a rude beaste without cap or knee would stande staring in his face and saie that when he meeteth him in his courte or findeth him in his throne as though there vnto wer tyed all his princely power and that he caried not the same with him whither so euer he went then he will not faile to doe his dutie to the vttermost Who would not detest such a lourdaine that whereas for such exceading greate kindenes of his lorde and king he ought the more to haue honored him he abuseth now the same as a cause to take all honour from him But let vs returne to S. Austen and of manie testimonies that he hath concerning the truthe of this controuersie alleage onelie one other which is there where he expoundeth these wordes of the psalme Et ferebatur in manibus suis and he was caried in his owne handes His wordes ar these Ferebatur enim Christus in manibus suis quando commendans ipsum corpus suum ait Hoc est corpus meum Ferebat enim illud corpus in manibus suis. The wordes saieth he of the prophete ar founde to be true not in Dauid for how he or anie other could carie him selfe according to the lettre in his owne handes we finde not but in Christe for he was caried in his owne handes when coÌ„mending his bodie to his disciples he saide This is my bodie For he caried that body in his handes If the diuels ministres will here goe about to persuade yow good readers that S. Austen ment not that Christe caried in his haÌ„des his true bodie but a figure thereof tell theÌ„ that S. Austen excludeth all figuratiue speche in that that he hath how Christe caried him selfe according to the lettre and that if he had ment as theie saie he did it had bene no greate harde thing for either Dauid or anie other to cary in his handes the figure of him selfe If they yet presse yow with that that S. Austen vseth the worde quodammodo after a certeine maÌ„ner tell them that he meÌ„t not therebie to infirme the truthe which before he had so manifestlie confirmed but to teache the manner to be miraculouse and aboue the reache of reason and withall to withdrawe vs from such fonde fantasies as discussing this misterie by the manner of reasoning in other thinges we might perhappes haue fallen in to I would here make an ende of alleaging anie more auctorities for the confirmatioÌ„ of this article wer it not that happelie some man might thincke that I contemned that notable piller of Christes churche in Grece Chrisostome if out of him hauing for this controuersie so manie testimonies as in no one there can either more in nombre or stronger in proufe be founde I should not also bring to lighte one at the leaste or two He therefore when he compared together the departure out of this worlde of our sauiour and Helias and noted therein this difference that the one Helias lefte behinde him to his disciple his cloke stripping him selfe thereof but Christe the other left with vs bothe his cloke for so calleth he there his fleshe shifting him selfe thereof and yet ascendid into heauen and caried the same with him also witnessed not he manifestlie his faithe in this controuersie If Christ left not his fleshe here behind him how could he theÌ„ haue saide that in that pointe he was like to Helias if yow saie that he left a figure of his fleshe or a representation thereof onely how is it theÌ„ true that he left the same behinde him that he caried with him seing that the scriptures teache vs that the fleshe wherein he ascendid was no such as Marcion saide suffred on the crosse and as yow affirme to be in the sacrament but reall naturall and true fleshe when he complained of the outrage doeÌ„ at Constantinople by the meanes of Thâ—ophilus B. of Alexandria where he saide the souldiors rifled the holie places of the churche and that the moste holie bloude of Christe was shedde and spilt on their garmentes did not he plainelie witnesse with vs ageinst yow Hetherto yow haue harde maister Iuell for one seuen auncient doctours of the primitiue churche all within fower of the first six huÌ„dred yeares that you demaunded But all this not withstanding you will yet perhappes stand still apon your negatiue and beare the world in hand that although I haue by diuerse auctorities alleaged sufficiently proued that Christes body is present in the sacrament forasmuch as the auncient fathers haue one that fleshe fedeth in the sacrament on his body and bloud an other that we eate the same fleshe and drinck the same bloud by the which we wer redemed that the bread in the sacrament is turned not in fourme or
shape but in nature that by a spirituall meanes the same fleshe and bloud is daily made by the handes of the priest apon the altar that before the consecration there is bread and wyne that after there is the body and bloud of Christe with such like that yet I say for all this I haue proued no thing because forsooth I haue not vouched your termes Really substantially corporally carnally or naturally If yow flee to this bare and miserable shift then shall yow doe all men to vnderstand that yow ar driueÌ„ to an Exigent when to defend your diuelish doctrine yow ar faine to cauill apoÌ„ wordes and termes which also you shall but wrangle about in vaine the thing it self being most euidently proued which those termes and wordes could doe no more then signify Besides that yow shall well showe your selues to be muâ—h either more foolishe or maliciouse then wer those faithelesse Capernaites Of whome there was yet no one emongest them all so voide of wit or fraight with malice who hearing our sauiour coÌ„mend to them the eating of his fleshe and drincking of his bloud beleued not streight waies thoroughly that he ment as he said of his true and naturall fleshe and bloud all wer it so that he neuer mencioned your termes Really naturally substantially corporally or carnally And truly to say the truthe I see no cause why yowe might not also if yow listed renew Marcion his heresie again and say with him that Christ suffered not in a true but in a fantasticall body if such pleas on your parte may be allowed that except certein termes such as yow list to demaunde can be founde otherwise let the truthe be vttred in wordes neuer so apt or propre yow will neuer graunt theretoe For the Euangelistes I pray you M. Iuell which of them euer told vs in describing Christes death and passion that his body was nailed on the crosse Really substantially with the rest of your termes And will you therefore with Marcion deny that he suffred in a trewe body onlesse we can finde to yow such termes as you demaunde Or if yow saie that in this article of our faithe you make no such demaunde but that yowe holde your selues fully contented with such wordes as you finde vttred in the scriptures for the expressing thereof Why then beleue you not as well the veritie of this article being by Christes owne mouthe first by the voice of his churche sence in all ages confirmed as you doe the Euangelistes touching the suffring of his blessed body Or why might not Marcion denieng Christes body on the crosse then haue bidden Tertullian and other that stroue against him proue it by these termes Really substantially corporally carnally or naturally aswell as you denieng it nowe on the altar driue vs to the prouing the presence thereof there by the same Especially the wordes vttered by the Euangelistes to ascerteine vs of the true suffring of Christes body on the crosse being no more manifest to that effect then ar the wordes of Christ to the other that is to giue vs to vnderstand of the true being of the same apon the altar Well yet shall I euen in this point assay to satisfie if it may be your deintie and delicat appetite Although this must I nedes by the way confesse that the auncient wryters vsed not thiese termes so commonly as the latter haue doen. For in that pure and vnspotted age of the primitiue churche when no heretike durst once open his mouthe to impugne this veritie there was not to say the truthe like occasion as sence Berengarius his time hath bin ministred Or rather the innocency and parfect simplicitie of those dayes thought it not necessary for them to vse your termes corporally carnally with the rest which had said the same body that suffred death on the crosse the same that walcked here on the earth whereas it might probably be thought that they whom such wordes should not persuade to yelde in this point to the truthe would not faile also in such wise to cauill and wraÌ„gle about the other that had they bene vsed neuer so often they would yet by one shift or other seme to auoid them and so coÌ„tinue in their olde heresie still And this I feare me will hereafter appeare by your doinges how euer for the time yow dally with your dilatory exceptions which being brought to wise meÌ„nes scanning be not all worth a blew point or a rotten rushe But nowe I come to your termes The first which is realiter Really is a barbarouse word and therefore of likelihod not to be founde in the learned eloqueÌ„t worckes of the auncient fathers Which thing maketh me to thinck that if in your chalenge M. Iuell yow ment good faith yow will not take it in euell parte if for that which caÌ„ not be had I giue you an other as good I meane for this terme really the word truly or verely For in right iudgement they signifie I dout not all one thing This being presupposed your chalenge touching this term may be answered by the words of our Sauiour where he entreateth of this most blessed sacrameÌ„t and in expresse wordes taught his disciples that his flesh which he would giue them and they should eate should be truly meate and his blood truly drinck Which if it be so then is it not by fiction or imagination as yowe and your companions dreame but in true and to speake after your manner in reall existence If yow say that the wordes of Christ be here by me racked and violently wresteâ— to a far other sense then him self had in them then turne I yow ouer to trye that matter to Hilarius that worthy Bishop of Poyctiers in Fraunce Who reasoning ageinst the heresy of Arrius as I doe now ageinst yours applieth them after this sort to the same purpose De naturali in nobis Christi veritate quae dicimus nisi ab eo discimus stultè atque impiè dicimus Ipse enim ait Caro mea verè estesca sanguis meus verè est potus De veritate carnis sanguinis non est relictus ambigendi locus Nunc enim ipsius domini professione fide nostra verè caro est verè sanguis est The which wordes in our English tongue sound thus Of the naturall veritie of Christ in vs what so euer it be that we teache except we learne it of him we teache bothe foolishly and wickedly For he saith him self my flesh is truly meate and my blood is truly driÌ„ck Of the truthe of his flesh and bloud there is not any place left to dout For now both by the testimony of our lord hiÌ„ self and by our faith it is truly his flesh and truly his bloud Hetherto Hilarius by whom in this place may be gathered good readers first that in the primitiue churche apon these wordes of Christ my flesh is truly meat c. the fathers and bishops of that age
lord redeeme vs with his bloud neither the cup of the sacrament is any part of his bloud nor the bread the coÌ„munication of his body For bloud there can not be without there be vaines fleshe and other substance such as man is made of This place of Irenaeus good readers let it not I beseche yow belightly runne ouer For if any one of the rest prooue all M. Iuelles termes and more then he demaundeth toe by flesh and vaines this is it For the better vnderstanding whereof reteine well the cause that moued this auncieÌ„t father and learned bishop to write as he did The cause was the absurde doctrine of them that taught that Christ had no naturall fleshe such as we haue against whom he reasoned thus If he had no true body of such nature as oures is of then was not his bloud shed on the crosse then doe we not eate his fleshe nor drinck his bloud in the sacrament For as there could be no bloud shed on the Crosse so there can be none dronck on the altar except there be vaines fleshe and other substance of man Here haue yow proued to yow M. Iuell that Christes fleshe and bloud is present in the sacrameÌ„t in humain substance therefore substantially that there be vaines and fleshe such as bloud vseth to issue furth of therefore corporally carnally and realâ—y Of the which wordes of Irenaeus yow may if it please you gather also that so confessed a truthe it was emongest all men in that age that Christes blessed body was truly present in the sacrameÌ„t yea euen with the heretikes theÌ„ selues that the true suffring of the same apon the crosse was holden for no more certein and vndouted a truthe And truly if it had not so bene a pooer argument had Irenaeus made to induce any man to beleue that Christ had a true naturall body as we haue because there is fleshe vaines bloud and the very substance of man in the sacrament Whereas he ageinst whome he should so haue reasoned might haue bidden him goe proue first the grounde that he toke for the fundation to builde his reason apon that is that Christ wer present in such sort in the sacrameÌ„t and then to come to him again afterward But well wist he that the heretikes theÌ„ selues could not denie it and therefore he so reasoned After this manner of reasoning disputed Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria ageinst Origen who was in this errour that he thought the bodies should be after their resurrectioÌ„ mortall again and that after many other yeares passed ouer they should vanishe away and become nothing His wordes ar these Nec vanitatem appellamus substantiam corporalem vt ille astimat alijs verbis in Mâ—nichaei scita concidens ne Christi corpus suâ—iaceat vanitati cuius aedulio saturati ruminamus quotidieverba diceÌ„tis Nisi quis comederit car neÌ„ meaÌ„ etc. that is neither doe we call