hym For when the owtward person ys mistaken and good wyll shewed vnto it the error happening ys quickelye forgeuen and the inward affection ys iustlye considered But lett vs goe further Loth I am here to â—â—pp vp and to open vnto yow the high misteries and secretes of their lerning and the force and strength of their reasons Yet at this tyme the importunitye of them forceth me so to doe c. These be his wordes But I will tell yow Master Iuell if yow will be ruled by counsel and doe as wyse and lerned men haue done here before neuer goe front your purpose and make an end of that which you haue taken in hand And if any be importunate answer them that yow will be at leisure an other tyme and then talk at large of their obiectioÌ„s But now it ys owt of your purpose to intreate of any thing which doth not appertein vnto the masse But contention hath no eares and when al is sett in and vpon the tong owt it must that which burneth in the stomake althowgh it agreeth no better then Germaines lippes whose tongues we see by experience in this world how farr they sound one countrarye to the other Lothe I am sayeth he which is verye seldome in men of hys religion which take it for a great perfection and zeale not onlye to dallie with mens argumentes but also to deface their lyues and to speake the worst they can of the highest priest in Christendom But thankes be vnto God that there ys one shamefast man in their syde And then good master Iuell if in deed you be lothe as you seeme to speake lett all extraordinarie matters passe by and folow onlye your purpose For why will you encumber your selfe with the highe misteries misteries and secretes of their lernyng the masse alone hauing sufficient argument to make .20 Sermons vpon it Well there ys no remedie allthowgh he be lothe to open the secretes of owr lernyng yet the importunitye of them sayeth he forceth me so to doe Wherin althowghe I nothing doubt but that he preached withowt troble and that he myght haue done what he would and haue preached in the lent especiallie of the passion or some matter parterning to pretie withowt bringing of question or controuersie yet lett vs suppose that some one was importunate and lett vs harken how properlye master Iuell doth answer his appetite But remember Sir that yow keepe promys least yow be thought to haue gone owt of your ware for nothing and remember that yow ryp vp and open the high misteries and secretes of their lernyng not skoffyng lyke a benchewhistler but reasonyng lyke a preacher Fyrst then to begyn with the head marke yow well sayeth he and waighe this argument God made two lightes in heauen the greater to rule the daye the lesse to rule the night ergo there be two powers to rule the world the Pope that resembleth the sonn and the Emperor that is less then he and likened vnto the moone This is an argument of theires vsed by Innocentius tertius Syr I pray yow before Innocentius who vsed this argument or conclusion Then I aske whether this text of Genesis was the cause that the Pope should be greater then an Emperor yf you can not tell what to answer to the first you are not skillfull inowgh in owr misteries how great also is your knowledge and reading that before Innocentius tertius yow dare well say that no man euer vsed the same verie argument or similitude And if to the second yow saye that the Sonn and Moone were the cause for which Christians dyd make the distinction betweene Pope and Emperor you maye goe to schoole agayne and lerne yowr Catechisme for any knowledge or vnderstanding which yow haue in secret mysteries whereas before Innocentius dayes the Pope was higher then the Emperor the argument of the Sonn and Moone being not alleaged for that purpose Yf yow were Cicero and for loue of your client would make a pretie lye and meâ—ie to delite my Lord the Iudge and deceaue therewith his circunspection and grauitie the Ethnykes for your so doing might dispense at their pleasure with you and geue that praise and name vnto you that you be a trym felow of a goodlie fyne witt and a pleasaunt and such a one good Iupiter send me might they say at my need but emong Christians in so great a question as the sowle cummeth vnto in open pulpitt a famouse scholar a Bishopp by calling to moue ernest expectation as though he would rypp vp the high misteries of the Catholike faith and to recyte but an argument of Innocentius onlie which he rather for garnisshing of his letters to the Emperor then strength of the similitude in it selfe and by it selfe dyd roundelye alleage furth vnto hym and to make as though that were the best argument and most secret misterie of the papisteâ— it ys not for a sage person matter place or audience Vnto yow M. Iuell if one should talke of this question how much the dignitie of a pope were better then the rome of an Emperor he should neuer alleage Innocentius tertius or the glose Not bycause they are to be contempned in them selues but rather bycause yow doe sett so litle by them And yet it may be proued vnto you all that which Innocentius would