lett it be marked that Master Iuell confesseth him to be an auncient wryter for a certen purpose when we shall proue many thinges to lack in the late setting vp of this new religioÌ„ which were vsed in the primitiue church as frankinâ—ense oyle salt syngyng crossyng handes wasshyng and suche like which Sainct Denys reckoneth vpp In the third place S. Iustine is alleaged but to the shame of the coÌ„munion in English â–ª because S. Iustine maketh mention of wine and water both the English order hauing wine only without water And agayne yf any were absent in S. Iustines dayes the sacrament was caryed home to them which according to the expresse forme of the Ghospell and S. Paule should as these men report be receiued not alone at home but in the coÌ„gregation togeathers with other After him S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Leo are browght in to proue that which catholikes euer confessed of that in the primitiue church the people did communicate with the priest with which thing it myght stand well inowgh that the priest did his office although the people would somtymes not communicate for of the dayly sacrifice and receauing of the priest vsed in the old church S. Chrisostome sayeth in the .24 homelâ— vpon the first vnto the Corinthians Doe we not offer dayly yes we do offer but therby we make a remembrance of his death But of the slacknes of the people S. Ambrose sayth It is a daily bread why doest thow receiue it after a yere as the Grecianâ— are accustomed to doe So that yf the priest should tary for the people and they would not receyue and if he could not consecrate and doe his office except some would coÌ„municate then had they in Grece in some partes thereof but one communion through the whole yeare which is to absurd and vnreasonable and also against S. Chrisostome ad Eph. ho. 3. where he maketh expresse mention of frequent and oft receâ—uyng But now see what a reason he bringeth agaynst vs euen by the very masse which is at this daye vsed he proueth that priuate masse was neuer practised Because the prayers and blessinges and actions of owr masse do apparteyne to the plurall number and therfore vnto a communion and not to the priuate masse Which thing being grawnted it will folowe then that the forme of the masse is very auncyent and made within vâ—C yeares of Christ after which tyme priuate masse came in place as they seeme to say For reason doth geue that vnto a priuate masse the rulers of the church would not haue geuen a common forme ergo this masse which at these dayes is vsed which soundeth of a coÌ„munion was before the priuate masse ergo it is verie auncient ergo it should not be so much taunted at as M. Iuell hath done in the begynnynge of his Sermon And further it doth appere that the masse hath no lacke in it self as the which agreeth in sence and wordes for more then one to receiue at it but only the fault is in the people which will not conforme them selfes vnto the order of the masse And yet I say further that the wordes of Oremus let vs pray and orate pro me pray for me be truely sayed when the priest alone receiueth bycause more are present at ouery massâ— then any bodelie eyâ— can see And also because the priest ys not a priuate person when he is at the alter but a common officer of the whole church whose presence is allwayes vnderstanded to be at the office of the masse euen as she is present at the baptising of children yf neither god father nor god mother neither mydwife neither parish clark were within heâ—â—ng but only the young infant which hath no discretion and the priest or som other in tyme of necessitye to baptise the child in the name of the father the soune and the holyghost Now after all this he allegeageth the Canons of the Apostles a decree of Calâ—xtus the Dialog of S. Gregorie O Lord God what faces haue these men They know in their owne haâ—â—es that the Canons of the Apostles and the Dialoges of S. Gregory make so much agaynst them that they are constrayned to repell them both and priuely by your leaue to laugh at S. Gregory And yet now see what a good countinance they beare towardes them But all that which any of thes â—ore named witnesses do conclud is that in the primitiue church the people dyd coÌ„municate or when they were slack and tardye the good Byshoppes dyd make them to hasten them selues with these wordes and like except yow communicate depart yow hence yf yow be not ready and worthy to receiue yow be not worthy to be present c. But when charitye for all the good mens exhortatioÌ„s daylie decreased and for all their sainges wheÌ„ very few did receiue should the dayly sacrifice fayle shold the order of Melchisedech haue his end should there be no priesthode any more because the people did not coÌ„mucâ—te The rulers of Christ his church did exhort and wish that men would receiue dayly which when they could not obtain they coÌ„maunded that yet at the least euery sonday they should coÌ„municate which after a space being greuous vnto many they brougth it vnto .3 principall feastes of the yere Christmas Easter and Whitsontyde And those .3 at length seming to many in England for in other countries they keepe them and more to vnto this day it was last of al enacted by the church that he which would not receiue at Easter hauing no necessary impediment should not be accompted for a ChristiaÌ„ And should we in this wicked world haue no oblation or seruice betwixt Easter and Easter yf in all that space none but priestes by them selves would receaue Allso doth any wise man iudge it necessary that in these dayes all orders be appointed vpon the payne of deadly synne which were in the primitiue church vsed At those dayes by the .10 Canon of the Aposteles he which had not taryed at the prayers vntill the end of masse and receiued the holy coÌ„munion was suspended therefor But now the best of euery parish doth come and goe at his pleasure and receiueth but thrise in the whole yeare to fulfill the act of parliament and is quyte owt of dawnger of so great a punishment as suspension is to be compted By S. Gregory his dialoges he should depart which did not communicate and now they which receaue not doe taryâ— in yowr church withowt fault vntil their turne of receauing commeth At those dayes Catecumenes in the faith and the penitentes were coÌ„maunded to go furth and now euen those which are of a contrary religion are compelled to come in Therfor the heades of the church haue euer wrought wysely easyng the rigor of their statutes as it should be best for the â—â—difying and not destroying of the people Glad to receiue them euery dayâ— if that
tawght the people that it was iniurious to Christ and his mediation to aske for helpe at any others handes then his Or that they should vse the signe of the crosse in baptisme only and not at the coÌ„secrating of Christ his body Or that they were not heretikes which threw downe altars erected vnto Christ Or that any Bisshopp then was maryed vpon Asshewensday Or that any goodman then did write that the gouernement of women was monstruous Or that 〈◊〉 in these wordes hoc est corpus meâ—Ì„ yâ— to be taken for significat Or that the lay people communicatyng did take the cup one at an others handes and â—ot at the priests handes or the deacons Or that there was any controuersie then in religionâ— which being decided by the Bishop of Rome the contrarie part was not taken for heresie and the mainteiners of it accompted heretikes Or that any then was put in the Calender for a Maâ—â—â—r which was hanged by iust iudgement not for any cause and matter of faith but for euident and wicked feloâ—â—e Or that any ecclesiasticall persons were depriued then of their benefices or excoÌ„municâ—ted owt of church and liuyng for that they refused to sweare against the authoritie of thâ— Bishope of Rome Or that any suche othe was vsed to be put vnto any man at that tyme Or that any fâ—yer of threescore yeares obteinyng afterwardes the Româ— of a Bishop maried a young woman of .xix. yeares Or that any Bishopp then preached to be all one to praye on a dunghyll and in a churche Or that any but heretikes refused to subscribe to a general and lawful couÌ„cell gathered and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome his authoritie These be the highest misteries and greatest keies of their religioÌ„ and without these their doctrine can neuer be mainteyned and staÌ„d vpright Yf any one therefor of all owr aduersaries be able to auouch any one of all these articles by any such sufficient authoritie of Scriptures doctors or Councels as I haue required as I sayd before so saie I now againe I am content to yeld vnto hym and to subscribe in that poynt which I wold neuer do nor might do vnto an heretike knowing that my faith must not hang vpon the euent of disputation yet seing I haue begon to playe the foole with a â—oole therefor I vse this terme of subscribing as I do lerne it of master Iuell But I am well assured they shal neuer be able trulye to alleage one sentence And because I know u therefor I speake it least any happelie should be deceaued And thus far furth to the imitation of master Iuell Factus sum insipiens vos me coëgistis But what now might any protestant think of this challenge will he not mislike with me that emong so manye articles as I reherse with great solemnitie so few are of weight and substance will he not be moued at the very hart that for indiffereÌ„t matters and reasonable ceremonies I shall require yet to haue their proufe out of the first six hundred yeares after Christ and owt of generall councells or auncient doctours or els make an exclamation agaynst the keeping of them will it not greiue hym that I stick vpon termes which can neuer be fownd in the cumpasse of the primitiue church which if their principles were true woulde folowe yet well inowgh of them And that leauyng the principle I presse hym with the particular word of some conclusion will it not anger hym Can he take it for indifferent dealing that I rekon vp some ones priuate opinion and make as thowgh it were the generall determination of all the protestantes in the world And when I haue gathered vp a number of articles of which the greater part conteineth indifferent or simple matters to coÌ„clude of theÌ„ all in one sum without order or distinction and boldlie to saye These be the highest misteries and greatest keies of their religioÌ„ and without these their doctrine can neuer be mainteined and stand vpright can the protestant hearing or reading this if he haue any spirite of trueth or honestie think that I were to be trusted in any point with the teaching or guyding of the ignorant yet I assure you marke it who will M. Iuells most gloriouse challenge hath no better reason or substaÌ„ce in it for of so manye his ors and interrogatories to make a shew and colour of great copie and store of matter I 〈…〉 of them which be not either of 〈◊〉 poyntes and quidditiesâ— without â—â—â—cussing and examinyng of which the Catholike faith continueth 〈◊〉 â—nowgh or els about orders and 〈◊〉 of which the gouernours of 〈◊〉 church haue the making or remouing in their discretion Now therefor if this maner of owr challenge be mislyked I am gladd that in aunswering a foole accordyng to his foolishnes I haue geauen warnyng to the Reader not to make of euerie rare thing and much praised a Iuell and to be ware euer of great faces sett vpon small and simple matters As on the other syde if for M. Iuells sake and honor this my challenge framed after the example of his shall stand for a reasonable one and tolerable lett me be answered then in the particulars and except I doe replie againe and that speedelie I with others will yeld vnto hym Yet now because the wyseman hath sayed not onlie aunswer a foole according to his foolishnes but rather and before this warned vs with doe not answer a foole according to his folisshnes lest thow be made lyke vnto hym I will not therfor rest and staye vpon the forsaid challenge but come furth with an other full of great and principall matters neither will I be lyke the protestant and troble the reader with questions of small importauÌ„ce but of substanciall and necessarie articles concerning the orders of this present lyfe or the hope of the lyfe euerlasting I make for the Catholikes honor this challenge and prouoke him that can to encouÌ„ter me I except none thowgh I lyke not all for who would be matched with the bold and blind brothers willinglie but I trust who so euer replyeth he shall be superintended so wiselye that his aunswer shall not come against me but with good authoritie and priuileage I saye therefor If any single one of owr aduersaries or they all conmunicating togeather can proue by any suficient testimonie out of Scriptures Doctors or CouÌ„cells That for the space of six hundred yeares after Christ hys ascension by which hundreds onlie they would be tryed in examining of veritie It was vnlawfull to make a vowe to God of chastitie obedience or pouertye or that breakers of such vowes were estemed aboue others as singular witnesses of the libertye of Christ his true Ghospell Or that it was abhominable then to make to hym any speciall sacrifice besides the sacrifice of owr thankes in wordes and figures for his benefites with remembrance of Christ his passion for vs and besides the offering of owr sowles and bodies to
Martirs that the Christen people doe keepe the memories and commemoration of Martirs with a religiouse and deuoute solemnitie bothe to stir vp in them selues a folowing of them and also to be made partakers of their merites and to be holpen by their praiers But the practise of the primityue Church beinge euydent althowgh the cause of it were not knowen whi vse yow not in yowr communion an ordinarie inuocation of holie sainctes Now if in all other thinges no oddes betweene yow and the true church might be espied yet the praying for the dead was in the primityue church so laudable and in yowr religion it ys so hated that except before iudgemeÌ„t be geauen yow alter in that poynt yowr communion no reason can beare it to be Apostolike Consider by your selues S. Basiles and S. Chrisostomes masses whether peculiar and proper mention of the dead be not made in them to obtaine God his mercie for them Remember that S. Augustine desireth his brothers and fathers tho priestes which should reade of the death of his mother to pray for her at the altar And if you will be loth to turne to these places and to consider them accordinglie I will pardon you of that labor trusting that one testymonie will be sufficient vnto you which seeke nothing but trueth and are readie to folowe better councell The testymonie is Sainct Chrisostomes It hath not ben decreed for nought by the Apostles sayeth he that in the celebration of the venerable misteries a memorie should be made of them which haue departed hense For they knew that much vantage and profite did come herebie vnto them c. So manie poyntes therefore considered which we find vsed in the primityue churche and which we lament to see contemned in your vpstart church can you for shame of the world either not folow that if you know the state of it or if you doe know litle of it so boldlie compare your selues with it You say that whithout exception and authoritie to the contrarie you haue the same order and fasshion which was practised in the auncient church thorough Christendome and I doe shew you now half a skore of iust exceptions of noe small maters or hard to find but great and easie to be perceiued Who therefore might in this place and vantage against yow geue for God his sake which is trueth a iust and free sentence betweene vs and you Who might graunt forth inquisitors and Iudges to sitt vpon it which of vs two doth folowe the church and which of vs two doth belie her how long is it that men halt on both sides If our Lord be the God folow hym if Baal be folowe hym If Iuell say trueth lett the Catholikes contynue in their infamie if the Catholikes proue hym a lier goe vpright and halt not with a false legg This coÌ„munion of yowrs M. Iuell is no more lyke the masse office or seruice which the Catholikes vsed in the first fyue hundred yeares after Christ then a fowre crabb is lyke a sweete orenge But as some man might folishlie say of an other he is lyke King Arture the famouse bycause he sitteth at a rownd table or hath perchaunse some part of a gesture which as he hath readen in Chronicles becummed King Arture verie well whereas in all kynd of manlines he is more neerer a ducke then a duke so that I may be quietlie suffered to coÌ„pare thinges simple and temporall with those great matters and euerlasting these obscure Protestantes bycause they presume all of them to receiue vnder both kyndes as Christ did vnto his Apostles onely deliuer them both as teaching them how to celebrate that daylie sacrifice and bicause they will not receaue except they be a company of them together loe say they we be the folowers of Christ and his Apostles and of the primitiue church as far as fiue hundred yeres goe for there we leaue them and we haue the light of the Ghospell after so long a night of nine hundred yeres and more and our ordre of the holy communion is the same which Christ deliuered o good brothers and the Apostles receaued and the Doctors and Fathers continewed without any exception which can be made to the contrary Wheras in deede you may see in how many and how principall thinges they forsake quite the true ordre of the primitiue church But shall they be so suffered for euer True it is the Sacrament is an holy thing the ordinance of Christ the mystery of our saluation Yet is there nothing so good no ordinance so holy no mystery so heauenly but through the foly andx frowardnes of man it may be abused From this place forward many leafes together he proueth that thinges may be abused and reckoneth vp certein abuses which haue chaunced about the SacrameÌ„tes and if I take him â—ardie but in one he must be gilty in all bicause he alleageth all with like faith and integritie and willeth him selfe to be takeÌ„ as he is if he be found ouercom but in one thing onely First then as concerning those which did baptise the dead they ar well reproued in the third CouÌ„cel of Carthage the sixt canon But here by the way I note one great vnreasonablenes in those men which at their pleasure to serue their turne doe alleage Councells and will not yet obey the canons of the same Councells The 17. canon of this very Councell of Carthage forbeddeth that no strange women that is to say none but either mother grandmother Aunt by the father or mothers side sisters and brothers or sisters doughters either such as wer of household before they toke ordres but besides these none should dwell together with the cleargie And now priestes doe take not onely strangers to their household seruaÌ„tes but also to their chambre and bed felowes The .27 CanoÌ„ coÌ„maundeth water and wine both to be vsed in the sacrifice The .36 forbeddeth vtterly that any priest shold coÌ„secrat holy oyle for that was reserued to the Bishop only with whose leaue the priest might coÌ„secrat virgins But in these quarters of the world nother water in sacrifice nother oyle nother virginitie with coÌ„secration therof is alowed of the ProtestaÌ„tes Reason truly it is to take a mans whole tale and not to mangle an auncient CouÌ„cell Which Councel if they do not creditt why then doe they bring the testimony of that Councell for profe of their purpose against which they bere false witnesse that it is not to be folowed But to let this matter to passe A great abuse is attributed vnto Tertullian and Sainct CypriaÌ„ his tyme a thousand foure hundred yeres agoe that the Christians toke the Sacrament home with them This was â—aieth M. Iuell an abuse and therfore it was broken But who did break it tell vs It was broken saieth he and how doe ye proue this to be an abuse it was an abuse saieth he And I say it was not and why not my nay as good