corporall substaÌ„ce vanitie as he thincketh OrigeÌ„ he meaneth falling thereby although in other wordes in to Manichaeus doctrine lest by that meanes Christes body might be subiect to vanitie with the foode whereof being filled we chewe daily the wordes of Christ saing except yow eate my fleshe c. What had here Theophilus ment to obiect to Origen that by this opinion of his it would follow that Christes body which we receiue and eate in the sacrament should vanish away and become vaine if it had bene there not in substance but in a figure or baresigne If he had not bene there corporally and substaÌ„tially to what purpose seing he spake of corporall substance mencyoned he his body in the sacrament and not rather the same being in heauen which no heretike could haue denied Truly we can no lesse doe but thinck that both for his greate learning and wisdom he would so haue doen had he not bene fully persuaded that the same body which is in heauen is in the same substance the same truthe of nature and in the same moment in the blessed sacrament of the altar Eusebius Emissenus when he taught the people that the visible creatures of breade and wyne ar turned in to the substance of Christes body and bloud said he not that Christes body is in the sacrament substantially Or Chrisostome when he taught the people QueÌ„admodum si caeraigni adhibita illi assimilatur nihil substaÌ„tiae remanet nihil superfluit Sic hic puta mysteria consumi corporis substantia Euen as wax if it be cast in to the fier becommeth like to the fier nothing of the substance remaineth nothing abundeth euen so thinck that here in the sacrament the misteries ar consumed with the substance of Christes body was his meaning thinck we any other I passe ouer here the testimonies for this matter that â—ight be brought out of the workes of that noble bishop Cirillus Bishop of Alexandriâ—â— who in sundry places there of absteineth not from thiese termes corporaliter substantialiter carnaliter corporally substantially carnally and diuerse other because I hope these which allready haue bene alleaged shalbe sufficient Or if this suffise not then beseche I you M. Iuell and your companions to drawe vs out in writing a forme of wordes to proue that Christes bodye and bloud ar present int the sacrament such as your selues will promise if we be hable to proue by the scriptures fathers or councels to stand to simply without adding thereto gloses distinctions or interpretacions When I minded here to haue knyt vp this knot behold it cam to my remembraunce that I had yet answered nothing to the foolishe and vnsauory reasons of your aduocat who so euer he be who more stoutely then wysely beareth out euen to the hard hedge this diuelish doctrine of yours First forsooth he beareth vs in hand that Christ when he sayed This is my body the same which shalbe betrayed for yow ment not that we should receaue his very true naturall and fleshly body but vsing a figure called Metonymia gaue the name of his bodie to the signe that is to the breade And this interpretation he saith maie be proued by a nombre of examples out of the canonicall scriptures as in one place where circuncision was called a couenauÌ„t being in deede but a signe and testimonie thereof in an other the paschall lambe called the passeouer Christe him selfe a vine a rocke with suche like But here note I beseche you good readers what a straÌ„ge kinde of reasoning this is In the scriptures is vsed a figuratiue kinde of speche in one two three fower or mo places Ergo Christ in that place where he instituted the sacrament is to be vnderstaÌ„d by a figure Or thus the scriptures speake figuratiuelie in some places Ergo in all and no where otherwise This kinde of Sophistication in arguing is the olde shift of the wicked Arrians who like as this man taketh awaie now from the blessed sacrament the verie bodie and blood of Christe
by expounding his plaine wordes by a figure vnder colour of some other places where such allegories must nedes haue place and wer no otherwise to be taken so did they take from Christes blessed parson his omnipotent godhead and would not graunte him to be equall with almightie god his father but the plaine textes of scripture which proued his godhead they expounded wrong and frowardlie not onelie by some other textes that semed to saie otherwise but also as this man doeth now by some allegories affirming that he was called god and the sonne of god in the scripture by such maÌ„ner of speaking as the scripture for some propertie calleth certeine other personnes goddes and gods sonnes in other places as where god saide to Moses I shall make the Pharao his god and in an other place Thowe shalt not backbite or sclaunder thy goddes And where he hath I haue saide that yowe be goddes and the sonnes of the highe god all of yowe But surelie if this maÌ„ner of reasoning maie be allowed for good that because of allegories vsed in some places euerie man maie at his pleasure drawe euerie place to a figure we shall shortlie bring the scripture from a faire flat figure I feare me to a sorie simple cypher Yea saith he if we had not these examples with a greate nombre mo in the holie scripture to iustifie our manner of interpretation yeat the verie wordes which the spirite of god by singulier prouidence hath vsed in the Euangelist and S. Paule doe leade vs vnto this sence rather then vnto that that yow haue deuised For in the second parte of the sacrament whereas Mathewe and Marc saie This is my blood of the newe testament that Luke and Paule vtter in this maÌ„ner This is the newe testament in my blood Which can not be otherwise vnderstand but that the sacrament is a testimonie or pledge of his last will and gift of our saluation confirmed by his moste pretiouse blood Wherefore if yow saie neuer so often times with Mathew and Marc This is my bodie This is my blood We will repete as often with Luke and Paule who wer ledde with the same spirite This is the newe testameÌ„t in my bodie and blood Hetherto haue reached the wordes of your frende M. Iuell Who if he repete neuer so often the wordes of Luke and Paule shall spende but his winde in wast and gaine when all is doeÌ„ not so much as one ynche towardes the furderance of his and your heresie in this pointe For if he repete their sainges trulie theie varie in wordes from the other two but in the second parte of the sacrament and saie but onelie This is the newe testament in my blood â–ª and then can he noâ— wot ye well as here he falselie doth repete which theie neuer saide This is the newe testament in my bodie and blood and so adde to the holie scripture the worde â—odie And then the case standing thus that all fower agree in the first parte of this sacrament and call it Christes bodie and two in the later calling it his bloud and all so far as no one denieth it to be his blood a man maie aske of your frende whie he should rather sucke out a figure in those wordes of the first parte which all fower agree apon onelie because in the second parte two doe speake figuratiuelie then so to interprete that figuratiue speche of those two vsed in the cup as to giue place to the literall sense by two in the second parte and all in the first so firmelie and by so full consent agreed and arrested apon But of this he as it semeth him selfe being notignorant if the matter should be by him left thus rawe that there is no man so euell aduised but he had rather vnder stand two by fower then so manie by two he laboureth merueilouslie to proue that the olde writers haue so vnderstande those wordes of Christe as he dothe To be shorte we denie not nor euer did that the olde fathers haue some times apon considerations called this sacrament a figure a signe a similitude an example but neuer in that sense we saie to take awaie the veritie of his blessed bodie therein For as it wer but a homelie pece of logick to saie that Christe wer no true man because S. Paule saith that he was made in similitudinem hominuÌ„ after the likenesse of men as by occasion of that text and other Marcion and Appolinaris the heretikes did as witnesse Tertullian and S. Ambrose or to reason that he wer not of the same substance with god his father and very god him selfe with Arrius and his mates because the same S. Paule calleth him the image of god and figure of his fathers subtance so truly to reason in the sacrament that because it is called a figure a similitude a representation that therefore it is not his true body is an argumeÌ„t most false and faulty And all were it so that we had not these places of the scripture and the fathers maÌ„ner of speaking and manie other which plainelie teache vs that the selfe same thing maie be a figure of it selfe as the bodie of Christe in the sacrameÌ„t inuisiblie offred on the altar is a figure of the same visiblie offred on the crosse yet of fine force excepte we woulde discredite a greate parte of the auncient writers as though they had written contrarie to them selues should we haue bene driuen to haue founde out this answer Seing of them all that call it in one place a figure it will be harde to bring furth anie that calleth it not in diuerse other the veritie and thing it selfe As for his similitude fetched froÌ„ the courte well maie it be fine and he please him selfe therewith but other men I suppose such as haue more learned then deintie eares he should haue pleased a greate deale better if although in sluttishe eloquence yet plainelie and trulie he had vttred better sense For I for my parte and therein I thinck I maie be bolde to measure other by my selfe had rather drincke a cup of holsom beere in a sluttishe cup then a draught of poisoned wine in a fine golden goblet But I praie yow for yow I am suer knowe him when yow happen apon him nexte aske of him how he is able to proue the like change in the parchement of his lettres patentes as hath bene proued to be in the breade and wine in the sacrament It hath bene showed oute of the holie martir S. Ciprian that this breade is changed not in the outewarde shape but in the inwarde nature that by that change it is made fleshe It hath bene proued by Eusebius Emissenus and holy S. Ambrose that before the wordes of consecration there is the substance of bread and wine but after those wordes the bodie and blood of Christe The same hath bene sufficientlie proued by diuerse other Let him now if he can finde
thereto and some iniury to hym also whose liberalitie to the hynderance perhapps of some I should by thys meanes abuse Thus much thought I necessary good Readers to sygnyfye to you concernyng thys enterpryse of myne Where in yf happely I seeme to some ouer sclenderly to haue excused my self them referre I to hys iudgement for my meanyng herein who shall once iudge both me yf I haue not gonne vpryghtly but troden a wrye and them yf they haue not iudged syncerlye but demed amysse Fare ye well at Antwerp the. 26. of Iuly Anno â—564 Thom. Dorman THE ARTYCLES VVHICH THE AVTHOR HATH TAKEN APON HYM TO PROVE AGAYNST M. IVELLES NEGATYVE THat the Bishop of Rome is the head of Christes vniuersal churche here in earth and that within the first six hundred yeares after Christes departure hence he was so called and taken That the people was then taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament That the communion was then ministred vnder one kinde That there was Masse saide at that tyme although there wer none to receaue with the priest A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCTION TO THE FIRST PROPOSITION THe blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian wryting to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese wordes Iâ—tia hae reticorum ortus atque conatus schisâ—aticorum malâ—e cogitantium haec sunt vâ— sibi placeant vt praepositum superbo tuâ—ore contemnant Sic de ecclesia receditur sic altare prophanum foris collocatur sic contra paâ—em Christi ordinationâ—m atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur Which is in englishe thus much to say The beginning of heretikes the first springing vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinking amisse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that they take in them selues and of that that being puffed vp with pride they contemne ther head and gouernour appointed ouer them By this meanes stray they from the churche Thus is a prophane altar placed wythout the dores and thus rebell they agaynst Christes peace gods ordinaunce and vnitie And agayn in an other place he writeth thus Vndâ—e enim schismata haereses obortae sunt nisi dum episcopus qui vâ—us est ecclesiae praeest superba quorundam praesumptione conteÌ„nitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus iudicatur Where of sayeth he doe heresies and schysmâ—s spring but of this that the bishop which is one and gouerneth the church is thorough the proude and arrogaÌ„t presumption of certeine contemned and set at nought and being the man by goddes approbation alowed and honored is of vnworthy men iudged The very same thing although in other wordes doeth S. Basile in an epistle written by him to the bishoppes of Italie and Fraunce bewailing there in the estate of his time most plainelie declare Whose wordes because they doe liuely represent vnto vs the most miserable face of this our age I haue thought good to alleage and set before your eyes Ambitiones eorum qui dominum non timent praesidentias inuadunt in propatulo de caetero impietatis praemium proposita est prima sedes Quare qui grauiores blasphemias protulit ad populi episcopum potior habetur Periit authoritas sacerdotalis populi admoneri nolunt praesides dicendi libertatem non habent Silent piorum ora permissum est autem dicere omni blasphemae linguae Prophanata sunt sacra that is to say The pride and ambition of them whych feare not our