entreth not into their stomackes I meen into their solues ther to fede them and make them lustie and fatte that yt maie appeare in their faces in their outwarde conuersacion and godlie liuing Theise be the verie wasters in dede not wourthie to haue accesse to treasure houses storehouses and places of plentie Some other likewise lacking grace and discrecion abuse thinges of plentie As the father leauing to the Sonne great treasure for the mainteināce of his liuing and the mercifull releiuing of soche as haue nede the sonne abuseth and absumeth the same in mainteining of quarrells Suites contencions and molestations of his bretheren and other for whiche cause better yt had ben that soche treasure had ben deliuered vnto him as he had neded yt to helpe his necessitie than he hauing the libertie of the wholl wickedlie shoulde abuse yt Euen so men withoute grace and discrecion hauinge libertie to come to the treasure of the scripturs wher yt was geuen them to good vse as to maintein the godlie life that they shoulde lead in Christ and by counsell to relieue thē that haue nede of yt they abuse yt to Scisme and Heresie wherby cometh contencion Sectes and diuision to the great molestacion of their christen bretheren Wherfore were yt not better that this treasure were deliuered vnto them by soche as God hath appointed and so to vse yt well then hauing libertie of the wholl to abuse all Howsoeuer then this Proclamer to winne the people by flatterie wolde haue the scriptures common to all sortes yet as to the auncient Fathers yt hath appeared the best waie that yt shoulde be deliuered So shall our miserable experience teach vs at the last that yt ys the best waie Valdo a man alltogether vnlearned hauing a desire to cōme into this storehouse of God caused certain bookes of the scripture to be translated Valdo whiche he reading withoute vnderstanding fell into diuerse heresies and became an Authour of heresie hauing many foloweing as his Secte which Valdenses siue Pauperes de Lugduno were called after his name Valdenses and by an other name Pauperes de Lugduno the poor men or people of Lions Oute of the same fountain of ignorance saieth Alfonsus sprang an other sorte of Heretikes called Begradi Turelupini men plainlie ignorante and clere Begardi Turelupini withoute all learning All whiche mens errours proceaded of a peruerse sense and wrong vnderstanding of the scriptures whiche they through ignorance mixed with malice framed to them selues according to their phansies Nowe Reader hauing heard the mindes of the great learned and holie Fathers of the Churche as touchinge the difficultie of the scriptures the Luther ād zuīg their straunge doctrines Luther in Assertiō reading also and vnderstanding of the same of whom also and at whose handes ye must learne the vnderstanding of them what trueth ys to be thought in Luther and Zuinglius whiche so plainlie to the contrarie arrogantlie affirme the scriptures to be easie and plain for all men to vnderstand make yt free for all men to read and expowde them teache that not onelie men but also womē maye openlie preache the woorde of God And for the mainteinance of the same most wickedlie auouche all chrysten men and women to be preistes and to all theise mischeiuouse and wicked heresies adde this most pestilent heresie that as well a childe and a woman absolueth as the Bishoppe O Lord how manifestlie repugnante be theise pestiferouse assertions vnto the scriptures howe moche confownding and breaking the orde of the catholique Churche howe farre dissenting from all the holie Fathers Luther cōtrarie to himself yea and in some of theise how moche dothe Luther dissent from him self In one booke he teacheth as ys saied before that ther ys no difficultie in lib. de seruo arbitrio Luthers prowdbragges and lies the scriptures and boasting himself to be ignorant in no parte of them provoketh all men to bring him anie one place that he can not expownde This ys one mete to be an Heresiarch in Satans Sinagog that to gett him credite with his disciples extolleth him self with Luciferane pride accōpanied with falshood and lieng euen vnto the heauens But saincte Augustine endewed with an other Spirit and depressing and making himself lowe saieth of himself thus Fateor me in scripturis Dei plura nescire quam scire I acknowledge miself not to knowe mo thinges in the scriptures of God then to knowe Thus saieth saincte Augustin And yt ys easie for all men to iudge that betwixt theise two their ys no comparison whether ye haue respecte to excellencie of learning or sanctimony of lief But what trueth ys yn this saieng of Luther his owne woordes in an Luther in praefatione super psalmos other place shall be iudge thus he saieth Quocirca ingenuè me confiteri oportet me ignorare an legitimam habeam psalmorum intelligentiam wherfor I must francklie confesse that I am ygnorant whether I haue the lawfull vnderstanding of the psalmes or no. And a litle after that he saieth again Scio impudentissimae temeritatis eum esse qui audeat profiteri vnum librum scripturae à se in omnibus partibus intellectum I knowe him to be saieth Luther of most impudent Luther speaketh diuerselie as though he were not one but two diuerse mē rashnesse or foolish blodnesse that dare saie that he vnderstandeth anie one booke of the scripture in all partes Conferr theise two saienges with his other sentence before and then iudge of the Spirit of the man wolde ye not thinke them the sainges raither of two men the one sobre and the other drunke or the one sobre and the other stark madde When I conferred him in his first saing with saincte Augustin yt semed to me that I hearde Goliath and Dauid the condicions of the parties so well resembled eche other Neuerthelesse howe wicked so euer his Spirit and doctrine ys ther haue ben and yet be to manie that embrace and folowe the same For haue not The peoples arrogante irreuerēcia to diuiue matters the people vpon this persuasion of the easinesse of the scriptures taken a great boldnesse to read and dispute of the highest and hardest matters of all the scriptures Wil they not dispute and determine in predestinacon Ys yt not a common matter almost at euerie meting that man hath no free will Do not the Tauerns sownde of iustificacion Are not Barbre Shopps Schooles teaching God to be cause of Sinne doo not Innes and Alehouses swarme with disputers of the Sacramentes Howe manie ther be what ys the force of them what ys the Sacrament of the Altare what ys the woorthinesse of yt And what yt conteineth Do not the mouthes of women boies and Girles breath oute most filthie stincking and abhominable Blasphemie against this blessed Sacrament and the ministracon of the same in streetes high waies and feldes Ah Lord ys this the reuerence that aught to be geuen to the
iste testis est qui etiamnum inter clinodia Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae asseruatur In the time of the good gouernement of the church of Constantinople by The historie of a woman that for the Sac. receaued a stone Iohn Chrysostome a certain man of the heresie of the Macedonians had a wief of the same opinion This man when he had hearde Iohn Chrysostom teaching what was to be thought of God he commended his doctrine and exhorted his wief that she also shoulde be of his minde But when she did more regarde the woordes of noble women then his conuersacion or maner in saithe and after manie admonicions her husbande had doen no good in her he saied vnto her Except in the matters of God thowe be a companion withe me thowe shalt not hereafter be a partaker of liuing with me The woman when she had heard this and had dissimulatelie promised to consent vnto him she tolde the matter to a certain woman seruant whom she iudged to be trustie vnto her whose helpe she vsed to begile her husbande Aboute the time of the mysteries they that be taught the faith knowe what I saie she keping still that she had taken falleth downe as though she wolde praie This womā recaaued vnder one kinde onelie Her woman seruant standing by her geueth vnto her priueily that she had brought in her hande which thing when she had putte to her teeth yt congealed into a stone The woman being astoined fearing least some euell shoulde happen her for that thing which by Gods power had chaunced she goeth with spede to the Bishoppe and accusing her self she sheweth the stone hauinge yet the markes or printes of her bitinge and shewing an vnknowen matter and a merueillouse coloure and withall desiering with teares forgeuenesse she promiseth to agree to her husbande Yf this thing seeme to anie man incredible this stone ys witnesse of the matter whiche vntill this daie ys kept in the Churche of Constantinople As this historie ys notable so for the pourpose yt ys euident that the Sacrament was ministred vnder one kinde that was vnder the forme of breade For the woman takinge that in her hand and not minding to receaue yt kept that still and tooke some other thing of her seruant to eate and so thought to haue begiled her husbande so their was but one kinde receaued To be short as of the learned yt ys testifieth the maner of receauing vnder one kinde whiche ys vsed in all the latin Churche vpon good fridaie on The maner of receauīg vnder one kinde vpon good fridaie vsed in the primitiue Churche whiche daie the preist receaueth the host consecrated vpon Mawndie Thursdaie hath ben so vsed from the primitiue Churche Wherbie as by that that ys before saied also yt doeth well appeare that the receauing vnder one kinde hath ben practised in the primitiue Churche notwithstanding the false reporte of the Proclamer Wherfore Reader be not deceaued with soche bragges of vntrueth For though he hath saied yt he neither doeth nor can prooue yt but stand thowe to the doctrine of the catholique Churche who what she teacheth she prooued to be true as by this matter thowe doest perceaue Thus hauing nowe ended the scriptures of the Gospell with thankes to God we ende this seconde booke praing that yt maie be to his honour and to the profitte of the Readers Amen THE THIRDE BOOK THE FIRST CHAPITER ENTRETH BY PREface into the first text of saincte Paule that toucheth the Sacrament and expwndeth yt according to the letter DIdymus of whome for that he was a famouse learned man sainct Hierom desiered to be taught and instructed in his firste booke of the holie Gost whiche worke ys translated by sainct Hierom considering howe great a matter yt was to treacte of li. 1. de Spiritu sancto Diuine thinges are with reuerence anc diligence to be hādled diuine thinges and that therfor they aught with reuerence to be vsed he saieth thus Omnibus quidem quae diuina sunt cum reuerentia vehementi cura oportet intendere We must with reuerence and great care diligentlie looke vnto all thinges that be diuine Wherfore mindinge by Gods ayde to proceade in treacting of the blessed Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Chryst and of the presence of the same our Sauiour Iesus Chryst werie God and verie man in that Sacrament with other matters therunto apperteining whiche be in deed diuine matters I wish not onelie vnto my self in the writing but also to the reader in the reading that reuerence that to eche of vs apperteineth Before in the beginning of the first booke And for my parte considering what I haue allreadie writen as concerning the holie scriptures that they be harde and darke so that as sainct Hierom saieth Sine praeuio monstrante semitam ingredi non possumus withoute a fore guyde and a shewer we can not entre the right path of them And for somoche also as ther ys the more pitie so great controuersie of the matter to be treacted of I will not be so rashe and irreuerent to the scriptures Jrē li. 3. ca 4. to handle them wrest them and abuse them after mine owne phantasie but I will as Irenaeus aduertiseth haue recouerse to the eldest churches and learn of them the truth and true mening of soche scriptures as be called in question aboute the matter of the said Sacrament of the whiche I Doubtes in controuersies wher to be dissolued shall nowe treacte Quid enim si quando de aliqua quaestione modica deceptatio esset nonne in antiquissimas oportet recurrere ecclesias in quibus Apostoli conuersati sunt ab eis de praesenti quaestione sumere quod certum rei liquidum est What yf at anie time ther be a deceptacion of a litle matter must we not runne or haue recourse to the eldest churches in the whiche the Apostles were conuersant and of them to take that that ys certen and plain Thys Ibidem holie Father geueth so moche vnto the auncient Fathers that yf ther were no scriptures he saieth we shoulde folowe the ordre of tradicion whiche the Apostles haue deliuered vnto them Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis quem tradiderunt his quibus committebant ecclesias What saith Irenaeus yf neither the Apostles had lefte vs scriptures did yt not behoue vs to folowe the order of Tradicion yt to be folowed tradition whiche they deliuered vnto those to whome they committed the churches Thus Irenaeus In whiche sentence of this holie Martyr we are not onelie taught that we aught to repare to the Fathers to haue our doubtes dissolued and so to learn of them howe the Scriptures are to be vnderstanded but also for tradicions that be not written in the scriptures for the reporte of whiche as wel as for soche as be in the scriptures
two significacions of the Sonne and of the holie Gost and to the washing of the Soule from sinne by grace geuen in the ministracion of the same Sacrament yet the wholl ministracion and praiers aswell before batisme as after vsed in the same by a generall significacion ys called Baptisme So ys the consecracion and oblacion of the bodie of Chryst with all praiers and Ceremonies either going before or folowing the same by generall significacion called Masse This breif description of the Masse being made let vs examin the partes of yt whiche of them or howe manie of thē be against the woorde of God and the example or practise of the primatiue Church as yt ys pretended that yt maie be perceaued what iust cause the Proclamer hath so moche to exclame against the Masse The first parte ys consecracion This parte for that by yt ys taught the Parts of the Masse presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode whiche the Proclamer can not abide ys one cause why he reiecteth the Masse But howe iustly he doth it yt maie be perceaued through oute all this booke in which ys prooued the presence whiche the catholique Church teacheth and the figure ys improued whiche the Aduersary mainteineth An other parte ys oblacion or sacrifice wherin the Churche offreth Chryst to God the Father according to the commaundement of the same owne maister Chryst in the memoriall of his passion and deathe That this parte ys not against the scriptures and the holy Fathers yt ys allready proued in the declaracion of the prophecies of Melchisedech Daniel and Malachie in the first booke wherunto ys made an addicion whiche thowe shalt finde in the xxxvij chapiter of that same booke sufficient I trust to aunswere and satisfie anie reasonable man An other parte ys receauing of the Sacrament In the whiche twoo thinges do offend the Proclamer The one ys that the people do receaue vnder one kinde The other that the preist receaueth alone Whether the receauing vnder one kinde be against the Scriptures or the practise of the Primitiue Churche yt ys disputed and the trueth declared in the seconde booke from the lxiiij chap. to the. end of lxvijchap As for the receauing whiche the Proclamer termeth priuate yt shall be hereafter treacted of In doctrine which ys an other parte I knowe not what fault he can finde In praier the first and last parte of the Masse he findeth two faultes The one that praier ys made to sainctes The other that praier ys made for the dead for these two we shal haue recourse to the primitiue Churche and there make triall whether the Church doth well in so doing or the Aduersarie euell in denieng the same to be laufull and good Nowe for the first parte of the Masse whiche ys consecracion I will not moche otherwise here treact of yt but onelie laing furth the practise of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche therin compare the doinges of the catholique Churche nowe therwith that yt maie be perceaued howe iustlie yt foloweth the example therof As for the effect of consecracion whiche ys the presence of Chrystes bodie ther neadeth here no speciall treactice for that the woll booke treateth therof so fullie that yf the Proclamer will finde fault in the Masse forthat the presence ys taught ther to be he maie in other places of this worke finde sufficiēt matter for the proofe of the presence whiche yf yt will not satisfie him neither maie a fewe woordes here spoken moche helpe him As for the seconde parte whiche ys the oblacion or sacrifice of Chrystes bodie as before yt ys declared that yt ys offred according to the will and commaundement or Chryst himself and that by the testimonie of the Scripturs as they be vnderstāded of a nombre of the most auncient Fathers and by diuerse other graue authorities So shall yt be nowe set furth and cōmended to yowe by the practise of the Primitiue Churche Whiche we haue differred to this place And forasmoche as the Proclamer to extenuate and abase the honorable estimacion of the Masse whiche yt ought to haue in the heartes of the people doth for shame and with shame conceale the names of soche auncient Authours as do testifie that both Sainct Peter and Sainct Iames saied Masse the one at Rome the other at Hierusalem and doth also to Whē truth and learning serueth not mocking and skorning be their best argumētes bring the matter in contempt aske by waie of skorn whie raither we saie not that Chryste him self saied Masse for that were the neerer waie to bring the Masse in creditte I shall by good and sufficient authoritie shewe that not onelie Sainct Peter and Sainct Iames but also Chryste him self did saie Masse And so beginning at Chryst descende to three or foure hundreth yeares after Chryst and shewe the practise of the Churche And for this time I will ouerpasse the farder mocke and skorn that he maketh against the blessed Masse asking whie we doe not raither saie that Aaron and his chapleins saied Masse For in dede saieth he as yt hath ben vsed the Churche hath had moch more of the Robes of the Ceremonies and of the sacrifices of Aaron then of the institucion or ordeinance of Chryste For ys I shoulde touche him for that I shoulde cause Arons garment worne for a Bishopporke and the Cōmunion ministred in a cope him to be perceaued to impugne and in that behalf to skorne the ministracion of the Communion For that ys ministred in coapes and other soche garmentes as before were vsed in the Churche and he himself refuseth not to weare Aarons garment for a Bishoppericke So well agreeth his doing and his preaching together And thus scoffing at the garmentes that be nowe yet vsed he seemeth to me not to like this order of Religion that he liueth in but raither to reprooue this as he doth the other For in this poinct by his iudgement they holde both of Aaron But letting this passe I will returne to my matter and wish the Reader to remembre what this woorde Masse doth signifie as yt ys declared in the last chapiter and therwith to haue in minde as yt ys saied in this chapiter Chryste saied Masse that Masse ys the action of the consecracion oblacion and receauing of the bodie and bloode of Chryst and so vnderstanding Masse I saie that Chryst did saie Masse For he in his last Supper did institute Masse and did ther consecrate his bodie and bloode and offred them in sacrifice and gaue them to his Apostes to be receaued and commaunded that so yt shoulde be doen in the remembrance of his passion and death In this matter who listeth to be satisfied forsomoche as one auncient Authour maie satisfie a man let him reade the Epistle of Sainct Ciprian to Cecilius Epist li. 2. Epist. 3. and he shall ther sinde euery parte of the Masse here reckned to be doen by Chryst First for the consecracion he saieth thus Vt in Genesi
nec aperire possunt nisi ille reserauerit qui habet clauem Dauid qui aperit et nemo claudite claudit et nemo aperit In Actis Apostolorum sanctus Eunuchus imo vir sic enim eum scriptura cognominat cum legeret Esaiam interrogatus à Philippo Putà sne intelligis quae legis Respondit Quomodò possum nisi aliquis me docuerit Ego vt de me loquar interim nec sanctior sum hoc Eunucho nec studiosior qui de Aethiopia id est de extremis mundi finibus venit ad templuÌ„ reliquit aulam et tantus amator legis diuinaeque scientiae fuit vt etiam in vehiculo sacras literas legeret et tamen cum librum teneret et verbum Domini cogitatione conciperet lingua volueret labijs personaret ignorabat eum quem in libro nesciens venerabatur Venit Philippus ostendit ei Iesum qui clausus latebat in litera O mira doctoris virtus eâdem hora credit Eunuchus baptisatur et sanctus factus est The heauens were open to Ezechiel whiche to the sinfull people were shette Dauid saith Open thowe mine eies and I shall see the wonderfull thinges of thy lawe The lawe ys spirituall and yt hathe nede of reuelacion that yt maye be vnderstanded and that with open face we maie beholde the glorie of God The booke in the Apocalips ys shewed signed or fastened with seueÌ„ seales whiche if thow geue to a man hauing knowledge of letters that he maye read it he will aunswer I can not For it ys sealed Howe manie nowe a daies thinke Manie nowe a daies holde the booke of scripture scaled them selues learned and do holde the booke sealed neither yet can open it except he onlocke it which shetteth and noman openeth openeth and no man shetteth In the Actes of the Apostles the holie Eunuche yea raither a man for so the scripture doth call him when he did reade Esaie the Prophet being asked of Philippe Thinkest thow thow vnderstandest what thow readest he answered howe can I except some bodie shall teache me As for me that I maie speake somthing of my self I am neither more holie then this Eunuch nor more studiouse whiche came from Aethiope that ys from the furthest coastes of the worlde vnto the TeÌ„ple He left the Courte and was so great a louer of the lawe and godlie Science that he wolde euen in his Chariett read the holie scriptures And yet when he helde the booke and conceaued in his minde the woord of God when he spake it with his tounge and sownded it with his lipps he knew not him whom vnwitting he woorshipped in the booke Philippe came he shewed him Iesus who laie hidde in the letter O great vertue of a teacher The same howre the Eunuch beleued he was baptised and made faithfull and holie Thus farre saincte Hierom. In whose sentence marke well howe many scriptures this holie doctour hath brought forth to declare and proue that the scriptures be obscure and therfore of necessitie require to haue some exercised and learned in them to open and declare them as sainct Hierom declaring the cause whie alleageth these scriptures whiche ye haue heard and immediately addeth and saieth Haec à me breuiter perstricta sunt vt intelligeres te in scripturis sanctis sine praeuio et monstrante semitam non posse ingredi Theise thinges are breiflie touched of me to the entent thow shouldest vnderstande that withoute a leader and one shewing the path thow canst not entre in to the scriptures Not moche vnlike to this declaring the obscuritie and hardnesse of the olde Testament he writeth in his epistle to Algasia Quaestiunculaetuae de Euangelio Hieron ad AlgasiaÌ„ tantum de Apostolo propositae indicant te veterem scripturam aut non satis legere aut non satis intelligere quae tantis obscuritatibus suturorum typis obuâ—luta est vt omnis interpretatione egeat Thy questions propownded onelie out of the gospell and the Apostle doo declare that either thowe hauest not sufficientlie red the olde scripture or ells doest not sufficientlie vnderstand yt whiche ys enwrapped with so manie obscurities and figures of thinges to come that euery parte of yt had nede of interpretacon Thus moche saincte Hierom. Saincte Basill teacheth that all the scriptures are not to be published and made coÌ„mon for that some parte of them semeth to require a scilence or closenesse for their obscuritie Wherfor he diuideth the scriptures into two sortes or partis saieng Aliud est Dogma aliud Praedicatio Dogmata silentur Basil li. de Sp. S. ca. 27 Praedicationes verò publicantur Silentij autem species est obscuritas qua vtitur scriptura ita dogmatum sententiam construens vt aegrè assequi possis The pointes of learning be one thing and morall instruction ys an other Pointes of learning be kept close or secret Morall instructions are published and openlie taught A kinde of scilence also ys the obscuritie whiche the scripture vseth so framing the meening of the secret pointes of learning that a man maye hardlie atteign therto Saint Ambrose also in a fewe woordes saieth moche to this matter calling Lib 7. epist 44. the scripture of God the great sea hauing in yt a depenesse withoute Botome of depe senses and vnderstaÌ„dinges into the whiche manie flouddes doo entre Chrysostom also vpon this text Vae vobis qui clauditis regnum caelorum Wo be Math. 23. Chrysost oinel 44. in Matth. to yow whiche shett vppe the kingdom of heauen saieth thus Regnum est beatitudo caelestis Ianua autem eius est scriptura per quam intratur ad eam Clauicularij autem sunt sacerdotes quibus creditum est verbum docendi et interpretandi scripturas Clauis autem est verbum scientiae scripturarum per quam aperitur homimbus ianua veritatis Adapertio autem est interpretatio vera Videte quia non dixit Vae vobis qui non aperitis regnum caelorum sed qui clauditis Ergo non sunt scripturae clausae sed obscurae quidem vt cum labore inueniantur non autem clausae vt nullo modo mueniantur Propterea dicit Petrus in epistola sua de scripturarum obscuritate quia non sicut voluit homo locutus est spiritus sed sicut voluit spiritus ita locutus est homo Ratio autem obscuritatis multiplex est tamen satisfactionis causa dicimus duas Obscurata est notitia veritatis ne non tam vtilis inueniatur quà m contemptibilis Contemptibilis enim est si ab illis intelligatur à quibus nec amatur nec custoditur The kingdom ys the heauenlie blesse The gates of yt ys the scripture by the whiche we entre into yt The keibearers Preistes are the keiebearers of the scriptures are the preistes vnto whom the woorde ys committed to teache and interprete the scriptures The keie ys the woorde of the knowledge of the scriptures by the whiche
we die not for we haue sinned in asking vs a king As theise people offended for that they abidde not in the ordre that God appointed thē So oure people nowe a daies folowing the inuentiōs of their heades and castinge awaie their rulers which God hathe appointed and takinge soche as God hath not appointed reiectinge also the holie religiō and faith of God vniuersallie receaued and framinge thēselues a faith and Religiō newlie inuēted and but priuately vsed haue not onelie offended but as sainct Augustine saieth they haue shewed their great madnesse Si quid diuinae Aug. ad Ianuar. Epla 118. scripturae praescribit autoritas non est dubitandū quin ita facere debeamus vt legimus Simi liter etiam si quid per orbem frequentat Ecclesia Nam hoc quin ita saciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est Yf the authoritie of the scripture of God dothe prescribe anie thing yt ys not to be doubted but that we aught to do as we read Likewise what so euer the Churche through the worlde dothe obserue for to dispute but that this aught so to be done yt ys most arrogant or foolish madnesse As I saie oure people haue offended with the childrē of Israel in theise and other before mencioned So God graūte thē to be cōtended with Gods ordre and to repēt with the childrē of Israell and saie peccauimus we haue offended ād so their eies through mekenes opened theymaie mekelie se their igno raunce and acknowledging the same maie iudge thēselues more mete to heare then to speake to learn then to teache to obie then to rule as the authoritie and exāples of the most famouse fathers and men of Chrystes Churchemaie moue Of whiche some shal be shewed in the next chapiter THE SEVENTH CHAPITER DECLARING THE same by examples of the Fathers and autorities of the Doctours of the Churche MOyses when his death drewe nere willing that the great woūders that God had wrought shoulde not by obliuiō be wiped oute of memorie not onelie to the childrē of Israel that thē liued but to al their posteritie as wel their spiritual as carnal childrē he gaue this rule Interroga patrem tuum annunciabit tibi maiores tuos dicent tibi Aske thy father and he will shewe thee thy Elders and they will tell thee Deut. 32. Although Moyses had writtē fiue bookes wherin he had most excellētlye declared the mightie workes and wounderful miracles of God Yet he did not sende all the people onelie thither to learn but he willed thē to learn of Scripture must be learned of the Fathers The Fathers learned of their elders The Apostles learned of Chryst. Praier required to vnderstād the scriptures their Elders what were the great workes of God Euē so nowe a daies all mē maie not be sent to the scriptures to learn but they must learn of their fathers what be the goodlie workes of God conteined in the Scriptures Yf ye aske all the holie auncient Fathers of whome they learned they wil aunswere of their teachers Fathers and Elders The Apostles learned of our master Chryste who were not in a soddein absolutelie and perfectlie learned but were three yeares and more in learning although they learned of so noble a Schoolemaster whom yt pleased so to vse his Scholers the holie Apostles as therby to insinuate vnto thē that the knowledge of the scriptures ys not rashlie to be had either with a daies hearinge or with a yeares studieng but yt ys as Origen saieth withgreate studie and praier to be gotten Non studin̄ solū nobis adhibendū est ad discendas sacras literas verùm supplicandū Domino diebus ac noctibus obsecrandū vt veniat Agnus ex tribu Iuda ipse accipiēs librū signatū dignetur aperire Not onelie studie saieth Origen ys to be applied to learn the holie scriptures but supplicacion must be made vnto our Lorde and praier vsed daies and nightes that the Lābe of the Tribe of Iuda maie come and that he takinge the sealed booke maie vouchesaif to open yt Thus moche Origen After this maner the holie disciples ād fathers did learn of their Seniours as Fathers of the Church learned of their Elders the histories do declare So did Marke Clemens Linus and Cletus learn of saincte Peter So did Titus Timothius Lucas and Dionysius of saincte Paule Ignatius Policarpus and Papias of saincte Ihon. Of Papias Tertulian Of Pantenus Origen Of Origen Dionysius Alexandrinus Of Tertulian Cyprian Of Dydimus and Gregorie Nazianzen saincte Hierō Of Theophilus saincte Cyrill Of saincte Ambrose sainct Augustin Of saincte Augustin Primasius and Orosius And so agreat nōbre of other which did not onelie with holie life ād deuoute praier applie their great and plainfull studie but also trauailed manie and diuerse cōtries to seke famouse and holie learned mē of whome they might be instructed in the Scriptures The Ecclesiastical historie declareth that two notable learned holie Fathers Eccles hist li. 11. ca. 9. Sainct Basill and Grego Naziā howe they learned the scriptures Basil and Gregorie Nazianzen laie thirtene years in a Monasterie in the studie of the Scriptures and yet presumed not of their owne heades but vsed the learned helpe and instructiō of their elders whose learninge and authoritie they diligentlie and obediētlie folowed The woordes of the historie be these Gregorius cum se totum dei seruitio mancipasset tantum de collegae amore praesumpsit vt sedentē Basiliū de doctoris cathedra deponeret ac secū ad Monasteriū manu iniecta perduceret ibiue per annos vt aiunt tredecim omnibus Graecorū saeculariū libris remotis solis diuinae scripturae voluminibus operā dabāt eorumue intelligentiā non ex propria praesum ptione sed ex maiorū scriptis autoritate sequebantur quos ipsos ex apostolica successione intelligendiregulā suscepisse constabat Gregorie when he had geuen and boūde himself whollie to the seruice of God presumed so moche vpon the loue of his felowe that he putte Basille sitting from the chaire of a doctour or teacher and taking him by the hande led him with him to the Monasterie and ther by the space of thirtene yeares as yt ys reported all prophane or secular bookes of the Grecians remoued they applied their diligēce and laboure to the onelie bookes of Gods Scripture and poursewed the vnderstāding of the same not of their owne presumption but by the writinges and autoritie of their Elders who also themselues as yt was wel knowē receaued the rule of vnderstanding by succession frō the Apostles Thus moche the historie Saincte Hierome of himself saieth Nobis curaefuit cum eruditissimis Hebraeorum hunc laborē subire vt circumiremus Prouinciā quam vniuersae ecclesiae Christi sonāt Fateor Hier. ad Domnion et Rogatiā Sainct Hierom howe he learned the scriptures enim mi Domnion Rogatiane charissimi nunquam me in diuinis voluminibus proprijs
