1415. there was neuer any ordinance made in the Church whereby it was forbidden to administer the cuppe to al the people as the Romaine doctours them selues are enforced to confesse This notwithstanding the corrupted and abastardised Romaine church which hath made this ordinance cleane contrary to the expresse coÌ„mandement of Iesus Christ and to the obseruatioÌ„ of the true ancieÌ„t church as well the Romaine as of all the true vniuersall churche is that true ancient Romaine Church and the true catholique Churche which did immediatly succeede the Apostles if we will beleeue the Romaine doctors albeit that shee be apparantly cleane contrary to it Chapter ii Whether the Supper of the Lord may be a true supper if any of the signes of the same be cut off and whether Iesus Christ did ordayne any thing superfluous in the same whether he did ordeine one sort of supper for one sort of men and an other for the others BVt they will yet replie that as the bloud is contayned vnder the body and that the lay people in receiuing the body receiue also the bloud albeit that they doe receiue but the signe of the body and not that of the bloud euen so when the priest communicateth alone in the masse he communicateth for al the rest and all the rest do communicate also in the person of him Behold a very faire starting hole and a reason very wel grounded Whereupon I aske them for the first whether Iesus Christ did ordaine any thing superfluous and in vaine in his holy supper and that was not very necessary I do not thinke at all that they dare gainesay this If there be theÌ„ nothing superfluous neyther that is ordayned in vayne and without great and necessary cause in this sacrameÌ„t and mysteries which it containeth wherefore is it that they dare to cut off any thing froÌ„ thence And if there be any thing superfluous and not necessary Note wherefore doe they not as wel cut off in their masse that whiâ—â— they do cut off in the supper of the people forse much as it must needes be that there be equaltie among al in the supper of the Lorde For hâ— ordained none other for the ministers then hâ— did for the people nor for the pastours then fâ—â— the sheepe nor for the clerkes then for the layâ— And what reason haue they to cut off rather thâ— wine Demaund then the bread They wil answere that 〈◊〉 is because that there is greater daunger in repect of the wine Answere by meane of the shedding thaâ— may happen and consequently of the bloud intâ— that which it is conuerted by meane of their transsubstanciation Wherfore is it then that the auncâ—ent Church did not aswel feare this daunger before the time of the Councel of Constaunce a did that Church which hath bin since There 〈◊〉 no doubt at al but that the errour of transsubstanciation hath brought foorth this also For thâ— Church which hath counterfaited it hath haâ— since greater feare to shed the bloud into thâ— which the wine is conuerted according to theâ—â— doctrine then the true auncient Church haâ—â— which did not know any such transsubstanciatâ—on Wherefore she did not also feare any suâ—shedding of the bloud of Iesus Christ Note And fâ—â— that also that she did not vse to keepe the breâ—â— and the wine to make them to be worshippeâ— as they do at this day in the Romaine Church in like sort she did not feare that the body and the bloud of the Lord should corrupt in the vessels wherein they were kept Beholde then one reason that the most moderne Romaine Church hath had more then the true auncient Church concerning this point And on the other side euen as the priestes of the same haue magnified their dignitie by meane of their transsubstanciation not onely aboue all other men but also aboue the virgine Mary and the Angels euen so haue they done in the communion of their masse and of their Supper For it is no small dignitie to be able to cause Iesus Christe to come and to be betwene their handes euery day and when it pleaseth them to make gods and to be the creatours of the creatour as they haue named them selues heretofore in their owne very bookes Therefore it is very reasonable also that they haue their communion apart separated from others which are not of such dignitie and that it be different from that which is common to al persons Chapter iii. Whether the Priestes may receiue the Supper for the people and what communion and excommunication is FUrther I aske them if they would be conteÌ„ted that an other man should dine for them or else that he should receyue the reuenewes of their benefices and that he should keepe the same for him selfe and in the meane time should say that he had receyued it for them I do beleeue that they would not haue such vicars nor such receiuers for them neither at the table nor iâ— their recepts but would doe both the one and y other in their owne person This notwithstanding they will needes be vicars of their Parochians in such matters in receyuing alone for them al that which belongeth generally to euery of them And the Parochians are very weâ— contented to haue such vicars and receiuers which do ordinarily receiue the Supper for theÌ„ because that they knowe not what the Supper of the Lorde is nor what profit or hurt they maâ— receiué by the administration or priuation of same wherefore they cannot knowe nor consâ—der the wrong which they do to them in so dâ—priuing them be it in all or in parte For who 〈◊〉 shal wel consider the communion which is inâ— masse and shall iudge thereof according to thâ— truth may of right call it no communion at all but excommunication For as communicatiâ—â— signifieth the partaking of many in one thing which is common to them al so on the contraâ— excommunication signifieth the depriuation 〈◊〉 such a partaking and communication as also to excommunicate signifieth asmuch as to be put out of the communion comminalty Now it is so that the Church as I haue already declared is the communion of Saints the comminalty of the faithfull And forsomuch as the sacraments being administred according to the pure ordinance of the Lorde are of the principal outward markes of the true Church and of the communion comminaltie she is also signified and represented by them For that cause they do receiue those the which they do esteeme for true members of that whole body and of all that coÌ„minaltie which we doe call the Church and the communion of Saints acknowledging theÌ„ as true Burgesses and Citizens of the kingdome of heauen and of the holy Citie of god And by that meane they do communicate vnto them the Sacraments which are vnto them as markes and tokens which Princes Lordes and Captames doe giue to their seruants and souldiours the which they doe aduow