conclude by the alluding vnto the sonn and moone which God made at the beginnyng Therefore I doe graunt vnto you that Innocentius argument ys not of great good force against an ethnyke and heretike and yet I save the coÌ„clusion of the church standeth for all that this argument may fall But if it were an high misterie it could not be so easelie lett to faile ergo then yow haue declared or confuted yet no misteries of owre religion Now that there be two states of ruling in the church of Christ it ys plaine by this that the one which is temporall euerye man doth see of the other which is spirituall the psalmist doth propheâ—ie saying in steede of my fathers their â—ounes are borne vnto the meanying the Apostles and Bishoppes their successors them shalt thow apoynte princes and rulers ouer the whole earth And this is proued also by the Apostle commaunding the Bishoppes of Ephesus to take heede vnto them selues and also the whole flocke in which the holyghost hath sett and made you Bishoppes that yow should gouerne the churche of God which he hath purchased by his blond Then how much not only pope or prelate but euerie simple priest ys higher and honorabler then the greatest Emperor of the world not onlie the wordes and writinges of holie men but their factes rather and behauyors doe geue an euidonâ— testimonye As S. Martin being inuited with much a doe vnto Maximus the Emperor his table and hauing the cup first geauen vnto hym that he should begin vnto the Emperor not withstandyng the exceading great feast and honor which was he stowed vpon
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
dayes telleth How the Byshop after he hath ended his folie praier vpon the diuine altar beginneth at it to burne incense so goeth rounde about the whole church An other witnes to lett goe the liturgies or masses of S. Basile and S. Chrisostome shal be S. Ambrose which in his coÌ„templation of the comyng of the Angel vnto the highe preist Zacharie sayeth And I wold to god that whiles we inceÌ„se the altars and bring sacrifice thither the Angel shold stand by vs and geue hymself to be seen of vs. Now these testimonies M. Iuell being gathered out of the fiue huÌ„dred yeres after Christ you were not so wyse vndoubtedlye as you were bold in saying your coÌ„munion to be of that forme and fashion which the Apostles delyuered and their next folowers receiued Furthermore in the primityue church goodlye tapers and lightes were vsed how read you in the old doctors were they not If they were how be you not a shamed of the darknes which is generallie in you and your coÌ„munion If you can find no mentioÌ„ of lightes in any good auncient doctor read then S. Augustyne in his sermons vnto the people declaring what is the best kynd of vowe and vttering by that occasioÌ„ the manner of good folke in his time of whoÌ„ some did vowe oyle some wax to keep light in the night some a pall or robe c. Which although he aloweth yet these are not the best vowes sayeth he Read also Paulinus which vpon S. Felix holidaye sayeth Clara coronantur densis altaria lychnis The altars bright Are rownde I dight With lampes thick sett and light Read to be short S. Hierome and not onlie read but regard hym Read what he iudgeth of Vigilantius and read what the heretike VigilaÌ„tius iudged of churchlightes and tapers Did not he lyke a singular and blind Protestant all be it such then were not called Protestantes but knowen well inowghe by the bare name of heretikes but did not he iest tawnt at the maÌ„ner of Catholikes askyng them whi they lighted tapers at myd noon the sonne faire shinyng and askyng further whether the martyrs which dwell in heauen neede any of our tapers which tarye on earth Whose madd brayne for theis and other lyke sayinges S. Hierome noted to require some cure and remedie and emong other thinges he answereth Vigilantius with these wordes Neither Christ needed the oyntment which Marye Magdalene powred vpon hym Nor martyrs the light of tapers and yet that woman did that thing in the honor of Christ and the deuotion of her mynd ys taken and who so euer do light tapers they haue theire reward according to their faith Agayn Thorowgh all the churches of the East when the Ghospell ys a reading the tapers are lighted euen when the sonne now shyneth Not trulie to putt darknes awaie but to shew furth and declare a token of ioye and gladnes For this matter therefore M. Iuell I will leaue you vnto holie S. Hierome to see whether you and he in this â—â—ynt can agree any thing togeather and whether he can patientlie suffer you after so euident customes to the contrarie to crake that you haue browght the communion vnto that forme which it had at the begynnyng Shal I make any more exceptions against you or haue I sayd to much allreadie for your profite and credite emong the ignorant Many surelie wil think and saie vnto them selues that if my Lord Iuell preached these thinges in open pulpite he was well aduysed before what he would saye and vndoubtedlie he hath how to answer how so euer these papistes