euery day they would come Glad to receiue them on sondayes if not thâ—n yet thrise a yere once at the least or yf the people would neuer come shall their incredulitie make voyde the truth of God And maye not a priest enter in to the most holy places of Sancta Sanctorum excâ—pt the whole parish goe in together with hym Therfore grawnting that in the primityâ—e church when all Christians lyued so honestly in their common behauior as a few doe liue in these dayes in the monasteries they receiued dayliâ— throwgh the seruentnes of ther charitie it standeth yet with good reason that if none receiue now with the priest the seruice and sacrified which was in the primitiue church should neuer the lesse continew because the not receiuyng is imputable vnto the fault of the people but the order of seruice and sacrifice hath been receiued of Christ the Apostles and their successors And so M. Iuell yow nede not to cry owt with O Gregory O Augustine O Ierome O Chrisostome O Leo O Dionisie O Anacletus O Sixtus O Paul O Christ. as though they haue deceiued yow and tawght yow schismes and dâ—â—sions for yow saye if the people receiue not ther can be no masse at all and the fornamed saye according to the state of their tyme that yf the people wil not receiue they depart and geue place To denye obstinathe that yf a priest say masse and receiue alone it may be auayleable that is an heresie to exhort and persuade that the people prepare them selues to receiue daylie that is the doctors saying and here vnto agree the Catholikes And now we are come to the place where the preacher doth most dilate hym selfe with crakyng and lying with prouoking of others and enforcyng hym self so abundanthe that one would loke that he should bring sumwhat Yet he talketh so coÌ„fusely that I can not tel wherwith to begyn som thinges which he asketh deseruing no answer other thinges which he denyeth requiring whole treatises They haue saith he herm which is the matter of the priuate masse not one father not one doctor not one alowed example of the priâ—â—â—ue church to make for them I speke not this quod he in vehemencie of sprite or heate of talke but euen as before God in the way of simplicitie and truth and therfor once agayne I say that of all the wordes of the holy Scripture they haue not one Loe one wold think that the Catholikes did maynteyn a certen thing called a priuate masse in despyte and contempt of the layetie And that this priuate masse were such a thing as maketh or marreth owr religion for euer for which yet we can alleage no Scripture no example no councell no doctor no auncyent father But shal I answer breifly the church of Christ hath and knoweth no priuate masse and therfor to what purpose is it to requyre that she should proue it And although some masses are sayed in the mornyng some before the King and his Cownsell other before the coÌ„mons some where none will receiue other where a few are prepared therunto yet the masse is not diuided among them which haue lernyng into mornyng masse and hygh masse or royall masse and low masse or common masse and priuate masse as it were the proper distinct kyndes of masse or as heritâ—kes may be essentiallye diuided into Lutherans Zuinglians Anabaptistes and such like But as there is but one naturall Soon of God Ihesus Christ which toke flessh for mankynde and one oblation was offered by him once for all so there is but that one oblation which still contineweth and but one masse Further â–ª now yf any lerned man of all owr aduersaries or yf all the lerned men that be alyue be able to bring any one sufficient sentence owt of any olde Catholike doctor or father or general CouÌ„cell or holye Scriptures or any one example of the primitiue church The sentence is very long the conclusion is that yf we can bring any proufe agaynst them in a nombre of articles which he recyteth then will he yelde and subscribe vnto vs. A Godes name then what shall we proue Eyrst quod he that there was any priuate masse in the whole world at that tyme. No there was none then neither is there any now emong the Catholikes Or that there was any communion ministred vnto the people vnder one kinde Vnto this what yf I should answer no and say that vjC yeres after Christ the people receiued vnder both kiâ—des owr Catholike fayth is in no dawnger therby and we are not rebells or traytors to the ordenance of owr Sauior and the primitiue church For in a matter indifferent the church may folow what part shall please her and this receiuing in one or both kyndes is indifferent as concerning the layetie and this is so playne that owr aduersaâ—â—es doe coÌ„fesse it The right third Elias and restorer of the Ghospell M.D. Luther in a boke of his vnto the Bohemians Bycause in deed sayth he it were goodlye to vse both kindes and Christ hath commaunded in this poynt nothing as necessary it were better to folow peace and vnitie then to striue vpon the formes and kindes of receiuyng the sacrament Thus first theÌ„ could I answer safely inowgh but I will take an other way and proue by good auctoritie of fathers examples of antiquitie that within vjC yeares after Christ the sacrameÌ„t was receiued vnder one kynd Christ owr Sauior toke bread brake it and gaue it vnto the two disciples with whom he turned in at Emaus and before he did the like with any wyne euen in the very brekyng of the bread he vanysshed owt of their syght but that bread was his body as S. Augustine and Theophilact doe testifye therfore was there receiuyng of Christ his bodye vnder one kynd in the primitiue church I trust this testymonie be auncient inowgh Likewise in the .xx. of the actes of the Aposteles S. Paule the Christians came together vpoÌ„ a sonday to breake bread but there is no mention of wine ergo they did receiue vnder one kynde Yf yow deny the brekyng of bread to be takeÌ„ in that place for the sacrameÌ„t besydes that lerned fathers do so expownd it the tyme it selfe bycause it was the next day after the Saboth which is owâ— sonday doth make it lykely the latenesse of receiuing of it is a good argument therof also Bycawse yf they had com to supper they would haue tasted therof before midnyght but at midnyght the young man Eutichus fel downe from the vpper loft where S. Paule preached or talked to them and after that the Apostle had putt them in good comfort that he was not dead then loe he ascended agayne and brake bread and tasted it and so coÌ„tynued his talke vntill the morning So that the circuÌ„stance of the day which the Christians kept holy and the vnseasonablenes of the tyme to goe to
such an high ministery might turne to reproch of their rashnes in that behalfe they alleage for their excuse the wordes of Christ saying Do this in remembrance of me Do not we offer vp Christ euery day sayeth S. Chrisostom And agayne It is oure Bishop Sayeth S. Ambrose which offred vp the sacrifice which clensed vs the same offer we nowe also which then being offred can not be consumed Let vs priestes therefor sayeth the same blessed man in an other place follow as we can our high priest that we maye offer vp sacrifice for the people although weak in deserts and good dedes yet honourable for oure sacrifice for although Christ nowe doth not seme to offer yet he is offred in earth when that the body of Christ is offred Wherefor I conclude that it is a very lye to saye that it can not be found in any auncient Doctor that priestes haue authorite to offer vp Christ to his father Thus hauing then proued right sufficiently that he hath bâ—lyed the church and the truth for the rest of the questions whether we can find in the olde fathers the termes ex opere operato or indiuiduum vagum or the questions of the applying of the sacrifice or of the accidents remaining or the case which he moueth of a mowse vnto all these which so roundely and gloriously as if the field had ben woÌ„ne he bringeth forth all in a ray I resist with one awnswer that if I could finde them in old Doctours yet at this tyme I would not seke them and if they can not be found as I may grauÌ„t without hinderaunce of the Catholike faith expressely and plainely sett forth yet hath he wonne nothing vnto his purpose And bicause this coÌ„fession of myne for what others will faâ—e I can not tell but yf this confession of myne maye seme to geue somwhat vnto M. Iuells articles I will therefore agayne shortely make my aunswer more plainer I graunt that I finde not within .vj. C. yeares after Christ that ex opere operato and for the workes sake sinnes were forgeueÌ„ at the masse time Ergo saieth he the highest misteries and greatest of your religion be broken No Syr not so for you aske whether within .vj. C. yeares after Christ these or these termes were expressed and I aunswer no. as farr as I know But if you aske me whether these and these thinges be true and whether thei were beleued I wil plainely saie yea and proue it plainely But I will proue it by the consent of lerned men and the voice of the church which hath ben sence the .vj. C. yeares of which you speake But yow will haue the proufe to be takeÌ„ out of the vjC yeares next after Christ or ells you will not admitt it As though this were your argument what so euer was not preached and so lefte in writing vjC yeares after Christ that is not true â–ª but indiuiduum vagum was not mencioned with in these vjC yeares ergo what so euer is proued by all lernyng as concerning indiuiduum vaguÌ„ that is not true bicause it was not spoken within those vjC yeares And as I haue made your argumeÌ„t in indiuiduuÌ„ vaguÌ„ so is it in all the other of your articles allmost in whiche all the fault which you finde is that viC yeres after Christ were passed before they were by the Catholikes published Now if this be a good reason then do I confesse that I am quyte ouercomed But if that otherwise it be nothing worth then haue I lost nothing in graunting that with in vjC yeares after Christ certain yea most of those articles which he reciteth were not plainlie opened how think yow if that in the ende of August when frutes are ripe and are tasted to be good yet some one sadd witted felow would coÌ„demne all the frutes in the orchard for wild and naught that onlie for this cause that in the beginning of Aprill no such thinges were vpon the trees would in his owne coÌ„ceyt praise the faire moneth of Aprill for the shining of the Son the opening of the earth the gentle raines fâ—om the cloudes grene ornaments of the ground which no maÌ„ wold denie but for all the rest of the spring and sommer if he wold speak few good wordes of theÌ„ for anger wold cast away all the frutes of the haruest should he not declare a madd testy kinde of wisedom therein And why then I praie you in the church of God which is called in Scripture and is in dede his paradise and garden will you admitt nothing but that which budded forth in the vjC yeares after Christ as it were in the spring tyde or beginning of sommer The coÌ„clusions of the valew of the SacrameÌ„t of the applying thereof of the accidents of all other such thinges they com out of the rote and body of the tree of that veritie I meane which saieth This is my body which if you will coÌ„temne bicause they were not sprongen out vjC yeares after Christ you shall be one of the hastings to speak the lest of you Where is it readen with in vjC yeares of Christ that oure blessed lady was preached or named the mother of mercy the hand mayden of the Trinitie the spouse of the holy ghost the Quene of heauen the Empresse of hell yet if you beleue in dede and in harte and not saye it only froÌ„ the teeth forwarde that she is the mother of God necessarely al the other titles folow Shal I then saie she was not called the Quene of heaueÌ„ or spouse of the holy ghost in the vjC yeares after Christ ergo she maye not be so called now and the greatest keye of owr religion is brokeÌ„ yet coÌ„mon sense approueth that a kinges mother is a Quene and not of no place I trow And thus I trust M. Iuel hath no cause to triumph hytherto Now for the rest of thinges which do folow vnto the end of his sermon I haue litle minde to declare the falsehood of them bicause I am wery of repeting so many vntruthes of his one he alone betrated being sufficient to confound his loylâ—ty in misreporting and miscoÌ„struing with libertie For what reason is this to saie that therefor the papistes do not wel answer no masse is priuate seing that in euery â—asse euery priest doth communicat with an other where so euer he be bicause saieth M â–ª Iuell by this reason there should be 〈◊〉 excoÌ„munication at all whereas the party excoÌ„municated in England might saie he wold coÌ„municat with the priest which saieth masse in Calicute For this reason doth proue our senteÌ„ce that wheras the man in England being excoÌ„municated can not communicat with the priest in Calicute ergo the priest of Calicute and England be of one communion and body so that he which is cutt of from the one can not remaine in the other and he which agreeth with the one agreeth with the other
of my way to the mount Tabor if I were in the furthest and wildest places of all Egipt Bicause they wil trust none but theÌ„ selues and their owne wittines and as them selues shal cast the way so will they heare by leisure what old good fathers do say but yet will they folow their owne inclinatioÌ„ this being inowgh with them all for the most parte that my mind and sprit geueth me this should be the way ergo this is likely to be the way And again the sprite of God is not in the great scholars and high Bishops or rulers of the world ergo happy are we the poore and ignorant which haue neither lerning neither authority M. Iuell complaineth that som there are this day which refuse the coÌ„munion and runne headlong to the masse wheras the holy coÌ„munion is restored to the vse and forme of the primatiue church to the sam ordre that was deliuered and appinted by Christ. and after practised by the Apostles and coÌ„tineued by the holy doctors and fathers by the space of â—iue or six hundred yeres throughout all the catholike church of Christ. without exception or any sufficient example to be shewed to the coÌ„trary I could make short and say all is lies And truly to make short in many places I shal be constrained the matter doth so increase together with a iust indignation Which if I should folow to the vttermost I might write a great volume and yet not com to the end But as for saying al is lies without prouing of it althowgh my negatioÌ„ be as free for me in familiar writing as his affirmation is for him in open pulpetes and preaching yet bicause I need not to vse such extremity I will proue that all together it is falsely aâ—owched which he writeth in this forsaid sentence For how first doth this coÌ„munion agree with the ordre that was deliuered by Christ yea rather what ordre of celebrating did Christ deliuer which yow can tell of Christ did sit down with his twelue and after the paschall lambe eaten he arose again he put of his roobes he girded him selfe with a linnen cloth he poured water into a bason he wasshed his Apostles feet he satt downe again he preached he toke bread he blessed it he brake it he gaue it saing this is my body which shalbe deliuered for you And likewise he toke the chalice and blessed it as the Ghospell testifieth and at the last many godly and comfortable lessons being geuen and grace ended he saied to his disciples arise let vs goe hence I. there any more abowt the last supper of Christ that you can tell of But how many thinges more and how many thinges lesse hath your ordre in the communion book What Scripture haue you for the linnen faire cloth vpon the communion table Where hath Christ deliuered vnto you that the preist shall staâ—d at the north side of the table Where found you the praiers collectes exhortations coÌ„fessions knelinges doune standinges vp and such other fashions as the coÌ„munion book hath prescribed I speak nother of nor on as coÌ„cerning the goodnes and allowance of these thinges but onely I aske where you had these ordres of Christ For these be your wordes that The communion now is restored to the same ordre that was deliuered and apointed by Christ. Now as you haue many thinges more in your communion then euer you can proue by expresse Scripture that owre Sauior vsed in his last supper so haue you on the other syde many pointes lesse then yow owght to haue by any dispensation if Christ were your perfect example For Christ our Sauior as he was at supper with his disciples first and formost toke bread And how dare you to make your boste of the exact folowing of the Lorde where as you be ashamed to take your coÌ„munion bread in to your handes I will not presse you with the question whi you doe not communicate at supper tyme which one might thinke that you would cheifelie doe being such obseruars and kepers of the actions and procedinges of Christ but this so reasonable and coÌ„sequent point that I meane he which intendeth to worke about any matter shold take it vp in to his hand and this thing which Christ hym selfe hath willed vs by his example to do in taking of the bread which he minded to consecrate in to his holie and reuereÌ„d handes why do not you remember to folow and why geue you not furth a general iniunction that euerie minister shal kepe that ceremonie and maner For although you M. Iuell as I haue heard saye doe take the bread in to your handes wheÌ„ you celebrate solemply yet thousandes there are of your inferior ministers whose death it ys to be bound vnto any such externall fasshion and your order of celebrating the coÌ„munion ys so vnaduisedlie conceiued that euery man is left vnto his pryuate rule or canon whether he will take the bread into his handes or lett it stand at the end of the table Lett it therefore be well marked that first of all you either forgett or neglect or be ashamed to folow Christ in taking of bread in to your handes It foloweth in the Ghospel that Christ dyd blesse but what dyd he blesse vndowbtedlie that which he toke in to his handes And why then doe not yow folow Christ in this action abowt the sacrament or leaue craking that you haue brought your coÌ„munion vnto that perfect forme and absolute at which Christ left it vnto vs if you will appeale in this place vnto the Iewes in whose tongue blessing ys commonlie takeÌ„ for thankes geuing you must then expound vnto vs what thankes Christ dyd geue vnto the breade For the accusatiue case which is gouerned of the verbe Benedixit he blessed ys not Deum or Apostolos that is God or his Apostles but panem that is bread Therefore he blessed the bread and dyd not thank the bread no he dyd not praise the bread in which sense benedicere to blesse ys oft tymes taken For how could that holie mynd of his which alwaies was occupyed vpon highe matters and which then was most especiallie fullie and excellentlie directed vnto the making of vnspeakable misteries intend the right seasonyng or well bakyng or fayre lockyng or any other thing worth the praising in that bread which he toke in to his handes yf you would or could for your curst stomak greatnes of hart folow with quietnes and charitie the example and maÌ„ner of the wholie catholike church you shold make the signe of the crosse ouer the bread and think that Christ hys blessinge of that creature ys wel so to be vnderstanded But as though a thing were the worser for the signe of the crosse made vppon it or as thowgh Christ in blessing of the bread blessed it not in deed but rather blessed thanked his father so you â—lee by all meanes possible from all such
towardes the East in your coÌ„mon prayer As it doth appeare by S. Iustin the martyr .118 quest Bicause saieth he we should reserue the most honorable thinges for God and by all mens iudgement where the sonne riseth that is the worthiest part of the wordle The same also is proued by S. Athanasius quest .37 Which alleageth for that purpose the testimonies of the Psalmes and Prophetes in answering to a Iew for the answering to a Gentil he saieth that bicause God is true light therfor we loke towarde the sight created and doe not worship the light it selfe but the maker therof Thirdly to a Christian this he answereth saing For this cause the most blessed Apostles did make the churche of the ChristiaÌ„s to looke towardes the East that we looking vnto Paradise from whence we haue fallen I meane our old coÌ„try and land shold and might desire our God and Lord to bring vs back thither froÌ„ whence being cast out we are in this banishement And of this iudgement also S. Basil the great is And saieth It is a tradition of the Apostles And with these agreeth S. Austen sayng when we stand to pray we torne vnto the East And why therfore is not this ordre kept in the communion boke but expressely rather it appointeth the Priest to stand at the north side of the table Is this your continewing in old fathers and doctors orders that yow be assured no example can be shewed to the contrary of that which you doe if you say the standing maketh no matter suppose it to be so wherfore then did you not let thinges stand wheÌ„ they were wel or why do ye crake before ignorant people that you hauâ— the same ordre withowt example to the coÌ„trary which was in the primitiue church and fiue or six hundred yeres after vsed Thus first then you stand not rightly no more doe ye in the rest accordingly For where is the water which you should mingle together with the wine in consecrating the chalice why keape you not this auncient approued and receaued ordre S. Alexander Bishope of Rome the fifthe after S. Peter saieth Neither wine alone neither water alone but both mengled together ought to be offred vp in the chalice of our Lord. as we haue receaued of our forefathers and reason it selfe dothe teache bicause both they are readen to haue gusshed out of his side when he suffred his passion Item the third Councell holden at Carthage forbideth that any thing els be offered then our Lord him selfe hath deliuered and appointed that is to say bread and wine mengled with water Again S. Cyprian in one whole epistle greatly rebuketh them which offer vp water alone or wine alone Bicause he saieth that our Lorde appointed it so that water and wine should be mengled both together to signifie the ioyning of Christ and his Church in one For many waters do signifie in the Apocalipse many people so that water mengled with wine doth well represent the people tempered together and vnited with Christ. How say you be not these witnesses sufficient inough they are within the fiue huÌ„dred yeres which M. Iuell geueth vs leaue to considre if perchaunce we may find any exception to the contrarye that the ordre in the Englishe communion is not according to the perfect example of that which it should be I aske yet once again why the minister of the holy coÌ„munion is not commaunded to make the signe of the crosse when he should consecrate This also was an old custome For in S. Iames and S. Basiles masse there ysâ— a proper place and tyme before sacring as we haue called it in which the preist doth make the signe of the crosse vpon the bread and wyne And Tertullian sayeth that in his tyme it was a generall custome to make the signe of the crosse in the forhead at euerie comyng in to the house at euerie going furth in puttyng on theire apparell in sittyng downe at the table at candelltyde at beddtyde How much soner then dyd they vse that signe in holie misteries S. Chrisostome also an awncient father the head sayeth he ys not so much decked and set â—urth with a royall crowne as with the crosse All men signe them selues with it â—mprinting it in the most noble part that we haue For in the forehead as it were vpon a piller the figure thereof ys daylie made so lykewise in the holie table so in the makinge of preistes so againe with the bodie of Christ in the misticall suppers that signe doth florishe Vnto these .11 fornamed witnesses lett vs take a therde verdict of the blessed S. Austyne which iudgeth of the crosse in this wyse that except it be putt vnto either the forheades of the faithful either the water with which thei are regenerated and borne againe wither the oyle with which they are anointed either the sacrifice with which thei are norished none of them all ys well done What then shall we saye yf M. Iuell hath not thorowghlie readen these awncient doctors how hardie and hastie was he in reporting that his communion and his felowes ys restored to the forme of the primitiue church deliuered by Christ practised by the Apostles coÌ„tinued by the holie fathers and if that he hath readen the holie fathers and yet coÌ„tempneth their sayinges what credit is to be geuen vnto his preaching which plaieth the hipocrite so notoriouslie But lett vs make other exceptions In the primitiue church altars were alowed emong Christians vpon which they offered the vnbloudie sacrifice of Christ his bodie Saynct Paule manifestlie saying we haue an altar of which they may not eate which communicate with Idolls The councell also called Agathense hath decreed it that Altars should be halowed not onlie with the anoynting of holie oyle but also the blessing of the preist Yet yowr coÌ„panie M. Iuell to declare what folowers thei are of antiquytie doe accompt it emong one of the kyndes of Idolatrie if one keepe an altar staÌ„ding And in deed yow folow a certayne antiquitie not yet of the Catholykes but of desperate here tikes As Optatus writeth against the Donatistes saying what ys so wicked theewish as to break to rase to remoue the altars of God vpoÌ„ which once you did offer Now if you be of no affinitie with the Donatistes answer for the pulling downe of altars what sprite it was which moued you there vnto Againe in the primityue church incensing at masse was of most holie men alowed witnesses hereof are S. Iames in his masse saying O Lord â—hesu Christ c. purge vs from all spot and make vs to stand pure at thy holie altar that we may offer vnto the a sacrifice of prayse and receiue of vs thy unprofitable seruaÌ„tes this present perfume for a sweet sauor c. S. Denise also ys a witnes which emong other thinges write coÌ„cernyng the order of church seruice in his