his eyes Whervpon belcuing the mysteries of the Chrystians to be merueillouse and wonderfull the next daie he came to S. Basill and desired to be baptised and made a chrystian Thus we maie perceaue that the workes of God be great and merueillouse who vnto this Iewe but suspecting the chrystians to eate flesh and drinke bloode in their mysteries made yt soch to him as he suspected yt to be and to appeare soche to his seight as yt was couertlie to other in verie dede But he sawe yt with his bodilie eye for his instruction that the true Chrystian seeth with his faithfull eye to his saluacion But to return to our first matter so great was the fame that the Chrystians did eate mānes flesh in their mysteries that to deliuer thē frō the enuie that was cōceaued against thē for the same Iustinus the holie martyr was enforced in his Apollogie made vnto Antonius Pius to reueil and declare vnto him all the wholl order of the mysteries of the chrystians and what was their faith therin whiche thing was not vsed in those daies to be declared to anie prophane man and infidel but allwaies kept secrette so moche as yt might be And yet vpon this enforcemēt this Iustinus declared the matter so plainlie as no man of his auncientie to soche men more plainlie as shortlie here after ye shall perceaue As these thinges then hitherto saied do proue by the same that Chryst ys present in the Sacrament and so consequentlie that the woordes of Chryst haue ben and so ought to be vnderstanded in their propre sense withoute trope or figure So wolde I wish them of all chrystians in these daies to be receaued And as by these thinges we maie be moued So by other reasons we maie from the contrarie vnderstanding be disswaded Among manie of whiche I wil bring but one or two that Rupertus doth make and the first ys this Nonne Ioannes Euangelista dicit in Apocalipsi Si quis apposuerit ad haec apponet super illū Rupert li. 6. in Joan. Apoca. 22. Deus plagas scriptas in libro isto Et si quis diminuerit de verbis prophetiae libri huius auferet Deus partem eius de ligno vitae de ciuitate sancta de ijs quae scripta sunt in libro isto Nunquid minùs timenda est hic illa maledictio vt non detrahamus vel apponamus quidquam verbis dicentis Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Cùm enim illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos subauditionem apposuerimus dicentes figuratiuum vel per similitudinem dictum Cùm inquam illo dicente Hoc est corpus meum nos dixerimus hoc signisicat corpus meum nonne multum est quod apponimus vel praua demutatione detrahimus sensum generamus quem tantus Author Deus homo nusquā est locutus nec ascendit vnquam in cor eius Dothe not the Euangelist Iohn saie in the Apocalipse Yf anie man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And yf anie man shall minishe of the woordes of the booke of this prophecie God shall take awaie his parte oute of the booke of life and oute of the holie To the woordes of God maie nothing be added nor diminished citte and the thinges whiche are written in this booke Ys this maledictiō or curse lesse to be feared here that we diminish not or putte any thing to the woordes of him that saied This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yow This ys my bloode of the newe testament whiche shall be shedde for manie in the remissiō of sinnes For when he saieth This ys my bodie we shall putto an vnderstanding saing a figuratiue bodie or that yt ys spoken by a similitude when I saie he saieth This ys my bodie we shall saie this signifieth my bodie ys yt not moche that we putto his woordes or by an euell chaunge take from them and make a sense whiche so great an Authour God and man in no place hath spoken neither at anie time did yt ascende in to his heart Thus Rupertus This ys the first reason of this Authour whiche yf yt be well weighed and the thing well considered howe moche we by figures tropes and significacions do alter and chaunge howe moche we putto in woordes and diminish in substance howe the exposition denieth that the text affirmeth we haue good cause to feare the malediction of God spoken by S. Iohn who beareth not soche expositions denieng what he hath saied nor soche gloses confownding his text Wherfore we maie well be dissuaded from soche expositions or rather deprauacions and the rather that their ys no warrant to beare vs so to expownde these woordes of Chryst as of the circumstance of the place maie be perceaued whiche this Authour vseth as an other reason to moue vs not so to vnderstande Chrystes woordes of his supper as the Aduersarie dothe expownde them And thus he saieth Cùm obijcit quis suisue scriptitat in sedulis quod itidem dixerit eadem veritas Ego sum vitis tam audacter quā imperitè in argumentum mendosum illud attrahit cum statim subsequentia verba dicentist Sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum à semetipso nisi manserit in vite sic nec vos nisi in me manseritis manifestè per similitudinem compellant intelligi praesertim cùm non signanter dixerit Ego sum haec vitis sicut signanter dixit Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus apposita protinus descriptione verae proprietatis de corpore inquiens quod pro vobis tradetur de san guine autem qui pro multis effundetur Igitur ne veniant super nos plagae nouissimae neque apponimus neque diminuimus quicquam diuinae definitioni vel descriptioni quam incarnatum Verbum ore proprio deproinpsit Imo quia perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem non tam plagarum timore qunm veritatis amore confitemur quia panis iste corporeus postquam signauerit eum Pater vinum hoc expressum acinis praesentibus mox vt eodem signo signatum est per manus ecclesiae dicentis vt nobis corpus sanguis fiat dilectissimi filij tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi etc. vsque in memoriā mei facietis corpus sanguis eius qui huius traditionis author est hoc sacrisicium ipse Christus est cuius passione vt sacrificium fieret à Deo Patre in veritate signatum est Whē one obiecteth and writeth yt also in his bookes euen as boldlie as vnlearned These woordes J am a vine Ioan. 15. are proued by the circūstance to be a similitudi lie that the same trueth mening Chryst saieth also I am a vine he draweth yt
allowed him in the matter of Baptisme notwithstanding his holinesse they haue refused him To be short Epiphanius and S. Augustine wrote bookes of the heresies of them that were before and in their times and although manie besides the fore mēcioned had spoken so plainlie of the blessed Sacr. that they cleerly cōfessed the presence of Chrysts bodie in the same as Martialis Ignatius Iustinus Tertullianus Hilarius and manie other yet be none of all these nor none other for that doctrine nōbred ther amōg heretiques which vndoubtedlie they should haue ben if the matter had so deserued But trulie yt was neuer yet red in anie god writer nor somoche as dreamed that the cōfessiō of the presēce of Chryste in the bless Sacramēt ys heresie or errour Nowe as touching histories witnessing the wicked beginning the miserable progresse and open end and confusion of heresies yt were superfluouse for me to write sith ther hath ben no notable heresie or heretique which are not recorded either by Eusebius Teodoret Sozomenus Nicephorus Aeneus Siluius and soche other whose bookes be dailie in mens hands By whom when your Sacramētaries heresie begā we knowe howe lōg yt continued openlie we knowe who withstood yt and wrote against yt we knowe in howe manie Councells yt hath be cōdemned we knowe Furder who haue renewed the same in these later daies we knowe when and howe Luther reigned we knowe howe Oecolampadius folowed though an other waie we knowe howe Caluine hath cōtroled both catholiques and heretiques we knowe what the doings of these and their complices haue ben and be we knowe and that they haue ben and be condēned for heretiques we know To be short ther hath ben no notable alteracion or molestacion in religion by heresie but yt ys committed to memorie in histories Yf thē your doctrine and faith your religion and profession your notable Cōmunion or raither confusiō were once good and catholique yt can not be but of so great an alteracion as to make catholique faith damnable heresie or holie cōmunion wicked diuisiō ther must be some notable mencion in histories or some auncient monimēt in writing to declare yt Yf yowe haue anie soche bring them furth and thē yowe shall doo fōwhat to allure wise men vnto yowe For in this poinct I hold him nothing wise that will repute either your doctrine faith religion or communion to be good and catholique vntill yowe shewe good testimonies and presidents of the catholique vse of them which I am certen yowe can neuer doo As for soche euidences as your self nowe and your auncetours heretofore haue picked oute of the right and true euidences of the catholique Churche I meen the holie scripturs Councells doctours and approued histories and with great boldnesse haue shewed thē to the world and auouched them to be yours and to assure your cause they are allreadie well knowē ād tried not to be yours in dede but to make all for the catholique faith and religiō and mightilie against your singular phāsies and to ouer throw your wicked heresies when they be plainlie opened and deliuered frō your craftie corruptions as they haue ben by sondrie and manie famouse learned men as well in this age as before our time And I to my power haue in this booke for soche matters as I hādle detected your forgerie and corrupting of the euidences therto appertening by your wresting glosing cutting peicing diminishing adding and other wise falsifieng the right cleer wholl perfect godlie and true testimonies of the scripturs Councells ād aunciēt doctours And soch as be so flatte against your cause as yowe can haue no aide of them but be forced therfor either to depraue their authoritie with mocking and skorning or flatlie to denie their workes they are defended and holdē in their woorthie estimacions and their denied works restored to the right authours The first therfor that ys the scripturs Coūcells and aunciēt doctours yowe can no more abuse for shame and chaleng to be on your side whē being sifted frō your sleights and clered frō your falshead all mē maie perceaue thē not to be your right euidēce making as thei do so plainlie against yowe ād mightilie ouerthrowing your cause The other that ys the later learned writers and holie fathers yow maie no lōger contemne being proued to agree as they doe with their elders and approued as they be of the church to be catholique and holie writers your skoffesand mocks against them will stand for no reason before wise men Nowe yowe vnderstand M. Iuell what I haue here doen to the whiche yf either yowe or anie other for yowe shall by railing Rethorike make a pretensed answer I do yowe to witte that I will not vouchsafe to putt my penne to the papire for that kinde of answer For I haue begonne with yowe in an other sort and like a diuine railing I haue left to ruffins and skoldes and coolours of persuasions to rethoricians directlie according to my profession with all plain trueth haue I proceaded Yf answere therfor shall be made let yt be either a direct answere or none Direct answer ys soche as I make to yow where yowe abuse the vnderstāding of the scripture or doctour to proue the same vnto yowe where yowe falsilie to alleage the place truely where yowe corrupt to shewe the right saing when yowe adde and put to to declare what yowe adde and put to whē yowe leaue oute to expresse the woordes so by yowe left oute And finallie by full plain and expresse testimonie of scripturs Councells or doctours as the condiciō of the matter requireth to open and declare the trueth and by like authoritie to proue and cōfirme the same Thus haue I doē to yowe in plētifull maner in euery matter here by me handled so that the trueth of euerie thing ys so fullie opened and by good authoritie so confirmed that I trust euerie man that will see maie see and euerie man that will vnderstand maie vnderstand where the weight of the trueth ys Read therfor M. Iuell and diuorcing your self frō vainglorie to the which ye haue hen a lōg time maried let your vnderstāding be captiuated vnto the seruice of Chryste Let not your vain estimaciō in errour and heresie detein yowe to come to the honorable estimacion that ys gotten in the professing of Gods trueth Let yt not be saied of yowe as the holie father and Pope Leo saied of Eutiches Noluit intelligere vt bene ageret Iniquitatē meditatus est in cubili suo My good will was that this mi doing should haue bē in your hāds a lōg timeer this for yt was finished full three years past but sicknesse pouertie and lacke of oportunitie to printe yt haue thus long staied yt But sith nowe at the last yt ys by Gods helpe comed abroad I heseche him of his great goodnesse to graūt that it maie be to his honour ād to the helpe of his people ād that it maie be a medicine of health to yow ād
Cluniacen a booke in the matter of the Sacrament against the sect of the same Peter de Bruys called Petrobrusians and other cleauing to them called Henrycyans In the whiche booke I am certen ther be mo then one scripture one doctour Almaricus a Sacramentarie condemned in the Coūcell of lateran c. alleaged and brought furth Yt ys saied that one Almaricus amōge other heresies dyd also sette furth thys heresie against the Sacrament who with thys hys heresie and hys other as Bernardus de Lutzēburgo saith were condemned in the great Lateran Councell After all these commeth the famouse heretike Ihon Wycleff oure contrey man whom God suffred with manye pestylent heresies to trouble the Churche Amonge whiche heresies he helde two or three against Iohn wicleff oure cōtrie man an heretique condēned the Sacrament All whose articles being in nombre fortie and fiue Ioannes Hus besides other of hys owne inuencion dyd holde and maynteyn auouching them to be good and godlie And as he embraced the doctryn of VVycleff So dyd Hierom de Praga both the doctryne of Wycleff and of the said Ioannes Hus who being conuented for the same in the Couuncell Ioānes hus condēned Horonimus de Praga condemned of Constance dyd fyrst as Berengarius dyd abiure hys heresies After to declare what constancie was in hym he reuoked hys abiuracion ād auouched the doctrine of Wicleff and Hus. All whiche three with their heresies were in that Councell of Constance condemned Luther and Oecolampadius although repugnaunt one to the other in this Luther Oecolampad our time they haue saied and doen as moche as this champyon can doe and thought themselues as mightie as he An yet they haue not onely bē impugned by writers but also condemned as heretikes in the generall Councell of Trydent Thus haue ye nowe seen the wholl descent of this heresie against the blessed Sacrament euen from Berengarius the first open teacher of the same vnto Luther and Oecolampadius the newe furbushers and skourers of the same Ye perceaue that from time to time they were euer condemned by Councells as heretikes that taught the blessed Sacrament to be but a figure or token of Christes bodie and not the bodie yt self ye haue seen that learned mē haue written against them and with learning beaten them downe for that they reputed esteemed and iudged them as heretikes and the enemies of gods trueth as the breakers subuerters and destroyers of peace and dissoluers of the vnitie of Christes churche Maye I not therfore well saie that this proclamer ys an impudent man a shamelesse man which feareth not to speake so openlie to preache so boldelie to write so shameleslie so manyfest an vntrueth as to saie in effecte that neuer man was iudged an heretike that denied the presence of Christes bodie in the Sacrament when they were neuer yet otherwise iudged But to ende this parte of the matter this dare I saie for that I knowe I shall speake yt trulie that to this daie ther was neuer man iudged or condemned by any generall Councell that euer was to be an heretike that saied that Christes bodie ys reallie and substanciallie in the Sacrament Nowe yf this doctrine neuer and the other euer hath ben condemned yt ys easie to iudge what eche of these doctrines ys To come to this our time beside the condemnacion of the heresies of Luther and Oecolampadius in the matter of the Sacrament as before ys saied Euē as Lanfrancus Algerus Guitmundus did aginst Berengarius auouche the catho like doctrine by their workes and Boorkes sett furth for the same pourpose Euen so a great nombre as well of owre contrie men as other haue by scriptures Councells and doctours against the said Luther and Oecolampadius doen the like For to beginne with our contrie men first hath not the learned graue and reuerend Father Ihon somtime Byshoppe of Rochester encountred against Rofensius neuer yet aunswered them and with Scriptures Coūcells and doctours so mightilie and inuiuciblie ouerthrowen them that neuer till this daie any Philistin durst take weapon in hāde against hym to helpe vppe and recouer ther Goliaths and champions And can not this Goliath see one scripture one Councell nor one doctour in all those his woorkes written to that pourpose Tonstall of Tonstallus Dunelmen Steph. wint duresme and Stephen of winchester bothe reuerend Fathers men not one lie in Englonde but also in other nacions right famouse haue they not left their woorthie monumentes behinde them replenished with scriptures Councels and doctours for the assertion of their faithe in this matter of the Sacramēt to the cōfusiō of the aduersaries Also Ihon late of winchester Ioā wyntō hathe he not collected into one booke two hundereth wittnesses of scriptures Councells and doctours for the veritie of Christes bodie in the Blessed Sacrament Doctour watson Bishoppe of Lincolne as heys right woorthely learned watsonus Lincoln So to hys moche prayse hath he writtē godlie and learned Sermons of the blessed Sacramēt in the whiche be mo plain testimonies of scriptures Coūcells and doctours alleaged for the trueth of this matter of the Sacrament then the protestantes can bring apparaunt for their herisie Doctour Albane Albanus Lāgdallue Langdale Archdeacon of Chychestre in the confntacion of the determinacion made by Redleye at the disputacion holden at Cambridge for the matter of the Sacrament ys so plentyfull in scriptures Councells and doctours and so pythie withall and so plainlie laieth them furth for that pourpose that this Goliath with all his blasphemouse and prowde woordes shal neuer be able to conuince him Yf heresie were not by election and election of singularitie and singularitie sett not more by her owne phantasie then by most mens iudgementes Heresie ys by election be they neuer so graue neuer so wyse neuer so well learned the iudgement of these men in the scriptures Councells and docturs whiche they alleadge as sentēces euidēt and plain certēlie and clerely prouing the reall presence of Christes bodie in the Sacrament mighte suffice to pull downe the peacockes taile of this singular man But in the iudgement of them that be wyse I doubte not but hys bragge semeth more prowde than true Besydes all these to speake of other that be straungers hath not this man hearde of the fame of Alfonsus who not long sence was here in Englonde Alfonsus and wrote here parte of his booke which he hath written and sett furthe against al heresies in the whiche he inueyeth against this newe Goliath and all like Philistines their adherents and complices yea and against all their Thirtē sundrie heresies against the Sacrament Auncetours Where he maketh rehersall of thirten sundrie heresies inuented by that wicked generacion against this holie and blessed Sacrament and conuinceth them all as well with scriptures and Councells as with many holie doctours and famouse writers and yet this proclamer cryeth bring furth one scripture one Councell
soche as heys himself Soche true mē they be nowe also that this mā wil creditte in this matter euē soche as he ys himself yf he doe refuse all these kindes of mē aboue produced But howesoeuer he shall take this and the rest of my booke in outwarde countenance I trust yt shal touche his conscience And then as Chrysostom Smalle conforte wher conscience ys consounded saieth Leuis erit consolatio vbi conscientiae sentiunt se esse confusas Yt ys but a light or small comfort when the consciences of men perceaue them selues confownded God of his mercie reduce him and all that be gone astraie home to hys folde again that they be not in his terrible iudgement confownded before him and all his Angells Nowe Reader that the order of this my rude worke maye be knowen vnto Ordre of the Booke thee vnderstād that wher the enemie of Gods trueth hath in his saied sermō made his boast that he ys sure that not one sentēce cā be brought by the catholiq̄s to proue the Articles ther by him rehersed amōge the which beside the reall and substāciall presence of Christ in the Sacramēt he addeth manie other thinges apperteininge to the same which he ioineth together vnder one predicamēt that ys that we haue no proof for them that he maye be perceaued to be a vain and false man I will proue yt by scriptures doctours and Councells And incidentlie diuerse other of his rehersed matters to this principal apperteining Whiche allthough I ouerpasse them not in soche maner as he doth onelie to saie and nothing to proue or improue thē as they be of him vttered yet ye shall finde thē answered wher occasion ys ministred to speake of soche matter And although manie profownde and excellent learned men whose latchettes of their shoes I am not woorthie to loose haue woorthlie written in this matter yet for that none of them to my knowledge hathe after this maner proceaded orderlie to expownde the scriptures that treact of the Sacrament whiche methinke to the confutacion of this man ys necessarie I will by the helpe of God that waie proceade and not by mine owne phantasie but by the verie mindes of the doctours truely seke oute the true vnderstanding of them And for that these scriptures be in three sundrie bookes of the Bible that ys in the olde Testament in the Gospells and in the epistles ther The contens and ordre of this work for the matter beinge lōg I haue diuided this rude worke into three bookes In the first booke are opened soche promisses figures and prophecies of the olde Testament as appertein to the Sacrament The seconde booke geueth yow vnderstanding of the scriptures apperteininge to the same conteined in the vj. of sainct Ihon his Gospell the xxvj of sainct Matthew and in the xxiiij of saincte Luke The thirde booke expowndeth so moche of the tenth and the eleuenth chapiter of the first epistle to the Corinthians as toucheth that matter and also one sentence of the epistle to the Ephesians and one other to the Hebrues In this exposition to the more confutacion of the Aduersaire and confirmacion of the catholique I for the most part bringinge sundrie and diuerse doctours vpon euerie text doe ioin a greke doctour and a latine together that the concord and agreement of bothe churches maye well appeare and fullie be seen So haue I also ioined the doctours that haue written within the compasse of these nine hondreth yeares to them that haue written before that yt maie be iudged whether that these of the later time doo differ or dissent from them of the auncient time in the substanciall poinctes of our faith as the aduersarie saieth they doo By which processe gētle Reader thow shalt I trust perceaue that where the arrogante Philistine both blasphemouslie and vntruelie hathe said of the Catholique Church of the liuing God that yt hathe not one scripture one doctour nor one Councell yt hathe vndoubredly as touching the blessed Sacramēt and other articles apperteining to the same not onelie al the holie Scriptures that treact of that holie mysteric but also the holie Fathers and Councells that speake of the same both Grekes and latines and them aswel of the auncient time before a thousand yeares as thē that were of the later time within the cōpasse of a thousand yeares So that the scriptures being thus explained by the common consent of so manie doctours and all the same also conspiring vpon this one trueth as yt shall be perceaued not by a vain bragge withoute proofe but by euident and plain testimonie we maic as truelie as boldlie returning his bragge into his owne lappe saie that this philistine and his cōplices for the maintenance of their heresie against the presence of Christ in the blessed Sacramēt haue not one scripture one doctour nor one Catholiq̄ Coūcel to make for thē Which thīge I dare saie the indifferēt Reader whē he shal haue perused this booke wil not feare to auouche with me And wishinge that this my laboure might be profitable to the simple and Catholique Church Christes Parliamēt house vnlearned for whose helpe I haue most speciallie taken yt I haue framed my writing as neare as the matter will suffre to their capacities And wher in ciuill and politike regiment Lawes Actes and statutes haue their force by Councells and Parliamentes therfor wher the veritie of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament ys a trueth establissed enacted and receaued by Christes Parliament house I meen the catholique Churche yt liketh me oftentimes to allude to the name and therto agreablie to name this booke I haue Title of the booke not entēded to fall one heere breadth frō the faith of the catholiq̄ Churche Yf anie thing hath slipped from me I submitte yt to the correction of Christes catholique Churche and my self also Prainge thee god Reader to accept my labours in good part and remembre me in thy prayers Vale. THE FIRSTE BOOKE THE FIRST CHAPITER VPON OCCASION THAT THIS ADVERSARIE THIS PROCLAMER AND CHALENger wolde haue the scriptures red of all men presupposing the same to be easie to be vnderstanded entreth as by preamble to treact of the difficultie of the scriptures and to prooue that they aught not of all men to be red without an hable interpretour or teacher HAVING in pourpose to declare by the testimonie of the noble men of Christes Parliament house the enacted and receaued treuth or true meening of all or most of soche scriptures as treact of the blessd Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of our Sauioure Christe ther cometh to my minde the doctrine of Luther the great Progenitour of this Aduersarie who in his booke De seruo arbitrio Luther de seruo arbitr as other his ympes likewise in their bookes teacheth that the scriptures of them selues be easie of all men to be vnderstanded and nede no interpretour Wherunto also the more to infatuate the people he addeth
as I also wolde be ashamed to wryte theÌ„ yf they were not scripture He speaking of an harlotte writeth thus Like as one that goeth by the waie and ys Ecclesiast 62. thristie so shall she open her mouth and drynke of euerie next water that she maie gette By euerie hedge shall she sitte her downe and open her quoiuer to euerie arrowe What trifeling what iestyng what pastime I haue heard and seen vpon the reading and reherfall of this texte and what vnseemlie and vnchaist woordes haue fallen oute by occasioÌ„ of the same yt ys vnmeete in this place to be rehersed But this I will reporte for that as trulie as God liueth I knowe yt to be true This texte was spoken in the presence of a good vertueouse gentlewoman and one that feared God and she misliking the same yt was auouched to her to be scripture The booke was turned the place was red she exclamed and saied that yf the scripture had soche bawdie woordes she wolde no more beleue the scripture for yt was naught with mo soche like woordes which nowe memorie reteyneth not Maye not this grieue a christian heart that the scriptures Gods holie woorde shoulde be thus blasphemed And what ys the cause of yt verilie bicause they be made common to their handes that vnderstande them not That this place was not vnderstanded of them that handeled the same as ys afore saied yt ys more manifest then I nede reporte For the effecte well proueth yt Nowe to put a conclusion to this that ys here saied litle dothe yt awaill them to reade the scriptures that vnderstand not what they reade But raither as Origen saieth they maye as well take occasion of euell as of good by reading the scriptures and not in their true sense and meeming vnderstand them whose sentence for the better declaracion therof I haue here noted Opera carnis diuinorum voluminuÌ„ historia continet non valde eos iuuans qui sic eam intelligunt vt scripta est Quis enim non docebitur scruire luxuriae fornicationem habere Origen 10. li. Strom. pro nihilo cum Iudam ad meretricem legerit ingredientem Patriarchas multas pariter habuisse vxores Quomodo non ad idololatrian prouocabitur qui sanguinem taurorum caeteras Leuitici victimas non plus quà m in litera sonat putauerit indicare Gene. 38. Quod autem inimicitias in aperto positus scripturae sermo doceat ex hoc loco probatur Filia Babylonis misera beatus qui retribuet tibi retributionem quam retribuisti nobis Psal 136. Psal 100. Beatus qui tenebit allidet paruulos suos ad petram Et exillo In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae et ex ijs similibus de contentionibus videlicet aemulatione ira rixis dissentionibus Ad quae si non altius aliquid sentiamus prouocant nos magis historiae exempla quà m prohibent Haereses quoque magis de carnali scripturae intellectu quam de opera carnis nostrae vt plurimi aestimant substiterunt Nec non ebrietates et inuidiam per legis literam discimus Inebriatur Noë post Diluuium et Patriarchae apud fratrem Ioseph in AEgypto The histories of Gods books saieth Origen contein the workes of the flessh whiche historie dothe not moche helpe them whiche dooso vnderstande yt as yt ys written For who shall not be taught to serue voluptuouse pleasure and to accompte fornycation for nothinge when he shall reade Iudas to haue taken an harlotte and the Patriarkes to haue had manie wifes at once Howe shall he not be prouoked to Idolatrie who shall thinke the blood of Bulls and other Leuiticall sacrifices no more to shewe vnto him then the letter sowndeth That the plain sainge of the scripture teacheth enemities yt ys proued both by this place Daughter of Babilon thowe shalt come to myserie thy self yea happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thowe hauest serued vs. Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and throweth them against the stones And also by that place I shall soon destroie all the vngodlie that are in the lande And by soche other like vnto theise as of contencion enuie wrathe brawlinges dissentions vnto the whiche yf ye vnderstand not some higher thing the examples of the histories do more prouoke vs then forbidde vs. Heresies also Diuerse histories of Scripture literallie taken doe more prouoke sinne than forbidde yt haue ben more by the carnall vnderstanding of the scriptures then by the worke of our flesh as manie do thinke We learn also by the letter of the lawe dronkennes and enuie Noë after the flood was dronken And the Patriarkes also were droncken being with their Brother Ioseph in AEgypte Thus Origen Nowe then as in this chapiter ye haue heard a nombre of bookes and places of scripture recited whiche well proue the obscuritie and hardnesse of the same So yn the ende ye haue heard Origen declaring his minde that to vnderstand but the carnall sense of yt ys raither hurtfull to edificacion then profitable Peraduenture some will graunte that the olde Testament ys darke and hard but the newe Testament they will saie ys easie and plain But that this likwise ys not easie for euerie man to vnderstande the chapiter folowing shall declare THE THIRDE CHAPITER TO DECLARE the newe Testament not to be easie to be vnderstanded bringeth diuerse obscure places of the same THAT the newe Testament ys hard to be vnderstanded yt ys sufficientlie proued in the frist chapiter Neuerthelesse that the Reader maie haue some experieÌ„ce of that that by Authoritie ys saied I shall laie before hym certain places whiche shall enforce hym to confesse that by his owne iudgement to be true whiche by the scriptures he hath allreadie heard taught and affirmed And first let him beginne with the Genealogie of Chryste described vnto vs by two Euangelistes Matthew and Luke And let them be compared together and triall made whether yt be esaie to concile them or no. Matthewe beginneth at the elders as at Abraham and so descendeth to Chryste Luke beginneth at Chryste and ascendeth vppe to the elders euen vnto AdaÌ„ and so to God In the whiche Genealogie Luke saieth that Chryst The Euangeâ—istes Mathew and Luke seem to varte in the genealogie of Chryst was the supposed sonne of Ioseph and that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli Matthewe saieth that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Mary of whoÌ„ was born Iesus whiche ys called Chryste So that Luke saieth that Iosep was the sonne of Heli and Matthew saieth he was the sonne of Iacob Which dysagrement Iulianus Augustus the Apostata as saincte HieroÌ„ saieth obiected vnto vs. Which obiection al though it be solued by saincte HieroÌ„ yet ther remaineth a great difficultie howe these Genealogies shoulde be true and both pertain to Chryste seing that from Ioseph to Dauid ther ys none agrement betwixt theÌ„ as by comparing of the EuaÌ„gelistes