alleage the Doctors Which felowes verilie haue to greate an opinion of the man and they may seeme to offend of purpose which wil not see most manifest thinges and such which are coÌ„prehended by the owtward and carnal senses Many heresies of old were verie subtile and of much shew of vertue in so much that right lerned and good men might haue ben deceaued in them but the heresies of this tyme are for the most part all so grosse so vnreasonable so vnnatural so folish so much crakyng so litle performyng that it ys a wouÌ„der how any man of coÌ„mon sense doth preferr the new before the old religion For to note .ij. pointes more which the church obserueth as delyuered by the Apostles and which the coÌ„munioÌ„ boke hath not in it for all the bost that is made of it what honest hart can abide to here those bolde wordes that the coÌ„munioÌ„ is restored to the vse and forme of the primityue churche when he shall perceaue that praying to the Sainctes and praying for the dead which the new Ghospellers do vtterlie neglect was generallie of old obserued Is it not sayed manie tymes and oft in S. Basils masse lett vs commend our selues one an other and all owr life vnto Christ owr God hauing in memorie owr most holie and vndefiled ladie the mother of God and allwaies virgin Marie with all the Sainctes Doth he not make an expresse mention of owr ladie of S. Ihon the Baptist and of the sainct whose memorie is kept that daye in the churche sayinge QuoruÌ„ postulationibus visita nos at whose praiers and requestes visite vs Doth not Chrisostome in this article agree with Basile the catholike faith O Michael saieth he which art the cheife captaine of the heauenlie armie vnworthy we beseech the to defend vs by thy intercessions vnder the shadow of thy wynges Agayn O ye Apostles do your message vnto owr mercifull God that he may geue vnto owr sowles remission of sinnes The lyke praier he maketh in effect vnto S. Nycolas and to all the sainctes And whereas holye Sainctes and Martirs are mentioned in the rest of the masse especiallie yet thei are at the tyme of oblation for it is great honor to them to be named when their Lord ys present wheÌ„ that death ys celebrated and that dreadfull sacrifice and vnspeakable sacramentes Which was so ordinarie and common a matter that S. Augustine in few wordes sayeth It is well knowen vnto the faithfull at whatâ— place the martyrs and religiouse women or Nunnes departed are rehersed at the Sacramentes of the altar And agayne that we vse not to offer sacrifice to Martirs but that in that sacrifice which we offer vp vnto God the martirs in their place order are named Yf yow aske to what purpose the catholike and true coÌ„munion should vse the inuocation or namyng of martyrs althowgh it be argument sufficient against your coÌ„munion that it foloweth not the lyke maner which we find to haue ben receiued in the awncient churche yet to yelde much herein vnto you I say either with Chrisostome in the place forenamed in the that it is the Martirs honor to be remeÌ„bred in the presens of their lorde his pretiouse bodie Or I saie with S. Augustine applying that to our purpose speciallie which he spake generallie of all
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
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
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
still that in the sacrament is Christ his bodye and to make playne what body is meaned it foloweth which shalbe delyuered for yow Agayne it is a verâ—tie most certain that Christ hath not left his church without guides and gouernours in which be first Apostles then Propheâ—s then EuaÌ„gelistes after these Pastors and Doctors to the perfiting of her Which if yow graunt to what purpose is any talk or brable moued if more masses be sayd in one church at one tyme if laye men be restrained from commenting vpon the Scriptures or if the host be diuided in to three partes or if the laie man receiue in one kynd alone wher as all these thinges be such that being once appointed they must nedes be obserued And if they neuer had ben appointed the veritie of the SacrameÌ„t were nothing thereby diminished To what purpose then do I speak all this Truly to come at length to some end with out aduersaries and to geue waâ—â—ing vnto our frendes that in all thinges they require that which is materiall and necâ—ssary and lerne to distinct that from thinges indifferent in them selues â–ª also to appeale vnto the principall coÌ„clusion and not to meddle with lower matters before the principall be decided Can you proue saieth M. Iuell that it was lawfull by the old Doctours and Councels for the priest to pronounce the wordes of coÌ„secration closely What then Sir I can proue that there was and must be a principall head in the church by whom we must be ruled whether he appoint the wordes closely or openly to be pronounced how now then should any wise man and desirous of the truth haue talk with an heretike aboute the open and close speaking of the priest which dependeth of that other question whether