Of the principall pointes which are at this day in controuersie concerning the holy Supper of Iesus Christ and the Masse of the Romaine Church and of the resolution of them ¶ The first Booke Chapter 1. Of the principal reasons whereupō they ground them selues which mainteine the Masse and of the waight of them IT is no maruell if they which haue bene nourished vnder the Masse euē from their childhode are greatly offended when they heare the same blamed and condemned as a false seruice by the which God is dishonoured and blasphemed seing that the same hath bene accompted heretofore for the most holy thing that euer was in the worlde since the first creation thereof And in deede they should haue iust cause to be offended in that behalfe if the reasons which cause them to haue such opinion of the holines thereof were so certaine true as they thinke them to be and cause them selues to beleue for so much as they haue bene so instructed For first they haue bene taught that it was instituted and celebrated by Iesus Christe him selfe and afterward continued by his Apostles consequently by al their successours from age to age euen from the first institution of the same euen vntil our time And then they do consider the matter whereof al the pieces of the same are composed the which they doe thinke to be all taken out of the holy Scripture because that some of those pieces are taken from thence And therefore they say Haue you not in it the Epistle the Gospell and the Pater noster and the Credo Are not these good things Beholde then three reasons of very great apparauntes which they doe alledge for them selues of the which the first is taken of the institution of the Masse and of the authour of the same and the second of his long continuance which is as they thinke euen from the death and passion of Iesus Christe vntill our age the third is taken of the matter of the good and holy wordes things whereof it is cōposed If all these reasons were true and well grounded vpon trueth they were worthy of great accompt For for the first how great a crime is it to reiect and condemne the ordinaunces of the Sonne of God And afterward what a pride were it to make so small accompt of the common consent of the whole Church of God and of so many holy men and of so long a time And on the other side shoulde they bee accompted for Christians which do reiect the expressed word of God Chapter .ii. Of the examination of the reasons before alleadged and whether the Sacrament of the holy Supper of the Lord and the Sacramēt of the Altar and the Masse of the Romaine Church be one verie thing or els be things different and contrary SEeing then that they alleadge such reasons that they giue them so goodly a shewe it resteth nowe to consider whether they bee true or false For if they be true they haue then wonne their processe But if they be false they may not finde it straunge at all if that a man doe discouer the falshod which hindereth the knowledge of the truth of this matter And therefore so farre forth as it toucheth the institution of the Masse and the authour of the same we doe first aske them what it is that they do vnderstand by this word Masse for if they vnderstand by the same the Sacramēt of the holy supper of the Lorde we will easely graunt them that Iesus Christ him selfe did institute and administer the same holy Sacrament and gaue commaundement to his Apostles and to all their true successours to do the like euen as he did in the institution and administration of the same and that they haue done it according to the cōmandement which was giuen vnto thē But if they vnderstand by this worde Masse such a seruice as is that which at this day is so called in the Church that is called Catholike Romaine wee do not onely then not graunt that Iesus Christe did euer institute that Masse nor that euer the Apostles or their true successours did euer celebrate such an one but that which more is we say that so farre of it is that such a Masse may be the holy sacramēt of the supper instituted by Iesus Christ that on the contrary the ordinance of the Lorde is there wholy ouerthrowē with the whole forme of the holy supper and of the diuine seruice which hath alwayes bene obserued in the true ancient Church by meane of the reasons which I will anon yeelde Chapter .iii. VVhether Iesus Christ or his Apostles did euer ordeine saye or celebrate the Masse and of the ancientie of the same and of the workmen which layed their handes to the framing thereof and of the pieces which haue bene added vnto it by succession of time THus much touching the foundation of their first reason which is the strongest the most apparant that they haue For if they cannot shew that their Masse is of the institution of Iesus Christ and of the ordinance of God it must then necessarily be placed amongst the inuentions and traditions of men by the which God him selfe doth witnes not onely by the mouth of the Prophet Isai but also by that of his own sonne Iesus Christ that he is serued in vaine Wherefore if this first foundation be already ouerthrowen the second which is founded vpon the same will also be forthwith ouerthrowen For if Iesus Christ did not institute such a Masse nor his Apostles their true successors did euer celebrate or knowe such an one at the least for the time of six hundreth yeres after the ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ where is that whereupon they will builde the auncientie thereof and the long and cōtinual succession and the common and publique consent of all the Church for so long a time wherewith they make them selues so great a buckler It is here then needefull to enquire and to consider what difference there is betweene the Sacrament of the supper ordeined by Iesus Christe and that which is called the sacrament of the Altar in the Romish Church and how long time the holy supper of the Lorde did remaine whole and perfect and when it began to be changed corrupted ouerthrowen and conuerted into the same fashion that it nowe is in the Masse of the Romaine Church For their owne doctours can not deny but that since the time of Iesus Christ and of his Apostles and of the first and most auncient Christian Church they haue chaunged and added much to the first institution of the Lord and in the forme of the administration of this holy Sacrament the which the Apostles did vse For this cause no one but the most shamelesse amōgst thē dare saye openly that Iesus Christ did ordeine make the Masse but they saye that he gaue onely the matter and that afterward the Church gaue it the fashion by the successours of