by many miracles that hath ben well knowen vnto the church not hastely to iudge of the spirite of God with whom you are not so well acquainted as Sainct Benet was but humbly and reuerently to heare the miracles of God in his sainctes and to confesse that M. Iuell doth not know all thinges Wher you haue it that Sainct Benet did geue the communion vnto a dead woman I know not verely but Sainct Gregorye reporteth a lyke thing of hym that a ladd of Sainct Benet his monasterye departing vnto his parentes without the blessing of Sainct Benet and before his returne departing also the world after he was committed to the earth the next day he was cast vp again Wher vpon Sainct Benet after mone made vnto him sent the communion and willed it to be putt vpon the brest of the lad After which doâ—e ther was no more troble which thing being so sadly writen by Sainct Gregory we may not well lawgh at it and the same finding no fault with the matter lett not vs murmur against the workes and inspirations of God In deed it is not for euery man so to doe but when so singular vertuous men are moued therunto and when a great effect doth folow we must iudge that God was the author therof and that the partie did it not vpon his owne opinion and boldnes The which answer serueth also that we be not to bold in condemning any one his deuotion and faith which vseth the sacrament for his defence in any kind of cause For S. Ambrose praiseth his brother Satyrus which minding to goe ouer the seas did take of the ChristiaÌ„s which were in the shippe with him the Sacrament and hanged it about his necke wherevpon afterwardes when a tempest did rise and breake the shippe he committed him self to the defence of Christ in hys Sacrament and so miraculouslye escaped drowning And lyke as Saint Peter takyng comfort and strength of the presence of Christ sayed Lord if thou be he bid me com vnto the vpon the waters and did walke vpon them as vpon firme land so the Catholikes which certainly beleue that this is he him selfe whome they see couered vnder forme of bread although he be alwayes present yet they are more out of feare when they haue him within their handes and reach And throwgh the grace which cometh from him they walke securely and peaceably As contrarie wyse vnto other which doubte of Christ his wordes and make such a sence of them as they be able without difficultie to attaine vnto saying that he is present by a certain conceiued thowght of ours and remembraunce onely I wondre not if it seme foly vnto such to make any store of the Sacrament or to reserue it for a stay of their wauering fayth in ieoperdies For what is bread but bread and what can it doe more then comfort the body But now againe bycause in S. Benet his time more besides him as M. Iuell collecteth did geue the Sacrament euen vnto dead persons ergo they certainly did confesse a more liuely reall mighty and blessed thing therin to be then our protestantes will admitt So that putting a side the question whether they did well therin or no yet this appeareth that they toke the SacrameÌ„t to be as Christ hath saied his verye owne body and that faith was in the church within the fiue or six hundred yeres after Christ which M. Iuell receaueth for incorrupt But alas what if they which most of all defend the masse them selues find fault with the masse as Albertus Pigghius by name the greatest piller of that parte First I answer that the church doth not take him for the greatest piller in so much that in three or fowre poyntes she noteth hym to haue had his errors a Catholike faith is not bownd vnto any priuate mans opinion But you be accustomed to this kinde Then I say further that it appeareth hereby of what good conscience Pigghius was who did not write for fauor of his side or hatred of the contrarye which if he had minded he would neuer haue yelded one inche vnto an heretike which haue that maÌ„ner of stoutnesse that if one of them denie neuer so manifest a thing as for example that S. Peter was euer at Rome vpon which thing all writers agree vpon althowghe they differ somwhat in the time but as I sayed be the thing neuer so manifest to the contrarie of that which any of them doth affirme or impugne yet will the rest defend him in their wise not perchaunce in alowing the opinion but in saing that it is a disputable questioÌ„ and so that being grauÌ„ted ergo say they it is no mater of faith whether the one part or other be taken But the catholikes bicause they be plaine they doe vtter their owne opinioÌ„ and noting dissemble with theâ—r felowes if it be not trew Wherin they are suffered so to reason one against an other that they be both of them obedieÌ„t vnto the church whose voice we do harkeÌ„ vnto not what Albertus Pigghius saith Thirdly theÌ„ I answer that more beside Pigghius coÌ„fesse abuses to haue crept into the seruice of the church as it appeareth by the catholikes which coÌ„sulted vpoÌ„ reformatioÌ„ of disorders in a certain meeting at Ausburg Also â—â—ofmesterus in the expounding of the masse demeth not but som trifles haue ben put in but what abuses trifles doth he meane forsoth such as be in som proses antiphonies repetitioÌ„s and rehersalls of thinges not auteÌ„tike which be in deed in the coÌ„passe of the masse but are the outward garment as it were of the body Now wheras you say that Pigghius hath found out errors and abuses in the masse it maketh a Catholike man to feare by and by lest that either by Pigghius opinioÌ„ Christ his body were not really present or were not to be adored the signe of the crosse wer not to be vsed in the masse or water and wine not to be mengled or the bread not to be taken in the hand of the priest when he should coÌ„secrat or least som other thing worth the talking of were omitted or abused As for a versicle or lesson or som one ceremony there may be cause perchauÌ„ce to alter it and yet the masse continue neuer the worser And therfor truly M. Iuell semeth vnto me not to play a bold part and vpright for wheras properly as he can not but know except he be to much vnlearned wheras I say the masse is properly the sacrifice of the new law in the which Christ his very owne body is offered by him self throwgh the ministery of priestes vnto God his father for the purging preseruing and beutifying of his church M. Iuell yet setting him selfe to talke against the masse I will not speake sayeth he of transubstantiation of reall presence of sacrifice I am content to disauantage my selfe at this tyme in those thinges but I will talke
one to interpret and expound them wheras daily seruice is and may be well done of more then two or three skore Again by their interpretation of speaking in tongues all seruice must be in the mother tongue and women thereat may sing But S. Paule doth so take speaking with tongues that he sayeth let women hold their tongues in the church One thing they might say with good reason that the Epistle and Ghospell which are appointed for the instruction of the people might be readen in the mother tongue if they were first well translated And yet also euen by Sainct Paule if the priest were able to expound it afterwardes he might read it in the masse time in an vnknowen tongue to the common people For S. Paule doth not forbid to speake with tongues so that one be present which can expound them Ergo say they when none doth expounde it ther is a great fault committed Goe to let me graunt that all is not so exact but that heretikes may peeke a quarell Who shall amend that which is not well or who hath made you controllers in the howse of God why doe ye not first make a priuy exposition of your conceit vnto the officers why doe ye not then cast your heades together and make a most humble supplication why goe not you to Rome and confer with Peters successor as Paule aâ—â—ended to Ierusalem to Peter and the rest Why doe ye not pray to God that he will helpe when no peaceable request can obteine And if God for som cause knowen to him self should differ his help must you take the sword into your handes or vsurp the auctoritye of Christ his church and make your selues leutenants vnder God And yet it is no greater fault to read the Ghospell in Latin vnto English men then to read the same in English vnto Welshmen But you will prouide hereafter that Welshmen may haue iâ— in the mother tongue or cause them to learne English How say you then to Irishe men Northen men and Cornishmen Ther is no remedie but euery spech must haue a boke of seruice in ther proper mother tongue But yet in the meane time doe those quarters which obey the Kinges of England and vnderstand not the Englishe tongue lacke the frute of their deuotion whiles they be at seruice And shall we make folish coÌ„plaintes and exclamations that the poore welshmen doe lacke the liuely worde of God that S. Paules will is broken that the order of the primitiue church is neglected and so furth as far as our rhetorike will serue vs bycause they vnderstand not what the priest sayeth Let it be an abuse that the people three yeres sence did not vnderstand the Ghospell but onely stode vp at it and bowed their knee at the name of Ihesus and did conceaue wonderfull high thinges to be vnderneth the Latin spech and honored God in their hartes How much better is it now I pray you when the simple folke and those which are of the old making vnderstand the sentences but by halfes and either for lacke of attention or dulnes of hearing or smalnes of voice in the reader doe beare very litle away and when those of the new making doe herken to mainteine talke there vpon or to appose the priest or to iudge the priest or condemne the church of God or to glorye in their knowledge deceauing them selues and wening that they be able to expounde the Scriptures which are not able for lack of humilitye to heare them onely as yet Charitie without science is more to be alowed then science by which charitie is greatly confounded Yet for all this let the epistle and the Ghospell be in the mother tongue what hath M. Iuell to doe with the Canon In which the priest doth as Sainct Chrisostom sayeth stand before God as a suter for all the whole worlde For whom the people should pray that his seruice for them might be acceptable and that he may haue good successe What if they vnderstand not his spech all that while The quire according to the Latine and Greke church is occupied in singing the angelicall hymne of Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Whiles the priest prayeth softly and closely at the altar the laitye were to be taught to loke for the consecrating of that body which was borne circumcided presented with fast debated scorged torne cruciâ—ied raised vp and which at lenghth ascended into heauen for their sakes And that presence of Christ once beleued they shold nede no English tongue or sermon for that tyme to bring hym vnto theyr remembraunce whom presentlye they know by the infallyble fayth of the church to be vpon the altar What nedeth then any English at this point yf one might speak with tongues of men and Angells yet at the presence of those mysteries al tongues are to like And therfore good men forsake theyr tongues and goe to their hart and there speake they after a more excellent sort then Latinistes Grecians or Hebricians can doe Which spech of hart which soundeth in the eares of God almighty good people had most of all when they were lest busied with the spech of bodely tongues with which they vttered mysteries and thankes and vowes and loues and complaintes and requestes and all heauenly desiâ—es and deuotions Out of the pulpet they lerned theyr faythâ— out of the church they talked of God in the chauncell they appointed priestes and clerkes to prayse God and to pray for them at the altar there stode the priest alone and there was theyr Sauior and ours ready for them And after this sort seruice being appointed there remained for them consideration of the thinges which were by externall signes declared The true religion consisteth not in tongues which tongues are necessarye for learning of the faith but faith ones receaued and taken in the hart the most perfect way afterwards of seruing God is to consider in our mindes the greatnes of his benefites which we comprehend by faith And by this reason one plaine picture of the passion of Christ shall gene more deuotioÌ„ vnto him which alredy is faythfull then a most eloquent learned sermon of M. Iuell him selfe Bicause the end of the sermon is to leaue in my hart and mind a picture of Christ and the beginning of a picture is the Image of that which I haue printed in my conceuing so that I may say where a preacher endeth there beginneth a painter and hearing of sermons is for those which are to be instructed and beholdinges of externall signes and pictures is for them which loue in silence and closenes to practise their beleife Wherfor ther is no cause to haue the Canon of the masse in Englishe but cause ther is why the lay people should be instructed what to think in time of the Canon And again I say it is no greate matter to heare what is therin saied but the only matter is to beleue that which therin is done And as at the
beginning it was necessarye to open my eares that the worde of God might entre by that way into my hart so the worde ones by faith conceiued and the hart being now throwgh the goodnes of the holy ghost made as it were great with childe there with all I shall more euidently behold the veritie of God in those mysteries of which it is sayed This is my body if eares and eyes and all sense were stopped then if I should entend the proper actions of those senses But S. Austen saieth in the praiers which we make vnto God we must not chirpe like birdes but sing like men ergo we must not vse an vnknowen tongue Yea with a further ergo we must lerne to vnderstand the English which we read in the congregation which bicause thousandes doe not receaue therfor they be chirpers and not speakers Yet the Englishe seruice doth remaine although euery one doth not vnderstand it Iustinian also a Christian Emperor made a strait constitution that the wordes of the ministration should be pronounced with open voice that the people might say Amen ergo the seruice must be in English yet for al that we say Amen vpon those wordes which we vnderstand not when ther is no mistrust in the faith and honesty of the person which pronounceth them And also if the people saied Amen to the wordes of the ministration which I think to speake more plainly are the wordes of consecration then doth it appeare that they confessed the wordes which the priest did speake to be most true in them selues so that when the priest pronounced these wordes This is my bodye the answering of Amen by the people did confirm it to be so in deed and excludeth quite all siguration and signification of his bodye Touching the second abuse of the coÌ„munion he findeth fault that the Sacrament is not receaued in both kindes of which afterward we shall speke seperatly And in the meane tyme this I say that this obiection maketh no more against the masse then if I should disproue a good dish of meate not for any vnsaâ—orines therin but bicause the good wife of the house for diuers causes doth kepe it away from the seruantes For what is this against the masse that both kindes be not ministred in the which masse both kindes are consecrated and both kindes may be receaued if the masters of the house doe thinke it good Were the law of Mâ—â—â—â—s or the. Ghospell of Christ worthely to be reproued bicause a few onely were suffred to read the law and Ghospell doth the Sonne lese any of his light bicause the cloudes com betwixt our sight and him and kepe his beames away from vs Suppose then that it were most true which is most false that the Bishopes and heades of the church did robbe the people of one part of the sacrameÌ„t shall this robbery be obiected against the masse it self in which both kindes are consecrated I graunt vnto yow M. Iuell that the sacrament hath been receaued and may be receaued hereafter in both kindes what doe you conclude thervpon ergo there is an abuse in the masse Why Sir doth the order of the masse forbed the receauing oâ—der both kindes are not both kindes consecrated in the masse doe not the priestes receaue both Yea but the Bishopes and priestes deliuer vnto the lay people one kind onely They doe it in deede and for iust cawses But a Bishopp or priest is not a masse and the fault of men is not the fault of the seruice Reproue then the Bishopes and speake not against the masse and confesse that the masse is autentike and godly but that the ministers do not folow their boke which I say not as thowgh the Bishoppes and priestes were in deed giltie theyr doinges being grownded vppon most iust causes but to shew that if there were any fault it is yet more rhetorike then reason to obiect that agaynst the masse which apperteyneth onlye vnto the men The third point that I promised to speake of is the Canon a thing for many causes very vain in it selfe and so vncertain that no man can redely tell on whom to father it Loe what a fault here is no man can tell who made the Canon of the masse ergo it is not to be credited As who might doubt whethere the third and fowerth bokes of the kinges were to be credited the proper author of them being vnknowen or as thowgh they were fautles which haue denied S. Ihons reuelations and S. Paule to the Hebrewes bycause it hath been a question whether they were the true authors of those thinges After like maÌ„ner of folly it is saied no man can redely tell what yere of Nero his raigne S. Peter did come to Rome ergo he was neuer at Rome which liberty of babling ones graunted there may be found which shall make this quareling argument and say the histories doe not agree what yeare of his age Christ suffered ergo his passion is not to be beleued wel yet among all them which are named authors of the Canon take him which was farthest of from Christ and see what a foule blank M. Iuells cause must haue Innocentius tertius saieth that it cam from the Apostles that is to high thinketh M. Iuell Goe to then take him which cometh lower that is S. Gregory the first who lyuing within six hundred yeares after Christ it foloweth well that the Canon of the masse is of great antiquitie And now bicause you glory that for six hundred yeares after Christ there can be found nothing against your communion and religion it is easy to nombre that the very Canon of the Masse which you speake most against was in those dayes vsed in the church of Christ. Wherfor if the Apostles made not the Canon them selues yet are you coÌ„founded bicause they made it which liued within six hundred yere after Christ by which yeres you are contented to be iudged But you wil say that some write how Gregorius the third made the Canon and that you beleue that to be most true In deed it is the property of your side to take all thinges at the worst â–ª for otherwise why should you not beleue rather that one Scholasticus made it before S. Gregoâ—â—e his tyme as you vnderstand hym and other also before you no euill men or protestantes Althowgh in deede it is worth the coÌ„sidering whether he meaned some one certaine lerned man whose name should be Scholasticus or els some of the Apostles and scholars of Christ. for his wordes be these in his epistle and answer made in the defence of the order of the masse of his church where coÌ„cerning owr Lordes prayer why it is readen after the Canon It seemeth vnto me an vnseemelie thing sayth he that we shold saie ouer the oblation the praier which Scholasticus or â—ls as I wold translate it which the scholar made and should not saye ouer the bodye and bloud of
