ful authority to forgiue sin as they had For euen as the lawful heire vpoÌ„ his fathers death hath the same power authority ouer his land people if he be a king that his father had EueÌ„ so to the worlds end the words of the holy Prophet be fulfilled in the Catholike Church the true inheritance land of the liuing Pro Psal 44. patribus tuis nati sunt tibi filii To these true sonnes and heires of the Apostles in the house of God which shall continew to the worldes end be giuen Apostolike power and authoritye to the same end which the Apostles had it Ad consummation Ephes 4. 12. sanctorum in opus ministerii To the edifying perfectioÌ„ of the Church of God which shall not wante her pastores and gouernours to the end As therefore God said once Increase and Gen. 1. multiply all things haue done so since as he said once to his Apost Go teach Mat. 28. 19. all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and by those wordes Priestes to this daye haue had authoritye to teach and Baptize Euen so saying to his Apostles Whose sinnes you forgiue they be forgiuen hee gaue in those wordes authority to lawful Priestes to the worldes end to doe the same Thus you see by the plaine wordes of the holye Gospell Preists haue power giuen them to forgiue sinne by vertue of the Sacrament of Penance but they cannot knowe as lawfull Iudges in Gods stead what sins to forgiue and what penance to enioyne vnlesse the sinner confesse his sinne For no maÌ„ knoweth the secrets of mans hart but God alone therefore that a mans sins may be forgiueÌ„ he must confesse theÌ„ plainly to the Preist The minister then of this sacrament is a lawfull Preist with iurisdiction the forme is I absolue thee the matter called Remotior or the out ward matter belonging to this sacrameÌ„t be sins as wood is matter to the fire the matter of this Sacrament called Vicinâ—or or the inward matter is the sorowe of the penitent Contrition Confession and Satisfaction manye other thinges appertaine to this holye Sacrament of Confession that I cannot stand to reckon the fruites whereof bee many and vnspeakeable as that thereby wee be deliuered from damnation and to vs therby is opened the gates of Saluation thereby followeth purenes and ioye of soule and hart and to be briefe whereas before by sinne a man was the limme of the Diuell now by Penaunce he is made a member of Christ and childe of Saluation Those that bee Masters and haue charge of house-hold and children by experience know what the want of Confession bringeth a number vnto For in times past when the discipline of holy Church in Confession tooke place here in our countrey seruants children were affraid to offend God and that for confcience-sake did their labours as for God Hard it was to heare of a fellon executed a foure-score yeares ago at an Assise but now a number for want of due instruction feare of God make conscience of nothing so they may escape the halter Chap. XXI Of the most Blessed Sacrament and Sacrifice of Christs Bodie Blood substantially really truly vpon the Altar THe fourth Sacrament which is in the middest of the seauen Sacraments is the most high noble most excellent and worthy Sacrament that is the Sacrament of the Alter and as the sonne in the middest of the Plannets giueth light to the other starres and plannets and exceedeth the same in glorie So the blessed Eucharist wherin is Christ himself the fountaine of all grace excelleth the other Sacraments in dignity and is farre more excellent then any other Sacrament by how much the fountain exceedeth any litle riuer that proceedeth from it for in this most blessed Sacrament I say is contained the fountaine and wellspring of all grace and goodnes our Lorde Sauiour Christ Iesus himselfe his Blessed Body and Bloud who at his last supper when he was to depart this worlde the night before his Death Passion deuised the wayes meanes according to his promise to remain with vs stil leauing vs vnder the forme or likenesse of bread wine his very Body Blood in perfect memorie of his death and Passion Protestants other heretikes o monstrous blasphemous heresy holde teach you that this Sacrament is but only a bare signe figure remembrance of Christs Body and his death But we most stedfastly according to Christs words the gospel do holde beleeue as sure as Gods worde and the trueth cannot fail that the very selfe same Body Blood which was borne of the B Virgin Mary suffered death vpoÌ„ the Crosse is giuen vs in this B. Sacrament that it is not a bare peece of bread as it seemeth to the eye outwardly or is in the mouth by tast but far aboue reason contrary to our sensuall feeling wheÌ„ the preist in Christs persoÌ„ hath once spoken Christs words ouer that creature which before was bread it is theÌ„ wholy really substaÌ„tially turned into the very body blood of our redeemer christ by his mighty vvorde vvhich made all thinges of nothing and to vvhome nothing is impossible and this vvhosoeuer vvill bee saued barke the heretikes neuer so much to the contrary must stedfastly beleeue for vve proue it by Gods vvorde that cannot faile the Apostolike doctrine so to be First theÌ„ the foure Euangelists be plaine The sixt Chapter of S. Iohn hath so many plaine places vvhereby this holy Sacrament was promised that I cannot haue time to reckon them as in one place Christ there saith The bread which I will giue is my flesh for the health of the worlde for my flesh is verily meat my bloode is verily drinke he that eateth my fleshe drinketh my blood dwelleth in me I in him I will raise him vp againe at the last day vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you Lo heare no figure or remembrance only is named as heretikes say I know not truly how our Sauiour coulde vse any plainer vvords againe in the other three Euangelists in as plain Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. vvordes is mention made hovve our Sauiour instituted or ordained this holy Sacrament in this manner the night before he suffred after he had made anend of the Paschal lamb and olde Testament hee tooke bread blessed and gaue to his desciples saying Take and eate for 1. Cor. 11. this is my Body likewise when he had blessed the Chalice he said This is my Blood Likewise Saint Paul affirmeth that that which he receiued of our Lorde heâ— gaue to the Corinthians for our Lorde Iesus saieth hee the same night hee was betraied tooke breade and giuing thankes brake and gaue to his disciples saying This is my
is a great glorie in the profession of cookery to bee able to make of one kinde of stuff as for example of eggs alone sixteene or twenty diuers dishes but to doe that feate much labour many spices and sawces greate compositions and mixtures are required Christ in steede of all those shiftes vsed blessing and working words of thankesgiuing which were so sure to worke their intent that some meÌ„ haue doubed whether he gaue thankes first because he fore-saw the whole purpose out of hand should be obtained as himselfe wished or else which is more probable whether the very working of the feate were not the selfe thankes-giuing for the worke For his blessing and thankes-giuing was the saying ouer the bread This is my body ouer the wine This is my bloud By vertue of which wordes his body bloud beeing made of the creatures of bread wine as wel were a thankful sacrifice themselues to God as Christ also in his visible forme hauing wrought this did praise and thanke his Father for such an excellent effecte the which body and bloud his Apostles eating and drinking were made pertakers of the greatest most excellent banquet that euer was made on earth For the better vnderstanding whereof it may please a man to repeat in his minde howe God in the beginning adorned this world First with Angels heauenly spirits secondly with the heauens themselues thirdly with the elements of fire ayre water and earth and as the Angells occupie the highest place so doe the heauens with the lightes starres in them occupie the second place and the fower elements are beneath them When things were come after this sort froÌ„ the highest order of Seraphins to the earth which is the lowest element of al theÌ„ it pleased the wisedome of god to make as it were a reuolt of al things to return his creatures froÌ„ the bottome of the earth vpwarde again towards himselfe he therfore made the earth to bring forth greene grasse with al such kinde of things as haue animam vegetiuam in theÌ„selues to growe increase of which kind al hearbs springs trees be aboue those in a higher degre were birds fishes beasts which haue a life sensitiue being able to moue from place to place Lastly god made maÌ„ who hath not only vegetatiue power sensitiue in his soul but also reason vnderstanding in whose body are the vertues of the fower elements with the influence of the heauens in whose soul is free will and power to gouerne agreable to the nature of Angels and of heauenly spirits for this cause this creature hath beene worthelie called euen of the Christian philosophers Microcosmos a litle world for that he alone hath in him all the degrees of creatures both liuing and with out life both sensible and reasonable therefore hee is called in holy scripture Omnis creatura All creatures Nowe when the sonne of God taking pittye that this little world the worke of his great power was by the diuell seduced came downe and tooke flesh of the virgin Marye being true God true man in one person at that time were al things breifly brought againe to God whence they first were created brought forth Christ alone is all in one In his Godhead he is all that is aboue the heauens and that filleth the worlde In his manhoode which is the foote-stoole of God he is all that is in or vnder the heauens in this manhoode are al creatures most perfectly compiled without blemishe of nature of mind or of body so that seing this body of Christ wherein also all the fulnes of the Godhead dwelleth is giueÌ„ eaten at a banquett there is no doubt but the same is such a banquett as cannot bee made with all the creatures of heauen and earth gathered together In this one dishe is a composition most delicate of Angels heauens elements of herbs fishes birdes beasts of reasonable men and of God himselfe no kinde of salett meat sause fruites confection no * Vnderstand here that I mean not that any earthly thing is in the B. Sacrament after Consecration saue only the very Body and Bloud of Christ who because it pleased him after a humane sorte to conuert by eating drincking bread wine and other visible creatures into his sacred Body and Bloud therefore though the proprietie of such creatures be changed in substance yet iuxta aliquid in some manner and sort they be set on that table still but wholly conuerted into the Body and Bloud of Christ kinde of wine aqua-uitae aqua-composita liquors sirrops can be founde in nature made by art deuised by witt but it is all seâ—t vpon this table and that in a small roome where it cloyeth not with the abundance or annoyeth with the vncleane handling it filleth without lothsomenes it prouoketh the appetite without danger of surfeting to be short were it not a banquett prouided by the sonne of God no maÌ„ would think it possible to haue such a feast made in the de sart of this wicked world Thus do we catholiks teach of the supper of our lord beleue it agreable to his word worthy his worshipp this banquett feedeth the whole man There is a reasonable soul to feed our reasoÌ„ a natural substaÌ„ce of flesh to feed nourish our flesh ther is the spirit of God which quickneth both soul flesh to life euerlasting This is the true Manna which containeth the tast of all sweetnes hath in it selfe all manner of pleasaÌ„t refectioÌ„ this is the food of life the which who so eateth worthely shall liue for euer This is the feast wherof Salomon speaketh Hoc itaque visum est mihi bonum Eccles 3 5. 7. c. This therfore seemeth to me good that a man eat drinck enioy gladnes of his labour which words S. Aust expouÌ„deth thus Non est bonum homini nisi c. It is De ciuit Dei li. 17. cap. 20. not good for a man but that which hee shall eat drinck what more credibly is he vnstood to say then that which belongeth to the partaking of this table which he himselfe a preist mediator of the new testament offreth or giueth according to the order of Melchisedech of his bodye bloode If then the Prophet hath affirmed the greatest good that maÌ„ hath in this life to be eating and drincking that eating drincking be long to the supper of our lord Christ we may perceiue right well that the matter substance of Christs supper coÌ„sisteth not in bread wine for then we might not be better occupied theÌ„ in eating and drincking but in the reall flesh blood of Christ wherin al goodnes spiritual corporall is collected into one heape giueÌ„ vnto vs vnder the form of bread wine for so God hath appointed Instaurari omnia in Christo que in celis que in terra c. To renue al things
this respect of the representation of Christs Passion and knitting togither of his members with him the very and most B. Body of our Lorde giuen vs at his last supper is called a signe or Sacrament and yet neuerthelesse the thing it selfe that is his B. Body and Bloud not figured or signified by bread and wine but giuen vnder the formes or likenes of bread and wine For that which before consecration was bread wine is now by Christs wordes transubstantiate or wholy turned into the Body and Bloud of Christ as I declared before though to our outwarde eyes and carnall sences there seemeth no other thing then before yet by our faith we be taught farre otherwise as that it is most certainly without all doubt the very Body and Bloud of Christ without which diuine Sacrament a reall coniunction betwixt his fleash the fleash of man cannot be made by faith spirit and vnderstanding only for that is the coniunction of minde but not of fleash and bones as the man and wife by consent of mariage caÌ„not be one body vnlesse they come togither neither doth Christ come from his Fathers right hand corporally to be ioyned with our flesh but bread by consecration is turned into Christs flesh to the intent it may be receiued and made one with our flesh to the end we may be Concorporei as the auncient Fathers tearme vs one fleash and body with Christ Chap. XXV Declaring how it implieth not contradiction that Christ is in heauen and in the Sacrament in many places at once but only declareth an infinite and Almighty power of God that Diuine honor is due hereunto YOu see nowe in some maner and sort by this which is said in the former Chapter the excellencie of this most diuine mystery as our infirmity is able to declare to you and in what respect this B. Sacrament is called a signe or figure and yet the very thing it selfe wherefore you se the heretikes doe most pitifully and wickedly abuse the poore people to both their damnations that contrary to Christ the receiued faith of the Church and al auncient doctors would haue the B. Sacrament but onlie a bare peece of bread in signe figure Reade the holy Fathers and Doctors and when they speake of the Sacramentall receiuing of this B. Sacrament they so plainly without all tropes signes and figures call it verely really and substantially his bodye and bloud so often so pithylie with so firme reasons and so plainly that if they had spoken against the Sacramentaries heretickes of our time they could haue spoken no more plainly For what wordes can be playner then those of that most famous Councell of Nice wherein Arrius the enemy to the sonne of God by more then three hundred holy Fathers was condemned The wordes of the Nicene Councel to our purpose are these Iterum etiam hic diuina mensa c. Againe here also in the holy table let vs not basely attend the bread and cuppe set before vs but lifting vp our minde let vs vnderstand by faith that Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Situm â—sse to be put and laid on that holy table Incruente a sacerdotibus immolatum to bee vnbloudely Sacrificed of the Preistes and that wee vere truly and in deed taking his owne pretious Bodye and Bloud doe beleeue this to be the misticall tokens of our redemption For this cause wee take not much but little that wee might knowe wee take not to fill vs but for holinesse Thus farre the Councell The blessed noble and most glorious Martyr S. Ciprian Decena Domini of the supper of our Lord is as plaine Panis iste c. That Bread saith hee which our Lorde gaue to his Disciples being changed not in outward forme but in nature through the almighty power of the word is made flesh And because mans heart is not quiet till it rest in God and because nothing can truly fil or content man saue only God therefore S. Hillary that strong pillar of Gods Church againste the Arrians teacheth vs in his 8. booke of the Trinity how Christ in this holy Sacrament naturally dwelleth in vs. St vere â— if the worde sayeth hee bee verely made flesh and wee verely take or receiue the worde flesh in our Lordes meate howe is he esteemed not to dwell naturally in vs Seeing then God is by nature the only euerlasting meate which perisheth not and seing he must be giuen to vs in his owne nature and wee are not able to receiue him as he is a spirit hee hath done for vs as good mothers and nources doe for their babes the mother eateth bread and by her eating turneth it into milke and that milke shee giueth to the infant and by that meanes the infant eateth bread and milke In the reall fleshe of Christ is the substance of God only made meate to bee eaten of man Faith is a great gift of God but yet a creature only wherein the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth not and therefore it is not able to attaine to the vnion of Gods nature and much lesse able to giue it by eating of Christ we corporally haue and carry God in our bodies corporally no otherwise in the worlde can be deuised for it As for the figure of bread it is the only true figure because it is a figure without substance of bread For whereas S. Augustine in his third booke sixteene chapter de doctrina Christiana vpon these wordes Nisi manducaâ—eritis c. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of â—an and drinke his bloud c. saith videtur facinus c. how Christ seemeth to commande a heynous act or sinne it is a figure therefore saith he but vnderstand you of the Passion of our Lord commanding vs sweetly to rest in Christ c. These wordes are to be vnderstood of the maner of eating not as a dead carcase is torne in peeces in the shambles but Christ is to be eaten in a mistery and a Sacrament though verely and really yet after a spirituall maner Eor as the figure which was in that Paschall Lamb did not diminish the reall killing and eating thereof but only did refer it to a higher truth so the figure which is in eating Christs flesh doth not diminish the true eating thereof but only declareth the eating to be a figure because it is referred againe to a higher truth both in Christ whose flesh that once died is now eateÌ„ in vs who eate it not so much for to eate it corporally as to feede spiritually of God him selfe who maketh that flesh profitable August in Iohn tract 26. 27. that S. August though so it is euident by his owne words vpon S. Iohn Ye know not what is this maner of eating this flesh but except yee eate it Lo the maner of eating was secrete but the thing that shoulde bee eaten was naturall flesh these also be his wordes to the same
Christ towardes vs for loue you knowe deserueth loue againe but what greater loue could Christ shewe vs in not onlye dying for vs but still in this vnspeakable mistery remaining with vs Was there euer Pellicane that so tendred her young ones who though she fedde them with her bloud yet in the end she forsaketh them was there euer mother that so dearly looued her childreÌ„ as christ doth vs who said and persormeth it that If a mother can forget the onlye sonne of her wombe yet will he neuer forget nor forsake vs who not only feedeth vs with the sweet milk of his holy word the fruit full dewe of his grace taketh compassion vpon vs euen with shedding his bloud imbrasing vs with his stretched out armes of mercy vpon the Crosse but also still remaineth with vs euen to the end of the world fostring vs with his very body be dewing and washing vs also with his most sweet and precious bloud O hart why dost thou not relent why art thou so harde how canst thou abstain from teares for pure loue of that sweet Sauiour and Redeemer vvhy art thou not appalled with feare vvhy art thou not stricken with loue vvhy art thou not wholy inflamed with deuotion which is oft afforded to the deuout receauers hereof for by how much this mistery is aboue mans reason by somuch the ferueÌ„t loue deuotioÌ„ bestowed on vs by the fountaine of Gods grace giueÌ„ vs therin is of more vertue and aboundance If S. Peter when he had but one glimce of Gods glory wheÌ„ he but tasted as it were a droppe of his loue in Mount Thabor thought it good to stay there and neuer to depart When wee receaue heare a fountaine of his loue a pleadge of his glorie the coelestiall dewe of all grace why shoulde wee not fully content satiate and repose our selues herein O if such disposition is made for the receipt of some noble King in his subiects house howe ought wee to cleanse our hearts and mindes to purifie our bodies to sweepe our spirits vvith compunction and penitent sorrowe of harte for our sinnes which bee the only things that bee foule in Gods sight and displease him to confesse vvith mouth to satisfie vvith deede to applie all the members of our bodies and powers of our soules to entertaine him that so our soules and bodies may be an habition for Christ and tabernacle of the holie Ghost But O sweete Sauiour if my vessell were of the purest mettall farre more excellent then golde and precious sâ—ones it were too base for thy Maiestie whome those glorious Angelicall spirits or the heauens cannot comprehende and where is then thy habitation but onlie in pure mindes and soules Giue me then grace good Lorde to flie sinne to serue and loue thee so to dwell in thee that thou mâ—yst inhabite in mee For in thee I can doe all thinges but without thee nothing thou art the high Priest and true Sacrifice thou art the offerer and pure oblation it selfe CHRIST IESVS our Lorde and God the true MESSIAS and Sauiour of the vvorlde thou be blessed for euermore To bee briefe you see nowe by this little vvhich is saide the vvonderfull goodnesse of CHRIST in leauinge vs his blessed body and bloude in this holy Sacrament whereby vvee all haue life and grace and saluation in our soules for as our bodies cannot liue vvithout breade so our soules cannot liue vvithout this breade of life Christes body giuen vs herein as hee saide Vnlesse you Ioh. 6. 53. eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude you shall not haue life in you whereby you see howe these newe lying Masters heretikes bee worse then murderers that pine and murder mens soules in that they depriue and rob you of so vnspeakable a benefitte as Christs bodye and most blessed bloude giuen at Masse giuing you poyson in stead thereof a peece of poluted bakers bread wherein is no saluation but alas quite contrary as before I haue proued No other remedy then if you will saue your soules but flie their company and Communion and so by cleansing your selues from sinne by healthfull contrite Confession that you may bee iustified make your selues apte vessells to receaue grace that is become Catholickes reconcile your selues to God to the househould of faith to CHRISTS holy Catholicke Church wherein only and no where els assure your selues as before God the euerlasting truth you shall receaue the bread of life and saluation You haue heard here howe that vvhich CHRIST left vs at his last supper is a Sacrament and Sacrifice the very body and bloud of our Redeemer vnder the forme or likenesse of bread and wine beinge perfectly and wholy transubstantiated or conuerted into CHRISTS bodye and bloud and hovve vvith diuine honour we ought to adore and vvorship the same By the vvay also I haue touched a litle summe of the vvonderfull effects and fruites of the same that vvee daily receaue and what perill of soule you bee in for vvant of the same till you come to better estate Hasten then out of Babilon that is sinne and heresy that you may offer in Ierusalem Sacrifice vvhich only may please God vvhome only vvee ought to serue and that is in the vnity of his holy Catholicke Church The lawfull Minister of this Sacrament is a lawfull Preist wherefore nâ— Protestant Minister can consecrate because wanting lavvfull vocation and authority hee is no Preist The matter to consecrate vvith all is vnleauened bread and vvine of the grape whereunto is putt some water for a mistery whereunto when Gods sonne CHRISTS owne worde spoken by a lawfull Preist with intention to consecrate commeth of bread and wine is made the bodye and bloud of Christ whoe gaue that power to a Preist hee neuer did to Angells nor his Blessed mother that is to consecrate his bodye This Sacrament as I haue said ofte before is farre aboue reason but submitting our reason to true faith it greatly increaseth our merite For as saith Saint Gregory Gods worke is not merueilous if it bee comprehended in reason neither hath faith merite where mannes reason giueth experience The chiefe thing then of this blessed Sacrament is Christes bodye and bloud vvith the vvounderfull graces and gifts of God bestowed therein commonly called the effects and fruits thereof vvhich that wee may not vvith Iudas receaue to our damnation but vvith Saint Peter to our rising againe and endlesse Saluation I beseech our LORD that wee may bee armed vvith true and firme faith pure and innocent life feruent loue and charitye that as for our sinnes for wante of these vertues it now many yeares hath by Gods Iudgment and wrath beene taken from vs to our vnspeakeable losse and the continuall griefe of all good men So by renewing these vertues againe in vs and by amending our liues it once againe by Gods speciall grace may be restored to vs to the honour and glorie of his holy name to the confusion of the