lorde doeth inuade and set apon ther heads and openly the chiefest place is proposed as a rewarde for wyckednes And therefore he that can vtter against the bishop of the people most grieuouse and slaunderouse blasphemies is accompted of gretest price and had in moste estimation The authorite of priestehood is lost The layte will not be admonished The rulers be restreined of liberte to speake The mouthes of good men kepe silence Euery blasphemouse tongue is set at libertie All holie thinges ar made prophane Hetherto S. Basil. To be short there was neuer yet any heretike emongest so many as from time to time haue continually troubled the churche of god that made not his first entry into his heresies by the proclaiming as it wer of open war against the beautiful ordre of the churche which they haue alwaies forsene to be to them terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as is the froont of a battell well set in ordre and ageinst the bishop of Rome appointed by god to be here in earthe the laufull gouernour and head thereof not lacking also therein greate poliâ—ie that by striking the shepherde they might the easelier scatter the flock Thus did in the time of S. Cyprian Nouatus that greate herety k who as Nicephorus reporteth of him holding betwene his hands the handes of such as minded to receiue of him the blessed sacrament of th' altar vsed to them these wordes Adiura mihi per corpus sanguinem domini Iesu Christi nunquam te a me discessurum ad Cornelium Romanus is Episcopus fuit rediturum esse Sweare to me quoth he by the body and bloud of our lorde Iesus Christ that thow wilt neuer forsake me nor return to Cornelius who was then bishop of Rome So did in our time the scholers and folowers of Martin luther So did Iohn Caluin with his congregation at Geneua So doe euen at this time in oure infortunate countrey those wicked men apon whome I beseche almightie god to extende his mercie who occupieng the places and 〈◊〉 mes of catholike bishops being them selues indurat heretikes ceasse not daily most cruelly to practise that lesson learned of ther auncestor Nouatus For what man admit they to any liuing of whome they exact not first this othe Whome suffer they to continue in his liuing if he giue not this othe For the onely refusall hereof how many notable men of the cleargie bothe for life and learning suffer they to pyne away in prison I remembre not heare the greate nombre of gentlemen and other mere laye men not included in the statute of pooer yong scholers of bothe th' vniuersites who witheout all face of lawe for for th' other theie pretended a colour being not so much them selues spoiled of ther colleages as ther colleages vniuersitees yea ther country self which had of the most parte of them byn likely to hauereceiued bothe help and comfort spoyled and robbed of them wander now abroade in dispersion lamenting th' estate of ther miserable countrie Of the whych they maye and we all iustlie now say much more then did S. Basil of the persecution in his time He onely complained that the churche dores wer shut vp that th' altars lacked that spirituall worship that should haue byn doen apon them that there wer no assembles of Christian men that lerned men bare no sway that there was no wholesom doctrine taught that the feastes and holidaies wer not
kept that the praiers in the night wer vtterly ceassed To that holy father it seemed a great outerage that the churches wer shut vppe what would he thinck we then say wer he aliue in these dayes when of our churches he should see some made the dwelling houses of priuat men other some turned into barnes or stables other cleane ouer throwen and made euen wyth the grounde and those that remain whole so moch worse then if they had byn alltogether shut vp left open for heretikes to pollute with schismaticall seruice and diuelysh doctrine It grieued S. Basil that th' altars should lack the spirituall seruâ—ce whych was not nether for any mislike that men had therein but because in that grieuouse persecution of the Christians theie could not be founde that durst doe it And could he haue taken it well to haue seene theÌ„ broken defaced and quite ouer throwen yea whiche is a crime so horrible that to write it I tremble in those places in which the altars stood whereon was wont in that spirituall sacrifice to be offered vp the most pretious body and bloud of Christ Oxen and beastes more vncleane to befedde He lamented that learned men wer not estemed that they wer not prouided of lyuings and would he not much more lament to see them depriued of those whych they had and shoemakers weuers tinckers coweherdes broome men Russians forfelonies burned in the haÌ„ds to be put in ther places Then was no holsom doctrine taught nowe is ther nothing elles taught but poisoned and vnholsom Then wer there no holidaies kepte nor hymnes vsed in the night Nowe ar they accompted to be superstition Nowe as we felt none of all thiese miseries besides a thousand moe so long as we kept our selues wythin the vnite of one heade so is euery man able to beare me witnesse that as soone as the diuel the author of all heresies had once obteined and brought about the banishmeÌ„t in our countrye of that one bishop wyth the whych as you haue hard out of S. Cyprian before he vseth alwayes to begin all these russhed in apon vs as the dore that should haue kept them out being set wide open And as this is confessed by the most auncient fathers that haue wrytten sence Christes tyme that by this meanes we first reuolt from the churche by contemning and not acknowleging the head so muâ—t our return thyther again be by the contrary that is by reuerencing him by acknowleging him by humble submission of our self to him So did those that after ther fall with Nouatus S. Cyprian receiued into the churche again apon ther submission testified in these wordes Nos Cornelium episcopum sanctissmum Catholicae Ecclesiae erectum à deo omnipotente Christo D. nostro scimus Nos errorem nostrum confitemur Circumuenti sumus perfidiae loquacitate factiosa amentes videbamur qua si quandam communicationem cum homine schismatico habuisse Syncera tamen mens nostra in ecclesia semper fuit Nec ignoramus vnum deum esse vnum Christum esse dominum quem confessi â—umus vnum spiritum S vnum Episcopum in ecclesia catholica esse debere We say they acknowledge Cornelius to be erected by god almighty and Christe our lorde to be the holie bishop of the catholike churche We confesse our error we haue byn circumuented ronning madde by the factious babbling of treachery we semed to haue communicated as it wer with that schismaticall man Nouatus yet was our sincere minde alwaies in the churche Nor we ar not ignorant that there is one onlie god and one Christ our lorde and that in the catholike churche there must be one holie ghost and one bishop So did Vrsatius and Valens forsaking the heresy of Arrius offer vp ther recantation to Iulius then bishop of Rome By thys meanes good Christian readers returned they to the churche by this must you return that haue straied what so euer you be if you will be saued Seing now as I haue declared the going out of the churche is by the contempt of the head thereof and the return home again by th' acknowleging and reuerencing of the same persuade your selfe that it hath not byn for nothing that good men in all ages haue byn and at this time ar no lesse busyed in defence thereof then heretikes myssecreantâ— and enemies to our faithe ar readie wyth all ther power to assault the same The consideration whereof hath caused also me in this enterprise of mine to begin first wyth the fortifieng of that whereunto our enemies as the very fundacion of all true religion the comfort and stay of the catholikes the terror and vtter vndoing of all heretikes doe most direct ther battery In the handling where of I purpose god willing to take this ordre First before I comme to the principall poinct thatlieth in question betwene vs which is of the bishop of Romes supremacie to proue to you by most plaine and euident reasons that the churche of Christ here militant in earth must of necessitie for diuerse and sondrie vrgent causes haue one chief head and ruler vnder Christ to rule and gouerne the same Secondarily that that one head must nedes be a priest Thirdly and so last of all that of all priests the bishop of Rome is he whych must supply that place and that for so that is head and ruler of the church he hath byn of th' auncient councels and old fathers wyth in the first six hundred yeares after Christes de parture taken THAT CHRISTES CHVRCH HERE IN EARTH MVST OF NECESSITIE HAVE ONE CHIEF HEAD AND GOVERNER VNDER CHRIST TO RVLE THE SAME THe truthe of thys proposition good Christian readers is not onely by the whole ordre and forme of the estate of gods people in th' olde lawe whych was also the true churche of god long before the comming of our sauiour in to this world but by the dailie experience also of ciuile and polytike gouuernenement most manifestly confirmed For who is there so blynde that he seeth not that in the whole frame of this worlde there is no kingdom so mighty no realm so puysant no cytie so populous no towne so welthy yea on the coÌ„trary part also no village so littell no family so small finally no societe of men no not of those that haue wrapped them selues in league to robbe and spoile that can anie while continue wythout a head to gouern them If therefore to lyue vnder the gouuernement of a head be a matter of such importance as wythout the whych neyther great nor little riche nor pooer good nor bad can stande how much more necessary shall we thinck it in Christes churche here militant in earthe where the diuell in hys membres is continually occupied in raysing of schismes in stirring vp discord to vex and molest the people of god to haue thys wholesom prouision for th' appeasing thereof and the restoring of the same being troubled to quietnes
hereafter In the meane season that theie will haue of Christes church here in earthe no other head but Christ him self therein they fare me thincketh not much vnlike to a certein â—elon of whome I haue harde that being areigued 〈◊〉 â—he bar for a felonie when he had pleadid to the 〈◊〉 not guilty and was after the manner demaunded how he would be tried he would suspecting his own case and knowing that if he satisfied the law in putting him self apon the tryall of the country there wer no moe waies with him but one make thereto no other answer but onely that he would put him self apon god the righteous iudge of all who although he saide truely that god was the chief iudge of all as the protestants doe in calling Christ the head of the churche yet was there in his case an other iudge here in this worlde vnder god by whom he must haue byn tried as there is in theirs an other head here in the churche to ordre them and kepe them vnder and in whom Christ the chief head of all vseth in all necessary knowledge to giue answer And as the felon knewe well that there was an other iudge beside god and appealed not to him as though before him he should haue ben acquitted and proued not guilty but onelie to gaine a longer time of life and libertie so doe I dout not our aduersaries the protestants And trulie to both thiese kynde of men being bothe theeues th'one sort doing violence to the body the other to the soule if such pleas might be allowed howe so euer they be coloured with the name of Christ betwene them both they would freelie robbe the body and murther the soule But let vs now examine this reason of theirs whereof they ar wont so much to triumphe Christ is head of the church Ergo the pope is not Ergo it câ—a haue no other head That Christ is the head of the church we graunted before and none of our syde did euer yet deny yt But as it is most manifest that Christ him self is the worcker of all his sacraments for he baptizeth he forgiueth sinnes he consecrateth his blessed body and bloud he ioineth together in matrimony the man and his wife and yet forasmuch as he should nedes departe out of this worlde and could not alwaies dwell with vs after a corporall manner he hath chosen ministres to dispense those his giftes by And we saye and no fault found therewith that the priest his ministre baptizeth that he forgiueth sinnes that he consecrateâ—h his most preâ—ious body and bloud So after the same manner and for the same cause that is to say because he could not be alwayes present with vs in such sort as we might see him and speake with him face to face to be resolued at his mouth of such doubtes and questions as should arâ—se emongest vs he left vs also one that in that his absence should gouern and rule his whole churche He remaineth neuerthelesse head thereof he ruleth he reigneth he exerciseth his power and authorite in the same but yet by man his ministre whome for that cause most aptly the Scholasticall writers haue termed caâ—â—â— minâ—â—â—eriale that is to saye a head but yeat by the reason of his seruice and ministerie vnder an other that is Christ â—ho is onelie absolutely simply and without all relation to any other the head thereof Not as though he wer not hable to rule the same without any such help or instrument which he could haue doen also in the olde lawe where his pleasure was that the people should resort to the chief priest to be resolued in all doutes arising apon the lawe and had no more nede of help then then he hath now but for that this waye it hath pleased hym to 〈◊〉 his exâ—eding great loue towards mankind 〈…〉 of emongest men such as he will execute 〈…〉 worlde 〈◊〉 as he will vse as his mouth to 〈◊〉 the secretes of his holâ—e pleasure to vs and fâ—â—ally such as should represent to vs his owne parson Because Châ—â—stâ—s king of all kinges and lord of all lordâ—â— because if it so pleased him he could