any other creature shall be able to departe vs from the loue of God whiche we haue in Chryste Iesus our Lorde Nowe vnder an othe he saieth I saie the treuth in Chryste and lie not my conscience also bearing me wittnesse by the holie Gost that I haue great heauinesse by continuall sorowe in my heart For I haue wished my self to be cursed from Chryste for my brethren my kinsmen after the flesh Yf he be of so great loue to God that neither for feare of death neither for the hope of life neither for persecution hungar nakednesse perill nor swoorde he maye be separated from his loue And if Angells also and powers and thinges present and thinges to come and all the strenght of the heauens and if the heightes also and the dephts with the vniuersall creature shoulde come against him whiche can not be yet wolde he not be seperated from the loue of God whiche he hath in Iesus Chryst what ys this great mutacion or chaunge yea rayther a wysdom neuer heard of before that for the loue of Chryst he wolde not haue Chryst And least peraduenture we shoulde not beleue him he sweateth and confirmeth yt by Chryst and calleth the holie Gost to wittnes of hys conscience that he hath no light nor small but great and incredible heauinesse not sorowe that stingeth or vexeth for an howre but that continuallie abideth in his heart Whether tendeth this heauinesse to what auaileth this incessant sorowe He wisheth to be cursed from Chryste and to perish that other maie be saued Thus moche saincte Hierom. In the whiche woordes he openeth a great doubte that saincte Paule who so feruentlie loued Chryst that nothing either in heauen or in earthe coulde separate him from Chryste nowe semeth to wish for the loue he bare to the Iewes to be diuided from Chryst Whiche might be an argument that he loued the Iewes aboue Chryst As this after the sentence of saincte Hierom ys a great doubte So ys ther an other by the same Algasia moued vpon the same epistle to the Romans Hieron ad Alg. qu. 7. In what sense saieth she ys that to be taken that sainct Paule writeth to the Romās Vix enim pro iusto quis moritur Nā pro bono forsitan quis audet mori For skarce will any man die for the righteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durst a man die This sentence semeth so plain and the natiue sense therof so easie to be perceaued that saincte Hierom saieth for lacke of the true vnderstanding of Two contrarie heresies grownded vpō one scripture Marcion yt two horrible heresies being diuerse and vnlike in sentence but like in impietie and wickednesse tooke here moche occasion Marcion by this maketh two Gods one the iust God and creatour of the Lawe ād the Prophetes The other the good God which ys the God of the Gospell and the Apostles whose Sonneys Chryste For the iust God saieth he fewe or none haue died But for the good God whiche ys Chryst ther haue been innumberable Martyrs Arrius the other heretike saieth saincte Hierom contrariwise calleth Chryst the iust God and for his so saieng alleageth scripture oute of the Psalmes Arrius wher Dauid prophecieng of Chryst saied Geue the king thy iudgementes to God and thy righteonsnes vnto the kinges Sonne The good God he Psalm 71. calleth the Father of heauen of whom saieth he Chryst him self saieth what Luc. 18. callest thow me good ther ys none good but one God the Father As theise heretikes for the obscuritie of this sentence of saincte Paule for yt ys a darke maner of speache in dede to saie for a iust man scarce a manwildie But for a good man a man will peraduenture die as though ther were a great difference betwen the iust and the good mā through theyr wicked rashnesse and headinesse haue vpō yt mainteined two notable and abhominable heresies manifestlie repugnant So likewise haue some in this oure time through their arrogant willfullnes vpon one sentence fownded two conttarie heresies as moche repugnant as these But leauing the further opening of this to a more conuenient place I will proceade in that ys here appoincted to the doen. Amandus a preist writeth to sainct Hierom desiring to be resolued in foure Amādus questions Of the whiche one ys vpon the epistle of saincte Paule to the Corinthians wher disputing of the resurrection he cometh to this place He must reign till he hath put al his enemies vnder his feet The last enemie that 1. Cor. 15. shall be destroied ys deathe For he hath put all thinges vnder his feet But when he saieth all thinges are put vnder him yt ys manifest that he ys excepted whiche did put all thinges vnder him When all thinges are subdued vnder him then shall the Sonne also himself be subiect vnto him that put all thinges vnder him that God maie be all in all Besides manie doubtes whiche maie be moued vpon this scripture this ys one verie notable for the mainteining of the Arrians heresie wher he saieth that when all thinges be subdued then shall the Sonne himself also be subiecte vnto him as though the Sonne of God in Godhead were subiecte to God the Father Whiche maner of saing for somoche as the holie catholique faith confesseth that he ys equall to the Father ys to be taken Hila. li. 11. de Trinita detestable heriticall This proposition ys learnedlie handeled and treacted of by saincte Hillarie in his eleuenth booke against the Arrians and this doubte ther dissolued Yt were to tediouse and all most vnpossible for me to rehearse all the darke places of the epistles Therfor one or two mo and so an ende To the Collosians Saincte Paule writeth thus Nowe ioye I in my suffringes Colloss 1. for yowe and fulfill that whiche ys behind of the passions of Chryste in my flesh for hys bodies sake whiche ys the churche In the which sentence he semeth to make the passion of Chryste insufficient in that he saieth that he fulfilleth that that wanteth of the passions of Chryst To the Hebrues he hath this sentence For yt can not be that they which Hebr. 6. were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenlie gifte and were become partakers of the holie Goste and haue tasted of the goodwoorde of God and of the promisse of the worlde to cōme yf they fall awaie and as concerning themselues crucifie the Sōne of God a fresh and make a mocke of him that they shoulde be renewed again by penaunce And again in the same epistle he saieth For if we sinne wilfullie after that we haue receaued the knowledge of the truthe ther remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearfull Ibid. 1◠looking for iudgement and violēt fire whiche shal deuour the Aduersaries Theise two sentences yf they had no fauourablier interpretacion thē they seem to beare in their grammaticall sense all Chrystendome might wail and mourne For the
scriptures haue Scripture ys full of hardnesse and diuerse senscis manie senses and in some places require Tropes and figures in some none in some place they beare one sense in some other place they wil not beare the same And the vnframed capacitie of the vnlearned can not therunto atteign shall yt not be better for them to learn the true vnderstanding of the scriptures by hearing then by reading to fall into misunderstanding Maruaill not Reader at this that I saie For the learned yf they be rassh fall into this daunger For the Arrians the Macedonians the Nestorians the Eutichians the Pelagians the Lutherans the Oecolampadians of the which secte this proclamer ys were learned men and yet folowing their owne arrogaunt phantasie fell in to the misunderstandind of the scriptures and by misunderstanding into heresie Moche sooner the vnlearned maye thus fall knowledge of misteries not common to all Hierō prafa in Ezech Yt hathe ben vsed emong most people of sundrie sortes not to make the knowledge of their high thinges common of all to be handeled The Iewes were forbidden to read Genesis and the Balletts of Salamon before they were thirtie yeares of age Among the Romans the Bookes of the Sibells were red but of certain selected and speciall choosen men Emong the Philosophers Morall philosophie and speciallie Metaphisick was not to be handeled of all men but of soche as were thought mete for that studie Howe moche more then ys the scripture of God with reuerence and fear to be handeled of the chrystians not that I wolde yt should not be knowen of all as yt aught to be knowen but that yt shoulde not be red of all and therbie through misunderstanding God to be dishonoured the scripture abused and not onelie they that read but other also by them deceaued And thus Reader I wish thee to perceaue the godlie meening of the Churche to see the shaunder of this proclamer against yt and with all to vnderstand that the scriptures be hard Whiche meenyng ys not to be imagined nowe to be in theise latter daies inuented as this Proclamer semeth to charge the Churche but the weightie consideracion of this matter that the people shoulde raither learn then read them selues was not onelie in the latin churche as it appeareth by sainct Hierom but also in the greke churche as yt appeareth by Chrysostom For he declaring the causes of the obscurities of the scriptures and alleaging this for the first saieth Primum quia voluit Deus alios esse doctores alios discipulos Si autem omnes omnia scirent doctor necessarius non erat ideò esset rerum ordo confusus Nam ad eos quidē Chrystomel 44. in Matth. Esay 40. Deutr. 32. quos voluit esse doctores sic Deus dicit per Esaiam prophetam Loquimini sacerdotes in cordibus populi Ad eos autem quos voluit discendo cognoscere mysteria veritatis sic dicit in Cantico Interroga patrem tuum dicet tibi presbyteros tuos annunciabunt tibi Et sicut sacerdotes ne si omnem veritatem manifestauerint in populo dabunt rationem in die Iudicij sicut dicit Dominus ad Ezechielem Ecce speculatorem te posui domni Israel si non dixeris impio vt à vijs suis prauis discedat ipse quidem in peccatis suis morietur animam autem eius de manu tua requiram sic populus nisi à sacerdotibus didicerit cognouerit veritatem dabit rationem in die Iudicij Sic enim dicit Sapientia ad populum Et extendebam sermones meos non audiebatis Ideò ego in vestra perditione ridebo Sicut enim paterfamilias cellarium aut vestiarium suū non habet cunctis expositum sed alios habet in domo qui dant alios autem qui accipiunt sic in domo Dei alij sunt qui docent alij qui discunt First bicause God wolde some shoulde why God wolde the scriptures to be obscure be teachers some learners Yf all men should knowe all thinges a teacher were not necessarie and therfor shoulde the ordre of thinges be confownded For vnto them whome he wolde shoulde be doctours or teachers God saieth thus by Esaye the Prophete Speake ye preistes in the heartes of the people But vnto them whom he wolde to haue knowledge of the misteries of trueth by learning of other he saieth thus in the Canticle Aske thy father and he shall tell thee thy elders and they shall shewe thee And euen as the preistes except they open all treuth to the people they shall make an accompte in the daie of Iugement as our Lorde saieth to Ezechiell Beholde I haue sett thee a watch man to the house of Israel Yf thow saie not to the wicked that he maie departe from his naughtie waies he shall die in his sinnes but I shall require his sowle at thy hande So also the people except they learn of the prestes and shall know the trueth they shall make an accompte in the daie of iudgement So saieth Sapience vnto The store-house of God not comon to all the people I did sette furth my wordes and ye did not heare Therfor shall I also laugh in your perdicion As the housholder dothe not make his store-house or his wardrobbe common to all men but he hath in his house some that deliuer some that receaue So in the howse of God ther be some that teache some that learn Thus moche Chrysostome Whose saieng I nede not to expownde yt ys so plain of yt self Ye perceaue that he teacheth yowe that God hath sette this ordre that the preistes shoulde be teachers and the people learners and that for this cause God hath willed the scriptures shoulde be obscure Whiche in the ende of his saing he cōmendeth vnto vs to be remembred by à goodlie Similitude that the housholder maketh not his storehouse and wardrobbe cōmon to Scripture the store-house of God all but certain do deliuer and other do receaue no more thē ys deliuered The Storehouse ys the scripture wher in for the feading and cloathing of mans sowle ys reposed great plentie of knowledge whiche yet God hath not made common to all men to take at their owne pleasures But he hath appointed officiers to be kepers of this store which be his preistes to geue yt furthe to the people in due tyme and in due maner and forme As all men haue not discrecion to vse plentie well but some will wast yt some will abuse yt and turne yt to other vses then yt was made or appointed for therfore they haue not accesse vnto yt So all men hauing not grace and discrecion to vse the plentie of Gods knowledge in the scriptures well they wast yt that ys they sett litle by yt they do but bable and talke of yt yt runneth aboute their lippes as the meate doth aboute the childes mouthe bosom and cloathes and ys wasted but yt
In the whiche sentence two thinges maie emong other be noted the one ys that be ye neuer so wise yet ye maie be wiser Wherfore disdain not to learn either by hearing or by reading The other that all these which S. Hierom bringeth in for example contented them selues to heare and by hearinge came to more wisdoÌ„ Let not then the prowde or arrogant be singular in his owne conceat for the superiour maie heare and learn of the inseriour as here ye haue perceaued Moyses to doo of Ietro his wifes Father Yf theÌ„ we should hear aÌ„d learn of al meÌ„ moche more should we heare and learn of them whome God hath appointed in his Churche to be pastours aÌ„d teachers whom of deutie we aught to heare as being coÌ„mended vnto vs by God and his Church and preaching vnto vs nowe by their bookes as somtime they did by their mouthes whose holines and learning was soche that they maie verie wel be takeÌ„ for the elders that Iesus Sirach speaketh of saing Ne despicias narrationeÌ„ presbyteroruÌ„ sapientiuÌ„ in prouerbijs eoruÌ„ conuersare Ab ipsis enim disces sapientiaÌ„ doctrinaÌ„intellectus c. Despise not the sermons of soche Eccles 8. elders as haue vnderstaÌ„dinge but acqueint thy self with the wise senteÌ„ces of theÌ„ For of them shalt thow learn wisdom and the doctrine of vnderstaÌ„ding But for asmuche as men maie appoincte to theÌ„ selues soche elders as they 2. Tim. 4. phantasie as saincte Paule prophecieng both of soche masters and disciples saith The time shall come when they shall not suffer holsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares doo ytche gett them an heape of teachers and shall withdrawe their eares froÌ„ the trueth and shal be turned to fables yt ys expedieÌ„t that we learn of the wise what elders we shal folowe Iesus Syrach teacheth vs to learn of soche elders as had learned of their Fathers Ne te praetereat narratio seniorum ipsi enim didiceruÌ„t à patribus suis quoniaÌ„ ab ipsis disces intellectum in teÌ„pore necessitatis dare responsum Go not from the doctrine Ibid. â— of the elders for they haue learned yt of their fathers For of them thowe shalt learn vnderstaÌ„ding so that thow maist make auÌ„swer in the time of nede In this godlie counsel ye perceaue the cause geuen why ye shoulde learn of your elders bicause saieth he they haue learned of their Fathers As who Elders that are to be folowed might saie the learning that ys learned of the Fathers ys no new inueÌ„ted doctrine yt ys no straunge doctrine vnknoweÌ„ to the coÌ„gregacion of the which S. Paule geueth yow admonitioÌ„ saieng Doctrinis varijs et peregrinis nolite abduci OptimuÌ„ est enim gratia stabilire cor Be not caried awaie with diuerse and strauÌ„ge doctrines for yt ys a good thing that the heart be established with grace But StrauÌ„ge doctrines are not to be folowed yt ys a doctrine tried and continued froÌ„ successioÌ„ to sucessioÌ„ a doctrine that ys permanent through all ages Elders that are not to be folowed Therfor go not froÌ„ that doctrine neither chose yow anie other elders to learn of but soche as haue learned of their fathers Therfor chose not soche elders as be inueÌ„tours of their owne doctrine as the LutheraÌ„s chose Luther who teaching that womeÌ„ maie preache teacheth an inueÌ„ted doctrine against the scripture For S. Paule saieth Mulieres in ecclesiis taceant non enin permittitur eis loqui etc. 1. Cor. 14. Let your women kepe scilence in the congregacion for yt ys not permitted vnto them to speake but to be vnder obedience as saieth the law Yf they will learn anie thing let theÌ„ aske their husbandes at home For yt ys a shame for women to speake in the â—ongregacion Luthers straunge doctrine Luther taught that coÌ„tritioÌ„ maketh a man a more sinner In assert art 6. And that the righteouse man doth in euerie good worke that he dothe mortallie offende Luther also taught that euery christian man ys a preist for the coÌ„mon ministrie Ibid. ar 31 These be straunge doctrines bothe to the scriptures and to oure elders and therfore we maie not learn of him for he hath not learned of the Fathers Zuinglius straunge doctrine Zuinglius taught that original offeÌ„ce ys no sinne In libell de Baptismo Yet Dauid in the psalme huÌ„blie confesseth Psalm 50. Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum et in peccatis concepit me mater mea Behold saieth he I was conceaued in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me And saincte Paule saieth Natura sumus filij irae of nature we be the children of wrathe or damnacion Zuinglius taught also In articulis in fine that the children of christen men nede not to be Baptised but yf they die withoute Baptisme they shall be saued yet Chryst saieth Ioan. 3. Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnum Dei Except a man be born again of the water and the holie goste he can not entre into the kingdoÌ„ of God Luthers lucifero use pride Of this man therfore maie ye not learn neither doo ye heare him for whie he hath not learned of the fathers Whiche thinge most arrooantlie euen Luther like as yt becometh a Lucyferan folowing his master Lucifer prowdelie protesteth not a fewe times and saieth that he will not be taught of men but of God O deuelish and wicked saing This ys a second Paule The first Paule saieth speaking of the gospell Neque ab homine accepi illud neque didici sed per reuelationem Iesu Christi Nether haue I receaued yt of man nether learned yt but by the In lib. coÌ„â— Canon reuelation of Iesus Chryst The second Paule saieth that he will not learn of man but of God But as ther ys a first Adam and a seconde the one earthlie the other heauenlie And as in the first Adam all doo die and in the secoÌ„de 1. Cor. 15. all be reuiued So our first Paule ys heauenlie this second earthlie that first leadeth to saluation This seconde to damnacion Zuinglius wrote de claritate verbi Dei of the clerenesse of the woorde of God an whol booke to the entent to make you suppose hard thinges to be Zuinglius wrote a booke of the clerenesse of scripture easie and so to passe through theÌ„ not as the trueth woulde lead yowe which ys hard to finde but as yowre phantasie should moue you which ys at haÌ„de and that he might with like facilitie bringe yowe to errour scisme and heresie and so consequentlie to damnacion Wherof he being soche a secoÌ„d Paule ys the right ministre Howe falselie that booke ys compiled this that ys here saied dothe manifestlie declare and inuincible proue What shoulde I troble thee Reader with rehersall of the false doctrine of Heretiques disseÌ„t
heare how manie wittnesses they laye against thee And he aunswered him neuer one woorde insomoche as the deputie merueiled greatlie Wherbie was fulfilled the prophecie which saieth Tanquam ouis Esay 53. ad occisionē ducetur et tanquam agnus corā tondente se obmutescet et non aperiet os suū He shall be led as a shepe to be slain yet shall he be as still as a lambe before the sherer and not open his mouth This ys the prophecie which the Chāberlain of queen Candace did read Act. 4. sitting in his chariet retourning frō Hierusalē To whose chariett the Spirit of God cōmaunded Philippe to ioin himself who hearing him reading this place asked him vnderstandest thow what thowe readest c. And Philippe went yppe into the chariette and began at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus By the which yt ys manifest that this scripture or prophecie ys to be vnderstanded of our Sauioure Chryst Iesus When Pilate as yt foloweth in the storie sate in iudgemēt and asked the people what he shoulde doo with Iesus which was called Chryste They all Math. 27. saied Let him be crucified Whē Pilate saied what hath he doen They cried the more let him be crucified Whē Pilate called for water and wasshed his handes saieng I am innocent of the blood of this iust person their feircenesse and crueltie was so great that they cried His bloode be vpon vs and on owre children Which their lionlike crueltie and fiercenesse was foreseen by God and spokē by the Prophete in the psalm Aperuerūt super me os suū sicut leorapiēs et rugiēs They haue opened their mouth vpō me as yt were a rāping ād roringe Lion Whē Pilate sawe their importunitie he willing to cōtēt the people let Barrabas loose vnto thē ād whē he had scourged Iesus deliuered him to be crucified Accordinlie saieth the Prophete Corpus meū dedi percutientibus et genas meas Esay 50. vellentibus I offred my backe to the smiters and my chekes to the nippers Which prophecie dothe not onelie declare the scourginges that Chryste shoulde sustein in his bodie but also the buffettes and blowes that he suffred on the face in the house of the high preist and of other ministres as the Euangelist doth declare Then Iudas seing that Chryst was condemned he hanged him self fullfilling Matth. 26. Mar. 15. Luc. 22. the prophecie whiche saieth Fiant dies eius pauci et episcopatum eius accipiat alter Let his daies be fewe and let an other take hys office That this was prophecied of Iudas saincte Peter dothe testifie saing Ye men and bretheren this scripture must nedes haue ben fullfilled whiche the holie Gost through the mouthe of Dauid spake before of Iudas whiche was Acto 1. guide of them that tooke Iesus c. And when he was hanged he brust in sundre and his bowels gusshed oute For yt ys writtē in the booke of psalms Fiat Commoratio c. After all theise persecutions when Chryst was deliuered to the soldiers to be crucified they led him into the common haul wher they entreacted him like a most vile man putting on him a purple Robe and plectinge a Crowne of thornes vpon his head and a rede in his hand and they on their knees saing Haill king of Iewes Wherin was verified the prophecie of Esaie spoken in the person of the Iewes We haue recknid him so vile that we haue turned our faces frō him yea Esay 53. he was despised ād therfor we regarded him not So that our Sauiour might verie well saie at that same time with his owne mouthe that the Prophet Dauid spake before by the spirit of prophecie in the person of Chryste Ego sum vermis et non homo opprobriū hominū et abiectio plebis I am a woorme and no Psal 21. man a verie scorne of men and the outcast of the people Those cruell handlinges of him doen yet most cruellie to his vnspeakeable pain percinge hys most blessed and swete handes and feete they crucified him in this also fulfilling the scripture prophecieng that yt should so be and speaking yt in the person of Christe who suffred yt Foderunt manus meas Ibid. pedes meos dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They perced my handes and my feet I maie tell al my bones What prophecies coulde more liuelie expresse this parte of Chrystes passion then this dothe But I shall haste me to other speaking as plainlie as this And to folow the ordre after the narration of saincte Luke they crucified with him two euell doers one on hys right hand the other on hys left fulfilling the prophecie which saieth Et cum iniquis reputatus est And he was reputed with the wicked Esay 53. Marc. 15. Whiche prophecie S. Marke applieth to this pourpose sainge yt here to be fullfilled When he was thus crucified they parted his garment and cast lottes for yt The prophecie agreablie saieth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem Psal 21. Math. 27. meam miserunt sortem They parted my garments amōg them and vpon my ve sture they cast lottes That this prophecie ys fulfilled by this facte S. Matthew ys wittnesse who saieth They parted hys garmentes and cast lottes that yt might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet c. When this was doen they passed by reuiling him and wagging their heades Accordinglie was yt prophecied and spoken in the person of Chryste Omnes videntes me deriserunt me locuti sunt labijs et mouerunt caput All that Psal 21. did see me laught me to skorne they spake with their lipps and wagged their heades Likewise the high priestes with the Scribes and the elders mocked him and saied He saued other himself he can not saue He trusted in God let Math. 27. him deliuer him nowe yf he wil haue him Nowe beholde if the prophecie haue not almoste euen the same woordes Sperauit in Domino eripiat eum saluū Psal 21. faciat eum quoniam vult eum He trusted in God that he wolde deliuer him let him deliuer him if he will haue him All these their wicked mockes and cruell tormentes not with standinge hanging vpon the crosse he praied for them to his Father sainge Pater dimitte Luc. 23. illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt Father forgeue them for they knowe not what they doo Herin also he fullfilled the prophecie whiche saied of him Pro transgressoribus Esay 53. orauit He made intercession for misdoers And when the sixt howre was commed darknesse arose ouer all the earth vntill the ningth howre as saincte Marke writeth Iesus cried with a loude voice saing Eloy Eloy Lamasabathani whiche ys if one interprete My God my God why Mar. 15. hauest thow forsaken me In the whiche crie Christ spake the verie woordes of the prophecie Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti My God
not able to take holinesse Conclude then with this Authour that the Shew bread was a figure of the blessed Sacrament which for that yt ys holiest of all other yt proueth yt well to be the verie bodie of Chryst This Authour by plain woordes conuinceth the wicked opinion of Oecolampadius Oecolāpad conuinced by thautoritie of Isychius who in his booke of the Supper of our lorde saieth that the Sacramēt ys no holier nor otherwise sanctifieth then praiers doo These be his woordes Haec verò creatura panis ita sanctissimo vsui seruiens vt corpus Christi quod repraesentat appelletur vtentesue sanctificat non suae quidem natura sed vtentium sanctimonia hoc est fide affectu sancto Non minùs enim verè hoc quis de Eucharistia affirmat quà m de precibus quae vsu suo hominem sanctificant This creature of bread ys so sanctified seruing to a most holie vse that yt maie also be called the bodie of Chryst whiche yt dothe represent And yt doth sanctifie them that vse yt not of the owne nature But by the sanctimonie of the vsers that ys by faith and holie affection Thus he In whose woordes ys plain contradiction For sirst he saieth that the bread ys sanctified And yet he saieth again yt hath no holinesse in yt Again he saieth Oecolamp his contradiction yt sanctifieth the receauers And after he saieth yt doth not but their own sanctimonie sanctifieth them Thirdlie he saieth yt sanctifieth as praiers do and praiers if theye be deuoute pourchase sanctificacion but sanctifie not of them selues but the bodie of Chryst sanctifieth of yt self Nowe yf he meen this of the bread as yt ys handled nowe a daies of men of this secte I thinke he saieth trueth For nether ys that holie of yt self nether Comunion bread of the Sacramentaries sanctifieth not dothe yt sanctifie the receauers For they by their corrupted faith are rather defiled But if he speake of the Sacrament as yt ys vsed emōg the catholique people then he fowlie erreth For that bread sanctifieth and maketh vs clean as this Authour before hath saied And yt ys of yt self most holie as this same Authour in his last sentence taught And so against this wicked Oecolampadius yt ys holier then praier or anie other thing in the churche of God Nowe when we see this man and Cantorburie and soch other so plainly repugnante to the olde auncient Fathers what shoulde we ells do but reiect them and vtterlie detest them as men framing them selfes a faith vpon their hereticall election and not vpon the faithe of Chryst declared by the Auncient Fathers of the catholique Churche Although Isychius be right plain in this place alleaged yet shall yow heare him hereafter speake more plainlie THE FOVRE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER APplieng the continuall reseruing of the Shewe bread to the reseruacion of the Sacrament proueth the same reseruacion by the olde Fathers and by the perpetuall practise of the Church YT ys oute of all doubte by the testimonie of the Fathers before alleaged that the Shewe bread was a figure of the holie Sacrament Plain yt ys that the same Shewe bread was sett furth bicause yt shoulde be continuallie reserued in the temple and to no vse more was yt appointed then to be reserued Wherfore God commaunded that euerie Sabboth daie hott bread shoulde be sett furth vpō the table and that Aaron and his Sonnes the preistes shoulde eate the stale bread Shewe bread appoincted for three thinges Now the figure must be aunswered by the thing figured speciallie in that parte that ys the cheif and principall parte of the figure The principall parte of the Shew bread and the chief cause of the appoinctement of yt was for three things The first as the text alleaged declareth that yt should be alwais remaining in the temple vpon the table The second vt sit panis in monimentū oblationis Domini that yt should be abread of remēbrance of the offring of the Lord The third that yt should be eaten onelie of Aaron and his Sonnes Seing then the Sacrament ys the thing figured yt must answer the figure in these poinctes whiche be the principall parte of the figure So then as the Shewe bread was reserued So likewise maie the Sacrament be reserued As the Shewe bread was a bread of remenbrance of Shewe bread applied to the Sacramēt the oblaciō or offring of the Lorde So ys the Sacramēt the breade of remēbrāce of the offring of Chryst our lorde As the Shwe bread was to be eatē onely of Aron and his Sonnes So ys the Sacrament of none to be receaued but of our spirituall Aron and his Sonnes whiche folowe their father in holie faith and like conuersation This goodlie agreement and iust answering of the thing figured to the figure therof doth very well proue the thing so to be The Aduersarie can not denie but that the Shewe breade was a figure of the Sacrament For that ys testified by the holie Fahers And the reseruaciō of the Shew breade being a figure of some thing in the newe Testamēt For all the Leuiticall sacrifices and Ceremonies were figures of thinges of the newe Testament wherof can yt be a figure but of the reseruacion of the Sacrament as the bread yt self was a figure of the Sacrament yt self Let the aduersarie bring furth the thinge figured by the reseruaciō of the Shew bread yf he cā yf he can not as certē yt ys that he cā not for somoche God appointed no vain figure Math. 5. as God appointed no vain figure voide of all significaciō and he hath ordeined also that iota vnū aut vnus apex non praeteribit a lege donec omnia fiāt one iotte or one title shall not scape till all be fullfilled maugre of the Aduersaries hearte this parte of the figure ys aunswered by the reseruacion of this blessed Sacrament for the memoriall of the offring of Christ vpon the crosse and to be eaten of his good faithfull children Now wher one of the membres of the proclamaciō of this Aduersarie ys against the reseruacion of the blessed Sacramēt ye maie see that was made One mēbre of master Juells proclamacion against Reseruaciō in◠proued more by self will then by lawe for the lawe ys against him as by that that ys saied yt dothe well appeare But to this further confusion I shall declare and proue that this matter hathe ben putte in execucion in sundrie and diuerse ages frō the beginning of Chrystes Churche And for that this Aduersarie alleadgeth the epistle of sainct Clement written to saincte Iames called the brother of Chryst therfor shall I also alleadg the same epistle and beginning with yt descende to our daies Sainct Clemēt the disciple of saincte Peter the Apostle and an holie martir Phill. 4. Clemens Epist. 2. of Chryste of whome saincte Paule maketh mencion declaring the ordre aboute the blessed Sacrament vsed in
