An Argument An argumentâ— The visible forme is not a Saâ—rament of a double thing no not so much as a sacramâ—nâ— of any thing There bee two things that bee eaten in the Lordes supper the one corporally the other spiritually * Rabanus Maurus The naturall bread maye conueniently bee called the body of Christ because it doeth comfort the hearte * August de Ciuitate Dei Lib. 8. Cap 48. All significant thinges doe seeme after a certaine maner to beare the substaunce of the thinges signified â—enesis .41 Esay 40. Matth. 13. Iohn .15 Iohn .10 Math. 15. Iohn .19 August contra Maximinum Cap. 22. For these be the sacramentes in the which is not alwaies noted what they be but what they signifie bicause they be signes of things being in substaunce one thing but in significatioÌ„ another * Beda citans August 1. Cor. 10. In the sacraments one thing is seene or named another thing is vnderstanded * Gelasi contra Eutichetem The substance of bread and wine doth not depart away Chrysost. ad Caesar. The nature of bread doth remaine in the sacramente Theodoret. Christ doth not change the nature of bread * August Epist. 23 ad Bonifacium The heauenly bread whicb is Christs fleshe is after his maner called the body of Christe being in very deede the sacrament of Christes body * Augustine in Psal. 33. Ther is somewhat shut vp here Knocke and sticke not in the letter because the letter killeth but seeke for the spirit for the spirit doeth geue life August vpon the foresaide Psalme When our Lord Iesus Christ spake of his bodyâ— Except a man eate my flesâ—e c. his disciples that followed him did loath that speache not vnderstaÌ„ding his meaning thought the Lord spake some hard thing as they speaking with Achis How is this bicause he changed his couÌ„tenaÌ„ce therfore he seemed to theÌ„ as though hee had been mad but he seemed only to the king Achis that is to saye to the folishe ignoraÌ„t therfore he sent theÌ„ away departed froÌ„ theÌ„ For they did not coÌ„ceaue the true meaning of his wordes in their harts because they could not coÌ„prehend him Augustine in Psalm 98. * August contra Aduersar Leg. Prophet Lib. 2. Cap. 9. We men do receiue the Mediator of God and men Christ Iesus giuing vs his flesh to bee eaten his blood to be druÌ„ken with the heart and mouth of our faith * Basil de Baptis What profite haue these wordes forsothâ— that eating and drinking we become alwaies mindful of him who was put too death for vs and rose againe * Ambrose 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 11. Bicause wee be made free by the death of Christe being mindefull thereof we doe by eating and drinking signifie his fleshe and blood which were deliuered for vs. A figuratiue speeche necessary in the Lordes supper * Sentent li. 4 dist 12. There is the true breaking partition which is made in bread that is to saye in forme of bread And again in the same place The breaking and portions are made in the sacrament that is to say in the visible form LoÌ„bard And in the same place * Where part of the body is there is the whole c. But Augustine sayeth otherwise in his 57. epistle Euery greatnes is lesse in the part then in the whole The cause is sifted out wh the Lord in his supper did institute a sacrameÌ„t of his body Cyrill Catechis Mystag 4. The Iewes not conceiuing the wordes of Christ spiritually being offâ—nded went backward bicause they imagined that they were called to the deuouring of mans fleshe A comparison betwâ—â—t the papistes and the Capernaâ—â—â—s Aug. contra Adimantum cap. 12. An obiection Christ sayed not this doth signifie my body but this is my body Ergo simply it is Christes body August doth answere Paul sayed not the rock doth signifie Christ but the rock was Christe Ergo The rock was Christe naturally August de Ciuitate Dei lib. 18. Cap. 48. Bicause after a certen maner all thinges significant doe beare the names of the thinges signified As this speech of the Apostle the rocke was Christe when as notwithstanding it did signifie Christe Galaâ— 3. Christe is none otherwise eateÌ„ in the supper then he is put on in baptisme Figuratiâ—e speeches The absurditie of the liteâ—al exposition of the speeches and mysteries of Christe * Cyril ad obiecta Theodoreti Our sacrament doth not affirme the deuouring of a maÌ„ nor leade the mindes of the beleeuers irreligiously to grosse imaginations August de docâ—rina Christiana li. 3. cap. 10. August In the forâ—â—aâ—d booke cap. â—6 Wickâ—dnes in eating the Lordes body Aug. epist 5â— He that sayth that the body of Christ is at one instant of time both in heaueÌ„ earâ—h doth vtteâ—ly coÌ„founde and dissolue the nature of Christes body Absurdities in the Popishe transubstantiation Aug. in sermon ad Infantes Christ did lift vp his body into heauen froÌ„ whence he shal come to iudge the quick the dead there he sitteth nowe at the right hande of his father Howe is the bread his body and the cup or that which is conteined in the cup his blood Theâ—e things brethren are therefore called sacramentes bicause in theÌ„ one thing is seene an other thing is vnderâ—â—anded Aug. Epist. 57. ad Dardanum A signe A figurâ—â— A type A lykenesse A token A memorâ—al A represenâ—aâ—ioÌ„ A sacrament Tertulâ— contra Marcion lâ—b â—â— Oâ—igâ—â— Nazâ—â—nzen Ambros. de his qui initiantur cap. 9. Chrysâ— in Epist. ad Habr hom 17. Chrys. in Mat. â—om 83. Cypria lib. 2.16 Epist. 3. Gelas. contra Euâ—ychetem Theodoret. Dial. 1. Dialog 2. Bertrâ—◠〈◊〉 Macar hom 27. Irenâ— aduersus Valentinia lib. 4 cap. 34. Iustine the holy martyr The brâ—ad and wynâ— which passe intoo the noâ—rishment of our body are câ—lled the Euchariste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is too say ouer the which thanksgiuing prayers haue bin pronounced The Churche hath the sacrament of the body alwaies but hath not alwaies the body without the sacrament according too that saying You haue not me alwaies Christ is otherwise borne into the world otherwyse eaten in the world Aug. in Ioan. tract 95 This bread doth require the huÌ„ger of the inward man Cyprian de coena domini This bread is foode of the mind not of the body Aug. in Psal. 103. Again in Ioan. tract 26 cap. 6. Why doo yee prepare tooth and belly beleeue and thou hast eaten Psal. 103. This is the bread of the hart bee thou hungry and thirsty in the inwarde man Rab. Maur. lib. 1. cap. 31. The sacrameÌ„t is turned into the foode of the body By the power of the sacrament we do obtein life euerlasting Nicephor in hist. eccl lib. 17. cap. 15. The custome of bestowing the fragments in Iustinian his tyme. Erasâ—in Ann. in 1. Cor. 7. The Churche did lately determine of transubstantiation When transubstantiation began first The â—aterane councel vnder Pope Innocent the thiâ—d Anno 1216.
and louely societie of the Churche When as the Lordes meaning dyd reatch to a farre higher mystery in this institution of the Supper which may be made most euidently apparant by the very wordes and circumstances of the words of the Supper For when the Lorde did commaunde to take and eate he doeth not say this is my mysticall body that shal fructifie and encrease out of many members of the Church But this is my body that shal be geuen for you Whereupon if I might now argue in the schooles of Diuines I would on this wise proceede against mine aduersaries The thing that is properly signified in this Sacrament is the only fleshe of Christe geuen for vs. The power of the vnitie and societie of the Churche was not deliuered for vs. Ergo The vnion of the Church oâ—ght in no respect be called the substance of the Sacrament Therfore this doctrine of Lombarde is false vtterly to be abandoned wherein hee affirmeth that this visible forme is a sacrament of a double thing And albeit I wil not deny that this mystery of Ecclesiastical vnion christian conâ—unction is a matter of vnspeakable excellency to haue singulâ—r likenes relation to bread as S. Paul testifieth Yeâ— Paul â—eacheth no such doctrine to wit that the sacrament was instituted to that ende or that the â—lements of bread and wine were deliuered to bee eaten and druÌ„ken for this purpose namely to expresse this mysticall â—â—ion but that it shoulde allure vs to an otheâ— matâ—eâ— rather to wit to the very body of Christe which shoulde suffer for vs that is to say shoulde represent the passion of Christe which doth truely quicken vs make vs too fructifie and to growe vp Therefore the estate of this Sacrament doth require that the Sacrament it selfe and the thing of the Sacrament alsâ— be both of this naâ—â—re to comfort to nourish for otherwise howe can the thinâ— significant agree with the thing signified vnlesse â—he nourishment of the one bee answerable too the nourishment of the other Now this is without al question that nothing can nourishe vnlesse it bâ—â— first eaten Wherefore as there bee twoo thinges that â—oe nourishe so must there be two thinges that muste bâ—e eaten In the one whereof is the Sacrament of the body in the other the verye thing it selfe is deliuered namely the passion of his naturall body And as they both nourishe so they muste both bee eaten The bread feedeth the flesh of Christ crucifâ—ed feedeth but after an other maner The bread feedeth corporally the fleshe feedeth spiritually That one the naturall body this other the spiritual part of the soule the bread feedeth this present lyfe the fleshe feedeth vnto the euerlasting life to come For as the life of the bodie doth growe encrease by dayly bread and foode euen so the spirituall life is preserued by the passion of Christ. Which the Lord himselfe foreseeing before did vtter these woordes of himselfe not without great consideration My fleshe is meate indeede my blood is drinke in deed geuing vs to vnderstande that by blood hee did meane the blooddy Sacrifice of his owne flesh Therfore as there is two kinds of mans life To wit earthly and heauenly so haue they both theyr proper foode The earthly life is preserued with foode and bread the heauenly life is obteined with the death of Christ. And for this cause nothing câ—ulde haue beene more commodiously handled then that the Lorde shoulde deliuer the bread and wine for a memorial of his passion because of the agreable application of the mutuall resemblaunce And heereof aryseth al the substaunce of this Sacramentall Action whereby bread and wyne doe obteine too bee called by the name of the body and blood not because the thinges themselues doe alter theyr substances but after the vâ—uall phrase of speach which is commonly frequented in all languages almost chiefly aboue others in the mysticall Scriptures Namely that thinges significaÌ„t shoulde obteine too bee called by the thinges which they doe signifie Which being most manifestly to be approued by innumerable testimonies of the Scripture is aboue all other moste iustifiable in this one Sacrament chiefly where the name of the body is attributed too the bread but not the substaunce none otherwise in very deede then as by like phrase of wordes is set downe in the booke of Genesis where seuen eares of corne are called Seuen