rule all this worlde much better then it is ruled without the help of any other whereof he hath his absolute power considered no nedeâ— shall we therefore say that there be not nor nede to be any kynges here in â—â—â—the When S. Paule called the man the head of the woman denied he therefore Christ to be her head Kinge Saul when he was called by the prophet Samuel caput in tribubus Israël the head of the tribues of Israel was god thinck you excluded that he should not be their head To vse examples more familier th'archebishop of Cauntorbury is the head of the bishoprick and diocesse of London as he is of all the bishoprickes within his prouince and yet can not a man infer apon this that therefore the B. of London is not the head of that his diocesse But Christ hath no suche nede our aduersaries crye still to haue any man to be in his stede to succede him in the whole enheritance Nam Christum semper adesse eccle siae suae vicario homine qui ex asse in integrum â—uccedat non â—gere these be their very wordes in their apologie Here would I like a frinde aduertise them that for ther pooer honesties sake they harp not to much on this string left by their so doing they comme as nere to the heresie of Suenkfeldius as he whom in their apologie they falselie sclaunder therewith is far bothe from that and all other For Suenkfeldius emongest other his abhominable heresies hath also this in my opinioÌ„ the chiefest that we ought to banish vtterly from emongest vs all scripture and as Hosius writeth of him thys heresie of hys to derogate from the scriptures all auctoritie he went also about to proue bi scripture But howe I praie you good readers By what reason thinck you would he haue proued this diuelish and most absurde doctrine Beleue me or rather your owne iudgements seing and perceiuing most plainely that I lie not by the self same reasons that our aduersareis doe vse to proue that Christes churche here in earth can haue vnder him no head or chief gouernour to gouern the same Thow must not be parfect in the scriptures saith this stincking heretike Swenckfield But whie because forsooth we must be taught at gods mouth because his worde teacheth truly the scripture is not his worde but dead lettres and no more accompte to be made of them then of other creatures emongest the which they ar to be reconed We must loke to be taught froÌ„ heauen not out of bookes The holie ghost vseth to coÌ„me froÌ„ aboue without the help of meanes as hearing preaching or reading the scriptures Thieâ—e be that wicked heretike his folish and vnsauery persuasions And what other thing is it I praie you good readers
that will afterwardes carpe and reproue the same proue he maie wel him selfe a foole or maliciouse or not catholike but me an heretike shall he neuer proue Hetherto S. Hierome with whome if one would after this sorte expostulate What meane yowe S. HieroÌ„ to boaste so much apon the iudgemeÌ„t of one who as he is a maÌ„ although learned yet not the learnedest in the world so maie he both dâ—ceaue and be deceauid Whie saie yow that who so euer â—â—ndeth faulte with your faithe â–ª after Damasus the popes approbation and allowance thereof shall neuer be hable to proue yowe an heretike Maie not many heades finde out that wherein one hath failed Me thincketh I saie to him that should thus question with him I heare him expounding his owne wordes and answering for him selfe in this wise What arte thow man that findest faulte with my wordes and vnderstaÌ„dest not my meaning Am I thinckest thow he that will pinne my faithe to anie mans backe what so euer he be Doe not I knowe as well as thow that Damasus is a man that he maie deceaue and be deceauid yea truelie But on thother side as I knowe all this rightwell so am I not ignoraÌ„t that he that sitteth in Peters chaire that the B. of Rome in matters of faithe can not giue wrong iudgement And therefore cease to maruell if apon the trust of this priuileage I chalenge all the whole worlde and saie that of them all there is no one that can proue me an heretike whome Damasus being thus qualified hath alowed for a good christian It is not Damasus so hath this qualitie to be the chief gouernour of Christes churche altered him that I stay my self apon It is Peter it is Christ him self If apon anie other persuasion I had vsed thiese wordes â–ª well might I haue bene saide to haue abused my self But that this was euen from the beginning my meaning and not inueÌ„ted sence for my defence loke once again to my wordes where I saie not simplie I desire to be corrected of the but of the which holdest Peters faithe and seate nor yeat spake of the alowing of my faithe by Damasus but apostolatus sui iudicio by the iudgement of his seate of his apostleship Thus much touching S. Hierom. of whose minde if any man yeat doubte in this coÌ„trouersy him shall I praie to take the paines for his better instruction to reade a certeine other epistle of his to Damasus and apon these wordes which he vttred of Peters chaire Quicunque extra hanc domuÌ„ agnuÌ„ comederit prophanus est who so euer eateth the lambe he meaneth receiueth the blessed body and bloud of Christ out of this house he is prophane to serche for the iudgement of Erasmus where he shall finde in expresse wordes that S. Hieromes opinion was that all churches should be subiect to the churche of Rome S. Austen as before yow hard called Peter B. of Rome heade of the churche he tolde Bonifacius his successor that he was placed in Christes churche aboue the rest of the bishoppes And did he not well de clare by sending to the same Bonifacius his boke written ageinst the two epistles of the PelagiaÌ„s to be iudged and examined by him that he tooke him for no lesse in deede then he had pronounced of him in wordes For trulie S. Austens learning being such as in his age there liued not his matche for the perusing of his worckes bothe had he had little neede oâ— his helpe and if he had had much there liued yet manie to haue bene consulted thereapon better learned then he and more nearer to him toe then was Rome to the place where he had his abiding had it not bene that persuading him selfe as did S. Hierome in the like case before he had made his full and sure account first that his iudgement in that that he was Peters successor and heade of the churche was by the verie mouthe of Christ him selfe warranted in matters of faithe neuer to erre and nexte that his worcke being confirmed by auctoritie such as was his should so quell and beate downe to the grounde the heretikes his aduersaries as with the worlde they should neither be hable to susteine their credite gotten nor after that gaine newe Theodoritus saide of the B. of Rome Vos enim summosesse conuenit for yow must be the chiefest of all other and of the churche it selfe that it was the greatest the noblest of all other and that which gouerned all the worlde It is euideÌ„t that he wrote as he thought wheÌ„ being vniustly deposed he appealed to the B. of Rome desired his helpe and that he would coÌ„maunde him to appeare before him there to pleade his cause and showe his righte as he did in dede and was restored by him By these auctorities it appeareth M. Iuell that the fathers of Christes churche be not so thinne soweÌ„ on our side as yow beare the worlde in hande theie ar seing that I haue here brought yow not one alone as yow demaunded but manie not their bare wordes which although of theÌ„ selfe moste plaine and manifest might perhappes haue bene subiect to your wrangling interpretations but their seuerall actes and deedes the best expositors of their owne mindes confirming most manifestly the same Will yow haue nowe some allowed example of the primitiue churche to testifie the same What better examples can yowe haue then that in all controuersies arising either betwene bishop and bishop priuatelie or in the whole churche publickelie sence the beginning the B. of Rome hath bene onelie he to whome the parties grieued wer they catholikes or heretikes good or bad haue had recourse for helpe What better examples then that emongest so manie appeales made vnto him there is not so much as one instance to be giuen of some one that laufullie and orderly appealed from him and whose such appeale toke effect Who hath cited to his coÌ„sistorie euen from the fardest parte of the Easte churche and as Theodoritus writeth ecclesiasticam secutus regulâ—â— folowing the rule of the churche offenders and transgressors of the holie canons The B. of Rome Who is it without whose licence and consent the primitiue churche forbad councels to be holden or bisshoppes to be condemned Trulie the pope The whole councell of Nice affirming the same if we will giue credite to Athanasius who was present thereat and affirmeth it to be so although the canon thereof for of 70. there agree apon we haue onelie at this daie 20. be perished and not nowe to be had Where I can not but note by the waye the circumspect manner of writing vsed by Athanasius who saieth not that the councell of Nice decreed or ordeined this but onelie that by their iudgemeÌ„tes they coÌ„firmed and renewed the same His wordes ar these In Nicena synodo 318. episcoporuÌ„ concorditer ab omnibus roboratum â–ª it was in the councell holden at Nice by ful consent of all the
apon D. Coles wor des in the margeÌ„t of your boke that no B. of Rome before S. Gregories time would euer be called vniuersall biâ—shop finallie then would yowe not so ignorantlie haue confounded together these termes vniuersall bishop and heade of the churche as though theie had in that place signified all one thing The which that theie doe not no maÌ„ doeth more plainelie expresse then S. Gregorie him selfe who writeth of S. Peter after this maÌ„ner The charge saith he and supremacie of all the whole churche was committed to him and yeat was he not called vniuersall apostle Lo M. Iâ—ell if you had taken the paines to haue scanned the place of S. Gregorie alleaged by yow by this and such other would yow euer haue brought in to the lighte this deade mouse this false argument and vntrue consequent There was neuer anie B. of Rome called or that would be called by the name of vniuersall bishop therefore â–ª theie be not or ought not to be heades of the churche Seing that S. Peter as saithe S. Gregorie had the charge of the whole churche although he wer neuer called by the name of vniuersall apostle If S. Peter might be heade of the churche and without anie absurditie haue the charge thereof as S. Gregorie thought although he wer not called vniuersall apostle whie should yow thicke it now anie more impossible for the pope to be called head of the churche although he be not called vniuersall bishoppe And so haue yowe by the waie an answer to your wise demaunde also that is if no B. of Rome would euer take apon him to be called th'vniuersall bishoppe or heade of the whole churche for the space of six hundred yeares after Christe where then was the heade of the vniuersall churche all that while or howe it coulde then continue without a heade more theÌ„ nowe For we saie vnto yow that that is moste false and vntrue which yowe lay for a grounded truthe that is that no B. of Rome woulde euer be called by the name of heade of the churche within the first six hundred yeares after Christe as hath bene sufficientlie proued before and that also as we haue declared yowe abuse your selfe in the framing of your saide questioÌ„ in taking for all one the heade of the churche and the vniuersall bishoppe And thus haue yow one cause whie this place of S. Gregorie maketh nothing ageinst the supremacie of the B. of Rome And other cause is for that that Iohn the B. of Constantinople by this name or title of vniuersall bishoppe vnderstoode him selfe onelie to be a bishoppe and none elles Which meaning neither in the first six hundred yeares nor at anie time sence anie B. of Rome that I could yeat heare of euer had And that this is the true meaning of S. Gregorie and not forced by me the verie wordes of the same man written to Iohn archebishop of Constantinople doe well witnesse with me Qui enim indignum te esse fatebaris vt episcopus dici debuisses ad hoc quandoque perductusâ— es â–ª vt despectis fratribus episcopus appetas solus vocari that is to saie for thow Iohn B. of Constantinople which once grauntedst thy selfe to be vnworthie the name of a bishoppe art nowe at the length comme to that passe that thowe labourest to be called a bishop alone And a little after Thow goest about saieth he to take awaie that honour from all other which by singularitie thow desirest vnlaufullie to vsurpe to thy selfe Thus maie yowe see M. Iuell howe this place being by th'author him selfe expounded fardereth yow nothing at all and also by suche auctorities and reasons as haue for our parâ—e bene before alleaged vnderstand howe vnaduisedlie it was saide of yowe that the catholikes as sure as god is god if theie would haue vouchesaufed to folowe either the scriptures either the auncieÌ„t Doctours and couÌ„cels would neuer haue restored again the supremacie of the B. of Rome after it was once abolished Doe yow not hereby giue occasioÌ„ to meÌ„ to thinke that your lacke of faithe and mistrust in goddes omnipotency in other thinges groweth euen thereof that yow thincke god is not god For towching the supremacie hauing in the scriptures nothing in the councels as little in the fathers writinges onelie thiese fewe wordes that might se me to impugne the same and yet doe not howe will yow be able to discharge so manie auctorities of the fathers such consent of councels such conformitie of examples and force of reasons as haue bene and maie be brought ageinst yow howe will you satisfie your owne conscience which telleth yowe that so manie ceremonies so manie ordonances so manie decrees of bishoppes of Rome as Thomas