hath offeÌ„ded deadly yet the holy Church commaundeth once a yeare to recieue before which Confession in lay-men but much more in Preists if they finde their consciences guilty is commonly presupposed which vnlesse euery one obserue vnlesse he haue some iust impediment he grieuously sinneth and though a man cannot finde himselfe guilty of deadly sinne yet of some smal sinnes wherein we daily al offend and without which this life can hardlye be led the best maye accuse themselues may very well confesse them and ordinarely good men some euerye wâ—eke do confesse such small sinnes as light thoughts vaine wordes and the like which be commonly called veniall sinnes and whereof Christ saieth we shal make account at the daye of iudgement if wee first iudge not our selues here which though not of necessity because other-waies they maye bee forgiuen yet they may be matters of confession But a deadly sinne if one after due discussion of his conscience can remeÌ„ber it come to a lawful Priest euery one vnder paine of damnation is bound to confesse to a lawfull Preist a deadlye sinne I say that is the transgression or breach of Godes Commaundement it is called deadlye because it draweth to euerlasting death vnlesse wee confesse it in the holy Sacrament of Penance if in any sort we can come to the Priest Deadly sinnes be many but especially these following bee called capitall and principall sinnes whereof all other sinnes proceede Pride Couetousnes Leachery Gluttony Wrath Yet these sins some of them especially be not alwaies mortall but in some deepe or high degres Enuy Slouth Moreouer false beleife infidelity heresie these three be most grieuous deadly sins likewise witches or those that goe or send to witches or such you call wisemen coniurers those offend deadly Likwise those that speake euil of God our Lady or his holy Saints or against the Pope Christs vicar heer in earth or against the holy Sacraments especially the B. Sacrifice of the Masse those be all or some of them sacrilegious blasphemous sinners excoÌ„municate cannot be forgiuen without Confession at least in will when a Preist caÌ„not be had for those sinnes be most deadly against the first CoÌ„mandement of God that coÌ„maundeth no God but one to be worshiped as for Images or Pictures of Christ his holy saints they be no more forbidden vs therein than to carry the Image of our Queene in our mony or the like God forbad all Idolatry worshiping of false Gods vncleane false Idoles Images not true Images that be liuely memories of our Redemption vertuous personages therefore be called Lay-mens books as holy Fathers tearme them Nay God himselfe as you shal reade in holy Scripture commaunded Images to be made of Angels which were set vpp in Salomons Temple 3. Reg. 6. wherefore Christians right worthily set in their temples the Images of Christ his Saints For many a simple vnlearned man knoweth not how Christ died vpon the Crosse but only by seing his picture vpon the Crosse therfore heretikes that haue pulled it out of Churches doe that which lieth in them to put Christs Passion out of mans mind bragge they neuer so much in wordes of the same We then offend not against the first commaundement of God that religiouslye keepe and set vp holy pictures to imprint Christes memory in our hartes but they that breake and pull them down be impious heretikes who therefore in general Councels many hundred yeares before by the consent of all Christendome haue beene condemned Who in deed bee worse then olde Idolators as worshipers of their owne opinions an Idolatry far worse then that of the gentils Againe great swearers and forswearers offend deadlye and ought to confesse for an oathe ought not to be vsed but in Iustice and Iudgement whereby God is called to witnesse Likewise those that breake their vowes as of chastity and the like Let Schismatike Preistes that after their vowes haue taken whoores to their concubines which they tearme their wiues looke to this as for Ministers they haue no damnation for mariage which Preistes with their so tearmed wiues haue because they neuer made vow of chastity for they good men thinke it impossible to bee chast whereas * Cor. 7. 7. Ministers I meane so that they would forsake their hereticall ministerie and become Catholikes should not sin in taking vppon them honest mariage or in being maried Saint Paul wisheth all men to be so as himselfe that was chast As for vnlawful oathes when where before whomsoeuer they be taken they ought not to be kept for they doe euill in taking them but worse in keeping them if the matter be of importance and vniust As when Herod swore his daughter should haue what she asked and she like an enuious caytiffe by her mothers suggestion asked Saint Iohns head Herode did euill in swearing rashly but he offended worse in keeping his oath deliberatly * Mar. 6. Chap. XVII Of the rest of the Commaundements and of some sins against them to be confessed to the Preist LIkewise wheÌ„ one goeth as oftas he goeth to the heretiks Church to heare or bee present with them at seruice it is a deadly sinne and Schisme and a deniall of Christ which is the truthe and much more grieuous a sinne it is in recieuing that wicked and most blasphemous communion of theirs which is haynous Idolatry for that a man taketh a peece of bread reposing therein his saluation contrary to Christes holy ordinance that left vs his body and blood in the holye Sacrament to bee receiued which they like traitors to God and his Church haue abolished and deceiue with a peece of bakers breade the simple people giuing it them in steede of that bread of life that came downe from heauen whereby we all doe liue So that this communion of theirs being quite contrarye to Christes ordinance to receiue it is most horrible and deadly sinne And as by a worthye receiueing the blessed Sacrament a man is made one body with christ so to recieue their coÌ„munion it maketh a man one body with Antechrist the diuel wherfore I cannot find or caÌ„ hardly find a greater sin than to go to the heretiks Church receaue with them For receiuing the coÌ„munion as the Diabolicall Samaritanes the ministers therof do raise vp an Altar as it were against the true Altar of God which God euer so abhorred terribly punished so the receauers of that communioÌ„ I say make a publike professioÌ„ of the deniall of the B. Body Blood of Iesus in the holy Eucharist of the catholike Faith Religion yea take a signe seale of the same incorporating theselues therby to the synagogue of Antechrist the diuell as the worthy receauers of the B. SacrameÌ„t be incoporate knit or made one body with Christ Likewise not to come to Masse euery Sonday Holy-day if a man can conueniently is deadly Sinne. So
Body which shal be betrayed or deliuered vp for you so likewise he spake of the cup calling it his blood And both the Euangelists Saint Paul doe agree that Christ bad his Apostles sacrifice or doe that which he had donne in memorie of his death and Passion not to offer a peece of bread in memorie of his death and Passion for that should be to base and slender a memorie as the heretikes your ministers be-lie the truth but to consecrate sacrifice and receiue after an vnbloody maner the very self-same body that the day after was bloudely once for all offered on the Crosse there as a full price of our redemption and here as a mean to make vs pertakers of that high price and ransome there once bloudely offered here the very selfe same flesh and bloude that there once bloudely was offred but here after an vnbloudy maner not deuided or not cut in peeces as the Iewes vnderstoode and the heretikes doe blaspheme but whole Christ though reallye and substanciallye here present yet after a spirituall and deuine maner that cannot be sufficiently expressed in wordes not one Christ here other there or in heauen not one to day a nother to morow but one and the self same which was offred vpon the Crosse and now sitteth at the right hand of his father is daily offred vp here in the Church in diuers places at once that by the mighty power of his Godhead which is al in al * In saying vnited to his sacred Body Videtur praeposte ra locutio For his sacred Body is vnited to his Godhead not confounded but knit and ioyned together o insigne miraculum two natures in one person vnited to his sacred body to whome nothing is impossible Wee doe not substitute then or ordeyne many * There is but one Sacrifice though daily yea oft euerie day in the Catholike Church renued by the ministrie of Preists .. 1. Cor. 11. 26. Sacrifices of Christ as the heretikes be-ly vs for so we might be iniurious to his Passion but one and the selfe same sacrifice though different in the maner with that vpon the Crosse is daily here offered vnto God there once bloudely here vnbloudely by the ministrye of Preistes heere in earth to appease Gods wrath renue in vs the fruit of his death and Passion wrought by that sacrifice once all bloudy vpon the Crosse for all Doe this that I haue donne saith Christ in memorie of me that is you shal represet or shew by this sacrifice the death of our Lord as sayeth S. Paul to his comming againe By which wordes of Christ Doe this that I haue donne he gaue his Apostles and Priests authority to consecrate his Body by vertue of his holy word For what did Christ He tooke bread blessed gaue to his Disciples said This is my Body and wine saying This is my Bloud And bad them doe that he had donne that is by power of his mightye worde to consecrate his blessed Body So by those verye wordes that heretickes abuse when hee saide Doe this in memorie of mee to make the holye Sacrament to bee but a bare figure and remembrance of Christ by those verye wordes I saye you see by uery reason and as holye doctors euer vnderstood Christ gaue authority to the Apostles and to all Preists and Bishopps their lawfull successors to offer vp daily that pure and vnbloodye sacrifice in consecrating his body and blood to represent and renue in vs his death and Passion till his comming to Iudgement againe And therefore at the holy Sacrifice of the Masse euery ornament and action of the Preist reduceth to our memory some thing Christ said or did during his life bitter death and Passion Chap. XXII That heretickes which deny Christs body in the Sacrament euacuate the fruites of Christs death and Passion in mens soules and prepare the way to Antechrist THe heretiks therfore that do blasphem haue abolished the holy most blessed dread full pure most honorable Sacrament sacrifice of the Masse doe as much as lieth in them to put out of mens minds the Passion of Christ and make voide in our soules the fruit thereof wherefore they in deed be very forerunners of Antechrist that shall denye Christ and all and yet like shamelesse blasphemous wolues and deceiuers are not affraid to call the high Preist of God Christes Vicar here in earth the Pope Antechrist who is in deede the cheife piller head of the Church here next to Christ spreading and vphoulding Christs faith against Turkes Iewes Heretickes and all Infidles throughout the whole worlde But these impostors call the Vicar of Christ Antechrist that they Antechristians and their Master Antechrist the vessell of Satan when hee commeth may be the lesse suspected so pull downe Christianity But Gods Church Christes kingdome shall not faile though we are to feare now in the later ende of the worlde Antechriste is neare hand as these certainlie bee his forerunners whoe at his comming shall raise a greater persecution against the Church then euer was before For hee shall deny Christ and God and also exalt himselfe aboue God with such false deceits and wordes that if it were possible the very elect should be deceaued and the holye and continuall sacrifice of the Masse shall in his time cease to be offered openly as the holy prophet Daniell foretould What other thing then Dan. 12. Heb. 7. 12 The turks though perhaps sometimes they baue some voluntary externall superstitious sacrifice yet no ordinarye set sacrifice-publike for as much as euer I red or heard do these hereticks but prepare a way for Antechrist whoe denying the blessed Masse ordained and first said or celebrated by christ at his last supper would leaue vs neuer an externall Sacrifice to worship God withall like very Turkes to whome being without externall sacrifice they bee most like Translato enim according to the Apostles doctrine Sacerdotio necesse est vt legis translatio fiat So that take away Preisthood take a waye sacrifice and so consequentlye God and all For that by externall sacrifice God is chiefely knowne and worshipped the want and honor most due vnto which sacrifice maketh vs you se so many Atheists that now a daies make a scoffing against Christ God to But Lorde be mercifull vnto this Countrey whether is it fallen for sinne and blinde heresy the worste weede that euer was sowne To be briefe you see here how in an eleuen plaine places in the fower Euangelistes and Saint Paul Christ calleth that most blessed Sacrament he ordained at his last supper his very bodye and blood Caluin Beza and the Protestantes and other heretickes of this time say it is but a figure shadowe or bare remembrance In a peece of bread of his body and blood must we beleeue Christes and Saint Paul then or your wise ministers and new vpstart heretikes of this time O Christ if I should forsake
thee the euerlasting truth and beleeue or followe any brainsicke hereticke in the worlde what shoulde I aunswere or howe durst I appeare before thy face I confesse then it is most certaine and sure which thou hast saide of this blessed Sacrament This is my Bodie This is my Bloud And that euery heretike that saieth This is a figureof thy Body This is a figure of thy Bloud is a most blasphemous and impudent hereticke and lyar Chap. XXIII Wherin is declared that we ought as really and truely to receaue his Body with our mouthes to health saluation as Adam did eate the forbidden apple to death and damnation BVt it is a woonder what shiftes these false Prophets the heretickes haue to couer their lyes vnder some shewe of trueth as though we were to eate Christ at his Fathers right-hand and so to delude the simple for as a learned man of our time writeth of this matter in this sorte Concerning that Caluin willeth vs to goe into heauen by faith to eate Christes body know you not because our nature was not able to clime vp to the seat of God in heauen therfore the sonne of God came downe from heauen to earth to lead and lift vs vp to the fruition of his father Know you not that because our body more quickly draweth our soules downwarde then our spirite is able to drawe our body vpward therfore Christ toke not only the soule but also the body of man giuing vs in his last supper that body of his to the intent that our bodies taking holde in the Sacrament of the Alter of his bodye might be caried into heauen to haue the sight of God because faith without the Incarnation of Christ cannot lifte vp our bodies therefore Christ fulfilled faith with trueth and hauing taken of the Virgin our nature gaue his body in deede to our bodies and soules that we againe might in body and soule be lifted vp with it It is not then sufficient to eate Christ by faith only but to arise againe in Christ the second Adam we must eate him in this blessed Sacramente as reallye and verily as our first father Adam wherein we all fell did eate the forbidden fruit The fruite of the tree forbiden entred into the mouth and damned the fruit of the blessed Virgin of the tree of the Crosse must enter into our mouths and spiritually worke effect in our soules and thereby wee shal be saued For as a man that is cast into a deepe pitt calleth by the meane of his tongue for helpe but when a cord is lett down to him for the ayde and succour of him it is not then sufficient to vse his tongue still to let his hands alone Euen so our faith called for Christ to come from heauen to helpe vs to let downe the corde of his humanity and of his fleshe and bloud and shall we nowe when it is let downe to be fastened in our bodies and in the bottome of our hearts by eating it really shall we nowe refuse it and say we will goe into heauen by faith our selues and there take holde of Christ whereby we may be saued and deliuered out of the deepe vale of misery As though neede were that the corde shoulde haue beene let downe if we coulde haue fastned our bodies to any thing in heauen and yet our bodies are they which weigh downe our soules cheifly Authorities to proue the vndoubted trueth of this most blessed Sacrament bee almost inumerable For if I should reckon vp all holy Saints and blessed Fathers that haue written of the trueth of this B. Sacrament I should neuer make an ende S. Ambrose saith Lib. 4. de Sacram. This bread is bread before the words of the Sacrament but when Consecration commeth to it of bread is made the body of Christ and howe at Masse the Priest prayeth for Kings Princes and the people but when he commeth to the most venerable renowmed Sacrament then he vseth not his owne wordes saith he but the worde of our Lord Iesus God commaunded saith he and heauen was made earth was made all creatures were made thou seest then saith he of what vertue the worde of Christ is If then God made thinges before of nothing that were not how much-more able is he to make things to be that were before and to change them into another As for example to make that which before was bread wine by consecration his Body and Bloud and before the wordes of Christ saith he the Chalice is full of wine and water but when the wordes of Christ come thereunto there is then the Bloud that redeemed the people All the holy Doctours as Saint Chrysostome Saint Cyrill Saint Ciprian both the holy Gregories Saint Hierome Saint Augustine Saint Barnarde bee full of the like testimonies for this matter many of them recording woonderfull miracles that haue beene wrought by vertue of this Sacrament Saint Augustine amongst De. ciu Dei the rest recordeth howe a place beeing troubled with euill spirits One of his bretheren a. religious mā that was a frier or a moncke went and offred there the healthfull Sacrifice as much to say as he said Masse and so the euill spirites were driuen away Hard you euer anye such miracle wrought by their Communion all this time I haue probably hard how the Diuell hath appeared in some of their Churches of late and in the beginning of this Queenes time when Paules steeple was burnt the very communion table from all other thinges about it was burnt in token of Godes wrath and indignation against that venemous bread of theirs whereby they poyson the souls of the simple people In the four general Councels that S. Gregorie did honour as the fouer Gospells you shall finde the blessed Sacrament of the Altar spoken of in most reuerent sort as called An honorable Sacrament called a most pure and vnbloody sacrifice of Christs body blood a pure and vndefiled host the lambe of God and the like by vertue whereof as wee read in Saint Gregories dialogues and other holy Fathers the deaffe haue beene made to heare the dumme to speake the lame to walke many other cured of incurable diseases Being abused by Iewes Heretickes and Infidles it hath issued out of blood and sometimes bin seene with streames of glorious lighte proceeding from the same as auncient histories doe recorde and blessed Saints in their writings doe witnes To be breife then this blessed Sacrament and our pure and most blessed vnbloody Sacrifice being so plainlye declared to bee Christes blessed bodye and blood by Christes owne words the holy Apostles and Euangelistes and all good men that euer writte since Christes time by the generall practize of the Church by generall Councells that cannot erre because Christ hath promised his holy spirite to assist them and his Church in all truth and by so many and wonderfull miracles we may firmely conclude with that holy Father Saint Hillary I am de
carnis sanguinis Christi veritate in hoc Sacramento non est relictus ambigendi locus The reall presence proued by authorities of fathers There is no place lefâ—e at all to doubt touching the verity of Christes body and blood in this most holye and venerable Sacrament But yet to satisfie some-thing more your godlye desire I will sett downe some authorities as I finde written in a famous late writer breifly collected by him touching this matter If euery man saieth he is to be credited and ought to haue authority in his owne art and facultye if when wee buylde wee call a Carpenter to counsell and when we make gardens a gardener how much more must wee esteeme the Doctors of the Church who are not onlye cunning by long labour bestowed vppon the science of Diuinitye but also haue so vertuously vsed them selues that they haue been a boundantlye instructed in all knowledge by maruelous inspirations of the holy Ghoste whose names bee so great that the verie Heretickes cannot denye them to be holy Saintes in Heauen and therfore they pretend to haue the first sixe hundred yeares of their sides It is theÌ„ a good sure way to work with the aduice of those auncient Fathers whose sayinges because they be otherwhere as in manye bookes of common places and other writters more at large and more particularlye alleadged I will here be more breife First very many Fathers speaking of Christs wordes or deedes when after bread taken and thankes giuen hee said This is my body alleage the Almightye power of God to defend The veritye of those deedes and wordes therefore the same Fathers beleeued those wordes This is my body to be true in so wonderfull a manner as they sounde at the first sight and seing they meane according to their most vsuall sounde that this which is pointed vnto though it seeme still bread is not-withstandinge the substance of Christes body we ought to thinke that those Fathers beleeued the reall presence of Christs body otherwise they woulde neuer haue alleadged his God-head or Almighty power and omnipotencie for the instituting of a figure and signe of his owne bodye sith for the institution of signes and figures such an authoritie might haue serued as God gaue to Moyses who was but seruant to Christ and not God S. Ireneus saith How can they be sure Lib. 5. cap 34. the bread whereon thankes are giuen to be the body of their Lorde and the Chalice of his bloud if they say not him to be the Sonne of the maker of the world S. Ireneus was so sure that Christ through his Diuiue power made the bread whereon thankes were giuen his owne body that if the God-head were denied which shoulde worke that presence no man could be sure of the presence of Christes body and he might haue beene sure of a figuratiue presence though Moyses had beene the minister of that Sacrament not Christ Saint Ciprian that bread which our In ser de cena Do. Lord gaue to the disciples by the omnipotencie of the worde was made flesh what needed omnipotencie to be alleaged for a fact that were not supernaturall S. Hillary speaking of the Sacrament Lib. 8. de Trin. sayeth By the profession of our Lord it is truly flesh and truly blood is not this thing the truth it may in deed chaunce not to be true to them whoe deny Iesus Christ to bee true God as who should say if his Godhead maye stand his flesh must needes bee truely present Saint Basill to shew that these words In reg bre quest 172. This is my body make full perswation alleadgeth out of Saint Iohn the glorye or God-head and also the Incarnation of Christ because except hee were both true God and true man This is my body should not make full perswation sith if he were not man he should not haue a body whereof those wordes might be verified If hee were not God wee might doubt how he were able to make his worde true but seeing hee is God and man and said This is my body there is no doubt of the presence of his body de iis qui init cap. 9. li. 4. De sacra cap. 4. 5. de sacer dot lib. 3. Euseb hom 5. â—n Pascha Saint Ambrose our Lord Iesus himself crieth This is my body he hath said it was made Saint Chrisostome O Miracle he that sitteth aboue c. And againe lett vs euery where giue credit vnto his wordes specially in the misteries Eusebius Emissenus Let the very power of him that consecrateth strengthen thee Saint Cirill of AlexaÌ„dria seeing God worketh let vs not aske how Damascene wee know no more but that the worde of God is true strengthfull allmighty but the maner is vnscrutable No wise man requireth vs earnestly to beleeue the words which himselfe doth thinke to bee figuratiue and parabolicall but he rather shoulde bidd vs beware that wee mistake them not as Saint Chrisostome In Gen. hom 21. vpon those wordes God repented crieth out see a grosse worde not that God repented God forbid but God speaketh to vs according to the custome of man Likewise Saint Augustine saith in respect In Iohn tract 4. Mat. 17. Iohn 1. of those wordes Iohn Baptist is Elias Our Lorde spake figuratiuely but Saint Iohn saying I am not Elias aunswered properly If now these words This is my body were figuratiue wee should haue been warned by the watch-men of God to beware of them as now we are required yea we are so required to beleue them that it is wonderfull to see and to consider how earnestly Doctors speake in Basil in reg q. 172. breuior that behalfe The certainty of our Lords words who saide This is my body which is giuen for you doe this thing for a remembrance of me in gender full perswasion Surely figuratiue words cannot make full perswasion because themselues are imperfect as lacking their proper signification which is the cheife vertue of wordes whereby they shoulde fully enforme vs for no figuratiue speech is so plaine as a proper speech is Epiphanius who so beleueth not In anchor sermon Catech. myst 4. the saying to be trew as him selfe spake hee is fallen from grace and saluation Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus Seeing Christ him selfe affirmeth so and saith of the bread This is my body who hereafter may be so bold as to doubt S. Ambrose Our De Sacra mento lib. 4. cap. 5. in Matth. hom 83. Lords Iesu him selfe giueth witnes vnto vs that we take his body and bloud ought we any thing to doubt of his fidelity as witnesse bearinge S. Chrysostome Because our Lord said This is my body let vs not be intangled with no doubtfulnes but let vs be leene and see it with eyes of vnderstanding Eusebius Emissenus Let al doubtfulnes of Hom. 5. in pasch ad Calosyrium infidelity depart for so much as the author of the guifte himselfe
also is witnesse of the truth S. Cyrillus of Alexandria doubt not whether it be true sith Christ saieth manifestly This is my body but rather take the worde of our Sauiour in faith for seeing he is the truth he lieth not And againe Lib. 4. 13 lett vs take great aduantage by the sinnes of other men giuing stedfast faith vnto the misteries let vs neuer in so high misteries speake the worde quomodo how Saint Gregorius Nazianzenus Eate In orat 4. â—â— Pasc the bodye and drincke the blood without confusion or doubt if at the least thou arâ— desirous of life neither do thou with draw faith from the sayings which concerne the fleshe The same Saint Hillary Leo Isichius Theophilactus Paschasius diuers others haue spokeÌ„ requiring vs not to doubt of the truth of this misterie that especialy because Christs words make ful perswasion and take away all occasion of doubting but if they be figuratiue it is not so then one may vnderstand this kynde of figure another that kynde one may think it is to be a Metaphore and an other that it is Sinecdoche the third that it is Metonimia the fourth that it is altogether an Allegorye or parable and without all ground of history others doubt to expouÌ„d this is my body as if it were said in this with this or vnder this or about this my body is yea from that day wherin the proper naturall sence of those words was denied I think neuer any words haue beene more vncertaine and more doubted of then This is my body yet the Fathers were so farre from this vncertainty that they counted him an Infidell and fallen from grace and saluation who so did not beleeue them euen as Christ spake them to witt euen so as they sound at the first sight If the truth of Christs body bee the reall substance thereof they that intreatinge of the Eucharist affirme the truthe of his flesh must needes meane that his substance is really present in that Sacrament whereof they speake S. Hillary speaking of the holy mysteries Lib. 8. dâ— Trin. saith There is lefte no place of doubting of the truth of flesh and blood Yet surely if the substance of flesh blood were not present not only some place but the cheife place of doubting were left S. Ambrose It is the true flesh of Christ De Sacra lib. 5. cap. 1. de ieiunio mensis serm 6. which we take Doubt you nothing at all Saith Leo Concerning the truth of christs body Be like he spoke to Catholickes for doubles the sacrameÌ„taries doubt so vehemently therof that they beleue the truth of Christs body to be only at the right hand of his father Isichius He receaueth In leuit li. 6. Ca. 22. De ortho side lib. 4. Cap. 4. by ignorance who knoweth not this to be the body and blood according to the truth Damascenus The bread and wine is not the figure of Christes body and blood God forbid but it is the self deified body of our Lord The like assertion Theophilact Euthymius In. 6. Ioan in 26. Math. and diuers other fathers haue They that name the supper of Christ a figure a sacrament or a remembrance doe not thereby exclude the true substance of Christes flesh but they meane to shew that it is present vnder the signe of another thing after a misticall and secret manner Saint Cyprian The diuine substance In serm de cena dom lib. 8. de Trinitat hath vnspeakably infused it selfe in the visible Sacament Saint Hillarius Wee take in deed the flesh of his body vnder a mystery Loe the fleshe the substance of God is present in truth but vnder a signe Cirillus Hierosolymitanus Vnder the figure Catech. Mistag of bread the body is giuen to thee Who now knowing the SacrameÌ„t to consist of two parts wil wonder that sometimes it is named the one and sometime of the other S. Augustine The Body and Bloud of Christ shall then bee life to euery man De verb. dom Ser. 2. if that thing which is visible receiued in the Sacrament be the truth it selfe eaten spiritually Beholde there is a thing in the Sacramente and so reallye it is there that it is visibly reâ—eaued therefore it is not a spirituall thing onlye for no such matter is visiblye receiued but it is there and thence it must be eaten spiritually and in the truthe it selfe that is to saye it must not onlie bee taken in the mouth but into the harte also and then it shall bee life to the receiuer This thing so receiued in the Sacrament must needes bee the body of Christ vnder the forme of bread for nothing else is to bee eaten spiritually It were too tedious to alleadge all that Saint Augustine hath written in this behalfe but his other wordes beeing conferred with these will make it plaine that when soeuer he nameth it a figure hee meaneth the truth hidden vnder a figure which is more shortlye named a misticall figure He that alleadgeth mannes fleshe why the flesh and blood of Christ is not seene in the misteries presupposed allbeit an invisible yet a most reall presence thereof Fluctuantem me conuerto Aug. â—n Psal 98. ad Christum quia ipsum quero hic â—â— venio quomodo sine impietate adoretur terra sine impietate adoretur scabellum pedum eius suscepit enim de terra terram quia caro terra est de carne MARIE carnem accepit quia in ipsa carne hic ambulauit ipsam carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedit Nemo autem illam carnem â—anducat nisi prius adorauerit Inuentum est quemadmodum adoretur scabellum pedum Domini non solum non peccemus adorando sed peccamus non adorando Which wordes may be thus englished I conuert my selfe being in doubt to Christ because him here I seeke and find how without impietie the earth may be worshipped without impietie his fooâ—estoole may be worshipped for hee tooke earth of earth because fleshe is earth and of the fleshe of MARIE he took flesh and because he walked here in that flesh gaue that flesh to vs to be eaten for our saluation but no man eateth that flesh vnlesse he first worship it It is found out how the footestoole of our Lordes feete may be worshipped and not only we doe not offend in worshipping it but wee doe offend in not worshipping it S. Ambrose saith it is not seene in his owne forme Vt nullus horror De sacr lib. 4. cap. 4. cruoris sit et precium tamen operetur redemptionis To the end there maye bee no lothsome abhorring of rawe blood and yet the price of our redemption maye worke in vs So that by his iudgement the truthe of bloode is present to worke in vs the effect of Christs death yet the forme of the blood is not seene because wee should not abhorre it Theophilact Although