the Bisshoppes and heades of the church may not rule the churche of Christ as they shall see expedient what a doe is made about the coÌ„munion vnder one kynde of prayers in the vulgar tong and of order in the seruice in which questions the heretike hath this aduantage that whiles these thinges are indifferent he maye bring for him selfe a probable argumeÌ„t and the Catholike whatso euer he shall bring except he goe to a higher questioÌ„ he shall speak but probablye and so the hearer of bothe partes can not dissalow greately any one But if we wold come to that which is the chefe in all such indiffereÌ„t matters and reason whether we shold not obey the lawfull Bishoppes and heads this question concluded would sone put to silence all heresy and settle well the consciences of true Catholikes I would faine be at an end and I can not For behold more then a dosen interrogations do folow which if I doe not answer I think that will be the best answer rather then to trouble both you and my self in opening all the matters which goe before and folow after vpon the foresaied interrogations But what nedeth that I go thorough all his interrogations and articles whereas if we be able to auouche against him any one of them all he is content to yeld and subscribe I will shew therefor which he demeth that the priest hath authoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father Euery Bisshop saieth the blessed Apostle vnto the Hebrewes selected and chosen outâ— of men is appointed for men in those thinges which appertaine vnto God that he offer vp giftes and sacrifices for sinnes which being a generall proposition ergo either there be no priests and Bishopes in the new lawe or els they must haue a sacrifice which they may offer Which sacrifice must be of that valew that none may offer it but he which is called therevnto as Aaron was called â–ª and which sacrifice must be according to the order of Melchisedech as it is writen Thou arte a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Of which order Christ our Lorde was in his last supper as being the priest of the gentils and not annoynted with visible oyle as the olde Bishoppes of the lawe were and thirdly bycause he offred vp sacrifice there his owne body and bloud not in forme of bloud and flesh but in forme of bread and wine as Melchisedeth did before Of which order Christ is truly saied to be a priest for euer as Oecuâ—enius saieth in respect of the priests which be now a dayes by meanes of whom Christ doth offer and also is offred Therefore if allmighty God hath taken an oth and if it doth not repent him thereof that Christ is priest for euer according to the order of Melchiâ—edech and if these wordes for euer be verified in Christ thorough priestes which be now in the world and whereas Christ offred in his last supper his very body and bloud in formes of bread and wine as it dyd appertayne vnto the order of Melchisedech how can it be saied that the priests haue no authoritie to offer his bodye which except it were offred God should seme to repent him of his oth and to break it also And further except priestes made out of men should offer it no offering wold be at all our Sauiour now according to his visible forme being ascended in to heauen and there abiding vntill the last iudgement of the world And not onely by this argument it is proued that priestes may and should offer vp Christ but also by the very expresse commaundement of Christ in his last supper when he sayed Do this in remembrance of me which commaundement except it had ben geuen what man in all the world wold haue entreprised to haue coÌ„secrated the body of oure Lorde For as S. Denyâ— testifieth of the priests of his time They did excuse them selues reuerently and Bishoplike that they offred vp the â—olsome sacrifice which is farr aboue them trying first vnto God decently and saying Thou hast sayed Do this in my remembrance and then beseching him that they maye be made worthy of so great a ministery and seruice that they maye holylye consecrat the Sacrament By which wordes it appereth that the priestes of the primitiue church much abashed at the excellency of their function did yet take harâ—e of grace to consecrat the holsom sacrifice because they were commaunded so to do by God him selfe In which sense also Sainct Basil praieth in his lyturgye and masse Make me saieth he meete through the power of the holy Ghost that I being endued with the grace of priesthood maye stand at this holy table and maye consecrat thy holy and vndefiled body and precious bloud And like wise again For thy vnspeakable and exceding kindnes sake withoute all mutation and conuersion thou hast ben made man and hast ben named oure Bishop and hast deliuered vnto vs the consecratioÌ„ of this seruiceable and vnbloudy sacrifice And after this very sorte all blessed men haue euer done in the church of Christ not denying but that all priestes do in very dede coÌ„secrat and offer vp the body of Christ but leâ—t