replieth saying The holy oblation whether Peter or Paule doe offer it or any other priest of what so euer goodnes he be is the same which Christ did geue vnto his disciples and which priestes euen now to these daies doe consecrate And S. Ambrose He is saieth he our Bishop which offered the sacrifice which purged vs the same we also now offer vp which then being offered can not be consumed Wherfore seing that priestes how so euer they be in their liues are honorable for the sacrifice which they offer And wheras Christ did offer vp him selfe according to the order of Melchisedech in his last supper and thirdly wheras priestes do the same very thing which our master did before it is ignoraÌ„ce not to know these thinges or dissimulatioÌ„ to passe by them it is impiety to speak against the church and it is blasphemy in deed to reuile or taunt at Christ his bodi But yet M. Iuel wil proue his saing For contrariwise Christ presenteth vs and maketh vs a swete oblation in the sight of God his father Ergo sayeth he the priest offereth not Christ. which is open blasphemye or els he should say that he vnderstandeth not the matter For what contrariety is betwen Christ and his church or betwen the head and the body All this which I shal say is true Christ offereth vp vs Christ is the oblation it selfe the churche offereth Christ and Christ doth offer his church and in all this ther is no contrarietie witnes hereof is S. Austen saing Bicause of the forme of a seruant which he â—oke Christ is also a priest him self being the offerer and him self the oblation Of which thing he would the daily sacrifice of the church to be a Sacrament wheras he is the head of her the body and she the body of him the head she aswel being accustomed to be offered by him as he accustomed to be offered by her So that euery man may see whith what lerning and truth the Canon hitherto hath ben reproued But let vs coÌ„sider the rest More ouer the priest desireth God to accept the body of his soâ—ne Ihesus Christ â–ª as he once accepted the sacrifice of Abell or the oblatioÌ„ of Melchisedech And think we that Christ the soune of God standeth so far in his fathers displeasure that he nedeth a mortal and miserable man to be his spokes man to procure him fauor Haue you seen a man somtimes for wantones or dronkenes or plaine 〈◊〉 to fight against his owne shadow 〈◊〉 M. Iuel here streketh that kind of men which I haue not read of and none I think which beleueth in Christ did euer dreame that his father was angry with him and that he needeth to haue not onely a mortal miserable man but any most glorious creature to speake for him Yet this preacher so sowndeth as though all the whole number of Catholikes which these nine huÌ„dred yeres by his owne coÌ„fession vsed the Canon haue praied to God for Christ his soule Now God haue mercy on his sowle which so loudly belieth so many blessed and lerned men This obiection hath in part been answered before yet I say now again that the church desireth God to loke downe vpon his sonnes body and to accept it either for vehemency of loue and deuotion which causeth men to repete again and again that which they are sure of or els bicause all flesh is weake and vnclean and vnworthy to come so nigh vnto the most high mysteries therfore the church desireth that God will accept at her handes and looke fauorably vpon the body of his soâ—ne fearing lest perchaunce the wickednes of her be such that God turneth away his face from her euen at that time when his most dearest soune is present After which manner albeit the Ghospell and the actes of Christ be alwaies liked of God yet of som it is saied by the Prophet VVy doest thou declare my righteousnes and takest my testament in thy mouth Which men wel might praye after this sort which M. Iuel so gretly wondreth at and say Lord behold with a merciful couÌ„tenance the wordes of thy owne Ghospell and turne not away they face from thy owne testameÌ„t And so likewise that which foloweth in the Canon that God wold accept the sacrifice of his sonnes bodye as he accepted Abell Abraham or Melchisedechs oblations it is not spoken as M. Iuel faineth as thowgh the bodye of Christ were to be receaued no otherwise then shepe or lambe and bread or wine but the church declareth therin her wish that as concerning her seruice not as concerning the price of the thinges offered in the old time and these daies of grace it wold please God to receaue at her handes the sacrifice of Christ his body so thankfully as he receaued the oblations of those good fathers And that her seruice in this part may be no worse vnto her then those of old time were to Abell Abraham and Melchisedech But let vs now coÌ„sider by this obiection what one may do which is disposed and what euil example is geuen vnto Ethnikes by the lokes of Christians to speake against the Christian faith Arise o Lord sayeth the Prophet why doest then slepe Remembre Dauid o Lord sayeth the same Prophet and all his gentlenes and that Dauid is Christ. And in an other place of the Psalmes it is writen that God did arise like one which had ben a slepe and like a valiant which had well dronk of wine Yea it ys expresslie sayed for Christ I pray God to heare the in the tyme of thy tribulation and so furth thorowgh the whole Psalme Shall Christians in these places play the Ethnikes partes and aske whether God be a slepe or forgetfull or well tipled what doe they meane which pray to obteine any thing for Christ his sake do they not say in effect all this behold o Lord how thy blessed soun take flesh vpon hym for our sakes remembre his obedieÌ„ce remembre the scourges the prickes of thorne the nailes the crosse the death which he suffered remembre and doe not forget how deepe is S. Bernard and S. Bonauentura and thousandes of blessed men in the coÌ„sideratioÌ„s of our Sauior his passion what lamentations what questions what wisshes what thoughtes haue they O blessed fault sayeth S. Gregory which deserued such a redemer what saye we to the auncient hymnes of the church which are song in the lent the sense I remembrâ— although I keepe not all the wordes Bowe downe thy bowes o tall high tree and slake thy hard stiff graine That with soft stretching his bodye thou ease the high kinges paine what place is left for the fong of the three children All the workes of our Lord blesse our Lord And the Psal. Praise ye our Lord which is in the heauens in which Psalmes sonne and moon thunder lightning haile snow hills fildes riuers seas all beastes of the earth
to most shamefull death reignyng at the right hand of God his father and present among men vpon the altar Stick not therefor I say vnto the body lett not your thoughtes and desires rest in the flessh onlye but goe hyer by your faith and coÌ„sider that blessed sowle of his so chast patient wise charitable bright glorious and yet hyer and hyer in to the very heauens and aboue all heauens beholding and wondering how the maker of them all whom thowsand thowsandes and ten hundred thousand thousands do wayte vpon ys present here for vs to be receaued of vs and to incorporate vs in to hym selue This loâ— haue I spoken more largelie bicause M. Iuell hath no other way to answer S. Augustine but to declare as we denye it not vnto them but which thei haue lerned of vs that we must ascend with our hartes in to heauen and there honor Christ. Which being most true and grawnted vnto hym he doth vntruly and ignorantlye to say that Christ is not to be honored also in earth in the sacrament of his very bodye and bloud bycause he is to be honored in heauen For we doe not diuide Christ and make one Christ to be in heaueÌ„ an other to be on earth one bodye in heauen an other in earth but men worshipp hym in heauen one God and the Angells worshipp hym in the Sacrament here on earth as S. Chrisostome proueth And men worship hym as he lieth vpon the altar and Angells worship hym as he sitteth at the right hand of God his father And so both Angells and men doe worshipp Christ both in earth and in heauen and that not with two kindes of honors one for holy dayes an other for working but with one salfe same honor and worship The protestants wold be seen to say much when they appeale so often to heauen and receaue Christ sitting at the right hand of God as who shold saie the papistes myndes goe no hyer then the priestes handes when he sheweth the SacrameÌ„t vnto them And when they haue supposed that this is true then loe they triumph in recityng S. Chrisostome S. Augustyne S. Hierome and then are they sorye that old holie fathers be not regarded But the answer vnto them is readie that they haue saâ—ed therein very well but nothing to the purpose for Catholykes doe beleue that they must lift vp their hartes and seeke for Christ in heauen and worship hym at the right hand of his Fatherâ— but protestantes denye that Christ is reallie present in the Sacrament or that he is to be worshipped therein which I shal disproue a litle more S. Augustyne vpon the .21 Psalme The riche of the earth sayth he haue eaten also the bodye of their Lorde but they haue not been fulfylled as the poore men were in folowing of Christ but yet they dyd worship hym Now M. Iuell coÌ„fesseth that where we eate Christ there we worship Christ. ergo these riche men of whom the Prophet and S. Augustyne speak which did eate Christ on the earth did worshipp hym also on the earth for in heauen they did not eate hym bicause they folowed hym not as the poore did which worthelie did receaue hym Again how could the gentyles haue misreported the Christians in the primitiue church for honoring of Ceres and Bacchus the false goddes ouer bread and wyne except they had geuen some argument thereof in deed by reason of honoring Christ in the SacrameÌ„t For if an Ethnyk shold behold a Christian after grace sayd to eate his meate sauorlie and soberlye he could not think that he worshipped Ceres and Bacchus therein But when the panymes hard saye that the Christians dyd eate the flesh of theyr God and when they could see nothing but bread and wyne which were receaued with all reuerence and deuotion they might not saye that is was onlie bread bycause of the honor which at the presence thereof the Christians exhibited vnto it and they could not saye it was the bodye of Christ bycause that being yet infydells they were not instructed in owr misteries it remayned then to think and to report that vndoubtedlie Christians dyd worshipp Ceres and Bacchus Which proueth that the Sacrament was then adored and worshipped Besides this it ys gathered owt of the same blessed Doctor that we doe honor thinges inuisible I meane flessh and bloud vnder the forme of bread and wyne whiche we see And we doe not take these two kyndes after lyke sort as we dyd before the consecration whereas we confesse faythfullie that before the consecration it is bread and wyne which nature formed but after the consecration it ys the flessh and bloud of Christ which blessing hath halowed But yet for all those testimonye what sayeth M. Iuell It is a verie now deuyse quod he and which as it is well knoweÌ„ came but latelie in to the church about .iij. hundred yeares past Honoâ—us being Bishop of Rome and coÌ„maunding the SacrameÌ„t to be liâ—â—ed vp and the people reuerentlie to bowe downe to 〈◊〉 After hym Vrbanus the fowerth appointed 〈◊〉 holydaie of Corpus Christ c. Threâ— hundred yeares are 〈◊〉 but a very litle 〈◊〉 with â—ow when we â—alke of the adoration of the sacrament but if we come to the glorious setters furch of the new fownd Ghospell thirtie yeares lacking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 computationem Eccelesiâ— Anglicaâ—â— doe â—â—â—ke a greaâ—â— antiquitie And then 〈◊〉 or after hym Zuinglius must be named fathers and Apostells when very blessed Bisshoppes Honorius and Vrbanus whom all Christendome assented vnto are named contemptuouslie as who should say I knew them whem thei did stand withowt the church doores and could not read any letter in the bâ—ke But goe to when Honorius did commaund the adoration of the sacrament dyd any countrey of all Christendome or Cytie or godlye man speake agaynst it Or when S. Vrbane apoynted an holidaye for it is it writen or extant by any argument that it was refused in any place The popes I am sure were not withowt counsell the Vnyuersities were not withowt great scholars religious houses and orders were not theÌ„ destroyed the holy ghost in true Catholykes was inuincible the wicked spirite in heretykes would haue been venterous a good man with the daunger of his life would haue spoken the trueth an heretyke to wynne a fame would not haue passed vpon death the dyuel also being his comforter and in these so manye causes whi the trueth should not be suppressed is it possible that withowt open coÌ„tradiction a false honor of God should be receiued among Christians therough the whole world yf the adoration of the Sacrament were in deed blasphemous being so receaued as it was in all ChristeÌ„dome so many people runnyng headlong as you ween in to their damnatioÌ„ did the holy ghost stirr vp no one good man to call them back That holy ghost which was promysed before and is now performed vnto the church of Christ which
ys an inuincible immortall â–ª and coaeternall God with the father and the soune which geueth seuenfold graces and emong those seuen one especially of fortitude would he suffer all his church to be beaten downe and would geue strength not so much as to one agaynst whom all his aduersaries should not be able to preuaile In the tyme of the synagoge and in that night when a generall Idolatric was committed our mercifull God euer dyd vse to raise vpp some one Prophete or other whom he would not only to speake but whom he would also maintein both to speake and to be hard if not to the peoples profiting bicause of their infidelitie yet to their coÌ„demnation bicause of his iustice and equitie and that posteritie of them might know how to feare God and hym alone to honor And although Esaie Ieremie and other Prophetes haue ben slain yet haue theyr wordes still continued in memorie and writing â–ª for who can resist God almightie and lett that his will goe not forward And now in the tyme of grace when Christ liueth neuer any more to die when the sonn of Iustice shineth and men walke honestlie as it were in the day is it not besides not onlie all faith but all reason also that an vniuersall Idolatrie should be coÌ„mitted and authorized in the church and that by no prophete or preacher it should be presentlie controlled Behold when Nicolaus one of the seauen first Deacons when Arrius Eunomius Martion Donatus or any other heretike did begin to spring straitwaies the church hath noted hym althowgh bicause of the violence of princes she hath not been able straytewayes to oppresse it And were the paine neuer so greate and the power and number for maintenaunce of the heresie neuer so outragious yet God neuer left hym selfe withowt testimonie and valiaÌ„t Catholykes were found which would not shrink in the cause of trueth not for the Emperour and all his souldyars Athanasius the great is alone â—xample strong inowgh for all Yea there is so great strength in a spirite that when a verie true cause is sett vpon and inuaded by falsehode the person whom the dyuel doth possesse for that purpose will vtter hym self and be knowen if all the worlde fay nay and come against hym Example in Luther whom neither Pope neither Emperour could make to hold his peace And when he is dead yet will his scholars althowgh they can not maynteyne his doctrine preserue yet his name that it may be sayde Doctor Martin Luther began to setâ— vpp the Ghospell in the yeare of owr Lord M. D. XVII a worthie man and greiuouse agaynst the pope All be it in the greatest matter his scholar was better lerned then he and fowght against the master How then standeth owr case Vrbanus a blessed pope appointed an holyday in the honor of the bodie of Christ and it was ioyfullie receaued thorowgh the whole church without any open contradiction and could it be Idolatrie No if it had been against the glorie of God not onlie it should not haue been vniuersallie receaued but not so much as particularlye suffered without some euident resistance And there would haue ben fownd in a thowsand religious howses and in vniuersities and in wel ordered cyties and I beleue in verie meane howseholdes some which rather would haue dyed then haue committed idolatrie Especiallie whereas it hath ben promised vnto Iacob his seede which is performed in the church Non est idolum in Iacob Nu. 23. there is no Idole in Iacob and whereas God so expresselie sayeth to vs by Ezechiel ca. 36. I will clense you from all yowr Idolls Then loe what a shamefull pride is this a weake head not agreeing with other not knowing hym selfe behind so many in yeares aboue so few in lerning to make so light of the concord of Christ his church and of her maiestie that with a light worde he dareth to coÌ„demne two blessed gouernours of her Honorius and Vrbanus with all Bishoppes Doctors diuines religious orders secular priestes such which lyued in good order al the tyme sence and to coÌ„demne Emperour Kynges Princes counselars with all the deuoute laytie of those times and after But what doth he say Honorius quod he was abowt three hundred yeares past why Sir is not three hundred yeares a faire age This argument soundeth as consequentlie as if one stryuing with an other vpon a question of lerning would answer hym with tussh man I know this better then thou for I am thirtie yeares youÌ„ger then thow Wel Honorius was three hundred yeares past or there about and he was deceaued say you or he is not at the least much to be regarded as I can tell you for soth by that I haue lyued these fortie yeares or there abowt and am now Bishop not of Rome but of Sarum in much wisedome and authoritie But may we so safelie â—lude the answer of God and reiect his blessed will vttered by the mowth of holie men that the cause it selfe shall be accompted childeysh bycause they which promoted it were not fifteen hundred yeares old but men of three hundred yeares onlie as it were childerie of three yeares in respect and comparison of the reuerend Iohn of Salisburie It is not the age which maketh verities but the word of God and the consent of the church whose voyce especiallie ys much to be considered Vrhanus saye yow was after Honorius What of that be these later yeares so accursed that there can be fownd no good men in them I fynd no fault with Luther bycause he is of no antiquitie but bycause he addeth thereunto the breach of good order and vnitie And in Sainct Vrbanus I doe not so much obserue that he made a new holy daye but this is much to be marked that all Christendome did keepe it withâ—owt any murmur and rebellion And agayne his decree dyd not make that which was before prophane to be holye but the holines of the Sacrament and the enemye Berengarius whom the dyuel stirred agaynst it did cause hym to apoynt the tyme wherein it might bâ— celebrated and honored with especiall memorie Christ his birth was to be worshipped before the holidaye was thereunto appoynted and the consubstantialitie of the father and the soun was before the concell of Nice and when orders begin to decay new statutes are made for the rapayring of them not as who should saye they were never vsed before but that it should not come to passe that they might be quite forgatten hereafter And therefor it is false that the adoration of the Sacrament was neuer before Honorius decree and S. Vrbanus holidaye of whom by the protestantes iudgmentes it is to late to say God haue mercie on their sowles bicause they are allreadie coÌ„dempned for their idolatrie as the heretykes can terme it O S. Thomas Aquinas whose labors in the makyng of the seruice for Corpus Christi daye I can not but remembrâ— the octaues of that feast now being