Yeeres Fleshe Heye Seede the Worde a Fielde the World the heauenly Father an Husbandman Christe named a Uine or a Lambe the Apostles called Salt of the earth Peter a Stone and Iohn the Euangelist not only called of Christes own mouth the sonne of the Uirgin but accepted of the mother of Christe as her sonne by the Lordes commaundement Yet wil no man be so mad for this cause to affirme that vnder the figure and forme of this Disciple he either became truely and naturally her sonne or the Uirgin his naturall mother for it is one thing to bee called a mother by name an other thing too bee a naâ—urall mother in deede After the same maner fareth it with the Sacramentes in the which must be considered not what they bee but what they be called and wherfore they be so called For euen amongest vs in our dayly and vsual speaâ—hes as also in the Scriptures chiefly many thinges are many times beautified or described by strange names where notwithstanding no alteration is made of substance but the reason and cause that mooued the holy ghost to name it so is noted After the same maner Christ doth call bread his body not meaning thereby to transubstantiate the substance of the one into the other neither was it to any purpose at all to haue done so but to expresse the power of his passion for this cause therefore hee tooke the bread and cup of wine and called them his body and blood which he would giue for the sins of the world Neither did he only cal them so but also did deliuer them in his last supper to bee eaten and drunken in steede of his body and blood In like maner before Supper he vouchsafed by a like Figuratiue phrase of speache too call his owne fleshe meate and feeding bread from heaueâ— But least any man may fayle in the propertie of woordes I thinke it good too hearken vnto Augustines couâ—salie who discoursing vpoÌ„ the 33. Psalm of Dauid wâ—erin it is said that Dauid did change his couÌ„tenance before Abimelech alias before Achis he doeth transpose this figuratiue speach of chaunged couÌ„tenance to y â— words of Christe vttered touching the supper of his body blood For as Dauid is saide to haue dissembled in countenance before Achis the king seeming outwardly otherwise then hee was inwardly After the selfe same maner of speache the Lorde himselfe treating of his fleshe and blood doeth seeme in Augustines iudgement as it were
whereat I may woonder sâ—fficienâ—ly whether at the prodigious insolencie of the Popes or the too much drowsie carelessenesse of the other Bishoppes who contrarie to all equitie and right contrarie to all authoritie of most sacred Scriptures contrarie to the approued custome of their ancient predecessours and prescript orders of the Primitiue Church woulde so wilfully admit this so manifest an iniurie agaynst themselues and so perâ—icious a plague agaynst Christes Church And but that our Sauiour himselfe not onely by most plaine president of his owne life but also by expresse commaundement had restrayned his Apostles from this profaâ—e desire of Lordlinesse and had called them backe to an vtter detestation of this worldly pompe and most humble abacement of minde with incredible loathsomnesse alwayes abhorring the things which were accounted mightie and gloriouse in this worlde Certes I should lesse haue wondered at this your greedy grasping you men of Rome afâ—er this vniuersal title of vniuersal regiment But now what is there I pray you vnder the Sunne more repugnant to the rules and preâ—eptes of Euangelicall doctrine more coÌ„trarie to the perpetual couâ—se of Chriâ—ts meaning and directorie leuell of Christes Religion more odious to the mildenesse of the spiriâ—e whose voyce vttered in the most holy Bookes of the Gospel if may not obtaine any credite and authoritie with you let vs at the least â—rie tâ—e matter by the testimonie and iudgement of the graue Fathers and learned Docâ—ours of the primitiâ—e Churche Amongeâ—t al the which what one did euer eâ—dewe you Sir Pope of Rome with this aâ—hominable I woulâ—e say honourable tytle of the vniuersall heade of all Christians wheresoeuer vpon earth who euer did yeeld vnto you the iurisâ—iction of both sâ—ordes who euer graunted vnto you that speciall prerogatiue of summoning Councels who euer limitted all the worâ—de to bee your peculiar Diocesse who euer subscribed to that fulnes of your absolute power ouer al other Bishops who did euer pronounce or so much as dreame that you shoulde not onely be greater and better than all other Patriarches and Kings and all and euerie humane creature but also farre aboue all councels who euer so much as in woorde hath vttered that the higher powers of all Emperours kings vnto whom the heauenly Oracle hath commaunded all and euerie soule to bee subiect should begge their estate to be authorised at your handes who assigned you to be arbiters iudges of purgatorie who hath euer at any time loâ—ked fast within the cubbard of your breast all maner of iurisdiction or euer admitted you only expositor of Scripture and Lord of our fayth From amongest the whole antiquitie of those reuerende fathers before mentioned if you can vouche one credible person besides them that eyther haue beene Bishoppes of Rome or such as bee mates of your owne marke ye shall winne the garlande But if you cannot as hitherto you haue not then eyther must you of necessitie relent of your claime or wholy relinquishe that tiâ—le and vtterly disclaime from this chalenge of antiquitie And bycause I will not ouerwhelme you with multitude of testimonies which I might lawfully vrge agaynst you one after another let it not bee yrkesome vnto you Romanes from amongest a great number to hearken vnto one to witte your owne onely Bishoppe of Rome Gregorie for I suppose none of you to bee ignoraunt of that which hee wrote vnto Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and to other Bishoppes concerning the same matter whereof you mainteyne so hoate a contention and if I be not deceyued you contende about the onely and vniuersall prerogatiue of ecclesiasticall iurisâ—iction which you doe so vnseparably glew fast to that Romish Chaire that whosoeuer sit therein must of necessitie beare soueraigâ—tie ouer all other Bishops and must be reputed and taken for the highest heade of the vniuersall Churche Wherein I pray you beholde yee gentle companions howe iniuriously and vnhonestly you abuse both the name of Christ and the simplicitie of Christians when as you require vs to that which we can neither with safe conscience yelde vnto you nor if wee did so you could accept without great iniury to others and your farre greater infamy and shame as shall appeare by this one wytnesse whome I haue cyted to wytte Pope Gregorye Who beyng on a tyme in a Letter sent vnto him from Eulogius Archbishopp saluted by the name of vniuersall Pope with great iâ—dignation reiecting that glorious greetyng of proude Prelacy dyd so not accept of that which was offred as that he woulde not admyt the worde of commaundyng very earnestly requiryng him that from thencefoorth hee shoulde neuer vse any suche voyce of commaunde nor any other surname of glorious vniuersalitie in any his wrytings Because sayth hee I knowe what I am and what you bee for in function you bee my brethren in conuersation my fathers And so lykewyse annexeth this sentence touchyng the title on this wyse which I doe in this place more willingly set downe because not only the proceâ—dyng of Gregory herein might appeare but also the cause and consideration that mooued him theretoo Because sayeth hee so much is derogated from your dignitie as is more then reasonably yelded to any other I doe not desire to bee honoured in wordes but in good lyfe neyther doe I accompt that to be honour wherein I doe knowe my brethren to bee any iotte abridged of their honour c. I would wishe therfore all such as with so gaye a countenaunce of religion doe striue so lustely about the prerogatiue of the Romish Sea to haue an especiall regard and consideration of the wordes of Gregory in this place My honour sayth he is the honour of the vniuersal Church my honour is the flourishing honour of my brethren then am I honoured aright when due honour is not denied to euerie particular brother For if your holinesse do cal me vniuersall Pope you renounce your sâ—lues to be the selfe same which you yeeld vnto me in name of vniuâ—rsalitie But God forbid Let speeches that puffe vp to arrogancie and empaire Christian chaâ—itie be abandoned c. And againe in another place writing to the Bishop of Constantinople requireth him to be well aduised what he enter vpon bycause in that presumptuous rashnesse the vnitie of the whole Church is peruerted vpside downe and thereby aryseth a flat denyall of the generall grace powred vpon all indifferently And forthwith after For what else be your Bishoppes of the vniuersall Church but the Starres of heauen aboue whome whilest thou presumest to exalt thy selfe by prowde title of stately souereigntie what emplie these woordes else but that I will ascende into heauen and will exalt my Seate aboue the Starres of heauen c. Adding moreouer in the same epistle no lesse wisely then considerately an admonition both to himselfe and the other Bishoppes Let vs bee afrayed sayeth hee to bee recounted of that number which prowle for the highest Seates
in the Synagogues and gape after greetings in the maâ—ket place and to bee called of men Rabby For there is but one maister but all you be brethren What coulde haue beene vttered by Gregorie more distinctly and more apâ—ly for the purpose of whose authoritie if you make any reckoning as reason is you shoulde why may not wee as lawfully vse the same authoritie ouer you and by the same woordes exhort you yee breâ—thren and fathers of Rome as wel as hee First that no vaine opinion conceaued of that Sâ—agelyke state make you stande too much vpon the Slippers of reputation as though the Chaire of estate which you chalenge to bee at Rome shoulâ—e make a difference betwixt your brethren and you for by the place sayeth Gregorie you bee all brethren Moreouer that you esteeme not so highly of your owne honour as that you become iniuâ—ious to the rest which are ioyned with you in the same felowshippe and equabilitie of dignitie but iniuried they bee by the testimonie of Gregorie when your aduauncement ariseth by the abacement of your brethren and when as the generall grace powred out vpon all indifferently is abridged by you Last of all wee doe admonishe you not without cause with Gregories owne woordes That you â—xalt not your state so arrogantly aboue the Starres of heauen that is to say That yee extoll not your selues so loftily with a presumptuous brauerie of superioritie aboue other Bishoppes least the olde Prouerbe maye bee verified of you at the length whereof Solomon maketh mention Hee that buildeth his house too high seeketh the ruine thereof But why do I vouch this one testimonie of Gregorie onely when as neuer any one so much of all Gregories predecessours was euer heard of which woulde take vppon him the name of