Beacon otherwise called Theodore Basile or by what name so euer he be elles termed hath heaped together deliuered by them to the worlde some of them as emongest a nombre that which of all other yowe make lest account of holie water within little more then a hundred yeares after Christe and the most parte in the pure state of the primitiue churche would neuer haue bene by such common and generall confent without contradiction of anie receiued by the whole worlde vsed and frequented in all the churches scattred and dispersed thorough out the same onlesse the authors thereof had had vniuersall auctoritie to establishe that which hath bene vniuersallie receiued Thus hauing hetherto touching the supremacie saide so much as maie presently serue for your chalenge leauing the rest for a whole booke either by me when god shall sende better laisure or some other better able when he shall thincke best to be thereof made I shall nowe passe to the nexte article in question THAT THE PEOPLE VVAS TAVGHT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRISTE TO BELEVE that in the Sacrament of the altar for so dothe S. Austen terme it is conteined Christes bodie reallie substantiallie corporalie and carnallie TErtullian an auncient writer of Christes churche reporteth of heresie that the nature thereof is either when it is pressed with the auctoritie of scripture to denie it platlie to be scripture or if she receiue it with additions and detractions to the framing of her purpose to peruert it or finally with false gloses and vntrue expositions in such sorte to water it that it maie seme to haue a far other sense then had euer the holie ghost the author thereof This lesson and manner of olde heretikes was neuer I trowe more diligently put in execution or earnestlie practised theÌ„ in this our most miserable and wretched time nor in anie controuersie more perspicuouse and easie euen at the eye to be perceiued then in this of the moste blessed sacrament of Christes owne bodie and bloude For when our aduersaries demaunde of vs scripture for the confirmation of our parte and we bring them the wordes not of Peter not of Paule not of anie of thother apostles but of Christe him selfe that
grounded the doctrine of Christes true presence in the sacrament and so consequently that I deserue no blame who vse this auctoritie no otherwise then I finde by good and laufull recordes that the learned fathers of Christes church haue doen before me next that apon this doctrine once settled they buylded an other that Christ dwelled naturally and truly in vs against the Arrians who denied it And for so vndouted a truthe was this true and reall presence of Christ taken to be with Hilarius that blessed bishop that a littell before the place euen now alleaged to proue that Christ dwelled naturally in vs he vsed this argument or reason The word was truly made flesh in Christes incarnation we receaue the same word truly made flesh in our lordes foode Therefore he dwelleth naturally in vs. To this auncient father for the better iustifieng of this terme truly or verely I shall here adde the auncient councell holden at Ephesus one of the first 4. generall and therefore allowed with vs at home for good by act of parliament The fathers in this councell assembled to Nestorius who as by that councell it may appeare beleued the bread in the sacrament to be so turned in to flesh as that it should haue no manner of coniunction at all with the godhead nor be any other thing then the flesh of a pure and holy man wrote after this sort that we should thinck that we receiue flesh in the sacrament non vt hominis vnius ex nobis sed vt verè propriam eius factam qui propter nos filius hominis est factus vocatus that is to say not as the flesh of a man one such as we ar but such as was truly made his owne propre flesh who for our sakes was made and called the sonne of man Can there be any plainer proufe to show that Christes flesh is truly present in the sacrament then this M. Iuell You can not here shift of this place with Oecâ—lampadius and say as he most impudently did that this auctoritie is no part of th'actes of the councell For if yow so say the inscription of the epistle out of the which these wordes ar taken â–ª sent by the councell to Nestorius will ouerthrow you and proue yow bothe liers The wordes ar these Religioso amabili consacerdoti Nestorio Cyrillus quicuque sunt apud Ephesi synodum To the religiouse and welbeloued of god our fellow priest Nestorius Cyrillus and as many as ar gathered together at the synode of Ephesus By the which it appeareth that there was in the sending of this epistle common consent and agrement of them all which is ynough to sober wyttes and honeâ—t iudgements to proue that this epistle is and so ought of all men to be taken laufull and authentike But what labour I to proue by the auncient fathers this terme verely or which is all one therewith Really which in Iohn Caluin him self is to be founde in his coÌ„mentaryes apoÌ„ S. Paules epistles where he writeth thus Concludo nobis realiter in coena dari Christi corpus vt sit animis nostris in cibum salutarem I conclude saith he that in the supper is giuen to vs really the body of Christ to be to our mindes a wholsom meate Thus haue yowe had proued to yowe M. Iuell that Christes body is in the sacrameÌ„t truly and that we may not so much as doubte thereof that it is there naturally for that was Hilarius meaning when he prooued that Christ dwelled naturally in vs and last of all as Caluin hath and yow haue hard really Here I feare not a little least after the manner of children that whine and whimper till they haue gotten at their mothers handes some trifling thing such as their childishe appetite listeth after which so soone as they haue once fingred they streight way cast in the durt and traÌ„ple vnder their feete You will play the like part with her that of right ought to be your mother the Catholike church of Christ. And whereas to satisfy your waÌ„ton request not for any necessitie that she knewe you stood in thereof she showeth you by good and laufull recordes and some other such as your self in times past haue accoÌ„pted for sound and worthy credit where the body of Christ hath bene said to haue bene in the sacrament truly naturally and really and myndeth to doe the like in your other termes demaunded hereafter I feare me I say least when yow haue all your asking yow handel them in such homely manner as was said before by casting them in to the mire of your distinctions as you vse them to subuert the truthe not durty but poysoned Symbolice Sacramentaliter Spiritualiter and such other Which if yow doe thincking that to such places as expressely mencion that Christes fleshe and bloud is truly present in the sacrament may be answered that it is there truly by a figure by a signe Sacramentally or Spiritually then how euer this seeme to be a childishe guise yeat will it prooue in the ende an old knauish practise of Valentinus the heretike and his mates who liued almost fourtien hundred yeares ago For he and his as yowe ar not I am suer ignorant denied that Christ had any true or naturall body such as mans nature consisteth of graunting neuerthelesse that he suffred in true fleshe on the crosse as yow will perhappes cleaâ—ing to your distinctions not denie that he hath fleshe and bloud truly in the sacrament Now euen as Irenaeus told them when they so said Neque enimesset verè sanguinem carnem haâ—ens per quam nos redemit nisi antiquam plasmationem Adae inse recapitulasset Christ should not truly haue had bloud and fleshe by the which he redemed vs onlesse he had renewed in him self the old shape of Adam so may we tell yow M. Iuell saing that Christes flesh and bloud is truly in the sacrament but yet in a figure in a signe onely and spiritually that then he is not there at all hauing true fleshe and blouâ—â— the same that the scriptures and fathers say he redemed vs with all except he be in that old shape of Adam And thus much of the termes verily or Really and naturally or by nature The next of your termes is substaÌ„tially after the which manner of being I prooue Christes body to be present in the sacrament by Irenaeus Who after many vaine opinions of Valentinus and his compagnions by him rehersed as that Christ had a certein fleshe brought with him from heauen not true or naturall such as oures is with other like inferreth thereapon these wordes Sic autem secundum haec videlicet nec dominus sanguine suo redemit nos neque panis quem frangimus communicatio corporis eius est Sanguis enim non est nisi a venis carnibus a reliqua que est secundum hominem substantia that is to say By this meanes neither did our
auteÌ„ ministri adsint pro viribus quas eis dominus subministrat omnibus subuenitur alij baptizaÌ„tur alij recoÌ„ciliantur nulli dominici corporis coÌ„muni one fraudantur that is to sai If the ministres be present according to the strength that god hath giuen theÌ„ all men ar holpen some ar baptised other some ar recoÌ„ciled none ar deceiued of the communion of our lordes body Much more might here be saide touching this point wer it not that I am lothe to trouble yow with the ofteÌ„ repeating thereof that I feare me you ar sory to haue hard so much as once And therefore if this satiâ—fie you not for the rest I remitte you to that learned worcke of late sette furth at Loâ—ainâ— wherein you haue I doubte not allready for this matter founde such stoare of testimonies such weight of auctorities as in your owne iudgement yow maie haue cause to thincke tâ—at yow holde by the worst ende of the staffe Your obiections also ageinst the catholike faithe in this article because they arre there with like dexteritie answered and soluted I here passe ouer in silence One I excepte emongest the rest which because yow mencioned it not in your sermon where vnto the author without wandring any farder kept him selfe he also in his booke speaketh not of The place that yow bring ageinst vs is yow say out of Theophilus Alexandrinus and is alleaged by yow without cotation after this sorte Si Christus mortuus fuisset pro diabolo non negaretur illi poculum sanguinis If Christe had died for the diuell the cup of the bloud should not haue bene denied him Here M. Iuell good faithe and true dealing woulde that yow shoulde haue coted to vs this place But I feare me it will so fall oute in the ende that in all Theophilus worckes there shall no such place be founde True it is that these wordes we finde in him Si enim pro demonibus crucifigitur vt nouorum dogmatum assertor affirmat quod erit priuilegium aut que ratio vt soli homines corporieius sanguinique coÌ„municent non demones quoque pro quibus in passione sanguinem suum 〈◊〉 That is to say for if Christ wer crucified as this 〈◊〉 of newe doctrine affirmeth for the diuelles also what priuileage haue men or what reason shoulde there be why they onelie should be partakers of his body and bloud and not the diuelles also for whome in his passion he should haue shed his bloud If this be the place that you meane why alleage you it so falsely and corrupte bothe th'authors wordes and minde If this be not it then showe vs where we shall finde it which if yow coulde doe then shoulde yow be answered in this wise that in Theophilus time the vse of this sacrameÌ„t was indifferent to be receiued as the deuotioÌ„ of the receiuor thereof serued him either vnder bothe the kindes or one alone as a thing by Christ so left and the libertie whereof the church directed by the holy ghost had not as then in any wise restreined So that at those daies the prieste had doen him opeÌ„ wrong to whome desiring bothe the kindes he woulde haue giuen but onely one yea if it had bene the diuell that he had denied it to if Christ had died for the diuell But now I praie yow applie this testimony to the present state of the churche which nowe is and you shall see how handsomly it fitteth yow Theophilus Alexandrinus when the churche had as yet not restreined the vse of this sacrament touching the laie people to one kinde was of the minde that in this case to denie to the diuell if Christe had died for him the cup had bene a disordre Therefore now that the churche hath decreed that they shall communicate vnder onely one he is also of the same minde Thus must yow reason if yow deale truly which if you doe how little this place maketh for your purpose a meane wit wilbe easely able to iudge Thus much touching this present controuersy nowe to the next which is as by our aduersaries it is termed of priuate Masse THAT THERE VVAS MASSE SAIDE VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES ALTHOVGH THERE VVER none that did receaue with the priest OVr lorde be thancked therefore truthe which well may be for the tyme pressed but neuer shalbe vanquished hath at the length with much a doe gotteÌ„ of her enemies maugre their heades the confession of that which hetherto they haue all so stoutely denyed For now relinquishing and geuing ouer their olde plea that the Masse is a new inuention the name strange and to the auncient doctours vnknoweÌ„ they flee to an other shyft as here by their common proctour M. Iuell yowe may good readers perceiue and saye that there was no priuate Masse in all the whole world for the space of six hundred yeares or more after the apostles time Here M. Iuell forasmuch as this terme priuate which by reason of the equiuocation that it hath might haue brought vs into some doubte how yow had vnderstand it is by yow expounded in diuerse places of your sermoÌ„ to be taken for the priestes sole or alone receiuing of the â—acrament without company and so as yowe take it as this worde priuate is contrary to publike or common to many And yowe herein stick not scrupulously in the other significations thereof as some of your fellowes doe that is that that Masse is no lesse priuate which is saide in priuate mennes houses out of the church or which is done especially for some one man or woman but seeme honestly to confesse that S. Austen mencioneth these two kinde of masses the first in his bookes de ciuitate Dei where he reporteth that a priâ—st of his diocesse saide Masse in a ferme or house of the countrye troubled with euell sprites who immediatly thereapon none otherwise theÌ„ do the heretikes of our time auoyded the place and were no more hard of Where we might also stande apon this till the contrary were proued that the priest receiued then alone For by the place it appeareth not of any that receiued with him The second in his bookes of confessions Where he telleth vs that he offred for his mother after her deceasse sacrificiuÌ„ praetijnostri the sacrifice of our raunsome Forasmuch I saie as yow seme not to pitche in these last pointes I shall assaye to satisfie yow in the first and then after to answere such obiections as you make for the fortifieng of your parte Yow saie that within the first six hundred yeares after the apostles and more there was no Masse saide in the churche vnlesse there were some that did receiue with the priest Against this I reason thus Chrysostome liued within the space of fower hundred yeares after the apostles time but Chrysostome and the priestes in his time sayd Masse when none did communicate ergo to you M. Iuell within the first six hundred yeares after