in those daies An other thing woorthie of note in this reporte of saincte Ambrose ys that he with cōmēdaciō declareth the affiāce that his brother had in the Sacrament Whiche was soche that seing imminēt perill and remēbring what he had aboute him did not seke earthlie or worldly helpe but reposing his trust in the Sacramēt that he had aboute him he perswaded him self to haue helpe enough and nothing distrusting rested onelie vpon that helpe and in that hope committed him self to the fearfull and terrible vaiues of the sea I praie thee good Reader weigh this well ād iudge whether this good mā the brother of sainct Ambrose did thinke or beleue the Sacramēt to be but a peice of bread a figure or sign of Chryst onelie Wolde he thinke yowe in that great daūger perill haue cōmitted the sauing of his life all other helpes sett a parte te a poour dūme creature a litle peice of bread And aboue this wold that good mā in that agonie so endaūgered his soule as to cōmitte so horrible ydolatrie in placing and putting that his great trust in a peice of bread whiche aught onelie to haue ben reposed in God No yt ys not to be thought but this raither that he being a faithfull and godlie man folowed the example of faithfull Peter who being in a shippe and hearing Chryst whom he sawe walking on the sea saing to them that were in the Matth. 14 shippe be of good trust yt ys I be not afraied saied to him yf yt be thowe lorde cōmaunde me to come to thee vpon the waters And he went out of the shippe and walked vpon the sea toward Chryst Euen so this man by faith knowing his master Chryst to be at hand with him presentlie in the sacrament he cōmitted him self with Peter to the sea and was the first that was saued Adde vnto this that whiche ys an other thing to be noted that sainct Ambrose cōmending this brother for the great faith trust and affiance that he had in the Sacrament well declareth also his owne faithe that he also beleued the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Holie men commēde not the misbeleif of mē to the worlde no not by mouthe moche lesse by bookes whiche must remain For that then that sainct Ambrose hath written this no dowbte aswell to our Imitaciō as to the cōmendaciō of his brother bothe the faith of the Churche beleuing Chrystes presence in the Sacrament ys to be approued and the reseruacion of the same Sacrament for the comforth of vs being seke or wholl ys not to be dissalowed And yet ys ther a more euident testimonie of this matter of reseruacion in an epistle of Chrisostom to Innocentius wherin he maketh complainte of the calamitie that happened in his churche of Constantinople by wicked Soldiers and emong other thinges reporteth thus Ipso magno Sabbato Chrysost epist. ad Jnnocent collecta manus militum ad vesperam diei in ecclesias ingressa clerum omnem qui nobiscum erat vi eiecit armis gradum vndique muniuit Mulieres quoque quae per illud tēpus se exuerant vt baptisarentur metu grauiorum insidiarum nudae aufugerunt neque enim concedebatur vt se velarent sicut mulieres honestas decet multae etiam acceptis vulneribus eijciebanttur sanguine implebantur natatoria sancto cruore rubescebant sluenta Neque hic rerum finis erat Nam sanctuaria ingressi sunt milites quorum aliquos scimus nullis initiatos mysteris viderunt omnia quae intus erant quin sanctissimus Christi sanguis sicut in tali tumultu contingit in praedictorum militum vestes effusus est Euen vpon the great Sabboth daie meaning Easter daie at the euentide an Armie of Soldiers entred the churche and by violence cast oute all soche as were with vs of the cleargie And kept with strēght the entrie The womē also whiche at that time had put of their cloathes to be baptised for feare of more daūger fled naked awaie Nether were they suffred to couer thē selues as becometh honest women manie of them also being wounded were cast oute and the fontes prepared to baptise them in were full of bloode and the waters of the fontes were made red with bloode But this was not the ende of the businesse For the Soldiers also went into the holie places of the whiche Chrystes blood in the Sacr. shed vpon the soldiers cloathes we knowe some to haue receaued no parte of the chrystian religion and they sawe all the thinges that were within And besides that the most holie bloode of Chryst as yt doth happen in soche tumulte was shedde vpon the garmēts of the Soldiers Thus facre Chrisostom In this complaint first note when these wycked soldiers entred vpon the churche they entred in the euening At whiche time they entring into the Sanctuarie Ye perceaue they fownde the Sacrament ther for he saieth that yt was shedde vpō the cloathes of the Soldiars In the time of Chrisostō yt was not in vse to cōsecrate the Sacramēt in the after noone but onely in the morning This then being kept in the Sanctuarie and shed vpon the garmēt of the Soldiers in the euening yt proueth inuinciblie and most plainly that the Sacrament was reserued Presence of Chrystes blood in the Sacra and reseruation auouched by Chrysost Yf ye will also knowe what the Sacrament was whether yt was a figure onely or the thing yt self Christostom by as plain woordes teacheth vs that yt was the bloode of Christ And that we should perceaue yt was so in dede he cōtented not him felf onelie to cal yt the blood of Chryst but the most holie blood of Chryst By Chrisostom then the reseruacion of the Sacrament ys so plainly wittnessed that the Proclamer can not denie yt the very presence of Christes bloode in the same ys so auouched that the Sacramentary ys confounded Yt ys with moche reuerence termed and called the most holie blood of Chryst wherby the vureuerent and spitefull railing and raiging of the blasphemer ys reproued and rebuked But let vs yet proceade further maie we not finde the reseruacion of the Sacrament in S. Hieromes time Yes verilie For he wittnesseth yt Reseruatiō in S. Hieroms time him self declaring to one Rusticus the godlie life and great libertie of Exuperius Bishoppe of Tolosse and signifieng the great contempt of worldelie thinges the same had and his great pleasure in heauenly thinges writeth thus Nihil illo ditius qui corpus Domini in canistro vimineo sanguinem portat in vitro Ther ys no man richer then he who beareth the bodie of our Lorde in a wicker basket and his bloode in a glasse As who might saie So litle regardeth this good Bisshoppe Exuperius the riches of the worlde that geuing awaie all his substance and bearing aboute him the bodie of our Lord but in a litle wicker baskett and the blood of
offertur nomini meo oblatio munda quia magnum est nomen meum in gentibus dicit Dominus exercituum I haue no pleasure in yowe saieth the Lorde of hostes And as for meat offring I will not accept yt as your handes For from the rising vppe of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name ys great emong the gentiles yea in euery place shall ther be sacrifice doen and a clean meat offring offred vppe vnto my name For my name ys great emong the Gentiles saeth the Lorde of hostes This prophecie hath moche tormented the Aduersaries and therfore all Protestantes tormented with the propheâ—… 〈◊〉 howe â—…ey wrest yt their ingines hookes and all their fetches haue be sett vpon this place to drawe yt to their sense and pourpose but yt will not be all will not serue that they can doo for trueth will shewe yt self and preuaill This prophecie in dede inuinciblie proueth the Sacrifice of Chrystes Churche as hereafter shall be shewed But first let vs see howe the Aduersaries wolde wrest this place and let vs make yt plain to the reader that the sence whiche they wolde haue the scripture vnderstanded in ys not the right and full sence but a distorted sence a wrong sense and soche a sense as the place can not beare a sense disagreing from the expositions of all the holie Fathers bothe of the latin churche and of the greke churche Occolampadius in a booke that he did write of the Masse vnto the Senate of Basille saieth that by this prophecie of the Prophet Malachie was Prophecied Occolamp that the ministres of the newe testament shoulde make a faithfull people oute of all nacions as a pure and an holie oblacion and sacrifice to God And this saieth he ys the minde of the Prophet Martin Bucer not moche differing from him in his aunswer that he made to Latomus saieh that hy this Prophecie ys cheiflie promised the preaching of the Gospell by the whiche God shall be euery whear acknowleged and Bucer the fruicte also of the same preaching that ys faithe and the confessing of the same faithe And he saieth also that by the incense and oblacion are to be vnderstanded the sacrifices of chrysten men whiche be saieth he the praising and calling on the name of God wherunto ys allwaies annexed the geuing vppe of our selues to the will of God and the declaracion of our thaÌ„kefull minde towardes God by the doing and shewing of loue and mercie to the poore And thus dothe he expownde the Prophete Bullinger an other of the same secte and sorte saieth that the lawde and prayse of God his name ys the pure sacrifice that the Prophete speaketh of Bullinger Vrbanus Rhegius But Vrbanus Rhegius writing against Eckius his master in his firstbooke saieth thus The sacrifice that Malachias prophecied of ys the mortificacion of the flesh and the calling on the name of God with godlie prayer And this was his phantasie whiche so I terme as I might the rest for that eche of theÌ„ hath vnderstanded the prophecie as him listeth and not as the full mening of the same hathe required And although other haue vttered their conceptes and coniecturs vpon this prophecie Yet these being the standarde bearers of that wicked armie that hath so maliciouslie fowght against Gods truthe maie fuffice to be rehersed for this time presupposing that the rest do folowe their standerd bearers But let vs nowe examin and weigh their expositions Yf ye marke they do all agree in this that this prophecie ys to be vnderstanded of the sacrifice of praise and thanks geuing which thei call the pure sacrifice Yt ys to be considered here that Allmightie God by his Prophet declaring that the sacrifice of the Iewes which was onelie doen in Hierusalem shoulde be reiected abolished and lefte signified also that an other sacrifice shoulde be substituted in the place of the same whiche shoulde be a pure and clean sacrifice whiche shoulde not be doen onlie in Hierusalem as the other was But in euery place Nowe as for the sacrifice of a contrite heart of lawde praise and thankes geuing who doubteh but that they were vsed and offred of diuerse holie Psal 50. and vertuouse men in the olde lawe and well accepted whiche thing Dauid was not ignorant of when he saied Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus Psalm 49. cor contritum humiliatum Deus non despicies A troobled spirit ys a sacrifice to God a contrite and humble heart o God shalt thowe not despice Of the sacrifice of lawde Dauid also speaketh Immola Deo sacrificium laudis Offer to God the sacrifie of lawde c. praise And in the same Psalm Sacrificium laudis honorificabit me Who so offreth me thankes and praise he honoureth me The hereticall expositions of the prophecie of Malachie cannot stand Therfore wher the Aduersarie wolde that these kinde of Sacrifices shoulde be they of the whiche the prophet Malachie spake that shoulde come into the place of the sacrifice of the Iewes whiche God wolde abolisshe their exposition can not stande For these can not nowe be placed as newe sacrifices whiche were placed and vsed from the beginning of the first good man that offred sacrifice to God Abel who withe the sacrifice of the fruictes of the earth whiche he offred offred also praise and thankes geuing to God These sacrifices then be not newe placed but being of olde time vsed God wolde haue them so continued Neither doo I meen that these be separated from that sacrifice that God wolde place in stead of the sacrifice of the Iewes For their ys no extern sacrifice Sacrifice of laude separated from the extern sacrifice but yf yt be rightlie and duely offred yt bringeth with yt the sacrifice of lawde and praise and of other also But that the Prophet dothe meen of these onelie and not raither of some extern sacrifice to be vsed offred and frequented among the Chrystians and that he ment not cheiflie and principallie of an extern sacrifice to be placed in the place of the Iewes extern sacrifices that ys most vntrue And that maie be perceaued by the difference of the newe sacrifice from the olde What ys that That yt shall be a pure sacrifice Why were not theirs pure sacrifices before in the olde lawe Was ther not a sacrifice of expiacion and a daie of expiacion assigned in the whiche the clensing sacrifice shoulde be offred Read the xvi chapter of Leuiticus and ther shall ye finde that Allmightie God saeth thus In hac die expiatio vestri erit Leuit. 16. atque mundatio ab omnibus peccatis vestris coram Domino mundabimini In this daie shall be your expiacion and cleÌ„sing and ye shall be made clean from all your sinnes before the Lorde Was not this then a pure sacrifice that purified and clensed the people from all their sinnes before God Ys yt not a pure sacrifice that ys
corruption and controuersie taught beleued and folowed I claime also creditte to be geuen to the holie aunciēt Fathers whom I haue alleaged who being in that pure time when faith was purely taught do cōmunicate to vs soche doctrine as the Churche of God then had whose doctrine howe moche yt ys different from the doctrine of this wicked teacher that hathe thus exclamed and howe repugnāte his doctrine ys to the teaching of these Fathers yt ys as easie to discerne as darknesse frō light or white frō blacke Wherfore gentle Reader nowe being by me aduertised after soche sorte as yt hath pleased my lorde God to imparte his grace vnto me yf thowe hauest not erred reioice in God and be confirmed Yf thowe hauest erred repent before God and be reduced And thus moche of the scriptures of the olde Testament THE SEVEN AND THIRTITH CHAP. MAKETH a breif Recapitulacion of thinges before written with thapplicacion of them to the Proclamacion of the aduersarie and so concludeth this first booke ALthough I am not ignorante gentle Reader that in the Psalmes be diuerse other prophecies whiche according to the minde of saincte Hierom do speake of this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode that shoulde be offred in the Churche of Chryst and of the whiche the poour in spiritte shoulde eate and be satisfied as in the xxi xxij lxxj cx psalmes Yet for that the figures of this Sacrament be allreadie aunswered by prophecies to them aunswerable And these that be lefte maie by iust occasion be spoken of hereafter I shall for the Readers ease disauauntage my self of the allegacion of them to the setting furth of the matter here taken in hand by me to be defended and so cōclude this booke with a breif recapitulacion of some thinghes bfore saied to the entent they maie be applied to aunswere some one or mo mēbres of the Aduersaries proclamacion not yet spoken of I did of pourpose omitte to applie that ys saied as aunswer to that parte of his wicked proclamacion whiche yt doth fullie confute by cause I wolde not to moche trouble my processe but thought yt best to reserue yt to this place as in other matters I haue also doen the like in this booke Wherfor that yt maie well be perceaued that this that ys saied doth clean ouerthrowe this mans doctrine vnderstand first what ys his doctrine Thus in his proclamacion he crieth Yf any one of all our Aduersaries be able plainlie and clerely to proue by soch authoritie of the scriptures the old Doctours and Councells as ys before saied that the preist had then authoritie to offre vpp Chryst vnto his Father c. In which his proclamaciō he denieth the Sacrifice of the Churhe which ys the bodie and blood of our sauiour Chryst which he saieth the Churche hath none authoritie to offre to God in sacrifice Against this his false doctrine call to minde what ys in this booke saied speciallie in the setting furthe of the prophecies of the preisthood of Chryst The deuell hath bewitched the Proclamer after the ordre of Melchisedech of the prophecies of Daniel and Malachie wher but that the deuell hath bewitched this man and to his perdition hath cast a mist before his eies that he shoulde not see the trueth he coulde not ells but see that the bodie and blood of Chryste were of him self offred in his last supper and ther and then instituted and ordeined to be offred and continued in his Church as the memoriall of his passion and death S. Ciprian as yt ys alleaged saieth that our Lorde Iesus offred the same Cyprian that Melchisedech offred that ys bread and wine that ys to saie saieth he his bodie and blood Isychius saieth that we haue the sacrifice of Chryst the intelligible Melchisedech Isychius whiche sacrifice was perfectlie doen in bread and wine when Chryste saied This ys my bloode that shal be shedd for yowe S. Hierom saieth that as Melchisedech offred bread and wine so shall Chryste Hieron offred his bodie and blood the true bread and true wine S. Augustin saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and blood according to the ordre of Melchisedech to succeade the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Aaron Wher note that he saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode after the ordre of Melchisedech Yf he did institute the sacrifice then ys ther authoritie by the same institution geuen to the Church to offre the same Whiche well appeareth by the saing of Origen whiche foloweth in this processe We saith Origen being obedient to the Creatour of thinges when we Origen haue geuen thankes we receaue the breades that were offred whiche be turned into a certain holier bodie whiche bodie trulie maketh them holier that with a sownde and pure minde vse yt Note then that our obedience standeth not onely to eate the bread but to eate the bread that ys offred and therforre we must both offre and eate The church must both offre and eate yf we will be obedient Yf yt be our obedience to offer then ther ys commaundement geuen to offre Yf commaundement be geuen then Authoritie also Theophilact saieth that the oblacion conteining Chryste our Lorde Bishoppe and Sacrifice ys continuallie offred by the ministres of God Seing that Chryste ys offred Theophila as Theophilact saieth by the ministres of God yt ys euident that yt ys doen with authoritie For withoute authoritie can none offre him Martialis one of the disciples of Chryste saieth that we for our health offre that vpon the holie Altar that the Iewes did offre vpon the Crosse for enuie And yf ye S. Martia We offre ou the altar that the Iewes offred on the crosse Irenaeus require by what authoritie we do it he saieth that our Lord cōmaunded vs so to doo in the remembrance of him And yf ye will vnderstande howe the authoritie cometh ordrely to vs to offre the bodie of Chryste to God the Father Irenaeus will teache you For he saieth that Chryste geuing instructions to his Apostles to offre sacrifice to God tooke the creature of bread and gaue thankes and saied this ys my body And the cuppe also he tooke and confessed yt to be his bloode and so of the newe Testament taught the newe oblacion whiche the Churche taking of the Apostles offreth yt yn all the worlde to God according to the prophecie of Malachie Can not nowe this Proclamer or raither Blasphemer see or perceaue what authoritie the preist hath to offre Chryst to God the Father Yt ys deriued from Chryst to the Apostles from the Apostles to the Church and so vsed through out all the worlde S. Augustine saieth that the pure and clean sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of that shall be offred in euery place ys the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Melchisedech What the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys by the minde of S.
and sufficient matter to approue the doing of the holie catholique Churche in this matter And will I trust iudge this Proclamer sufficientlie aunswered by the best learned Fathers as well of the greke church as of the latin and will therfore thinke yt right that wher this Proclamer required but one plain sentence hauing nowe a nombre that he doo perfourme hys promesse and submitte him self to the trueth and subscribe to the catholique Churche and become her childe again whiche God of hys mercie bring to passe in him For trulie the giftes that God hath placed in him considered I cannot but loue him and prayse God in him and wish that I might ioin with him But whē I remembre hys great fall into this wickednesse I pietie him and vtterly deuide my self from him as my bownden duetie before fowre mēbres for the Proclamocion aunswereth God ys In this booke then as occasion hath serued I haue aunswered foure peices or membres of hys proclamacion The first for the hauing of the scriptures in the vulgar toung The second for Reseruacion of the Sacrament The thirde for the authoritie of the offring of Chryst to hys Father The fourth for the presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament In the other bookes by the helpe of God shall be likewise aunswered some other partes of the same proclamacion as like occasion shall be ministred whiche God graunt maye be to hys euerlasting prayse and honour Amen THE SECOND BOOKE THE FIRST CHAPITER DECLARETH THE OFFICES OF THE OLDE LAVVE AND THE BENEFITTES OF the newe Lawe with an exhortation to submitte our vnderstanding to the knowledge of faithe and therwith to the beleif of the Sacrament LEX per Moysen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christum facta est The Lawe saieth saincte Iohn was geuen by Moises but grace and trueth came by Iesus Chryst The Lawe as saincte Paule declareth had two offices for the Ioan. 1. The lawe hath two of fices Rom. 3. Ibid. 7. which yt was geuen of God by Moises to the people The one was to geue them knowledge of finne and to restreign them from yt The first parte of this office S. Paule speaketh of to the Romans saieng Per legem cognitio peccati By the lawe cometh the knowledge of sinne For saieth he in an other place Peccatum non cognoui nisi per legem Nam concupiscentiam nesciebā nisi lex diceret Non concupisces I knewe not sinne but by the lawe For I had not knowen what lust had ment except the lawe had saied Thowe shalt not lust The seconde parte he speaketh of to the Galathians wher when he had proued that the promisse of the blessing came not by the lawe but by faith as being made foure hundreth and thirtie years before the lawe was geuen he moueth this question Quid igitur lex wherfor then serueth the Lawe As who Galat. 3. shoulde saie yf the lawe were not geuen that by yt men shoulde atteign to iustification wherto then serueth yt what then ys the office of yt He answereth Propter trangressionem posita est yt was added for transgression that transgressours takinge with the lawe the spirit of seruitude in feare might be witholden from the trangression of the same Lawe although the outwarde obseruacion of yt conferred not that iustificaciō to the obseruers therof that auaileth before God The other office of the Lawe was by liniamentes of figures and shaddowes to leade the people to Chryst as S. Paul saieth Lex poedagogus fuit in Christo Jbid. The Lawe was oure schoolemaster to Chryste Wherfore our Sauioure Chryste willed the Iewes who were not willinge to receaue him as the Messias being yet by the Lawe taught to knowe him that they shoulde repair to Ioan. 5. the scriptures of the Lawe as to their schoolmaster saieng Scrutamini scripturas in quibus putatis vos vitam habere aeternam illae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de mè Searche the scriptures in the whiche ye thinke to haue eternall life and they are they whiche testifie of me Whiche Lawe vndoubtedlie did so teache them Christe by promisses figures and prophecies that they coulde not pretende ignorance but they must nedes be fownde offendours of malice wherof the chief ruler of the schoole Moyses wolde accuse them as Chryste saieth to them Nolite putare quòd ego accusaturus sum vos apud patrem Jbid. 5. meum est qui accusat vos Moyses in quo speratis Si enim crederetis Moysi crederetis forsitan mihi De me etenim ille scripsit Do not thinke that I will accuse yowe to my Father ther ys one that accuseth yowe euen Moises in whom ye trust For had ye beleued Moises ye wolde peraduenture haue beleued me for he wrote of me Of this office of the Lawe that ys of the schoole mastershippe of yt Howe yt promised Chryste Howe yt painted and deschribed him by figures and shaddowes Howe yt spake of him by prophecies in the old testament yt ys as to the pourpose of the matter whiche ys nowe in hand apperteineth treacted of in the first booke Nowe mindinge to seke the trueth of the same matter in the newe Testament I am moche comforted and delighted trusting with moche more facilitie and ease to atteign the same And yet as not withoute pleasure mixed with trauaill I haue doen the like in the firste booke passinge through the thikkes as yt were and obscure places of the Law not all vnlike vnto an Hūter who painfullie beating the busshes and traueling through the Thickes yet not withoute pleasure seking his game and comming to the goodlie faire Lawnde semeth to be moche eased and as yt were releiued of a great greif and then with more delight and pleasure foloweth the same Euē so nowe that I am comed to the beautifull Lawnd of the newe Testament wher for the sharpe priking busshes of the seuitute and bondage of sinne vnder the Lawe and for the obscure and darke thickes of figures and shadowes of the same finding the goodlie pleasaunt Lawnde of grace and veritie by Iesus Chryste I forgett my former trauaills and with freshe delight folowe on my gamme The Lawe had two offices not voide of incōmodities The Gospell hath The Gospel hath two commodities two benefittes enriched with great cōmodities The Lawe gaue knowledge of sinne The Gospell geueth grace for remission of sinnes the Lawe had figures the Gospell hathe the veritie He then by whome came this grace and veritie Iesus Christe who ys the Ioan. 1. light of the worlde and lightneth euery man that cometh into the same geue the bright and clere beames of his knowledge vnto vs both the writer and the reader that beinge led by his grace we maie come persightlie to his trueth and veritie and cominge to the same we maie with all humilitie and mekenesse subdue our vnderstanding to the seruice of faith And so learninge not
authoritie or credite ys he of that teacheth in the pulpet by speaking then he that teacheth by open writing Yf ye will not beleue me writing ye will not beleue me preaching Yf ye wil beleue me preaching for that I speake the trueth by the scriptures and auncient fathers Beleue me also writing the trueth by the scriptures aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers And yf these alowed writers of these later daies teach the trueth by the scripturs aÌ„d auncieÌ„t fathers theÌ„ must they neds be receaued And ther for trulie yt ys necessarie that they be alleaged to th eÌ„tent the trueth maie be perceaued to be one throughout all and that they being ioined with the auncieÌ„tes yt maie be seeÌ„ that the same trueth is taught now that was taught a thousand yeares agoÌ„ before And therfor haue I determined not to geue place to this refusall of Heretiques but to alleage the Authours of these later yeares that the coÌ„sonancie and vnitie of the trueth maie be perceaued in all ages and that ther ys no other trueth taught now theÌ„ was taught in the Primitiue Church and the time of the Apostles yea no other trueth then was taught by oure Sauiour Chryst himself and by his holie Spirit the Authour of all trueth Wherby the foule railinges and slaunders which bemost comoÌ„ lie in the mouthes of the enemies maie be taken awaie and they of their vntrueth and malice woorthilie confownded Thus moche I thought good to saie for that in this book I minde to vse the testimonies of these late writers for th entent aboue specified And nowe therfore to Theophilacte the Grecian I shall ioin the learned doctour Nicolaus de Lyra a latin Authour who writing vpon the sixt of S. Iohn cometh to this text Et panis quem ego dabo caro mea est And the bread whiche I will geue ys my flesh and expowndeth yt thus Postquam egit de pane spirituali qui est Verbum hic consequenter agit de pane spirituali qui est Sacramentum After he hath don saieth this Authour of Chryst with the spirituall bread which ys Nico. Lira in 6. Ioan. the woorde here consequentlie he treacted of the spirituall breade whiche ys the Sacrament What dothe this authour dissent from the Fathers dothe he not signifie that Chryste before the sentence so often alleaged did speake of the spirituall bread hys Godhead which he calleth the woord And doth he not now saie that in yt that foloweth Chryst speaketh of the Sacrament These be sufficient to declare the true vnderstaÌ„ding of our Sauiour Chrystes processe and ordre in the sixte of S. Iohn And for that ye perceaue the same aswell after the minde of Chryste the verie texte so leading vs to vnderstand yt as also after the minde of diuerse learned authours I will nowe procead to see the vnderstaÌ„ding of diuerse textes of the rest of this chapiter that treacte of the blessed Sacrament THE FOVRTH CHAPITER BEGINNETH A further proof of the former matter by S. Cyprian and Euthymius THis distinction of these two breades last before mencioned perceaued and being withall remeÌ„bred that at this text The bread which I shall geue ys my â—…esh whiche I will geue for the life of the world Chryst began to speake of the Sacrament and continueth the disputation therof to the ende of the chapiter to proue the same more manifestlie to the Reader and withall to make yt clere that that processe ys not of a figuratiue flesh but of Chrystes verie propre flesh and bodie I will beginne at the same text and so descending to the last by a nombre of the most auncient Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house open both the one and the other I trust to the full contentacion of the godlie Reader The firste that shall shewe hys minde of this matter shall be the holie Martyr Cyprian who saieth thus Panis vitae Christus est panis hic omnium non est sed noster est Et quomodò dicimus Pater noster quia intelligentium credentium pater est sic paneÌ„ nostruÌ„ vocamus quia Christus noster qui eius corpus coÌ„tingimus panis est Hunc autem paneÌ„ dari nobis quotidiè postulamus ne qui in Christo sumus Eucharistiam quotidie ad cibuÌ„ salutis accipimus intercedente grauiore aliquo delicto dum abstenti noÌ„ coÌ„municantes à caelesti pane prohibemur à Christi corpore separemur ipso praedicante monente Ego sum panis vitae qui de caelo descendi Si quis ederit de hoc pane viuet in aeternum Panis quteÌ„ quem ego dedero caro mea est pro seculi vita The bread of life ys Chryst and this breade ys not the breade of all men but yt ys ours And as we do saie Oure Father because he ys the father of all that do beleue and vnderstande Euen so also oure bread call we whiche touche his bodie bicause owre Chryste ys bread This breade we dailie desire to be geuen vs least we which be in Chryst and take the Sacrament dailie to oure meate of health some greuouse offence coming betwene while we being excoÌ„municated and not receauing be forbidden from the heauenlie bread maie be separated from the bodie of Chryste he himself openly saing and teaching I am the bread of life whiche descended from heauen Whosoeuer shal eate of this bread shall liue for euer The bread which I will geue ys my flesh for the life of the worlde Thus moch S. CypriaÌ„ In this sentence I doubte not but ye perceaue that this holy Martyr applieth the sentences of the sixt of S. Iohn to the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie and blood According to whiche vnderstanding he calleth Chryst our bread S. Cyprian aplieth the sixt of S. Iohn to the Sacrament whom he so calleth not onelie bicause of his Godhead but also bicause he feadeth vs in the Sacrament with his bodie For saieth he we being in Chryste do receaue the Sacrament dailie to the meate of health But yf by sinne we forbeare to receaue the heauenlie bread we be separated from the bodie of Chryste Wherby we maie perceaue that not onelie the sixt of S. Iohn ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament But also when S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament the meat of health the heauenly bread and the bodie we are taught that in the SacrameÌ„t ys the verie presence of that bodie to the which proprelie these goodlie titles maie be wourthilie applied Whiche bodie can be none other but the bodie of Chryst God an man But forasmoch as the faith of this famouse Father and holie Martyr Cyprian in this poinct hath ben notablie and manifestlie declared in sentences before alleaged in the first booke and more herafter shall be spoken I will not nowe trooble the reader with any longer declaracion of the same but will ioin with Cyprian one of the other side of Chrystes Parliament house euen Euthymius a grecian whose sentence Reader yt shall