vniuersall Bishoppe or the heade of the vniuersall Church But loe here a sodaine rebounde backe againe to Saint Peter not much vnlike the tale whereof report is made by Esope in his fables of an Asse wrapt in a Lions skinne looking as a Lion vpon other little beastes what say they was not Peter the chiefe placed Bishop amongest the Apostles Was not the principalitie ouer the rest graunted him by the Lorde himselfe whome wee doe succeede in the same succession of Sea Whereof hearken I pray you what Gregorie teacheth plainly Truly Peter the Apostle sayeth hee iâ— the first member of the holy and vniuersall Church Paul Andrewe and Iohn what els be they then parâ—icular heades of other seuerall Churches And yet vnder one head they be all members of the Churchâ— And to shut vpp all at a worde The holy ones before the lawe the holy ones vnder the lawe the holy ones vnder grace all these are members of the Church appointed to consummate make perfect the whole body of our Lord and there was neuer any one that durst presume to call him selfe vniuersall c. Heare therefore yea heare ye Popishe Prelate if credite may be giuen to Gregory that besides Christe there is no heade of the Churche that ought to bee reputed for vniuersall appliable neyther to Paul neyther to Peter nor to any other of all the Apostles And dare you yet challendge to your selfe that which Gregory dareth not yelde to the chiefest Apostles which also the scripture it selfe denieth vnto them Byd adue to those vaineglorious titles of proude hautinesse which doe as Gregory sayeth buddle from out that filâ—hie puddle of vanitie Let vs well consider of the matter it selfe And because the principall proppe of all your tottering Monarchie consisteth in Peter alone may wee bee so bolde as to parle a fewe woordes with you touching Peter him selfe whome to confesse as you doe to be a principle member of the Church and the first that was called by the name of an Apostle yet this wyll wee not graunt surely that hee was heade of the Churche or the vniuersall Apostle The one whereof Gregory doeth discharge him off the other the infallible trueth of the sacred Scripture doeth vtterly deny him For what can be more manifest or more substantiall then that true saying of Paule wherein he holdly pronounceth that the Apostleshyppe of Peter stretched not out generally ouer all but was streighted to the boundes of the Circumcised only limitted thereunto as it were by specially lotte and that vnto him selfe authoritie was geuen directly from the Lorde to bee an Apostle of the Gentiles which also Christe himself the holy Ghoste doe verifie to bee true by an vndoubted Oracle when as leauing Peter in his natiue Countrey hee commaunded Barnabas and Saule to bee separated vnto him for the woorke whereunto he had called them Nowe what kinde of woorke was this else but that they shoulde bee sente foorth a farre of vnto the Gentyles whereby appeareth without all controuersie that this generall charge and ouersight of the whole worlde was not more peculiarly layde vpon the shoulders of Peter then vpon Paule Barnabas and the other Apostles Heereof also came it that to bee the Apostle of the Gentyles was properly and peculiarly ascribed vnto Paule and not vnto Peter by the generall testimonie of all men In like maner Chrysostome making mention of Paul And he tooke vnto him as alotted the vniuersall Prouince of the whole and in him selfe hee bare all men c And where is nowe that speciall Prerogatiue of superioritie which you Romish Rutterkins so grosâ—y rake too your rotten Sea vnder the cloke of Peters authoritie whereupon also you vaunt your selfe altogeather as vnadvisedly God saith Paule doeth not accept of any person and will hee accept of any place Paule acknowledged no maner of Superiorie in Peter aboue the reste of the Apostles testifiyng plainly that he auayled him nothing at al and that they ioyned handes as fellowes of one societie And will the successor of Peter bee so foole hardie as to admit no mate in the ministery of Christes commission with him what horrible iugling lying and legerdemaine is this what more then shamelesse and whorish impudencie is this But to surceasse those vehement yet deseruedly imputable bitternesse of speache let vs deâ—le somewhat more mildely and I will nowe so frame my taâ—ke with you not after any clamorous and brawling maner wherewith neuerthelesse I might most iustâ—y exclaime against you as against the most sworne enemie of Christ but that I maye seeme too debate with you better then you doe deserue coldly as it were and with soft and calme woordes And â—irst this wyl iustifie against you That â—ur graunde Captaine and most woorthie Soueraigne Authour of our redemption left no such lawe custome nor President neither was of any suche minde at anye time that in his Churche any of his Ministers shoulde so stand vppon his Pantobles as presuming vpon any singularitie of Lordlinesse shoulde bee so bolde too enter alone vpon any soueraigntie or stately controulership ouer the other ministers and pastours of Christe If these woordes spoken by Christe
his owne mouth be true As the liuing Father sent me euen so do I also send you Then must this also bee most true that sithens by this speache hee noted no one particularly therefore ought no person challendge any such prerogatiue as to execute heere his office as his onely Uicar on earth And yet I alleadge not this to the ende I woulde perswade to disanull or roote out of Gods Churche receiued and approoued degrees estates and orders of the Churche nor those degrees of superiour placing in holy Churches discretely deliuered from the auncient Fathers namely That in euery Diocesse shoulde bee some one superintendent ouer the inferiour Churches vnto whom the reste might resorte for Counsell and for auoyding of schismes But what is this too that maiesticall royalltie of Sainâ— Peter or too that prerogatiue of Uniuersalitie too bee resiaunt in one only Sea which the Romane Prelate pruneth vpon of the whole vniuersall Churche we gaynesay no decent nor necessarie orders in execution of Ecclesiastical discipline But these proude peacockes plumes and Luciferlike loftie loâ—kes of this Uniuersall Iâ—rarchie neyther dyd Christ bring into the Churche nor the Apostles vsurpe at any time What meaneth this that our Lorde himselfe in his Gospell dyd vrge no one commaundement more precisely and more earnestly amongst all other preceptes and documentes then too drawe the mindes of his Disciples from al desire of glory and ambition vnto most humble abacement lowlinesse and humilitie as when hee willeth them too bee contented with the lowest places at feastes and banquettes when as in his owne person hee washeth their feete alluring them thereby to followe his example and againe where hee exhorteth them to bee as mildly minded as little children and when as hee commaundeth them too shunne the first places in the Sinagogues and stately salutations in the Streates when as hee calleth them backe so busily to abandon the pride and hautinesse of this worlde too eschewe the mightie thinges of this worlde to imbrace the basenesse of the Spirite and paciently to susteyne all iniuries of aduersaries When as Peter also forbad so expresly That yee become not Lords ouer the Cleargie and Paule likewise not too frame their life according to the fashioÌ„ of this world I haue now declared sufficiently howe that the very meaning of Christe and the continuall course of his discipline in the holy Scriptures coulde neuer digest that vniuersall and more then kingly ambitious seeking of superiorite of this Sea Now would I faine learn what you ean replie against it what answere yee can make sir Pope what ye haue to alleadge yea what can yee imagine to colour this glorious title withal what was not Peter wil ye say prince of the apostles what a ieast is this As though the apostles were not al of one spirit all of one callyng or as though ye can vouch any one place in all the Scriptures to iustifie that Peter was inuested in any superioritie of power aboue the rest which either he receiued at any time or which Christe euer gaue him Or as though the times were suche in theyr dayes as woulde permit the holy Apostles to be so idlely disposed as once to think or to dreame vpoÌ„ any principalitie being as then in hurly burly turmoyled and broyled with daily feares and continuall perrils Yet I wyl not denie but Peter hath byn sundry times blazed out with that braue name of Prince of Apostles in many mens writings and Commentaries wherein I doe not altogether condemne the godly affections of those writers but I note heerein theyr phrase of speache which in my iudgement seemeth to bee none otherwise then as the vsuall and dayly speach importeth wherein we customably call him a Prince of his Arte that excelleth in the facultie which he professeth singularly aboue others The Grecians doe say theÌ„ Too beare the bell which do surpasse all others in any maner of science As if a question be mooued who is the chiefe or Captaine of the schoole some one or other is noted foorthwith yet is hee not therefore a Prince ouer his fellowes nor his fellowes subiect vnto him After the same maner of speach vsually and dayly in vre wee call Cicero the Father of eloquence and prince of the Latine excellencie Homer the Captaine of Poeticall finnesse vnto whom notwithstanding wee attribute not for that cause any preheminence or state of gouernment in common weales where they were coÌ„uersant aboue that which was peculiar vnto them And yet too returne againe vnto Peter where dyd Christe at any time euer dignifie Peter with anye suche Title of honour as to name him prince of the Apostles when before what auditorie in what Chapter with what proofes and argumentes can you fortifie it too bee true I will make thee sayth Christe a fiâ—her of men hee dooth not say I will make thee a prince of men or a Lorde of Fishers neither was this spoken so precisely to Peter alone but was also in the plural number vttered to the rest ioyning them in one I will make you fishers of men And although afterwardes poweâ— were giuen to Peter by name to become a fisher and a feeder yet doeth this make him neuer a deale the rather a prince ouer menâ— then transforme men themselues into fiâ—hes and sheepe If the Lorde had vttered these woordes in that sense meaning thereby to aduaunce Peter to chaire of estate why did hee not also geue him togeather with that vniuersall principalitie riches and power meete for the dignitie and renowme of so mightie maiestie But O most famous Prince of princes Peter who beeing so poore a Peter was not able to blesse a poore begger with one crosse of coyne when hee craued his almes Nay rather O singâ—lar man of God who as neuer gaped after any worldly riches promotion or pompe refusing them vtterly as baggage and pelfe so hee neuer affected anye Titles of singular preheminence but despised them alwayes We speake not this as though we were willyng to haue any iotte of Peters due authoritie empayred who doubtles was one of the chiefest Apostles but because you do so blockishly patche vp that mootheaten beggerly cloake of beeing Prince of Apostles too couler that disguised visor of your pretensed fulnesse of absolute power and there withall make the whole Churche of Christe your bond maiden and thrall For this cause thought I good too beate vppon this point so muche not against Peter but against you for him on his behalfe Which Peter if were nowe in Rome euen at this instaunte woulde so nothing at all acquaint himselfe with any those braueries wherewithall you now blaze forth his armes as that he woulde more bitterly and chidingly inueigh against you then hee did once agaynst Simon Magus Whom as he condemned with his money and merchandize so woulde he much eagerly curse you all in the same bitâ—ernesse of speache Thy money be with thee to thy