it seeme bread to vs it changed by vnspeakable operation because we are weake and abhorre to eate raw flesh specially the flesh of man ther fore it seemeth bread but in deede it is flesh If these wordes can be glosed with a figure theÌ„ I know not what shal escape the hands of these figure makers They In apol 2. that acknowledge a change of the substance of bread into Christs body must needes meane a reall presence of that body whereinto the chainge is made When Iustinus the Martyr denieth vs to take the things consecrated as common bread and drinke shewing also that we haue learned them to bee not onely sanctified in quality but to bee the flesh and bloud of Christ which is another substance hee doth vs to vnderstand that he meaneth them not to bee after consecration the substance of common bread and wine but to bee the substance which Christ toke of his mother when the worde was made flesh S. Cyprian sheweth the bread which Cena Domini our Lorde gaue to the Disciples to bee changed not in shape but in nature ther fore the substance is changed S. Ambrose It is not that which nature De iis qui initiat cap. 9. formed but that which the blessing hath consecrated if nature formed the substance of common bread the words of blessing pronounced be This is my body it is not afterwarde any more the substance of bread but of Christs body grace is affirmed with the deniall of nature This argument is in manner at large and that of the reall presence but who so listeth to see more therein let him reade Gregorius Nissenus in oratione catechetica Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus in catechesi mistagogica 4. Eusebius Emissenus in orat 5 in pasch Hysichius in Cap. 6. Leuit. Theophilact Euthymius in Euangelia Damasceâ— lib. 4. Cap 14. All that affirnie the externall sacrifice of Christes body and bloud must needes teach the reall presence thereof sith that thing which is absent cannot externally be sacrifised S. Dionisius Areopagita De Eccl. hierar cap. 3. Luc. 22. Dial. 3. saith The Bishoppe excuseth himselfe for that he offereth a Sacrifice aboue his worthinesse or power crying out decently thou O Lorde saidst make this thing for remembrance of me Heretickes admit no Eucharist or offerings saith S. Ignatius in Theodorete because they doe not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of the Sauiour A maÌ„ would haue thought this had bin in our time against the Sacramentaries it agreeth with olde heretickes so much Eusebius Pamphili We offer a sacrifice Lib. 1. demonst Eâ—ang cap. 10. Can. 18. Lib. 4. C. 32. Lib. 2. ep 3. ful of God dreadful most holy we sacrifice after a new manner according to the new Testament a cleane sacrisice or host Concil Nicenum Lett vs vnderstand by faith the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world being situated in that holy table to be offered vp bloudely of the Preists and that wee take indeede his pretious Body and Bloud And againe neither rule or custom hath deliuered that they who haue no power to offer sacrifice should deliuer the Body of Christ to them who offer Hereof S. Ireneus S. Ciprian S. Augustine De ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 20. and all the rest may be reade for it is a known mater haÌ„dled of the fathers most frequently What shall Isay that the fathers teach that the Sacrament ought to be adored with godly honor as I shewed before That they teach that euil meÌ„ doe receiue and touch the body bloud of Christ and thereby be guilty of them as Iudas was That they teach our bodies to bee nourished with Christs flesh and bloud which cannot be nourished with a thing absent That they teach vs to be naturally vntied to Christ whilst he dwelleth Chrysost hom 24. in 1. Cor. Cypr. de cena doâ— coâ—porallye in vs That they affirme Christs body to be vpon the Altar vpon the holy table in the handes in the mouthes and the bloud to be in the cup That they giue it such names as onely may agree to the substance of Christ calling it Saluation Light Life Lorde Christ an Offering wholy burnt a Sacrament which quickneth maketh vs liue for euer That they teach euery man to receiue the same substance one measure equall proportion which is true neither of spirituall nor of corporall guifts but only of the flesh of Christ reallye present vnder the forme of bread That they vse Cyp. de ce na dom Hier in 26. Mat. 6 Aug de ciâ—i li. 10 cap. 5. in psal 39. Chry hom de prodiâ— Iude. in sheweing howe it is sanctified the verbes creating making working consecrating representing or making present such like which are not verefied of a matter only spirituall or abseÌ„t in sub staÌ„ce That they speak of it couertly saying Nornnt fideles The faithfull knowe because if they should plainly declare the truth therof then Infidles would mocke at it as now the heretickes doe for it is a misterye aboue all reason of man Which scoffing were not to bee feared Angli confes 9. ca. 13. Cypr. li. 1. ep 9. Aug de ciu li 17. ca 20. if it were but a mere figure for al kinds of religion haue ceremonies and figures That they applied it to the helping of soules departed as being the very selfe same substaÌ„ce which ransaked hell That they haue taught it to bee truthe which hath succeeded in place of olde figures That they haue vsed by the knowne truthe thereof to proue that Christ had true fâ—eash and true blood in a visible maner and two natures in one person against the olde heretickes That they Ieren li. 4. ca. 34. Theodore in dial 20. Ciril Catech mistag 4. Act. 5. haue so far preferred it before Baptisme and the other Sacramentes that no crumme mighte bee suffered to fall downe or to bee lost which was not so in the water of Baptisme for men were Baptized in the running water of the flood That the Catecumeni who were admitted to the preaching of the Gospell which is an excellente signe of Christes flesh and blood yet might not Disonise in Eccles. hierarch cap. 3. see the Euchariste because it was also the truthe it selfe vnder a signe that no man might eat it vnlesse he were first baptized and kept the commandements and yet the Cathecumeni had a sanctified bread also giuen to them which was a signe of Christ as S. August doth witnes Lib. 2. cap. 26. de pecc mor et remis Lett now the discreet reader weighe vprightly this doctrine so grounded in holy scriptures and ancient fathers and hee shall perceaue that whatsoeuer our adversaries bring for the other side it may proue the Sacrament to be a figure which we deny not but it cannot disproue the reall presence of Christs bodie and blood vnder that figure which is the thing that we stand
in against them When Protestantes to couer their heresies about the Sacrament giue it honorable tearms we may say to them Lib. 8. de Trim. as Saint Hillarye saied to the Arrians who called Christ Lord Dominum licet nuncupes c. Albeit you name him Lord Yet you meane him not to bee the Lord because he is a Lord to you rather by a common kinde and familiar name then by nature Euen so pretende what honorable opinion or doctrine the Protestants list of Christs supper yet as long as by nature and substance they thinke not that externall gifte to be his body which himselfe called so they rather sooth it by a better name than meane it to be any better thing than a bare signe or figure Ebion although he denied Christs Godhead Epiphan Her 30. yet as Epiphanius telleth he affirmed him to rule Angells and all that euer was made by God and his scholers called him a Prophet and the Sonne of God which notwithstāding forsomuch as they beleeued him not to be God by nature the Catholikes neuer doubted to say that they taught him to be Nudum hominem A naked bare man Right so whatsoever holinesse bee annexed to bread and wine be it the signe of neuer so great a vertue and efficacy be it neuer so much called the body and bloud of Christ yet if it remaine still in the former substance if the trueth which it is appointed to signifie be absent it is bare bread and bare wine and a bare token of Christs Body and Bloud Some signes containe the trueth they signifie as a loaf set out that bread is there is to be solde another kind of signes signify the trueth absent as the Iuy-bushe doth wine The latter signe is a bare signe but not the first The Catholickes say the best and richest kinde of seales is in the sacrament because there is Christs body really present to signifie and as it were by seale to witnesse his owne death and Passion The bloudy sacrifices of the olde Lawe did better signifie Christs Passion than Protestants bread wine beeing but a bare signe Melchisedeche likewise had besides his bread wine the reall body of Abraham present whō he offered to God in him Iesus Christ his seede and so that also farre more excellent than bakers bread The body of Christ vnder the forme of bread is of it selfe both the thing and also a figure of the mystical vnity of the Church Res Sacramenti that is the thing of the Sacrament is the grace of God The substance of Christ vnder the forme of bread is the signe For Christ commeth in his own corporall presence to seaze and to endue vs with his grace Hence it commeth that S. Augustine so ofte calleth this Sacrament a figure because the body it selfe is heere not for it selfe but to put vs in possesion of so great a grace as the vnion with God is Moreouer those that say the bodye of Christ is eaten by faith only and no otherwise bee against the Gospell that affirmed Christ gaue his bodye with his owne handes beeing present and not at his fathers right hand But faith is Heb. 11. an argument of thinges to bee hoped for not appearing If in S. Iohn spirituall eating by faith bee only spoken of why is it said Dabo I will giue wheras sprituall eating was already giuen to all that euer beleued and therfore it was not to come but the bread which Christ will giue is his flesh and the guift therof is to come therfore it is more then a spirtuall eating by faith which was both past and present Note that the place in S. Iohn which Ioh. 6. heretiks take to make most for them in very deede maketh most against them What saith Christ If you see the Sonne of man ascending c. Whereby is declared the power of our Sauiours Godhead whereby onlye hee ascended which if the Capharnaits and heretikes woulde perfectly beleeue they woulde then neuer doubt of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament which through the omnipotencie of his godhead hee is able to performe Consider also against the heretikes these figure makers that it standeth well together the Eucharist to be a signe the truth as Christ is the Image of God and yet also God the higher euery signe or Image is the lesse it differeth from the truth and therefore the figure of Christs bodye and bloud differeth in forme but not in substance from Christ him selfe and so although the Sacrament be a figure yet the words This is my Body be not tropicall or vnproper Hoc that is the word This signifieth not bread but that is contained vnder bread Hoc facite doe this the making of the sacrificed substāce also must needes be a Sacrifice not only suffering himselfe to be seene of those that desire him as saith S. Chrysostome but also to In Iohn hom 45. be toucht eatē teeth to be fastned in his flesh al to be filled with desire of him Besides the reall presence sacrifice Christes body also hath a locall being in vs in respect that the substance of Christ occupieth the same place vnder the forme of bread which the substance of bread did occupie before when we haue that kinde of bread in vs euen so Christs beeing is locall in vs. Moreouer as Christ at his Incarnation came not from heauen by forsaking his glorie but by asumpting fleshe of the Virgin so nowe at the time of the Consecration his bodye commeth not downe from heauen but the bread is changed into his body by that meane his body is present with vs. And as after his resurrection hee ascended into heauen so after the communion the formes of bread and wine being consumed Christ ceasseth to be corporally with vs to the end wee should againe desire his presence well knowe these Note wel two cheife points of our beleife the one that the ende of the conioyning consisteth in spirit rather thā in flesh the other that the flesh of Christ really eaten is the means whereby we haue accesse to the spirite of God with trust confidence Now Christ cannot bee better present in spirite and grace then if hee bee present in his selfe therein to conuert to vs his spirite and grace for the cause of his taking flesh was to make his flesh an instrument to deliuer his spirite grace to our flesh to the end that no meane of prouiding for our saluation might be omitted by so louing a father In consideration wherof S. Ambrose saith Thou that Lib. 6. de Sacram. Cap. 1. takest his flesh art made pertaker of his diuine substance in that foode Note that the spirite and substance of God commeth to vs by taking Christes flesh Chap. XXIIII Of the excellency of the most blessed Sacrament and in what respect it is called a Sacrament signe or figure and yet is the very thing it selfe which it betokeneth IT
in Christ which are in the Heauens and which are in the earth in him Al those eatings drinkings which were in the law of nature in the law of Moises in faith spirit are so far behind the supper of Christ after his manhood really assuÌ„pted as the faith of Christs Incarnation is behind the IncarnatioÌ„ it self mark for being deceiued with fals doctrin Christ by his incarnatioÌ„ gaue a real truth to the faith of the fathers and not a newe spirit So in his last Supper he giueth the same spirituall gifte to vs that he gaue to Abell Noe Abraham c. but he giueth vs another kind of trueth than euer he gaue them The trueth made by Christ is the true fleshe bloud which he tooke of his Mother the giuing of that trueth to be eateÌ„ is the giuing of that fleshe bloud vnder the formes of bread wine Therfore they that nowe say Christ giueth bread wine with spirituall giftes wherin our soule eateth drinketh Christs flesh bloud they graunt a good thing one way but another way they take away the greatest goodnes that euer was giueÌ„ to maÌ„ Their spiritual eating is not euil but it lacketh some trueth how so Because the whole man is not fed for faith feedeth but the soule yet the name of feeding is proper to the body thence is transferred to the soule that feeding therefore is not fully true which eateth not in mouth which it eateth in harte wheras the true supper of Christ is meat in deed and drinck in deed and must be the eating of that in our body which our mind soul doth eate The meaning of all those suppers sacrifices feastes in the olde time eaten with mouth were to shew that in time to come the same Messias that they looked for and in whome they beleeued should so truely come for our sakes into earth that he should come also into our bodies to dwell by his flesh eaten in vs that we might dwell in him The whole man in Paradise was ouercome by eating with mouthe of the forbidden fruite Thus then Christ cured the whole man against the Diuell perswading Eue to disobey God hee sent the Archangell Gabriell to perswade the B. virgin Marye to consent to his will against the Apple-tree hee planted the Crosse of our redemption For the disobedience of Adam hee himselfe the second Adam came to be obedient to his father euen to death For the apple of the forbidden tree vnlawfully eaten he gaue himselfe the fruite apple of that Crosse which is the tree of grace lawfully and needfully to bee eaten and his bloud to be droncken As therefore the apple that Adam did really eate against the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of God doth make vs al that were in his body at that time guilty of disobedience the childreÌ„ of wrath so the real eating of Christs flesh according to the worthy eating therof which Christ coÌ„manded doth make vs all free froÌ„ the paine of euerlasting death the children of grace glory But as euery man did not eate the prohibited apple in his own person by his own act but by the act of our father mother as being in them of them so it is not needfull that euery man in his owne person eate the flesh of Christ which is giuen vs in the Sacrament to be eateÌ„ But it is absolutely needful that some or other eat it as really to saluation as euer the apple was eateÌ„ to daÌ„nation that al the rest who by Baptisme enter into the same body may be one perfectly with Christ whilst they are one mystically with theÌ„ who really eate the substance of Christs flesh being the substance of our true sacrifice trulye rosted vpoÌ„ the crosse truely â—ising froÌ„ death to the intent it might be truly eateÌ„ of vs without any corruptioÌ„ or perishing therof So that the B. Sacrament of the Altar is a medicine against that poison which Adam first in him al we toke by tasting the apple against the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of god It is not only profitable but necessary that as the poisoned apple entred in at Adams mouth was not only receiued by faith spirit vnder staÌ„ding but by hand tongue iawes was digested into his bowels poisned Vnderstand our flesh greatly infirme and sore infected though as the creature of God still good but pestilent through our owne fault al his flesh wherby the flesh that we took of AdaÌ„ was also pestileÌ„t poisoned our soules vnited to that infected flesh were also infected Euen so the medicine which is the body and blood of Christ made of bread wine must not only be receiued by spirit faith vnderstaÌ„ding neither only the figure of it must be receiued in at our mouthes so conuaid in to our bowels but the body of Christ it selfe must come to our bodies it must be receiued as reallye into them by our mouthes as euer the apple came into the mouth of AdaÌ„ Who euer hard that wheÌ„ a mans body was really poysoned it should be sufficieÌ„t to think of a certaine true medicine to receiue with all the figure or signe thereof into his body not at al touching and receiuing reallye the medicine it selfe yet such is Caluines doctrine But he vrgeth how the holy Fathers call the blessed Sacrament a figure yea true but not a figure alone or a bare figure but such a figure as Christ is a figure of his fathers substance and yet his substance in deed so the sacrament is a figure of Christ and yet Christ in deede Ther can be no more grosse or blasphemous conceipt then to thinke the word of God like the worde of man Looke what oddes is betwixte God and man So much betwene his naming figures of the olde testament all other figures But some will say will Christ giue his body to be eaten and swallowed vp of drunckeardes whore-mongers blasphemours and euill persons Yea without doubt for Christ thought it lesse euill that euill men should eate his body then that his Sacramentes by any our infidelity shoulde be made voide or the gifte of his grace shoude be vncertaine But heretickes that seeme to stand so much vpon scripture I would gladly here of them where they find in holy scripture the body of Christ in the sacrament called a figure Truly from the beginning of Genesis to the latter end of the Apocalipes we finde not our Lordes supper termed a signe figure or token of the body and bloud of Christ Christ the sixe of S. Iohn calleth it the meate which perisheth not but tarrieth into life euerlasting He saith his bread which he will giue is his flesh which hee will giue for the life of the world Hee calleth it the flesh and the blood of the sonne of man meate in deede and drin ke in deed his flesh and his bloud the eating of him the bread which who so eateth shal
liue for euer In S. Mathew the 26. and S. Marke 14 Chap. His body his bloud of the new Testament In S. Luke the 22 Chap. His body which is giuen for vs and the Chalice which is the new Testament in his blood which is shed for vs. In S. Paul the first epistle to the Corinth and 11 Chap. The bread which we break is the communicating of our Lordes body the Chalice of blessing which we blesse is the communicating or pertaking of Christes bloud The newe Gospellers that saye they sticke only to Gods worde yet cannot finde one Apostle one Euangelist one Prophet or Patriarch that taught our Lordes supper to be a signe S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. threatheth damnation to him that vnworthily eateth it and he calleth vnworthy eating not only the contempt therof or lacke of faith but euen the omitting to proue or examine him himselfe before he eate our Lords body and that because hee maketh no difference betwixte it and common meates yet come the protestants with a newe doctrine affirming that we receiue not our Lordes body into our bodies but an euident signe and token thereof They admit no authority no rule no triall of matters belonging to faith but onlie the holye Scriptures immediately they breake their owne rule In so much as the holy Scriptures calling the Supper of our Lord his body and bloud they teache it to be an euident token of his body bloud if they keepe not their owne rule who can they binde to keepe the same But the Protestants will aske me perhaps whether the Lordes Supper bee not a Sacrament if a Sacranient then also a signe or token I aunswere they that prescribe rules of bleeuing to the worlde they that will haue all thinges prooued by the touch-stone of Gods worde they that for pretence of following the Gospell haue stirred vp so great strife through all Christendome must not talke with vs vvith if and and vvith conditions and peraduentures but they must bring forth the vvorde of God for that they saye So that although the Supper of our Lord were neuer so much a Sacrament surely to them it vvere none because they cannot proue out of the vvorde of God vvhere it is so named to vs it is both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice a Sacrament because vve are so taught by tradition from the Apostles a Sacrifice because Malachie the Mal. Cap. 1. Prophet in the person of God expressely saieth In omni loco sacrificatur offertur nomini meo oblatio munda quia mag num est nomen meum in gentibus In euery place a pure oblation is sacrificed offered to my name because my name is great among the Gentiles There is absolutely no cleane pure oblatioÌ„ but the sacrifice of Christs body bloud which was offered to death not in euery place but without the gate of Hierusalem alone the same is at this day vnbloudely offered in the Masse in euery place wheresoeuer amongst the gentiles the name of God is rightly called vpon Thus both they and we may proue the supper of our Lord to be a Sacrifice by Scripture but that it is a Sacrament we can proue because our forefathers deliuered such a Doctrine to vs they cannot proue the same seeing they will not be bounde to vnwritten Traditions If they flie to the Church for naming it it is a Sacrament the same Church teacheth them ther be seauen Sacraments but the Protestants say they find but two sanctified and deliuered by Christ allowed of the olde fathers Ambrose Augustine but concerning the deliuery of Sacraments by Christ they might haue founde it in the worde of God Confirmation in the 8. cap. of the Acts of the Apostles Penance Iohn 20. Extreame-Vnction Iac. 5. Preisthood Luc. 22. Matrymony Ephes 5. And not onely Baptisme and the Eucharist But what talke is this to say S. Ambrose S. Augustinâ— allowe the workes of Christ Was not the deliuery and consecration of Christ of sufficient authority except Ambrose and Augustine had proued it I thought Ambrose Augustine should haue beene allowed by Scripture and not Scripture by them I stande with them vpon the authority of the worde of God Proue me thence these two Sacraments alone yea proue that they are so named at all what Gospell called Baptisme a sacrament What holy write nameth the Supper of our Lord a sacrament Daâ—e they giue these thinges a name that which is not in the worde of God What warrant haue they for that deede They will say Ambrâ—se and Aâ—gustine call them so I replye Peter and Paul call them not so at other times and with other men I will stay vpon the authoritye of Ambrose and Augustine whom as I ought to doe I reuerence for men of excellent vertue learning but they were men as they were woont to say they might erre and be deceiued heare first the Scriptures to whom Protestantes appeale onely and afterwardes you shall heare what the Fathers say But first I say that neither the olde Testament nor the new calleth the Supper of our Lorde a Sacrament therefore the Protestantes that so call it goe from the assurance of the word of God to the good and laudable inuentions and Traditions of men which themselues condemne wheÌ„ they list And yet they so cal it a Sacrament that vpoÌ„ that only word the authors thereof ground all their doctrin thence it hath to be a signe to be a tokeÌ„ to be a badge a seale a patterne a counterpaine thence all the figuratiue doctrine riseth thence it commeth that the reall body and bloud of Christ is denied to bee vnder the formes of bread and wine Shall now so much as Christ hath plainlye spoken of his bodye and bloud so much as his Apostles and disciples haue preached and written in that behaulf shall now all this be ouerthrowne by an vnwritten veritye are these the men of God who flie from S. Mathew S. Marke S. Luke Saint Iohn Saint Paul to Augustine and Ambrose If none but Prophets and Apostles had written where had they found two Sacraments Where had they read that the supper of our Lord is a signe and token they make much a-doe about the worde of God vntill they haue gotten credite among the ignorant and then they quite leade them from al the worde of God I speake to such good Christians as haue the true loue of the worde of God lefte in their heartes to them I speake giue not ouer S. Mathew S. Iohn Saint Paul for Ambrose and Augustine giue not ouer Christ who is God and man to haue the opinion of whatsoeuer Doctor and Father in causes of beleife Some men in comparison of others be of great authoritye but in comparison of God all men be nothing at al God saieth This is my body nowe whatsoeuer man or Angell from heauen tell you this is not the bodye of Christ but onely a figure of it beleeue him not but