per charitatem Hoc autem sacramentum dicitur sacramentum amoris Thus moche Lyra. who although he speaketh plainlie as ys saied yet fullie and trulie so fullie and trulie that he hath whollie set furth that faith that the whol Churche dothe professe ād so plainlie as here ys no obscure maner of speach for the Aduersarie to lurke vnder and by a wicked glose to drawe to his sense and pourpose Yt ys to be knowen saieth Lyra that in the Sacrament of thankes geuing ys cōteined the verie Sōne of God incarnate And therfor shewing the qualitie of the Sacrament he toucheth foure thinges The first that ther ys one thing whiche ys a Sacrament onelie and that ys the forme of bread whē he saieth And the bread c. The secondeys the Authour of this Sacrament which ys Chryste himself the high preist The preist whiche ys the mynistre of this Sacrament doth onelie speake the woordes not in his owne person but in the person of Chryste In other sacramentes the mynistre doth vse his owne woordes or the woordes of the Churche by the which the acte that he dothe ys expressed as yt doth appeare in Baptisme wher yt ys saied I Baptise thee But in the Sacrament he doth onelie reherse the wordes of Chryste when he saieth Who before the daie he suffred c. And after folowe the woordes of Chryste working the consecracion And this ys noted when yt ys saied whiche I shall geue to yowe The thirde ys the thing signified and conteined that ys the verie bodie of Chryst noted when yt ys saied yt ys my flesh The fourth ys the thing signified ād not cōteined ād that ys the mystical bodie of Chryste the which ys conioined to the head by charitie For this Sacrament ys called the Sacrament of loue This ys the exposition of Lyra. In the whiche that he doth vnderstand this text of the Sacramēt yt ys more manifest then I nede to note yt to yow That he also in the same Sacrament teacheth to be the verie reall presence of Chrystes bodie For in the first entrie he affirmeth that the verie Sonne of God incarnate ys in the Sacrament Whiche in the thirde note he groundeth vpon this Verie Sōne of God incarnate in the Sacra woord of Chryste yt ys my stesh whiche flesh of Chryste saieth he ys the thing signified and conteined Yt ys signified by the Sacrament that ys a signe of an holy thing whiche ys the formes of bread and wine And ys conteined being reallie present as the verie substance vnder the same formes In these two partes this Authour dissenteth not from other that haue ben hitherto alleaged For they all teach one doctrin One thing in dede he teacheth here whiche the other alleaged for the exposition of this texte haue not taught which ys that he noteth in this texte that Chryste dothe accompte himself the Authour and geuer of this Sacrament Which in my iudgement he doth verie well take of these woordes of Chryste which I will geue c. By whiche woordes Chryste signifieth vnto vs that he himself ys the doer the woorker and the geuer of this Sacrament which thing this authour more at large opening saieth Chryste ys the authour of this Sacrament For he ys the heigh preist The preist that ys the minister doth but onely speake the woordes and vse hys ministerie By the which woordes the vain saing of vain mē which do deceaue the simple and haue not passed to Blaspheme this holie mysterie and shamefullie to slaunder the Church of Chryste are made openlie to be knowen in their owne sorte as they be For wher to drawe the simple from Chrystes holie sacrament and bringe the same most excellent mysterie in contempte to be derided of boies and Girlles they wolde saie doest thow beleue that God ys in Preists make God Cauill of the Aduersaries opened the Sacrament why then the preist doth make him And beleuest thow that the preist can make God What God made all the worlde and he ys made of none With these and soche like the simple astoined and not seing what to aunswer ys led awaie as the oxe to the slaughter THE EIGHT CHAPITER DECLARETH BY whose authoritie and power the Sacrament ys consecrate and Chrystes bodie made present BVt that ye maie perceaue that to saie the preist maketh God ys the Preist maketh God the doctrine of the Deuell doctrine of the Deuel and hys disciples who haue inuented soche lies and slaunders to dishonour God and his holy Sacrament and to snare and entrappe the simple in heresie and so finallie to cast thē headlong into perpetuall dānacion I shall open and declare vnto yow what ys the verie true doctrine of Chrysts Churche in this matter The doctrine of Chrystes Church was declared vnto vs by the authour last alleaged in the chapiter before Who saieth that Chryst ys the high preist and that he ys the authour and woorker of this Sacrament This was the doctrine taught nowe in the latter daies whiche vndoubtedlie was also taught in the auncient Churche as yt shall appeare to yowe by the Fathers whiche shall be alleaged which liued in diuerse ages Damascen an holie father and of good antiquitie as touching this matter Damasce de orth sid lib. 4 ca. 14 saieth thus Quemadmodum omnia quae fecit Deus Spiritu sancto cooperante fecit sic nunc Spiritus sancti operatione haec supra naturam operatur quae non potest cognoscere nisi sola fides Quomodò fiet istud dixit sancta virgo quoniam virum non cognosco Respondit Gabriel Archangelus Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te virtus Altissimi obum brabit tibi Itaque si nunc interrogas Quomodò panis fit corpus Christi vinum aqua sanguis Christi Respondeo ego tibi Spiritus sanctus obumbrat haec supra sermonem intelligentiam operatur Panis autem vinum Transsumuntur As all thinges that Howe the bread ys made the bodie of Chryst God hath made he hath made them by the holie Gost woorking with him Euen so nowe he woorketh these thinges aboue nature by the operacion of the holy Goste Whiche thinges no man can knowe but onely faith Howe shall this thing be doen saieth the holy virgen seing I knowe not a man The Archangell Gabriell aunswered The holie Goste shall come vpon thee and the power of the moste highest shall ouershadow thee Therfore yf thowe al so aske nowe howe the bread ys made the bodie of Chryste and the wine and water hys bloode I also aunswer thee The holie Gost ouershadoweth and woorketh these thinges aboue speache and vnderstanding The breade and the wine be transsumed Thus moche Damascen who did write a booke of the faithe of the Church in the which writing this saieng that yowe haue now heard he dothe sufficientlie geue yow knowledge what was taught to the faithfull people of hys time In the whiche saieng also ye perceaue
them to the doctrines of the catholike Church that nowe ys and see yf they be not agreable Trie yf they be not all one Chryst saieth after Doctrine of the primitiue churche and the churche since and nowe compared he had blessed the bread and the wine This ys my bodie This ys my bloode This Authour saieth that they were taught in the primitiue Churche that the bread and wine with water after cōsecraciō be the flesh and bloode of Iesus incarnated The catholike Churche that hath ben and nowe ys teacheth that the bread and wine on the Altar after the consecracion be the bodie and bloode of Chryst Wolde ye desire anie more agreement wolde ye desire anie better concorde And wher the Proclamer requireth anie one auncient Authour that teacheth plainlie Chrystes verie reall presence wolde he haue anie plainer speache A plain place for M. Juell then that whiche he impugneth in vs This Authour saieth that that we saie and speaketh as plainlie as we speake as by the conference of both a childe maie perceaue Let the Proclaimer then be a shamed of his rash proclamacion and with mature and sobre beliberacion and iudgement let him agnise the doctrine of the primitiue Churche and so shall he confesse with vs the reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament whiche nowe wickedlie he hathe impugned But here ys not be ouerpassed the exceading crafte and vntrueth of Cranmer one of the Fathers of this Proclamer in the corrupting falsieng and Cranmer falsifieth and abuseth Iustin abusing of this Authour Iustinus And that yt shall not be laied to my charge that I misreporte him I will faithfullie asscribe his woordes as they be written in his booke Thus he writeth Iustinus a great learned man and an holie Martyr the eldest Authour that this daie ys knowen to write anie treactice vpon the Sacramentes and wrote not moche after one hundreth yeares after Chrystes ascension He writeth in his Lib. 2. ca. 5 seconde Apologie that the bread water and wine in this Sacrament are not to be taken as other common meates and drinkes be but they be meates ordeined pourposely to geue thankes to God and therfore be called Eucharistia and be called also the bodie and bloode of Chryst and that yt ys laufull for none to eate or drinke of them but that professe Chryste and hue according to the same And yet the same meate and drinke saieth he ys chaunged into our flesh and bloode and nourisheth our bodies These be his verie woordes and in this maner dothe he report Iustinus Whiche reporte howe yt agreeth with Iustinus owne woordes the reader by conserence shall easilie perceaue And therfor omitting manie falsheades Two false sleights of Crāmer noted in thallegacion of Iustin. and other fawtes by him here admitted I wil nowe touche but two whiche be intollerable and doen with to moche impudencie The one ys that he reporteth this Authour as though he shoulde saie that the Sacrament ys but called the bodie of Chryst wher this Authour saieth no soche woordes But saieth plainly that the bread and wine after the consecracion be the flesh and blood of Iesus incarnate and that the people were in his daies so taught The other ys the misplacing of the sentences of the authour to make them serue his pourpose For wher Iustine saieth that the foode of bread wine and water werwith our bodies be nourished when they be consecrated by the praier of his woorde be the flesh and bloode of Iesus And so before the consecracion of them he teacheth that they be creatures meet to nourish our bodies and to that vnderstanding doth so place them Cranmer or the Authour of that booke pleaceth them as creatures meet to nourish vs after the consecracion therby signifieng that they be but creatures of bread wine and water after the consecracion as they were before But howe falsely that ys doen not onely this translacion but also the translaciō of Petrus Nannius declareth whiche for the better opening of the trueth I will here also ascribe Thus he translateth that parte of Iustinus Non enim vt quemuis panem neque vt quemuis potum ista omnia accipimus sed quemadmodum per Petrus Nannius verbum Dei incarnatus est Iesus Christus saluator noster carnem sanguinem pro nostra salute assumpsu ita quoque per preces verbi illius cibū ex quo caro nostra et sanguis per immutationē aluntur cū bedictus fuerit Iesu ipsius incarnati carnē et sangumēdicimus esse Neither do we take all these thinges as euery other bread neither as euery other drinke But euē as Iesus Chryst our sauiour by the woorde of God was incarnated ād for our health tooke flesh and bloode euē so haue we learned that foode of the whiche our flesh and bloode by immutaciō are nourished whē yt ys blessed by the praiers of his woordes to be fleshe and bloodo Iesus incarnate In whiche translacion as in the other ye see that the nourishmēt of the foode of breade wine and water ys put before the consecracion which Cranmer vntrulie wolde place after the consecracion for the pourpose before saied and therby also to denie transubstanciacion But Iustine to declare the great worke of God wrought in and by the consecracion saieth that yt ys soche foode before the consecracion as we be nourished with but when yt ys consecrated yt ys the flesh of Iesus incarnated The like maner of speache vseth both S. Ambrose and S. Augustine saing Amb. li. 4. de Sac. ca. 5 Plain samges for M. Juell Antequam consecretur panis est vbi autem verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Before yt be consecrated yt ys bread but when the woordes of Chryst haue comed to yt yt ys the bodie of Chryst S. Augustine thus Ante verba Christi quod offertur panis dicitur vbi Christi verba deprompta fuerint iam non panis dicitur sed corpus appellatur Before the woordes of Chryst that whiche ys offred ys Augu. de verbis Do. serm 8 called bread but when the woordes of Chryst are spoken yt ys not nowe called bread but yt ys called the bodie Thus Reader thowe maist see the sleight of Cranmer and his falsifieng of the holie doctours by him The like in diuerse places of this booke shalt thowe finde prooued in Oecolampadius whom Cranmer folowed and also in this Proclamer who foloweth Cranmer Soche and soo good ys the quarrell that they maintein that withoute falsifieng wresting or truncating of the holie Fathers their doctrine can haue no good shewe Wherof thowe nowe being aduertised and in them the matter being well prooued trusting that yt will geue thee occasion to looke er thowe leape I will leaue Iustine and call in Aleander an holy martyr who liued not long after Chryst euen in the time of Ignatius and Polycarpus Thus writeth Alexander In sacramentorum oblationibus quae inter missarum
Lorde Wherfore yt ys manifest that as the woorthie or vnwoorthie receauing ys referred to the Sacrament so ys the honour or dishonour doen by the same referred also to the Sacrament Wherfor then S. Paule teaching the chrystian people to examen them selues and to prepare them selues that they maie be woorthie receauers of so woorthie a Sacrament taught them in that to honoure the Sacrament Vnto all this this maie be added that forasmoch as S. Paule taught the Corynthians and by them all Chrystian people the presende of Chryst in the Sacrament that he might well teache them to honour him in the Sacrament For wher Chryst ys verilie present ther ys no daunger but the chrystian maie their honoure him That S. Paule teacheth the presence yt shall be made manifest to yow in the thirde booke wher the scriptures of S. Paule shall be more at large handled Wherfor to auoide prolixitie I leaue to speake anie more of them here But this maie be saied here that forasmoche as the woordes of Chryste whiche we haue nowe in hande do teache vs the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament that we maie also honour Chryst in the Sacrament And to conclude against this Proclamer ye maie perceaue by that that ys saied that S. Paule taught vs to honoure the Sacrament THE FIVE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. PROVETH BY the same doctours that the Proclamer nameth that the Sacrament ys to be honoured AFter this man had abused the scriptures to makesome shewe of his wicked pourpose he vsed his like synceritie in naming certain doctours whiche doctours as he saieth neuer make mencion in anie of their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament To declare the trueth of this man we will first produce them whome he hath named as making for him and afterwarde some other Among those whome he nameth Chrysostom ys one A merueillouse thing to see the impudencie or ignorance of this man He nameth Chrysostome as one who in his bookes maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament and yet among all the learned Fathers that writte ther ys none that maketh more often and more plain mencion of that matter then he doth To bring manie of his testimonies the condicion of this rude booke will not suffer for yt wolde therby growe to great ▪ Wherfore one or two places shal be brought whiche shal so clerelie opē this matter that I beleue Reader thowe wi lt merueill that this Proclamer durst for shame name Chrysostome as one that maketh no mencion of the honouring of Chryst in the Sacrament In one place thus he saieth Cùm autem ille Spiritum sanctum inuocauerit Chrys de sacerd li. 6. sacrisiciumue illud horrore ac reuerentia plenissimum perfecerit communi omnium Domino manibus assiduè pertractato quaero ex te quorum illum in ordine collocabimus Quantam verò ab co integritatem exigemus quantam religionem Consideraenim quales manus illas administrantes esse oporteat qualem linguam quae verba illa effandat Denique quae anima non puriorem sanctioremue conueniat esse animam quae tantum illum tamue dignum spiritum reoeperit Per id tempus Angeli sacerdoti assident caelestium potestatum vniuersus ordo elamores excitat locus Altari vicinus in illius honorem qui immolatur Angelorum choris plenus est Id quod credere abundè licet vel ex tanto illo sacrificio quod tum peragitur Ego verò commemorantem olim quendam audiui qui diceret senem quendam virum admirabilem ac cui reuelationum mysteria multa diuinitus fuissent detecta sibi narrasse se tali olim visione dignum a Deo habitum esse ac per illud quidem tempus derepentè Angelorum multitudinem conspexisse quatenus aspectus humanus ferre poterat fulgentibus vestibus indutorum Altare ipsum circundantium Denique sic capitc inclinatorum vt si quis milites praesente Rege stantes videat id quod mihi ipse facilè persuadeo When he mening the preist hath called vpon the holie Gost and hath perfected that sacrifice most full of horrour and reuerēce when the vniuersall Lorde of all thinges ys in his handes handeled I aske of thee in what order of men shall we place him howe great integritie shall we require of him howe great religion or godlinesse Consider also what hands those aught to be that doe ministre What maner of tounge that speaketh those woordes mening the woordes of consecraciō last of al that it ys meet that that soule be purer and holier then anie other soule that receaueth him so great Angells attende vpon the preist in the time of oblacion and a visiō therof shewed to an olde man and so woorthie a spirit At that time the Angells also geue attendance to the preist and all the wholl order of the heauenlie powers singpraises and the place nighe to the Aultar in the honour of him that ys then offred in sacrifice ys full of Angells which thing a man maie fullie beleue for that great sacrifice that then ys doen. Trulie I also did once heare a certain man reporting that an olde woorshippefull man vnto whome manie secretes were by Gods pleasure reueiled declared vnto him that God did vouchefaif to shewe him soche a vision and that at that time as farre as the sieght of man might beare yt he sawe sodenlie a multitude of Angells cloathed in bright garmentes compassing the Aultar aboute and afterwarde so bowing downe their heads as yf a man shoulde see soldiours stand when the king ys present Whiche thing I easely beleue Thus Chrysostome In this saing easie yt ys to perceaue howe honorably he thinketh of the Sacrament and what honoure he thinketh yt of For that the Sacrament ys so honourable he knoweth not wher to place the preist that dothe consecrate yt He questioned what hands they aught to be that handle the vniuersall The vniuersall Lorde of all handled by the preist Lorde of all thinges What toung that aught to be that speaketh the mightie woordes of consecracion howe pure that soule aught to be that receaueth so woorthie a thing yea he acknowlegeth the Sacrament to be so honourable that he saieth that the Angells in the time of the ministracion of yt doe assist the preist and attend and for confirmacion of this he bringeth in a vision of an holie man who sawe Angells in bright garmentes Angells honoure the Sacram. stand aboute the Aultar and bowing downe their heades to honour the Sacrament Whiche thing Chrysostom saieth he did beleue Yf man for the ministracion of the Sacrament be so honourable yf yt be soche as Angells do honour yt howe moche aught man to honoure yt That man aught to honour yt the same Chrysostome in the ordre of the Masse by him sethfurth by his owne practise declareth wher we finde his praier and after his praier his rule for the honouring of this Sacrament Thus
then August de peccatormerit remiss holie bread vsed in the primitiue Churche other meates although yt be not saieth he the bodie of Chryst And yet this bread accompteth he not though yt be a Sacrament to them and an holie signe amonge the miraculouse workes of God no more then the Church did the holie bread whiche the people receaued on certain daies Wherfor if the Sacrament were but a sign or token onelie as Oecolampadius saieth yt ys then yt should be but as the bread of the Catechumeni the newe conuerted to Chryst and as the holie bread of Christian people whiche S. Augustine accompteth but as an holie thing and yet referred yt not into the nombre of the miraculouse workes of God No more wolde these holie and auncient Fathers which I haue alleaged so haue esteemed the Sacrament and set yt furth by the great workes of God as a miraculouse worke requiring faith to be beleued to contein more than reason can conceaue or Figures cōtein what reason can conceaue the Sacr. what faith must beleue senseis iudge And therfor the holie fathers haue traueiled to staie and confirme the faith of the Chrystians by examples of workes doen miraculouslie by Gods power accompting this as one of the same kinde or sorte This being well weighed and considered by the Fathers in the Lateran Councell wher were assembled no small nombre of learned men as well of the greke church as of the latin as the Patriarkes of Hierusalem and Constantynople Archebishoppes 70. Bishoppes 400. of other Fathers 92. with the Ambassadours of the Grecian and Romain Empire and the Oratours of Hierusalem Fraunce Spain Englonde and Cypres for the declaracion and confirmacion of the faith in this matteir accordinge to the doctrine of the holie Fathers and to the confutacion of the wicked doctrine of Berengarius at that time yet lurking in corners this Canon was ther agreed vpon and set Concil Lateran cap. 1. de fide cathol furth Verum Christi corpus sanguis in sacramento Altaris sub speciebus panis vini veraciter continentur transubstantiatis pane in corpus vino in sanguinem potestate diuina The verie bodie and blood of Chryste are verilie and trulie conteined vnder the formes of bread and wine in the Sacrament of the aultar the bread and wine being transubstanciated into the bodie and bloode by the power of God Thus the Councell whiche was celebrated aboue thre hondreth yeares agone Nowe Reader thowe seest the learning and faith of Chrystes Church in this matter of transubstantiacion not onelie nowe in these daies professed taught and beleued through oute all Chrystendome but also aboue three hondreth yeares agon in the great and generall Councell Lateran and so by Fathers testified before and vppewarde vntill ye come to the primitiue church Wherfor minding here after to touche yt more as occasion shall be ministred I think this for this time sufficient to moue anie man to haue a regarde to his faith that hath not solde him self ouer to liue vnder heresie disobedience and sinne Nowe therfor I returne to my pourpose THE TWO AND FIFTETH CHAP. OPENETH the mindes of Sainct Basill and Sainct Ambrose vpon the woordes of Chryst THinke not gentle reader but that ther be manie lefte not here alleaged as Optatus Dionisius Alexandrius Hilarius Origen and other which geue goodlie testimonie for the veritie of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament But here we alleadge none but soche as treacting of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie This ys my bloode doe geue vs their doctrine for the true vnderstanding of them wherfor the other omitted this ordre hath brought vs to S. Basill in the greke churche and to S. Ambrose in the latin church S. Basill to whom this question was moued with what feare what maner Basil quaest compend explic qu. 172. of faith or assured certentie and with what affection the bodie and blod of Chryst shoulde be receaued made this aunswer Timorem docet nos Apostolus dicens Qui edit bibit indigné iudicium sibiipsi edit ac bibit At verò certitudinis perfectionē inducit fides verborū Domini qui dixit Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vohis datur Hoc facite in meà m cōmemorationē The Apostle teachethvs the feare saing He tht eateth and drinketh vnwoorthilie he eateth ād drinketh vnto himself iudgement But the perfection of certitude induceth the faith of the woords of our Lorde who saied This ys my bodie whiche ys geuen for yowe Doe this in the remembrance of me Thus moch S. Basill for aunswer to the question For the better vnderstanding of which aunswer consider that this question ys propownded as of them that were vnlearned and wolde be simplie S. Basill how he taught the simple to beleue of the Sacrament instructed in the faithe of Chryst to the instruction of whiche kinde of people S. Basill appointed him self in the solucion of this question and other Wherfor yt ys to be thought that in this solucion he taught the simple and plain trueth Nowe then teaching them that these woordes This ys my bodie doe instruct them what faith they shoulde haue in the receipt of the Sacrament what dothe he but teach that these woordes must be taken as they sownde and so by them to haue this faith that Chrystes verie bodie ys in the Sacrament according as the woordes doe sownde For consider wolde this holie man trowe ye teache the people to grownde their faith vpō these woordes if their faith shoulde not be grownded ypon them as they lie but vpon this sense this ys a figure of my bodie Yf the faith of the people of the Sacrament aught to be none other but that yt ys but a figure of the bodie and not the bodie yt self wolde he haue moued them to beleue the woordes as they be spoken and not haue taught the true sense that they aught to grownde their faith vpon in dede No chrystian will so thinke of so woorthie a man as this was And therfor ye maie perceaue that this holieman Ca. 25. 37. 44. vnderstoode Chrystes woordes simplie in propre sense and taught therbie the very presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and bloode in the Sacrament as before ys saied and shall be plentifullie declared in the thirde booke S. Ambr. booke of Sacr. reiected of Oecolāp as S. lames epistle by Luther for their plaintrueth Nowe foloweth S. Ambrose in whome I finde soche copie and soche plentie of plain and euident places to open and declare the right and true vnderstanding of this scripture This ys my bodie that as a man comming into a goodlie garden garnished adorned and pleasantlie furnished with all delectable and swete flowres can not tell which flower to take first Euen so I beholding S. Ambrose and the plentie of goodlie liuely places in him I knowe not whiche to take first But bicause he ys so plain in gods treuth and
doctrines doeth affirme what shall be the priuilege or what reason that onely men shoulde communicate the bodie and bloode of him and not Deuells also for the whiche in his passion he did shedde his bloode hitherto Theoph. Who improuing the opinion of Origen before mencioned saieth that if the bodie of Chryst shoulde suffre for Deuells and his blood shoulde be shedde for thē then vnto thē he shoulde haue saied as he hath to his Apostles and all faithfull men Take eate This ys my bodie Take and drinke This ys my blood Whiche argumēt as yt doth confute the errour of Origen for that yt ys meit that all they that be partakers of the redemption purchaced by the bodie and blood of Chryst should also be soche as to whō in time conuenient yt Deuells be not redemed by Chrystes passion but if they might receaue him spirituallie they shoulde be partakers of his merittes might be saied Take eat This ys my bodie Take drinke This ys my blood Whiche thing to Deuells ys not saied so also yt doeth impugn the errour of our Aduersarie in that that no mencion being made of figures and tropes the wordes of Chryst be left in their owne propre sense teaching vs that we must take and eate his verie bodie and drinke his verie bloode And that they doe so teache vs by the minde of this authour the woordes that folowe in his second argumēt doo well prooue For the better perceaving wherof vnderstād first as the trueth of the catholique faith ys that Deuells be not redemed by the passion of Chryst neither be they nor can be partakers of the vertue and benefitt of the same Nowe to receaue Chryst spirituallie ys to receaue the grace and fruict of this passion When then in his second argument this authour saieth that the Deuells be not parone bloode excludeth an other and the legall solemnitie when yt ys chaunged ys fulfilled Thus Leo. For the better vnderstanding of this saing of the authour yt ys to be obserued that he doth compare the solemnitie of the olde iudaicall Passouer to the newe Passouer solemnely begonne by Chryst in his last supper Whiche thing maie well be perceaued by the last woordes of the authour wher he saieth as the conclusion of all that he had before spoken legalis festiuitas dum mutatur impletur And the legall solemnitie when yt ys chaunged ys fulfilled The legall solemnitie was the feast of the Paschall lambe This feast was chaunged and then fullfilled when Chryst in stead of that lambe being the figure made his solemne feast and gaue his owne bodie and bloode the bodie and blood of the right and verie true lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the worlde of which matter more ys saied in the first booke In the whiche feast saieth the authour that the shadowes shoulde geue place to the bodie and the images shoulde ceasse in the presence of the trueth the olde obseruance ys taken awaie with a newe sacrament Marke then in the legall solemnitie was the shadowe in Chrystes supper the bodie in the legall solemnitie were the Images in Chrystes feast was the presence of the trueth that ys the verie thing signified by the image which ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst not nowe in figure but in verie deed See ye not nowe then what ys in Chrystes supper Ys ther not the bodie of the shadowe and not the onelie shadowe Ys ther not the verie thing and not the image Ys not the bodie of the shadowe In Chrystes supper ys the verie bodie and not the shadow and the verie thing of the image the bodie and blooode of Chrysts Then the verie bodie and bloode of Chryst be in hys supper Thus maie ye perceaue what he ment when he saied that Chryst did ordein the Sacrament of hys bodie and bloode not a Sacrament voyde of hys bodie and bloode but a Sacrament conteining hys bodie and bloode Will ye see this again plainlie taught This authour saieth that the olde obseruance ys taken awaie with a newe Sacrament But what ys thys Sacrament Yt ys a sacrament that ys a sacrifice remouing and ending the sacrifice of the Paschall lambe and others of that nature Yt ys a Sacrament wherin ys bloode excluding the bloode of legall sacrifices Hostia in hostiam transit sanguis sanguinem excludit one sacrifice passeth into an other sacrifice one bloode excludeth an other bloode The sacrifice of the olde lawe passeth into the sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and ther endeth and the bloode of Chryst excludeth and putteth awaie the bloode of the sacrifice of the olde lawe and so ys the sacrifice of that bloode ended Chryste in his supper did not institute a bare Sacrament onelie Thus maie yowe perceaue that when this authour saied that Chryst ordeined the Sacrament of hys bodie and bloode that he ment not onely the institucion of a bare Sacrament but also the consecracion of the bodie and bloode of Chryst lieng hidden vnder the formes of bread and wine in the same Sacrament Whiche ordeinance and consecracion was doen by the woordes of Chryst when he saied Take eate This ys ys my bodie And Take drinke this ys my bloode And so the woordes teache the verie presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the Sacrament and not a naked figure Yf thus moch satissie not the reader forsomoch as ys here saied of and vpō this authour as I trust yt maie anie that ys not contenciouse yf he desire to see more of this authour let him reparie to the sixt of sainct Iohn and to the beginning of this processe vpon the woordes of the Supper and he shall see more wherfore remitting the reader to those places I staie to saie anie more vpon this coople but hast me according to my promesse to heare an other coople THE SEVEN AND FIFTETH CHAP. PROceadeth in the exposition of the same woordes by sainct Cyrill and sainct Gregorie THough yt be moche that ys allready saied vpon these sewe woordes of Chryst and maie well suffice to teache the trueth of this matter yet that the arrogancie of the Proclamer maie be beaten down and his vntrueth against gods trueth well perceaued we shall yet bring in one or twoo cooples mo of the higher house of Chrystes Parliament and then descend to other of the lower house Of the higher house ther yet remaineth holy Cyrill whose faith in the Sacrament although yt maie well be knowen to vs by hys manie and sondrie sentences both in the first booke and in this vpō the vi of S. Iohn alleadged yet that the faith of the catholique Church maie be discerned from errour and heresie with which titles some heretiques wold defame the same we wil heare him teache vs the faith that ought to be had and geuen to the woordes of Chryst and howe we shall vnderstand them euen as he taught Calosyrius to whom he wrote vpon the woords of Chryst in this maner Non dubites an hoc verum