sâ—uer before it be stamped and that that it is aftâ—â— the coyning thereof hauing imprinted in it 〈◊〉 marke of the prince the which gyueth vnto it his estimation and value It hath also like difference as hath the waxe whereof men make a â—eale before it be printed and after that it is printed hauing receiued the forme by the Impression of the seale it is then no more simple waxe as before but the true seale of the prince For that cause the rod the which Moyses held â—n his hand keeping the sheepe of Iethro his Father in law when God appeared vnto him in â—he bush is afterwarde called the rodde of God when God had commaunded him to vse the same â—n his ministerie and in the miraculouse works which were done by the same And in this sorte must we vnderstaÌ„d that which Saint Augustine â—aid speaking of baptisme The word is ioyned â—o the element and it is made a sacrament He â—nderstandeth by the element the water of bapâ—isme the which is dedicated to be the signe â—hereof by the worde which is ioyned vnto it â—he which is not ioyned vnto it but to be vnâ—erstood of those vnto whom it belongeth and â—o vnderstand by the same to what end it is â—â—yned to the signes Note And albeit that the liâ—e children can not vnderstand it in their bapâ—â—sme as those which are of greater age doe yet â—or all that the same is not wrong applied in â—s much as it may be vnderstood as well by â—â—eir Godfathers and Godmothers as by those which doe present them and assist at theiâ— baptisme for so much as it is not founded onelâ— vpon the person of the infants and vpon theiâ— faith but also vpon the faith of their Godfatherâ— and Godmothers and of the whole Church iâ— as much as it is grounded vpon the alliauncâ— that God hath made with the faithful because hâ— hath also comprehended in the same their chiâ—dren saying that he would be their God and thâ— God of their children Wherefore seing that baptisme is the sacrament thereof in the Christiaâ— Church as the Circumcision was in thâ— Church of Israel the children of the Christianâ— are no lesse capable of Baptisme theÌ„ were thosâ— of the Iewes of circumcisioÌ„ forsomuch as therâ— is one very foundation and one very reason iâ— them both touching this point And thereforâ— such is the consecration which is done to thâ— water in baptisme whereby the same is consecrated to that vse Note We then see here how that the worde whereupon the same is grounded hath aswell relation to the matter of baptisme in respect of the bloud of Christ accordinâ— to the testimonie of Saint Augustine as hauâ— those of the supper to the bread to the wine iâ— sort that the water is no lesse consecrated by thiâ— meane to be the signe of baptisme then is thâ— bread the wine in the supper to be signes thereof For a man may say in very trouth thereof thâ— â—ame that Saint Augustine hath said of the waâ—er of baptisme For there is like reason in both â—n as much as there is none other meane wherâ—y the matter which is taken to be the signe â—f the Sacraments may be dedicated and conâ—ecrated to that vse otherwise then by the word of God whereof they are signes and sacrameÌ„ts Beholde here then that which the auncients did â—all here properly Consecration Chapter xviii Of the chaunge and conuersion of the signes of the sacraments into the thing signified by them according to the vsage of the auncient Church and of the doctors of the same ANd when they speake of the chaunge conuersion of the signes of the sacraments into â—he thing which they do signifie they doe vnderstand this chaunge of the vsage of them for the which cause they doe also chaunge their name taking the name of the thing which they signifie in contemplation and in respect of this chaunge of the vse and not at all of the chaunge of one substance into an other to wit of the substance of the signes into that of the things which they doe signifie For if there were such 〈◊〉 chaunge of substance by the vertue of the sacramental wordes and of the consecration oâ— the signes it should necessaryly then come tâ— passe that the same should be in al sacraments 〈◊〉 not more in the one then in the other forsâ—â— much as there is none at all that may be sacraments without consecration and without sacramentall wordes and they haue al this commoâ— together and the like reason is in them all concerning this point Wherefore the Romaynâ— transsubstantiators haue no ground of reason to affirme that there is more transsubstanciatiâ—â— in the supper by chaunge of the substance of thâ— signes into the thing signified by the vertue oâ— the consecration and of the sacramental words then in all the other sacraments And thereforâ— if they would that we should beleeue them theâ— must then proue their sayings by other testimonies then them selues for so much as they doâ— ouerthrowe the whole nature of sacraments by their doctrine For the bread and the wine oâ— the Supper can not be made the signes there of but onely by the vertue of their consecratioâ— and of the sacramentall wordes by the which they are consecrated to that vse For as we hauâ— alreadie heard by Saint Augustine the wordâ— must be alwaies ioyned to the element beforâ— that it may be made a sacrameÌ„t Now it is therâ— then ioyned when the bread and the wine whicâ— are taken of the elements of this world are applied to the vse of the supper and this application is made by the consecration and by the sacramental wordes when they are pronounced and declared in the administration of the Supper in the same sort as Iesus Christ did pronounce and declare them and commanded the same to be done according to his example Behold then here al the conuersion and all the transsubstanciation which may be in the supper aswel as in the other sacraments Chapter xix Whether euery chaunge carry with it conuersion of one substance into another and what difference there is betwene chaunge and transsubstanciation and of the double chaunge of the signes which should be required in the supper if the doctrine of traÌ„ssubstanciation were true ANd therefore when the auncient doctors did speake of chaunge and conuersion of the signes into the same they vnderstood none other as I haue shewed and proued very plainly and by good testimonies of the auncient doctors theÌ„ selues in other treatises of mine For euery chaunge and euery conuersion of one thing into an other carieth not with it at all transsubstanciation of one substance into an other For there may be chaunge without conuersion of substance But conuersion of substance can not be without chaunge We may then say that wherâ— there is transsubstanciation by conuersioÌ„ of substance there is there chaunge But there is not alwaies transsubstanciation and conuersion