nothing to recompte the same fayth to bee the onelie and infallible shoote anker of saluation by what lawe then will he adiudge them as outcastes worthie to be banished from the Catholike and Apostolike Church which professe the self same fayth of Christ that the Apostles and other Catholike Churches did profeâ—â—e But the Pope I suppose will denie That to beleeue in Christ and to worship him in heauen as our onely heade sufficeth to true fayth and saluation vnlesse we doe withall professe the Pope of Rome to be chiefe heade of the Church here on earth and our selues generally all to be members of the same Church If it be so that the fayth of Christ be not suffâ—cient ynough for the faythfull vnto saluation except the pompe of the Pope bee propt vp togither with the Maiestie of God what can bee more agreeable with reason then to make vs here three Tabernacles one to Christ an other to the Pope and the thirde and good will to the Cardinals To conclude This also ministreth no small cause of maruelling why the Pope doth not require vs likewise to correct the fourme and wordes of our Baptisme for as much as the fayth which we haue vowed to Christ in our Baptisme auayleth nothing to enfranchise vs nor to make vs free denezens of the Catholike Church except to this necessitie of fayth be tyed withall an other tagge of humble obedience to the Pope of Rome That wee correct I say the wordes of our Baptisme That whosoeuer bee baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost be baptized also in the name of our most holy Lorde the Pope But if this bee true the cerâ—entie whereof cannot be denied That wee were neuer admitted into the participation of holy Churche in the Popes name and that the want thereof is no maner of Estoppell to barre vs any way from being vnited vnto Christ as members of his bodie howe dare that lying mouâ—h be so monstruously impudent as to condemne the seruaunts of Christ for Heretiques to exclaime agaynst vs as Apostataes and runnagates from the Church to accuse kinges and Queeâ—es to bee supporters of Heretikes Nay rather by what reason or Scripture will he defenâ—e himselfe so that all the worlde may not plainly perceyue him to bee the verie selfe same whome Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Thessalonians doth by most euident demonstration forewarne them shoulde come who sitting in the Temple of God shoulde keepe a sturre not as a minister of Christe but most arrogantly vaunt himselfe to be as a God Which woordes sithence doe so in all pointes accorde with the life and manners of the Pope as that they can not seeme to signifie any other Let the Pope bee throughly well aduised first howe hee may bee able to cleare himselfe before God before he accuse others before men But an other time shal serue more fit for this treaty hereafter more at large God willing THE POPE CONFVTED THE HOLY AND APOSTOLICAL CHVRCHE CONFVTING THE ERROVRS OF THE POPES DOCTRINE THE SECOND ACTION IT appeareth manifesâ—ly ynough I suppose by the former discourse that wee haue not departed from out the Church of Christ in that we haue sequestreâ— our selues from the Romish Sinagogue In this present action therefore nowe it may seeme conuenient that we render the reason that moued vs to renouÌ„ce that Romish route and set downe as briefly as we may the verie pointes withall wherein we swarue from them Wherein neuerthelesse shal not bee altogither amisse to aduertise the gentle Readers hereof chiefly That we entred into this controuersie agaynst the aduersaries not of anie set purpose to rayse contention and debate in the Church nor of any desire to quarell and contende nor yet of any euill affection that wee beare to the persons themselues agaynst whome wee maintaine argument nâ— yet for that we woulde not much more willingly bee coupled with them in one lincke of Christian vnitie and concord if the vnitie which they offered vnto vs were such as we might by any meanes yeeld vnto without preiudice of the fayth and glorie of Christ without staine of conscience without manifest treachery and Apostasie or without vnauoydable daunger of the safetie of our soule But the matter being now growne to this poynt that we can by no possible meanes be at vnitie with Christ if we partake with them what remaineth then at the length wherin they may eyther iustify agaynst vs or alledge for further defence in their owne behalfe If they accuse vs of Apostasie or falling from them let them then first by plaine demonstration make manifest the verie nature of right Apostasie Surely if those that haue seuered themselues from the Primitiue and true Catholilike Church and be reuolted from the first founders of Christian faith from the auncient Fathers from the Apostles from the infallible principles of the Euangelical doctrine to an other doctrine to mens traditions to forreine forged nouelties of Religion to worshipping of Idols to a strange Gospel altogether vnknowne to the Apostles to patter praiers in vnknowne and barbarous speeches may rightly be called plaine runnagates no men in the worlde deserue to be called Apostataes in my iudgement more properly and truly than this generation of Papists broode But here againe will some one of them replie that they stande vpon a good grounde of possession not able to be gainesayde which they holde of the holy and Catholike Church neuer discontinued since the verie age and time of the Apostles themselues from the which they say that wee being but fewe in number hedgecreepers as it were in corners through treacherous backsliding haue as it were abandoning our natiue Country shrowding our selues in the hil Auentine withdraweÌ„ our selues like rebels To stoppe those slaunders againe let this answere suffice First as concerning the number whether we bâ—e many or fewe it maketh little to purpose In the Church of Christ sayeth Augustine consideration must bee had of the grauitie of the matter and not of the number of voyces and it happeneth oftentimes that the greater number preuayleth agaynst the better by number of polles rather than by trial of trueth yea Christ himselfe viewing the number of his flocke pronounceth it to be very smal so also when hee confesseth that many bee called yet hee addeth foorthwith that the elect be not many but fewe in number in so much that he seemeth to doubt whether the same sonne of man shall finde fayth in the earth when hee shal come Yet for al this if a true computation may be yeelded of men of nations and people by the poll it self of al such as with al their hartes do detest the fraudes and contagion of the Romishe false religion there wil not so small a number appeare in their eyes as happly either they coniecture themselues or at lest ought to make so slender accompt of But as concerning the Churche it self let
doctrine into the poyson of their opinions into their impietie of religion into the laberinthe of their traditions and into the monstrâ—ouse misshapen orders of cloysterers and Regulers finally when I doe throughly consider the liuely fountaines of Euangelicall sinceritie and doctrine Apostolicall troubled and defiled in most filthy maner by theÌ„ and the chiefe and onely authour thereof the Pope of Rome I become not a litle doutfull in mine imagination whether the tyrannie of the Turke haue more grieuousâ—y wounded the Christian common weale or the docrine of the Pope hath beene more preiudiciall too the Gospell of Christ whether the Turkishe â—ury either the Popes flames and fagottes or his crafty conspiracies haue swallowed vp and deuoured more Christians And yet neither doth this milde and catholike father relent from his crueltie but rusheth on much more rudely not only vpon the soules but also vpoÌ„ the very throates of Christians more horribly raging with slaughter butâ—herie against the faithfull theÌ„ the most rauenous Turke in the world If the cause of this horrour were now to be rendered might we be so bolde to learne of your holines for the honor of your supersacred myter O reuerend father what reason or matter did first enduce you or euen now yet enforce you to so great disorder outrage What say you what bring you what do you alleadge wherein you may worthely accuse vs or wherein we ought not much rather coâ—demne your fatherhood what hath any of vs deserued worthy of these tragedies what haue we euer practised any force against you or haue we euer lyen in wayte for your life haue wee at any time attempted too despoyle you of your citie or tabernacle If not why may it not be lawful for vs quietly to enioy our poore cotages without your comptrollement for you endeuour as much as in you lieth not onely to exclude vs from out our cities countries wherin wee remaine but too bereaue vs our liues also With the smart of al which outrages raysed by you your fraternitie as many other nations haâ—e bene heretofore grieuously punished so also not long sithence both Fraunce and Flaunders yea and Scotland also and of late noâ—e likewyse her neere borderer and neighbour Irelande to speake nothing meane whiles of her neerest neighbour England which seemeth euen at this present to be circumueÌ„â—ed with the crafty vnderminings of you and your complices and to stande in no small danger vnlesse the heauenly maiestie preuent your treacheries betimes For what thinke you that your crafty councels though cunningly coucht and packt together bee vnknowen vnto vs that wee vnderstande not what you haue done what you doe what you shoote at whome yee seeke to vndermyne what your deuises be at home what your driftes be abroade what you and your confederates whisper together And put the case that these your couert conceipts be hidden from vs which you suppresse with silence what will you so blindfold the eies of Gods maiestie that hee may not be able to see into your close coâ—celed villanies and make them more open then the day light But I beseeche you sir if the Turke supplyed the place of the Pope in Rome at this present woulde make speedy prouision by all meanes possible to roote vs and the whole name of Christians out What more horrible attempt could he procure for our vtter ouerthrowe or if we our selues were miscreantes and Turkes not Christians how could you possibly