present are thei all lost and art thow thi self togeather with them condempned It was not for a man alone to compile out of bothe testamentes so manye testimonyes for the sacrament and so compile them that lyke two Cherubins the old should looke vpon the new aud the new answer the old It was not of flesh so to doe but of the spirite of God Read ouer the antempnes the respondes the versicles of that blessed daye and by the verie sound and sense of them thei declare plainlie from whence thei proceded The first respond owt of the old lawe is this The numbre of the children of Israel shall offer vp a kydd at the euening tyde of their passeouer and thei shall eate flâ—sh and vnleauened bread The versicle answering the same out of Sainct Paules epistle is this Christ our passeouer ys offered vp therefore lett vs eate in the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and veritie Againe an other respond is Helias looking back dyd see at his head a cake and rysing dyd eate and drinck and with the strength of that meate he walked vnto the hyll of God This is the respond but what is there in the new testament to answer this It foloweth owt of Sainct Iohn his Ghospell Yf any man eate of thys bread he shall lyue for euer It ys writen in Iob The men of my tabernacle haue sayd who might geue vs of his flesh that we might be satisfied and the respond is that whyles thei were at supper Christ toke bread and brake it and gaue it and sayed take ye and eate ye this is my bodie What could haue been deuysed more agreeable and comfortable Then in other partes of the seruice how playnelie ys the faith of the church in how few wordes declared and how effectuallie be the effectes of the sacrament proponed O holie feast sayeth the antempne of the later euensong in which Christ ys receaued the memorie of his passion ys repeted the mynd ys filled with grace and a pledge of the glorie to come ys geuen vnto vs. The heretykes say that we must remembre Christ his passion and that that ys the verie some of the institution of the Sacrament But they forget three partes of the whole bycause we not onlie remember his passion but we receaue hym also in deed and grace presentlie ys geuen vnto vs and a pledge of the glorie to come hereafter The church tawght them eueÌ„ that veritie which thei hold as it appereth in the praier of corpus Christi daye O God which hast left vnto vs the memorie of thi passion vnder a wonderfull sacrament but then she sayeth further Grawnt vs we besech the so to honor the holie misteries of thy body and bloud that we may daylie feele in owr selues the fruct of thi redemption So then she grawnteth the memorie of his passion but she holdeth the veritie of his bodie she pelteth not with God denying this to be his body bicause she is coÌ„maunded to do this in remembraÌ„ce of hym but she doth best remembre hym when she hath the bodie which suffered before her She calleth the sacrameÌ„t the misteries of his bodye and bloud yet she doth plainelie adore and worship his presence which is couered I may seem to be to long in my seruice but certeÌ„lie if we should coÌ„sider the marueilouse wisedome of almighty God and the multitude of misteries which by the mowth of S Thomas were vttered in that matter it were argumeÌ„t inough that it come froÌ„ God And is all this geare lost now And where as most manifest miracles haue testifyed vnto the world that our Sauyor accepteth hym and hath takeÌ„ hym in to heaueÌ„ shal the sprite of pride lyeing with one worde coÌ„dempne hym euerlastinglie ThaÌ„ked be God that euer the holiday was made in the worship of Christ his body in the sacrament for this argumeÌ„t is so euideÌ„t that bothe he which can read no letter in the boke an other which wil read no good thing the third which for honest necessarie busynes can not well intend it all yet be sufficientlie warned what to think of the ChristiaÌ„s sacrameÌ„t bicause they haue coÌ„pted it worthie of an especial holiday And wher as no text can be alleaged so plaine for adoration no not owt of this verie seruice which is for corpus Christi day but the heretykes will putt it owt of strength by spirituall and misticall vnderstanding which wordes thei vnderstand not them selues but lyke smoke vanysh awaye in their cogitatioÌ„s yet the apointing of an holydaye in honor of the sacrament ys so manifest an argument against them that they haue no other remedie but to saye Vrbanus was not auncient inowgh for them Which holye pope if he had wryten a whole boke in the prayse and honor of the sacrameÌ„t calling it as the holie doctors haue done the bread of liffe the bread of diuyne substance the bread vnited to the diuinitye the pledge of everlasting lyâ—â—e the bodie most holie pretiouse saue inestimable with an hundred other such tytles they would haue escaped by leing or denying But now what can they saye not onlie S. Vrbanus but all Christendome not onlie doe speake but commaund and proue by sensible and visible argument that the very bodie of owr Sauior is in the SacrameÌ„t and that they adore it with a proper holidaye But Christ sayeth M. Iuell and his Apostles the holie fathers in the primitiue church the doctors that folowed them and other lerned men whatsoeuer for the space of a thousand and two hundred yeares after Christ neuer heard of it Neuer will you abyde by it Yea sayeth he once agayne I saye for the space of a thowsand and two hundred yeares after Christ his ascension in to heauen this worshipping of the Sacrament was neuer knowen or practised in any place within the whole Catholyke church of Christ within the whole world Here I am at a staye I tell yow troth bycause I can not tell by which waye I might begin to answer so vehement an asseueration For were it best think I to tell hym he lyeth and to proue it or to wish hym shame onlie and to permitt the matter to the handes of God or to reason with hym as if he were present or what waye might I take I haue alleaged S. Ambrose and S. Augustyn before and if those two be not sufficient Theodoretus sayeth that the misticall signes remayn in their formar substance and figure and forme and they may be seen and felt as they were before but they are vnderstode to be those thinges which they are made and they are beleued and adored as being those thinges which they are beleued to be Euthimius also sayeth in the 64. chap. vpon S. Mathew Lett vs so doâ— in the worshipping of the misteries not onlie looking on those thinges which are sett before vs but beleuing his wordes And whereas be sayeth this is my bodie
call the Sacrament bread which yet condemneth all Lutherans and Zuin glâ—ans And she calleth the Sacrament bread bycause the Sacrament hath the forme of bread and bycause bread in the Scripture signifyeth any foode and bycause Christ his bodye ys in deede true bread and bread of life and heauenlie bread Therefore bycause it ys called bread vpon that onlye to conclud that it contynueth bakers bread it ys the argument of thinkers tailers and coblers and not of lerned scholars Then as concerning Gelasius which sayeth that the substance of bread or nature of wyne doe not cease to be in the Sacrament he expowndeth hym felfe by that which foloweth strayt after in thâ— same sentence adding these plaine wordes But they remaine in the proprieties of theyr nature Which proprieties are these folowing whitnes thicknes breadeth weight tast and power to norissh and feede the bodye with such like which he calleth the substance of bread and wyne and more playnelie the properties of their nature The lyke is to be answered vnto Theodoretus whiche sayeth that Christ honored the bread and wyne which we see with the names of his bodye aud bloud not chainging the nature of them that is to saye the naturall proprieties because in all poyntes it appeereth vnto owr eye to be euen as it was before consecration but ioyning grace vnto that nature Ouer and aboue all this a most true and readie answer ys that the faithfull doe consider allwayes not what one or two doe saye but what the whole cumpanye of lerned men or the greater part doe testifye Agayn before the church had expressed it and opened by her sentence the manner of Christ his being in the Sacrament it was no heresie if proude obstinacie dyd not make it to saye that bread remained or that it vanished in to nothing Bicause both opinions dyd hold with reall presence and the authors of them were contented to yeld vnto their betters iudgement And so if we should graunt vnto the heretâ—kes that which thei do require about Gelasius or Theodoretus they both defending the reall presence it ys no small matter against the heretykes other opinions and it ys nothing at all against the Catholykes But in these dares now when it hath been decreed according vnto scriptures and auncient fathers in a generall councell that the substance of bread is conuerted in to the bodie of Christ now to denie transsubstantiatioÌ„ and to reuyle the decree of the Catholike church this is greatlie against the faith and this is it which maketh heretikes S. Cyprian which defended the rebaptizing of them whom heretykes had baptized before was no heretyke in so doing bycause the question was not then determined by the church vnto whose iudgement he submitted his lerning and authoritie But now if it should come in to an idle head to bring that blessed martyrs reasons and to withstand the Catholike church he should do nothing els in wyse mens iudgementes but declare his owne vaine gloriouse folie And yet I do not ne will not vse this defence but plainelie answer that Gelasius and Theodoretus doe meane well and speak as papistes may doe that the substance or naturall propertie of bread remaineth that is to saie the same quantitie vertue and qualitie which it had before the coÌ„secration Wherefor to conclud the cleane contrarie vnto Master Iuells assertion I saie that neither the auncient doctors do affirme that the substance of bread remaineth vnderstanding by substance the essentiall and internall forme or nature of bread neither Duns and Durand doe saie that if bread remain there is daunger of Idolatrie Farther yet the scholemen say quod M. Iuell that yf a man happen to worship the accidentes of bread Idolatrie may be done to the sacrament No good Syr not to the sacrament but to the accidâ—ntes wherein if fault shold be committed it is not the fault of the institution of Christ but of the silence of priestes or simplicitie of the people Neither is adoration therefor to be forbydden but the manner of adoration is discretelie to be opened whiles owr Sauior him selfe walked visiblie vpon the earthe if one should haue worshipped his verie face or garment not able to distinct betweene the two natures of God and man neither in what diuersitie and degree the face and the garment appertein vnto one selfe same person whereas in truth it were idolatrie to worship that face with godlie honor in that respect and consideration as it is onlie an holie and graciouse visaige of a right excellent and perfect man bycause herein may be daunger should we not worship Ihesus Christ at all or not worshipp hym before we vnderstand the distinction betwene Latria and Dulia that is honor due and proper vnto God and honor which may be geauen vnto any holyâ— creature O miserable people sayeth master Iuell that thus are lead to worshipp they know not what For alas how manie of them vnderstand these distinctions or care for them How manie of them vnderstand after what sort accidentia be sine subiecto c. But o miserable world saye I allso then and alas alas that any wyse man should be so taken to thinke that what so euer ys concluded in scholes should be opened in the pulpites Alas alas the churche doth teache openlye that the Father ys vnbegotten the Soune onlye begotten the Holye ghost proceding and this who so euer doth not beleue shall not be saued O miseserable people that this are lead to beleue they know not what For what know they or what care haue they of proceding or begetting or how can they vnderstand those misteries of the schole men as for example Christ toke the nature of man he toke not the person of man as coÌ„cerning Christ his person God died for man as concerning the diuine nature God can not die and he which beleueth not those thinges shall neuer be saued O miserable people that this are lâ—â—d to beleue thei know not what for which of them vnderstandeth the distinction betwene substance and person But what shall we saie must the lerned men of the church O master Iuell beleue no more then the people are able to conceiue or bycause the people vnderstand not what is accideÌ„ce or what is substance or what is quantitie or qualitie relation or action is it therefor no matter whether it be fysh or flesh square or round white or black worldlie or euerlasting for the 〈◊〉 this is sufficient to beleue that Christ is in the sacrament vnder forme of bread and wyne the bread bâ—â—ng chainged by his almightines in to his boâ—â—e and the wyne in to his bloud or if some can not beare awaye all this let hym cleane to the Catholyke faith and hold vp his hands at sacring as others doe and beleue more excellent thinges to be present then hym selue can see or feele and be content to be reformed if perchaunse he should be in any error and God will 〈◊〉
hym by one of the cheifest then in the world yet he to teach the Emperor a true lesson and to proue that his maiestie ys not the highest began aboue all other vnto his chapelaine declaryng that he knew none there to be better Of lyke corage and fortitude was Eulogius an holye and constant priest which being required of the Emperor Valens cheife officer to communicate with hym which helde the empyre and kyngdome which in owr English tongue at these dayâ—s ys to saye Folowe the Kynges procedinges answered peaceablie and gentlelie saying And I also haue my part of a kyngdome and priesthode Such men were holye Basile Ambrose Chrysostome noble and reuerend Bisshoppes in deede which litle regarding the glorie of the court and the worlde spared not to tell the Emperors their owne and also to shewe them that a Bisshopp his office ys not geuen with goldon crowne or purple And not only in theire doinges but in writinges also they declared this veritie that the Emperor rulâ—th in the court the Bisshopp in the church the Emperor ouer mens goodes and bodyes the Bisshopp ouer sowles and consciencies the Emperor in thinges transitorie the Bisshopp in thinges euerlasting These conclusions being therefore true if Innocentius would sweetlye and misticallye allude vnto the beginnyng of Genesis and saye that the two great lightes which God made to rule the daye and nyght doe signifie the two powers of the spiritualtye and of the temporaltye of whiche the one ys so brighter then the other that the least of them both yet doth direct and guide men in the whole worlde is this so vnproperlie spoken or childiâ—â—â—lie that anye father of this generation may honestlie contempne it As on the other syde if there be no strength and force in this argumeÌ„t is the highest misterie and secrete lerning of the catholikes therby vttered and coÌ„futed When frindes confer together familiarly many thinges come and goe to fro betwixt them which if they were examined by the seuere iudgemeÌ„t of some coÌ„trollar would seeme to be spoken triflinglie yet consider the tyme place and persons they may stand wel inough with charitie my meaning is this when Christians write vnto ChristiaÌ„s in great peace of conscience and silence of heresie they are more bold with the Scriptures alleagiâ—g the textes of them â–ª towardes their purpose although it be not according to the first sense and meanyng of the place Alluding as sweet S. Bernard doth man thousand places vnto some historie verse sentence or other lyke thing in them playeing as I might saye and refreshing them selues with the Scriptures as â—saac dyd play with the fayre Rebecca his wiffe in the garden of Abimelech the kyng secretlye as he thowght hym self and honestlie is a good and vertuous man louinglie yet and familiaâ—lye as with a most true and bewtifull wiâ—e All which thinges 〈◊〉 colerated â—mong frendes and they agree wel inowgh with chaâ—â—â— as long as they disagree not with honestie and veriâ—ie But when peekers of quarell◠〈…〉 doe appere and heretikes begin to loure then in deed other kynd of writing and arguyng ys to be vsed not to the vtter disalowing of the familiar manner and fashion which hath his tyme and place but to prouyde against the cummyng in of strangers and enimyes which seek onlye how to fynd faultes with the Catholikes S. Paul wryting to the CorinthiaÌ„s emong other thinges he willed that women should be couered in the churche and emong other reasons this was one which he wrote verie sadlie Doth not nature sayeth he teache yow this for yow see that long heare ys geauen vnto a womaÌ„ to couer herselfe withall This now in a Christian man his eares doth sownd right well and probablie But lett a quareller stand agaynst hym and saye my masters Paul here hath wryten vnto yow that your women should not be bare headed in the church And why so Loth I am to ripp vp the secretes of his lernyng and the force of his reasons But his importunitye dryueth me therevnto marke ye therefore well and waighe this argumeÌ„t A woman by nature hath long heare ergo they must were byggins in the church Should not such a skorner then speak as right as master Iuell doth alleaging that for a principall or singular argument which in deed is not so and afterward by disgracing of that argument to bring the whole matter in to question or els contempt for the blessed Apostle vsed that reason as in waye of persuasion and as a probable and conuenient argument which if one would denie saying it dyd not proue his purpose his conclusion ys sure for all that where he sayeth in the end of that question Yf any man seem to be contentiouse we haue no such custome nor the church of God After which sort it may be well answered that if Innocentius did not therebye well proue the superioritie of the pope aboue the Emperor bicause the Sonn ys bigger then the moone and if there were no other reasons of force and strength emong the Catholykes for that purpose as contrary wyse there be whole bokes of auncient doctors which preferr priestes before all other what so euer creatures for their order sake and authoritie yet it might be well answered to heretykes that if yow be good and cunning at iesting and lyinge vnderstand ye that we haue no such custome neither the church of God And so I answer not onlie for Innocentius but for Isidorus also and Gerson Bonifacius the Glose and for all others which master Iuell rekoneth vp That if they lyke good men abundyng in their sense haue alleaged scripture for prouing of those thinges which were vsed before thei were borne and if vnto contentiouse persons those good mens reasons are not sufficient yet none should be so hardie as to take awaye orders or articles generallie of the whole church receiued Bycause it ys inowgh for a Christian man to alleage that we haue no such custome neither the church of God Wherefor as concernyng shauen crounes and purple sandales holye water or praying in one tong they were neuer taken for secrete mysteries in the church and if the sentences of scripture which holy men haue applied vnto them doe not abundantlie proue them good there is no great harme taken As for holye water althowgh that the wordes of the Prophet Ezechiel may verie well be applied vnto it where he sayeth I will sprinkle vpon you cleane water which wordes being a prophecie of the baptisme of ChristiaÌ„s I can not deuyse in what parte of the seauen deadlie synnes it may be numbered to speake them also by holye water which in one signification doth bring vs in remembrance of owr baptisme yet graunting that they make no more to the purpose then master Iuells talke here of the supremacie and purgatorie and priestes crownes and purple sandales doe make against the Canon of the masse holie water for all that is not