of substance where there is chaunge Wherefore there is as great difference betwene chaunge transsubstanciation as is betwene the general the speciall For chaunge is the generall which comprehendeth vnder it transsubstanciation but transsubstanciation doth not comprehend in it chaunge forsomuch as his signifiration is more ample as that of chaunge of transmutation and of conuersion then that of transsubstanciation For all these names do cōprehend other kindes of chaunge and of conuersion then of one substance into an other For as there is chaunge of substances so is there also chaunge of accidents to witte of qualities of time of places of habits and such other like thinges according to their natures and to the predicaments vnder that which they are comprehended as the Logicians distinguish them Our regeneration is not without chaunge which is wrought in our own persōs But it is not at all by conuersion of the substance of our bodies nor of our soules into others or into any other substance but it is in qualitie which is from vice into vertue by the chaunge renewing of the olde Adam of the olde man into the new And therfore if there be any chaūge in the supper touching the matter of the signes thereof it must then be considered of what kind this chaunge is and in what predicament it must be sought if we will speake as becōmeth Logicians and if there be chaunges either of substance or of qualitie in asmuch as the matter of the signes thereof is otherwise qualified when it is applied to that vse then it was before I haue alreadie declared proued that there can be no more chaunge of one substance into an other then there is in all other sacraments because of the reasons that I haue alreadie alleadged taken aswell of the nature of them as of the testimonies of the word of God whereupon they are grounded And if there were such a chaunge it must needes be that it should be in 2. sortes to witte the one by the which the bread and the wine should be appointed to be the signes of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ and the other to conuert the substance of the bread and of the wine into his body and bloud after that they should haue bene made the signes thereof by the first consecration and by the first chaunge which should haue bene made by the same And by this meane it would come to passe that there should be 2. consecratiōs and 2. sorts of sacramental words The first to consecrat cause the bread the wine to be the signes and then the second to conuert them afterward into the bodie and into the bloud of Iesus Christ or else it must be that the same very woordes should do both at one instant And if the same myght be done in the supper there is no reason why it should not be done also in the other sacraments for the reasons which I haue alreadie declared and chiefely in those in the which the holy Ghost hath vsed like maners of speach as in the supper Note We say thē that there is no more chaunge of the substance of the signes thereof then there is in those of the other sacramēts that there is none other at al but in the vse which cōsisteth in this that the matter which is taken for the signes of the sacraments is applied and serueth to another vse and an other end then his did before that time And if there be none other chaunge in the supper of the Lord there can then be none other in the masse if it be his true supper And if it be not his true supper it is not then a sacramēt of the Lord but is rather a kind of magike and of sorcerie Chapter xx Of the ground of the errour of transsubstanciation of the absurdities which followe the same and of the application of the sacramental words to those persons which are capablc and what faith there is there required BUt the Romaine doctors hauing not wel vnderstood the meaning nor the maners of speach of the auncient doctors haue taken them for a chaunge of one substance into an other in stead of taking them for the chaunge which is in the vse thereof It is no maruaile at all if they be fallē into that errour seing that they haue so il vnderstood the nature of the sacrament of the supper that not only they haue conuerted it into a sacrifice in their masse but also they haue made it a sacrament of the altar the which they accompt for a sacrament yea when it is out of the vse therof Wherfore seing they know not what the true vse of the supper is no more haue they well vnderstood what was the chaunge of the signes in the same in respect of their proper vse For that cause euen as they haue chaūged their vse into an other wholly newe and straunge by their doctrine and inuention euen so haue they found out an other newe sort of chaunge of the substance of the signes of the supper into the substance of the thing signified by them against the doctrine and the vsage of al the auncient Church This ignorance and newe inuention hath beene the cause of great and filthie errours and abuses of the transsubstanciation and of the infinite absurdities that the same draweth after it We must then first note Note in what sort the word is adioyned to the matter of the signes to know in what sort the same is dedicated and consecrated to that vse by the same word according to that which I haue lately alleadged of Saint Augustine saying The word is ioyned to the element and it is made a sacrament And then we must goe on further to consider howe the same worde is applied to the persons to whom the sacraments are administred and for whose cause the matter of the signes and of the sacraments is dedicated and consecrated to that vse whereunto it serueth For if the word were not ioyned and applied but onely to the matter of the signes the which Saint Augustine calleth element because it is taken of these earthly elements it should not be conuerted into a sacramēt by the conuersion of the vse whereunto it is conuerted but should alway remaine in his first qualitie should not be qualified as it is when that it is applied to the vse of the sacraments For God hath not giuē the word to man to declare the same to insensible creatures Note to pronounce it ouer thē For that belōgeth to magiciās forcerers charmers and enchaunters which doe abuse it cōtrary to the true vse therof For it is their custome so to applie their charmes enchantmēts to pronounce thē secretly with a whispering voice to babble mumble thē without vnderstanding as also Esay doth witnesse And therefore Saint Augustine sayeth yet very well that the element is made a sacrament by the word which