hate vs more deadly or persecute vs more furiously But I surcease from farther complaintes though iustifiable enough against you that I may the better prosecute the matters that apperteine more properly to our purpose for I do right well perceiue whereunto all this your whotte contention and troublesome broyles doe aspire at the length To witte either by pollicie to allure vs or by compulsion to hale vs too the doctrine and faith which you cal catholike Go to may we know if it please your fatherhood what kinde of catholike doctrine this is wherâ—unto you call vs. To relent now somewhat of that contentious kinde of quarreling and to coÌ„ferre with you nowe not as moued with any malice against you as I may iustly enough but to debate the controuersy pleading it as it were at the barre against you according to the equitie and truth of the cause by substantiall matter rather then frutelesse wordes Imagine therefore with your selfe holy father that you sitte not now in your consistory at Rome as iudge of your owne cause but to be araigned as guilty of the crime before the maiestie of Christian princes in a certen publike and generall councell before whom you ought long sithence haue byn put to your purgation Come of therefore you reuerende and holy bishop for y e loue reuereÌ„ce you beare to S. Peter who cooÌ„maÌ„deth you to reÌ„der a reason of your faith to theÌ„ that demaÌ„d it of you Tel vs fraÌ„kely opeÌ„ly what maner forme of faith is that at the length which you obtrude vpoÌ„ vs on this wise y t the vnlettered may also vnderstaÌ„d it What wil you driue vs to this point first to make vs â—o acknowledge the Pope of Rome for Christes vicar on earth the only lord of Christian vniuersalitie But this first demaund of yours the Lord him self doth countermaund who assigneth lordship ouer natiâ—ns properly vnto kings assubiecteâ—h Apostles to ministery forbidding theÌ„ al maner of mastery It shal not be so amoÌ„gst you but he that wil be greatest amoÌ„gst you shabe your sâ—ruant what can be more manifest But against this is a reply vrged here of the person of saint Peter whome they reporte to haue bene the chiefe of the Apostles But what do I heare did Peter euer arrogate vnto him selfe any soueraintie ouer the Apostles or did hee euer affect vniuersall dictatorship ouer the congregation of Christians Or if he had so done would the Lorde haue euer permitted it who neuer presumed of any such lordlinesse in him selfe nor could abide it in his other disciples nay rather did vtterly forbid it by words by signes by example by all possible and manifest demonstrations And doe you yet after so many so manifest and so approued testimonies dreame still of a princely seignorie ouer Christes churche What is your other demande then That we cappe kâ—eele vnto reuerently worshippe and call vpon hee saincâ—es and shee sainctes which the Romishe Canons haue in their kalender registred for sainctes and procure them to bee our proctours and aduocates before God But the holy scripture doth direct vs but to one only mediatour in heauen who alwayes liueth saieth Paul to the ende he may make intercession for vs. That we should proâ—trate our â—elues before pictures and images That wee should gadde on pilgrimage to stockes and stoanes the holy scriptures do call you from nothing more earnestly That shauelings and votaries be restrained from fâ—ee libertie to marry eating flesh
bodie in deede And in verie deed if it had not bene bread Christ would not in any wise haue giuen forth that it should be eateÌ„ corporally bicause to maâ—e mans flesh mans blood vnder whatsoeuer shew it be shadowed to seeme agreeable for table meate is not only forbidden by the prescript law of God as is said before but also most lothsome and abhorred of nature it selfe It remayneth now sithence wee haue treated of the matter of the sacrament that we speake now of the thing it selfe which is signified by this Sacrament And for as much as all Sacraments which according to their proper natures are defined to be visible signes of inuisible grace are sayde to be of the nature of those things which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with vs bee named Relatiuesâ— can any man doubt hereof That the body of Christ can not possibly be the Sacrament of it owne selfe As the father is not a father of himselfe but of the Sonne as it proceedeth not of the Sonne to bee called sonne in respect of himselfe but of the father so can it not possibly be but that in the Sacramentes two distinct and seuerall thinges must concurre as Irene witnesseth to witte an earthly thing and an heauenly the one wherof must represent a likenesse and a signe the other must bee signified For wheresoeuer a signe is there of necessitie must somewhat bee signified Here therefore that which supplieth the place of the signe is the bread without all question That which is signified by this sacramentall signe no man will denie to bee the bodie of Christ. In the one whereof is conteyned the Sacrament in the other the matter of the SacrameÌ„t Whervpon ensueth an vnauoydable conclusion That either the bodie of Christ crucified for vs being the verie thing of the Sacrament is not the verie Sacramental signe that is eaten in the Supper or else can not by any possible meanes bee the selfe thing which is represented by the signe Therfore that which we do eate with our mouthes is bread but that which is vnderstoode is the flesh The first whereof wee receyue with our mouth the other with our Spirite And for the same cause Ierome doeth call it spiâ—ituall fleshe whâ—se authoritie Peter Lombarde cytâ—th in the same cause saying The fleshe and blood of Christ muâ—â— bee vnderstoode two maner of wayes eyther that which was crucified or that spiriâ—uall and heauenly fâ—eshe whereof Christ spake himselfe My fleshe is meate in deede and my blood is drinke in deede Neither can there bee any cause rendered why Ierome shoulde call it the fleshe of Christ other then bycause wee doe receyue it with our spiritual mouthes and not with our fleshly mouthes for if it were not so whâ— doth not knowe that the fleshe of Christ giuen for the life of the worlde wheresoeuer it be is not spiritual but in the verie nature thereof naturally carnall But Peter Lombarde doeth denie that any crumme of the breade at all doeth remaine besides bare formes which onely do reteyne the names of the naturall things which they were before What And did Christe therefore feede his Disciples with Mathematicall formes and names of things without the verie naturall things themselues No say you but vnder those shadowes and accidents of breade and wine the verie substance of flesh and blood is receyued And why doeth Ierome then call this by the name of spiritual fleshe of Christ ought it therefore be called the spiritual flesh of Christ bicause being shrowded vnder outwarde cloakes of formes and shadowes it deliuereth it self into our bodies And what if this visible Sunne being ouershadowed with clowdes and rackes doe not appeare plainly to our sight wheras notwithstanding it doth enlighten the whole worlde on all partes thereof shall we therefore call the Sunne a spirituall Sunne bycause it is bidden with thicke and darke clowdes Go to then where is nowe that similitude or likenesse that is required in all Sacramentes to witte of the signe with the thing signified if you will leaue vnto vs no substance at all except of the bodie and blood onely What then Shal the bodie of Christ be both a signe and a Sacrament of himselfe No say you but that visible forme of bread which is made a Sacrament of two thinges bycause it signifieth bath to witte the true bodie and the mysticall and doth represent the expresse likenesse of both the things Go to Let vs heare our maister of sentences opinion in this matter what maner of similitude this is and howe it is expressed Bicause as the bread sayth he doth nourish the body more than any other graine and bicause wine doeth comfort more than any other grape Euen so the flesh of Christ doeth comfort cherish and make glad the inward man This is well sayd Lombard in dâ—â—de But how wil you now agree with your selfe thâ—n As the bread say you doth nourish the bodie But howe shall the bread refresh or nourish the bodie if yee leaue vs not so much as one crumme of breade in the Supper Howe shall the visible fourme of breade nowe without breade be a Sacrament of two thinges and carrie the likenâ—sse of both For if the likenesse of a Sacrament consist in this that it is sayde to refreshe and nourish questionlesse the breade must needes remaine or else the visible forme without bread can be no Sacrament nor shall carie any likenesse at all For what nourishment can bare superficiall formes voyde of al substance yeeld or what likenesse can there be in these in respect of the flesh of Christ nourishing the inward man What aunswere will Lombarde make here hee will crowde vnder his trope anâ— Grammer figure Metonymia Wherewith it lyketh him well to sport himselfe in his owne â—orged fourmes but will not suffer vs to deale with aâ—y trope at all in substaunces by any meanes The fourmes sayeth hee doe retaine the names of the things whâ—reof they were substaunces before namely bread and wine What do I heare Were these mere accidents at any time euer called by the names of the things then when as they conteyned the substances of bread and wine and why should the very same seuered nowe from the other reteine the names of those thinges which are sayde they neuâ—r helde before But it was breade that is to say as you consâ—er itâ— Breade was present before the Consecration Be it so And what hereof then After the Consâ—cration remayneth no substaunce of breade anâ—e more Why so I pâ—ay you Lombarde Howe knowe you this By what argument doe you prooue it By what authoritâ—e do you beleeue this Who commaunded this to â—â—e beleeued who did suâ—der the substance of breade from the formes With what woordes in what instant of time what shoulde moue him to doe so who euer discerned any rending asunder of substances or any passage â—â—ansubâ—â—anâ—iarie But you