malecontent went his way This minister you see in his action declared what their communion bread is nothing but bare bakers bread in deede speake they neuer so gloriouslye of it to deceaue the simple and so bad that it is not worth the taking vp vvheras I haue proued to you before by most sure authority that the Blessed Sacrament that Christ left vs is no more bread but his very body and bloud in deed But they say you must receiue it in faith spirit how in faith spirit they speak a thing that neither they themselus nor any man els vnderstaÌ„deth for to say the truth there Communion is such a minion that they know not what to define or make of it or what to affirme such is the blindnes of heretikes when they haue once lost the high way for was there euer any that hard how a maÌ„ could eat Christ in a peece of bread nothing but breade or may we thinke them so strong in faith and spirit that with S. Paul they bee alwaies rauished when they come to their comunioÌ„ to the third heauen that so they may â—ate Christ at his fathers right hande but these slender â—uasioÌ„s be shifts for simple babes ouer childishe sauing that they wante not malice to bee answered Truthe it is the holye Catholicke Church teacheth two kinds of receauing the one is Sacramentall that is wheÌ„ we receiue the body bloud of Christ not with hart only earnest desire but also really truly and substantially in the B. Sacrament Christ god maÌ„ which euery christiaÌ„ is bound to do at due times when he can come to it Another manner of receiuing is with spirit feruent desire wheÌ„ a man caÌ„not or is not prepared sacramentally to receiue of this kind of receiuing S. Aust saith Crede manducasti beleiue thou hast eaten Now heretikes coÌ„found both these maÌ„ners of receiuing sacramental spirituall together so that when the holy Fathers speake of spirituall receiuing by ChristiaÌ„ charitable faith desire which euery good christiaÌ„ maÌ„ as oft as he think eth of this B. Sacrament or is present at it ought to haue that so more morâ— he may be fast lincked vnited and incorporate with Christ then do they either ignorantlye or maliciouslye vnderstand and peruert the holye Fathers as though they speake of Sacramentall receiuing and so in brabling of receiuing Christ by faith alone would exclude him out of the holy Sacrament contrary to his institution and so in that Sacrament by denying of Christ wherein our faith is cheifly excercised they lost both Christ therein yea faith deuotion religion and all But the holy Fathers which heretikes seldome reade or if they doe little vnderstand or not beleiue them when these blessed men I say spake of spirituall receauing as oft they doe they not onlye teach vs the great and stedfast faith earnest desire we ought to haue to this blessed Sacrament but the due preparation we ought to make worthely to receiue the same which is by innocent life and pure conscience remaining in Christ by feruent loue charity which is spiritually to receiue Christ that so he may remaine in vs we in him with this preparation if a man could not come to receiue sacrameÌ„tally the blessed Sacrament al the dayes of his life yet no doubt he should be saued for that thus spiritually he eateth Christ In like maner the holy Doctors namely Saint Augustine tearme this B Sacrament a signe or figure which we deny not for euery Sacrament is a figure of signe otherwise it could not be a Sacrament but in that the heretikes call it a bare signe as it were or an only figure and signe that by the holy Fathers doctrine we vtterlie denye and by Gods worde proue the contrary For the Sacrament of the Altar is both a signe or figure and yet the thing it selfe also which it signifieth or figureth as for example you see a loafe of bread stand before the bakers shopp to be sould it is both a signe that bread is there to be sould and yet very bread it selfe so the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is a signe of Christes body and yet his very body it selfe How a signe of Christs body will you say Marry a figure and signe of Christes body dead broken crucified in an other quality then we receiue him in the blessed Sacrament For in the blessed Sacrament wee receiue Christes bodye though a very true and naturall bodye yet not subiect to those alterations and qualities our bodies bee and therfore wee receiue him with al if I might so tearme it which is verelie naturall a supernaturall bodye an impassible bodye a glorified body though in very deede before his Passion also hee gaue to his Disciples the very same bodye we nowe in the same Sacrament receiue giuing his owne body in his owne handes to his Disciples by his mighty diuine power vnited to that body to which power nothing is impossible So that as saith a late famous writer wee verely teach beleene the figure and the truth to stand together the supper of our Lord to bee the signe of Christs body and to bee his owne bodye the weaker parte is the signe the greater is the truth but both doth not only stand together in one Sacrament but furthermore the true nature of euery Sacrament of Christ is to haue both that is to say to haue one certaine truth and one certaine signe of the same truth the truth is hidden vnder the signe the signe is witnesse of the truth which once being declared you shall se the vaine doctrine of the Protestants The signes and miracles Christ wrought outwardly were tokens of his Godhead hidden from our eyes likewise the supper of Christ is both a signe of his body also his true body a signe outwardly and the true bodye inwardly a signe by the sound of words when it is first made and a truth by the inwarde working of the holy Ghost by consecration So that Christ intending to leaue certaine holy misteries vn to his Church thereby to conuey vnto her the fruit of his Passion and death as well for regard of his owne self in whose person two natures were vnited as for regard of vs who consist of bodye and soule made the said holy Sacraments to bee of a double sorte and nature so that the one parte thereof might appeare to the sences the other should lye priuye and onlie bee seene by faith Saint Chrisostome in an Homely of the treason of Iudas saith Sacerdotis ore c. that is The wordes are spoken with the Priestes mouth and by the vertue and grace of God the thinges set before our eyes are consecrated This is saith he my Body by this worde the thinges proposed be consecrated It is to be noted that how many Fathers soeuer call the Sacrament a Figure yet none of them all teacheth these words This is my Body and This is my
Bloud to be wordes figuratiue For when they call it a Figure they meane not a Figure of Rhetoricke but a misticall Figure and calling it a signe they meane not a naturall signe or token but a misticall signe that is to say a secret and miraculous kinde or token such as the state of the newe Testament requireth the nature whereof is to doe that which it sayeth because Christ the speaker performeth all that by his diuine power and substance which his worde spoken by the mouth of his manhoode in holy Sacraments doth vtter and signifie Now he that woulde the Sacrament of Christ so to be a signe that he shoulde not make that thing to be his Body in deede whereof in worde he saith This is my Body he most wickedly denyeth the godhead of Christ This blessed Sacrament of the Altar is such a signe as is withall a secret miracle for it is a miracle not shewed to Infidels but onlie to the faithfull For as the birth of CHRIST is a signe to the faithfull only who beleeue Christ being God and man trulie to haue beene borne of a Virgin without seede of man by the almighty power of the holy Ghost according to that Ipse Deus dabit vobis signum Esa 7. ecce virgo â—oncipiet pariet c. Right so the supper of Christ is a signe of his Body and Bloud to the faithfull only who beleeue the nature of bread and wine to be turned into his body and bloud without generation or corruption by the only power of the word of Christ who said after bread taken and blessing made This is my Body This is my Bloud doe this thing for the remembrance of me Beholde the making of Christs Body and Bloud for the remembrance of his death that is the signe we speake of this was the memory or the remembrance whereof Dauid said Memoriam Psal 110. fecit mirabilium suorum Our Lorde hath made a remembrance of his meruailous workes c. And thinke we that a remeÌ„brance of meruailous things is made of God without a miracle S. Cyprian Cipr. de Cena do saith the bread to be made fleshe Omnipotentia verbi By the Almightie power of the worde S. Augustine calleth it Aug. manu ca. 11. Chris de Sacerd. Lib. 3. Mirabile Sacrificium S. Chrysostome cryeth out O miracle o the goodnesse of God he that sitteth aboue with the father in the selse-same moment of time is touched with the handes of all men If thou aske howe it is made saith Damascene it is enough Damas de orthod fid Lib. 4 Cap. 14. for thee to heare that it is made by the holy Ghost euen as our Lord made for himselfe and in himselfe a body out of the Virgine Mother of God we knowe no more but that the worde of God is true strengthfull Eus lib. 5. demonst cap. 3. Beda in hom Vidit Iesus Basil in Liturg. Greg. Niss in orat de Pascat Hiero. in Leuit. Niceph. lib. 1. cap. 28. Almighty Eusebius calleth it Admiralem exitum oraculi A meruailous euent of the Oracle S. Bede nameth it A sanstification of the holy Ghost that cannot be vttered by speache The like wordes haue Saint Basil Saint Gregory Nissenus Saint Hierome Nicephorns Thus much I thought good briefly to say concerning the manner howe the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is a signe token mysterie or remembrance euerie worde whereof expounded according to the Gospell and to the state of the newe Testament doth proue the reall presence of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine It is a Sacrament which outwardlye signifieth that which is inwardly wrought it is a figure containing the trueth figured it is a signe meete for the inslitution of Christ whose signes are miraculous it is a secret token knowne onlie to those that beleeue it is the remembrance of Christes death by the presence of the body which died what shall I say more It is the body bloud of Christ couered from our eies reuealed to our faith feeding presently our bodies and soules to life euerlasting When Tertullian and S. Augustine say Christ gaue a figure or signe of his body the Protestant Grammarians vnderstand a Rhetoricall figure as Metonymia or Synechdoche or such a figure as it is set vp at an Ale-house or Wine-tauerne but the Doctors meane a peculiar signe and token miraculously instituted by Christ which conteyneth and giueth to the faithfull the truth which it betokeneth Signes and figures in the Sacraments consist of words and the matter as of Water and I Baptise c. Bread and Hoc est c. of Oyle c. Christs wordes make that which they signifie otherwise neither body nor figure thereof Againe which of the holy Fathers teacheth that Body standeth to signifie the figure of body Many Fathers say the wordes of Christ are plaine manifest true and effectuall but no man telleth of such a strainge taking of the wordes Body Bloud no man witnesseth them to be taken for the figures of body and bloud and no maruell for no man knewe that interpretation They Note well knowe that the true body of Christ giuen after such a sort vnder the formes of bread and wine was a figure of the selfe same body either walking visibly vpon earth or suffering vpon the Crosse or sitting nowe at the right hand of his Father or intending to come to iudgement They coulde tel that a thing present in a secret manner is a token signe and a watch-worde to all the faithfull of an open manner either past or to come in the same thing by this meanes they confessed the Sacrament to be the signe of Christes body and bloud but they knewe no such figure as the SacrameÌ„taries haue deuised they neuer could tell of Synecdoche or Metonymia they knewe sacramentall and not rhetoricall figures mysticall not poeticall holy and not prophane Lâ—t him therfore that wil haue any thing made at al of Christs wordes acknowledge them to be proper to signify somewhat and to make that they signifie which is the true body bloud of Christ vnder those outward ryndes or visible formes of bread and wine For as vnder the visible fleshe of Christ his Godhead lay priuy but yet was truely present and had assumpted his flesh into one person euen so vnder the visible forme of bread the fleshe of Christ is really present in the holy mysteries and therefore we touch that flesh when wee touch the forme of bread as S. Thomas did touch the Godhead wheÌ„ he touched the fleshe of Christ for in each place we touch not either the godhead or the fleshe visibly but by the meane of that thing wherein it is truely present that thing I say receiued of vs doth make his death resurrection to be remembred Hath he not al that euer Christ did presently before his eies who hath Christ himselfe present But take Christ away and afterward it
is a soolishe dreame to talke howe his deedes be set before our eies by bread wine the apparance of bread is the token that Châ—istes bodye is here to be eaten and the similitude of wine doth shew that his bloud is here to be druncken but the true shewing of his death life and resurrection ariseth of that truth vvhich is vnder those formes When I eate that body that died I shewe the death of it because no sacrisiced fleshe was euer eaten before the Host was ofrâ—d but we eate really the body of christ therefore our facte crieth that Chirst is dead we eate the body aliue hauing the bloud and soule in it therefore our fact cryeth he is risen againe Thus the Catholickes reason let him that hath common sence iudge who goeth nearer the truth of the Gospell in presenting and shewing Christes death the Protestant that hath but bread or the Catholicke that hath the very body So that as you may partly gather by that which I haue already said the necessary meane of necessary remembrance of his death consisteth in the reall presence of him that died For who caÌ„forget his death whose body is daily made worshiped and eaten to the end the death may be remeÌ„bred but I may right well eate bread drinke wine not yet remembring thereby that Christ is dead for me S. Iohn Chrysostome Homil. 52. vpon S. Mathew saith We receiue Christ as well in our hand as in our hart Vide saith he quid manu capias This blessed Sacrament then Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 10. ca. 6. lib. 9. con ca. 13. was not called bare bread or figuratiue bread of olde but the Sacrament of the Altar because of Christs table by Malachy called rightly an Altar the pure Sacrifice of his body is prepared for vs. Parasti in conspectu meo mensam Thou hast prepared a table in my sight sayeth that deuine Psalmist and in the ninth of the Prouerbes it is written Wisedome hath proposed a table and the tenth of the first Epistle to the Corinthians S. Paul saieth You cannot bee pertakers of the table of our Lorde and the table of Diuells So that wee receiue Christ of his table to our mouthes as into our hartes prepared by him not by the baker which can giue nothing but bread S. Cyrill said Christes body eaten shall raise our bodie Lib. 10. Cap. 13. in Iohn Tertullian confessed that not only our soule Tertul. lib de resurr carn but also our body feedeth vpon the Bodye and Bloud of Christ to the intent our soules may be made fatte of God Likewise Ireneus writeth our flesh is nourished of the Ireneus aduers heres lib. 4 cap. 34. Bodâ—e and Bloud of our Lorde Wee may see nowe by this what error they fall into who call Christes supper only a figure of his bodye yea who assigne the bodye and bloud of Christ to our soules and bread and wine to our bodies whereas there is no substance left of bread and wine but euen our bodies feede vpon Christes body as Ireneus Cyrillus and Tertullian haue said that as our soules be fed with grace so by eating Christes flesh our bodies may rise to glorie Hauing then such firme authorities of Christ the Apostles and the most auncient and learned Fathers wee litle acount of the wordes of Protestants who haue rather brought Christs supper in contempt by bare tearmes theÌ„ by any sound authority or aleadging of scriptures As for Caluins supper nothing is wrought therein because bread and wine in it remaineth still neither is any newe thing wrought in Christ impassible or possibly can be whom they say they eate by faith therefore their supper is nothing but bread In Christs supper wee teach the substance of bread and wine to be made the substance of Christs Body Bloud and that is the true worke made in the supper of Christ where the mutable creatures are turned into the immutable substance of Christ Which worke since the Protestants deny babble what they will they teach nothing to be wrought in the supper of Christ yet this shift the Protestants haue to couer their falshood because they see the Scriptures Fathers and Councels so plaine for Christs reall presence therefore they vse tearmes very smooth of putting on Christ in Baptisme and of eating his body bloud to the ende their deniall of the thing it self may be lesse of the vnlearned espied For it is to be noted that to make it euident to vs that Christ gaue vs his very body not a figure therof or the effect of the grace of his godhead only he said not I giue my owne selfe as Protestants say we receiue him which may be vnderstood of his diuinity as well as humanity in one person and so selfe maketh for the receiuing of Christ by grace spirit only But Iesus foreseing the drifts of Satan what heresies woulde arise named expreslie how he gaue his body couered vnder the formes of bread wine which wheÌ„ we touch we touch his very body for euen as kissing the hose vnder which the Kings knee is conteyned we are said to kisse the kings knee eueÌ„ so in touching the accidents of bread wine we touch the body bloud of Christ vnder theÌ„ For as I said as S. Tho. touching Christs flesh confessed him to be God because the godhead lay hid in that flesh right so wheÌ„ we touch with teeth mouth the forme of bread in the holy misteries we confes that we touch therby the flesh that lieth hid vnder that forme Therfore to speak of his B. body nowe risen againe which after a spiritual supernatural maner sort though really truly the very body of Christ we receiue in the B. Sacrament it is I say both the true very body of Christ yet the figure signe of his body once in an other quality conditioÌ„ theÌ„ now it is in that is a most liuely representatioÌ„ to our seules memories that the very body we receiue once suffred shed his bloud vpoÌ„ the Crosse it is also a signe of the vnion coniunctioÌ„ betwixt him Christ our head giueÌ„ vs therin vs his meÌ„bers the holy Cath. Church which by means of this sacrameÌ„t are vnited incorporate knit togither or made one body with Christ therefore the B. SacrameÌ„t is consecrated of such matter giuen vs vnder such formes likenes of such things that is bread wine which doe not only represent vnto vs most liuely the shedding of Christs bloud and offering of his body vpon the Crosse but also signifie vnto vs the vnion of Christ and his Church For euen as you see of many cornes one loafe is made So of many members in Christ knit togither in perfect loue and charity by meanes of this most B. Sacrament the most perfect pleadge of Christs infinite loue all we thereby be made one body in and with him our head and in
to S. Paul on earth and yet at that present sat at his fathers right hand in heauen To be briefe such a glorified deficate body to whome by power of his diuinity vnited thereunto nothing is impossible this I say if Heretickes woulde beleeue with vs then to them the flesh of Christ would profit much This is my Body this is my Bloud said Christ the pronounâ— This pointeth to body or bloud and not to bread and wine as appeareth by the genders contrary God prouided of purpose that the article This therefore shoulde neither agree with bread nor with wine but only with body bloud or with the Chalice wherin the bloud is conteyned and therefore this to be true that Christs very body and bloud is in the B. Sacrament of the Altar as being most expresse and plaine by the very words of christ we are bound to beleue though to declare the maner how excedeth mans reason because he said it to whom nothing is impossible And therefore for ignorant vnlearned meÌ„ especially when heretikes aske the reason how it is possible for Christ to be here there in many places at once it is not fit for theÌ„ to reasoÌ„ but to haue recourse to faith which is aboue reason plainly say I beleeue Christ that said This is my body to whose power nothing is impossible and let the heretike demand scof or flout neuer so much go you nofurder with him but leaue him to the more lerned that caÌ„handle him better For with his whyes how 's he deceueth the simple souls as the serpent did Eue who begaÌ„ first with the woman the weaker vessell whereby diuines vnderstand the sensual part or inferior part to reason proposed things that seemed delectable reasonable and good and so in the end drew reason and all awry making her to consent by answering first doubtfully and so made her doe the things vnlawfull but if shee neuer had stood to haue reasoned or answered the wily serpeÌ„t but had fled him at first she had neuer bin ouercome The diuel theÌ„ in like maner against the simple childreÌ„ of Gods Church taketh the bodies of heretiks his members speaketh in theÌ„ as in paradise he spake in the body of the serpent so poore simple soules listning to his wily crafts he deceiueth vnder pretence of good casteth them out of paradise Christs kingdome that is his holy Church wherefore flie you alwaies the whispering of that olde serpent in heretikes that you be not deceiued with theÌ„ For heresy creepeth as a canker and the diuels deceipts be diuers many somtimes he armeth hiÌ„ selfe against the people of God with the word of God euill vnderstood to ouerthrow the truth of Gods word in this SacrameÌ„t other misteries of our redeÌ„ption as wheÌ„ Christ saith poore men shal you Ioh. 12. 8. alwaies hauâ— c. meaning passible in forme of pouerty but not by withdrawing himself from vs by his corporal preseÌ„ce in this B. Sacram. as wheÌ„ it is said he is risen asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ we must vn derstand he is neuerthelesse in his sacred flesh meat indeed in this miraculous mistery and so in spirit truth with vs all daies euen to the end of the worlde For Christ ascended into heaueÌ„ there sitting at the right hand of his father and leauing vs the beliefe thereof as a chiefe article of our faith Christ made his owne supper saying This is my Bodye and commaunded his Apostles and their successors to make the same saying doe and make this thing for the rememberance of me Therfore neither the making of Christs bodye neither the beleefe thereof can be contrary to the sitting of Christ at the right hand of his father Againe sith nothing is impossible to God albeit that which implieth contradiction in it selfe be therefore impossible because it repugneth to the truth it felfe which is God is it not possible to God Christ shoulde both be in heauen after one visible sort and in the Sacrament after a misticall sort It were impossible for the body of Christ both to be in heauen and not in heauen or to be in the Sacrament and not to bee there in the same respect but to bee in heauen and in the Sacrament or to bee in many places at once that maketh no contradiction but only sheweth an allmighty infinite power in him who worketh it In somuch as Christ is allmighty to sitt at the right hand of God he is able to performe his owne word gift in the Sacrament of the Altar and therefore in the sixt of S. Iohn when hee spake of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which he would giue he also declared that he would go vp into heauen in his man-hoode where hee was before in his god-head And that thing hee spake as S. Cirillus hath noted to declared that he was God and therfore able to worke that which hee spake of in so much as his wordes were Spirit and Chris de sacerdotiâ— lib. 3. Life For this cause S. Chrysostome crieth out O miraculum O dei benignitatem O miracle O goodnes of God hee that sitteth aboue with the Father in the same very momente of time is touched with the handes of men and deliuereth himselfe to those that will receaue and imbrace him seeme these thinges worthy to bee despised and neglected thou shalt perceaue our holye things not only to bee wonderfull but also exceed all wondring and astonying of the mind Thus saith S. Chrisostome This Blessed Sacrament then thus miraculously instituted by Christ for a perfect memorye of his death and pleadge of his infinite loue with all reuerence and honor is to bee vvorshipped and vvith gratefull memories and pure hartes to bee receaued of vs seeing hee coulde shevv vs no greater token of vnmeasurable loue then this by giuing himselfe wholy vnto vs nor deuise any more excellent way to declare the same For as a man that in fight is wounded with a scarre in his face for his friendes sake comming with that in his face putteth his frend in more perfect memorye of his loue then if hee left or sent him an hundreth other tokens so Christ for our loue taking a deepe vvounde to death coulde leaue vs no more perfect memory thereof then his ovvne bodye in an vnspeakable mistery whereby his death is shewed vntill hee come to iudgment at the end of the vvorlde For euen as the noble actes vvhich other men haue donne bee written vpon their sepulchers so in this memorie of Christ his actes are daylie shewed and rehearsed Then his Incarnation is beâ—okened most mistically vvhen breade is made fleshe as the vvorde was before made fleshe and that Incarnation is represented in outvvarde shevv also by singing of the Angells hymne Glory bee to God in the highest Then See here how in the B. Sacrament at Masse the whole life death and resurrection of Christ is represented the going before of