is compared to the stocke of the vine and his disciples to the braunches ioyned to the stocke and they which are not at al graffed nor ioyned together with him are cōpared to the braunches that are cut off from the stocke And therefore that this benefit is represented and communicated vnto vs by Baptisme and howe wee doe put off the olde man and put on the newe Saint Paul saieth that by Baptisme wee are dead and buried with Iesus Christ into his death and risen againe with him and planted and graffed and incorporated into him and that all those which are baptized haue put on Iesus Christ And thus much concerning the benefite of regeneratiō and of baptisme which is the Sacrament and testimonie thereof whereby the Lorde witnesseth vnto vs howe that he doeth renewe and regenerate vs in his sonne Iesus Christe into a newe life and doth refourme vs to his image by the vertue of his holy spirite and doth adopte vs by the spirit of adoption and doth aduowe and receiue vs for his children into his house which is his Church For the which cause we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Thus much concerning the nature and faults and very apparant to those which vnderstand what sacraments are and doe knowe the nature of them and also that of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ and of the vnion and the distinction of his diuine humaine natures in the person of him The first is touching the maner of expounding the sacramentall wordes of the supper The 2. concerning the signes of the same and the abolishing of them The 3. cōcerning the thinges that they signifie For the first they giue to the sacramentall woordes by Iesus Christ pronounced in the Supper an exposition altogether newe and strange which cannot in any wise agree with any kind of sacramētal speach that is in al the holy scripture like vnto that which Iesus Christ hath vsed in the Supper For first of a sacramentall proposition they wil make a natural proposition By meane whereof they haue already ouerthrowne the nature of the Sacraments For if I say of the bread of the Supper This bread is the body of Christ there is no apparance to take it naturally so as when I say Iesus Christ is man and Iesus Christ is God but this proposition must be taken sacramentally forsomuch as we must alwaies take the signification of the termes wordes which men doe vse according to the matter whereof men speake the nature of the same Wherfore if mē speake of natural things the wordes must be taken naturally but if men speake of spirituall and sacramentall thinges they must be vnderstoode spiritually and sacramentally If there be then sundry sortes of sacramental speaches in the scripture like to that which Iesus Christ did vse in the Supper there is no reason to take them in one sense in some sacraments and in an other cleane contrary in some others for so much as the matter is alwaies sacramentall and the maners of speache alwaies like And on the other side it is a great fault to take the wordes in their proper and naturall signification when they should be vnderstoode by figure and that the meaning of them cannot be true otherwise as they ought to bee vnderstoode chiefly for two causes in the speache of Iesus Christ in the Supper which woordes are at this day in controuersie The first is because that al other maners of sacramental speaches like vnto this may not be otherwise vnderstoode nor also diuers others which resemble them The other is that if they be expounded otherwise there followe infinite absurdities the which do sufficiently declare that such an exposition may not agree with the meaning of the wordes of the Lorde And that which more is on which side soeuer the transsubstantiatours their adherentes may turne them selues they can neuer in any wise expounde these woordes according to the very sense that they would giue them but that they will bee constrayned to acknowledge and receyue some figure as I haue very amply declared all these matters in diuers other bookes I say further also that they shall not bee able to finde in all the holy Scriptures any maner of speach which carieth with it transsubstanciation and conuersion of one substance into an other like to that that Iesus Christ hath vsed in his supper Wherfore is it then that they will here disguise and transsorme the language of the holy Ghost by a new exposition whereof they haue neither testimonie nor example in the whole scriptures namely in the matter of sacraments where they haue many to the contrarie For albeit they say they will take the wordes of Iesus Christe simply and according to the letter Yet for all that they doe it not when they doe expounde the meaning of them according to their doctrine For Iesus Christe hath not spoken that which they say by their exposition Chapter ii Of the abolishing of the signes of the Supper and of the things signified by them and consequently of all the sacrament by the Romaine Transsubstanciation THe other fault which is cōcerning the signes confisteth in that that by their exposition whereby they would establish transsubstanciation they doe abolish the material signes of the supper conuerting them into the thing which they signifie or at least they do confounde them both together whereas they should be distinguished the one from the other For euen as a sacrament cannot be a true sacrament without the woord of God no more can it be without material signes which are ioyned to that word as seales thereof Now if the substance of bread and wine were transsubstanciate and conuerted into that of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ there should be there no more bread nor wine by consequent there should be no more materiall signes forasmuch as there is none other but the bread and the wine From whence it should also folowe that there should be at all no sacrament And so willing to conuert the signes into the thing which they signifie they haue neyther the one nor the other For in abolishing the signes they abolish also the thyng which should be signified by them For it can not bee there offered nor communicated sacramentally as it ought to be set foorth and communicated if the meanes be taken awaye which the Lord hath ordayned to make vs partakers thereof And for to alleadge that the signes doe alwaies remayne signes albeit that they be conuerted into the thing which they should signifie because that their accidents do alwayes remaine whole the which do there remayne for signes that is not to satisfie the question and the difficultie but to make it yet greater For as the accidents may not be without substaunce no more may they be accidentes of substances if they be not agreeable to their