denie that we ought to bâ—leeue our handes and eyes beeing blinded altogither here enforced therevnto by the authoritie of the woorde wherevnto the senses must yeelde and bee subiect of necessitie Bee it as you say But what shall wee say then meane whiles of these formes and sheâ—es of bread Do yee thinke that these also bee fledde away togither with thâ—ir substaunce or that they remâ—ine â—â—ill What else but that they abide still A good fellowshippe then tell vs howe knowe you this Forsooth bycause you doe see it Go to then and what nicenesse of arguing is this O fine man you doe see the formes seuered from their substaunce and doe beleeue Wee doe as plainly beholde the substaunce it selfe with our eyes and shall wee not beleeue the thing that our eyes doe present vnto vs If your pâ—rspectiues doe not fayle you in your accidentes why shall our eyesight in so manifest and euident a demonstration rather beguile vs Or if you be of opinion that the woordes of Christe must bâ—â— so throughly beleeued wherein he sayde This is my bodie tâ—â—t the senses may not bee credited I see no cause Lombarde why it shoulde bee more lawfull for you to trust the testimonie of your eyes in comprehending the formes then for vs to resâ— vpon the iudgement of our eyes in conceyuing the substaunce which we doe see and plainly discerâ—e Neither doe we for this cause credite the wordes of Christ lesse bycause in the outwarde Sacrâ—mâ—nt wee mistrust not oâ—â— ouâ—wardâ— senses altogither We knoâ—e that it is true and without all question that Chrisâ— spake of his bodie yet muâ—â— not therefore the other bee â—o â—ecessarily fiâ—â—e which our eyes doo present vntoo vs of the remayning substaunce of bread But Lombarde supposeth that Christes body can not be in the sacrament vnlesse the natural body bee present and that the body can not otherwyse bee present except the bread be absent and that there can be none other maner of change but whereby the substaunce of bread shoulde bee turned intoo the person of the sonne of GOD. But wee confesse both too bee true namely that it is the body of Christ and that withal the bread ceaseth not to be bread so that neither the wordes of Christ ought to bee discredited nor the senses deceaued in their plaine beholding of visible things But yee wil saye For as much as the power of the heauenly worde is of such efficacy as that it made Heauen Earth the Seas and al that is conteyned in them of nought howe much more easily shall this woorking worde bee able too chaunge that substaunce of bread which our eyes doo see intoo the body of Christe namely when as wee doo heare the Lorde himselfe by expresse woordes testifying the same too bee his owne body Firste touching the omnipotency of Gods woorde I were very wicked if I woulde not agree with Ambrose that this is most true that the same most heauenly creator of Heauen Earth did make al thinges which wee doo see of nought by the most mighty force of his woorde But amongest al that meruelouse frame of visible thinges what did that heauenly woorde at any tyme bring foorth but that hee willed shoulde be subiect to the viewe of man as when hee commaunded that light shoulde bee made immediately light was made and apparant too the eye The earth was commaunded to bring foorth her grasse and leafe that al men might see it Lastly Let vs make man saied hee after our owne likeneâ—se Of all these thinges the heauenly Maiestie made not any one but hee left too bee euidently disceruable and the woonderful woorkemanship thereof to bee plainely beholden In like manner whereas in the Gospell are many miracles extant wherein appeareth most singular excellency of Christes Godhead yet in all these did hee woorke no miracle so couertly at any tyme but hee made it apparauntly manifest too all men In this sacrament nowe what one thing did the Apostles wâ—onder at as a miracle or what transubstantiation of bread did they euer beleeue or deliuered ouer too others too bee beleeued And will you fyr Lombarde retyring backe too Iewishe fables hale vs backe from the spirite whereiâ— wee beganne vntoo the fleshe and will you perswade vs to this newly forged substaunce of the Sonne of God filed from out the substaunce of bread whereof neyther your selfe see any token nor are able to expresse any demonstration But you passe and repasse too Christes woordes agayne That is to say to the bare letter of the woorde and like a Cowarde flee altogether from the meaning of Christ. As concerning the woordes themselues we do easily agree with you that the woordes are not vneffectuall nor set downe by Christe in vayne But sithence Chriâ—t did speake and put in accion many sundry things in this Supper what one sillable somuche of all his woordes and accions doe you alleadge Lombarde out of the which you may bee able too cayne vnto vs this vgly counterfaite transubstantiation First Iesus tooke bread and brake it Here as yet yee see nothing altered The same bread being so taken hee commaundeth his Disciples to eate Whaâ— do these wordes â—mporte els as yet then bread but that which hee inferreth vpon the premises saying That to bee his body I beseeche you what els did hee meane by these wordes then to giue the elementes the denomination of his bâ—dy For proofe whereoâ— I appeale to the Grammer rules by that which he added afterwardes giuen broken for you Who dooth not perceaue here that thereby not the substauÌ„ce of the body but his death and passion is to bee vnderstood which suffering should bee bread and foode for all people in the worlde and as it were an euerlasting banquet according too that prophetical promise in Esay the Prophet the 25. chapter And for that cause least the remembrance of his passion should waxe out of minde he commaundeth it to bee done in the remembrance of him and by the same memorial to shew the Lords death vntil he come again Wherby may appeare without any difficulty that the naturall body is noâ— eaten here but the death of his body signified and the remembrance thereof celebrated not the bread wyne turned into flesh blood but a sacrament of our redemption to be instituted in bread wyne Lastly hauiâ—g now finished al thinges on this wise and hauing accâ—mplished the woorke of our redemption when as he prepared himselfe to ascende vp againe intoo heauen it remayneth to know of you Lombard why he would take away hence the presâ—nce of his natural body in the open eyes and sight of his disciples but bicause they shoulde cease to seeke any more for his corporall presence on earth And doo you notwithstanding proceede in your course Lombard to hold fast the body of our lord vnder the formes of bread wine w t is farre away caried from
wine What when you heate out of Origen Not the matter of bread but vpoÌ„ the bread the word was spoken which is profitable to him that eateth in the Lord not vnworthily And aboue al other chiefly what wil you answere to these wordes of Gelas. who wâ—â—ting of the Sacraments of bread wine Howe that wee are by the same made partakers of the heaueÌ„ly nature yet doth boldly pronouÌ„ce that the substaÌ„ce of bread wine do neuertheles remaine stil. Besides these when ye read also the wordes of August And we receiue this day visible foode c. What I say when on all sides your eares doe fully conceiue the voyces of the most choyse learned fathers touching the visible meat the bread which is broken the wine which is crusht out of the grapes the matter and the substance of bread and wine when as these so many authours whom I haue cited do as it were thrust into your mouth bread wine doe you notwithstanding not receyue bread nor wine and are yee yet so poreblinde as not to see ought else here but phanatical superficiall shadowes onely and accidents of bread Surely that queysie stomacke of yours deserueth in my conceyte to bee continually fed with those delicate cates of accidents But bycause I will not oppresse you with testimonies I surcease here This one thing I demaund sithence these visible kindes whereof ye speake doe holde yet the names of the things which they were before I woulde faine know whether togither with the names they do retaine the effect and operation of the same things wherein they be sayd to feed and to nourish yea or nay If ye say yea certes ye feed your guestes very finely that so feede them with colours and shewes of accidents not much vnlike as if bycause Pepper is black therfore a man should say it is hote in the mouth or bycause salt is white therefore it doth sauour and season victuals But if ye say nay what consonancie of likenesse shal there bee betwixt the Lordes flesh and this Sacrament which you fasten wholy to shadowes seing that shadowes haue no force at al to refresh withal seeing ye leaue vs no substaunce of breade wherevpon wee may feede For what shall we say doeth not the fleshe of Christ nourish the inwarde man no more substancially then the outward formes of bread and wine doe nourish the bodie Surely yee haue discouered vs verie daintie delicates whereby the bodie is neither fedde nor soule refreshed For whether the inwarde soule doe receyue no more comfort of the fleshe of Christ then our outwarde bodies nourishmeÌ„t of visible formes I leaue to other mens iudgement how wel we are like to be fed Besides this also remayneth yet another tryâ—â—ing toy of most vaine distinction to witte Of the Sacrament and not the thing Of the Sacrament and the thing Of the thing and not the Sacrament Of which diuision there is not one member so much that is not altogither rotten First wheras he placeth the Sacrament in certaine emptie and Metaphisâ—cal formes remooued from the thing it selfe therein he doeth no more digresse from all conueniencie of reason and the iudgement of the auncient fathers than most blockishly vary from himself For discoursing a litle earst of the nature of a SacrameÌ„t he affirmed that it ought to be of such efficacie as mighâ— be able to refresh the bodies of them that did receyue it But these fantastical formes remoued from the thinges doe not refreshe the bodie Ergo they bee not the Sacrament in anie respect Againe whereas hee sayeth that these visible kindes bee the Sacrament onely yea and a Sacrament also of a double thing bycause they signifie both and doe carie an expresse likenesse of both this is also of both partes false For first the thing that is neither breade nor the bodie nor a thing but a Sacrament of a thing onely not a creature but the accident of a creature nor is any substaunce at all howe can it possibly bee that the same thing which is not any thing at all may seeme to bee a Sacrament of some one thing and of some substaunce yea and that also of a double thing Or what kinde of likenesse at the length may there seeme to bee betwixt these monstrous formes and the bodie of Christe eyther naturall or mysticall in the one whereof wee doe receyue nourishment in the other vnitie sithence in formes there is neyther any power to refreshe bodie or soule nor any vnion or kniâ—ting together of partes and members Moreouer wherâ—as the same Lombarde doeth affirme that the naturall fleshe of Christ is the Sacrament of Ecclesiasticall vnion howe will hee agree with himselfe Whereas nowe he doeth abide by it that these visible formes bee the Sacrament of that coniunction What monster will this bugge whelpe foorth at the length That cannot be contented to haue littered his visible formes for a Sacrament of a double thing vnlesse hee must also whelpâ— foorth vnto vs a double Sacrament out of the same emptie paunch of formes But perhappes this great maister of Sentences was so busied about coyning of new Sentences that he had quite forgotten the olde Prouerbe to witte That it behoueth a lyar to be alwayes fresh of remembrance So hitherto nowe what is the Sacrament onely and not the thing you vnderstande well ynough I suppose In the seconde place nowe steppeth forth an other as farre fetched a riddle conned out of the braine panne of Sphynx her selfe verie deepe and daungerous to bee assoyled Namely what thing that may bee that is both the thing and withal the Sacrament also If thou canst not vndo this tarring yron gentle reader for I know thou art not able of thy selfe to attaine to it this deepe riddlemaster wil discouer it vnto thee For he wil tel thee that it is the fleshe of Christe which being both a substance in respect of the visible forme of bread vnder the which it is conteined and signified is also the Sacrament of the mystical body in as much as it signifieth the mystical vnitie of the Church forsoath and representeth the expresse ymage thereof O marueylous nimble witte fined in the verie bottome of all Lombardie But from whence is this expresse ymage of this Sacrament deriued whereof Lombarde maketh mention Forsooth out of S. Paul First where he sayth We be many one bread and one bodie Then next out of Augustines woordes The Church sayeth he is called one bread and one bodie For this cause That as one loafe of breade is made of many graynes and as one bodie is made of many members so the Church is vnited and knit togither of manie faythfull through the coupling or mutual knot of loue As concerning S. Paul the whole and natural deriuation of this similitude is deriued not from the bodie of Christâ— but from the bread onely Nowe to admitte this to bee true that there is no