of bread and wine that the sight and horror of raw flesh and bloud should not affray or appall vs so that to our outward eyes tast feeling other sences it seemeth no other but that it was before yet is it quite contrary from that it was before as farre as heauen and earth is asunder the accidents remaining without the subiect that is tast feeling and seing bread and wine but not so nor yet any part thereof bread or wine but wholy and perfectly the very body and bloud of Christ Chap. XXVII Of the Manna the paschall Lamb and other figures of the B. Sacrament BVT when as GOD hath wrought so many miracles in this B. Sacrament what sacrilegious impiety what damnable heresie or rather Apostacy is this of any mortal men to goe about to feede vs with figures pull Christ out of his kingdome remayning in this B. Sacrament in his Church militant here in earth These heretikes would make vs Christians nowe in this state of grace who haue by Christs promise the things themselues that were shadowed prefigured in the old law in worse case thē the Iewes themselues For Manna was a figure of the B. Sacrament of the Altar as apeareth by Christs owne words Your Ioh. cap. 6. fathers saith he did eate Manna in the wildernesse are dead but he that eateth this bread that I will giue him shall liue for euer For whether think you Manna that bread that was rayned downe from heauen and fedde the children of Israell forty yeares in the wildernesse was not a more excellent thing then a peece of bakers bread and yet these blasphemous heretickes vvoulde haue the blessed Sacrament to be no better and so make it worse then that which was but a figure of the Sacrament O but the thing it selfe this blessed Sacrament of ours Christs body and bloud as farre exceedeth that Manna of olde as the Sunne exceedeth the morning starre the fore-runner thereof in brightnesse Almighty Exod. 16. God when he rayned Manna downe from heauen the Iewes knowing not what it was for it did lie vpon the earth like hore dewe or the seede of the Coriander brayed with a pestle meruailing said Manhu that is quid est hoc what is this to whome Moyses answered as from God iste est panis c. this is the breade our Lorde hath giuen you to eate Nowe in this Manna there is a meruailous and strange quality which was that he that gathered more then his fellowes had but to suffice and he that gathered lesse had as much to suffice as he that gathered more and all sufficient and enough Nowe in this blessed Sacrament of the Altar Christs body though it farre exceede mans reason to knowe the manner howe it is yet we must most certainly and stedfastly beleue our true Moyses which is Christ who telleth vs it is the bread that came downe from heauen that is his very body and bloud What a goodly figure then was this Manna of our most pure and B. Sacrament of the Altar Manna came downe from heauen our Sacrament more It was to euery one that which he liked best our Sacramēt more a little suffised thereof as well as a great deale our Sacrament more the murmering Iewes repined at Manna and our murmering heretickes doe at our B. Sacrament much more the bodies of the Iewes were fedde with Manna and our bodies and soules with the body and bloud of our Lorde Iesus in this blessed Sacrament much more Thus you see howe the figure answereth and foresheweth that holy thing of our Lord and what an excellent and vnspeakable thing this B. Sacrament of the Altar is when the very shadowe of it Manna that betokened it so longe before was of such excellencie and so miraculous then howe vvorthy and miraculous I say is the thing it selfe and how base conceipts haue the heretikes of Christ and how vnworthy and vnsauory this their Comunion Caluinisticall bread is in respect of the Iewes Manna the very figure of our most B. Sacrament 3. Reg. 19. That bread which Elias did eate by vertue whereof hee arriued to the mount of God Horeb is a figure likwise that by vertue of our bread of life in the Sacrament we shall arriue to the mount of God the kingdome of heauen that bread baken vnder ashes and the bread of propositiō likwise euer kept in store That Paschal lamb that with such The Paschall lamb solemnity was eaten when the childrē of Israell passed through the redde Sea to the land of promise O what a notable figure is it of the B. Lamb of God vpon the Altar in this B. Sacrament and what preparation and disposition there ought to be to receaue the same we be taught by the figure The lamb was eaten with Exod 12 wilde lettuse signifying to vs with what sharp and bitter teares and contrition for our sinnes we ought to receaue the Lamb of God in this B. sacrament They did eate it with their raines girt betokening vnto vs the purenes and chastitie we ought to come with all to this lamb of God They had staues in their handes and did eate with hast whereby we be taught that this is the true foode of vs wayfaring-men herevpon earth They eate it rosted that we should pre pare our selues to this sweete lambe of God with hot loue that is feruent charity and whatsoeuer was left was burnt with fier giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that whatsoeuer wee cannot by reason comprehend of this diuine mistery that we are to consume burne vp in our selues by most faithfull feruent loue and charitie For perfect loue to God supplieth all our defects all this teacheth vs with what worthy preparation wee ought to come to our most blessed Sacrament the Lambe of God prefigured by this paschall Lamb of the Iewes which with such preparation was eaten but what needes all this adoe for bare bakers breade Iohn Caluins Communion Chap. XXVIII Wherein is touched how this Sacrament is also a sacrifice daily vnbloudely offered by Priests and propitiatory for the quicke and the dead and that it is the only sacrifice whereby God is chiefly honoured and worshipped NOW this B. Sacrament of ours is also our owne only most pure and vnbloudy sacrifice of the Church whereby God is chiefly worshipped his wrath appeased by meanes whereof grace and saluation is giuen to vs from that most gratious and bloudy sacrifice of the Crosse once there offered after a bloudy manner for all as the full and superabundant price of our redemption but here daily vpon the Altar after an vnbloudy sort to make vs partakers of the same sacrifice once bloudely offered but in both places on the Altar of the Crosse and here in this blessed Sacrament one and the same Christ Which sacrifice was prefigured by that of Melchisedech who offered sacrifice Gen. 14. 18. Heb. 7. 3. 4. in bread and wine and was the Priest of the most
high God whose father and mother is vnknowne so our B. sacrifice then though not bread and wine but the very body and bloud of Christ is consecrated and offered vnder the likenesse of bread and wine Which blessed Sacrament was offered at Christs laste supper a sacrifice also hee our Redeemer in his Disciples giuinge Priestes authority to consecrate and offer the same and so hee remaineth in them being daily offered vp by their ministery A Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech who vvas without mother according to his Godhead and without father according to his manhood and so figured and foreshewed by Melchisedech whereof holy Dauid in spirit called our Sauiour Psal 109. Christ foreseeing our blessed Sacrifice A priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech if he be a Priest then hee must needes offer sacrifice but he neuer offered sacrifice saue only at his last supper I meane after the order of Melchisedech Wherefore we offering or doing the same he did at his last supper that is consecrating his body and bloud it followeth that this Sacrament of ours is also a sacrifice yea and that propitiatorye both for the quicke and the dead which as prophecied Daniel the prophet is Iuge sacrificium A continuall sacrifice that neuer shall cease to the worldes end saue that the publike administration thereof by Daniels prophesie Daniell Cap. 12. Malachy cap. 13 shall cease in Antechristes time but shall as prophesied Malachie the prophet Be offered a pure oblation and sacrifice in euery place What other is that but the holye Sacrifice of the Masse Which sacrifice of it selfe though the Priest may often be vnworthy is euer acceptable Ex â—pere operato as diuines tearme it in Godes sight because this sacrifice is his only sonne in whome hee is well pleased If they saye the Prophet meant the sacrifice of a pure harte it is not so for no man can saye his hart is alltogether pure from sinne at least from a soule or light thought if they say it was the sacrifice vpon the Crosse which the prophet foretolde that cannot be because it was but in one place wherfore it must needs follow the prophet foretolde the one onlye pure and vnbloudy Sacrament and sacrafice of the Altar at Masse offered in euery place and in steed of all those blouddy sacrifices of olde From the rising Psal 112. of the sonne to the setting of the same againe Whereby you see this B. Sacrament was instituted by Christ not only as a healthfull medicine and food of our soules but also that it might be offered continually as the cheife and proper sacrifice of the new testament for a sufficient thanksgiuing to God the father and continuall memory of our L. Iesus his bitter Passion till his comming againe wherby we eschew the euills of this life obtaine remission of sins with the grace of God glory in the world to come And because Christ bad the Apostles and Priestes of the newe Testament doe or sacrifice this in memorie of him his Incarnation Life Passion Resurrection therefore as by Christs institution it is a sacrifice and liuely representation especially of his death and Passion So euerye thinge about the Altar as the ornaments ceremonies actions of the preist at Masse do chiefly represent and reduce into our memories the same And if I would stand to recite the Scriptures Councels and Fathers to this purpose that call it an host an oblation a pure and vnbloudy Sacrifice the price of our Redemption a healthfull Sacrifice and the like I might fill great volumes but I must be briefe Neither is it my purpose to answere here all hereticall obiections neither to make any long discourse of so vnspeakable a matter for to giue or set downe the full doctrine hereof would require and fill as I said many and lardge bookes which already of most learned men bee written My purpose is here but to instruct the simple and vnlearned who ought rather to ground them selues in true faith and beliefe then to looke into such high misteries to comprehend Gods mighty workes by reason For what is man to compare as it were himselfe with God to think to containe him whome heauen and earth cannot holde for what is one man in respect of so many men or what be al men in respect of God Man is as it were a mite like a vanity a puff of winde God is mighty incomprehensible yea great in the least thinges without variance or inconstancie at a becke of whose finger the very heauens and earth do tremble and quake the deapth of whose mightie workes we cannot reach vnto no not in the least thinges or creatures wee daylie see here before our eyes Who can number the starres or giue a iust accompt of their swift course without going one iote out of order from the beginning of the worlde to this day the very herbes plantes and trees wee see doe daily grow and increase Who is so wise that can discerne or say nowe at this very instant I perceaue the increase Againe vvhen they bee as it vvere deade in vvinter who can say they shal so flourish in sommer but he that hath experience Imagine some man brought vp in some caue vnder the earth neuer seeing light nor conuersing with men If one should come vnto him on a sodain and discourse with him of collours blacke and greene and the like tell him of the spring the course of the sonne moone and starres would he not wonder and think them aboue reason till he sawe and perceaued them as we doe If then these thinges so familiar to vs seeme so admirable to those that be vnaccustomed to see them or if we our selues cannot giue a reason to the depth of the least things can wee thinke to comprehend God in the greatest would we haue God so litle that he cannot exceed our reasoÌ„ And yet o blasphemy malicious blindnes such be the heretiks of our time who because they cannot attaine by humane reason to the depth of this mistery of Christs body in the Sacrament therefore they forsake faith beliefe in Christ herein against both truth and reason O hereticke shal Christ cease to be with vs according to his promise because thou art vnable of reason Nay he shall be when thou art not Chap. XXIX Of the great loue and humility of Christ in this Blessed Sacrament and of the deuotion of Christians of olde towards the same THis Blessed Lord Iesus theÌ„ perfect God man which enclosed himselfe for our sakes in the wombe of the most Blessed Virgin when as him the heaueÌ„ of heauens cannot comprehend is also with vs according to his word in the least particle of the B. Sacrament whole perfect Christ entreth into the Cottage of our homely bodies is allwaies delighted to be with the sonnes of men and yet is stil incomprehensible al glorious with his father in heauen that by his
Witches haue openly and secretly calling vpon the Diuell but by the worde of God and authority giuen him by the Church The fourth of the lesser orders is called an Acolite that may bring in cruets wine water to the altar to serue the Priest cloathes candels incense lights and other things necessary And these 4. orders be degrees toward the 3. higher orders of Priesthood which declare what a soueraigne thing it is and that no mā ought rashly or presumptuously to ascend to so high a dignity without due consideration preparation and by degrees For if in the olde lawe the Priests had their Leuits and other inferior ministers to serue them in their bloudy sacrifice how much more conuenient is it in this lawe of grace that Priestes which serue the liuing God with the pure vnbloudy sacrifice of Christ at the Altar haue due Ministers seruitors which none but they so authorized can properly exercise These inferiour orders in the Primitiue church it seemeth were better knowne practised with more solemnity then nowe they bee though in Cathedrall Churches to this day in Catholicke countries they be solemnly vsed neither without them can any take Priesthoode without sinne Chap. XXXII Of the higher orders and howe necessary by Gods ordinance one head is ouer the rest THree higher orders there bee that binde to chastity yea the lowest of them which when any taketh ipso facto he is bound to perpetuall chastity The first is called Subdeacōship which is a degree vnder a Deacon hath authority giuen him by the Bishop solemnly to read the Epistle as the Deacō hath authority likewise so emnly to read and sing the Gospell and so to prepare the Chalice with other thinges about the Priest at Masse Likewise the order of Deacōship was in the primitiue Church of great authority as appeareth by S. Stephen who was a Deacon and others The highest order is Priesthood which office and function is giuen by the Bishop when hee giueth the Pattyn and Chalice with bread wine vsing the wordes whereby hee giueth authoritye from Christ to consecrate the very body and bloud of Christ and to remitt sinnes when he said Receaue ye the holy Iohn 20. Math 18. ghost Whose sinnes you remit they be remitted and whose sinnes you retayne they be retayned This Sacrament of order is one of the three Sacraments whereof Baptime and Confirmation be the other two that imprinteth in mans soule a charecter that is a note or signe distinctiue for euer from all other persons 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. that haue not receaued those sacramēts which three sacramēts cannot be itterated that is one person cannot take them twice For be a mā neuer so euil if he be baptised hee is euer a Christian though he forsake his faith and shal be so iudged of Christ at the last daye from others that are infidells and hee that is once a Priest become he neuer so euill let him take a strumpet and doe what he will yea though he were degraded yet hath he still that note in his soule of Priest-hood and if hee would attempt to consecrate in neuer so euill state of life he doth it as verily as anye good Priest though to his owne damnation For the dignity of the Sacrament dependeth not of the power of man but of God yet if we know the Priest to be a Schismaticke Hereticke or openly excommunicate wee ought then in no case to bee present at his Masse The Bishop hath jurisdiction ouer the Priest and the Archbishop ouer many Bishoppes and the Patriarche ouer manye prouinces and the Pope as much to say Father of fathers is the highe Priest of God Vicegerent here of Christ in earth Bishop of Bishops Head and chiefe ruler in spiritual matters ouer all Princes Priests Bishops and ouer the whole Church vnder Christ her head and who so gainesaith this obstinately is a proud rebellious heretike and traytor to Iesus our chiefe head Lord and King and the sweete spouse his Church and deserueth seuere punishment of bodye also as by such obstinacy as long as he continueth therein hee is already damned in soule yea in the olde lawe before Christ it was death to disobey the high Priest He that is proud saith holy Scripture Deut. ca. 17. and will not obey the commandement of the Preist let that man die the death that so mischiefe may bee taken out of the people of God For none bee so pernitious members to Christian religion as those that goe about to breake the peace of the Church and breake vnity and concorde which all those doe that barke against the Pope Godes Lieuetenant Christes Vicar here on earth yea and as the holy Fathers of olde doe record it hath euer beene the custome of heretikes to barke against the rock of S. Peter that Apostolike Sea the Pope because that against that rock heresie neuer hath nor can possibly preuaile but falling vpon it is burst asunder yea and sayeth S. Ierome Christ chose one Head amongst the rest that a head being made and so ordained ouer the rest all occasion of Schisme or diuision might be taken a way for we see yea in very policy that no kingdome no common weale or house with out one head can stand much lesse it is fit that Gods house so well ordered and sure that it may not bee moued should be without her head or steward But to bee head in spirituall matters belongeth neither to king nor temporall Prince to no temporall man much lesse to a woman to whome it is Mulieres in Ecclesia dei taceant 1. Cor. 14. 34. not lawfull to speake in the Church as by Gods word I could proue at large much lesseto gouerne in the Church This power was chiefly giuen to S. Peter and his successors and to the rest of the Apostles in their degrees whereunto other Bishops succeede Peter and his successors and as a secondary rocke chiefe piller head vnder Christ gouerne the whole Church and others his brethren and fellowe workemen be gouernours of particuler Churches as he is of the vniuersal Church chiefe Pastor Father hauing thereof the chiefest charge For vnto S. Peter after christ had asked him thrice whether he loued him he gaue charge to feed his vniuer sall flocke young olde seed my lambes Iohn 21. Math. 16. 18. saith he feede my sheepe Vpon S. Peter likewise as the rocke most sure vnder next vnto himselfe he laid the foundation of his Church promising his faith should neuer faile which neuer hath done to this day neither in S. Peter nor his successors or euer shall to the end of the worlde Let any heretike if he dare auouch this of any of their Patriarkes at Geneua or else where if any would be so impudent as in deed they be shameles all the world may know him for a liar as knowing their beginning euil proceding which will haue a worse ende But we dare
break a sunder and burne the orders godly rules and statutes of these religious fathers left to their children and posterity can Antichrist doe more when hee commeth then pluck not only religious men but pure virgins and religious women that serued Christ their spouse and husband out of their cloysters make them harlots and common strumpets yet had we a number of most B. men Carthusian Monkes with some others also that in defence of the truth manfully shed their bloud Chap. LXII Of holy water and how creatures being blessed by the word of God miracles sometimes by the same be wrought to the expelling of Diuelles and confirmation of Christian religion AS â—or ceremonies of holy water and holy bread Agnus Dei blessed by the Pope heretickes at the beginning before they plucked off their vizardes began to set litle store by as they did by religious folkes and so by little and litle not only denyed sacramentals but sacraments and all see by what degrees mischiefe getteth the vpper hand But we be taught by holy Scriptures that all thinges which God hath created or made and whatsoeuer is rightly blessed or sanctified by his holy word is good yea by meanes of his word is bettered and more sanctified For so when Elizâ—us cast salt into the water it was amended Others you shall reade of olde that by Gods blessed word were made healthfull and multiplyed to profit of body soule and the confusion of the Diuel that is afraide of one drop of water blessed with Gods word as we daily see by experience in some possessed This holy water we take then remembring Gods grace giuen vs once in that healthfull water of Baptisme and in taking of it with faith deuotioÌ„ sprinkling our selues the wicked spirits haue lesse power of vs and the places where we be with many other fruits that followe yea among Infidels that neuer heard of Christ before sometimes miracles are wrought by one droppe of holy water as in the Indians in diuers places to this day Now because our faith wheÌ„ it was first planted amongst vs was then confirmed with miracles therefore it is not requisite that miracles be so ordinarily wrought amongst vs though sometymes it pleaseth God to shew them where they may do good be not derided as hereticks would do if any were heere wrought attribute them to sorcery witchcraf but God will not haue his pearles cast to hogges Fitt it were for hereticks good men to bring some miracles to confirme their new no faith But our Catholick faith hath bene and is God be blessed by miracles sufficiently in al ages confirmed to this day Chap. LXIII Of holy Bread giuen the people in remembrance of that most blessed Sacrament and in some sort taught vs by Christ in those loanes blessed and multiplyed by him in the desert HOly Bread we vse to take on those dayes we receaue not the blessed Sacrament and this holy Bread is a remembrance of the blessed Sacrament for you must vnderstand that in the primitiue church they receaued the blessed Sacrament almost euerie day such was the deuotioÌ„ of the people whilst Christs bloud was yet warme in their harts but in processe of tyme as deuotion euer by litle and litle decayed so did they lesse vse the same so that the holy Church Concil later can omnis vtriusque sextus c was coÌ„strained to make a law that once a-yeere at least about Easter euery one should receaue and that vnder paine of deadly sinne yf one haue no lawfull impediment Yet the holy Church wisheth men often to receaue yea with due preparation the oftener the better if it were euery weeke or fortnight But because euery one is not thus disposed yet in many countries shee giueth holy Bread somewhat to nourish charity therby in the people in remembrance of Christ in the most blessed SacrameÌ„t the bread of life that came downe from heauen that fedde the people miraculously with holy blessed Bread in the wildernes and shall feede vs with life euerlasting once as now dailie in the meane time he feedâ—th vs with his grace Chap. LXIIII. Of receauing vnder one kinde and how the same fruite is reaped by one kinde as by both that peace vnity and charity is the end of this blessed Sacrament THough when I entreated of the B. Sacrament of the Altar I spake something of receauing vnder one kinde yet I thought good to giue some further admonition in this place touching the same matter for that I finde by experieÌ„ce many vnlearned persons that after receauing of the blessed SacrameÌ„t when wine of decency and coÌ„ueniency is giuen them to drinck do take it for the very bloud of our Lord which notable negligence grosse ignorance in them may either come by forgetfulnes and ouer litle care due consideration of this blessed Sacrament as not duly preparing themselues well and often to remember what how they are to receaue Or els perhaps sometimes for want of good instruction due information of those that first admit these simple lay persons to this blessed SacrameÌ„t which euery good Priest that hath charge of meÌ„s soules as a prudeÌ„t dispeÌ„sator of the misteries of God ought to be careful of that nothing be waÌ„ting of his part but that either publikly with great discretion or at least priuately his voice wheÌ„ he entreth into the sanctuary of our Lord may be heard For if the people in the old law could discerne when the high Priest weÌ„t to offer sacrifice by the noise of his bels hanging at his vesture how much more in this law of grace ought the Priest of God to take heed he be not dumme but so to extoll his voice that the very simplest person of reason may heare him and receaue sufficient foode of his doctrine to their saluation that they discerne not onlye when they are to offer their prayers to God by his sacrifice but what and how they are to receaue with him that is as I said before that although Priests more liuely to represent Christs Passion receaue vnder both kindes that is both Christs B. body in the host and bloud in the Chalice to represent more effectually according to his institution the shedding of his bloud vppon the crosse to which end he said to his Apostls only no lay person being present and to their successors bibite ex hoc omnes drinck yee all of this yet all lay persons vppoÌ„ waighty considerations as for feare sometimes of shedding of the sacred bloud of christ in being giuen to so many which neither without great indecency and inconueniency could be consecrated for so manye to receaue but vnder one kinde that is the blessed Host body of Christ but not the Chalice as Priests do yea if it were conuenient to vse so great vessels for so precious and sacred a thing yet hard it would be in some places far north to gett wyne sufficient to consecrate for so
the truth onely with them Another sort of men called Caluinists and Protestants who raigne at Geneua here especially in England affirme Christ and the truth of the gospel to be only with them these men say only faith iustifieth leadeth to Saluation they deny Christes Blessed Body and Blood to be really substantially truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar These men deny prayer for the Faithfull departed inuocation of Saintes and the like An other sort be called the Family of loue who after their prayer preaching of Christ and the gospel as they terme it doe worke as it appeareth by their ill fruits the workes of darknes things inconuenient to be named An other Secte called Puritans would pul down Churches also confound ciuil gouernmeÌ„t It were too long to reckon vp al far differing in opinions condemners of one another and yet all professours of Christ the truth and the Gospell and yet as I said before as there is one very God so but one truth Onâ— God one Faith one Baptisme and yet Ephes. 4 euery one of these wil not stick to say beholde heere is Christ and the truth with vs in this corner of the world and another as stiflye againe beholde hee is there in another place Is Christ deuided No but marke Christs rule who forwarneth vs all of such that wee goe noâ— ouâ— after them out of the vnity of faith and the holy Catholicke Churche that is with out which no true Saluation can bee sound to followe them If they say vnto tâ—ee saith Christ belioulde In deserto est Mat. 24. ecce in penitralibus He is in the desert and secret parlours Noliâ—e exire nolitâ— crâ—dâ—â—e Goe not out after them that beâ— so deuided amongst themselues Doe not beleeue them And yet hee giueth vs a more certain marke how better to know Ibidem them Many false prophets saith Christ shall arise deceiue many they shall come in sheâ—pes cloathing But inwardly they bee rauening Wolues And then lo he giueth vs a note to discern them by saying You shall knowe them by their fruites For a good tree cannot bring forth ill fruites nor a bad tree good fruits Let vs then see the fruites of these Sect-Masters and newe Gospellers that giue vs such gaye words promises Christ by his word example commaundeth teacheth vs to pray much fast often which his true followers haue euer duly obserued these men pray little fast lesse He biddeth enter into life euerlasting by the straight way of penance They preach libertie as they say of the Gospell but by experience wee see it tendeth to that end that euery one may with out controulment liue as he lust in loose liberty of the flesh God sometimes in this Country for a thousand years togither welnere was in religious houses with continuall prayer of our forefathers serued night day these men account such continuall prayr lip labour pull downe godly houses Churches but raise fewe to be briefe amongest them iniquity aboundeth but Charity waxeth cold wherein our godly predecessours so greatly excelled As in building vs so many Churches chappels houses of prayer and religion to honor God in so many hospitalls to nourishe maintaine the poore needie orphanes and widowes so many colledges in our Vniuersities to traine vp youth in virtue and learning now greatly decayed as wanting the auncient orders wonted disipline therin appointed by the Founders Where is that humility that modestie that obedience to parents and superiours as of olde Where is that feare of God that fidelitie true dealing amongst men that was wont to be Be either now seruants more trustie and obedient to their Maisters Wiues to their Husbands Subiects to their Princes Is now iustice better executed then a foretime that the poore oppressed haue no cause to coÌ„plaine Doe those that enioy liuings giuen by our forefathers to the Church keepe better houses then their forefathers that liued without such liuings doe Ministers nowe bestowe the goods of the Church more liberally vpon the poore then Priests before time doe they liue nowe in any sort chastlie with wiues as many married christians of olde howe farre then be they from the chastity of most reverend continent Priests of all ages nay rather are not almes-deedes decayed charity abandoned chastity fled away be these the fruits of Protestants that make vs such gay promises of the pure sincere profession of the gospell If then you beleeue Christes words to be true that the tree must be knowne by the fruites these brochers then of the fifth gospell that bring forth such cockle darnell bad fruit note and knowe them most assuredly not for true but false Prophets Ministers of the Diuel the father of lies Antichristians not lambes but wolues in sheepes clothing not Ministers of the word of God but of their owne phaÌ„tasies and foolish proud conceites deuourers of your souls whom you ought to flye as from the face of the serpent for with their sweet wordes and speeches they deceiue the hartes of the innocent they confesse themselues in wordes to professe and know God but deny him in deedes you shall know them by their fruits But you will say perhappes there haue euer beene vices amongst men I graunt you but not so common and generall as now they be and then Vertue of olde was holden for Vertue and Vice for Vice But now quite contrary that which is sinne is tearmed by the name of vertue and that which is vertue is termed vice So that in place wherâ— vertue was exercised now sinne and vice is exalted raigneth Againe these New men that brag to be reformers of the worlde and bringers in of light ought to haue taught vs better manners then these had whome they tooke in hand to reforme which when they doe not nay bee themselues and make the worlde worse It is a sure token they be not sent by God to reforme men but by the Diuell to deceiue men Which foule wilye serpent as witnesseth Saint Paule ofte trans-formeth himselfe into an Angell of light fly then such lying Masters For their Church and congregation is not the flock of Christ but the very Sinagogue of Satan And that you may better know the true church of god from the false Church of Antichrist I will seâ— downe three or foure notes proper to no Church but onlie the true Church of Christ which if you marke well they shall teach you in these perilous times how to know the Church of God and so the true and only way to saluation For hee that wil be saued before all things must keepe true faith and religion and be a member of the church of God For vnto this Church as Christs only deere spouse for which hee shed his precious blood all good guiftes be giuen all heauenly promises be made in this Church as in his elect vineyeard is only found the deaw of his heaueÌ„ly