will they â—oue this first sacrifice which they terme not blouddy vpon the which we are in controuersie with them and of the which they say that they â—e sacrificers and successors of Iesus Christ in 〈◊〉 behalfe For we doe not disagree with theÌ„â—t all as touching the second And concerning â—â—e first wee will not make any difficultie to â—â—aunt them that the auncient doctors of the â—hurch and the auncient Church which foloâ—ed their doctrine haue indeede called the saâ—â—â—â—eÌ„t of the supper sacrifice in that sense that the holy Scripture calleth the same name the woorke of the preaching of the Gospel by the which the true ministers thereof bring men vnto God as though they did offer men vnto him and as it doth call also the mortification of the Christians whereby they offer them selues vnto God for liuing and reasonable sacrifices and in like sort the praiers thanks giuing the almes because that al these things were done auncieÌ„tly in the supper For it was not celebrated without the preaching of the word of God nor without praiers and thankes giuing from whence it hath had the name of Eucharistie among the Greekes nor without almes and gathering and such other like good workes the which God accepteth for sacrifices But these are not at al propiciatory sacrifices for the remission of sinnes the redemption of soules but are sacrifices of praise and thankes giuing For the Christian Church doth not acknowledge any other sacâ—â—â—fice propiciatorie but onely that which Iesuâ— Christ him selfe did offer in his owne person â–ª not wheÌ„ he did iustitute and administer the supper but wheÌ„ he suffered for vs and namely inhâ—â— he died for our sinnes For al his life was a peâ—â—petuall sacrifice but wee take him chiefly in hiâ— death because that it was therein ended as 〈◊〉 him selfe did witnesse vpon the crosse Then whâ— the auncients did call the sacrament of the suâ—per a sacrifice not bloudy they toke it in the seÌ„se that I haue already declared that the Supper was a sacrifice of praise thankes giuing they haue also called it so because that they haue ofteÌ„ times taken the name of sacrifice for that which we do call diuine seruice praier forsomuch as al the parts therof al the things therein required are comprised in the celebration of the Supper in that same maner as it was instituted by Iesus Christ and celebrated by the Apostles and by the true auncient Church For according to the testimony of Saint Luke the first Christian Church had foure thinges in singular recoÌ„meÌ„dation in their assemblies The first was the praiers and then the doctrine of the Apostles and the thied breaking of bread and the fourth the communion by the which two latter wee must vnderstand the administration and distriâ—â—tioÌ„ of the Supper and the gatherings for the â—oore the distributioÌ„s which were made vnto â—hem When then the auncients do call the supâ—er sacrifice and that they doe make mencion of sacrifice not bloudy they vse it in that sense that haue already declared as it appeareth plainâ—â— by their owne testimony Wherefore we wil â—â—t make any great difficulty to graunt that the â—upper was a sacrifice in that sense to wit a â—acrifice of praise and thankes giuing 〈◊〉 not a Sacrifice propiciatorie for the remission of sinnes the redemption of soules in such sorte as the Romaine catholiques do affirme their masse to be into the which they haue conuerted the supper of the Lorde Chapter xii Of the trumperies of the doctors of the Romayne Church concerning the name of sacrifice and the vse thereof and chiefly of the confusion which they put betwene the sacrifice propiciatorie and Eucharistique and betweene sacrament and sacrifice and of the differeÌ„ce that must be put betwene the one and the other WHereupon it is needful that euery man he warned of 2. trumperies by the which the Romayne doctors do deceyue the ignorant aâ—using the name of sacrifice and of the authoritie and testimonie of the auncient doctors of the Church in this matter The first is in the confusion that they make betwene the sacrifices The other in that they take the name of sacrifice in the writings of the auncient doctors for the masse such as it is in the Romayne Church For first they do take for sacrifice propitiatorie that which the auncient Doctors did take for sacrifice 〈◊〉 praise and thanks giuing and for a commemâ—â—ration of the death of Iesus Christe the whiâ—â— for the same cause men may call Eucharistique euen as some men do call it to giue men the better to vnderstand this difference as men doe cal the Supper Eucharistie for the same cause For the which cause they haue called the Supper sacrifice not blouddy to giue to vnderstande that they did not meane to offer Iesus Christ to God in sacrifice in the same for the remission of sinnes and the redemption of soules for somuch as the same cannot be done but by the very and onely sonne of God Iesus Christe nor without the shedding of his bloud but onely for a coÌ„memoration of the propiciatory sacrifice that which Iesus Christ him selfe did offer of his owne body bloud to yeeld him praise and thankes For they did knowe very wel what difference there is betwene sacrament and sacrifice and that the supper was not instituted by the Lorde for a sacrifice but for a Sacrament For in a sacrifice which is offered for the remission of sinnes and the redemption of soules it behoueth that the man offer vnto God the thing which he sacrificeth vnto him and that it be sufficient to appease â—is wrath or otherwise the sacrifice is not perâ—ect neither may it satisfie god And therefore it was that al those of the Leuits which were â—rdayned in the lawe to represent that of Iesus Christ did cease to giue place to him only But â—e sacraments are ordayned not at all to offer any thing to god for the remission of sinnes but on the contrary to receiue of him the spiritual and heauenly good things which he offreth communicateth vnto vs by the same And therefore Iesus Christ did not offer vnto God eyther the bread or the wine of the Supper or yet his body and his bloud in the same but did offer and communicate them both to wit the signes and the things signified by them to his disciples distributing bodily vnto them that which was bodyly and earthly sptritually that which was spiritual and heauenly And therefore he said Take ye and eate ye and drinke ye the which woordes he did not addresse vnto â–ª God nor consequently the bread and the wine which he commanded to eate and to drinke neither his body nor his bloud signified by the same but to his disciples and consequently to al those vnto whom the supper is administred according to his ordinance And therefore when Iesus Christ sayd