to be cast owt of the church which was instituted by S. Alexander Bishop of Rome and Martir of Christ fowrtene hundred yeares agoe Then also in the matters of weight if that Ecce duo glagij hicâ— â–ª behold here are two swordes Doth not proue the Bishopp of Rome his both spirituall and temporall power yet must yow not make hym an Antichrist or the temporal princes page and seruant And if owr Sauyour would not vse in his humilitye the temporall sword and iurisdiction yow will not therfore I trust denie that he was Lord of Lordes and kyng of kynges And so likewise he makyng his Apostle S. Peter his leuetenant and ruler of all Christians both sheepe and lambes althowgh he put vpp his sword in to his sheath yet doth it not folow that he hath no such sword at all For as concernyng the spirituall sword no wyse heretike denyeth that vnto the Bishop the Scripture saying most plainely whose synnes you forgeue they are forgeuen whose synnes yow retaine they be retained But the temporall if he will not vse it alwaies yow may not therefor in all cases take it from hym Whereas for the coÌ„moditie of the whole church if cause so requyre he may as swell forbead concernyng the Emperors owne person that no man salute hym or regarde hym as he may excoÌ„municate the basest man in a whole citie for a fault which deserueth it which is true in a Christian Emperor that hath submitted hym selfe by promyse vnto God and the church For of them which are withowt what doth it apparteine vnto me to iudge doe not yow iudge of these which are within Therefore the temporall power ys so included in the spirituall as a lesse figure Mathematicall of neuer so manie corners ys compassed within a circle It ys fynche sayed of Sainct Bernard Lib. 4. de consideratione where he speaketh of the temporall sword which the Pope hath in his sheath Ys this sword sayeth he dyd perteine vnto the by no right when the Apostles sayde behold here are two swordes owr Lord would not haue answered it is inowgh but it ys to much And therefor both are the churches I meane the spirituall sword and the materiall But the one ys to be exercised for the church the other of the church the one with the priestes handes the other with the souldiars But yet trulie at the beck of the priest and bydding of the Emperor A see now master Iuel Low much Sainct Bernard made of that argument which yow think worth the lawghing at And this is that Bernard his testimonie whom yow in pulpites doe much bring furth agaynst the pompe and vyce of Rome which as he was in deed no flatterer at all of the Bisshop of Rome so much the more yow should alowe his testimonye which he hath browght furth for the supremicie But why should Behold here are two swordes more offend Christian eares when one goeth abowt by all meanes for to proue and declare a veritie then the argument of Sainct Paule doth where he vnto the Galathians in disputing of the old law and prouing it to be voyde telleth vs that Abraham had two sounes the one by his mayde seruant the other by his wyfe which sayeth he are the two testamentes Agaynst which argument if master Iuell should vse one of his deepe and wittie confutations and bydd the people marke with see I pray yow what a worshipfull argumeÌ„t this ys Abraham had two sounes and the elder plaied the boye with the younger and the good wyfe Sara awaye quod she with this old lubber he shall not be heire with my child ergo the old law must be thrust owt of dores no doubt but this would sound so vntuneablie in the rude worldlie or fyne courtlie eares of manie that sone they might be brought vnto irreligion and contempt of the Apostles writinges But let vs come nearer sayth M. Iuel see the argumeÌ„ts vpoÌ„ which the masse is luylded Yow say well of cummyng nearer for hytherto you haue gone verie farr of and verie farr wide Yet what bring yow against the fundation of the masse I woÌ„der at the libertie of the man he maketh as thowgh he would ouerturne the masse he talketh of nothing but of the Latin tongue the corporall of lynen the altar of stone the rouÌ„dnes of the bread the mettle of the chalice and such like thinges which apperteine onlie to the comlynes and worship and signification of some good thing about the ministring and consecrating of the sacrament Are these the thinges which yow number emong owr high misteries and secret lernyng And which you were lothe to speake of as thowgh there had ben some shamefull dishonestie in the matter Or do yow call these thinges the fundacions of the masse vpon which it was builded Are these the poyntes by vttering of which you haue gone abowte to procure vs shame Grawnt vnto the Catholikes or papistes that which thei do bring in by their high misteries secret lernyng and streÌ„gth of their reasons grawnt it I beseech you good master Iuell for a while to see what will folowe Trulie no dishonor vnto God no diminisshing of Christ his passion no occation of lewdnes no breach of commaundement no thing which a quiet man shold mislike But these thinges will folow which you were lothe to ripp vpp and open that in the celebration the chalice be of siluer or gold that priestes wassh their handes in the masse that the clothes be of fyne lynen that the priest lift vp the paten and loke in to the chalice as the angell did in to the graue that the priest fetch a sigth in a certaine place of the Canon of the masse and knock his breast with remembrance of the theife which repented hym selfe of his wicked lyfe with such lyke moe which may and doe bring manye meanely disposed in to the remembrance of sundrie poyntes of Christ his passion O heauen and earth what faultes be these How much ys master Iuell to be estemed for rippyng and opening of such priuie misteries which once being knowen no man woulde euer loue the masse any more I trowe It ys wonder that Sainct Pawles church and steple were not stroken with lightning from heauen when the fierst masse was sayed within it in which masse such absurdities as the preacher telleth vs of were permitted O excellent Iuell thow hast not thy name for nawght This daye thow hast confounded all papistes this daye thow hast so ripped theire copes and opened their bosomes and Englisshed vnto vs their obseruations and rubrikes that they must nedes be ashamed for euer O the lyuing Lorde will the folissh saye how haue we ben seduced of the papistes how much were they them selues heauie loden with mennes traditions and how litle vertue was in all their doinges if a man should take awaie the number of popisâ—h ceremonies But alas for pitie and phy for shame A lerned man and browght vp
emong honest studies so for to abuse the ignorance of the vnlerned and vnstedfast people that they should think nothing els to be in the sacrifice and oblation of the Catholikes but an obseruation of a strange tong lynen cloth altar of stone chalice of gold or other such matters Although I would not suffer a suspect person to cutt my heare and would not trust hym with paring of my nailes and no man that wyse is permitteth his enemie to doe with the makyng of his apparell or the prescribyng of a diete and order vnto hym yet the life it selfe ys an other thing then heare nayle apparell or diete and the heretike hath not to meddle with the behauyors and ceremonies of Catholikes althowgh the life of owr sowle consisteth not in them but in the holie and relieuing Sacramentes What should we doe by M. Iuells pryuie and wise counsell if we did putt awaie for his pleasur the ceremonies which offend his ghostlie spirite should we haue nothing to putt the bread and wyne vpoÌ„ that he findeth so great fault with an altar surelie what so euer matter the altar had ben made of good men would haue sone applied some one text or other to that purpose He hath a spite against the golden chalice shold we drink then without a cupp what so euer metall the chalice had ben made of great scholars would haue shewed some place or other seruing for it And no doubt the thinges them selues were first vsed for some good cause and reason not expressed in writing perchaunse but left in tradition which being not alwaies knowen and manifest vnto all lerned men they vpon the confidence of the trueth and holines which is in the churche and also vpon this principle that nothing is to be condempned which serueth vnto charitie added a probable and likelie reason which shold make for the ceremonie receiued And whereas without any reason alleaged euery tradition ys to be continued why should it be so much the worser bycause a reason is inuented for it There ys no principall part of a man of whose fasshion situation or manner the philosophers did not either geue the reason or seek after it at the lest As why the eyes be placed on high why there be two of them one tong seruyng vs why the fingers be so manye why the thumbe so thick and short why the braine so colde sett in the head why the hart so hott placed in the middle and so fuâ—the in the rest Yet I am sure they stode not by God when he made the world that bycause of the Ergo which they had concluded God should make that part of his creature which should agree with their reason As in example the hart 〈◊〉 hott and some colde thing must be inuented to asswage the feruentnes of it ergo sett the colde braine directlie ouer it I thinke not that any man dyd at the begynnyng make this reason and that therefore God dyd answer hym with yow say well gentle philosopher it shall be so as yowr ergo concludeth But God most wyselie and agreablie hath sett euerye part of vs in his order of which has doing there be causes and reasons more then any man can tâ—ll vpon the inventing and serching of which he hath sett those occupyed which will studie naturall philosophie and consider the workes of wysedome Not so yett that when any man hath geauen a proper and probable cause of the makyng or disponing of any creature that cause which the man inventeth should be termed the occasion and cause of that creature But this doth folowe that God ys a wonderfull wysedome which allthowgh no man should fynd fault with his doinges but take them as he hath apoynted hath prouided yet that such good reason should be seen in all his workinges that he must be not onlie stubburne but also folish which would striue and murmur against them And so I think for the ceremonies of all kindes which are vsed in the church of which a great number haue come from the verie Apostles and the rest haue ben apoynted by them which had Apostolike authoritye These ceremonies then once receyued of the Catholykes were kept of them for obedience sake which knew not the reason and occasion of them Then loe the lerned men hauyng good iudgemente and leisure and knowing that nothing hath ben rasshelye alowed in the vniuersall Church of the Catholikes eyther receyued or inuented as God should putt in their mindes a probable cause of the churches ceremonyes and traditions and the posteritye also woulde perchaunse increase theyr forefathers godlye inuentions so that at this day of one ceremonie of the churche yow may haue three or fower deuoute causes wherin we must not make folysh argumentes of this sayeth Durand ergo this was the verye fundation of the ceremonie And now lett euerie man so worke abowt the reason of it as he may gather most vantage and profitt to the sturring vpp of his deuotion Christ was buried in a shroude of lynen cloth ergo the corporall must be made of fine lynen This argument may be found in Siluester quod master Iuell Ergo before this argument and before the tyme of Siluester was not the corporall of lynen yeas S. Bede an auncient father testifieth that holie Sixtus long before his tyme did make that order that the sacrifice of the altar should not be exequated neither on silk neither on colored cloth but cleane white lynen onlie Againe Babilon ys a cupp of Gold in my hand saieth the Lord ergo the chalice must be of siluer or gold This reason master Iuell testeth at as the argument of master William Durand But were chalices of gold neuer vsed before Durant made that reason or application yeas PrudeÌ„tius aboue .xij. hundred yeares past speaketh expreshe of golden chalices which the Emperor would haue takeÌ„ from the Christians VVhen Virgill sayeth Cum faciam vitula he vsed facere for sacrificare ergo hoc facite in meâ— memoriaÌ„ ys meant sacrifice this in remembrance of me May we thank Virgil then for owr sacrifice And except that verse had ben espyed would there haue ben no priesthode at all or proper sacrifices of the Christians And yet in the verie scriptures themselues facere ys vsed for sacrificare as in the .xiij. Chapiter of Iudges I beseche the sayeth Manue to the Angell that thow willt yelde to my requestes faciamus tibi hoedum de capris and that we may offer vpp vnto the a kydd of the gotes But what neede I to speake further in this matter The truth ys verie plaine that the thinges themselues were vsed before the reasons of Siluester and Durand were alleaged And therefore it is a plaine lye to imagin that their reasons were the fundations of our ceremonies and orders as who should saye before Durand and Siluesters dayes thei were neuer invented And therefore once to make an end of this place these nice felowes
in the Apostelles tymes all in that mistery is coÌ„mon And these so many common thinges shall one peltyng reason take away bycawse the priest alone receiueth And shall the lothsomnes to heauenly thinges in the people cawse that to be priuate which of his owne nature is and 〈◊〉 no otherwise then coÌ„mon Let som certayne Bisshopp of good will and charity cause beiâ—â—es and muttons to be kylled and all thinges prepared for open howsehold his entent beyng knowen and the tables spread the vssher with lowd voyce prouoking men to sytt downe yf none will vse the liberalitye of the good prelate maye we frelye tawnt at hym and say he kepeth no howse at all or els but a priuate table Yf a fayre common lye ioyening vnto a citye and by common agreement the cattle be lett to entre in but three distinct monethes in the yere in all the rest of the nyne monethes were it wisely reported to say this ys priuate So may one call the seas priuate where no man doth trauell and the wildernes priuate where no maÌ„ inhabiteth and the sonn priuate yf none could come into him and Christes very death priuate yf all would be infidells I or did euer any pâ—â—est forhead the lay people that they should not come to communicate are not the church dores open may not the priest be spoken with all ys not the necessary matter for the Sacrament of lyght charge hath not the church commaunded vpon the payne of synn once at the least to receaue euery yere because someels would neuer com to that table wherby she declareth her sorow that many are so rechelesse in matter of their saluation and how glad she would be to haue no occasyon of continuing her decree And the Sacrament lying so open for euery man and woman and the priest so ready and the seruice of the masse so daylye must it on Luthers name be called pryuate because none will coÌ„municate Or is the meate on the table and the gestes at the table all one and if the gestes depart will the disshes aryse with them and ys the people be singular must the masse be pryuate well yet lightely then vpon Easter day in parish churches there are no priuate masses and so those masses be owte of yowr reache Master Iuell Then put this case that at one priestes masse there were som receauers at aâ—nothers none at all both priestes vsing one boke and seruice yf he which sayeth the priuate masse as yow terme it doe naught how do yow excuse hym withwhom some communicate or yf his masse be good which hath certen to receiue with hym why shall the others be reproued which althowght he receyue alone yet he sayeth no more nor lesse then his felow doth In my mind it ys owt of reason and purpose to fynd fault with the masse because of them which here the masse and for the slowth of the people to disproue the diligence of the priest and bicause of vnwillingnes in men to distroye the mysteries and pleasure of God But now M. Iuel lest he shold seme to speke withowt authoritye he reckoneth vp the institutioÌ„ of Christ the order which S. Paul receiuyd the practyse of the primitiue church for the space of six huÌ„dred yeares And what will you proue by all this Mary sayeth he that at those daies there was a communion Well we doe graunt that in the beginnyng the people receiued with the priestes But what do yow inferr of that ergo there was no priuate masse and the priest did neuer receiue alone I deny your argumeÌ„t For these two thinges the people to receiue with the priest and a priest yet to receiue alone be not contrary but that at these dayes they may be both verifyed in one church at an Easter tyme. But I will not be so hasty with yow I graunt that at the begynning the people did coÌ„municate daylye ergo the priuate masse is naught Well Syr yf this be the fault â—t shalbe amended with me and I will neuer say masse hereafter but some shal coÌ„municate with me doth this please you and is the masse which I say in this case allowable or no I know what yow must say yf yow folow your masters that it is not allowable Truly then I may well come within yow For yf the hauing of coÌ„municantes at my masse doe not make the thing perfect neither the lacke of them shall make it vnperfect â–ª what is the masse the better yf three receyue with me No iote sayeth the heretik â–ª what is it the woâ—ser yf none will communicate In no poynt he should answer so that to haue or lack communicantes is but an accideÌ„t vnto it and may be absent either present beside the corruption of the subiect Therfor yf yow could proue that S. Clement S. Denys S. Iustyne and the rest did vse a contrary masse vnto owres yow should saye sumwhat but now yow troble your self with prouing that many did receiue with the priest in the primitiue church which no man denieth and yow inferr thervpon slenderly that priuate masse was not then vsed â–ª which nothing auayleth for more or lesse all or none to receiue at a masse it maketh so litle difference that as owr masse is nothing the better as yow will saye yf all present by should receiue in so by the like conclusion it ys nothing the worse if none doe coÌ„municate And as the goodnes or naughtines of the priest doth nothing profit or hinder the mysteries in themselues so much lesse the comming or the goyng of the people can withstand the effect of God his word and wil. Now yet althowgh I haue not to deny the testimonies of the fathers which in this part are alleaged which are not vnknowen vnto Catholikes and are regarded of them that not withstanding I wil loke vpon them and consider their faces most graue in the syght of Catholikes but not so with the Protestantes which some tymes geue reuereÌ„t and humble lokes vp towardes them and at other tymes with scoffes and disdaynes inowgh they passe lightly by them Behold now how much ys made of S. Clement whom ower Iuell putteth in the first place but at another tyme how much he will regard hym it appeareth manifestly by the prayse which he geueth to hym saying who as they saye was S. Peters scholar I am content now As who should say that Clement stand for S. Peters scholar but this I speake not vpon myne owne thinkyng so but as they say For yf I be vrged with any testimonye of that epistle of his vnto S. Iames as it hath many popissh thinges in it I will answer that I know not what felow this Clement was but as they say he was S. Peters scholar And what then say yow of hym yf a man should aske yow Then foloweth S. Dionisius an auncyent writer and as some haue thowght Disciple vnto S. Paule although the contrary may appeare by his owne wordes well yet
supper after mydnyght sytting downe to it before sonn sett at the least doth proue better that it was the sacrament then that it was common bread But yf yow deny the argument that bycause only bread is named ergo there was no wine remember I pray yow theÌ„ your owne fashion of reasonyng when yow say there is no meÌ„tion of this or that place of S. Augustine Ireney Denys others of a priuate masse ergo they had no suche masse as we vse Item there is no mention of lyfling vpp the sacrament or setting it vnder a canopye or of the solutions to schole meÌ„nes questions ergo there must be no such thinges at all further then yow doe not denye but in Tertullian his tyme the sacrament of the one kynd I meane of bread was caryed by the Christians home to their howses and receiued at their necessities yf persequution or sicknes did com vpon them or râ—ceiued at their most leisure and deuotion yf there were no dauÌ„ger towardes them And playne it is by S. Cypryane that in his tyme some caryed the sacrament of one kynde home also with them But yow answered this to be an abuse well yet then the communion vnder one kynde owght not to be so straunge vnto yow As allso yf it were an abuse it was in carying it home not in takyng it vnder one kynde And S. Cipryan yf he had vnderstode the sayinges of Christ so grosselye as yow doe he would neuer haue suffered the people to haue been robbed of half the sacrament he would neuer haue thowght any profyte or presence to be in the one kynde except with the concurring of the other then he could not haue writen it for a greate miracle that when a nawghty woman did begyn to open her chest in the which that holy thing of owr lorde was she was made a frayed with fyer rysing from thence that she should not touch the sacrameÌ„t with her vnworthy handes This would S. Ciprian neuer haue declared for according vnto your myndes he should neuer haue beleiued it Now to lett passe an auncyent custome of the church of Rome which was that the sacrament should be sent reuerently vnto straungers priestes and Bishoppes which came to Rome which proued that the sacrament was kept and consequentlie therfor in one kynd bycause wyne doth quyckely wax sowar And that in S. Ierome his tyme which M. Iuell mentioneth in the begynnyng of this sermon of his the sacrament was reserued and caryed home of some Christians And to lett passe a prouision of Melciades Bishopp and martyr that bycause of heretikes which did not all thinges rightlie the sacrament should be sent from church to church which by good reason should be in forme of bread to let all these passe I will rehearse onely S. Basils testimonye for this matter which sayth Ye were superfluous to declare that in the tyme of persequution no priest or deacon being present a man to be constrayned by necessitie to receyue with his owne handes the communion is not euyll or hurtfull bycause that by long custome euen by the very vse and practyse of thinges this hath ben confirmed for they which lead a solitary lyfe in wildernesse where no priest is kepying the Sacrament with them they communicate by them selues And in Alexandria and Aegipt euery one of the lay people for the most part hath the coÌ„munion in his owne howse Of which testimonye it is gathered that the priest may as well receiue alone in the church as the people may at home And also that