th'apostles time there was priuate masse in the church although there wer none to receiue with the priest That this learned doctour with other priestes saide Masse when none did communicate for that I am suer yow will denie by this coÌ„plaint of his vttred in these wordes it may moste euidently appeare Frustraâ—â—betur quotidiana oblaâ—io frustra 〈◊〉 ad altare Nemo est qui communicat thâ— daily offering is had in vaine we stand at th'altar in vaine There is none that receiueth with vs. Yf there wer daily oblation yea when none receiued why beare yow vs in hand M. Iuell thâ—t for that long space of six hundred yeares the priest might neuer offer the same without company to coÌ„municate with him Yf that were true how did Chrisostome and the other priestes of Antioche offer yt and that daily that yow may vnderstand a necessitie that enforced them thereto whether the people came or no Yf they receiued not them selues how could he haue said that there was none that did receiue with them But here yow will aske me perhapps how I dare alleage this place which saieth that the oblation was had in vaine because there was none to communicate To this I answere that being first taken for graunted which in no wise you can denie that is that daily this oblatioÌ„ was had whether any came or no that this holy doctour in this place is not to be vnderstand as though simply he ment the oblation to be in vaine but in a respect forasmuch as they came not who wer loked for to haue byn partakers thereof concerning this expectation it was had in vaine and the priestes stode in their churches not at the table but at the altar in vaine Aâ—d that this was the very â–ª meaning of Chrisostomes wordes and not as you falâ—lie surmise there nedeth no other reason to perswade any reasonable man then the learning the vertue and great wisedomâ— of the man him selfe For if the sacrifice had byn offered by him in vaine so often as there was none to be partaker thereof with him what a heynouse act had this bene of him especially staÌ„ding at liberty without any more necessitie to offer theÌ„ the laie man hath to receiue if it were true that yow and your compani affirme Shall we not rather thinck if he had so ment that he would vtterly haue absteined before he would by celebrating and receiuing practise the abuse of so preciouse a iewell Woulde he not rather when he came to the altar haue sent the people awaie with a drie communion when he sawe none redie to receiue Would he not at the least haue bene as circumspect in procuring warning to be giuen to him by them that were disposed to receiue if offering without communicants he should haue offered in vaine as yow and yours our new Rabbins ar about your apishe communion No no Let no man thinck but that he was well ware that to offer the bodie and bloud of Christ in vaine had bin a fault nothing inferior to the receiuing of it vnworthily whereuÌ„to he was not ignoraÌ„t that S. Paule threateneth damnation If he would giue his owne life as he saide him selfe before he would giue our lordes bodie to an vnworthy man and that he would haue his blood shedd out of his bodie rather then he would giue to the vnworthy oure lordes blood we may easely coniecture how hardlie he would haue bin brought to haue offred the same in vaine To this testimony of Chrisostom shall I adde one more and so after come to those obiections which yow bring for the maintenaunce of the contrary Leontius a bishop of the Grieke church writing almost a thousand yeares sence the life of that vertuouse Patriarke of Alexandria Iohn the almoisner or almoise geuer for that name obteined he for his charitie towardes the pooer reporteth emongest other thinges of him how that he being on a certeine time at Masse perceiuing after the reading of the ghospell that the people went out of the churche and fell to talking and babbling in the churcheyarde went also out of the churche after them and spake to them being all amased in this wise Filioli vbi oues illic pastor aut intrate intro ingrediemur aut manete hic ego quo que manebo Ego propter vos descendo in sanctaÌ„ ecclesiam nam poteram facere mihi Missam in Episcopio Children that is to say where the shepe ar there is the shepherde either therefore get yow into the churche and we will goe to gether or bide yow still here and I will tarie with yow It is for your sakes that I come to the holy churche for to my selfe coulde I haue saide Masse in my house at home Here I trust you will at the length yealde and graunte M. Iuell that priuate Masses wer laufull and in vse in the primitiue churche For first that the Masse here spoken of was priuate the worde mihi missam facere say or ceâ—ebrate Masse to my selfe doeth well declare He saide not I might say Masse to my frindes to my kinsfolckes to my household seruauntes but mihi to mine owne selfe And when you heare him sâ—ie that he might doe it I trust yow thincke it was not vnlaufull But now I come to your obiections ageinst the priestes sole or alone receauing of the sacrament After yow haue taken your pleasure in triumphing ouer oure pouertie as yow thinck yow bring furth your store And because yow will make the matter sure and out of all doubte yow vse our owne friend as a witnesse against vs the Masse booke forsothe where yow saie the priest according to the direction of that booke turning him self to the people saith Dominus vobiscum item Oremus Orate pro me fratres sorores what then M. Iuell Ergo what so euer praiâ—rs be vsed about the ministracioÌ„ of the sacrament ought to be the coÌ„mon requestes of all the people What inferre yow hereapon Ergo the priest maie not saie Masse without he haue some to communicate with him That ergo is false M. Iuell and not trulie deduced out of the premisses But I crie yow mercy this is yow saie but by the waie before yow entre into the matter Here yow did but dribb and flurt your other arrowes taken oute of the same quiuer Accipite edite Habete vinculum charitatis vt apti sitis sacrosanctis misteriâ—s that is take eate haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the holie misteries And last of all other those wordes that ar spoken by the priest after the Agnus dei Haec sacrosancta commixtio c. This holie commixtion and consecration of the bodie and blood of our lorde Iesus Christ be vnto yow and to all that receiue it health of bodie and soule these ar they that paye home and cleaue as a man would saie the verie face of the white I shall now rehearse first your wordes as in
your sermon printed they ar to be sene that all men maie vnderstand how handsomely my L. of Salesburie can plaie hiâ—k scornersparte and then after shape thereto such an answere as I trust shall to all reasonable men be sufficient Moreouer the priest by the masse booke is taught to saie accipite edite Take ye eate ye and habete vinculum charitatis c. that is Haue ye the band of charitie that ye maie be mete for the hoâ—e misteries And to vvhome shall vve thinke the priest speaketh these vvordes It vver a vaine thing for him in the open congregation to speake to him selfe and specially in the plurall numbre yet vver it a greate deale more vaine for him to speake the same vvordes to the bread and vvine and to saie to them Take ye eate ye or haue ye the band of charitie that ye may be meâ—e for the holie misteries Therefore it is euident that these vvordes should be spoken to the people I haue good hope M. Iuell bothe by these testimonies alleaged out of the Masse booke so far from the purpose and also by your chalenge wherein yowe promise being ouercome to yelde that yowe will at the length doe as honest soldiours pressed against their mindes to serue in an euell cause ar wont to doe that is when it commeth to the push either cast awaie their weapons and suffer them selues to be taken or keping them in their handes fight verie weaklie For suerlie M. Iuell if this be not your meaning beare with me if I tell yow as the truthe is and as I beleue it must nedes be a greate deale worse and such as declareth inuinciblie to the worlde your cankred stomack and maliciouse minde towardes your mother the catholike church For standing the case so as yow meane nothing lesse then that good which I conceiue of yow what true dealing is this of youres to proue that no Masse maie be saide without there be company to receiue with the priest to alleage these wordes Take eate as spoken by the priest to the people Whereas your owne conscience if yow haue any telleth yow I dare saie that they ar a parte of other wordes going before cutt by you from the rest to serue your scoffing spirit and that they ar not nor euer were any more taken for the priestes owne wordes then ar those that immediatlie followe This is my bodie And as yow would I nothing doute laughe at his simplicitie that hearing the priest say This is my bodie would take the consecrated host to be the priestes bodie because he repeteth the same wordes at the altar that Christ spake at his supper So perswade your self that other men cease not to lament from the bottom of their hartes to se yow not of simplicitie but of malice willfullie to do the like But I shall here whollie alleage the wordes as they ar in the canon of the Masse that yowe maie if it be possible be deliuered of that greate scruple that so troubleth your minde whether those wordes Take eate should be spoken by the priest to him self in false latin which yow thinck were to greate an ouersighte or to the bread and wine which yow thinke and I would yow neuer might thinck worse were a farre greater The wordes ar these Qui pridie quâm pateretuâ— c. who the daie before that he suffred toke bread in to his holie and venerable handes and lifting vp his eyes into heauen to the o god his father allmightie geuing to the thanckes blessed brake and gaue it to his disciples saieng Take eate this is my bodie By these wordes if yow doe not euery man I trust elles doth moste manifestlie perceiue that these ar not the priestes wordes and therefore neither spokeÌ„ to him self neither yet to the bread or wine But because I doubte not but yow ar werie to heare so much of your owne follie therefore I will dwell no longer in the aggrauating of that which as in the eyes of all men is brimme ynough so would I to god that yow had neuer geuen occasion to me or to anie other once to haue mencioned it To your other obiection that yow make of these wordes habete vinculum charitatis haue yow the band of peace that yowe maie be mete for the holie mysteries I answere that if there be any such place in the masse booke as hauing sought therefore I finde none such that such wordes first forbidde not the priest to saie masse if none be disposed to communicate with him then that they do not necessarilie prouoke the people to the sacramentall receiuing but maie well be vnderstand of the spirituall communicating with the priest in those holie misteries by earnest meditacion of Christes death and passion the which the more effectually to doe they ar exhorted to be one with an other in loue and charitie And thus vnderstand we that other place where the priest after the Agnus praieth that that holie commixtion of Christes bodie and bloude maie be bothe to him and to all that receiue it healthe of bodie and soule For we saie that as many as being present at the masse doe hartely ioine with the priest in the swete remeÌ„brance of Christes bitter death and passion doe all receiue with the priest Christes bodie and bloud they spirituallie and he corporallie And this call we a true communion But what if now in euery leafe of the masse booke M. Iuell you had fouÌ„de exhortacions to the people to coÌ„municate Verely except yow had founde withall that vnlesse they would the priest should not all would not helpe yea it would hinder yow thus much that where as you and your mates haue borne the worlde in hand that the cleargie hath kepte the laitie from communicating now it woulde appeare by this that the priest loketh for them and their owne defaulte kepeth them awaie Well if the masse booke haue failed yow M. Iuell as it was neuer other like but that it would yow haue yet I dare saie other witnesses Yea verely yow vauÌ„te to haue the helpe of the canons of the apostles of Clemens of Dionisius of Calixtus of Iustinus of Leo of Chrisostome of S. Gregorie yea of S. Paule and of Christ him selfe Which be suerly good witnesses and such as in lawe maie be called omni exceptionâ— maiores and for the better abeling of theÌ„ of whose credite might most be doubted your selfe haue saide so much as no man I trow can saie more For you call theÌ„ good growndes to builde apon So that now there remaineth no more but to consider how they proue your entent The which that I maie the better doe I shall alleage your owne wordes as they ar in your sermon touching this matter to be founde that so the reader maie be the more able to iudge whether your euidence be to the yssue or no. In the .xxxv. leafe of your saide sermon yow haue these wordes And I trust yovv shall clearlie see that for