will replie that Iesus Christ and his Apostles and the auncient dnctors of the Primitiue Church haue done both in the Supper to wit that they offered vnto God in Sacrifice the body and the bloud of Iesus Christ and thē haue also forthwith communicated them to the Christian people that in so doing there is no inconuenience but that the supper may be both sacrament and sacrifice together I answere it is not enough that they do affirme except they doe proue it foorthwith I wil graunt them that the sacrifices of the lawe were also as a kind of sacramēts and that there were some in the which there was oblation to God of one part of the beast which was sacrificed and in like sort communion of an other part among the people and that there was ioyned to the sacrifice a banket the which signified the communion of the people in the same But that cannot agree with the supper For for the first as there was dayly newe banket in these sacrifices so was there newe hostie For they mought not sacrifice one very thing oftener then once nor by consequent communicate the same more often to the people but they must needes take dayly new But the like is not of the sacrifice of Iesus Christe For there is but one onely hostie of the same which is very Iesus Christ the which is the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde figured chiefly by the paschall lambe which among the rest was chiefly sacrifice and sacrament both together because that the Lord had two regards in the institution of the same For first he instituted it to be in the Church of Israel for a memoriall and remembrance of the passage which the Angell of the Lorde did make in Egypt striking the first borne of the Egyptians and of the deliuerance of the Israelites from the captiuitie of them as Moyses doeth plainly witnesse For the which cause it was called by him and consequently by the other Hebrues Pesah which is to say Passage by the name of the thing that it did signifie of the which the Greekes and the Latines haue made their worde Pascha the which they haue vsed and which since haue bene cōuerted into our speach by the name of Easter Beholde then howe this sacrament had regard vnto that which was already done and to that benefit of God the which the Israelites had already receyued touching their deliuerance out of Egypt And by that meane it was a memorial and a sacrament cōmemoratiue and a sacrifice of praise of thanks giuing in respect of the things which were already passed But beside that the Lorde had yet regard to the deliuerāce of mankind the which should be wrought by Iesus Christ whereof that of Egypt was a figure And forsomuch as he should worke this deliuerance by the passage of his death and by the sacrifice of his body and of his bloud the sacrifice was ioyned to the sacrament in the Paschal lambe to the end that i◠should the better represent that which was yet to be done and accomplished Beholde wherein it was ordeyned for the thinges which were yet to come and of the which men did yet looke for the accomplishment For that cause there was there a sacrifice which did represent that of Iesus Christ to come And also there was ioyned vnto a banket which did signifie the communiō of him as it ought to be in euery sacramēt And therefore Saint Paul hath ioyned the one with the other expounding the veritie of that figure For after that he hath sayde that Christe our passeouer was sacrificed he exhorteth the faithfull to the spiritual banket of this sacrifice and to the continuall feast which wee should make and celebrate alwaies Seeing then that the thing to come figured by this sacrifice sacrament was accomplished the one and the other are ceassed For we haue nowe the Sacrifice offered by Iesus Christ whereof the other was but a shadowe and figure Wherfore seing that wee haue the body and the trueth the shadowe and the figure doth clerely cease And therefore euen as our Lorde Iesus Christ did chaunge the Circumcision of the Church of Israel into the baptisme of the Christian Church euen so hath he chaunged the Sacrament of the Paschall lambe into that of the Supper the which hath that in common with the sacrament of the Paschall lambe that as it had regard to the passage which was made in Egypt and to the deliueraunce of the children of Israel which were thinges that were alreadie done in like sorte the Supper hath regarde to the passage which Iesus Christ hath made by his death and for the deliuerance which he hath brought to mankind by the sacrifice which he hath offred in the same which are also things that are alreadie done and passed They haue in like sort both of thē this in common that euen as the sacrament of the Paschall lambe was ordeined and celebrated according to the commandement which the Lord did giue to Moses in the same very night in the same very time that the passage should be made in Egypt the people deliuered from the same euen so Iesus Christ did intitute and celebrate his Supper in the very fame night and euen before the very time that he was taken to be brought to be sacrificed and to woorke the deliuerance of mankind For that cause he vsed the very same maners of speach in the institutiō in the administration of this sacrament as Moyses did in that of the Paschall lambe For euen as Moyses did fay of the lambe It is the passeouer of the Lord which is to say the passage the which he did represent giuing to the signe the name of the thing signified euē so Iesus Christ did say of the bread of the Supper This is my body and of the wine This is my bloud of the newe testament or This cup is the new testament in my bloud Wherefore it is not also to be doubted that euen as he did folowe the maner of speach of Moyses which was much frequented in the holy Scriptures in the vse of the sacraments euen so did he also vse them in the like sense and signification without disguising any thing at al the accustomed language of the holy Ghost by sense newe and straunge to such maners of speach Thus much concerning that which the sacraments of the Paschall lambe of the supper may haue common together touching these points But the Supper hath this different from the same that it was not instituted to be a figure of any sacrifice to come nor of any other thing which mought be yet to accōplish but only to be a sacrament cōmemoratiue of the sacrifice already offered by Iesus Christ and for the communication of the same And therefore there is no propiciatorie sacrifice for the remission of sinnes in this