the sacrament was kept for the feare of death which seemed to be alwayes present in the persâ—quutioÌ„ which raged And therfor of gooâ— lykelihode it was kept in one kinde where as wyne wil sone be altered Now if these reasons and authorities did nothing proue agaynst hym we may by M. Iuells leaue vse exaÌ„ples and histories emoÌ„g which it is a notable one that Dionisâ—s Alexandrinus scholar vnto Origines reporteth of SerapioÌ„ a man of AlexaÌ„dria which lying three dayes spechelesse on the soweith called his dawghter vnto hym and willed some to be sent vnto the priest for the sacrament But the priest beyng syck he deliuered the messenger a part therof coÌ„maunding hym to dipp it first in somwhat and to soften it for drie bread goeth downe very hardly with sick persons so to deliuer it to the old man his master And the old man after he had receiued it departed this world gladlye Owt of which exaÌ„ple it is necessaâ—â—lie gathered that first the priest had in his house redy before haÌ„d the sacrameÌ„t which they say is nothing except it be straytwaies vsed Then that SerapioÌ„ receiued it alone withowt a coÌ„munioÌ„ wheras except three receiue at the lest theâ— say nothing is done or two as others hold last of al it may be gathered that it was vnder one kynde either as most meetest to be kept either most safe to be caryed or as likewise profitable to the sicke person as yf both kyndes shold haue been delyuered A nother exaÌ„ple as notable is of S. Satyrus S. Ambrose his brother which before he was fullie and perfectlie traded in owr religion beyng in dawnger of shipwrack requyred of the perfect ChristiaÌ„s which were in the same ship and dawnger with hym to haue that diuine sacrameÌ„t of the ChristiaÌ„s Not to sett a curiouse eye vpon those misteries but to haue helpe for his fayth Which being geuen vnto hym he made it to be bound vp in a stole and the stole he wrapped abowt his necke and passing vpon no boerde or rybb of the broken shipp to help him selfe withall he was safelye and meruelouslye browght to land and straytwaies askyng where the church was thyther he went and receiued that blessed Sauior which had deliuered him from drowning Loe what can we haue more for owr purpose and more against heretikes then that withowt the church the Christians had the SacrameÌ„t and that it was in one kynde except they can deuyse how to kepe wyne by wrapping it vp in a stole Also that it was no fantasticall figuratiue memory which saued a man from such dawngers And that S. Satyrus receiued the same vnder one kynde in which he did beare it Wherfore lett M. Iuell crake no more before this be answered And lett hym be humble in sprite not to think that nothing is writen but which he knoweth of or to prouoke all the lerned men this day alyue of which some haue writen of this matter so much and so effectuallie that he will haue no leisure to reade them and much lesse habilitie to answer them Or that the people had their common prayers in a straunge tong that they vnder stode not I think verely that as euery countrye was conquered by the preaching of the Apostles successors so the conquerors therof planted such order of seruice as the mother church vsed from which they were sent Euen
as S. Augustine when he came from Rome in to this countrie of owrs he made not a new Englisshe seruice or Kentish rather after the nature of those quarters at which he arriued but ratheâ— vsed the Romane fasshion and language neither hath it euer ben writen or testifyed that according to the diuersitâ—â—s of speaches here in England proper seruice for euerye quarter therof was prouided But the coÌ„trarie rather doth appere that one tong was generally vsed in their masse and mattins â—uen as at these dayes there is no fault fownde or ells it is no dawngerous fault for the Welsche men Cornyschemen Northerne and Irysh to vse one order of the English church and the longer it is suffered the farther of it is still from amendyng So what cause is there why that laten seruice beyng browght into this realme by the Pope his goodnes and owr Apostle S. Augustine the same myght not coÌ„tinew throwgh the realme as it was by litle and litle subdewed vnto the ghospell of Christ. Especiallie where as in these dayes fault is fownd with the vnknowen tong which people can not vnderstand and yet the welshemen haue no welshe communyon and at those blessed and quyet tymes there was no lack fownd at all when the priest and the clergye should syng and pray by them selues and the people by them selues entend their priuate deuotion S. Paule writing to the Romaynes not a forme of seruice but a verie sermon as it were wherin he entreateth of most high and agayne most familiar matters yet he write in Greik and not Latin Which thing did he trow yow for the lack of the Latin tong no that is not trew in him which had the gift of all tonges Did he think that all the Romanes had the knowledge of Griek as well as of Latin Trulye that was for any simple man more meeter to think then for the wisedome of S. Paule Had he forgotten him self beyng allwayes of that mynde that in the coÌ„gregation he would rather speke fiue wordes that other myght be the better for them then fiue thowsande in a sâ—rawnge tong No he thowght to earnestly of the cause of Christ to forgettsuch a principall matter as this is according to the heretykes declamations And then in an epistle by twentie partes there is more cause to wryte in the vulgare tong then in a coÌ„mon prayer bycause in the seruice the quyer occupyeth the place of the people and answereth in their steede but in his epistle none were excepted but vnto all you which be at Rome welbeloued of God and faythfull grace be to yow sayth he â–ª and peace In to the quyer all dyd not come in a clompe togeather to here what the priest did reade but abowte the pulpet or other where all myght stand well inowgh to here the epistle readen And so after this sort I myght fynd twentie differencyes betwixt an order of seruice and an epistle Wherfore I wonder much that they make such a brablyng abowte the strauÌ„ge tong and requyre what aucthoritie example or reason we haue for it owt of Doctor Councell or Antiquitye It is reason auctoritye and proufe abundant for a Christian man that this or that thing hath ben done or vsed vniuersallie in the church of Christ were it vsed but for one yeare onlye bycause the church is the pyllar of truth and hath the holy ghost her teacher and gouernor for euer and neuer hath ben suffered vtterly to haue erred in all her members at one tyme. And then wheras the latin seruice in the Latin church hath been so long vsed in these contreys which vnderstode not the latin tong and also they confesse a very long vse of it yt is well inowgh proued that there is no dampnable error in the matter for what tong fownd yow M. Iuell in the English church when yow were borne or how long before had the english seruice been left vnsayed and the latin entertayned a strawnger before a cuntreye man of owr owne yf yow can bryng forth the bokes where the english common prayers were euer in the common vulgare tong and tell vs the name but of one Bishop which vsed it in his diocese yow shall make all men wonder at your inuention and yf neuer any other but latin hath ben vsed yt is authorytie and reason sufficient for all English men that the first coÌ„uertors of this land vnto the sayth did leaue the latin seruice in it nothing fearing or caring what a few fyne felowes would persuade to the contrarie after .viij. or .ix. hundred yeares continuance Then also must all prayers of necessitie be in the common tong or may a few be excepted yf yow except any one why should not the people here all and answer Amen vnto all and especiallie in the most secrete matters which haue most weight in them and in which the cause of the people is most expressed yf all of necessitie must be audiblye expressed how then doth your doctrine agree with S. Basill and S. Chrysostomes masses in the which the chief priest prayeth secretelye at the altar at certen places whiles the quyer in the meane time syngeth Or how could S. Ambrosâ— O worthy Byshop how could he standing at the alter commaund the Emperor by his archedeacon to stand without the Chauncell doores Rather he shuld haue sayd to the Emperor in his own person in owr most huÌ„ble request maye it please your most excellent wysedome and maiestye to com more nere to the altar to here the word of God which doth saue our sowles or els to coÌ„maunde the altar to be pulled downe and that a table maye com downe to your highnes the more commodiouslye to answer Amen vnto my blessing euen as it shall please your maiestie so shall it be But not so S. Ambrose not so he which moved not one â—oote from the altar but sent his archeadeacon not with supplication but with reprehension not as to an Emperor of the world but as to a common Christian saying O Emperour the inward places are appoynted for priestes onelye which others are not permitted neither to entre into neither to touche Goe furth therfore and â—arye for the receiuyng of the mysteries as others doe for purple maketh Emperours and not priestes Vnto which the Emperor answered so mekely and Christianlike that he is more to be wondered at for the ouercummyng of his passions then conquerying of barbarous nations But to my purpose it appeareth by this distinction of places in the church that the people were not suffered to here al thinges And therfor I conclud that wheras it is no necessite that all thinges be vnderstode which the priest in the church sayeth yea rather yf thys be agaynst all good order and discipline there is no necessitie that the tong should be common all to geather where the hering of the same tong must be kept secrète Or that the Bisshopp of Rome was then called an vniuersall Bisshopp or the
heade of the vniuersall church I would to God that this question of the heade of the church of Christ were throughlie knowen it would stop a great sorte of hastye preachers and ignorant which think them selues able to do much by cause they can speak in a matter indifferent probablye as communion vnder bothe kyndes seruice in the vulgare tong and such like But to this question of M. Iuells I answer askyng him first whether any prince of that tyme of which he speaketh did beare the title of defendor of the faith and if neither Constantinus neither Theodosius neither any Christian good Emperor were precisely then so called shall it folow that one may take that title from the kinges of England Many thinges may trulye be verifyed of certen persons which yet they doe refuse not as vnagreyng with their dignitie but as vnapt for keepyng their humilitie As S. Peter S. Paule S. Iames and Iohn with all the rest of the blessed Apostles were the lightes of the world and rulers of the earth and coÌ„querors of all power which would sett it selfe against Christ and they dyd not obserue that stile in their writynges neither any of their disciples after them which also were lightes and gouernors of the world Further it ys to be considered how this worde vniuersall Bisshopp is to be taken For yf yow meane vniuersall Bisshopp that besydes hym there is no other in all the world but that he is one for all as the word importeth then also at these daâ—es there is no vniuersall Bishop But yf he be called vniuersall which among all Bishoppes is the chiefest and one ouer all so ys there and must be one vniuersall Bisshopp in the church of Christ. First then I answer that yf none were called vniuersal Bishop vjC yeares after Christ yet the lack or not geauyng of that title doth not proue that there was no such thyng or no supreame heade ouer the church And further I saye that also in these dayes there is no vniuersall Bishop yf we take the worde after som one fasshyon For in S. Gregorye his tyme of which place M. Iuel in his sermons doth oft triumph the Bishop of Constantinople forgetting the humilitie of Christ owr Sauyor did much couet to be called vniuersall Bishop presuming that sith he was Bishopp of the same citie where the Emperour then dwelt which was onlye Emperour of all that hys name for that place might lykewise with this gloriouse title of vniuersall Bishop be right well adorned against whom S. Gregorie did write and speake ernestlye coÌ„dempning the desyre of that gloriouse title grownding his argument vpon the signification of this worde vniuersall Bicause saith he in the epistle vnto Ihon Bishopp of Constantinople one should seeme to take away the glory of Bisshoprickâ—s froÌ„ all the rest of his brothers which would challenge vnto hym selfe to be called the vniuersall Bishop Trew it is therfor that there is no Bishop vniuersall in that forte as who should say he were onelie a Bishopp but lyke as 〈◊〉 the tyme of the old lawe not onlye Moyses had the grace of gouerning and prophecyeing but seuentie elders of the people of Israel had imparted vnto them of his spirite and dignitie and lyke as Moyses lost nothing of his perfection for all the dispensing of some of his graces emongâ—â— certen of the elder and worthier so the Pope ys not so singular but that he hath felow Bishoppes to take part of his functioÌ„ and for all the multitude of his felowes in office he continueth in his supremacie as a Moysâ—s aboue the septuagintes And so onlye he hath not al the spirite of God which for the profit of the body is distributed in to sundrie membres and none yet ys equall vnto hym in superioritie of gouernement bycause in euerye seemelie bodie one part ys higher then all the rest Agayne S. Gregorie which was a most blessed Bishopp myghte and did iustely fynd fault with Iohn of Constantinople bicause of his prowd enterprise although it were grauÌ„ted that the title vniuersal myght haue been verified in any one Bishop So in one sense which I haue spoken of I grawnte that there was neuer and that now there is none which is an vniuersall Bishopp But yet yf we vnderstand an vniuersal Bishop so that emong Bisshoppes there must be one senior vnto all the rest and eldest brother of all vnder whose correction they shall eche one enioye their priuileges which the â—heife father and ruler hath appointed in this sense I will proue that there was an vniuersall Bishopp euer in the church of Christ. S. Anacletus in his second epistle This holye and Apostolike church of Rome sayeth he hath the primacie and preemiineÌ„ciâ— ouer all other churches and ouer the whole stock of Christ not by the Aposteâ—s but from owr Lorde owr Sauior hym selfe as he saide hym selfe vnto S. Peter thow art Peter and vpon this rocke this Peter I will buyld my churche Also S. Cipryan declaring the returne of certen schismatikes vnto the faith prayseth much those wordes of theirs where they sayde VVe knowe that Cornelius is sett vp by almyghtye God and Christ owr Lorde Bishop of the most holye Catholike church And after a litle space VVe are not ignorâ—nt saye they that there must be one God one Christ owr Lorde whom we haue confessed and one Bishop in the catholike church The same blessed doctor also in an epistle vnto S. Cornelius sayth that heresies haue rysen of no other cause but that the priest of God is not obeyed and one priest in the church to iudge as vicar of Christ is not râ—garded or thowght vpon Then Sainct Ambrose wheras the whole world is godes sayth he yet the church is called his house of the which Damasus is at this day rector and gouernour Further yet S. Augustine in diuers places epist. 106. epist. 93. lib. de vtilitate credendi calleth Rome Sedem Apostolicam and what is a seat Apostolike but that place which may plant and pull vp and sett and lett and hath his power ouer the whole world S. Ciâ—â—ll also As Christ sayeth he hath receiued of his father the scepter and rule of the church of gentiles which came owt of Israell a capitayne and duke ouer all principates and powers ouer all that which so euer is so that all thinges doe bowe downe vnto hym so Christ hath committed most fullye vnto Peter and to no other then Peter that which fullye is his and to hym alone he hath geuen it And to make an end S. Gregory hym selfe euen in that epistle where he speaketh agaynst the pryde of hym which would be called after a new fashion vniuersall Bishopp It is clere sayth he vnto all them which know the Ghospell that the charge of the whole church was committed by the voyce of owr Lordâ— vnto holie S. Peter and chief Apostle emong all the Aposteles and yet
sacrifice is one Now he is one Bishop which offered vp the sacrifice which did make vs cleane the same we also now doe offer which at that tyme beyng offered could not be consumed Yet this which we doe is done in remembrance of that which was done For sayth Christ doe this in remembrance of me we make not an other sacrifice as the Bishopp did but allwayes the same or rather we make the remembrance of that sacrifice Therfor I conclude that not onelye it is readen emong auncyent fathers that Christ his body may be and ys in diuers places offered but that the cause therof is for that Christ is but one in all dayes and places And note here the diuersitie of reasonyng betwixt heretikes and catholikes They say there be many churches ergo by all reason ther must be many bodyes yf Christes verye bodye be on the altar in euery church The catholikes saye with Chrisostome there is but one Christ ergo no absurditie there is yf he be offered vp this daye and to morrow and euery day in euery place in the whole world They by the grosse numbring vp of diuers places would conclude agaynst vs that there must be many bodyes The Catholikes by the beleuing and confessing of one bodye doe grawnt that he is in many places withowt diuision bycause the bodye is but one They begyn at their senses and according to the reason of them they conclude matters of fayth The Catholikes begyn with fayth and afterwardes coÌ„maunde silence and quyetnes to their senses 1 Or that the priest did then hold vp the Sacrament ouer his heade 2 Or that the people did then fall downe and worshipp is with godlye honor 3 Or that the Sacrament was then or now owght to be hanged vp vnder a canopie 4 Or that in the Sacrament after the wordes of coÌ„secration there remayneth onlye the accidentes and shewes withowt the substance of bread and wyne 5 Or that the priest then diuided the Sacrament in three partes and afterward receiued hym selfe alone 6 Or that who so euer had sayed the Sacrament is a figure a pledge a token or a remembrance of Christ his bodie had therfor been iudged for an heretike 7 Or that it was lawful then to haue 30. 20. 15. 10. or 5. masses sayed in one church in one daye 8 Or that images were set vp in the churches to thentent that the people might worship them 9 Or that the laye people were then forbedden to read the word of God in their owne tong Here be .9 questions as it were .9 worthyes not all worth one good poynt For it is vnskilfullie required that of particular thinges any accompt should be geuen which are deducted and may be more deducted herafter owt of the principall conclusion As to shew in other examples how vnlearned peltyng a kind of reasoning this is which he vseth I aske hym where he did euer read in scripture that Christ did crye for his mothers breast or that euer he lawghed or euer dyd were peticote hosen or showes or euer did goe in his mothers errant or by his handy labor helpe forward towardes her finding Which all are credible inowgh bicause he toke vpon hym owr very nature and all yet are not necessary to be wryten Then to come to the Apostles where did he euer read that in their externall behauior they did weare frockes or gownes or fower corned cappes or rochetes or that they did euer cate sodd roste or bake meates or that a company of laye men seruaÌ„tes did folow them all in one lyuerye or that at their prayers they satt in sydes or laye in the grownd or fall prostrate or sang Te Deum or loked towardes the sowth or did weare copes of tissue or veluett with a thowsand more such questions which be verie many and not necessarye bycause they liued and fared vndoubtedlie as occasion and cause serued and they dyd honor God with the best that they had And yf they were not so ryche to bye tissue I think not therfor that they were naked in their seruice and yf the church now hath golden copes they must not be taken away from her bicause of the Apostles pouertie In whose dayes as I neede not to tell what deckyng of the place they vsed where God should be honored so reason geueth that they thoâ—ght nothing to good for him Lett all thinges be done emong you sayeth S. Paule honestlie and according vnto order This is a generall principle with which principle in the Apostles tyme it did agree that all should come in to one place of prayer as in to som vpper chamber lofte or parlar and the same conclusion agreed with Sainct Syluester Sainct Ambrose S. Chrisostomes and other tymes folowing wheÌ„ the quyer was appoynted for the clergye and the bodye of the churche for the layetie In the primitiue church when persequutioÌ„s of Christians dyd so much encrease all blacke apparell did becom the clergie well inowgh but afterwardes when all nations of the world were conuerted vnto Christ and Emperours browght their glory into the church what deadly fault is there yf a Cardinall weare a skarlet robe and a Bisshopp a whyte rochett Not yf perchaunse S Paule did trauell in his iorneys for the most part on fote therfor yow must sett all bisshoppes besydes their saddelles And yf he did pray by the waters syde and in priuate chambers yow must not therefor ouerthrow all churches For the principle is allwayes one that we must doe thinges according vnto order And so the verytye is that Christ hath left vnto vs hys verye bodye in the Sacrament and this is playne by scriptures councells and fathers Which veritye standyng what harme is done in the shewyng of that hygh mysterye vnto the people what difference and matter is it whether it be holden in one hand or two lyfted vp ouer the head or by the turnyng of the priestes face froÌ„ the altar shewed vnto the people which the Grecians doe vse Againe the veritye of his bodye beyng present what beast is he which beleiueth it and doth not worship 〈◊〉 And why myght it not be reserued for sick persons and why not then closed in a golden or syluer box and either be sett vnder a canopye or placed otherwise withall reuerence Or how can he be but an heretike which sayeth not that it is a figure or pledge but onelye a figure or onelye a pledge of hys bodye Then put the case that for lack of lerning or for lack of proufe one could not shew yow examples for those particular questioÌ„s in which yow require to be answered the coÌ„clusion and veritie most playnly beyng proued those other thinges may well folow afterwardes As otherwise yf the matter of a canopye or lyfting it ouer the head or namyng of the heretike which sayde it was a figure onelie if these thinges and such like either were not then or should not be alowed now yet it remayneth