before declared hath both S. Ambrose and S. Augustin when they saied Non eraet corpus Christi ante consecrationem sed post consecrationem dico tibi quòd iam corpus est Christi Yt was not the bodie of Chryst before the cosecracion but after the consecracion I sai to thee that nowe yt ys the bodie of Chryst Thus nowe ye see the consonant testimonie of this Father of the latin Church with Euthymius of the greke Church and of these twoo with all the rest and of all among them selues which all as yt were with one mouth as yt becometh soche auncient fathers and noble men of Chrystes high Parliament house and right scholers also of his blessed schoole though they were in diuerse places half of the greke Churche and half of the latine Churche and diuerse times some in the verie beginning of the Churche some two hundreth some three hundreth some foure hundreth years after other and yet in faith and in agreement in the same in the vnderstanding also of the woordes of Chrystes supper they speake as they were but one mouthe and in one time and place all confessing vpon these woordes of Chryst the verie presence of his reall bodie and not one confessing yt to be a figure Tertullian onely excepted who yet so doeth not after the maner of the Aduersaries doctrine but after the maner of the catholique doctrine which as ther at large ys declared teacheth that the Sacrament ys bothe the figure and the thing yt self Nowe therfore Reader seing thowe seest so great consent and agreement of so manie auncient learned Fathers euen of the eldest of the Church of the whiche diuerse haue testified their faith by their bloodes and be holie Martirs of Chryst diuerse holie confessours and sainctes in heauen and all vertuouse and good vpon whose authoritie next vnto the scripturs the Canons of the holie Apostles and the holie generall Councells the Church doeth fownde and buill their faith and religion in all poinctes of the same honouring and reuerencing them and submitting themselues to them and their iudgementes as children to fathers and scholers to masters submitte also thy self to them consent to them agree with them and beleue with thē that thowe maist be saued with them Remembre whether thowe be English Let all the Protestātes bring furth if they can when anie contrie did whollie opēlie and quiethe professe soche religon as they nowe preache man or Frenche man Germain Flemming or Saxon. that when thie contrie first receaued Chryst yt receaued this faith in this yt hath continued in this thy fathers were baptised in this they liued in this the most parte of them died and in this hope ys that they be saued Bringe furth yf thow can yf euer till nowe of late daies thy contrie professed soche faith yf yt maie be called faith yf euer yt vsed soche maner of religion yf euer they did so often chaunge their profession Yf no soche president can be shewed yf this waie be a waie that thowe neuer sawest before why wilt thowe vpon the phantasie of nouelties be caried awaie Call to thy minde the good aduertisement of sainct Paule who saieth Be not caried awaie with diuerse and straunge doctrines Forgett not that when Luther first began hys pestilent heresie he acknowleged the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament so did his disciples Heb. 13 Diuersities of religiō in these daies howe they began also till within fewe daies hys Disciples Carolstadius Zuinglius and Oecolampadius fell from him and began a newe waie and taught that Chrystes bodie was not in the Sacrament Besides these oute of Luther came the Anabaptistes and a nombre moo of other sectes so that in diuerse contries so manie free cities so manie Dukedomes so manie lordships almost so manie faithes or raither opinions and so manie diuerse countenances of religions In Englonde in the time of King Henrie the eight ther began a newe countenance of religion In the first yeare of the reign of Mutacions of religion in Englōd his Sonne King Edwarde an other countenance within twoo yeares after ter euen in the time of the same king hys reign an other countenaunce And that ys nowe in thys same Realme varieth from them all Perceaue then that the doctrines that be nowe settfurth by the Proclamer as they be straung so be they diuerse so be they variable so be they chaungeable The doctrine that was before this kinde of people troubled the Church was not diuerse but one not straunge but of auncient continuance not causing warre debate tumultes and insurrections in Realmes diuisions dissentions and contencions betwixt neighbours But as touching religion great quietnesse ioifull peace and amiable concorde not onely in Citties and townes but also in all free cities Lordshipps Dukedomes and realmes of Europe Remembre again that as S. Paule saieth God ys not the God 1. Cor. 14. of dissention but of peace Wher then thow seist peace thither diuerte ther setle thy self ther abyde among these holie Fathers thow seist peace in this matter of the Sacrament among the other ther ys discord as thow hauest perceaued in the xli chapiter of this booke leaue the one and cleaue to the other and the God of peace be withe thee THE NINE AND FIFTETH CHAPITER beginneth the exposition of the same text by the fathers of the later daies and first by Damascen and Haymo I Haue hitherto vsed the testimonies of the auncientes and Fathers of Chrystes Churche naming them noble men of the higher house of Chrystes Parliament for that they be all within or verie neare sixt hundreth years of Chryst whiche the Proclamer can not refuse except he will saie as the great heresiark Luther Luthers prowde contempt of holie fathers saied Non curo mille Cyprianos nec mille Augustmos I care not for a thousand Cyprians nor a thousand Augustines By the testimonie of all whiche the woordes of Chryst are deliuered from the mystie and clowdie figures of the aduersaries and are placed and adourned with the auouching of the bright and clere presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and blood And so ys the Proclamer plentifullie confuted by soche holie fathers as he himself can not refuse And the faith of the catholique Church by the same ys as fullie mainteined and declared And although the Proclamer by Luciferance pride semeth as yt ys in the english prouerbe to correct magnificat I meen to correct the Church and the faith of the same and to be a iudge vpon all the learned men that haue ben these nine hundreth years and by his iudgement withoute anie sufficient Commission to condemne them to deface them and not to esteem their sainges learning or authoritie wherin he foloweth the Manichees and other which for the mainteinaunce of their heresieswolde accept soche scriptures as they liked and soche as they liked not they wolde refuse Yet forasmoche as the Church hath allowed them and their doctrine ys agreable to
exclude all other bodies sensible or insensible after he had saied Take this yt a bodie he adioined this worde mine he gaue then his owne bodie to his Disciples and not the bodie of anie other Again least anie priuie thought shoulde come to anie man that he might haue created in his handes a bodie that shoulde be his in deed but not that shoulde be yt that he was himself he added Whiche shall be deliuered for yowe As who shoulde saie doubte yowe not feign yowe not this or that to yowr self thinke not an other thing and an other thinge For thisys the bodie not an other or of an other but mine not permuted or newlie created but that which shall be deliuered for yowe shall be crucified for yowe shall die for yowe So like wise also of the cuppe This ys saieth he bloode not of an oxe nor of a Ramme nor of a lambe or of anie man but mine not an other or produced by a newe creation but which shall be shedde for yowe prouoked by skoorges extorted with nailes thrust oute with a speer Thus moch this authour To this exposition to adde anie thing as therbie to make yt plain to the reader I thinke yt superfluouse Yt ys allreadie so plain as no man in my iudgement can make a more plain exposition Onelie I will open the cause why he wrote this Ther was afect of heretiquesbegonne by one Peter de Bruys ād one Hēricus whose disciples were called Petrobrusions and Hēricians These had inuented a newe phantasticall heresie as yt ys propre to all soche men to make Phansies of Heretiques called the woorde of the Lorde their phantasies matters of faith and cuerie of their phantasies ys the pure and sincere woorde of the lord These had I saie inuented this phantasie that Christ alone at his last supper did cōsecrate his bodie and blood ād gaue yt to ys disciples ād they al receaued his bodie ād blood But since that time was yt neuer nor yet ys receaued of anie man Against these men did thys holie father write against whome taking the sword of the Spiritte which ys the woorde of God he fought with them with yt and ouerthrew rhē by the the woorde of Chryst that saied that the blood which he gaue in the cuppe to his disciples was the bloode of the euerlasting Testament wherupon taking an argument he saieth in the beginninge Saie o Lord the restatour of the newe testament whether this testament be of one daie as these men saie thow woldest yt to be or whether thow hauest decreed yt to be an euerlasting testament An other argument he maketh also of the commaundement of Chryste who saied This doe ye in the remembrance of me Wherby Chryst geuing them commaundement to doe that that he had doen and he by their owne confession consecrated his bodie wherin theye are more gentle to Chryste thē the Aduersaries and the Proclamer The argument ys good that soche to whom the authoritie ys deriued doe that that Chryst did that ys doo consecrate his blessed bodie and bloode I write thus moche that ye maie perceaue into what varietie and diuersitie of phantasies men doe fall in that beginne to withstande Gods holie faith of which varietie I haue allreadie spoken in the xli chapiter of this booke wherunto yf ye add this phantasie then shal yowe perceauc howe manie contrarie phantasies Sathan can deuise vpon these foure woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie And can as ys saied vtter thē all to the people for the pure woorde of God But to return to this authour as by these argumentes he hath ouerthrowen the heresie of the Petrobrusians so with these and the plain exposition of Chrystes woordes he conuinceth all the other wicked phantasies and leaueth Chrystes woordes in their propre and natiue sense figures and tropes not remembred I shall not nede to conferre him with the auncient and elder Fathers the conference of other saing as he doeth maketh good that he hath saied as yt did theirs which were cōferred with him Wherfor omitting that cōference with his seniours I shall bring in his iuniour to be conferred with him who ys Bessarion Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinall who liued the yeare of our Lorde 1471. Wherfore not fullie one hondreth yeares agon And yet as his disputacion in the Florentine Councell against the grekes and his booke against Marcus Ephesinus doe proue he was an excellent learned man in this matter thus he writeth Nemo est quem lateat quemadmodum panis vini in corpus sangumem Christin instanti facta transubstautialitas humanam Bessarion li. de Sacr. Euchar. omnem excedit facultatem ingensue opus est certè diuinum it a etiam huius Sacramenti efficientia verba instar ipsius Sacramenti eximiae cuiusdam virtutis esse debere Christs verò dtuints verbis nihil esse potentius nihil ess◠acius esse posse manfestum est Quamobrem fateri necesse est Dominicis illis verbis nullis aliis dtuinum hoc sacramentum confict posse Nec enim diuinissima per diuinam potentiam confict negauerit quispiam nec verbis Christi nihil effiacius esse cùm non modò homo verumetiam Deus sit creatorue omnium qui solo nutu cuncta produxit qui verbo aegros curauit mortuos suscitauit caeteraue miracula fecit quae in Euangelio recitantur Ther ys no man but knoweth how that the trāsubstanciacion of the bread and wine doen in an instant into the bodie and bloode of Chryst doeth excede all power of man and ys a great and verie worke of God Euen The Sacrament maie be consecrated by noother woords then with these Hoc est cor etc. so also the efficient woordes of this Sacrament shoulde be of some great power like as the Sacrament ys Nowe yt ys manifest that nothinge can be more mightie more effectuouse then the diuine woordes of Chryst Wherfor we must nedes cōfesse that this diuine Sacram. maie with no other woords be cōsecrated thē with those woords of our Lord Neither will anie man denie these most holie thinges to be cōsecrated by the diuine power neither that anie thing ys more mightie in woorke then the woordes of Chryste sithen he ys not onely man but also God the creatour of al things who at his onelie pleasure produced all thinges of nothing who with his woorde healed the sicke raised the dead and did other miracles whiche be written in the Gospell Not the merites of man but the power of God consecrateth the Sacr. And within a fewe woordes he saieth thus Panis vini in corpus sanguinem transmutatio non petentium meritis sed eius potentia qui ex nihilo cuncta produxit per sacerdotem tanquam per instrumentum quoddam efficitur The transmutacion of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloode ys doen not through the merittes of the peticioners but by the preist as by a certain instrument through
also in his saing signifie moche difference whē he saied that Manna was meate in darke maner and nowe the flesh of the Sonne of God ys true meat in a plain maner Yf the balance be in a true mans hand the one will weigh moch more then the other euen as moche as the bodie more then the shadowe Thus ye haue heard the minde of Origen and S. Ambrose in these three pointes that ys that Manna ys a figure of the bodie of Chryste that the bodie of Chryste ys present in the Sacrament and that the thinges of the new Testament are of more excellencie then the thinges of the olde Testament In particular I meen of that thing that they haue spoken of A place shall be had that they shall be spoken of vniuersallie In the mean while as I do passe through the Authours as they do touche yt so yt shall be noted and so likewise of the other two THE SIXTH CHAPITER DECLARETH THAT Manna was a figure by the testimonie of saincte Cyprian and Chrysostom THe holy Martyr S. Cyprian whose faithe ys well to be perceaued in the matter of the Sacrament by hys plain and manifold godlie sainges in the first and second booke alleaged wil also be a notable wittnesse for the same here In the first booke he hath most clerely declared vnto vs the figures that were there spokē of as of Melchisedech and the Paschal lābe so here also as plainly as breiflie he toucheth this figure saing Huius panis figura fuit Manna quod in deserto pluit Sicvbi ad verum panem in terra promissionis ventum est cibus ille defecit Of this bread Māna was a figure which rained in the desert So when we came to the true bread Cyprian de caena Do. in the land of promesse that meat ceassed That the bread which he speaketh of here of the which he saieth that Manna was the figure ys the holie bread of the blessed Sacrament yt ys more manifest than that yt can be denied For this his Sermon wherin these woordes be written being of the supper of our Lorde he onely treacteth of yt This will also be proued not onely by the sentence on the whiche this dependeth Ibid. and hangeth but also very manifestlie where he openeth himself in the ende of the sermon by expresse woordes saing Sed nos ipsi corpus effecti Sacramento re Sacramenti capiti nostro connectimur vnimur Singuli alter alterius membra ministerium dilectionis proinuicc̄ exhibentes communicamus charitate participamur The one meate and drinke that we fead on ys our Lord Iesus Chryste solicitudine eundem cibum manducantes eundem potum bibentes qui de spiritali prosluit petra emanauit Qui cibus potus est Dominus noster Iesus Christus But we our selues also saieth Cyprian being made his bodie by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament we are connected and vnited to our head euery one being membres one of an other we communicate in charitie we are partakers of one care eating of one meate and drinking of one drinke whiche did flowe oute of the spirituall stone Which meat and drinke ys ower Lord Iesus Chryst. Thus moche S. Cyprian In this saing yt ys manifest that he alludeth to the same text of S. Paul that we haue in hand for he vseth the very woordes of S. Paule saing that we eate all of one meat and drinke all of one drink whiche drinke did flowe oute of the spirituall stone I nede not to conferre the one to the other for he that knoweth the one dothe well perceaue the other But what this one meat ys that we all eate of and what this drinke ys that flowed oute of the spirituall stone of the whiche we all drinke he furth A plain saing for the Procla with expowndeth and saieth Which meat and drinke ys our Lord Iesus Chryst A more plain speache can not be desired As the Iewes did eate of one Manna and dranke of one water flowing out of the stone so all we Chrystians eate one meate and drinke one drinke the bodie and blood of Chryst The bodie of Chryst being the one meat figurated by the one meat of the Iewes whiche was Manna The blood of Chryst being the one drinke of the Chrystians figurated by the one drinke of the Ioan. 19. Iewes whiche did flowe oute of the stone as the bloode flowed oute of the spirituall stone the bodie of our Lord and Sauiour Chryst Iesus For as the Euangelist saieth vnus militum lancea latus eius aperuit continuò exiuit sanguis aqua One Sacramentaries glose of spiritual lie impugned of the soldiers with a spere thrust him into the side and furthwith there came oute blood and water This clere testimonie of S. Cyprian can not be darkned with the comon obscure glose of the Aduersaries as to saie that our Lorde Iesus Chryst ys our meat spirituallie We confesse as before that Chryst ys our spirituall meat and that we fede vpon him spirituallie and we wish and praie that all chrystians will so frame their liues and conuersacions that they maie dailie fede on him spirituallie But with all we confesse and beleue that we recea him reallie and substanciallie in the Sacrament as S. Cyrill saieth whose phrase ys not vnlike this that we haue nowe saied Thus he writeth Non negamus Cyrill in 15 Joan. Chrystes bodie ys receaued both spirituallie and reallie nos recta fide charitateue sincera Christo spiritualiter coniungi sed nullam nobis coniunctionis rationem secumdùm carnem cum illo esse id profectò pernegamus idue à diuinis scripturis omnino alienum dicimus We denie not but that we are ioined to Chryst spirituallie by right faith and sincere charitie But that we haue no maner of coniunction with him after the fleshe that in verie dede we vtterlie denie and saie yt to be farre wide from the scriptures And a litle after An fortassis putat ignotam nobis misticae benedictionis virtutem esse quae cùm in nobis fiat nonne corporalliter quoque facit cōmunicatione carnis Christi Christum in nobis habitare Dothe he thinke peraduenture that the vertue of the misticall benediction ys vnknowen to vs whiche when yt ys doen in vs dothe yt not make also by the cōmunicacion or receauing of Chrystes flesh Chryst corporallie to dwell in vs Nowe therfor with S. Cyrill confessing both maners of receauing and feading of Chryst we do not with the Aduersaries so confesse the one that we denie the other wherfor not denieng but affirming with the holy martir Ciprian we saie that we receaue Chryst verilie and that our lorde Iesus Chryst as Cyprian speaketh yt ys our meate and his bloode our drinke reallie and substanciallie And that S. Cyprian so meneth yt will withoute all scruple appeare manifestlie to the reader yf he will consider and vnderstande where he speaketh these woordes
moche as here after shall be saied In 10. 1. Cor. hom 23. Chrystians eate the bodie of Christ as the Iewes did Manna All though ye haue had here clere testimonie of Chrysostome in this matter yet he ys more plain in an other place expownding the same scripture and applieng yt to the veritie thus Quae autem sequntur sacram mensam significant Nam quemadmodum tu corpus Dominicum manducas ita illi Manna manducauerunt Et sicut tu sanguinem bibis ita illi aquam de petra biberunt These thinges that do folowe do signifie the holie table For as thowe doest eate the bodie of our Lorde so they also haue eaten Manna and as thowe drinkest bloode so they haue dronke the water of the stone And again in the same homelie speaking of the benefittes whiche God gaue to the Iewes as Manna and the water in figures of the benefittes of his bodie and bloode whiche he geueth vnto vs and shewing him to be the geuer of them bothe saieth in the person of S. Paule Qui enim illa illis prebuit inquit hic hanc praeparauit mensam Et ipse idem illos per mare te per baptisma adduxit Et illis Manna aquam tibi corpus sanguinem dedit He that prepared saieth he those thinges to thē to these hath he also prepared this table And euen the very same hath brought them through the Sea and the through Baptisme And vnto them he gaue Manna and the water and vnto thee the bodie and bloode What can the Aduersarie once saie against these so clere and manifest testimonies for the trueth What blinde glose or maliciouse interpretacion can he bring to make these sainges anie thing looke towarde him Yf the Iewes receaued the figure and we the veritie what baser or lower thing ys yt thē the bodie of Chryst Yf the Aduersarie saie that we receaue Chryst spirituallie so did they in the receipt of Manna also I meen all they that receaued Yf the christiā receaue Chryste but in figure spirituallie as the Iewe did wher ys thē the veritie well What then receaue we more nowe in or with the veritie vnder Chryst in the Gospell then they did with their figures vnder Moyses in the lawe Yf they proceade and saie that we receaue the Sacramentall bread as a figure of Chryst so receaued the Iewes Manna as a figure of Chryst Yf in euery place the figure wher ys the veritie Yf ther a figure and here a figure yf ther Chryst spiritually and here spirituallie and no more in the one then in the other what then fignifieth the veritie and wher ys the veritie Farder as ye hearde Chrysostome before saie the veritie must haue excellencie aboue the figure yf then we haue the veritie as Chrysostom also saieth then of necessitie yt must folowe that yf the Iewes had the figure of Chryst in Manna and yf the goode receauers with the figure Manna receaued also Chryst spirituallie that we must haue a certen excellencie with our veritie whiche be none other but the presence of him that ys the veritie in dede whiche ys Chryst For we haue a figure with the Iewes and a spirituall receauing with the Iewes and in these we be equall and on our parte ther ys no excellencie This therfore ys the excellencie that where they had the figure we haue both figure and the thing figurated whiche ys the bodie and bloode of Chryste Of these two authours then as of the other ye perceaue these three thinges auouched whiche were before mencioned that ys Manna and the water to befigures of Chrystes bodie and blood and that same bodie and bloode be in the Sacrament and that ther ys an excellencie in the thinges prefigured aboue the figures as to the veritie yt apperteineth aboue the figure THE SEVENTH CHAP. PROCEADETH TO DEclareth the same by saincte Hierom and sainct Cyrill WHen I consider with my self howe long the veritie of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament hath ben receaued and beleued howe not in one corner of the chrystian orbe as nowe the Aduersaries of this trueth do occupie but throughoute in all places where Chryste was professed as well in the east Chruch as the west churche in the greke churche as in the latin Churche this trueth was embraced the Sacrament moch reuerenced Chryst God and man there truly and highlie honoured the same also by the greatest grauest and holiest learned men taught and preached and in their bookes by the testimonie of their handes testified and to all the worlde comended I can not ceasse to merueill howe men of this our time be bewitched and infatuated to leaue so sure an anker while they be in the trooblesom sea of this worlde and take holde of a feather in the whiche there ys no suertie nor staie but raither great occasion of present perill and destruction They be not alltogether vnlike the dogge in the fable who swimming through the water and hauing a good bone in his mouthe sawe the shadowe of the same in the water and Protestanres compared to the dogge in the fable soddenlie withoute consideracion leauing his good bone snatched at the shadowe to haue caught yt and so lost for the shadowe the substancial thing So these men swimming through the trooblesome water of his worlde and hauing in their mouthes the substanciall woorde of trueth that was able to feed them seing the shadowe of this vain doctrine whiche like a shadowe appeareth to be somwhat but ys nothing in dede they let the catholique and substanciall doctrine fall from their mouthes and catche the shadowe But as long as they haue but the shadowe their feeding will be so bare or raither nothing that their soules which shoulde be fedde withe the true woorde of God shall perish with famine yt encreaseth my merueilling and woondering that they seing these graue fathers and learned writers so manifestlie teaching the trueth yet as men addicted to swear to the woordes of their wicked masters they moue not from their phantasies What then Shall we ceasse to call vpon them Naie God forbidde S. Paule although he well sawe the stif neckes of the Iewes that they wolde not bowe to the faith yet he saied Quamdiu sum gentium Apostolus ministerium meum Rom. 11. honorificabo si quomodò ad aemulandum prouocem carnem meam saluosfaciam aliquos exillis As long as I am the Apostle of the gentiles I will magnifie mine office yf by anie mean I maie prouoke them whiche are my flesh and might saue some of them God graunte the charitie of S. Paule to all whom God hath called to the office of teachers that they maie magnifie their office and call vpon the people continuallie that some maie be saued though damnacion to them that be called and will not heare be the more greuouse Wherfor although these two coople in the chapiters before alleaged might suffice to certifie vs
flesh not being chaunged into flesh but by taking flesh vpon him So bread and As rightlie as we cōfesse Chryste to haue ben crucified so rightlie we cōfesse him to be in the Sacr. wine both lifte vppe from the lowest ys made the bodie and bloode of Chryste not chaunged into the taste of flesh or into the horriblenesse of bloode but inuisiblie taking the veritie of bothe the immortall substances whiche be in Chryst that ys to saie both of God and man Therfor as we rightly and catholikely confesse the man whiche being born of the Virgen hanged on the crosse to be God So this that we receaue at the holie aultar we trulie saie to be Chryst we openly confesse yt to be the lambe of God Thus Rupertus This saing nedeth no commentarie Wherfor breifly note gentle Reader that he saieth that the bread and wine be made the bodie and bloode of Chryst Note that the bread and wine haue the veritie of the substances of both natures of Chryst Note that as catholikely as we confesse Chryst to be God So catholikely do we confesse yt that we receaue at the Aultars holie holy aultar to be Chryst and the lambe of God Also yf the aultars be holie as this Authour saieth they be Yt can be no holie dede to pull them down with despite as Germanie and Englond haue doen. This I trust sufficeth to open this Authours faith as concerning the presence of Chryst in the holie Sacrament Wherfor nowe leauing him his folowe shall be hearde who ys Holkot an english man who writing vpon the booke of wisdom saieth thus Per Manna in sacra scriptura figuratur signanter Holkot in li sap cap. 16 Eucharistiae Sacramentum Sicut enim filij Israel transeuntes per desertum versus terram à Domino promissam cibi refocillabantur alimento ita nos per mundum ad coelum pergentes corporis sanguinis Christi quotidiano viatico recreamur By Manna in the holie scripture the Sacrament ys notablie figured For as the Manna a notable figure of the Sacrament children of Israell going through the desert towarde the land promised vnto them of God they were recreated with the foode of that meat Euen so we going through the worlde to heauen are recreated with the dailie iourneing meat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Of this Authour though he be of the later daies we learn no other thing in this matter but euen the verie same that the great auncientes haue before taught and auouched So that I can not perceaue why the masters of wickednesse shoulde reiect him and soche other but onely of malice for there plain testimonie As all that before be alleaged haue taught Manna to be a figure of the Sacrament So doth this Authour likewise As they haue auouched the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament So doth this Authour also For he saieththat we are fedde in this worlde in our iourneie to heauen warde with the bodie and bloode of Chryst. Nowe ye haue hadde these matters reported and testified to yowe by twelue witnesses whiche be sufficient by the lawes yf were in matter of life and death as in dede this ys for they that beleue this as they haue testified maie haue life but they whiche do not shall die the death They haue testified that Manna ys a figure of the Sacrament they haue testified that in the same Sacrament ys Chryst verilie and therwithall some of them by expresse woordes haue testified the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue the Sacramentes of the olde lawe and in effecte so haue they euery one For sainge that we haue the veritie wher they hadde but the figure yt declareth as moch excellencie in owres ahoue theirs as ys of the bodie aboue the shadowe These be not twelue bare witnesses but they are substanciall witnesses all being of Chrystes Parliament house and most of them of the higher house I meen of them that were aboue nine hundreth yeares agon who testific vnto vs no other but that trueth and faithe whiche then was receaued as an enacted trueth Wherfor Reader contemne not their testimonie contemne not their aunciencie and with all neclect not thy saluacion but yf thowe will yt obtein heare these witnesses reuerently beleue them faithfullie abide in that beleif constantly and yf all other poinctes of life and faith be in thee agreablie thowe shalt no doubte liue perpetually Nowe finallie to conclude and shet vppe the exposition of this text I haue thought good to adde the thirtenth witnesse who shall be Gagneius a mān of the later daies but not to be contemned but woorthilie for his learning to be receaued Whom for that he breiflie expowndeth the wholl text of Sainct Paule here treacted of I haue placed him in the last place for the Readers better remembrance Thus he writeth Admonet hoc capite Paulus Corinthios ne de donis à Deo perceptis efferantur Futurum enim vt per elationem Gagneius in Paulum 1. Cor. 10. hanc atque alia peccata ijs donis excidant à Christo eijciantur idue exemplo Iudaeorum docet Quos licet in figura similibus tamen donis ab eo affectos probat sed hinc tamen ob sua delicta excidisse Sicut enim Corinthij in spiritu sanclo aqua baptisati veri Pharaonis seruitutem excusserunt Christi carne pasti eius sanguine potati sunt It a patres Iudaei excussa Pharaonis seruitute transgresso marirubro quodam modo in mari nube baptisati sunt similitudinariè scilicet Quod enim illis nubes protegens conducens ac refrigerans id nobis spiritus sanctus actionum nostrarum dux ptotector libidinumue moderator extinctor Quod illis mare hoc Corinthijs aquae Baptismatis Corinthij Christi carnem manducabant illi figuram eius Manna quam spiritualem vocat escam quod miraculosè coelitus descenderit Corinthij Christi sanguinem bibebant Iudaei spiritualem potum quem miraculosè petra sudit biberunt neque tame ntot affecti beneficijs praeter duos tantùm in terram promissionis peruenerunt sed in deserto prostrati sunt ac mortui Qua in re sigura nostri fuere vi scilicet à vitijs illorum abstineamus alioquin in deserto perpetuae vastitudinis perituri neque veram promissionis terram ingressuri Paule doth admonish the Corynthians in this chapiter that they be not prowde of the giftes whiche they haue receaued of God For yt maie come that by this pride and other sinnes they maie fall from these giftes and be cast oute from Chryst And that he teacheth by the A notable conference of the figures and the thirges figured and of the benefittes of bothe example of the lewes whom he proueth to haue had the like benefittes although in figure and yet by their sinnes to haue fallen from them For as the Corynthians baptised in the holie Gost and water brake of the seruitude of