in the holy scriptures But we haue not one onely for the other two Note And on the other side when it is commaunded to the liuing to pray for the liuing it is not to the end that the one should be aduocates towards God for the others or toward Iesus Christ but onely to exercise their charitie the one towardes the other because that they do knowe both the necessities infirmities whereunto they are subiect but the like is not of the dead The same is also done to the end that God may be glorified by many as Saint Paul doth witnesse And therefore he which mought be aduocate for others how often doth he desire the praiers of the other faithful for him during this life and did he euer promise or teach that he or any other of the Apostles other holy personages would pray after their death for thē for the other liuing or also for the dead Wherefore I will alway conclude infallibly that such praiers are made without faith only by opinion and humaine fantasie From whence it also foloweth that they are sinne displeasing God. Chapter xix Of the Collects of the auncient Church of those of the masse of the Deacons aswell of the one as of the other of their office THe other point which is the twelfth the last is touching the Collects of the aunciēt Church those of the masse his offertories I haue already declared in an other place howe that the auncient Church had collects almes for the poore ioyued to their assemblies namely to thadministratiō of the supper and that for the same cause it had also his deacons which had the charge dispensation the care special regard to the poore to the end that al mought be distributed in good order according to the necessitie of euery of thē Therefore when the faithful mette in their assemblies namely vpon the day of the Supper euery of them did bring according to his power that which he would giue as wel for the helpe and maintenance of the poore as for the other charges which the Church did ordinaryly endure And the deacons did receiue gather the same which euery one brought of their owne free wil without any cōstraint thē they did husband and distribute the same so wel by so good order in such faithfulnes that the almes of the faithfull were not giuen but only vnto those to whom they ought to be giuen and had neede thereof And by this meane euen as the poore were not left in necessitie no more were the idle loytering ones nourished in their idlenes by the meane thereof And they also which had wherewith to mayntaine them selues otherwise did not eate at al the goods of the poore Note But the cleane contrary is now done in the masse in the Romaine Church She hath not only deacōs but also Subdeacōs and Archdeacons but they are but vaine titles which haue not ioyned vnto them the office which they doe signifie but are greatly different from those of the which the scripture mēcioneth For they are such but in name as are all the other ministers officers of the Romaine Church that which do keepe wel the aunciēt names titles of the true ministers of the auncient Church with those which they haue added vnto thē by their owne inuention but others must be sought which must execute their office For these kind of men are well contented with the titles the benefices the which they do enioy vnder the shadowe thereof without taking any care at all for the office Euē so is it of their deacons Subdeacons archdeacōs For they haue not in al their clergie any that are appointed to haue any care for the poore nor to distribute vnto thē any of the goods of the Church nor of the offerings which are offered in the same For the goods of the Church are no more in the Romaine Church the goods of the poore but the goods of the rich which do so deuide it with the poore that they take al to thē selues doe leaue nothing or else very litle for the poore They haue indeed in their masse the offertory in stead of the collects of the ancients But that which is there receiued is not for the poore but for the priests and the monkes which deuide the spoile among them Chapter xx Of the Charge which is giuen to Archdeacons deacons subdeacons in the Romain Church of the offertories of the masse of the same ANd in the meane time their deacons Subdeacons Archdeacons are occupied but in foolish vain ceremonies as it appeareth aswel by the charge which is giuen vnto thē whē they are appointed to their mynisterie by their Byshops or suffragans as by the also which is written of their office in their bookes by the executiō of the same There are in their masse praiers to wit those which goe before the reading or the singing of the Epistle that which they do cal Collects But in the meane time there is no collection made for the poore And the Doacons and Subdeacons which should gather the same should distribute them after ward to the poore do there none other thing but that the one singeth the Epistle the other the Gospel which is to say some piece aswel of the one as of the other yea often times very euil vnaptly shaped And as for the rest they do serue the priest which doth administer the masse Note in the ceremonies which he hath to do chiefly to gather the offerings of the offertorie that which as I haue already said come not so farre as to the poore And yet they do not this office but in solemne masses such as they do sing with a loude voice for in the others it is sufficient to haue some pety clarke to answere thē to serue the priest which is at the altar And as touching the offertorie it is not so in euery mans libertie either to go or not to go thereunto but that there is also constraint thereunto chiefly in certaine feastes of the yere namely in those which they do call solemne For there is certaine tribute laid vpon aswel men as women at the least vpon fathers mothers of houshold which they must thē bring to the offertorie And albeit that the curats haue their benefices cures certenly rented yet for al that they say that that is their right as are many other impostes which they do impose to their parochians aswel for the liuing as for the dead aswel for thadministration of their sacraments as for their other ceremonies superstitions Idolatries If the same be not done in euery place after one sort yet it is done notwithstanding For they doe not any thing freely for nought Thus much concerning this latter point the which we do also condemne in the