manifestly of the bread and wyne The bread sayeth hee and wyne is an exemplar of his â—â—eshe and his blood and they that communicate of the apparaunt bread doo eate the flesh of the lordâ— spiritually Let vs nowe heare Irene speakâ—ng of the bread not beeing cast out but sanctified The elemental bread saith hee taking denomination of the word of God is no more common bread but is made the Euchariste which consisteth of twoo things earthly and heauenly and immediatly after in the same place what is vnderstood by the heauenly thing but sanctificatioÌ„ which commeth by inuocating the name of God And by the earthly thing which commeth foorth of the earth but natural bread which also feedeth our bodies aswel as any vsual bread And againe in his 9. booke When the wyne powred forth into the cuppe and the bread being broken doth receaue the worde of GOD it is made the Euchariste of the body and blood of Christ from the which the substaunce of our flesh receaueth repast and nourishment Of the same iudgemeâ—t is Iustine the holy martyr liuing in the very tyme and age of Irene who wryteth on this wise The Deacons do distribute to al that be present to make them partakers of bread wine water ouer the which thanksgiuing hath bene pronounced or els they carry it to those that be absent Nowe this nourrishement is called amongest vs the Euchariste of the which may no man bee made partaker vnlesse hee bee ioyned with vs in one and the same fayth and baptisme and liue after the example of Christe For wee doo not receaue this as common bread or common wyne but as Iesus tooke vppon him fleshe and blood for our saluation sake after the same maner we also receauing this Sacramentall foode by the which our fleshe and blood is nourished by concoction are taught that it is the flesh blood of Christ that â—ookâ— flesh vpon him for our sakes I coulde alleadge many sentences besides these out of Athanasius and more out of Cyril some out of Epiphanius Dydimus and others many more al which iâ— I shoulde reâ—ken vp particularly I shoulde skarse make an ende of vouching testimonies I meane the â—estimonies of that auncient and primitiue purer age By the which may bee seene plaine without all ambiguity that those visible formes and byhangers of bread without any manner of subâ—â—aunce was neuer hearde of as yet and that the body and blood of Christ was so distributedâ— in the communion as that both bread and wyne did neuerthelesse remayne alwayes in this sacrament amongest them finally that the body and blood of Christe was so conteyned vnder the denomination of meate and drinke that the Churche had alwayes a sacrament of the body but not alwayes the body without the sacrâ—ment if therefore wee haue not the body alwayes without a sacrament then may any man easily perceaue by the very denomination of a sacrament what hee ought too conceaue of the selfe same body for as much as the sacrament of the body is one thing and the very body of the sacrament is an other thing the one whereof may bee called by the others name but can not possibly bee one and the selfe same in substaunce For as his most blessed mother hauing deliuered Christe out of her wombe is sayde properly and truely too haue brought foorth the very natural body of Christe naturally not the sacrament of his body euen so likewyse this holy sacrament of Christes body which is produced and made by the only woorde of GOD without mother at al is called a body by a spiritual construction onely but can not rightely bee called the substantial and natural body which issued foorth of the virgin and in the natural sense therof For although Christ be one and the selfsame in person wheresoeuer hee bee yet is hee not euery where according to the natural substaunce which he receiued of his mother neither is he eaten as he was borne for hee was borne a natural man in deede but hee is eaten not otherwyse then by a mystery significant In mysteries similitudes of thinges are conteined but not the substauÌ„ce themselues properly In the mother the woorde was made fleshe In the Euchariste the flesh of the woorde is made our foode I say our foode not of the mawe nor of the belly but of the minde Wherevppon this meate is called euery where by the auncient ecclesiasticall fathers and that not without cause by spirituall meate as the which is not applyed too the foode of the bodies but which dooth satisfie the hunger of the inwarde man For as the hunger which hungreth after Christe is not the hunger of the outwarde body but of the inwarde man euen so the fleshe of Christe auaileth nothing too the ease of belly hunger but all the commoditie thereof serueth for the nourishement of a better life Otherwyse why woulde the Apostle Paul haue sent backe the hungry belly communicantes to their owne house where they might feede at ful except hee had supposed that in that holy assembly some higher mystery had beene handled besides feeding the belly Which beeing true in deede verified with so many proofes so many manifest euidences of witnâ—sses what wil these Romish counterfaâ—cts bring foorth to shadowe their frenâ—y and to defend their drousy heresy of transubstantiation For if they do so stricktly restraine the sacred body of Christ which without all question sitteth nowe in heauen into and within the sacrament that there shal remaine no place nor any substauÌ„ce at al of bread sweeâ—e nor leauened besides a thing of nought onely and shadowes of accidentes what shal that be then which the auncient fathers doo with so general agreâ—ment call a signe a Sacrament a mystery a type an exemplar an ymage a seale a similitude and a figure of the Lordes body and blood What is that wherewith our bodies bee fedde and nourished as Iustine reporteth Are wee nourished with formes and bare byhangers of accidentes What is that the fragmentes whereof the Deacons did in olde tyme carry vntoo others and the broken pieces wherof if any remained after the communion the priests did giue to boyes that went too schoole too eate too their breakfaste which custome was frequented in the church in the of â—yme Iustinian as Nycephorus reporteth If in that firste age of the Churche those auncient fathers had but ymagined in their mindes that they did eate the natural body of Christe altogither without bread really may any man thinke with him selfe that they would haue yeelded so litle reuerence to Christ their sauiour as that the Priestes shoulde haue beene permitteâ— not onely too deuoure the body of our Lord so broken in pieces but also too deliuer boyes gooing too schoole the crustes and cromines of the leauinges for their breakefastes By the which you see holy father of Rome vnlesse you haue lost your eyes see nothing what
made one bodie with Christ which is quite contrarie to that mysticall prophecie of the Psalmyâ—t whereby wee are taught that Christ his most holâ— fleshe is dignified with â—uch an especiall estâ—te and condition that it should alwayes continue free from all maner of corruption not to inferre here any mention meane whiles of that which cannot bee gainesayde of them that are dayly conuersant with their sacred â—akes I meane euen those cakes also that be so curiouslâ— kept in Pixe for a season after they haue blessed them which holy cakes vsuâ—lly wax moâ—ldie and rotten and shiâ—er to dust being scarce toucht with their fingers Wherein either the body of our most blessed Sauâ—our muâ—t suffer this vâ—speakeable iniurie or else it muâ—â— needs bee confessed that this their framshâ—pen chaungeling Transubâ—tantiation must be matter ridiculous matter of nought or surely no matter at all Beholde here if it may please yâ—ur holy fathâ—â—hood somewhat vttered concerning many partes of your doctrine Wherein you see nothing sounde almost noâ—hing cleare yea nothing that is not of all parâ—es deâ—iled wiâ—h monstrous errourâ— And yet after all these so horrible and vnsâ—eakeable blasphemies doe you require to be accounted for a father and a principall soâ—â—raine of the Churcâ— Whereof no man that knoweth you may wiâ—h saâ—e conscience acknowledge you for so much as a reasonable member And is your shamelesse impudencie crawled so aloft to the toppe gallant yea aboue al whoorâ—sh shamelesnesse moreouer doth your insolent arrogancie so farre exceede all impudencie that ye shame noâ—hing at allâ— with more then Turkish crueltie to hale harmelâ—sse aâ—d inâ—ocent sheepe of the Lords flocke as euerie of them is most sounde and of a most vndeâ—iled fayth to the stake and to condemne thâ—m for Heretikes and with them also no lesse infamously accuse kings and Queenes as accessaries harborers recettours and supporters of Hereâ—â—es Whereas your selfe meane whiles swaâ—ming on al parâ—s with so many so monstrous and more than herâ—ticall â—rrours do so exâ—crably exceede all the whole crew of Heretiques and do so alone like an Arâ—hringleader surpâ—sse al other Herâ—tikes that to speake at a wâ—â—dâ— â—his your Papisme can sâ—eme scarcâ— ought else then a plaiâ—e canker and gaâ—ing gulfe deuouring aâ—d swalâ—owing vp all true and Christian religion Bâ—t I surcâ—asâ— now and make here an â—nde of contâ—nding with you albâ—it this is not a â—oÌ„â—â—ntion but a deâ—â—nce rather not entred into of any vnaduised temeritie but vndertaken vpon great and vrgâ—nt causâ—â—nd nâ—câ—ssitâ—e Wherein if wee shall seemâ— to haue desenâ—ed our cause soâ—what more eageâ—ly thaÌ„ may seâ—me agreeable with the lâ—nitie of ouâ— naâ—ures or to haue reprâ—uâ—d you somewâ—at more bitterly then you would willingly heare of pleaseth it your holinesse to accept these speeches as not vttered by vs but to be the verie wordes of truth it selfe Neither do wee sillie faythfull members of the vniuersall