Sacraments in generall BVt because perhaps you desire Vnderstand here that in course of diuinity many thinges besides the Trinity and Incarnation be taught before the Sacraments though in matters of controuersie to speake of them nowe next seemeth fittest for my purpose I call the Sacraments conduits wel-springs because they being ordained by Christ ishuing proceding from that open bloody side of his on the Crosse conuey and conferre grace to our soules as vessels of mercy though God himselfe as the fountaine of life is the chiefe original and principall cause of al grace to bee informed of some moe thinges in particular to knowe howe this true Catholike Church teacheth vs to beleeue touching the high mysteries of our faith especially the holy Sacrameuts First then it is to be vnderstood that next after the mistery of the blessed Trinity threâ— persons of one substance eternity equall power and authority and one god from whome all good thinges proceede to whome all good things be referred and without whome all thinges be nothing next vnto this high and vnspeakable mistery as also the mistery of the second person in god-head Christs incarnation which both most deepe and profound articles or pointes I suppose you already beleeue we be also taught that God the author of all grace and goodnes hath of his infinite wisedome ordained the wayes and meanes whereby we may be pertakers of his grace and that chiefely by meanes of his Sacramentes conduits and wel-springs of grace which in number be seauen Which in these wordes of holy scripture in som sort were foretould or insinuated vnto vs. Sapientia edificauit sibi domum excidit columnas septem that wisedome increate that is the sonne of god the second person in trinity the eternall wisedome of his father who disposeth all things in weight number and measure and in vnspeakeable wisedome but espeacially in ordinance gouernment of his holy Church hath cut out Cut out that is hath ordained or made out of himself that is by his grace Note that this place of holy scripture may signifie many other guâ—fts and graces of God besides the Sacraments for such is the Maiesty of holy scripture that it oft admitteth many senâ—es in one place al according to the spirit of God seauen pillars seauen Sacraments fountains wel-springs of grace out of him selfe that is the liuely fountain of grace the sure rocke corner-stone which Daniell in spirit fore-savve that without handes was cutt out and fell from the mountaine that filled the whole worlde These Sacramentes then I saye Christ ordained as vessels of his grace and they take vertue from that fruite of the tree of the Crosse from and of his precious bloode and passion For euen as of our first Father Adam of a ribbe of his side Eue was formed wherby the world vvas multiplyed euen so of the second Adam Christ our Sauiour a sleepe by death vppon the Crosse whereby we rise againe of that water blood plentifully running out of his side and blessed body the holy Sacramentes of the church proceeded as taking force virtue theroff Whereby wee all bee regenerate and borne newe men againe in Christ whereby wee be repaired fostered and fedd in soule and whereby wee receiue here a token of Godes grace to appeare with him in his glory Chap. VIII What a Sacrament is of the effectes of the Sacraments and why they were ordained A Sacrament then is a visible signe of an inuisible grace not onely signifiyng grace as the heretikes would haue them like Iewes to be but only bare figures but these Sacraments doe contein in them and confer grace to the worthy receiuer Though Christ is the author of his Sacraments neither is God so bound to his sacraments but he can bestow his grace without them yet because hee ordained that by meanes of his sacraments wee aâ—e to obteyne his grace wee neither with contempt of them nor without will and affection vvhen necessitie offereth it selfe and iust opportunity is gyuen to receyue them can be partakers of his grace neither is man to expostulate or argue with God why he vseth sacraments as instruments of his grace when as without them hee can bestow it For God that hath created man knoweth in his diuine wisedome the fittest meanes for his reparatioÌ„ yet some reason or conuenience of Gods dispotion herein may be assigned First because a man consisteth not onlye of spirit but of body therefore he doth noâ— only invisiblelye powre in vs his grace immediatlye fâ—om him-selfe but vseth these visible and corporall signes of his invisible grace and that by such meanes and in such matters as be most fitt to signifie the effect of his grace in vs by them inwardly wrought as sor example in baptisme the matter of the Sacrament is water which as it outwardly washeth the body so the word with the intent of the lawfull minister ioyned thereunto vvhich thinges bee required in euery Sacrament the soule therby is Eccept Matrimony in some sort wher in the consent of the parties is chiefly necessarie wherunto only signs tokens of the parties prâ—sent maye suffice in persons that be mute c inwardly with Gods grace giueÌ„ therin purged and washed from al sinne Moreouer it is the iust iudgment of God we be tied to visible Sacraments to obtaine his grace therby to exercise our humility bring vs in more subiection For whereas we not only in the fall of our first parents wherein we al fell froÌ„ God but also dayly of our selues in transgressing his commaÌ„dementes haue and doe therein preferre our selues mortall creatures yea and the thinges here that be earthly before God himselfe and the thinges that be spirituall heauenly therfore it is his iustice iudgement and yet most of sweet disposition that we now contrary wise for our greater humility obedience be tied to receiue these Sacraments vnder corporal formes whereby we may be partakers of spiritual invisible graces To be briefe the Sacraments depend not touching their dignity of the worthines or vnworthines of the Preist but of god eueâ— good the author of the same And they bee ordained first to the honor glory of God and increase of grace and as present remedies and medicines against sinne in persons well disposed and also as certaine effectuall signes and tokens yea and in struements of Gods good will grace and mercy towardes vs moouing as well both the outward and inward man Lastly When tho Sacraments moue the outward man I meane that is but sometimes accidentaliter they be badges os true Christian men whereby they be not only knitte together in Religion and vniformity of Gods seruice but also be discerned and knowne from Infidels and mis-beleeuers farre more excellent than the Sacramentes of the Lawe of Moyses by howe much the trueth exceedeth the shadowe or figure As for the laudable Ceremonies the holy Church vseth in administration of the
godly ceremonies the Church vseth in adminstratioÌ„ of the same which though they be not of the substance of the Sacrament yet be they very requisite and expedient as wel to stir vp deuotion in the assistantes by-standers as also that the enemye may haue lesse power before after to impedite any spiritual benefit the person baptized hath or is to receiue by meanes of Baptisme that Satan may haue lesse power to possesse or infest the vessell of God Hereuppon as saieth Saint Basill wee consecrate or blesse the water of Baptisme and the holye oyle of Vnction and him also that â—â—ceiueth Baptisme Finally let God-fathers and God-mothers looke well to their charge who promise for the child that it shall forsake the Diuell and his workes and keepe the Commaundementes of God and holye Church I assure you their charge is not small Chap. XIII of the holy Sacrament of Confirmation The next Sacrament to Baptisme is ConfirmatioÌ„ which SacrameÌ„t though not so necessary as Baptisme yet as Aug. lib. 2. cont lit Petil. cap. 104. Saint Augustine affirmeth it is as holy as it and is giuen to those that be baptized first by the imposition or laying on the handes of a lawfull bishope ordinarily the inunction of holy Chrisme which Sacrament assoone as Christians can conueniently come to they ought at their lawfull Bishops handes to desire and receiue it otherwise they sinne and offend God grieuouslye if there bee in them notable negligence This Sacrament is a confirming strengthning and increasing a man in Gods grace which hee before in Baptisme first recieued God beganne to worke in him For therby a man is made more fitt to ouercome ghostlye temptations is threngthned in faith and deuotion ready to confesse Christ and fight vnder his banner if need be with shedding of his blood being neuer to death ashamed to confesse his holy name and the Catholike faith and truth This Sacrament was ordayned by Christ as wee be taught by Catholike doctrine and tradition Apostolike This Sacrament I say as all others tooke beginning by the institution of Luc. 24. These places of Scripture many learned diuines vse for confirmation wher by I hinder none to allege more apt or plaine authorities for this Sacrament Christ who first thus spake to his Apostles Sit you in the Cittye vntill you bee cloathed with vertue from aboue And afterwardes in the day of Penticost hee powred the holy ghost in to the harts of his desciples which maruelous sending or comming downe of his holye spirit Saint Luke most diuinely describeth as aâ—so in the eight and ninteenth chapter of the actes of the Apostles hee writeth how the Apostles did lay their handes vpon those that were baptised in vsing which visible signe they were more confirmed in grace and after such imposition of hands receiued the holy Ghost Now lawfull Bishopps God neuer leauing his Church destitute of his grace doe that which the Apostles did whose place and person they susteine in giuing this holy Sacrament The lawfull minister then of this holy Sacrament of Confirmation ordinarely I meane is only a Bishoppe the matter therof is mixt of Oyle and balme which consecrated by the Bishoppe is called Chrisme and the forme which the Bishope vseth is I signâ— thee with the signe of the Crosse and I confirme thee with Chrisme or vnction of health or saluation In the name of the Father of the Sonne c. This matter of Oile sanctified where unto balme signifieng the odoriferous sauonr of good workes is adioined is vsed in this Sacrament to signifie the effect therof For as Oile is fat and cureth griefs aswageth paines refresheth and strengthneth the weary bodies so the Oile of Gods grace plentifully powred done in mans soule in this Sacrament aswageth inordinatâ— passions motions cureth our defectes strengtheneth and encourageth vs in all godly waies replenisheth vs with many spiritual heauenly gifts as we read in the Acts of the Apostles aboue alleaged that wheÌ„ the people of Samaria had receiued Christs faith were baptised afterwards the Apostles at Ierusalem sent S. Peter S. Iohn to coÌ„firme theÌ„ in their Act. 8. beleife and Gods grace who when they came thither praied for theÌ„ wheÌ„ they laied their hands vpon them they receiued the holy Ghost that was more plentifully of the holy spirit of God which imposition of hands by them without al doubt Diuines hold was Confirmation which lawfull Bishops their Successours no other properlye or ordinarelye by Christs holy ordinance doe vse of which Sacrament likewise is mentioÌ„ made vnder the name of imposition of handes in the 6. Chapter to the Hebrues by which place it appeareth that it caÌ„not be iteraâ—â—d or giuen to one twice no more than Baptisme caÌ„ This holy sacrameÌ„t thus instiuted by Christ which was by his Apostles with so great fruit practised Protestants other like heretikes of this time abolish quite put away at least would make no more of it than a bare Ceremony or Catechisme like Sacrilegious and most vngodly men accounting holye Oyle consecrated by Gods holy worde that blesseth sanctifieth all thinges o horrible blasphemy no better or fit for nothing but to grease bootes showes This grosse tearme though barbarous to write yet woe be to heretiks that are not ashamed to auouch it giuing me occasion to speake so But no meruail seeing they set so little store by Baptisme as I declared before though they make Confirmation no Sacrament nor scarse allowe it for a Ceremony for indeed they hauâ— neuer a true Bishop left aliue in England which miserable state this poore Country alasse was not in of a thousand yeares before that can minister or giue the holy Sacrament of Confirmation for these wolues that be thrust in true Bishops places be so far froÌ„ Bishops that the most of theÌ„ be no Priests at all and the lawfull Bishops being gone and consumed by long imprisonment and dead these bishops terming themselues falsly Superintendents or Bishops haue either by simony or sinister meanes intruded themselues in there places or else be set therin by such as haue no such power in spirituall gouernmeÌ„t but in spirituall matters ought to be ruled themselues as sheepe by their lawfull pastors and Bishopps But oh England how farre art thou fallen from God all due ecclesiasticall order and true religion for sinne Confirmation then you see as I haue declared is a Sacrament whereby as in a temporall common wealth when children to vpholde and increase it must be borne to make more perfect men and souldiers must be strengthned armed incouraged so in this heauenly comon wealth of Christes Church when children are borne againe by Baptisme they ought to be confirmed more in grace to make them more bold and couragious souldiers of Christ by the holie Sacrament of Confirmation that so they may fight more valiently in Gods waies and vanquish those Princes of
let him bee accursed to you Shall wee not bee well occupied if we leaue the plaine vvorde of God to come and see whether Ambrose and Augustine teach two Sacramentes or moe Saint Paule teacheth Matrimonye to bee a Sacrament and shall we goe from him to Ambrose and Augustine to se whether it be one or no was euer such a practize hearde of as to brag of Scriptures to bost of holy writt to crie vpon vs for coming to the word of God and now that we are comen thither to call vs from all Prophets and Apostles yea from Christ himselfe to Ambrose and Augustine is this the way to the holy Scriptures can this fault bee excused can this hypocrisie be tollerated To winne the itching eares of the inconstant multitude to gett them the applause of licentious libertines in the pulpit they call to the worde of God and when they haue gotten them within their netts they teach them out of Ambrose and Augustine yea woulde God they did so at the least but what if wee proue they deceiue the people in fathering that vpon Ambrose and Augustine which they neuer wrote nor taught The Protestants say Saint Augustme nameth but two sacraments but besides twaine I will bring other two named of him as plainly as possibly may bee in his booke de bono coniugali Cap. 24. these be his wordes The good saith S. Augustine which riseth of mariage through all nations and men consisteth in the cause of begetting children and in the faith of chastity And in so much as appertaineth to the people of God it consisteth allso in the holnes of the Sacrament through which it is vnlawful yea though diuorce come between to mary an other whilest her husband liueth not so much as for the very cause of bringing forth of children Which though alone it be the cause why marriages are made yet band of marriage is not loosed vnlesse the husband dye albeit that thing followe not for the which marriage is made Much-like as if to bring the people together some of the Cleargie should be ordered or consecrated with holy orders for although the meeting of the people doe not ensue Yet Sacramentum ordinationis the Sacrament of giuing orders abideth in them that be ordered and if for any faulte any man be remoued from the office he shall not lacke the Sacrament of our Lord which is once put vpon him although it remame to his damnation Thus farre S. Augustione in which wordes he declareth that amonge Christian men there are other two Sacramentes of Preisthood and of Matrimony beside Baptisme and the Euchraist and each of them so great and so strong that they cannot bee loosed and taken away but only by death of the party although the chiefest cause ceasse why the Sacrament was giuen In another place S. Augustine Cont. Donat. Lib. 5. Cap. 2. speaketh plainly of the water of Baptisme Oyle the Eucharist the Imposition of hands al signed with the seale of the Crosse S. Ambroso likewise confesseth moe Sacraments then Baptisme and the Fucharist lib. 1 de penitentia cap. 7. these bee his wordes Cur baptizaris si per hominem peccata dimittinon licot c. why art thou Baptised if it be not lawfull sinnes to be forgiuenes by man truly in Baptisme ther is forgiuenes of all sin what skilleth it whether Preists chalenge this right of forgiving sinnes to be given them by Penance or by Baptisme the mistery or Sacrament is one in both But thou wilt say that in Baptisme the grace of the misteries worketh what in Penance doth not the grace of God work Here is the same vertue and name of a mistery or Sacrament giuen to Penance which is giuen to Baptisme vvhereby Saint Ambrose taught there was as well a Sacrament of Penance as of Baptisme These few placeshaue I brought out of S. Ambrose and Augustine to shew as it were to your eyes if you will not be willfully blinded how the Protestantes crie out vppon the worde of God till they haue with sweete wordes wonne fauour amonge the miserable number of these vnstable men that alwaies harken for newes but wheÌ„ they haue them fast then is the word of God cleane forgotten and in stead thereof Ambrose and Augustine are I am vrged to speake it falselye alleadged For the truth is they that sett naught by the word of God cannot long esteeme Ambrose Augustine who with al their harts imbraced the word of God and expounded the same according to the auncient Tradition of the Church To what end then doe our new masters runne truly to sett vp an Idoll of their owne making in place of the word of God to set vp I say a phantastical religion of their owne deuising But if they should crie to the people come come bow downe to the I doll that wee haue deuised for you the people would not come as being feared with the infamous name of an Idoll therefore they saye come to the worde of God come to the holy Scriptures come to the true Gospell of Iesus Christ they say exceeding well you see we are come and it quitâ— hath and will ouerthrowe them S. Dionisius and Hierotheus disciples of Christ Dionis de Hierarch â—ccle cap. 3. and S. Paul call the Eucharist the sacrament of Sacraments which they neuer woulde if there had beene no more but two See S. Dionis Chap. 4. 5. 6. Dâ— Ecclesiast Hierarch howe he teacheth moe Sacraments But to returne to my purpose I wil not omit to opeÌ„ one subtil shift of the heretike whereby like a bugge or fox with a mans visard of his face he oft deceiueth the simple and vnwarye with faire blessings and gaye tearmes which vnlearned men cannot iudge of nor descerne He will tell you their communion is a holy sacrament and that therby you â—ate Christ as he sitts at his fathers right hand in faith spirit and that you must â—ate that heauenly bread sorsooth that they giue you as the body and bloud of Christ and then no doubt you receiue Christ and the like But aske the heretike whether that bread he giueth to the people be the very body of Christ or no and that properly it can be no more called bread in that it is called transubstantiate and verily turned into the very body and bloud of Christ in deed then you shall perceiue the foxe pull of his maske and shew his eares as I hard of a good fellowe a minister did who giuing to a gentleman bread from their communion table and said The body of our Lorde Iesu c. by chaunce he let a peece fall the gentleman esteeming it to be some holy thing aboue other bread sanctified by Godes word would haue taken it vp againe no no said the minister Sir lett it alone here is more enough yea said the gentleman is it not worth the taking vp trulye quoth heâ— then none of it at all shall come into my belly and so
Saint Iohn Baptist is expressed by readinge the Epistle then Christs preaching is represented by singing of the Gospell then the faith of his Apostles and Disciples is betokened in pronouncing the Creede or Articles of the faith Then the supper of CHRIST is made with no lesse authority then himselfe instituted it then his Crosse is shewed by making the signe thereof vpon the holy misteries then his death is inuisibly wrought vnder the formes of breade wine by turning their substances into himselfe and shewing them as if the very body were deuided froÌ„ the bloud Then the fruite thereof is sowen in the hearts of the faithfull people by giuing them the grace to feare him to loue him to come peniteÌ„tly to him to be made one with him then the resurrection is outwardly shewed because the seuerall formes of bread and wine each of them conteine whole Christ vnder them then the body is eleuated and adored that suffered for vs then Christ is glorified for the redemption of all mankind then thankes bee giuen to God blessing to the people and prayer is made for al the world But the incredulous heretike still obiecteth is bread turned into Christs flesh yea by his infinite power and vnspeakeable humility whereby hee foâ— our loue disdayned not to take fleshe of our earthly substance which things considered bread seemed vnto his wisdome the most fitte matter where of hee would make this Sacrament For bread was vsually turned into Christs bodye whilst hee liued in earth for his bodye was nourished with bread the which bread was turned into his flesh Wherefore now also Wee beleeue well saith Nissenus Nissen in orat catech Luc. 24. Aug. ex-Ser deverbis Euaug apud Bed brother to S. Basill the bread which is sanctified with the worde of God to bee changed into the bodye of God the worde Nouerunt fideles the faith full know what I say they kâ—owe Christ in the breaking of bread for not euery bread but that which receaueâ—h the blessing of Christ is made the bodye of Christ Let vs once deny the flesh of Christ to bee really in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and here is no perfect building toward the flesh of Christ and consequently no reason why wee shoulde bee called Ephes 4. 5. his misticall bodye or flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones For as if Euâ— had not been taken really out of the naturall bodye of Adam shee shoulde not haue beene in truth bone of his bones so vve are not fleshe of Christs fleshe in trueth it selfe except the fleshe of CHRIST in the naturall substance thereof bee the meane by our naturall coniunction to it that vvee are framed and vvrought into a spirituall man And our fleshe is I meanâ— not into a mere spirituall substance turned vvith out losse of his owne substance or propriety into the nature of Christs flesh because it being the fleshe that is dwelt in by the Godhead is stronger then our nature yet although the vnvvorthy receauers doe verely receaue the body of Christ we must conforme our liues to the example of christ that by receauing this Sacrament wee may not procure to our selues damnation but for euer liue in and vvith Christ For as Saint Augustine haueing spoken of Iudas whoe gaue himselfe to the Diuell right worthely said Non malum accipiendo sed male accipiendo De bap contra do na cap. 5. 8. c. Not in receauing an euill thinge but in receauing euilly For it was the body and bloud of our Lorde Yea to them to whome the Apostle said hee that eateth vnworthely eateth and drinketh Iudgement to him selfe as the Apostles and other Saints did eate the body of Christ as Saint Hierome affirmeth to their Saluation Hiero. in psal 21. The manner of eating this diuine mistery carnall men cannot attaine to all corporall natures stande of an inuisible substance and of a visible forme the forme of Christes body was that the Caphernaites sawe and coulde not eate but the substance of Christes body is that wee eate in mistery Hereof said Saint Augustine you shall not eate the body you see Viz. in visibili forma That is to saye In a visible forme Yet in another place touching the veritye of the thing in this Sacrament hee said Euerie man Aug. in psal 98. ought to adore earth or the fleash of Christ before hee did eate it Did not likewise Saint Ambrose saye To this daye Amb. de spir sanct lib. 3. cap. 12. we adore the fleash of CHRIST in the misterieâ— So you see diuine honor is due to this diuine Sacrament But Heretickes in steede of due worshippe doe worshippe theyr owne inuentions and opinyons like to GODS as Saint Hierome vpon Zacharie the thirteene Chapter well noteth Sicut Idola fiunt manu artificis c. Euen as Idolls saith hee are made with the hande of the artificer So the peruerse Doctrine of Heretickes whatsoeuer it faineth it turneth into an Idoll and maketh Antechrist to bee adored for CHRIST Saint Chrisostome exhorting to come to this Sacrament with Zeale and most vehement loue writeth Hoc corpus in presepe Chris in 1 Cor hom 24. Hoc reueriti sunt Magi c. The wise men commonly called the three kings reuerenced this body in the Manger and being men without good religion and barbarous they worshipped it with feare much trembling after a long iorney taken Let vs therefore who are the Citizens of heauen at the least wise followe those barbarous men for when they sawe the Manger and Cottage only and not any of those thinges which thou nowe seest they came with most great reuerence and quakmge but thou seest that thing not in the Manger but on the Altar not a woman which might holde it in her armes but the Preist present and the hely Ghost copiously spred vpon the Sacrifice which is sett forth neither thou lookest barely vpon the body as they did but thou knowest the power os it and all the order of dispencing things and thou art ignorant of none of those things which were done by him and thou hast beene diligenly instructed in all things Let vs be stirred vp therefore lett vs quake lett vs professe openly a greater deuotion then those barbarous men least if we come barely and coldly we â—eopard our head into a more vehement fire Hitherto S. Chrisostome hee said before Quando c. When thou seest it set before thee say with thy selfe for this body I am no more earth and ashes This body which is himself Christ then gaue his twelue disciples at his last supper vnder the forme of twelue fragments or peeces of bread bidding euery one of them take and eate in which deede hee sheweth himselfe to make the substance of his bodye present vnder the formes of bread in diuers places at one tyme althoughe not after the manner of locall scituation because his body hath not in the B.