large in the first booke and yt ys S. Augustins rule also that all euell thinges figured by figures of Good thinges figured better then the figures the olde lawe are moche woorse then the figures by the whiche they are figured Soo all good thinges figured are moche better and more excellent then the figures Yf then the Sacramentes and sacrifices of the olde lawe be figures of the Sacramentes and sacrifices of the newe as in dede they be then must the Sacramentes and sacrifices of the newe lawe be moch better then the Sacramentes or sacrifices of the olde lawe Yf moche better then more excellent And nowe note that yf yt were so as the Aduersaries falslie doe teache that the bodie of Chryst were not present verilie in the SacrameÌ„t and that the other Sacramentes of Chrystes Churche as the constant and true doctrine of the same Churche ys to the contrary did not geue grace then were the Sacramentes of the olde lawe not onely as excellent as the Sacramentes of the newe lawe but by all means passing and excelling them And bicause this shall not be declared and proued by examples that be straunge to our matter we will bring furth an example with in the limites of our matter euen of Manna yt self the figure of our Sacrament What great miracles and wonders were in that MaÌ„na the booke of Exodus doth declare whiche for the better vnderstaÌ„ding of theÌ„ that are not exercised in the scriptures are collected and set furth by Roffensis and they be in nombre twelue Twelue woÌ„ders in MaÌ„na declared Roff. lib. 1. cap. 12. The first ys that howe moche soeuer anie hadde gathered yet he had no whit more then the measure that God had appoincted them to gather The secoÌ„d that he that gathered lesse theÌ„ the measure appoincted he had asmoche when he caried yt home as he that had gathered the iust measure The thirde yf they had kept any porcion vntill the next daie yf yt were not the Sabboth daie yt wolde haue putrified The fourth although yt might so quickly and shortly putrifie yet yt was kept in the Arcke a great nombre of yeares and putrified not The fift yf yt were laied in the Sunne yt wolde melt yf before the fire yt wolde be very harde The sixte although yt did euerie other daie orderly fall from heauen yet vpon the Sabboth daie ther fell none The seuenth although other daies in the weke whether they gathered more or lesse yet they had but one measurefull called Gomer vpon the daie next before the Sabboth to serue them two daies bicause they were forbidden to gather vpon the Sabboth daie they had home with them two measures full The eight he that that daie gathered more or lesse had no more nor lesse then his two measures when he came home The ninthe although in so great a multitude ther were of diuerse stomackes diuerse appetites some eating more some lesse yet that measure sufficed the strong stomaked and was not to moche for the weake stomacke The tenth vnto them that were good yt tasted to euery one according to his desire The eleuenth although to the godly yt was a most pleasaunt taste yet to the vngodly yt was lothsom The twelth the children of Israell were fedde fourtie yeares with this Manna in the Wildernesse As these miracles be conteined in the scriptures as in Exodus Numeri and in the booke of wisdom So they are also setfurth by holy writers to Exod. 16. Num. 11. Sap. 16. Chrysost indictum Apost Nolo vos ignor the settingfurth of Gods glorie in his wonderfull workes Of diuerse of these Chrysostome maketh mencion saing Et hoc vtique mirabile Tentauerunt tunc aliqui per tempus illud plus quà m opus fuerat colligere nullum auaritiae suae fructum accipiebant Et quamdiu aequalitatem colebant mansit Manna quod Manna erat Postquam autem auari plus habere desiderauerunt auaritia mutauit Manna in vermem Quamuis hoc non cum detrimento aliorum faciebant Non enim rapiebant exalimento proximi cùm plus colligerent attamen cùm plus desiderarent condemnati sunt Nam tametsi neminem alium iniuria affecerunt tamen sibi ipsis maximè nocuerunt hoc colligendi modo auaritiae studentes atque sic simul erat cibus diuinae agnitionis instructio simul pascebat corpora erudiebat animam Neque pascebat solùm sed à laboribus liberabat non enim opus eratiungere bones neque trahere aratrum neque sulcos secare neque ad annum expectare sed mensam habebant subitò appositam semper recentem quotidie nouam rebusue ipsis discebant Euangelicum illud praeceptum non debere solicitum esse in crastinum Nulla enim vtilitas ipsis ab hac solicitudine proueniebat Nam qui plus colligerat corrumpebatur peribat auaritiae argumentum solùm dabat Insuper ne putarent illum imbrem iuxta naturae consuetudinem esse nihil talium in die Sabbati fiebat Deo duo illa ipsos docente quòd prioribus diebus ipse mirabilem priorem pluuiam operabatur per diem illum abstinebat vt inuiti etiam discerent illo die feriari And this also was merueilouse Some proued in that time to gather more then was nede and of their couetousnesse they tooke no profit And as long as they tooke their equall proporcion that that was Manna did abide Manna But after the couetouse desiered to haue more auarice turned Manna into a woorme although they did this withoute hurte of other when they wolde gather more they did not violentlie take awaie any parte of their neighbours foode and yet for all that wheÌ„ they desiered more they were condemned For although they did not wrong an other man yet after this maner of gathering geuing their mindes to auarice they did moche hurte them selues And so yt was both meat and also an instruction of the knowlege of God Yt did bothe feed the bodie and teache the soule Neither did yt onely feede but yt also deliuered them from labours For they had no nede to yocke their oxen to drawe their plough nor to cutte oute furrowes neither to tarie a yeare for the croppe But they had a table quicklie sett furth and made readie fresh and dailie newe And by the same thinges they did learn the Euangelicall commaundement that they shoulde not be carefull for to morowe For of this carefullnesse ther came no profet to them For he that gathered more yt was corrupted and perished and gaue onely a rebuke of their greadinesse or couetousnesse Moreouer that they shoulde not thinke that shower or rain to be according to Manna githered more 〈◊〉 was nâ—ede corrupted the custome of nature vpon the Sabboth daie ther was none soche God teaching them these two thinges who was the worker of that merueilouse rain in the other daies and that he vpon that daie absteined that they shoulde
of sainct Paule whiche ys Calix cui Bened. HAuinge intended to sett furth in this booke the exposition of soche scriptures as be in the epistles of S. Paule which speake of the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode to searche oute the vnderstanding of the fathers whether they speake of yt as taking yt for a bare signe or figure of the bodie and bloode of Chryst orells as a Sacrament conteining the thing that yt signifieth I haue thought good if anie scriptures do come betwixte soche not to trooble the Reader with the exposition of them for that they be impertinent to owre matter but ouerpassing them to go to the next text to our matter apperteining Wherfor hauing now doen the scriptures in the beginning of the tenth chapiter I passe ouer to this text Calix benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne coÌ„municatio sanguinis Christi est Et panis quem frangimus nonne participatio corporis Domini est ys not the cuppe of blessing which we blesse partaking of the bloode of Chryst ys not the breade whiche we breake partaking of the bodie of Chryst For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of this text yt ys to be obserued that S. Paule trauailing to abduce the Corinthians from certain vices and euells whiche he hath remeÌ„bred vnto them to haue ben in the Iewes and for the whiche Sacrifice of the church proued by S. Paule they were punished of God enombring theÌ„ particularly and among other noting Idolatrie dehorteth them from yt sainge Fugite ab Idolorum cultura Flie froÌ„ the honouring of Idolls And for that the Corinthians were moche defiled and moche offended other by their resorting to the banquettes of Idolls and partaking of the Idolathites they thinking that for asmoche as they had learned that vnto the chrystian all meates are clean that they might do so S. Paule doth not onely dehorte them from yt but also by argument taken of the sacrifices of the Iewes and of the partaking of the same whiche might not stand with the partaking of Idolathites proueth that they maie not be partakers of the sacrifice of the chrystians and of the sacrifice of Idolaters And here entring to speake of an high misterie of the chrystian religion whiche ys not to be spoken to the weake and the carnall but to the wise and spirituall as in this epistle he testifieth saing Animalis homo non percipitâ—ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei The naturall man perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spiritt of God Wher of the one he saieth thus Et ego fratres non potui 1. Cor. 2. loqui vobis quasi spiritualibus sed quasi carnalibus tanquam paruulis in Christo lac vobis potum dedi non escam Nondum enim poteratis And I coulde not speake vnto yowe bretheren as vnto spirituall but as vnto carnall Euen as vnto babes in Jbibid 3. Chryst I gaue yowe milke to drinke and not meat for ye were not theÌ„ stroÌ„g And of the other he speakith thus sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos We speake wisdome among them that are perfect Euen so nowe entending to speake of an high wisdome he warneth them with this saing vt prudentibus loquor vos ipsi iudicate quod dico I speake vnto them that are wise or haue discrecion Iudge ye yowr selues what I saie Ys not the cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse she partaking of the bloode of Chryst Ys not the breade whiche we breake partaking of the bodie of our Lorde As who might saie For as moch as ye are called to the chrystian religion and be made partakers of the misteries of the same and are nowe becomed wise in Chryst Iudge ye as wise men what I saie do not ye drinking of our Lordes cuppe in our sacrisices partake of the blood of our Lorde Chryste and eating of that bread of the chrystian sacrifice do ye not partake of the bodie of our Lorde yt must nedes so be For all that be partakers of sacrifices are partakers of yt to whom the sacrifice ys offred This I proue vnto yowe Consider and remembre the sacrifice of the carnall Israelites Aare not they whiche eate of the sacrifices whiche were offred emong them partakers of the aultars euen so yowe partaking of the sacrisices of Idolls which sacrifices are offred to deuells But I wolde not that ye shoulde be ioined in felowshippe with Deuells for if ye so be ye sustein great dammage and losse and what ys that Ye can not be partakers of Chryst For ye can not drinke of the cuppe of oure Lorde and of the cuppe of Deuells Ye can not be partakers of the table of the sacrifice of our Lorde and of the sacrifice of Deuells Wherfore if ye desire to be partakers of our Lordes bodie and bloode in eating of his bread and drinking his cuppe in his sacrifice leaue to be partakers of the sacrifices ofred to Idolls Wherby ye are made partakers and be ioined to Deuells For as ther ys no companie betwixt light and darknesse so ys ther no agreement betwixt our Lorde God and the Deuell neither maie God and Beliall dwell together And as he that beleueth hath no part with the infidel neither righteousnes felowshippe with vnrighteousnesse no more dothe the temple of God agree with Idolls As in this maner of periphrasis the wholl minde of S. Paule in this place ys settfurth and made clere and plain howe and by what perswasioÌ„ he laboured to diswade the Corinthians from Idolothites So also yt ys manifest that in his sentences in the processe of this chapiter whiche he vseth as argumentes grownded vpon the Sacrament that he vnderstandeth no trope or figure of the bodie and blood of Chryst but the very thinges theÌ„ selues in very dede And as he by that the carnall Israelites eating of their sacrifices were partakers of the same proueth that eaters either at our lordes table or at the table of Deuells be partakers of the same So doth he as well accompt that that ys vpon the table of our Lorde to be a sacrifice as either the sacrifice of the Israelites offred to God or of the gentiles offred to Deuells Yf yt be not so what awaileth or of what force ys the argument diduced from the sacrifices of the Iewes For if the eating of the sacrifice of the Iewes maketh them partakers of the aultar what proueth that that either Idolothites of the table of Idolls or the cuppe and bread of our Lorde his table doth make either the receauers of the one or of the other partakers of theÌ„ if that bothe the one and the other be not sacrifices as that ys froÌ„ the whiche the argument ys diduced and vpon the whiche yt ys grownded yt ys an euell maner of disputacion to go aboute to proue like effectes of vnlike causes but of like causes to proue like effectes yt ys a good maner of disputacion if due ordre and circumstance be obserued To make the matter plain what ys the cause that the Israelites
bringeth in the saing of Chryst to proue that ther ys no figuratiue speach and therfore he saieth that Chryst did not saie that the bread which he wolde geue was a figure of his flesh but his flesh Yf Theophilact will not haue yt the figure of Chrystes flesh but his flesh in dede how standeth Peters exposition who wolde no flesh but the vertue of the flesh ād so denieng the verie flesh wold haue yt a bare figure which Theophilact hath so oftē denied And think yowe Trāselemētacion vsed of Theophilact more fullie to expresse the chaunge in the Sacrament that soch an authour wolde in so fewe lines denie a figure and graunt a figure Secondly note that Theophilact saieth that for our infirmitie our mercifull God doth transelementate into the vertue of the flesh and bloode wher I wolde learn of this man what ys the propre significacion of this verbe transelementare ād yf yt be to chaunge then what ys chaunged As I can perceaue this verbe cometh of this woorde Elementū which signifieth an Element and so yt should signifie to chaunge Elementes As the philosophers do teache the naturall constitucion of naturall thinges that be compownded ys of the fower Elementes as offoure principles yet not as primere of the whiche the thing hath his beinge but as concurring to the due order and disposition of the thing without the which the naturall thing can not abide in his being As flesh and bone be of the earth swet and moystnes of the water breathing of the aier and the naturall heate of the fire Euen so the principles of other thinges whether they be in learning or religion be called elementa Elementes As in learning the letters of the Alphabete be called Elementes Likewise in religion as sainct Paule saieth to the hebrues Etenim cùm deberetis magistri esse propter tempus rursum indigetis vt vos doceamiui quae sunt elementa exordij sermonum He br 5. Dei facti estis quibus lacte opus sit non solido cibo For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye nede again that we teach yow the first Elementes or principles of the woorde of God and are become soch as haue nede of milke and not of stronge meate In which sentence wher he saieth that they had need to be taught the elementes of the woorde of God he meneth the principles of religion And thus the beginninges of all soche thinges maie be called elementes Nowe to applie this to our pourpose what be the principles of bread and wine be they not their substances Then when Theophilact saith that he doth transelementate ys yt not to be saied that he doth chaunge their principles or elementes But their principles be their substāces wherfor he doth chaunge their substances Although yf I be not deceaued this ys spoken according to the rule of An earthlie creature can not be transelemēted into spirituall vertue learning yet if this should mislike the Aduersarie yet he must nedes graunt that some thing ther must be that must be chaunged And then I wolde learn of him what this ys that ys chaunged into the vertue or grace of the flesh of Chryst as the Aduersarie here taketh this woorde virtus to be vnderstāded Yt was neuer readde that euer anie thing earthlie coulde be primarelie chaūged into the vertue or grace a qualitie spiritual Wherfor no soch chaunge cā here bemade as the Aduersarie wold feign to be But that an earthly substāce maie be turned into the substāce of Chryst not onelie we are taught yt by that that he tooke flesh of the virgē Mary but also as our Theophilact to proue this that here ys to be proued saieth the foode which our Sauiour Chryst tooke vpō the earth was chaunged into his bodie ād was made like to his holie Of this matter see more in the second booke cap. lx flesh Wherfore wher Theophilact saieth here that this transelementacion ys into the vertue of the flesh and blood of Chryst he meeneth into the verie flesh as though yt had ben saied In veritatem carnis sanguinis Christi into the veritie or trueth of the flesh and blood of Chryst And that this was his mening this proueth first that in the same sentence he saieth that God condescending to our infirmitie kepeth the outwarde formes of bread and wine signifieng that the formes remaining the substance ys chaunged For yf the outward formes remain and the substance as they saie be not chaunged what then ys transelemented or chaunged The seconde proofe ys that Theophilact speaking of the verie same matter vpon the sixt of S. Iohn doth by open and plain woordes proue this that I haue saied for better declaraciō wherof I will bring in his wholl sentence Non enim dixit panis quem ego dabo figura est carnis sed caro mea est Transformatur enim arcanis verbis panis ille per mysticā benedictionē accessionem sancti spiritus in carnē Domini Et ne quē cōturbet quod credēdus sit panis caro Etenim in carne ambulāte Domino et ex pane alimoniā Theoph. in 6. Joannis admittēte panis ille qui māducabatur in corpus eius mutabatur et similis fiebat sāctae cius carni et in augmētū et sustentationē cōferebat iuxta humanum morē Igitur et nūc panis in carnem domini mutatur For he hath not saied the bread which I will geue ys a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh For that bread by the mysticall blessing and coming to of the holie Goste with the secret woordes ys transformed Argumētes of Theophilact to proue the bread in the Sacr. to be made flesh into the flesh of owre Lorde And leest yt shoulde troble anie man that the bread ys to be beleued flesh when owre Lorde walked in the flesh and tooke foode of bread that bread that was eaten was chaunged into his bodie and was made like vnto his holie flesh and yt went vnto the encreasing and sustentacion after the condicion of the nature of man Therfore now also the bread ys chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde Thus Theophil In this saing ye see not the figure only of Chrystes flesh denied in the Sacrament but withal the very flesh affirmed and the wholl matter howe yt cometh to passe declared In the setting furth wherof wher as vpon S. Marke he saied that the bread was chaunged into the vertue of the flesh of Chryst he expownding the same saieth yt ys transformed into the flesh of Chryst And that yt might appeare to yowe that this chaunge was a chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of the flesh of Chryst he bringeth in a similitude of the food which Chryst did take being conuersant here vpon the earth after the maner of men which foode was substanciallie chaunged in to the substance of the bodie of Chryst and therupon
yt ys the bodie of Chryst and so moche he saieth therbie not onely declaring his owne faithe but also the faith of the Church he liued in Nowe reader when thowe seest so auncient and with all so euident testimonie of and for the trueth laie hande to yt and be not caried awaie with the vain woordes of this Proclamer And thus ending this text we will go to an other THE THIRTETH CHAPITER BEGINNETH THE exposition of this text Ye can not drinke of the cuppe of oure Lorde and of the cuppe of Deuells By S. Cyprian and Chrysost FOrasmoche as in the sixtenth chapiter of this booke Wher I began the exposition of this disputacion of Sainct Paule with the Corynthians the dependence of these scriptures the one of the other and also the minde of Sainct Paule ys opened what he here intendeth I will not trooble the Reader with that argument again in this place but remitte him thither Onelie this I wish him to obserue that Sainct Paule diswading the Corynthians from Idolathites vseth three means to doe the same One ys the declaracion of the greuouse punishment of the Iewes whiche S. Paule vseth three meanes to diswade the Corynthiās frō Idolathites they susteined for Idolatric Whiche being laied before their faces they might be moued to flye the like offence for feare of like pain The seconde ys vpon the communion of the bodie and bloode of Chryst that wher by the communion of that that they did communicate they were vnited to yt which they did communicate And vnited they coulde not be bothe to Chryst and to deuells Therfor forsomoche as by the communion of Chrystes bodie and bloode they were vnited to him they must forbeare the communion with deuells by Idolathites by which they shoulde be separated and diuided from Chryst again The thirde ys as Sainct Thoms saieth by the similitude of the legall sacrifice whiche Sainct Paule bringeth in as an argument of like to prooue this communion or participacion when he saieth Nonne qui edunt hostias participes sunt altaris Are not they whiche eate of the sacrifice partakers of the aultar To ioin the partes of the similitude together and to make yt fullie to Thomas Aqui. in dec prima Cor. appeare thus Sainct Thomas doth sett yt furth Are not they whiche eate of the sacrifices partakers of the aultar as they whiche eate of the flesh of Chryst are partakes of the bodie of Chryst Forasmoche as eche of these be so and Chryst and Baall can not dwell together neither can we serue two masters Therfor as a perfect conclusion he inferreth and saieth Non potestis calicem Domini bibere calicem daemoniorum Ye can not drinke of the cuppe of our Lorde and of the cuppe of Deuells Where note this conclusion depending vpon the premisses must include in yt tearmes of the same significacion that were in the premisses Forasmoche then as the premisses spake of the partaking of sacrifices yt must nedes be that Sainct Paule speaking here of the partaking of the table of our Lordre and of the table of deuells speaketh of the sacrifice of our Lorde and the the sacrifice of deuells That he teacheth the bread and wine to be a sacrifice yt shall be opened to yow after the exposition of the doctours although this ys sufficiētlie testified Sacrifice auouched by S. Paule before from the sixtenth chapiter vnto this place yet that yt maie well be perceaued of the Reader that my saing ys agreable to the holie Fathers and that this text was spoken of Sainct Paule as of the sacrifice of the bodie and bloode of our Lordre on the aultar the holie Fathers shall be brought furth as before they haue ben vpon the other scriptures by whose testimonie this matter shall be made clere And for that Sainct Cyprian rebuketh the same offence that Sainct Paule doth and vseth the same woordes that Sainct Paule doth wherby the true mening and vnderstanding maie the better be perceaued we shall first let his saing be hearde This yt ys Contra euangelij vigorem contra Domini ac Cyp ser 5. de lapsis Dei legem temeritate laxatur incautis communicatio irrita falsa pax periculosa dantibus nihtl accipientibus prosutura Non quaerunt sanitatis paenitentiam nec veram de satisfactione medicinam Paenitentia de peccatoribus exclusa est Grauissimi extremiue delicti memoria sublata est Operiuntur morientium vulnera plaga laetalis altis profundis viseeribus infixa dissimulato dolore contegitur A diaboli aris reuertentes ad sanctum Domini sordidis infectis nidore manibus accedunt Mortiferos idolorum cibos adhuc penè ructantes exhalantibus nunc etiam fcelus suum faucihus contagia funesta redolentibus Domini corpus inuadunt cùm occurat scriptura diuina clamet dicat Omnis mundus manducabit carnem anima quaecunque manducauerit ex carne salutaris Leuit. 7. sacrificij quod est Domini immundicia eius super ipsum peribit anima illa de populo Apostolus item testetur dicat Non potestis calicem Domini bibere 1. Cor 10. calicem ' daemoniorum Non potestis mensae Domini communicare meusae daemomorū Against the force of the Gospell against the lawe of our Lorde and God through the rashnesse of some communicacion ys frelie genen to the necligent being a false peace and of no force yet perilouse to the geuer and which shall nothing profitte the receauer They seke not the penance of Penance of health and the medicē of satisfactiō S. Gp. tearmes healthe neither the true medicen of satisfaction penance ys excluded from sinners the memorie of the extreame and most greu ouse offence ys taken awaie The woundes of them that be dieng be couered and the deadlie plague stricken into the depe bowells ys with a dissimuled sorowe hidden Returning from the aultars of the Deuell with filthie and infected handes with the sauoure they come to the holie thing of our Lorde Theie yet almost breathing owte the deadlie meates of idolls their chekes puffing oute euen yet their mischeuouse dede and smelling of the deadlie infection they violently come vpon the bodie of our Lorde When yet the scripture of God cometh against them and crieth and saieth Euery clean person shall eate the slesh But yf anie eate of the flesh of the holsome sacrifice which belongeth to our Lorde hauing his vncleannesse vpon him the Leuit 7. same soule shall perish from among his people The Apostle also witnesseth and saieth Ye can not drinke the cuppe of our Lorde and the cuppe of Deuells Ye can not communicate of the table of our Lorde and of the table of Deuells Thus moche Sainct 1. Cor. 10. Cyprian Who being moche offended with the necligence of soche preistes as did admitte them to the receipt of the holie Sacrament which had defiled them selfes with Idolathites before they
prophecies plain speaches of his onelie begotten Sonne Iesus Chryst and the great nombre of assertions declaracions and expositions of most holie famouse auncient and learned Fathers shewed anie miracles for the confirmacion of the trueth of the blessed Sacrament And First let vs see for the presence of Chryst in the Sacramēt Sathan perswaded Luther that ther ys not present the bodie and bloode of Chryst but bread and wine let vs trie the trueth therof by Gods worke Amphilochius an holie Bishoppe who liued within the compasse of foure hondreth yeares after Chryst and therfor a good nombre of yeares more Jn vita Ba. The blessed Sacr. deliue red to a Jewe was verie flesh ād verie blood in seight then eleuen hondred agone writing the life of S. Basill testifieth that a certain Iewe desierouse to see the misteries of the chrystians came among an infinite multitude to the churche wher S. Basill saied Masse And feigning himself to be a Chrystian and being among them at S. Basills Masse sawe in the handes of S. Basill a childe diuided Neuer the lesse when the time of the communion came he stoode among other to doe as they did and when the Sacrament was deliuered vnto him yt was yerie flesh And when the cuppe was brought to him yt was verie bloode of whiche both as he might keping some parte when he came home he shewed them to his weif and tolde her what he had seen with his eies Whervpon beleuing that the misteries of the christians were woonderfull the next daie he went to S. Basill and tolde him all the wholl matter and desiered him that he might withoute delaie be christened and so he was and all his housholde Yt ys redd also in the liues of the Fathers that ther was a certain olde mā who although he were a great man yet he was simple and did erre in the matter of the Sacrament and saied that the consecrated bread which we doe receaue ys not the naturall bodie of Chryst but a figure of yt This his errour when two auncient men did vnderstand and knowe that his life and cōuersacion other wise was good they thought that he did yt innocētlie and simplie And therfor they went to him and rehersed his errour to him He graunted that he did so saie They perswaded him that he should not so beleue but as the catholike Church doeth We saie they beleue that that bread ys the bodie of Chryst and that cuppe his bloode in verie dede and not in The blessed Sacr. deliuered to a doubting chrystian appeared flesh figure But as in the beginning God taking a litle earth made man to his owne image and no man can saie but that man although he be made of the earth he ys the image of God Euen so the bread by cause he saied This ys my bodie we beleue that yt ys verilie his bodie The olde man saied except I maie know yt so to be in verie dede yowr reasons can not satisfie me Then they saied Let vs geue our selues to praier this weke that God maie vouchsaffe to reueill this mysterie vnto vs. After their praier they three came to the church And when the time came that they shoulde receaue the one lie porcion of the Sacrament deliuered to that olde man was verie bloodie flesh whiche when he sawe he was afearde and cried saing I beleue that the bread that ys on the aultar ys thie bodie and the cuppe ys thy bloode And furthwith the flesh in his hand was made breade and so he receaued yt and gaue thankes to God Let not the Aduersarie by skorning trauaill to reiecte this miracle or auoide the force of yt by slaunder saing that some papist hath inuented yt For as yt ys testified this was doen as the last rehersed miracle was with in the compasse of foure hundreth yeares after Chryst at whiche time yt were to moch wickednesse for the Aduersarie to think anie vain inuencions to haue ben deuised for the maintenance of the treuth of the Sacramet I omitte to alleadge here soche miracles as S. Cyprian and S. Ambrose reporte aboute the blessed Sacrament for that I haue made some mencion of them allreadie and again by occasion shall Manie goodlie miracles also be reported by S. Gregorie and manie were doen in his time aboute this blessed Sacrament whiche were to long to reherse These two therfor shall suffice to helpe vs to perceaue and vnderstand Gods pleasure and his holie trueth as concerning the presence of Chrystes bodie in the blessed Sacrament Sathan perswaded Luther not to honoure the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament but what the Churche hath doen frō the Apostles time and what the holie Martirs and learned Fathers teach in this matter yt ys declared in the secōd booke Besides whiche knowledge so left vnto vs of God we shall Optatus li. 2. cont Donatist perceaue gods pleasure by miracle that the blessed Sacrament shoulde be honoured In the which matter yt ys verie notable that Optatus reporteth of the Donatistes who being cruell heretiques so farre misliked what was doen by the catholiques that violentlie inuading their Churches they commaunded the Sacrament to be geuen to the dogges But the iudgement of God Dogges after their eating of the Sacrament worowed their Masters that cast yt vnto them not suffring so heinouse an offence to be vnpunished so great contumelic to the dishonour of the blessed Sacrament to be vnreuenged The dogges vnto their owne masters whom before they loued and defended nowe being enemies fell on them as on straungers or theues and with all violence as though they had neuer knowen them waxed feirce on them and worowed them God herby as I take yt signifieng vnto vs that as rabbish men forgatte their duetie and honoure to their Lorde God so the vnreasonable creatures forgatt their loue to their masters Whether they haue offended and displeased God that in this our time haue as wickedlie abused the Sacrament as did these Donatistes they maie by this miracle easilie perceaue And this maie we perceaue also that as the dishonouring of the Sacrament offendeth and displeaseth God and therfor he punissheth yt So in the honouring of the Sacrament neuer anie Idolatrie was committed for we neuer readd yt punished Let anie of the Aduersaries if they can bring furth anie one sufficient example that euer anie one was punished of God for honouring Chryst in the Sacrament and then they haue doen somwhat but they neuer coulde yet nor neuer shall so weake ys their cause Against the Masse also Sathan perswaded Luther and good cause whie For by the Masse his power as well in extern or worldly thinges as in intern Sathan his power abated by the vertue of the Masse or spirituall thinges ys ouerthrowen For worldlie thinges we haue the testimonie of S. Augustine who as be fore ys mencioned testifieth that by the offring of the sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Chryste whiche ys the Masse the wicked power