Catholike Church complayne agaynst you but the Scriptures of God do mainteine our quarel herein and in our behalfe doe bende their whole force agaynst you the verie voyce of the Lord the verie breath of Christes owne mouth togither with the whole armie both of Christs Church and of heauen and with these also all the holy companie of heauen do not only vrge this disputation against you but also doe ioyne in league preparing all togethers greater forces agaynst your triple royaltie For the selfe same will either vtterly roote you ere it bee long from out that maiestical Sea which you do against al equitie and right vsurpe most iniuriously or else you must of fine force throw into vtter exile the selfe same Scriptures and banish withal Christ himselfe and his Apostles from out all and euerie Church I doe knowe that the Church is molested many times with many great and grieuous assaults and conflictes of encounterings and many times infected with diuerse noysome diseases and stench of contagious corruptions to the clensing and curing whereof I thinke it needefull to applie milde and gentle maner of speeches and conference as becommâ—th modest and mild dispositions So earnestly alwayes hath our affection loathed that capâ—ious snatching and quareling amongest the learned But yet this your pesâ—iferous poyson of impietie holy father of Rome linked with such sauage phalarisme wherwith you haue not only deâ—iled the very welsprings purest source of all Christian religion but also vtterly spoyled and defaced it is such that it cannot bee cured nowe with any milde potion of mediciâ—able restoratiue You haue forced the afflicted estate of tormented Christians to such a lamentable extremitie with your horrible crampes and execrable crueltie that you are not now any more to be confuted with arguments as an heretique but as Antichrist himselfe the most butcherly bloodsucker of Christians to be abhorred and accursed with the general detestation of all the godly insomuch that whatsoeuer person be not from the bottom of his heart your professed enemie can in no wise bee in league with the glorie of Iesus Christ. For as much therefore as the matter is come to this passe and that your tottering state standeth in worse case nowe than any man can expresse what better prouision may you make for your selfe or what more wholesome counsel may I giue vnto you then that ye reclaime your selfe speedily and returne againe betimes Whither shal I returne wil you say Returne Romane ruffler from whence you are fallen Returne to humilitie to the which you bee called Returne againe vnto the charge wherevnto you are appoynted If the Lorde haue called you into his Uineyarde hee hath called you to toyle and labour not to scrape riches togither to ministerie and submission not to maistrie and soueraintie Bestowe cost and dresse the Lordes vineyarde therefore doe not spoyle and moyle the Uineyarde For it is no Uineyarde of yours which though were your owne yet ought you not roote and turne it vp with such boarishe sauagenesse For it is the Lordes Uineyarde and not yours Who if haue waged you amongest other his woorkemen returne therefore to your worke and holde you contented with your place and vaunte not your Peacockes taile more than becommeth your plumes and be satisfied with your penie whether you come in the first houre or the last houre of the day one kinde of payment is due to euerie woorkeman alike There is no prerogatiue amongest woorkemen The Lordes benignity is extended to al alike Therfore if you be wise let your Romain Sea content you bicause you are placed in Rome and permit others that be ouerseers ouer others to gouerne their owne prouinces And would God the Lorde woulde once vouchsafe imprint such an heart in you as might earnestly seriously ponder these things and that you might returne from whence you are fallen The time was when this your Citie of Rome was famous and noble replenished with most woorthy woorshippers of Christ adorned with excellent wittes and most commendable conuersation of life
sithence very necessity exacteth it of you as of duty vnlesse ye had rather become slaues to this false counterfait Pope then seruauntes to Iesus Christ. Wherefore awake yee most puissant Princes and most renoumed Potentates let your wysedome rayse it selfe out of this slumber at the length Repulse this outrage and impudency If the dueâ—iful consideration of your honorable estates and of euery of your particular liberties may little preuaile with you yeeld you thus much yet at the least to your Christe vntoo whome yee owe all that you haue that yee take compassion of his poore distressed Churche that yee deliuer the lyues of your subiectes from bloody butchery and their consciences from heathnishe impiety and that yee willingly faster not within the bosome of your common weales woolues whelpes too the rauenouse deuouring of the same Your whole natyue country dooth humbly beseeche you the whole society of al the godly dooth desire you yea with salte teares doth request you that yee wil once at the length after so many and merciles slaughters and flammes of the godly vouchsafe too open the vowelles of your mercy towardes the preseruation of the trueth towardes the safe keeping of simple innocencyâ— towardes the free deliueraunce of sounde doctrine which hath beene long ynough nowe oppressed that beeing so by your bounâ—eous consideration freed from al feare they may bee recomforted and recouer courage againe It lyeth in your honours too assuage these franticke and furiouse tumultes For performance whereof wee doo not require you to rush vppon the common enemy reuenge the butchery of your subiectes with force of armes There hath bin of warlyke inuasions more then ynoughâ— there hath bene too too great an effusion of ChristiaÌ„ blood But the request that our humble petition maketh to your honors is this which wil neuerthelesse redounde in eche respect as glorious too your estimation as profitable for the general sauety of al the godly Namely that of your authorities royal and imperial yee will vouchsafe too let bee proclaimed a general Summons for a generall councel according too the example of your famous auncestors which assembly may proceade to the exact determination and voices of the best learned and grauest fathers with such vprightnesse and integritie as that the same councel may bee no lesse free then general In the which let the Pope of Rome bee enforced too iustifie his monarchicall chaleng and doctrine by due authorities and good proofes of doctrine Who if bee able to iustifâ—e by sufficient testimonies of holy scriptures let him enioy his souereignty but if hee faile in his proofes let him haue his deserte In this so forlorne a calamity of al thinges what can bee demaunded of you either more commodiouse or more commendable for your royal mindes but if there remaine no hope of such a general councel too bee assembled yet that euery of you with in your seueral dominions at the least will not disdaine too put that in vre which ought haue beene accomplished in that generall councel namely that erroures may bee amendedâ— that the pure and liuely welspringes of true and sincere doctrine may bee restored too their auncient integritie abandoning and banishing intoo vtter exyle all manner pilfe dregges and patcheries of the Romishe ryot that your subiectes may freely frame their conuersations and consciences according too the holy direction of sacred scriptures and not after the Popes decrees and that it may bee sufficient for the same subiectes too bee subiect too their owne natural and liege Lordes and Princes only For els I see nothing whervnto this Romishe Reueller may be emploied with in any your Prouinces vnles it be to stir vp seditioÌ„s vproares In case the state of the christiaÌ„ coÌ„moÌ„ weale were such at this present as it was of old wheÌ„ the church being as yet greene was in subiectioÌ„ vnder the authority of Ethnick princes then might the ayde of Bishoppes bee implored for the ordering of the matters apperteyning to the church But nowe sithence it hath pleased the heauenly maiesty too vouchsafe those same princes whome hee hath called intoo his Churche too become Christians as the which doo no lesse dutyfully mynister vnto Christe then the Bishoppes them selues I see no cause too the contrary why the same Christian princes which beare soueraignty in states politique shoulde not also beare souereignty in the congregation of Christians So that there may seeme no cause to remayne nowe why this pontificall monarchy shoulde so presumptuously vsurpe any such prerogatiue in any their dominions that ought not to become subiect to the laweful Magistrates in euery of their seueral prouinces And thus much hithertoo touching the requeste that I thought good to sollicite your most excellent maiesties That which nowe remayneth to bee spoken I wil turne too the residewe of the people of Christendome as many as be brethren and ioynt Cytiziens with me coupled togither in one and the selfe same fellowship of Baptisme al and euery of whome I doo likewyse pray and beseeche that they take heede againe and againe that they suffer not themselues too bee haled backwarde from the truthe by any suttle slye inveigling nor any gloriouse tytle of names bee they neuer so plausible As there is nothing more safe and more souereignable then syncere religion which dooth display abroade direct too the right way of the true vndoubted saluation so doth there no thing more easily deceaue and wounde more deadly then counterfait hypocrisie creeping vnder the couert of false fayned holines her cozen germaine Solemne superstition Euen as that lying Prince of darkenes doth neuer deceaue more dangerously then when hee putteth on the vysor of an Angel So that so much the more vigilant and careful we must bee lest being circumuented with rashe and temerarious foreiudgement more then enduced by stayed consideration of minde do wee embrace false doctrine for the truth Antichrist for Christe the slaying fleshly sense of the letter for the spirit and trueth Proue the spirites saith Paule whether they be of God and be not carried away with euery blast of doctrine Whereupon the matter it selfe doth require this point chiefly in deed that with the Euangelicall simplicitie we ioyne serpentine prudence which may be able too discerne spirites which may proue all thinges which may holde fast that which is good which vnderstandeth aptly to distinguish betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt falshood truth finally that may be so simple that wee offer fraude to no man and withall be so prouident that we may shunne the suttletie of the guylefull Nowe this will be brought to passe without any great difficultie if setting parcialitie and greedines of affections apart we depend wholy vpoÌ„ the mouth of our heauenly maister not vppon mens decrees nor vpon consent of multitude ne yet vpon commoÌ„ custome of times and people and if we do so reclayme our whole heartes to the scriptures that as Hillary doth giue