Sacrament actuallie that naturall dimension and occupying of place which it hath otherwise but as hee hath ordayned it to be so is it vnder diuers formes of bread in diuers places at once by his omnipotencie to whome nothing is impossible Here I am sure many will stand with mee and say they beleeue not so to whome I aunswere that by so saying they haue condemned themselues Iohn 6. 64 to bee of those of whome Christ sayed There are some of you whoe beleeue not For if CHRIST sayed by that which vvas bread before his blessing which still seemed bread if Christ said thereof This is my body and gaue it vnder twelue peeces or formes seeing they for the most of them I thinke confesse him to be able to make his body present vnder diuerse formes and to haue promised to giue his flesh and to haue said This is my body and to haue giuen it to twelue how can they denie that his bodye was present at that supper vnder twelue dyuers formes of bread beeing whole and all vnder each forme The confessing also of that which Christ said is a thing appertaining to faith because the speaker is God to whom all faith belongeth to beleeue this that God saieth must needes bee a vertue and to discredit it is a great vice But some will still perhappes alleadge that The flesh profitteth nothing Iohn 6. the wordes of Christ are spirit and life That is true and therefore I beleeue that vvhen he said Take eate this is my body he gaue his body not without life and spirit but yet as really as euer by saying Gen. 1. Let the light bee made hee made the light for his words be not deadfleash which profiteth nothinge but quicken and giue life how and whensoeuer it pleaseth him much better then the spirit and soule of a man is able to quicken and make liuelye the bodye wherein it is These two saying This is my body and my wordes are spirit and life stand so well together that I beleeue the one for the others sake Christs wordes neuer want spirit and life power to quicken other things euen as his fleshe neuer lacked all kinde of spirite in it selfe For when the soule was out of it yet the God-head remayned and corporallye dwelte in it and the soule returned to it againe the third day Collos 2. Therefore when Christ said This is my body which is giuen for you I am bound to beleeue that his bodye is neither without soule nor godhead for else it were not truly said it is giuen sor vs if it vvere not profitable to vs. Thus you see that I beleeue all the wordes of Christ together and that you not doing so are without you repent certaine to bee condemned sor not beleeuing these words Take eate this is my body you will say you beleeue these wordes yet not carrially but spiritually as it is meete for Christs wordes to bee beleeued O Sir he that assigneth a meane how he wil beleeue Christs words in that very fact sheweth himselfe not to beleeue them For beliefe inuenteth nothing of his owne but followeth the authority of God that speaketh I beleeue in deede that Christs wordes cannot be carnall as you take carnall words for foule grosse meanings but I see it to be a very cleane and pure meaning that the most pure substance of the flesh of Christ should be giuen vnder the forme of bread to the end it may be eaten of vs and the chiefe and the cleanest thing we vse to eate is bread to giue therefore the chiefe and most healthfull flesh in the worlde to be eaten vnder rhe forme of the purest eatable thing is a very pure and cleane worke farre from carnality You will say it is more pure if it be rather beleeued to be eaten only of the hart of man by faith and spirit then by mouth and body I answere that it is no pure eating of a corporall thing which taketh away the truth of corporall eating Againe both waies of eating are better then one of theÌ„ alone I beleeue his reall flesh to be eaten with hart and mouth to be eaten with body mind to be eaten in deed in faith Here faileth your beliefe because of two true things you beleeue but one the other you discredit To be short let vs imagine him that beleeueth the real presence of Christs body and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine to stande before the seat of Gods iudgment and that Christ asketh him why he did beleeue and worship his body and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine may he not well answere in this vvise I beleeued so and did so because your Maiestie taking bread and hauing blessed it doubted not to say This is my body which wordes all my forefathers vnderstoode to be spoken properly and to be true as they sounded and therefore at the commandement of my Prelates I a dored your bodye vnder the forme of bread If CHRIST reply that hee had Preachers whoe taught him otherwise cried to him to beware least he committed Idolatry First that obiection might not bee made to any man that died aboue 80. yeares past because no Preacher taught publikely any such doctrine Secondly if so much were said to one of our time he might answere that hee had moe forefathers and moe Preachets and those much more auncient and more honest men who required him to beleeue Christs wordes and to worship the body of his maker Well nowe wee are come to the point all the Catholickes haue preached with one accorde that it is the true body of Christ and the Gospell witnesseth that CHRIST said This is my body here is the worde of God and the tradition and preaching of man ioyned togither I aske whether it bee possible for CHRIST vvhoe requireth of vs nothing so earnestly as beâ—iefe to condemne that simple man who being otherwise of good life beleeued his worde and his forefathers and the Preachers agreeable with both or no answere me for what fault shall this poore man be condemned First to beleeue Christ it is no fault Secondly Christ said This is my body Thirdly he beeing an infant was of his parentes taught that to be the body of Christ which was holdeÌ„ ouer the Priests head Fourthly as many and moe preach to him when he commeth to lawfull age say this is the body of Christ as there are that afterwarde preach the contrary tel me then what was his fault for which hee may bee condemned If you say his eyes tould him it was not the body of Christ hee vvill ansvvere that for the reuerence he bare to the worde of God hee denied the sensible instruction of his eyes as giuing more credit to Christ then to himselfe is that a fault If you replie that by that means he might haue worshipped the rock in steede of Christ hee will answere he knoweth not what you meane he neuer had any rock
whole is incorporated by Baptisme the whole redeemed by death and the whole shall be crowned with glory therefore the true eating is to eate that meate which of it selfe consisteth of body soule and Godhead to eate it I say in body soule and spirite and not by faith only Chap. XXVI of the blessed Sacrament of the Altar shewing how conueniently it was ordained for our reparation and what preparation we ought to make to the same BVT it is not my purpose here to recount the shifts of our aduersaries or rather deceipts of the Diuell speaking by them his instruments to delude the simple to their damnation but rather for our instruction and comfort Let vs note here the prouidence of God sweete disposition in the ordinance of this most diuine mistery Our first parents by pride in coueting to bee as Gods and in incredulity beleeuing the serpent and mistrusting God fell from God contraâ—◠〈…〉 vs like God in deede and to recall vs 〈…〉 heauenly Paradise which our parents lost by eating the forbiddeÌ„ fruit Christ hath ordeyned a remedy quite contrary giuing vs in this B. Sacrament himselfe the fruit of the B. Virgin that bread that came downe from heauen that so with humility beleeuing Christs worde and promise far aboue our reason forsaking our selues submitting our reason to faith in Christ wee may receaue him his B. body that happy fruit of endlesse life and by vertue thereof recouer the possession Eue lost by her vnbeleeuing and tasting the forbidden fruit Leaue vaine disputes then of this blessed Sacrament and with steedfast faith imbrace the truth for this high mistery farre exceedeth mans reason For of all the workes that euer God wrought this is * So S. Thomas calleth it miraculoruÌ„ maximuÌ„ if any can finde a greter vnusquisque abuÌ„det in sensu suo Psal 100. most wonderfull and miraculous insomuch that herein God sheweth as it were the periode summe and perfection of all his workes as he spake before by his holy Prophet Memoriam secit mirabilium suorum miserator et misericors Dominus escam dedit timentibus se GOD herein hath made a memorye of his wonderfull vvorkes hee hath giuen meate to those that feare him So that this heauenly food is giuen to the saluation of those only that with reuerent loue with perfect faith come vnto this diuine banquet for what a wonderfull and mitaculous worke of Christ is this to feed man with the food of Angels for that Christ whose glory is the repast dainty and satiety of Angells in heauen is the foode of poore pilgrimes in this B. Sacrament here in earth nay herein God hath exalted man aboue Angels giuing the Preist power by his mighty word to consecrate his body so that that which before was bread nowe is no more breade but his body which power he neuer graunted to Angell Againe as God is all in all and in euery place in heauen and earth and yet not deuided but whole perfect God and as saith the Apostle In ipso viuimus mouemur sumus In him wee liue be moued and are Euen so though the Blessed body of Christ be not in all places at once where his God-head is as the Lutherane Vbiquitary Heretickes that so they might coarcte the mistery of this Blessed Sacrament in their reasons do dreame yet it is most certaine according to our beliefe and Godes truth that Christ euer sits at the right hand of his father most glorious and yet is here sacramentally and in a mistery in the B. Sacrament and as fullye Christ here perfect God and man as hee is in heauen and in many places and diuers Altars in all coastes of the worlde at once and yet not many but one and the same Christ indiuisible Yea in euery litle parte or particle of the holye Host and B. Sacrament is as whole and perfect Christ as in the vvhole host and looke where the Blessed body of Christ is there is his bloud and where his body and bloud is there is his God-head by vertue of that vnion of the diuine and humane nature in one person therefore it followeth that where the holye Sacrament is there is God the sonne And because the workes of the Trinity be indiuisible though no person but the second â—erson in Godheade was incarnate anâ— tooke vpon him our nature yet there 〈◊〉 present the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one GOD in Trinity by vertue of the concomitance as wee tearme it and hypostaticall vnyon whome all creatures doe worshippe to whome Angells singe out perpetuall prayses and before whome heauen and earth doe tremble and quake O vnspeakable and dreadfull mistery An other miracle in this B. Sacrament is that though it be daily eaten yet is it neuer consumed nor any thing impaired though manye vncleane persons and traytors like Iudas doe ofte vnworthely receaue the same yet in it self it is euer vndefiled As you see the cleare sonne that shineth vpon the foule clay is nothing darkned but still remaineth pure in it self which as it is noysome to the watrye and euill disposed eye so is it comfort to the cleare and vvell disposed euen so Christ the sonne of righttuousnes giuen vs in this B. Sacrament is comfort health and saluation to the well disposed but euerlasting death damnation to those that come with vncleane consciences â—oaden with mortall sin without cleansing their soules before that is without contrition and lowly confession for the same not because the fault is in Christ but because the thing that receaueth him is impure and vncleane yet Christ alwayes perfect glorious in himselfe without defect and no meruaile for if he suffred himselfe to bee abused and shed his bloud with wonderfull blasphemies against him by those traiterous villaines hanging vpon the Crosse passibly no meruaile I say though in this B. Sacrament impassible he suffereth himself to be vnworthely receaued of hypocrites and wicked men whereof some will not sticke to stab their daggers in this By stab vnderstand pricke thrust or strike Blessed Sacrament and tread it vnder feet al which he suffreth wicked men to worke not with-drawing his diuine presence that the good bee not defrauded of so vnspeakeable a benefit for by this their abuse they hurte and soile themselues but not him who is immortall impassible Hereby we may answere the sond obiections of heretiks that say what if cat or rat should eatiet no doubt whatsoeuer taketh or abuseth it it is neuertheles the very body of Christ still but when the outward species or forme of the Sacrament passeth away from that vnseemly vessell then Christs B. Body and Bloud also passeth can be there no more abused An other wonderfull miracle we see and by daily experience proue in this B. Sacrament that is that whereas Christ hath ordeyned this B. Sacrament vnder the formes and liknes of those things that be most vsuall and familier to vs that is vnder the formes
mighty power to whome nothing is impossible But o how happy was the time when men beleeued stedfastly and doubted nothing of Godes promise in this his so vnspeakable a gift and so worthelye receaued the fruites thereof whereas miscreantes now both deny the truth and shewe themselues most ingratfull in not only denying the truth but thinking most basely of his diuine ordinance O horrible ingratitude in steed of the Prince and king of heauen and earth left vs in this Sacrament to feed men with a peece of beead like to the vncleane hogg that refuseth the precious pearle and feeddeth of the pease shaling in the clay O vvhat coulde CHRIST haue done more for vs then he did and how more vnthankfull can these men shew themselues to him then they doe which most displeaseth him and hindreth his bountye towardes vs for this vnthankfullnes is a vice that drieth vp the fountaine of Gods grace in mans soule Flie then such lying Masters I saye and their wicked deuises taste no more of their baite that draweth to death but beleeue and prepare your selues with al purity of body and soule to receaue in the blessed Sacrament Christ the food of life and so you shall reape the wonderfull fruites thereof which bee many infinit First by worthy receauing of this most venerable Sacrament manie sinnes we could not remember in confession bee forgiuen vs so hot is the fire of GODS loue towardes vs herein if wee receaue him with feruour that it againe boileth and consumeth in vs al defects and imperfections with the relikes of sinne as fire purifieth mettalls from drosse and corruption which was signified by the Pascall lambe rosted and those holocausts or whole burnt sacrifices of the lawe Besides this it giueth most plentifully of grace to the well disposed it infeebleth our passions and inordinate motions maketh lesse and weaker all tentations bodely and ghostly giueth strength that wee consent not to them but to our great merit may ouercome them Wherefore saith a blessed Father If thou feele not so ofte violent tentations of the fleash thanke Christ for the grace that this holy Sacrament worketh in thee Moreouer in this B. Sacrament we cheifly exercise faith to our greatest merit beleeuing Christ aboue reason and not our sences and that right worthely For if as we reade of a sort of Phylosophers they would câ—edit what their Masters said and neuer reason the matter but say Ipse dixit our Master said it accounting it a sure ground great reason then haue we Christians to giue credit to our Master Christ the truth whose wordes cannot faile reasoning no farther but say Ipse dixit Christ our Master said This is my body that hee saide it this is a sure grounde Likewise in worthy offering receauing this B. Sacrament we giue due thankes to God for his wonderfull benefits which of our selues we coulde neuer be able whereupon the holy Prophet in spirit long before considering the wonderfull benefits of God bestowed herein which of himselfe man could neuer be able to requite burst our into these wordes Quid retribuam Domino Psal 115. c. O what shall I requite to my Lord God for all his goodnesse bestowed on me I will saith he take the Cup of our Lord call vpon his holy name See the mercy of God who bestoweth such benefits vpon vs that none is able to requite and yet we in receauing these pretious gifts and offering his benefits to him againe he accepteth it for a sufficient requitall Also in this B. Sacrament as I saide before we represent mostliuely Christs Passion before our eyes and imitate him therein This is a sacrifice propitiatory both for the quicke and the deade which with the three Sages we ought to honour with all diuine honour and worship prostrate both in body and minde as the holie Prophet foretolde saying All the families of nations shoulde worshippe in his sight Psal 21. And in an other place Adorabunr scaâ—ellum c. they shall worshippe his footestoole that is as S. Augustnie vnderstandeth his body or humanity the seate or his footestoole as vnited to his diuinity By this Sacrament and sacrifice we worshippe God and chiefly acknowledge there is a true God by this sacrifice Gods wrath is chiefly auerted yea and sufficiently appeased for our I meane it is sufficient of it self as the example of that vpon the Crosse but to vs according to our disposition sinnes which sacrifice euer acceptable in his sight he neuer denieth as being most glorified thereby which is his only most deare sonne So that it is ioyfull to Angels in heauen comfortable to men in earth and healthfull to the faithfull departed and the chiefe honour to God here on earth neither is there any thing so sufficient a remedy to release the faithfull departed speedely of their paines and bring them to the glory of God as this Sacrament and sacrifice To be briefe this blessed Sacrament and our pure and vubloudy sacrifice Christs very body and bloud in deede is the very body and bloud that was borne of the B. Virgin and suffered death vpon the Crosse by meanes vvhereof vve be incorporate vnited or knit vnto Christ our head made one flesh of his saered flesh and bloud by meanes vvhereof we receiue herein a pleadge most soueraigne to appeare glorious vvith him at the last day Who is it then but for to be worthely partaker of so great a benefit if he well consider but woulde vvillingly loose two hundred markes for that paine besides imprisonment O dolefull daies English statutes set downe for hearing one Masse For so long as vve remaine in the knot of peace vnity and charity that is be members of Christs misticall body the Church by worthely receauing this venerable Sacrament his very body so long we be the very flesh and body of Christ flesh of his sacred flesh and bloud and may say with a reuerent Father to our vnspeakable comfort we are thy flesh and bloud O Iudge of the liuing and the dead we are thy members how vnworthy soeuer yet thy members haue we neuer left off or ceased to be we neuer from thy body by heresy or schisme deuided our selues thy flesh good Lord then wilt thou not despise thy fleshe thou wilt not hate thy flesh thou wilt neuer condemne we haue no hope no trust no other glory but that thou art our flesh and we thy flesh Chap. XXX Containing a breife recapitulation of things touched in the treatise of this Sacrament and declaring that lay persons be not desrauded of the bloud of Christ nor healthfull fruite of the Sacrament in receauing vnder one kinde O The infinit loue of Christ to mankinde that with such sweet pure and vndefiled kisses imbracings of loue and charity knits and tieth vs fast togither vnto him O Lorde it is meruaile that oâ—r harts doe not for loue as it were burst asonder when we consider the most deare and tender loue of
Diuel and all his members and to our vnspeakable comfort and endlesse ioy in heauen that whereas here vvee nowe truly receaue CHRIST in this vnspeakeable misterie there wee may bee fedde and enioy his presence in that endlesse glorie vvhich hee onr LORD IESVS graunt who bee blessed for euer But yet moreouer one thing is to bee considered touching the manner of receauing this blessed Sacrament vvhich is that although CHRIST gaue this blessed Sacrament vnto his Apostles vnder both kindes that is his body and bloud apart and although both Bishops and Priests as oft as they celebrate Masse according to Christs institution are to receaue vnder both kinds yet the holy Church vpon most weighty consideration giueth the lay people but only one kind that is the holy Host Christs body and that which the Priest or Clarke giueth them after in the Chalice or in a glasse is but wine to washe their mouthes lest any of the holy Host shoulde be left behinde or sticke in the mouth neither are lay persons in this receauing vnder one kinde defrauded of the bloude of Christ nay they receaue in that one kinde as fully and perfectly Christ as the Priest that may liuely represent Christs Passion and shedding of his bloud as the publicke Minister of the Church receaueth both For though his body be consecrated apart and his bloud apart in mistery to signifie the effusion thereof and his death in his Passion yet Christ is not deuided and therefore whosoeuer receaueth his bodye likewise receaueth hys bloud as being nowe inseperably ioyned together For although through the force of the words of the Sacrament by consecration the body and bloud be seuerally present vpon the Altar yet by the concommitance naturall and inseparable vnion betwixt them it necessarily followeth that where the body is there also is the bloud and where the bloud there likewise the body Yet sor feare of inconueniences that might chaunce if the common people should receaue vnder both kindes yea and for conseruation of vniformity in receauing this B. Sacrament the knot of peace in all persons and places of the worlde and for other iust causes the holy Church who hath to dispose of this B. Sacrament as of the rest according to time and place for the most edifying of the people giueth it them vnder one kinde only knowing that Christ hath promised as much grace and saluation to the one kinde as to both For he that said the 6. of S. Iohn Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man drink his bloud you shall not haue life in you hee likewise in the same chapter saide He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer yea he our Sauiour likewise as appeareth the 24. Chap. of S. Luke gaue it two of his disciples vnder one kind when he tooke bread blessed and gaue to them and their eyes were opened and they knewe him which was that bread as manye learned fathers vnderstand that bread of life I saye that came downe from heauen Christ himself his blessed body which would GOD the heretickes in true faith and charitye would dispose them selues with vs yea and the Disciples of Christes to receaue then no doubt their eyes would bee opened to see and bee partakers of the truthe whose eyes alas infidelity pride and other sins haue so blinded that whereas at first some of them began to contend for the cup the bloud of our Lord in breaking vnity charity in departing from the church they haue of Gods hea uy iustice and iudgement who in obstinat sinners suffereth one sinne to bee the punishment of an other lost both body bloud the price of their redemption al. Likwise as it appeareth in the acts of the Apostles they also themselus Act. 2. 42. ca. 20. 7 sometimes gaue it the people vnder one kinde as the Church now vniuersally doth through the whole world practise and vse and of most auncient time the people receaued vnder one kind as by many testimonies miraculous examples when in the Primatiue Church this B. Sacrament vnder one kinde as now was reserued caried about and giuen to the lay people if leasure and time would permit me I could shewe most euidently proue The Arke of God also carried about the wales of Hierico with solemnity of trumpets whereby the munitions of the impious fell downe betokening this B. Sacrament the Arke of the liuing God with all honour solemnly carried in Procession with all jubely of harts melody of voyces grauity of the Ecclesiasticall and noble personages adorned with most precious attire and riche ornaments assisted vvith troupes of the deuout people of both sectes euerye one occupied in their degree some hanging the streetes and wales with cloath of their best Tapestrie and Aurice like the true Israelites that furnished the tabernacle and adorned Salomons temple with their riches and Iewells others with the deuout companies of the Iewes spread their garments in the waies and strew the streats with rushes herbes flowers palme boughs and fragment blossomes others like valiant souldiers of that worthye Gedeon carry vvith exultations torches and lightes in their handes and sound out with great solemnity and pleasant harmony the sacred bells materiall trumpets of Christ his Church and other musicall instruments others with holy Ioseph Nichodemus and those deuout woemen couer as is meete the most maiesticall and venerable Sacrament the most blessed bodye of our Lorde with their white and finest sindons and most precious Iewells others with all or with the greatest parte of their riches and posessions chiefly in the honour hereof haue erected Altars of the best marble siluer golde and precious sâ—ones and haue builded most magnificent temples in diuers nations of the world litle inferour to Salomons temple in greatnes but farre excceding it in true honor and glory by the pure gratfull and sincere worship of God in that healthfull Sacrisice In temples this diuine mistery is reserued in guilt tabernacle with lampe and light to the comfort of the faithfull and health of the sicke from hence in solemne procession it is caried in holye vessell and sacred hands through Church princely street and couered path young olde of all states degrees prostrating themselues in body and mind singing with ioyfull harts sweet coÌ„sent in voice with those deuout children of God Hosanna filio Ioh. 12. 13. Dauid blessed be he that commeth in the name of our Lord. And so the deuout army of God carying the banners displaied with the triumphant ensigne and standerd of the Crosse beseech him for Christ his sonnes sake there present al of one hart and accord that the rocks of sinne and walles of Satan may be pulled down that the people of God may haue true libertye the weedes of iniquitye may be rooted out true vertue may be exalted iustice executed God chieflye honoured and gloryfied in his people that so Christ resting in his sacred tabernacle remayning in his holy
doe their office and sacrifice at certaine times in the yeare euery one in his course did then for that time and a litle before abstayne from their wiues yet notwithstanding their sacrifice was without comparison nothing so noble as ours the Priest then of the new Testament that offereth vp dailye sacrifice most excellent that pure and B. lambe of god how pure ought that hart to be how vndefiled those hands how chast that body that offereth vp so noble and so vnspeakable amistery which because he alwaies daily doth and when conueniently he may ought to doe therefore ought he alwaies to abstaine from wife Besides that the cares of house wife children must needs distract deuide and withdraw mans mind that he cannot so attentiuely attend to spirituall things not so carefully looke ouer his flock nor so liberally feed the poore Chap. XXXVII That vowes may be lawfully and meritoriously made and ought to be kept and that Matrimony is a bande inseparable during life and wherein it consisteth HEretickes deny it to be lawfull to make vowes especially of Chastity but wee proue the contrary by Gods worde who biddes Vowe and render Psal 75. 12. or pay your vowes though in deede no man ought rashly to make vowes but with good aduise and consideration but once made they ought to be kept those that bee lawfull and in keeping them is greater meritte but yet we doe not so extol Virginity that wee condemne Matrimony but in all wee say with the Apostle saue those that haue vowed chastity Matrimony is honourable Heb. 13. 4. so there be no impediment yet many sinnes may be committed both in manner of the contract and after which I cannot stand to recken I say first that it is not lawfull for a Catholicke to contract matrimony with an heretike or infidell till they become both perfect Catholickes otherwise it is sinne neither can any within the fourth degree without lawfull dispensation contract matrimony otherwise it is no matrimony Likewise the women of al vowed Priests be not their wiues though so tearmed but the worst harlots and sacrilegious strumpets that may be saue incestuous Nunnes Which positions I coulde proue by authority diuine and humane as I haue done others if the shortnes of the time studying for breuity woulde permit me Moreouer in lawfull matrimony may many sinnes be committed more fit to be taught in Confessiō to be auoyded then set downe in this place For as a man may kill himselfe with his owne sworde so he may kill his soule with his owne wife therefore the holy Sacramēt of Matrimony is to be vsed with great reuerence and in the feare of God and chiefly for the honest procreation of childrē remembring that God and his holy Angels looke vpon them not in passione desiderii in the passion of vnlawfull desire like to the horse mule Psal 31. 9. in whom there is no vnderstāding as those 7 vnchast husbands of Sara did cōming Tob. 6. 17. to her for desire of the flesh only and not loue of children nor in the feare of God and therefore the first night euer before they came togither they were destroyed of the Diuell till holy Toby came that armed himselfe with fasting watching and prayer desiring only a holy generation before all carnall pleasure and so chased the Diuel away This Sacrament of Matrimony is chiefly made by the consent of the parties by wordes or sufficient signes when there is betwixt them no impediment to the contrary though without the parishe Priest and lawfull witnesses where the holy Councell of Trent is receaued cōsent of the parties betweene themselues is no matrimony at all in this Country those priuy matrimonies and contracts be euer sinne He that solemnizeth the matrimony ought to be a lawfull Catholicke Priest with jurisdiction for before that solemnizatiō they ought not to lie togither and though for any notorious fault of either of the parties there should be separation of bed or a perpetuall diuorse yet such is the vertue of this Sacrament in this lawe of grace that this knot of matrimony I say is so sure that during the parties life neither can marry any other otherwise according to the Euangelicall and Apostolike doctrine adultery is committed Nam Mat. 19. 7 quod Deus coniunxit homo non separet Many other things were to be said touching this Sacrament but I hasten to an ende Chap. XXXVII Of extreame Vnction that it is a Sacrament and ordeyned by Christ taught by S. Iames and practised by the Apostles and Apostolike men THe last Sacrament is extreame Vnction which was instituted by our Sauiour CHRIST as wee be taught by the tradition of the holy Church This to be a Sacrament the heretickes denie but vvee proue it by Gods worde and doctrine of the holy Apostle S. Iames. First this Sacrament beeing a sacred signe instituted in holy Oyle inwardlie conferring or giuing the vnction and grace of the holy Ghost as it was vndoubtedly ordeyned by Christ so was it by him our Sauiour insinuated or fortolde when he sent his Apostles and disciples to heale the diseased and annoynt them with Oyle Secondly it was practised as a Sacrament by the Apostles Mare 6. 13. as S. Iames teacheth exhorting it to be giuen to the sick If any saith hee amongst you be sicke let him bring in the Iacob 5. 14. Preists of the Church and let them pray ouer him annoynting him with oyle in the name of our Lorde and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lorde shall raise or lift him vp agame and if hee be in sinnes they shall be forgiuen him Lo you see here by the Apostles doctrine in this holy Oyle which wee call extreame Vnction or the last anoynting is the grace of God giuen Wherefore we are to beleue the holy Church founded in Christ and in the Apostolike doctrine teaching vs that it is a holy Sacrament and most expedient in sicknesse to bee vsed scoffe the heretickes neuer so much whose manner is when they want matter reason and authority to make supply by scoffes vvhome the holy Scripture calleth in deceptione illusores deceiptfull taunting 2. Pet. 3. 3. Masters Filium Dei ostentui habentes mocking the sonne of God treading vnder their feete his most precious and sacred bloud but wee may not forsake Gods truth for their scoffes The matter of this holy Sacrament is holy oyle consecrated by the Bishoppe the lawfull Minister hereof is a Priest and it is to be giuen to none but to those that bee sicke and likely of that sicknesse to die The two chiefe effects of this Sacrament be as apeareth by the words of S. Iames aboue said that a man if God thinke it expedient and most to his honour is restored to his former health and hath the greater merite and saluation wherby it appeareth that it ought not to be giuen to those that go to warre the Sea or