bodie of Chryst in that maner that the Iewe obseruing yet the Lawe maie not eate him Whiche maner ys onelie by his reall presence in the Sacrament except we shall euell fauourablie as Hooper did expownde edere for credere to eate that ys to beleue And then the sense must be that we haue an Aultar which ys Chrystes bodie on the whiche the Iewes that doe obserue the lawe of Moyses maie not beleue Whiche sense as yt ys verie false so yt ys verie cruell God forbidde but that the Iewes shoulde beleue on Chryst as manie a thousand of them haue doen as the Actes of the Apostles and diuerse other hystories doe testifie The like sense shall this scripture haue yf we vnderstand yt with the Sacramentarie of the spirituall presence of Chryst and the spirituall eating of him So that a diligent reader maie in this place perceaue into what strictes and what inconueniences Theophil in 13. ca. epist ad Hebrues soche wrestinge expositours doe bringe themselues who leauing the true sownd and perfect expositions of the Fathers cleaue to their owne inuencions which be soche as although they like well the inuentours yet they neither like nor well agree with the scripturs nor withe the true and catholique expositours of the same But let vs heare Theophilact also vpon the same text Thus he saieth Quoniam dixerat non obseruandos esse cibos ne videantur nostra despicatui habenda quod obseruatione careant Nos inquit obseruationem habemus verùm haud eam quae sit in huiusmodi cibis sed super altare siue incruenta hostia viuifici corporis liuius enim vt sint participes ne pontisicibus quidem legalibus permittitur tantisper dum tabernaculo deseruiunt boc est legalibus vmbris siguris quae transeunt ac dissoluuntur Forasmoche as he had saied that regarde of meates Note well these tearms the aultar the vnbloodie sacrisice the liuing bodie c. should not be had least our thinges might seeme to be despiced bicause they had no regarde or reueronce We saieth he haue reuerend regarde but not that that was vpon these maner of meates but vpon the Aultar or the vnbloodie sacrisice of the liuinge bodie For of this Sacrifice to be partakers yt ys not permitted no not to high preistes of the lawe as long as thei serue in the tabernacle that ys as long as they serue the shadowes and figures of the lawe which passe a waie and are dissolued Here again by Theophilact as before by Isichius ye see this text vnderstanded of the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament He calleth yt the vnbloodie Sacrifice as the holie Nicen Councell did And that those woordes also of the vnbloodie Sacrifice shoulde not be drawen by the Sacramentaries the enemies and distroyers of this Sacrifice to the sacrifice of lawdes and thankesgeuinge as Cranmer doeth in his booke of Sacrifice he addeth and fullie calleth yt the vnblood die sacrifice of the liuing bodie or more proprielie of the bodie that geueth life or maketh to liue which ys not nor can be anie other but the bodie of Chryst which as in the last chapter ys saied beinge ioined to the Godhead and made the bodie of God which ys life yt self ys able to geue life and to make other to liue And therfor ys here of Theophilact verie well called Viuificum corpus the bodie that ys able to make to liue But note that we speake not here of this transitorie and passing life but of the permanent and euerlasting life In the woordes of S. Paule this also ys to be noted that allthough in hys The sacrisice of the Churche of fred in a thousand places ys but oneand the same sacrisice Hier lib. 3. in Oseam cap. 8. time the faith was largelie spred as in Rome in Corinthus in Galatia in Ephesus in Thessalonia in Collossis in Laodicea yea as he himself to the Romans doeth testifie from Hierusalem rownde aboute all the coastes vnto Illiricum he filled all the contries with the Gospel yet nowe writing to the Hebrues he saieth notplurallie we haue manie Aultars but singularlie we haue an Aultar For the Church of Chryst hath but one Chryst and one vnblood die Sacrifice as Chrysostome saieth Vna est haec hostia non multae This sacrifice ys one and not manie For we doe not offre one lambe to daie and an other to morowe but allwaies the same one sacrifice Proinde saieth he Vnum est hoc sacrificium Therfore this sacrifice ys one yt hath also but one Aultar as S. Hierom doeth testifie saing Vnum esse altare in ecclesia vnam fidem vnum baptisma Apostolus docet Quod haeretici deferentes multa sibi altaria sabricati sunt non ad placandum Deum sed in delictorum multitudinem propterea leges Dei accipere non merentur cùm eas quaes acceperant antè contempserint Etsi quid dixerint de scripturis nequaquam diuinis verbis sed Ethnicorum sensibus comparandum est Isti multas immolant hostias comedunt carnes earum vnam Christi hostiam deserentes nec comedentes eius carnem cuius caro cibus credentium est quicquid fecerint sacrificiorum ordinem ritumue simulantes siue dederint eleemosinam siue pudicitiā repromittant siue humilitatem simulēt fictisue blāditiis simplices quosque decipiāt nihil de huiusmodi sacrificiis Dominus suscipiet The Apostle teacheth to be in the Church one Aultar one faith and one baptisme which the heretikes forsakinge haue framed to thēselus manie Aultars not to appease God but to the heaping vppe of multitude of sinnes Wherfore they are not woorthie to receaue the lawes of God forasmoch as the lawes which they had receaued they had before contemned And yf they saie any thinge of the scriptures yt ys not to be compared to the woordes of God but raither to the senseis of Ethnickes These men offre manie sacrifices and doe eate the flesh of them forsakinge the one sacrifice of Chryst and doe not eate his flesh whose flesh ys the meat of the beleuers Whatsoeuer they doe dissemblinge the order and rite of sacrifices whether they geue almose whether they vowe chaistitie whether they dissemble humilitie or whether with feined flatteries thei deceaue the simple God taketh nothing of soch maner of sacrifices Hitherto S. Hierom. Whom yf we marke well we maie learn that he by this woorde aultar vnderstandeth Chryst as sainct Paule doeth in this scripture produced oute of the epistle to the Hebrues For where sainct Paule to the Ephesians saieth Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma c. One Lord one faith one Baptisme S. Hierom saieth that S. Paule teacheth that we haue but one aultar takinge the one aultar for our one Lorde Chryst But note with all howe liuelie he describeth the heretiques of our time Heretiques of oure time wel described by S. Hieron by the painting of the heretiques of and before his time For
whiche God of his mercie graunt Amen THE ONE AND SIXTETH CHAPITER maketh a recapitulacion of that that ys doen in this worke NOwe gentle Reader haue I goen thorowe all those scriptures that treact of the holie Sacrament speciallie soche as be commonlie alleadged either by the catholiques to proue the same or by the Aduersaries to improoue yt In the hādling of which scriptures so litle haue I geuen to mine owne iudgement that yt beinge suppressed I haue as meit yt ys and as I wolde wish all that liue in this time of controuersies to doe geuē place to the iudgementes of the learned fathers of Chrystes Churche in all ages In the setting furth of which Fathers I haue in sundrie places and matters cōferred the doctrine of the elder and the younger together that the concorde that ys betwixte thē might fullie be perceaued This being trulie and faithfullie doen the iudgement wher of I referre to the catholique Churche and submitte both myself and this ys my worke to the correction of the same yt maie and doeth easilie appeare and maie clerelie be seen howe vain the bragge of the Proclamer ys who wolde haue but one scripture one doctour or one Councell produced for the testimonie of the trueth of the catholique faith And nowe ther be so manie scriptures doctours and Councells brought furth that ther ys not one left to bolstar vppe his heresie The scriptures which he and his complices pretend to haue in their possession are by the iudgement of the Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house prooued neuer to be theirs but are and haue ben allwaies in the possession of the catholique Churche Considre Reader howe manie fathers of the greke churche be here produced as Dionise Iustyne Irenaeus Origen Gregorie Nazianzen Basill Chrisostom Cyrill with other of the elder sort which although they were of one Churche yet they were of diuerse times some of them with in one hundreth yeare after Chryst some two hundreth some three and yet all these agree in one trueth of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the bless Sacrament In the latine Churche were Alexander Tertullian Cyprian Hilarie Optatus Hierom Ambrose Augustine and other whiche although they were farre distaunte manie hundreth of miles from the fathers of the greke Churche yet in consent and agreement together in this matter they ioin and go together Of the greke churche again be produced other that were manie yeares after the other Fathers before rehersed as Theodorete Euthimius Damascen Theophilact Oecumenius and Bessario with other whiche although they liued in great diuersitie of ages hauinge manie hundreth yeares passing betwixt them yet they liued in the vnitie of faith and religion Again also in the latine Churche answerablie to these were produced Gregorie Beda Haymo Anselme Paschasius Thomas de Aquino Lyra and Dionise with other whiche also liuinge with moche difference of times and diuersitie of places were yet with the eldest and the midlest and with the latest all of one minde And here note that these authours as they doe according to the rule of Vincentius Lirinen alltogether teache Chrystes presence in the Sacrament so doe they yt manifestlie commonlie and continuallie For Origen Basill Chrysostome Cyrill Theodoret Euthymius and Theophilact whiche be the greater writers of the grecians are not produced once onely neither speaking obscurelie but they are often and manie times and that with speache most plain and manifest and that commonlie in euerie weightie matter of the booke Likwise be the Fathers of the latine churche whiche in euery place beare agreable testimonie to the Fathers of the greke churche And for asmoche as these fathers haue expownded the scriptures to vs that doe treact of the Sacrament and doe therin agree yt ys meete for vs to accept that sense and vnderstanding that by the handes of so manie Fathers ys so consonantlie deriued to vs. All they vnderstande them of the presence of Chryst in the bless Sacrament wherfor yt ys meete that we also vnderstand them so and not onelie yt ys meete but we aught and are bownde to doe so Nowe therfor let the Proclamer turne his Historie of Mitridates vnto his owne heade and his likes who lainge wicked seige to the citie of Gods Church wolde beare the citizens in hand that the armie of the holie learned Fathers and doctours of Chrystes Churche were on their side But God be praised the contrarie nowe appeareth For this holie armie ys comed down and haue ioined with Gods citizens and haue vanquished Mitridates and his companie and deliuered the citie from their cruel tirannie of he resie and haue declared them selues to all the worlde that they be frendes of Gods citie and defenders of the same and aduersaries to Mitrydates the Proclamer and vanquishers of the same For we haue not by bragge onelie saied that the scriptures doctours and Councells be on our side as this Mitrydates this proclamer did But we haue euidentlie and inuinciblie prooued yt in dede Giezi the lieng and leprouse seruante of Heliseus coulde not when his master was compased aboute with the theues of Syria see anie that were on his masters side but against his Master he sawe manie yet in verie dede there were mo on the Prophets side then on the Syrians part as after yt was well declared So this Giezi this Proclamer the lieng leprouse seruant seeth not what a noble companie ys on Christs side but on the Syrians side the enemies of Chryste he seeth multitudes For hitherto beinge blinded with ambition and as Giezi did lieng for some gain or promotion he hath since fallen into the deapth of the spirituall leprey which S. Austen calleth heresie Leprosi saieth he non absurdè in telliguntur qui scientiā verae fidei non habentes varias doctrinas profitentur erroris Nulla porrofalsa doctrina est quae non aliqua vera intermiseat Vera ergo falsis inordinaté permixta in vna narratione vel disputatione hominis tanquam in vnius corporis colore significant lepram tanquam veris falsisue colorum fucis humana corpora variantem atque maculantem The lepres are verie well to be vnderstanded those whiche not hauinge the knowledge of the true faith doe professe diuerse doctrines of errour For their ys no salse doctrine whiche hathe not some true thinges medled with yt True thinges therfore inordinatelie permixed with false thinges in one narracion or disputacion of a man as yt were appearing in the coloure of one bodie doeth signifie the leprey altering and defiling the bodies of men as yt were with true and false shewe of coloures By these means then this man was so blinded that he could not see one scripture one doctour nor one Councell on Chrystes side or on his trueths side But on the enemies side on heresies side he could see an wholl armie But I compare this armie vnto the people that were with in the walls of Hierusalem at the time of the destruction of the same whiche as Iosephus
li. 2. ca. 12. Asseurance of mercie promised to man before full sentence pronownced against him li. 1. cap. 9. Auncient and godlie customes are not to be left for the bare saing of a protestāt ca. 25. Aultars holie li. 3. cap. 31. testified by Optatus and S. Austen and abuse of them punished ibid. Aultars in vse in time of S. Cyprian ib. ca. 39 Aultars from the Apostles time cap. 31. Aultar wherfor yt serueth ibid. Aultar and sacrifice correlatiues ibid. S. Austen to Dardan opened li. 2. cap. 12. Austens cheifintent vpon the vi of S. Iohn lib. 2. cap. 16. Austen teacheth three things in one sentence against the Secramentaries ca. 19. Austen anknowlegeth both spirituall and corporall receauing ca. 16 Austen produced by the Sacramentaries in wrong sense ca. 24. Austen against Oecolamp and Cranmer ca. 54. Austens assertions conferred with the iudge ment of the Aduersa li. 3. ca. 15 Austen calleth the bread and cuppe of our Lorde a sacrifice ca. 18. Austen trulie understanded li. 2. ca. 54 Austen vttereth S. Paules wootdes expreslie of the bodie and blood of Chryste li. 3 ca. 55. S. Austen corrupted by the Proclamer li. 3. ca. 31. Authoririe of late writers proued good by good reason li. 2. ca. 3. Authoritie ys to be obied wher corruption of life ys li. 1. ca. 6. B Baptisme receaued of all indifferentlie li. 3. cap. 2. Baptisme and the read sea compared ibid. Baptisme of chryste and Iohn moch differēt ibid. Baptisme instituted by chryste and commended by the wholl Trinitie li. 3. ca. 14 Basill and Greg. Nazian how they atteigned the knowlege of the scripturs lib. 1. ca. 7. Basill howe he taught the simple to beleue of the Sacram. li. 2. ca. 52 Basill and Chrysostom not fownders of the Masse but setters furth of soche order as they fownd receaued by tradicion lib. 3. cap. 35. Basill beleued the bread and wine to be made the bodie and blood of Chryste ca. 36. Basill offred the bodie and blood of chryste in sacrifice ca. 37. Basill in his Masse praied for the dead and to saincts ca. 39 Benediction what power yt hath li 2. ca. 51. ca. 62. Benefitts and plagues of the Iewes figurs of our benefitcs and plagues li. 3. ca. 1 Berengarius the first open impugner of the B. Sacrament condemned in foure Councells prolog Berengarius recanted and abiured ibid Berengarius neither excellēt in learning nor commendable in life ibid. Berengarius foolishlie obiected S. Austen as the Sacramentaries do nowe li. 2. cap. 14. Bertramus wrote obscurelie and suspiciouslie of the Sacr. prolog Blasphemie to saie the B. Sacr. to be onely a figure li. 2. ca. 64 Blessing of Chryste what force yt hath cap. 58. Blessing of more power then nature cap. 62. Blood of Chryste on the crosse and in the Sacr. all one li. 2. ca 5. li. 3. ca. 20. Blood in the chalice the same that was shedd on the crosse li. 2. cap. 60 Blood of Chryste in the Sacr. howe to be estomed li. 3. ca. 16 Blood of the Paschall lambe a figure of chrystes blood in the B. Sacr. ibid. Bodie of chryste ioined to vs by corporall receipt not by spirituall onelie li. 2. cap. 14. Bodie of chryst consecrated of manie preists all one bodie ca. 28. Bodie of chryste inuisible in the Sacrament a figure of the same bodie visible ca. 49. Bodie of chryste demonstrated ād deliuered not in figure but in veritie ca. 63. Bodie of chryst howe yt ys called a spirituall meat li. 3. ca. 8 Bodie of the lambe chryst fedeth vs. ca. 11 Bodie of chryst vnder forme of bread ca. 26. Bodie of chryste consecrated to two endes cap. 41. Bookes of scripture sealed to manie li. 1. ca. 5 Bread of the newe communion differeth not from common bread li. 1. ca. 17. howe the same ys nowe vsed li. 3. ca. 47. Bread broken in the Sacrament the medicin of immottalitie li. 1. ca. 17. Bread by the omnipotencie of the woord ys made flesh ibid. li. 3. ca. 9. 20 Bread and wine chaunged into the bodie and blood of chryste not in figure but in veritie li. 1. ca. 21. li. 2. ca. 59. 60. 51. 53. Bread and wine offred by Melchisedecfigurs of that which chryst offre in his supper li. 1. ca. 29 Bread turned into an holier thing cap. 31. 37. Bread taken three waies in the vi of Iohn li. 2. ca. 2. Bread howe yt ys turned into flesh and why flesh ys not seen in the Bless Sacrament li. 2. cap. 7. 8. 19. 57 li. 3. cap. 20. Bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lord. li 2. ca. 31 Bread whiche Chryste deliuered no bare figure but flesh ca 51. 53 Bread and wine so sanctified in consecracion as yt passeth mans witte cap. 54. Bread geuen to the two Disciples in Emaus was the bodie of Chryste cap. 65. 66. Bread whiche we breake ys the bodie of Chryste lib. 3. ca. 19. 27. Bread semeth to be in the Sacrament but yt ys flesh li. 3 ca. 20 Bread diuided to manie ys the bodie of our Lorde li. 3. ca. 21. Bread and cuppe in Sainct Paule the bodie and bloode of Chryste lib. 3. cap. 27. 50. Brentius impugneth the forme of Baptisme lib. 2. cap. 28. C. Canon of the Apostles corrupted by the Proclamer li. 3. ca. 40 Canon forbiddetb not the preist to receaue aloue ibi Capharnaites vnderstood Chryste carnallie lib. 2. cap. 34. had twoo vain thoughts ▪ ibid. Carnall vnderstanding ys by reason and senses onelie cap. 37 Carnall men vnderstanding nothing aboue their senses leape backe from the vnderstanding of the mysterie of the Sacrament cap-33 Cassiodorus howe he vttereth Sainct Pauleswoordes li. 3. ca. 51 Catholique preists folowing the Schisme be in miserable case lib. 3. cap. 36. Catholique faith described cap. 53. Chastitie required in preists lib. 1. cap. 22. Chryste turneth the malice of heretiques to the profitte of his Churche prolog Chryste dwelleth in vs corporallie not onelie spirituallie in Prolog item lib. 1. cap. 14. lib. 3. cap. 23. 26 Chrystes reall presence in the Sacrament a receaued doctrine in all the chrystian Churche prolog Chrystes Parliament house the catholique Church ibid. Chrystes interpreting of the scripture proueth the difficultie li. 1. cap. 7. Chryste not Salomon the seed promised to Dauid cap. 9 Chryste and Sampson compared ca. 10 Chrystes passion conferred to the prophecies therof lib. 1. cap. 11. item his resurrection and ascension ca. 12. Chrystes bodie and bloode an euerlasting sacrifice cap. 13. item 31. lib. 3. cap. 36. a dailie sacrifice ibi Chryste ys offered of his Church and his Church of him lib. 1. cap. 18. item lib. 3. cap. 36 Chryste and Melchisedech compared lib. 1. cap. 13. Chryste offred bread and wine that ys his bodie and blood ca. 29 Chrystes oblacion after the order of Melchisedech ouerthroweth the heresie of Eutyches cap. 30 Chryste offred sacrifice in his supper and commaunded yt to be contiuued li. 1. ca. 32.
therfor not vnknowen to hym what shall yt awaill me to buckle with so impudent a man For soche saiers haue ben condēned by eight Coūcells all readie as heretykes and theyr heresie so detested hated and abhorred of all christians Sacramentaries condemned hyeight Councels that the catholique learned men yf they had but a suspicion of anye that dyd in anie one title swarue from the verytie of Chrystes bodie in the Sacramēt they furth with addressed them selues to their pennes and with the swoorde of Gods trueth vanquyshed and ouerthrewe yt Thys as yt ys thought moued Paschasius towryte in the matter of the Sacrament for that Bertramus had in the tyme of kyng Charles wrytten therof Paschasi ' Bertramus wrote obscurclie and suspiciously of the Sacrament suspycyouslie and yet in suche sorte as no mā coulde be certē what he assuredlie ment Nowe that the treuth of the matter of the Sacramēt shoulde not be obscured with soche doubtfull wryting Paschasius wrotte a booke of the presence of the verie bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament in soche expresse and playn woordes as the symple man maye preceaue what was the faith of the Chruche in that tymeof that matter And for that he was so playn Gastius one of thys proclamers faction hauyng gotten an olde exemplar of that worke as yt ys appertynent to the syncerytie of soche men he raced yt he blotted yt yea he cutte oute wholl chapiters of yt and that doen that yt might to the woorlde appeare that Paschasius who wrotte so long agone wrotte yet nothing against the Sacramentaries he sett yt furthe so mutylated so torn and so defaced to be prynted But to return to speake of thys proclamer consydering as I saied the Artycle wherin he saieth neuer man was condemned for an heretike that affirmed the Sacramēte to be a figure sign c. I was so abasshed at hys impudecye that I was partelye mynded not to haue ioyned with hym But remembryng that yt was more impudencye to denye Chrystes presence in the Sacrament whiche ys taught by Chrystes owne woordes delyuered by saincte Paule beleued in the primytiue Churche so receaued of holie men wrytten by an infynyte nombre of learned wryters confyrmed by Councells and embraced and staied vpon by all chrystyan nacions I corrected my self sayng that yf I wolde not spare to ioyn with hym in thys wicked assertyon moche lesse shoulde I spare to ioyn with hym in that other Wherfore resumynge my former pourpose I wyll in thys also ioyn with hym and shewyng from the begynnyng of the fyrst Aucthour of thys heresie euē vnto thys Proclamer that they were all iudged for heretikes whiche affyrmed and taught that the Sacrament ys a figure as thys Aduersarie and hys complyces do I shall with all open the vanytie of hys bragge wherin he saieth that the catholique Churche ▪ haith not one scrypture not one doctour c. for the mayntenance of their faith For the playn openyng of whiche mattter yt ys certen by testymonye of manie learned mē that though some dyd so cōfusedlie wryte in thys matter that they might be suspected or dyd secretlie as men fearyng the goodnesseof their cause whisper in corners whiche were very fewe yet amonge all that rightlie beleued in Chryst as God and man Berengarius was the fyrst that dyd openly wryte and teache denyeng as thys proclamer doth the Berēgarius first openlie impugned the sacrament reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament Whiche Berengarius was about the yeare of our lorde a thousande ād three score and So by computacion fyue hondreth yeares agon more a man as sundrye wryters testyfie neither excellent in learnyng nor commendable Berēgarius neither excellent in learning nor cōmēdable in life Leo nonus Platina in life who publyshing thys doctryne by poure scholers to whome he gaue stypende for that pourpose he spredde yt abroad in corners Whiche when yt came to the knowledge of Leo then Pope a man as Platina saieth of syngular sanctymonye and holynesse of life he condemned Berengarius in a Councell The woordes of Platina for the certen declaracion of the matter I shall not refuse to reporte Thus he wryteth Ad Leonem redeo virū certè pietate innocentia benignitate gratia hospitalitate adeô insignem vt eius Domus peregrinis pauperibus semper patuerit Nam cum semel ante fores suas leprosum pauperem inuenisset cunque prae miscricordia collocari in lecto suo mādasset apertis mane foribus à ianitore nusquā pauper inuentus est Christum pauperis nomine eo loci recubuisse creditum In rebus praeterea ad religionem pertinentibus tanta diligentia solertia vsus est vt in Concilio Vercellensi Berengarium hereseos autorem damnauerit I come agayn to Leo a man trulie in godlynesse in innocēcye benygnytie grace and hospytalytie so notable excellent that to straūgers and poure people hys house was allways open For when vpon a tyme he fownde a poure man a leapre lyeng before hys gate and through mercye had godlie commaunded hym to be layed in hys bedde in the mornyng when the gates were opened of the porter the poor man was in no place fownde And so yt was thought that Chryste in the maner of a poor man was layed ther. Besydes thys in matters apperteynyng to religyon he vsed so moche dyligence and wyse cyrcumspection that in the Councell at Vercells he condemned Berēgarius condemned in the Coūcell of Vercells at Rome ād two other Coūcells Berengarius the Author of an heresye Thus farr Platina This condēnacion notwithstandyng the wicked man persysted in hys impyetie wherfore an other Councell was holden at Towres wher by dyuerse learned Fathers he was conuynced and so abiured hys heresie And in à Councell holden at Rome wher were cxiij Byshops as Lanfrācus who then lyued testyfieth he recanted also hys heresyes Berēgarius recanteth and abiureth And yet all thys notwistāding though thys cākre of heresie semed in the outwarde parte to be cured yet yt fretted inwardlie and grewe to an newe sore that wher before he had taught that the Sacrament was but onelye a figure of the bodie of Chryst as thys proclamer also tracheth nowe he begā a newe doctryne affyrmyng that in the Sacrament was the verye bodie of Christ but that ther was also the Substāce of bread with the Substāce of the bodie of Chryst Wherupon ther was an other councell called vnder Gregorye the vij in the whiche the said Berengarius beyng conuinced dyd Gregorius 7. acknowledge hys errour and by expresse woordes recanted the same Not onelie these foure Councells condemned the heresye of Berengarius against the Sacrament but also the learned men that were in that tyme peyned them selues to wryte wholl bookes to the confutacion of the said Berengarius and hys heresies For against hym wrote Lanfrancus somtyme Archbyshope of Cantorburye of whom Tritemius saied that he was vir in
diuinis scripturis erudjtiss et non minus Lanfrancus Tritemius sanctitate quam scientia clarus a man in the dyuyne scryptures most excellentlie learned and no lesse in holynesse then in knoweledge notable Against the same also wrote Algerus and Guitmundns men not by my commēdacion onelie to be accepted but by the Iudgement of Erasmus also a man Algerus Guitmundus not onely knowen to the worlde but also specyallie famouse in thys Realme of Englonde who openyng to vs what these two men were sheweth therwtih the benefitt of God that cometh to hys churche by hys sufferāce of errours and heresyes to growe And enombryng dyuerse heresies cōceaued against the blessed Sacrament he saieth thus Et tamen horum omnium error in hoc profecit vt in tanti mysterij cognitionem magis ac magis tum erudita tum confirmata Sras in epistola ad Balthasarum Episc Hildesùm sit ecclesia Nulli tamē plus debet quà m Berēgario imo nō Berēgario sed Chrstisapiē tiae qui malitiā hominū vertit in bonūsponsaesuae Quos qualiū virorū calamos excitauit impudens error Berengarij Nuper exijt opus Guitmundi ex monacho Benedictino episcopi Auersensis Nunc prodit Algerus ex scholastico monachus eiusdem instituti Guitmundus acrior est ardētior plus habet spiritus Rethorici hic sedatior est ac religiosior vterque tum Dialectices tum reliquae philosophiae bellè peritus licet citra ostētationem vterque in canonicis scripturis ac priscis illis doctoribus Cypriano Hilario Ambrosio Hieronimo Augustino Basilio Chrisostomo quorum scripta plurimùm adhuc reserunt spiritus Apostolici studiosè versatus vterque tantum habet eloquentiae quantum requirere à theologo par est Certè dictionis argutiam collectionis acumen nusquam in eis desideres Agunt solidis rationibus nec vt nunc quidam faciunt bonam voluminis partem rixis Christ turneth the malice of Heretiques to the profett of his Church contentionibus occupant aut sophisticis ratiunculis rem tractant And yet the erroure of all these saieth Erasmus dyd prosytt in this that in the hnowledge of so great a mysterye the Churche shoulde be both more and more instructed and also confyrmed Yet ys she to none more bownde then to Berengarius yet not to Berēgarius but to the wysdō of Chryste who turneth the malice of men to the profett of his spouse ▪ what writing iea and of what men hath this impudent erroure of Berengarius stirred vppe Of late went oute Erasmus calleth the errour of Berēgarius impudent the woorke of Quitmundus somtyme a benedyctyne Monke and Bishoppe of Auergne nowe commeth furth the worke of Algerus of a scholer made a monke of the same ordre Guitmundus ys sharpe and vehement and hath more of the rethoricall spiritte the other milde and religiouse bothe of them well learned both in logike and philosophie although withoute ostētation both of them well studied both in the canonicall scriptures and in the olde doctors Cyprian Hillarie Ambrose Hierom Augustin Basill and Chrisostome whose writinges do yet declare moche of the Apostolicall spiritte Bothe of thē haue as moch eloquence as ys meet to be required of a diuine As for wittie speache and sharpenesse of collection ther ys no lacke in them in anie place They go to yt with substanciall reasons neither do they as some whiche occupie a good parte of ther bookes with braulinges and contenciōs and handle the matter with sophisticall disputacions reasons Thus moche Erasmus I haue the more willinglie transcribed thus moche of Erasmus bicause the Aduersaries haue had him in good price and regarded his sainges Yf this champion do the like let him diligentlie obserue that Erasmus calleth the erroure of Berengarius an impudenterroure Whiche so being forsomoch as this man ys drowned in the same and mainteineth the same maie we not Errour of the Proclamer impudent iustlie saie that he impudentlie mainteineth an impudent erroure Let him also note howe he commendeth these men and what Iudgement he hath of their learning bothe in liberall sciences in Scriptures and doctours whō he doth also no lesse extoll but that by their writinges God hath doen a great benefet to his Churche whiche so standing yt can not be but that the Scriptures and doctours be plain and euident for the proof of the veritie Yf their writing be a benefett then this chalengers doimgeys a detriment Petrus Waldo skoureth the estie heresie of Berēgarius of the reall presence of Christes bodie in the Sacrament whiche scriptures and doctours adduced by these learned men be mo then one or one score and yet this Proclamer crieth bring one doc c. After Berengarius rose one Petrus Waldo a citizen of Lions a man vnlearned yet as vulearned as he was when he had newlie skoured the rustie condemned heresie of Berēgarius in soch rude maner as yt was manie were so folish and so readie to fall from faith to heresie from life to death and damnacion from teaching of the learned to the teaching of the ignorarūt that thei chose raither to folowe the phantasie of this one rude man void of knowledge than to remain in the Substancial tried doctrine of a nombre of holie and most excellent learned men of Christes Churche Thus more pietie yt was a mombre folowed hym and became his disciples and were called Waldenses Waldenses Heretiques condēned Vnto whom becomminge an Aucthor and blinde guide according to Christes saing he led them so as both fell into the ditche This secte and heresie of this Waldo was not suffred to stand but as Guido saieth was condemned in a Councell holden at Rome And yet this Proclamer saieth ther was neuer man indged for an heretike that saied the Sacrament was a figure a token c. In the tyme of saincte Bernarde Satan wolde moue yet some more trooble to the Churche and therfor raised one Peter de Bruis whom he taught to Petrus Brusian his heresie sell theise lies to the people for trueths that though Christ in his last supper did in the Sacramēt geue hys bodie to his Apostles yet no preist doth so nowe by the power of his woorde as yt ys saied that they doe For neuer anione quoth he but Christ alone did geue his bodie in the Sacrament Although thys heresie geuing soche preeminence to Christ that by cause he saied thys ys my bodye teacheth that he in dede gaue to hys Apostles hys verye bodie ys woorthy of more fauour thē the heresie whiche thys Proclamer teacheth for not withstanding that our Sauiour Chryst saied Thys ys my bodie yet thys Aduersarie teacheth yt ys not yet passed not this heresie awaie in scylence but was wrytten against by dyuerse Among whyche Petrus Gluniacensis whose commendation ys so moche settfurth in dyuerse Epistles of saynct Bernarde that he nedeth not myne to commend hym wrote Petrus