proued that there was any drie communion in the whole world at that tyme for the space of six hundred yeares after Christ Or that there should be no celebration of the Lord his supper except there be a good number to coÌ„municate with the priest that is foure or three persons at the least though the whole parisshe haue but twentie of discretion in it Or that any Bisshop then did sweare by his honor when in his visitation abrode in the countrie he should warrant his promise to some poore prisoner priest vnder hym Or that any bagpipers horsecorsers gailers or alebastars were admitted then in to the clergie without good and long triall of their conuersion Or that any Bisshop then refused to weare a whyte rochet or to be distincted from the laitie by some honest priestlie apparell Or that any Bishopp then not satisfyed with the prisonyng of his aduersaries dyd crie out and call vpon the princes not disposed that waie to put them yet to most cruell death Or that the communion table yf any then were was remoueable vpp and downe hyther and thyther and brought at any tyme in to the lower partes of the church there to exequute the Lorde hys supper Or that any communion was saied vpon good fridaie Or that Gloria in excelsis should be song after the communion Or that the Sacrament was ministred then some tyme in loeuebread some tyme in wafers and in those rather without the name of Iesus or the signe of the crosse then with it Or that Quicunâ— vult and Crede of Athanasius was apointed to be song onlie vpon hygh daies and principall feastes Or that at the communion tyme the minister should weare a cope and at all other seruice a surples onlie or as in some places it is vsed nothing at all besides hys common apparell Or that the wordes of Sainct Paule 1. Cor. 1 â–ª 1. shold be ordinarilie readen at the tyme of consecration Or that they vsed a coÌ„mon and prophane cup at the coÌ„munion and not a consecrated and halowed Or that a solemne curse should be vsed vpon Asshewensdaye Or that a procession about the fieldes was vsed in the rogation weeke to know therebie rather the boundes and borders of euerie lordeshipp then to moue God to mercie and styr mens hartes to deuotion Or that any Bishopp then gathered beneuoleÌ„ce of his clergie to marye his daughter to a gentle man or merchaÌ„t or to helpe hym in the setting vp of his howsehold Or that the man should put the wedding ring vpon the fourth finger of the left hand of the woman and not of the right hand of her as it hath ben many hundred yeares contynued Or that any man then dyd read it in open scholes or preach it out of pulpites or set it furth in print that Sainct Peter was neuer at Rome Or that in the tyme of contagious plagues when for feare of the infection none will communicate with the sick person the minister might alonelie communicate with him with out breache of Christ his institution and that the decree of no coÌ„munion to be made withowt three at the least should in such cases be forgoten Or that the people then were called togeather to morning prayer by ringing of a bell Yf any man alyue be able to proue any of these articles by any one cleare or plaine clause or sentence either of the Scriptures or of the old Doctours or any old generall Councell or by any example of the primitiue church I promise that I will geaue ouer and subscribe vnto hym in that poynt And of this I for my part will not onlie not call in any poynt being well assured of the trueth therein but allso will laye more matter to it Wherefor beside all that I haue said allready I will say further and yet nothing so much as might be said If any one of our aduersaries be able clearlie and plainelie to proue by such authoritie of the scriptures the old Doctors and Councels as I said before That the Bishopp of Rome was called Antichrist within the first vjC yeares after Christ Or that the people was then tawght to beleue that the force and strength of their faith made Christ his bodye present to them in the SacrameÌ„t and not any vertue of wordes and consecration Or that the residue of the SacrameÌ„t vnreceaued was taken of the priest or the parish clark to spread ther young childerns butter therevppon or to serue their owne to the with it at their homely table Or that who so had said in the Sacrament is the true and reall bodie of Christ and not a figuratiue body onlie or mistical shold ben therefor iudged a papist and brought vp before high commissioners Or that it was lawfull then to haue but one communion in one church in one daye Or that images were then cutt hewed mangled and reuiled though it were answered that they are not â—olden for Godes or Sainctes but kept only for memorial sake of Christ him selfe or any of his faithfull Or that Bishopes then threw downe Christ and his sainctes images and set vp their owne their wyues and their childerns pictures in their open chambers and parlors Or that our Sauior in his last supper deliuered hys bodye to many more then his twelue Apostels Or that â—udas Machabeus in causing sacrifice to be offered for the dead added in that point vnto the law and offended God any ys no more to be folowed in that doing then Loth and Dauid are in their iâ—cest and adultery Or that a Bishopp being a virgin at takyng hys office did afterwardes yet commendablie take a wife so to call an harlot vnto hym Or that after the first wyfes death which he had before holy orders receiued any priest toke a second or third vnto hym with a totâ—es quoties the later wyfe departing left hym in hott fiery pasiions that he needed an other to coole hym Or that any preacher of those daies moued young men and women in open sermons not to blushe or be ashamed of desyering the one the other no more then they would be ashamed of spetting or any such naturall actioÌ„ Or that it was at those dayes the right way to knowledge euery man to read by hym self the Scriptures and neglect all kynd of tradition Or that the lent or friday was to be fasted for ciuile policie and not for any deuotion Or that Palmesonday was solemnised without bearing of bowes conmonly called palmebowes Or that Christmassdaye was without a masse or asshewensday without asshes orâ— Candelmaâ—daye without bearing of Candels Or that the Natiuity of S. Ihon Baptist was kept holy and the Eue 〈◊〉 and neither the natiuity neither the assumption of owr blessed lady kept holy with a special fast vpon the â—ues Or that they did pray vnto God vpoÌ„ the feast of S. Michael saying graâ—nt that owr lisse maye be deâ—ended on earth by them by whom thow art allwayes wayted vpon in heauen and neuerthelesse
tyme. that ys to saye Quibus competâ—t fides ipsa cuiâ—â— sint Scripturae â–ª â— quo per quos quando quibus sit tradita disciplina qua fiunt Christiani who they are vnto whom the faith it selfe belongeth whose are the Scriptures of whom and by whom and what tyme and vnto whom the trade and instruction was geauen by which men are made Christians For where it shall appere that the much of the Christian discipline and faith is there shallbe the truth of the Scriptures and of the expositions of them and of all the Christian traditioÌ„s This haue I Englisshed more at large owt of Tertullian that it might the better be coÌ„sidered of â—he Reader whether he speaketh reason or no and whether in any disputation to be instituted or any challenge to be apoynted these articles which Tertullian specifyeth are not principallie to be debated and examined and whether this trade and manner of arguing doe serue to the mainteynyng of any stomak which ys so naturall as I may saye and so reasonable that yow can not deuyse a more indifferent To vse it therefor to myne owne comfort and others â–ª and yet not to depart from the manner of a challenge therebye to recompense owr aduersaries I saye Yf any of owr aduersaries be ablâ— to shew by any sufficient or lyklie argument and testimonie that they haue any true Christian fayth at all among them for faith cleaueth vnto authoritie which they can neuer shew for them selues c. Or that the Scriptures haue ben delyuered vnto them or that they are the right keepers of them Or yf they can tell from whom they haue receiued their Ghospell other then papistes Or by what successors from the fyrst eyther maker or cheife preacher of theire Ghospell it hath come vnto them Or at what tyme they receiued it Or yf they can shew but the fundacions onlye or proportion of some churche howse communion table communion boke or any other thing neuer so smal by which it might be gathered that a true an Apostolyke religion was extant to be seen within the six hundred yeares after Christ as voyd of ornamentes ceremonies reuerence distinction of places and dignityes Sacramentes and solemnities parteyning to Sacramentes as theirs ys These are the most best and 〈◊〉 questions for the capacitye of a sensible man and most meetest to be asked of these greate folowers of Antiquitie as they saye them selues Yf therefore any of owr aduersaries can name eyther the places or the persons where their religion stode of old tyme or from whom by 〈◊〉 descent it hath come to theyr churches and ministers I promyse fâ—â— my selfe and others allso eyther to proue their predecessors heretikes or to yeld with a good will to their succession yf they bring it downewarde from any Apostle I haue sayed And in the meaâ— while vntill theyr aunswer be deuised I will contynue in that fayth which lawfull Bisshoppes of England receiued of Sainct Augustyne a monke and owr Apostle which by the allmightie power of God conuertâ—â— owr realme from Idolatrie to Christianitie which receiued his faith of Sainct Gregorie the greate and the first of that name And Sainct Gregorie lerned it of his predecessor Pelagius the second Pelagius agayne receiued it of Benedictus the first from Benedictus then we goe vpward to loannes III. to Pelagius I. to Vigilius to Siluerius to Agapetus to Ioannes the second to Bonifacius the second to Foâ—lix the first to Ioannes I. to Hormisda to Symmachus to Anastasius the second to Gelasius to Faelix III to Simplicius to Hilarius to Leo I. to Sixtus III. to Caelestinus to Bonifacius I. to Zozimus to Innocentius to Anastatius I. to Siricius to Damasus to Faelix the second to Liberius to 〈◊〉 to Marcus to Siluester to Melchiades to Eusebius to Marcellus to Marcellinus to Caiâ—s to Eutâ—â—hiamus to Faelix I. to Dionisius to â—ixtus the second to Stephanus I. to Lucius to Cornelius to Fabianus to Antherus to Pontianus to Vrbanus to Calistus to Zepherinus to Victor to Eutherius to Soter to Anicetus to Pius to Higinus to Telesphorus to Sixtus to Alexander which was the first that apointed making of holywater which receaued thâ— Catholike faith of Euaristus which receaued it of Anacletus which receaued it of Clemens which receaued it of Sainct Peter which receaued it of Christ which is God most true and blessed for euer Amen Fare well Rom. 16. Deus autem pacis conterat Sathanam sub pedibus vestris velociter Quoniam viri S. Theologiae peritissimi Angli apud me side dignissimi perlegerunt hunc librum Iohannis Rastelli per omnia catholicum esse censent dignumque qui typis excusus à popularibus eius Prouintiae nempe Anglicanae legatus puâ—o ipsum tutò posse imprimi Ita testor Cunerus Petri de Brouwershauen Louanij Pastor S. Petri indignus .11 Nouem 1561 A Table of the cheefest matters THE occasion of the Councell of Nice Folio 6. The pride of heretikes and old wont of refusing vnwriten verities fo 9. That the new ghospellers must needer disagree emong them selues 20. The Englishe order of communion and seruice doth not folowe iust the example of Christ and his Apostles but hath in some partes more in some lesse as In takyng of bread in to their handes when they should consecrate 25 ¶ In blessing of bread In takyng the chalice lykewyse 26 The order of the Englisshe seruice agreeth not with the primityue church as Iâ— praying towardes the East 29 â—n mengling of wine and water togeather in the chalice 30 In vsing the signe of the crosse in the misteries 31 In erecting of Aultars 32 In burning of incense ibidem In lichtes and tapers 33 In praying to Sainctes 35 In praying for the soules departed 36 Of seruice in the mother tong 50. 132 Of the sacrifice of Christians 63 Of adoration 73 A generall aunswer to the skoffing of heretykes agaynst the similitudes and allusions which Catholykes haue vsed 108 Of priuate Masse 119 Of receiuing in both kyndes 228 Of the title of vniuersall Bisshope 136 Of the reall and corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament 139 That priestes haue authoritie to offer Christ. 150 A generall aunswer to the particular questions which M. Iuell moueth 153 Folish collections and argumentes of M. Iuells Fol. 59. 64. 65. 70. 76. 82. 94. 99. 116. 121. 146. 152. 154. 155. Notable lyes of M. Iuells Fol. 23. 61. 68. 72. 86. 94. 151. 156. 158. In the Challenge Tertullians rules to be obserued in euerye disputation and challenge appoynted Fol. 173. 174. ¶ Faultes escaped in the printing Fol Fa. Linea   7. 2. 7. to establisshe and to establisâ—â—â— 8. 1. 20. sayed saie 16. 2. 5. gaue it gaue without 〈◊〉 26. 1. 13. lockyng lockyng â— 35. 2. 26 in the put it out  40 1. 11. great greater lb. 1. 17. odre order 43. 1. 19. coniures coniurers 53. 1. 26. hartis not hart is not 56
breaketh the coÌ„secrated host holding the halfe in one the halfe in his otheâ— hand And that which is in the right hand he putteth in to the chalice saying The vnion of the most holy bodye and precious bloud of oure Lorde and God and Sauiour Thesus Christ. Then the other part which was in the left hand he blesseth and diuideth and putteth it in to chalices saying it is vnited and sanctified and coÌ„summated in the name of the Father and Soun and the Holy Ghost now and euer I leaue owt manye thinges as praying vnto Saincts and also praying for the dead oft inclinations and bowinges oft lifting vp the voyce oft speaking to hym selfe alone with incense agayne offred in the later end of the masse Which masse truly yf it were in english and sayed accordingly it would seme more superstitious and more full of cerimonies gestures then the masse which they saye to haue nothyng well nere but mennes inuention What memories haue these felowes which so frely report of S. Iames masse that which they haue forgotten howe it standeth or yf memory faile them not what hartes haue they to lye so lowdly and to the shame of their communion to crie owt that Saint Iames masse hath Christ his institution that the people which haue neuer reade it heard it or sene it might think it were as prety a thing as the communion is wheras in dede all thinges being knowen it vtterly confoundeth all their craking and glory except they haue forgotten that incensing blessing crossing and soft speaking and saluting of oure blessed lady all which thinges are vsed in Sainct Iames masse doe vtterly disagree froÌ„ their positions whereof it foloweth that he speaketh much against him selfe which praiseth so highely that masse whose rites and cerimonies do turne their religion to vtter shame and vnworthines I praye God to send them all better mindes and not to seke their owne glory by defending of that which once they take in hand to maintayne but the honour of God and his truth which hath and shall continew for euer Amen Thus then now Sir you haue a pece of an answer vnto the stoute chalenge and a token of my good will toward your beneuolence and some example of the exercise in the whiche I bestow my solitary and sorowfull time Of which three poyntes although euery one separatly were sufficient to haue geuen an occasion to this my labour and should be available to obtaine easy pardon for suche thinges which may be amended by the lerned Catholikes yet chefely I entended to destroy the assertions of Master Iuell Which if I haue not fully done yet all is not lost bicause I haue other prouided a tokeÌ„ to send to my very frend or chosen such an exercise where in I was not vnfrutfully occupied But on the other side if I haue attained vnto the coÌ„futation of those matters which I know deserue iust confusion then haue I that which I principally sought for â–ª and then as I would be content that our frendes should haue a sight of it so would I not be asâ—amed if the enemies should chauÌ„ce to find it But who is there that is able to saie that this is so diligently wrought that it should be welcome to those which do loue vs or should be accepted for probable of suche as fiâ—d faulte with vs Well yet how so euer it be I put it in to your handes to haue and to hold for better for worse vntill you see occasion from it to departe Fare you well You know my ordinary commendations which I vse in all letters Do them at this tyme extraordinarely with an ouerplus bycause it is long sence I wrote laste vnto you Your owne I. R. A CONCLVSION TO THE READER VVITH a challenge annexed THVS much vnto a singular Frind but to take my leaue of the also Reader and to shutt vpp all this matter with some coÌ„clusion well worth the remembring I think it verie good and profitable to sett furth also a solemne challenge thereby to geaue owr aduersaries an occasion to shew furth their Scriptures Councells Doctours c. and to declare their deepe knowledge in answering for themselues whose art we haue experience of in deuysing of obiections against other Which enterpryse and ventering of myne as it will be most subiect vnto their eye and consâ—quentlie vnto their prying and exâ—myning so haue I taken vnto me the 〈◊〉 of a perfect wyse man and 〈…〉 which hath tawght me how to procede against them that I neede not to mistrust my boldnes For thus he saieth in his boke of Prouerbes a boke of good authoritie and instruction Doe not aunswer a foole according to his folisshnes least thow be made lyke vnto hym And in the next sentence folowing Aunswer saieth he a foole according vnto his folisshnes that he may not seeme to hymselfe to be wyse To folow now therefore this duble and good counsell of not aunswering and yet aunswering a foole I will sett furth vâ—to the Reader two challenges to plaie the foole with a foole in the first of theÌ„ that he may beholde his artificiall wysedome and in the second not to agree with hym in his folie because I will refuse his waies and order But how may one aunswer a foole according vnto his folie or what hope is there of anye vantage â–ª if that waie be taken with hym Marie lyke as some madd men I haue heard saie haue ben meetlie well browght to themselues when an other hath stared and gaped vpon them all counterfaicting an owtragiouse behauyor so vndowbtedlie against fond questions it ys a profitable waye of replying to putt the lyke againe vnto madd aduersaries and cawse them to behold the absurditie For as the fault which an other maketh doth more sensiblie appeere vnto vs then the lyke of owr owne vsing thowgh owrselues be neerest to owrselues so to declare the absurditie of the challenge which M. luell with much opinion of wisedome pronounced against all Catholykes lett one of a lyke proportion to his be made furth vnto hym that he may coÌ„sider the well fauorednes of his owne worke when the lyke example of it shall greatlie mislyke hym Now if there were not so good lykelyhode and reason why this counterfaited challenge so to call it shoulde be vttered profitablie yet the wyseman so plainelie either counselling or licensing vs To aunswer a foole according to his foolisshnes his authoritie ys sufficient inowgh for me to beare me owt in this my doing and to saye that if I playe the foole yowr example M. Iuell hath moued me vnto it I saye therfore Yf any learned man of all our aduersaries or yf all the lerned men that be alyue be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholike doctour or father or out of any old generall Councell or out of the holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the primitiue church wherby it may be clearlie and plainely