many And therfore whether the Priest or another giue you that be lay persons wyne in the Chalice or in some other â—up you must take it as no part of the Sacrament but as wyne only to wash your monthes that none of that holy Host the body of our Lord remayne in your mouth still for in the least part or particle of the holy Host is perfect Christ wholy his body bloud wherefore lay men receaue the Sacrament as fully that receaue vnder one kinde as the Priest doth that receiueth vnder both therefore lay people are to content themselues with the foode their holy Mother the Church giueth them who knoweth best how to feed her children and will giue them that which is meete and dispute no further For heretickes disputing for the Chalice to receaue it as well as Priests disputed so long that in the end they denyed body bloud all of Christ in the Sacrament from which damnable heresy and blasphemy God blesse all true Christians Chap. LXV Of fasting and the fruits thereof and how it hath bene vsed and commended by Christ and his Saints and how it is commanded vnder paine of sinne by the Church and to what persons how such as disobey the Church in this precept of fasting or any other disobey Christ. VVE read moreouer in holy Scripture fasting highâ—y coÌ„mended yea Moyses Elias our Sauiour fasted sorty daies insomuch that wheÌ„ any great graces were to be giuen to men or any reuelatioÌ„s or strange visions made to the Prophets it was commonly done to them in fasting Insomuch that looke as by eating we fell out of Paradise So by fasting Christ began our recouery againe affirming one Diuell there was that Mar. 9. 29. could not be cast out but by prayer and fasting Many other vertues there bee which I cannot stand to reckon as chiefly modesty temperance liberality and the like that followe of fasting whereas drunkennesse and belly cheere is the nurse of all vice and destruction of body and soule When as then fasting is so highly commended the holy Church seeing the slacknesse and indeuotion of some that would neuer fast vnlesse they were commanded and besides that all thinges might be done in order and that we may to our greater fruit and merit as all members of one body suffer altogither and ioyne our selues togither in fasting hath ordayned the lent forty daies fast by the example of Christ and very tradition of the Apostles Likewise in England onr custome bindeth vs to fast Fridaies and abstayne from flesh on Satterdayes So likewise the Church commandeth at foure times in the yeare to fast that so by prayer and fasting not only the holy Ghost may be more plentifully powred downe vpon them that then receaue holy orders but also that we may pay to God at such times tithes of our bodies and soules in thanksgiuing for fruits of the earth fruits of his grace as wee doe in the Crosse or rogation weeke with solemne procession which or the like S. Gregory vsed in Rome against plague and pestilence as this rogation weeke was first ordayned by another holy Bishop to that end and after receaued of the whole Church to pray for the liuing and the dead and to arme vs against all incursions of the Diuell both bodily and ghostly As for the ember daies so called of our ancient forefathers in this country because of those fasting daies meÌ„ eate bread baked vnder embers or ashes these solemne feasts I say at foure times in the yeare haue beene in vse aboue these thousand yeares as by S. Leo it euidently appeareth and as may be proued by many other ancient Fathers and so solemnly kept in the Church for such good purposes as aboue said So likewise many other Eues of our Lady the Apostles Martirs are to be obserued of great antiquity and most ancient custome teaching vs thereby that as by fasting the Eues of Saints here we must keepe holy the daies after that is their feasts in earth so by penance patience and long sufferance in the day or shorte time of this life wee after may keepe a festiuall day that is possesse eternall ioy and glory with God and his Saints in the kingdome of heauen Yet shee as a discreete mother commaundeth none to fast but as they may for shee beareth with poore labouring men that are not able with fasting to worke those the Church doth not constrayne though of deuotion in our country the poore plough-man after his manner would fast as deuoutly as Priest or King and doe his worke neuerthelesse The holy Church likewise beareth with children old folkes sicke folkes women with child or with any such that haue lawful impediment though it be meete they do it with leaue of the Priest These holy feasts lolhards heretiks spightfully breake in despight of the Church but as often as they doe it they offend deadly For Christ our Redeemer and law-giuer as he commendeth fasting by his word and example though he set downs in the Gospell written no prescript daies or certaine daies of fasting yet he in the Gospel expresly commandeth vs to heare and obey the holy Catholike Church who vpon due consideration as I saide setteth downe certaine daies and times of fasting which Church whosoeuer wil not obey he disobeyeth christ who biddeth vs account such a disobedient person that wil Mat. 18. 17. not heare the Church no better then a heathen man Now therefore then as I said before the holy Church commandeth vs to fast on such and such daies which commandement of hers whosoeuer breaketh he breaketh Christs commandement that biddeth vs obey his Church and therefore heretickes that breake fasting daies and lent commanded to be fasted by Christs holy church yea and that of contempt are to bee accounted no better then Heathens Turkes though it be not the meate as vncleane that entreth into the mouth but the disobedience in will and act that displeaseth God and hurteth the soule Chap. LXVI Of traditions whereof they came and what they be of what authority and that by tradition and and authority of the Church wee know the Scriptures to be the word of God which be euer most reuerently preserued by Catholickes but euill vnderstood corrupted yea some quite razâ—d out by Heretickes THE like is to be said of those that of spight breake any of the rest of the holy canons statutes and precepts of the Church as those that marry out of due season heare not or desire not to heare Masse on the Sundaies when they can and will not come to it and the like For Infidels likewise those are to be accounted that will not beleeue and follow the traditions of the Church which heretickes scoffe at and yet S. Paul saith stand and holde the traditions 2. Thes 2. 15. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Ioh. 2. 3. Ioh vlt. vers 25. which either you haue learned by our speach or writing Yea S. Iohn in the holy Gospell
charity with vs That offer open hostility against vs in word deede and in euery libell they make or paltry sermon they preach Fye vpon such hipocrisy fye vpon such fained charity Iesu preserue all true beleeuers froÌ„ such a châ—rch as heretiks haue now deuised from such a peace or pacification which they pretend Qui enim paris fideli cum infideli qut qâ—â— conuentio Christi ad Belial aut quis consensus templi Dei cum Idolis and peace is to those only that beleeue truly in God to those that haue stedfast trust in him to those that louing him aboue all things liue in vnity peace by perfect charity with their neighbors all which firme bonds to tie themselues with vs because heretikes want therefore as long as they contyneu in this state they can haue no portion with vs nor in the lande of the liuing nam non est pax impâ—is dicit Dominus would GOD therefore they would truly and vnfaynedly seeke to be one with vs which to our griefe vnspeakeable losse to them selues they haue first â—orsaken that so we might be one with them most ioyfully should they be imbraced of vs yea to winne them to this we would aduenture our liues spare no labour perrill nor paynes yea with many heauy sighes teares câ—ying to our sweete blessed Lord Iesus that he would moue their harts to come now at length least it wil be to late we beseech them for the loue of Christ with the holy Apostle to be reconciled to God by doing true penance without which alas they shall certaynlie perrish euermore We humbly beseech them to be sorry for their enormious crymes to recant abiure their heresies and so with al humility of hart minde sweetely to imbrace the crosse of Christ which so long they haue bene professed enimies of And this is the ordinarie meaÌ„es they must vse if euer they wil be members of one Church with vs or bee saued in the vnity of which church our blessed Lorde speedely in graffe them I humbly beseech him though it were with the effusion of my bloud to their endles good and glory of his name And here now finally I instaÌ„tly beseech all good Catholiks with due thanks giuing to be ioyfull in God and constant in that true faith and Catholike Church out of which to our coÌ„fort and confirmation wee see our very aduersaries confesse none caÌ„ be saued in which true Church of ours I say though our enemies by force of truth confes we may be saued yet alas they liuing and dying out of the same we know most certainly they shal be damned yea by their owne judgmeÌ„t confessioÌ„ O how happy had they bin if neuer they had brokeÌ„ downe the wall by forsaking that vnity vnto which vnles they returne againe they caÌ„ neuer imbrace charity nor enjoy grace nor glory O Lord then open their eies that they may see for without thee they may and haue fallen but without thee they can neuer see nor finde the meanes to arise againe grant vs al grace theÌ„ we beseech thee most bountifull Sauiour that we that by thy special grace be called of thee froÌ„ amongst many lost sheepe to be of thy flock seruants in thy house workmen in thy vineyard meÌ„bers of thy misticall body the Cath Church may euer be so thankfull to thee in souÌ„d vertue pure life conuersation for our state and gratious vocation that hauing no other thing as of our selues to rejoyce and glory in but that wee are thy meÌ„bers O B. Iesu which thou hast redeemed with thy pretious bloud that I say we are thy flesh bloud meÌ„bers of that body whereof thou art the head we may so answere by thy grace to this high and heauenly vocation happy state that being worthy fruitful meÌ„bers of thy body here in earth wee may for euer after this life see thy face in glory Amen Laus Deâ— I. ✚ R. Finis THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS CONTEYned in this Booke CHap. 1. Of thâ— truâ— way to Saluation pag. 1. chap. 2. Of th◠〈◊〉 certaine note of the true Church pag. 17. chap. 3. Of the second certaine note of the true Church pag. 27. chap. 4. Of the third certaine note of the true Church pag. 33. chap. 5. Of the fourth certaine note of the true Church pag. 45. chap. 6. Of some other signes and tokens of the true Catholicke Church c. how without it none can be saued pag. 52. chap. 7. Of the SacrameÌ„ts in general p. 68. chap. 8. What a Sacrament is of the effects of tho Sacraments and why they were ordeyned pag. 71. chap. 9. Of the holy SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme and of the necessity thereof pag. 75. chap. 10. How necessary fâ—uitful Christs passioÌ„ is to al that follow him in patieÌ„ce good works how by Baptâ—sme the vertue therof is appliâ—d to cur soules pag. 81 chap. 11. Declaring what Baptisme is that Baptisme remitteth all sinnes hoâ— it truly iustifieth vs. pag. 84. chap. 12. Of the impiety and abuse of heretikes about Baptisme pag. 90. chap. 13. Of the holy Sacrament of Confirmation pag. 95. chap. 14. Of the holy Sacrament of Penance and of the three parts thâ—reof of the necessity thereof to all sinners aftâ—r Baptisme pag. 100. chap. 15. That Confession of our sinnes to a lawfull Priest is necessary pag. 107. chap. 16. Of Confâ—ssion more in particulâ—r and of some sinnes against the first second commandement pag. 113. chap. 17. Of the rest of the commandemeÌ„ts and of some sinnes against them to be coÌ„fesled to the Priest pag. 118. chap. 18. Declaring what sinne is and how grieuous in the sight of God and how seuerely it is and shall bee punished for euer pag. 124. chap. 19. Of the great ingratitude of man to God by sinne and that there is a difference of sins with an exhortatiâ— to Confession amâ—dment by penance p. 131. chap. 20. Of whome tâ—e Saâ—rament of Penance was ordeyned and that Priestes haue authority giuen them by Christ to forgiue sinnes and of the matter forme and effect of Penance pag. 136. chap. 21. Of the most blessed Sacrament and sacrifice of Christs body and Bloud substantially really and truly vpon the Altar pag. 142. chap. 22. That Heretikes which deny Christs body in the Sacrament â—uacuate the fruits of Christs death and Passion in mens soules and prepare the way to Antechrist pag. 148. chap. 23. Wherein is declared that wee ought as really as truly to receaue his Body with our mouthes to health saluatioÌ„ as Adam did eate the forbideÌ„ apple to death and damnation pag. 152. chap. 24. Of the excellencie of the most blessed Sacrament and in what respect it is called a sacrament signe or figure yet is the very thing it selfe which it beto keneth pag. 181. chap. 25. Declaring how it implieth not contradiction that Christ is in heauen and in the Sacrament in many places
at once but only declareth an infinite and almighty power of God and that diuine honour is due hereunto pag. 226. chap. 26. Of the B. sacrament of the Altar shewing how conueniently it was ordayned for our reparatioÌ„ what preparatioÌ„ we ought to make to the same p. 262 chap. 27. Of the Manna the paschall Lamb and other figures of the B. sacrament pag. 269. chap. 28. Wherein is touched how this sacrament is also a sacrifice daily vnbloudely offered by Priests propitiatory for the quicke the dead that it is the only saerifice whereby God is chiefly honoured and worshipped pag. 274. chap. 29. Of the great loue and humility of Christ in this B. sacrament of the deuotion of Christians of olde towardes the same pag. 281. chap. 30. Contayning a briefe recapitulation of things touched in the treatifâ— of this sacrament declaring that lay persons be not dâ—frauded of the bloud of Christ nor healthfull fruit of the sacrameÌ„t in receiuieg vnder one kind p. 288. chap. 31. Of holy Order what it is by whomâ— it was ordayned and of howe many degrees it consisteth and that no man rashly without due consideration ought to take vpon him the same pag. 305. chap. 32. Of the higher orders and hoâ—e necessary by Gods ordinance one head is ouer the rest pag 309. chap. 33. Of Gods seuere punishment of dâ—uers for arrogating to them-selues Priestly office and howe wee are to obay our Pastors pag. 318. chap. 34. Of the goodly order of the Clergy and Monarchy of the Church and of the Anarchy and disorderly confusion of heretikes pag. 325. chap. 35 Wherein is more at large described the Babilonicall confusion of sinne and heresie how God hath blessed this Couâ—try of old for honour obedience to the Church Priesthood pag. 330. chap. 36. Of Matrimony and what it is and when it was ordayned of the chiefe good ende effect thereof how Virginity is preferred before it also of vowed chastity annexed to priesthood p. 336 chap. 37. That vowes may be lawfully meritoriously made and ought to be kept and that Matrimony is a bande inseparable during life and wherein it consisteth pag. 342. chap. 38. Of extreame Vnction that it is a Sacrament and ordeyned by Christ taught by S. Iames practised by the Apostles and Apostolike men pag. 345. chap. 39. Touching briefly by the way the matter of Iustification and by whome howe we be iustified pag. 350. chap. 40 Of Predestination and that as no man is saued without Gods grace So no man shall bee damned without his owne fault and that wee mâ—st not curiously dispute hereof pag. 357. chap. 41. That man hath free will that Gods Commandements are possible to be kept that euery one must work his saluation with feare trembling pag. 361. chap 42. Of Christs descending into Hell of the intollerable blasphemy of heretikes against Christ in this point pag. 365 chap. 4â— Of Purgatorie what sort of people be therein punished and for what mâ—nner of sinnes defects they be there detained and thâ—t Prayer Sacrifice Almes-deeds and the like bee healthfull for the departed pag. 367. chap. 44. More at large of Purgatory prayer for the dead how heretikes noâ— only corrupt but deny thâ— playne scripturs in avouching the contrary pag. 371. ch 45. Of PardoÌ„s what they are wherof they come in what sort they be auaileable both for the liuing the dead p. 376 chap. 46. By what meanes Pardons may be applyed to our soules and that we must iustly doe that which is appointed vs to be pertakers of the same pag. 380. chap. 47. Of Excommunication how dreadfull a thing it is how heretikes being excommunicated in the higbest degree their excommunication of others is ridiculous contemptible pag. 384. chap. 48 Of some abuses about Pardons and of the late reformation of the same and of the couetous humors of English Ministers pag. 385. chap. 49. Exhorting all to doe their Penance meekely heere and not to trust to much to the helpe and praiers of their friendes left behinde pag. 387. chap. 50. Of Pilgrimage proued by examples of Christ his seruants pa. 390. chap. 51. Of the reliques of Saints reuerently to be vsed and kept of miracles wrought by meanes of them pag. 392. chap. 52. Of honour inuocation of Saints and how Saints pray for vs may heare and releeue vs by their prayers as also that our prayers to Saints their intercession for vs is no iniury but glory to Christ ouâ— Mediator pag. 397. chap. 53. Declaring how God for his holy seruants sakes heareth our prayers and how the holy Fathers of olde prayed to Saints pag. 403. chap. 54. Touching by the way the blessed Virgin our Lady and the iniuries done vnto her pag. 406. chap. 55. Of Images and of the Crosse of Christ and of the reuerende laudable vses of the same pag. 409. chap. 56. Of Seruice in the Latin tongue and how meete conuenient it is that the Scriptures be reserued seruice said in the auncient sacred tongues pag. 413 chap. 57. Wherein the Apostles wordes touching praying and preaching in vnknowne tongues are expounded and of the goodlye order of the Churches seruice praâ—ing singing praising God night and day in her cannonicall houres feastes and times of the yeare pag. 421. chap. 58. Of the Beades of the fifteenâ— misteries of thâ— Râ—sary or our Ladies Psalter of the great good spiritual fruit by deuout saying the same pag. 424. chap. 59. Of the Aue Maria how it is a most deuout prayer gratefull to God ioyfull to Angelles terrible to the Diuel most healthfull and comfortable to all mankinde pag. 427. chap. 60. Of diuers holy ornaments and thinges belonging to the Church as of lightes in churches of Insence Dedication of churches and such like godly ceremonies pag. 429. chap. 61. Of Religious persons of their sanctity leaâ—ning and perfection of life and of the vo â—es of pouerty châ—stity and obedience which make a religioâ—s man and of the heauy in â—gemeâ—t of God to vowe bâ—eakers how our Lady vowed virginity pag. 433. chap. 6â— Of holy Water and how creatures being blessed by the word of God miracles sometimes by the same be wroughâ— to the expelling of Diuels and confâ—rmation of Christian religion pag. â—40 chap. 63. Of holy Bread giuen the people iâ— remembrance of that most blessed Sacrament and in sâ—me sort taught vs by Christ in those lâ—aues blessed aâ—â— multiplyed by him in the desert pag. 442. chap. 64. Of receâ—uing vnder one kinde aâ—d how the same frâ—ite is reaâ—ed by onâ— kinde as by both anâ— that peace vnity and charity is the ende of this blessed Sacrament pag. 444. chap. 65. Of fasting the fruits therof how it hath beâ—e vsed coâ—â—â—nded by Christ his Saints how it is commanded vnder paine â—f sin by the church to â—hat persons how such as disobey the Church in this precept of fasting or any other disobey Christ. pag. 447. chap. 66. Of traditions whereof they câ—me what they be of what authority that by tradition and authority of the Church we knoâ— the Scriptures tâ— bâ— the word of Gâ—â— which be eâ—er most reuereâ—tly preseâ—ued by Catholickes â—ut euill vnderstood corrupted yea sâ—me quite razed â—ut by Heretikes pag. 452. chap. 67. Of God that he is one in substance and three in persons and of the horrible blaspheamy of heretikes and Athistes against his diuine Maiestie pag. 457. chap. 68. Of Hell and of the iust punishments therein for sinne without release for euermore pag. 459. chap. 69. Of Heauen which worldlinges contemne how we may obtaine it and of the glorious and most happy estate of the body with the soule for euer after the generall resurrection pag. 462. chap. 70. Of the Pope that he is the Vicar of Christ and lawfull successor of Saint Peter pag. 465. chap. 71. What most admirable vertuous holy zealous and most worthy and charitable men many Popes haue beene of old and of late yeares also euen to this present day pag. 468. chap. 72. Wherefore he weareth his Crowne is borne of meÌ„s shoulders suffereth deuout persons to kisse his foote p. 472 chap. 73. Why heretikes haue euer slaundered the Pope and how God turneth their malice to the benefitte of his elect and how herâ—tikes be forâ—runners of Antichrist and of Christs victory ouer his enemies in his Church pag. 475. chap. 74. Of the assistantes of the Pope as first of his Cardinals and why they be so called also of religious men Priests and Godly men of this time that dyed Martirs and of the dying obstinately of heretikes pag. 479. chap. 75. Of Antechrists forerunners of his false lying signes deceits of his intollerable Luciferian pride subtility and short raigne though most violent persecution of his life birth death and ministers pag. 483. chap. 76. How the Diuell Antechrist be compared to that monstrous serpentinâ— tayled Dragon drawing numbers with them into euerlasting perdition and that one certaine man Antechrist is yet to come though hee hath many fore-runners pag. 486. chap. 77. In a fewewords touching the chiefe matters that haue beene spoken in this treatise how the vnlearned especially in matters of religion ought too leaue disputes and simply to beleeue the truth founding themselues in Christ and in the Catholike Church pag. 490 chap. 78. Against Schisme that it is altogither vnlawfull and forbidden vnder pame of daÌ„natioÌ„ to goe to the churches of heretiks or schismatiks to their prayers sermons sacramâ—ts spirituall exercises or many sort directy or indirectly to coÌ„municate participate yeeld consent or assent to the same also a precaution is giueÌ„ to beware of dissembling Catholiks which indeede are Schismatiks pag. 495. chap. 79. Admonishing to amendment of life seing the time â—s short and the houre of death vncertaine when as ignorance shall excuse no man pag. 517. chap. 80. How though euery one ought to be prepared to suffer yet none ought rashly to cast themselues into teÌ„ptation but if â—e be called thereunto then we ought to be most glad to suffer as beeing Gods caâ—se we suffer for pag. 525. A short treatise against Adiaphorists Neuters and such as say they may be saued in any sect or religion and would make of many diuers sects one Church pag. 537. FINIS
grace the sweet liâ—our of his holie Sacraments without this Church of Christ no saluatioÌ„ can be found this Church is worthily called the ship of S. Peter out of which whosoeuer at death shall be found shal bee ouerwhelmed without all doubt in those flouds of eternall damnation For as at Noes floud none were saued but those only that were in the Arke eight persons euen so we cannot pas through the Sea of this troublesome world nor arriue to the sure haueÌ„ of rest with god in his kingdome vnlesse we saile in Noe and Saint Peters ship Christs holy Church which church is nothing else but a congregation of al faithfull people liuing in one faith or vnity of beleif vnder Christ their head his Vicar the cheif Pastor of our souls Saint Peters successor heare in earth keeping that faith and beliefe that Christ and his Apostles taught and hath beene euer openlie preached in Christs Church without intermission euen from Christs Assention vnto this day shal be so without faile euen to the end of the worlde For against his Mat. 16 Church Christ promised The gates of hel that is the Diuel and al his power that is al Infidels Turkes Iewes Heretâ—kes Schismatikes should neuer preuaile but the true Catholike church hath more manifestly shall haue in the end the vpper hand though for a time for our sins in this and other countries it hath beene sore persecuted and oppressed yet can it neuer be vanquished or suppressed because Christes worde shall neuer faile who promised to be with it and assist it with his holy spirit to the end of the world Nay the more it is persecuted the more in the end it will florish as the vine that is pruned afterward bringeth out branches more perfectly and more plentifull fruit This ship of Saint Peter hath bin sore tossed with stormes of persecution froÌ„ time to time but yet by the good guiding of Christ her head neuer ouerwhelmed How sore was it shaken when Nero that bloudy tirant and persecuting Emperour slew the chief Captaines therof Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Rome in which city now Christs Religion by his special grace and by the merits praiers of these Apostles most florisheth What bloudy battailes afterward made Domitian Diocletian and rhe rest of those persecuting Kings and Emperours against the same Church slaying by thousands of ChristiaÌ„s in one day The Arrian Heritickes aboue a thousand yeares agoe that denied the Son of God to be of the same substance with his father as the Heretickes of our time now deny him though not altogither alike but in another manner and in another article of our beliefe according to his worde to be heare with vs in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar Those that were true Christian Catholickes especially Bishopps Preists were for the truth by them persecuted with fire and sword both by Sea and land Yet by the valiant death and constancie of Martirs and worthy Confessours who were robbed spoiled of goods landes liberties and liues by long imprisonment death as many in this countrie for the same cause now be they in the end obtayned ouer the enimies of the truth the victorie that euen in those very places where greatest persecution bloodshed was for the truth there afterward was of all sorts of people greatest confession of the truth Churches and houses of prayer being raised in those very places where many Martirs were hanged shed their blood the bloody persecutor dying and being buried in hell in eternal obliuion The glorious Martir now triumpheth and reioyceth with God in Heauen with perpetuall praise and memory of his name here on earth When the ghospel in this country was first preached a blessed man harboured Amphibo lâ—s by Saint Albon nere to Christs time that blessed Martir for his receipt of Christs messenger and for becoming a Christian shed his bloud and yet in that very place was afterward a goodly Abbey built where Christ was serued both day and night and the towne of Saint Albons as of whome it tooke the name for many hundred yeares honoured God in him in that place who before as a traitor and enimie to the Realme and state they put to death Afterward about a thousand years agoe when Saint Augustine the Moncke was sent by Saint Gregorie then Pope of Rome to restore preach christs faith and religion here amongst English men then a mongst the Britons in some sort partly decaied for sinne as now in a great part of the whole Isle it is if not worse in manie mens hartes though God bee thanked a Church though litle poore and afflicted wee haue still manye mockes buffets and blowes that holy Moncke with the rest of his fellowes had before they could recall this Country to the right way of saluation The storme against them was sharp for a time But afterwardes with long patience Christ bad the winde cease and there became a great calme The Church of England hauing great tranquility flourishing after in religion virtue almost a thousand years togither till wicked Luther a many of his fellowes runagate Friers and forsakers of their order and religion for the desire they had to liue as they lust in al liberty pleasures of the flesh broched a new gospel I would say raised vp a moÌ„strous storme of heresy infidelity troubling the peace of the christian world quite ouerthrowing the coÌ„mon state of ReligioÌ„ here in our Country till it please God to bid the raging storme cease which no doubt hewil do wheÌ„ it semeth best to his good wil pleasure who after a storme sendeth faire weather when he hath beaten his children wel knoweth to cast the rod into the fire in the meane time in this perilous storme it behoueth vs to bee well armed least we be ouerwhelmed with al vertues but first cheifly with true faith and religion Chap. II Of the first certaine note of the true Church WHerfore because heretiks the enimies of truth deceiue simple soules vnder the shewe of truth glory of the Church as though they only were true meÌ„bers of the same which notwithstaÌ„ding they oppugn pul down Therfore the first note wherby you may knowe the true church of Christ froÌ„ the Church of Satan is this that the Church of God is called Catholike which word Catholike is deriued froÌ„ the Greeke and in Latine is asmuch as vniuersalis that is vniuersall and generall common as it were to al true beleuers of all nations so that the true Church of Christ is commonly called the Catholike church or at least knowne The proper etimologie of this word Catholik is vniuersall or generall of all sorts so to be called as we are taught in our Creed to beleue the holy Catholike Church so that true ChristiaÌ„ beleuing men are commonly called catholikes those that be deuided from this knowne common faith and Church of Christ in