that he that is not worthy to receiue the blessed body of Christe in the sacrament is not worthy also to be praied for Whereas all men knowe that theÌ„ more vnworthy he is of the one the more worthy he is of the other if the sicke be worthy to haue a phisicioÌ„ and not the hole that by the meanes thereof he maie become worthy to receiue that of which he was before vnworthy If we so sticke in the barcke and rinde and come no nearer to the pith what sense will yow make S. Ambrose to haue in saieng that he that is not worthy to receiue the sacrament daily is not worthy to rceiue the same once in the yeare Might it not so happen that many a good man which now receiueth worthily once in the yeare shoulde by this meanes not receiue worthily once in his life But of this maÌ„ner vsed in speaking or writing haue we not in some of these fathers expresse testimonies namely in Chrisostome who trauailing in a certeine place of his worckes to persuade the true and reall presence of Christes body in the sacrameÌ„t vseth these wordes Seest thow not thy lorde offred vp the prieste doing his priestly office pouring oute his praiers the people rounde aboute him imbrued and made redde with that pretiouse bloud which wordes I knowe yow will easely graunte with vs to be not in all pointes simply true but yet not discommendable or vnsemely being spokeÌ„ as sensibly as might be the more firmely to persuade the truthe of that which although it be there as truely as though it had bene sene was yet hidde and to carnall eyes inuisible But what needeth it here to alleage the manner of speaking of the auncient and olde fathers seing that yow M. Iuell and your coÌ„panions oure newe maisters and yong fathers vse the same or not much vnlike in your cisguised communion And yeat for all your terrible thundre boultes shotte ageinst them that being present receiue not yow see neuer a one the more for feare thereof departe oute of the churche yea he that I thinke should wer well like perhappes to heare thereof to his coste before his Ordinary But there is not the simplest in a parishe but he knoweth that youre meaning is not to driue theÌ„ oute of the churche as youre wordes sounde but to stirre theÌ„ vp thereby the oftener to come to youre schismaticall communion and therefore they tarrie still Or elles if this be not youre minde of so many that be present coÌ„tinually thereat and be not partakers thereof why haue yow punished all this while noâ—â—e An other cause that hath moued me thus to vnderstand these fathers is for that the practise of the churche appeareth to haue bene in their time such as that the people was willed euen then to be present at the church and to heare Masse at the leaste on the Sundaies when they stoode neuerthelesse at libertie touching the receauing of the sacrament any oftener then thrise in the yeare as appeareth by the councell holden at Agatha in Fraunce aboute Chrisostomes daies and by S. AusteÌ„ neere also vnto the same time S. Austens wordes arre these In die verò nullus se a sacra Missarum celebratione separet neâ—ue otiosus quis domi remaneat On the Sunday let no man absente him selfe from the holy celebration of the Masse nor remaine within the doores idle And alittle after he addeth Adhuc quoâ—ue quod detestabilius est ad ecclesiam aliqui venientes non intrant non insistunt praecibus non expectant cum silentio sanctarum MissaruÌ„ celebrationem that is to say Besides all this which is a thing more to be detested some coÌ„ming to the church entre not in they praie not they tarie not out with silence the celebrating of the holie Masses And thus it appeareth the vse of the churche being at that time such as the people was by ordre bounde to heare Masse on the SuÌ„day whether they receuid or no that in no wise these fathers can be so vnderstande as though they ment to driue them vttrely from the Masse whither the churche had bounde them to come but onely to put them in remembraunce so to come and so to be present thereat as in times past in that olde feruency of deuotion they had bene wont Thus much for the first answere Secondarily to the places before alleaged I saie that â—â—â—ing graunted which denied by vs yow shall neuer be able to proue that in the primitiue churche such as woulde not receiue with the priest wer not suffred to be present at the mass Year is it no good reason to saie that therefore it must necessarily be so now Seing that in those thinges which haue by Christ bene left indifferent of which this is one the spirituall gouernours haue power to change and alter as occasion giueth Will yow see it proued by examples There was a time when to absteine from bloud and straÌ„gled meates was a thing so necessary to be obserued that it was by a solemne decree of the apostles enacted and as light a matter as some will perhappes make thereof yeat added the apostles thereto this weight and poise of wordes Visum est Spiritui sancto nobis it hath semed good to the holy ghost and to vs. Yea the text hath that they accounted such abstinence inter necessaria in the nombre of those thinges that were necessary to be obserued euen as to absteine from fornication Of the continuance of this decree in his force the place mencioneth nothing so that thereof can be gathered no other but that it was a lawe made to endure for euer although at this daye it be not practised well yow wote pardye Were it well done thincke yowe now to reason thus In the apostles time the churche absteined from bloudinges and stiffled meates Therefore we must in these dayes doe the like Yeat wer this truly a stronger reason drawen from an ordonaunce and commaundement of the apostles then is youres leaning apon examples if yow had any such which as they neuer had their beginning of any commaundement or precept of the holie scriptures but by them lefâ—e at libertie were by the spirituall gouernours as the present time required drawen to a necessitie so by the same apon contrary occasion maie at all times be released But yow haue at all no such commaundement in the whole scripture that soundeth that waies that the prieste maie not saie Masse and receiue the sacrament alone without companie or that no man maie be present with the prieste at his Masse there with him to communicate spiritually onlesse the same will also communicate sacramentally For that yow alleage most fondly for the proufe of the contrary that Christ gaue this holy sacrament not to one alone but to many being together and that he saide farder by the waie of charge Doe this that is yow saie Practise this that I haue here done and that in such ordre and
conuey the faulte from youre selues to an other But the truthe is well knowen to be far otherwise bothe by him who for that that he was a principall doer therein lurcketh presentlie in Scotland and also by that other who so euer he wer that made the booke entituled the harborough for faithefull subiectes Who entending to laie all the burden vpon a straungiers backe hauing forgotten by misfortune the chiefe rule of his arte that a lier should be mindefull euen in the first leafe of his booke declareth him to haue bene an EnglishemaÌ„ when in begging as it were a pardon for him he vsethe thiese wordes considering the griefe vvhich like a good membre of that bodie vvhich then sufâ—red he felt and afterwarde he declareth that that bodie was England and no other Yow maie remembre it is not so long sence when to put men to deathe for religion was a thinge horrible yow saide and expresselie ageinst the worde of god and charitie of the ghospell Nowe the sworde being as yow thincke in your handes yowe teache in your lessons yow crie out in youre sermons and neuer left crieng till yow had brought it to passe that it was decreed by publike auctoritie that such as in religion beleue not as yow doe bothe may and ought to suffer deathe therefore And surelie if the Quene oure moste graciouse ladie would alter the present state of religion yow woulde not faile shortly to sing youre olde songe againe that for religion no man ought to be punished by deathe and I feare me assaie either with some such feditiouse booke as ageinst Quene Marie ye made or by some other practise of which youre parte lacketh no store to remoue her from all manner of gouernement both spirituall and temporall For if youre libertie in the lorde be such as ageinst youre prince that pleaseth yow not yow can saie nothing to much as the author of the harborough saithe he could not that wrote the blast ageinst the gouernement of women had he kept him selfe in the particuler parson of his souereigne lady Quene Mary who douteth but that yow would vse it And for the better proufe hereof I referre me to that booke of late made by your companions of the succession whereby euery man that wit hath may easely perceiue vpon such premisses what conclusion was to be looked for none other forsoothe then the speedy dispatch of her whose clemency being oure gratiouse and souereigne lady because it coulde be brought by no meanes to serue youre furiouse sprite you thought to worcke by other meanes and to prouide for the maintenaunce of youre kingdome youre selues But this power ar ye growen vnto whereof I maruell also that ye make not youre vauntes that ye can make kinges and depose them when ye lyâ—t This mutabilitie and inconstancie in youre owne doctrine in so shorte a space in youre communion first one while decreing that it be ministred in common and leauened bread by and by reuoking that and bringing it to vnleauened at one time coÌ„maunding that youre seruice be in all places vsed in the Englishe tongue not long after chaunging the same in some places in to the latine and yet that reiected once againe and the Englishe restored and all this within the space of little more theÌ„ a yeare This daie youre coÌ„munion table placed in the middâ—st of the quier the nexte daie remoued in to the bodie of the churche at the thirde time placed in the chauncel againe after the manner of an altar but yet remoueable as there is anie communion to be had Then youre ministres face one while to be turned towardes the Southe an other while towardes the northe that the wethercocke on the toppe of the stieple hathe bene noted not to haue turned so ofteÌ„ in the space of one quarter of a yeare as youre ministre hath bene caused benethe in the bottom of the churche in lesse then one monethe as though yow coulde not sufficientlie declare howe restles an euell heresie is excepte yow muste make youre communion table to ronne aboute the churche the ministre first after it and then rounde aboute it to expresse the same This inconstancie I saie and tottring in and oute first aboute the ordre of youre communioÌ„ and then in other thinges before noted causeth diuerse men and emongest the nombre my selfe to suspecte youre doctrine of newnesse because naturallie we see this hurlie burlie and shifting in and putting oute to chauÌ„ce in thinges at their first beginning and contrarie wise neuer in those that haue bene of long and settled continuance If such a communion as yow now haue deuised had euer bene before yow shoulde haue founde presideÌ„tes and formes thereof that shoulde haue directed yow so certeinelie that yow neuer could haue fallen in to this inconuenience of making and marring building and pulling downe But yow had no such forme and therefore I maruell not if it happened vnto yow as it hath THE fowerth cause or consideration that hath moued me hath bene this that besides youre owne misliking with youre owne doinges I finde which is a suer marcke wherebie to knowe the false and malignant churche that yow arre at dissensioâ— emongest youre selues one with an other which hath not neither begonne of late but euen as the poet fained of Cadmus men sprange vppe together with that vnhappie seede of your deuelishe doctrine What shoulde I heare trouble youre eares with the vnpleasant remembrance of that implacable dissension for which euen at this daie their ofspringe ar one with an other at deadlie foode of youre first parentes Luther and Zuinglius or of youre elder brothers Caluin and Oecolampadius What shoulde I remembre youre owne good agrement at home which youre last assemblie in youre conuocation hath made to all the realme so manifest and well knowen And yet is this dissension of youres not in owtewarde ceremonies or triffling matters as yo we woulde haue men to beleue or in the diuersitie of apparell as wherewith for lacke of other stuffe to the greate defacing of youre parte yowe arre constreined to charge vs but in the highest misteries and greatest pointes of oure religion For howe manie opinions ar there emongest yow coÌ„cerning the iustificatioÌ„ of a Christian man howe manie of the valew of good worckes howe manie aboute baptesme howe agree yow with youre late head that calleth god the author of their damnation that arre damned excepte yowe call him so toe how can yow be saide to agree who call that laufull which the chiefe of youre coÌ„panie calleth blasphemie howe agree yow with youre selues in that highe misterie of the sacrament of Christes bodie and blood of whome some of yow and the better some to if learning and honestie maie take anie place defende with Luther Christes reall presence in the sacrament other some with Zuinglius denie the same My leisor serueth me not M. Iuell or if it did my purpose is not here which a iust volume woulde scarse receiue
behauing him selfe honestlie and shamfastly had absteined from outeragiouse crieng he as though he had done an iniurie receiued one Doe not yow and youre fellowes followe in this point Paulus the heretike Is he not noted by yow for a papist and in daunger of a shrewde turne that being present at youre sermones answereth not Amen to youre blasphemies vttered against the moste holy sacramentes to youre execrations against the catholikes to youre franticke bragges what you will doe how many mennes liues it shall cost before youre religion be altered Loke yow not so indecently for this as Eâ—sebius saide that Paulus did that some of yow haue bene noted vpon youre audience defaulte in missing to answere at their cue to haue twise repeated the same thing to haue paused and made a staie whereby they haue giuen to all men to vnderstande how miserably they depende apon the blast of the peoples mouthes Donatistae The Donatistes a perniciouse secte of heretikes committed as Optatus that learned bishop writeth of them sacrilege in ouerthrowing the holie altars of god on which being saithe he the seate of Christes bodie and bloude his membres were wont to be susteined They gaue the blessed sacrameÌ„t to dogges the crismatory with the sacred crisme they violently threwe on the grounde being called to the councell of the catholikes there to answere to their doctrine they refused to come and kept them selues awaie When they appeared one time at the councell to make their cause seme the better and to glorie in the multitude of their bishoppes emongest diuerse that were absent they câ—aftilie packed in to the nombre the name of one that was deade before affirming not withstanding that he liued and beleued as they did Of those that were priestes of some they plucked oute the eyes of one bishoppe they cuâ— of the tongue and hande and many they murdered Beholde I beseche yow good Readers in this one secte of heretikes the Donatistes how manie pointes there arre wherein oure Caluinistes and they agree The altars the building vp whereof in oure countrie of England Chrisostome vsed as a demonstration to proue that we had receiued the strength of goddes worde they ouerthrowe as they did and as Optatus saide by the Donatistes doing the like they followe therein the Iues. For as they laide handes on Christ being vpon the crosse so doe these vpon him on the altar If they haue not giuen the blessed sacrament to dogges yeat haue they troden it vnder their wicked and worse then dogges feete The holie crisme that sacred ointement wherewith at their entring in to this worlde and at their departure from hence all true Christian men from the apostles time hetherto haue vsed continualâ—y to be signed and anointed how vilanouslie they haue handled it is to all men better knowen then that it nedeth to be by me here rehersed The Councelles the laufull remedy left by almighty god in his churche to represse heresies it is a worlde to see how bothe the heretikes of these daies and those of times past haue all waies sought meanes and yeat doe to auoide Thus feined Macedonius the heretike him self to be sicke when he was cited to appeare at a councell appointed to be holden at a place called Seleucia a towne of Isauria Thus lurcked Dioscorus from the councell of Calcedon and woulde by no meanes appeare Thus did the Donatistes being called to Carthage Thus doe the protestantes being somoned to Trent The Donatistes to encrease their nombre and to make it seme the greater feined that diuerse bishoppes who wer absent and one emoÌ„gest the rest that was deade did take parte with them ageinst the catholikes Impudent liers were they good readers in so saieng and for no lesse did S. Austen note them But how much more impudent arre oure newe gospellers who feine not this of men absent but of them that were presente not of the deade but of them that be liuing not of them that being present and asked their opinions and sentences answered either feintly or nothing at all whereby some manner of consent might seme to be gathered but of them who standing moste stoutely in defence of the truthe chose rather to leese gooddes liuing libertie life and all then by giuing their consent to the contrary to betraie the pore flocke coÌ„mitted to their charge Was there no other waie M. Iuell to banishe the auctoritie of the pope out of the realme but to abuse the Quenes highnesse with this feined supplicatioÌ„ Moste huÌ„bly beseche youre moste excellent maiestie youre faithefull and obedient subiectes the lordes spirituall and teÌ„porall c. Was this the onely meane to persuade the people that youre doinges were laufull to beare theÌ„ in haÌ„de that the â—ishoppes who with all their power with stoode it wer they that chieffely laboured to haue the popes auctoritie abolished Well Diabolus est mendax pater â—ius The diuell is a lier and so was his father before him and therefore as I maruell not at youre agrement in this point with the Donatistes so I will dwell no longer in the conferring of yow in this point together The crueltie vsed by the Donatistes towardes the catholikes in cutting of handes in plucking oute of eyes and tongues was greate it can not be denied but compare it with that rage of the Caluinistes practised of late yeares apon the pooer catholikes in Fraunce and yow will saie that it was curt oise dealing For what Contented they them selues trowe yow with the onely cutting of their handes with the spoiling them of their eyes and tongues This they did I wote well but alas their furie rested not here For they besides this tieng halters aboute the neckes of such innocent priestes as goddes prouidence suffred to fall in to their handes first drewe them dispituously after their horses theÌ„ picked oute their eyes cut of their eares noses or priuy partes ware their eares in their hattes to glorie the rather in their malice in stede of brooches and finally either hanged vp the miserable casses striuing for life and deathe or with the stroke of a pistolet dispatched them oute of the waie at once Of some they hackled and mangled the faces of other some to proue their force and strength they cleft the heades in two at one stroke What shoulde I here remembre that horrible acte coÌ„mitted by them vpon an olde religiouse man at Mans more barbarouse and inhumaine then that the histories and monumentes of the time past can showe vs of all the cruell tirauntes of all the barbarouse nations and sauage natures that haue gone before any one no not of Iulian the apostata who as it is written of him of such women as had vowed perpetuall virginitie caused the bellies first to be opened then after to be stuffed with barlie and last of all the innocent virgines to be throwen to the hogges of them to be deuoured not of him I
whose house the image was founde how being a Iewe he durst kepe the image of Christe They accused him to their highe prieste therefore I maruell not here that the Paganes and Iewes did this but I maruell and neuer can be satisfied with marueiling how they that professe the name and faithe of Christ dare doe it How the Iewes argument made to their fellow Thow art a Iewe by name and faithe therefore thow doest euell to reteine with the the image of Christ holdeth how the conclusion is inferred I see well But on the other side how this argument framed in Luthers schole thow arte a ChristiaÌ„ thow doest therefore nought to kepe with the the image of Christ how this reason I saie concludeth I confesse in good faithe I wote not nor in their newe logicke haue learned as yeat so farre The Ethnikes had a peuishe propertie although they coulde in no wise abide the image or picture of Christ to make yeat figures and pictures whereby to mocke and scorne the Christians And is not this the exercise that yow put such of youre brethern to in mocking and scorning the catholikes as being ignorant and altogether vnlearned arre for preaching or writing vttrely vnmeete Doe yow not suborne theÌ„ to poison after this sorte such by the eyes as they arre not able by the eares with their wicked handes which they can not with their doltish heades and foolishe tongues Antichrist Hippolitus an auncient bishop a learned father and constant martyr of whome S. Hierome maketh mentioÌ„ in a booke intituled De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writing of the comming of Antichrist and of the ende of the worlde hathe of him these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed ecclesiarum â—des sacrae tugurij instar erunt praetiosumqueue corpus sanguis Christi in diebus illis non extabit â—iturgia extinguetur But the churches that is to saie shalbe in Antichristes time like cotages the pretiouse bodie and bloud of Christ shall not be to be had the sacrifice shalbe quite extinguished Who is he that heareth this and seeth what yow haue doen that can yeat doute whether youre doinges be laufull and yowe the foreronners of Antichrist The Diuell With the Diuel to conclude although by other diuerse and sondrie waies yow haue well testified youre agreing yeat in my opinion in no one thing more either often or euidently then in that hatred that yow beare and feare that yow seme to stande in of Christes crosse Gregorius Nazianzenus and Theodoritus reporte bothe that after Iulianus the emperour had renied his faithe he kepte companie with coniurours and sorcerours With whome chauncing to be on a time as a diuell was raised â—p to doe some feate being a fearde of that terrible and vnwoonted sight more of a custome vsed in cases of feare when he was a Christian then for any deuotion he made on his foreheade the signe of the corsse whereapon the foule finde vanished awaie How flie you I praye yow and youre companions from him how seke you by all meanes to auoide his companie how wary and circumspect be yow that yow entre in to no frendeship or acquaintaunce with him whome yow once see demeane him selfe after this sorte Hethertoe touching youre agrement with the olde heretikes with infidelles and Paganes with Iewes with Antichrist and Sathan not so much I confesse as some other of greater reading had bene able to haue alleaged neither yeat so little for all that but that yow maie if you be not a lette to youre selfe take some coÌ„moditie thereby For who is there of yowe so euell aduised or voide of grace that loking on the one side to the olde heretikes Simon Magus AeÌ„rius Manichaeus Iouinianus Vigilantius the Donatistes the Arrians with the rest of that companie before rehâ—rsed and finding that they haue heretofore bene noted by the doctours and auncient writers for heretikes for molesters and troublers of the churche of Christ for maintening the same opinions and doing the same actes then which yow bothe mainteine and doe now and casting his eye on the other side to all such other heretikes as these latter times and daies of oures haue brought furth the nombre whereof is infinite and obseruing diligently that what other heresies so euer they haue propre to themselues be they Anabaptistes be they Adamites be they Libertines be they Swenckfel dians be they if yow list Dauid georgians that yeat they agree neuâ—rthelesse with yow in youre doctrine what such man is there I saie who weighing with him selfe all this can thinke other then that he hath bene and is deceauid At the leaste M. Iuell if yow can not winne of youre selfe so to thinke if you haue bene so long nooseled in this swete companie that yow will nedes continue therein still yeat blame not vs if when yowe denie the merite of good worckes with Simon magus if when yow take awaie free will with the Manichees barre the deade of the sacrifice of the churche and suffrages of the liuing as did AeÌ„rius if when yow denie the worshipping of sainctes with Vigilantius we call yowe with Irinaeus with Epiphanius with S. Hierome and with S. Austâ—Ì„ heretikes Be not offendid with vs if you goe aboute with Iouiniâ—n to compare matrimonie with virginitie to condemne vowes to ouerthrowe fasting if we vse S. Austens wordes spoken by Iouinian that did the like and call yowe moÌ„stres and youre doctrine heresie Take it not in euell parte if we note yow of sacrilege for pulling downe the altars as Optatus did the Donatistes when â—hey did the like if we answere yow when in youre inuectiues ageinst the blessed sainctes you call them with Iulian deade that yow offende therein as Cirillus answered Iulian when he so saide If yow breake the image of Christ and tomble it oute of the churche with the Ethnikes bende not the browes at vs if with the Christians we gather to gether the brokeÌ„ pieces and place it in the churche againe If yow scorne and laugh at vs for doing reuerence to Christes crosse cite vs not to the long chappell in Poules if we wepe for yow according to the councell of Chrisostome willing vs for men laughing in such a case to wepe as for them that be oute of their wittes To conclude if yow thinke to continue in this companie and yeat enioye the name of catholikes beare with me if I vse to yow the wordes of S. Austen in a cause not much vnlike by him spoken to the Donatistes The wordes arre these Quae est ista dementia vt quum malè viuitis latronum facta facitis quum iure punimini gloriam martyrum requiratis What a madnesse is this quoth he that being of euell liues as yow ar doing the actes of theues as yow doe and being therefore laufully ponished yow chalenge yeat the glorie of martyrs What a worlde is this M. Iuell that scowring olde heresies as yow and youre companions doe doing