Therefor it is not with vs M. Iuell as it is with you that if I will not be of the congregation of Geneua I maye go to Wittenberge and if I like not one citie and fraternitie I maye go to an other But euen as he which is in the church of England and a faithfull Catholike is made partaker of the Sacraments and praiers which be saied in Calicute so he which is cutt of and separated from any one parte and membre of the church he shall not leap to Calicute for his coÌ„munion but shall remaine quyte diuided from the body So that as it semeth absurd vnto you master myne that an excoÌ„municate in England should communicate with the priest of Calicute whether the priest of Calicute will or nill so make the like argument against your selfe that it must seme as absurd that he which communicateth in England should not eke communicate with him which is in Calicute and then shall it remaine that if none receiue with the priest at the aultar in England yet he coÌ„municateth with the priest of Calicut Of the like vaine of knowleadge cometh this other argument also That the name of masse was not vntill foure hundred yeres after Christ nor yet were the pieces and partes of the masse as we in oure time haue sene theÌ„ sett togeather Ergo wat masse could that be that as yet had neither her owne name nor her partes As who should saie the masse which was vsed of the Apostles and their next successours was made the worse by Kyrie eleeson Gloria in excelsis Alleluia Credo in Deum and Agnus Dei with certain most godly collects and praiers which haue ben added vnto the substance of the sacrifice which was in the Apostles time not as necessary but as coÌ„uenient and comly Do you not know that it is an old and true distinction of the masse one which was called Catechumenorum which ended after the Ghospell and an other masse called Christianorum which began with the preface what masse could that be saie you which as yet had nother her name nor her partes I answer to this that she had the essentiall and necessary partes froÌ„ the beginning but the garnishing and decking of the misteries did folow afterwardes Neither doth it hurt and hinder the nature of man if he haue a new or diuers cote according to the dispositioÌ„ of the yere But what do I which saied I was wery as I am in dede and yet do runne forward with opening his faint and vntrue reasoning well nowe I will remembre my selfe better and conclude with one pointe which ended I shall take my leaue of him and you bothe In coÌ„paring S. Iames masse and oures together it is a world to see howe frely he foloweth his rhetorike and foâ—saketh the verite A figure of which rhetorike whiles he did maintaine with sondry reportes of S. Iames masse hath this and their masse hath this with this and this vntill I think he was wery of speaking to conclude he sayeth Sainte Iames masse â—ad Christes institution they in their masse haue well nere nothyng ells but mans inuention Do yow speak as yow think is not your communion allmost wholy peced togeather of the partes of the Popish masse by you dismembred The epistle the Ghospel the collects of the sondaye the hymne of the Angels the confession of oure faith the himne of Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus the saying of Agnus be not these so many thinges in the masse and transferred in to the coÌ„munion how then hath the masse well nere nothing but mans inuention if your communion haue Christes only institution I take it that M. Iuell did speak so much onely to saue his honesty lest he should haue semed not to proue that oure masse was cleane contrary vnto S. Iames except he would haue borowed this litle lye of the ignorance and rudenes of the most part of his audience But letting the cause of oure masse to cease hath S. Iames masse Christ his institution and hath it no mans inuention or very litle at all I think you do not meane that he hath nothing els but Christes institution but as oure masse hath well nere nothing els but mans inuentioÌ„ so by the contrary you must meane S. Iames masse hath well nere nothing els but Christes institution whiche I speake for your aduauntage bycause it serueth better for the Catholikes that S. Iames masse shold haue nothing els but Christes institutioÌ„ But now Sir if S. Iames masse be so perfect a thing in your iudgement why did not you translate it in to English It had ben a greate glory for you to saye that you did bring againe the very order of the Apostles and so to proue your saying true by the masse which S. Iames hym selfe vsed which thing the Catholikes graunting vnto you that it is Sainct Iames masse in dede with more glory and surety you might haue turned the Popish masse owt of the church and haue brought in the masse Apostolike But yow do not I think allow that masse of Sainct Iames. Certainely then you be a great dissembler to speak so many faire wordes openly of it and in your hart to disdaine it priuely No mary will you saie Sainct Iames in his masse had Christ his institution Lett vs then be tried by S. Iames masse whether you iustely reproue the Catholikes masse and extoll your communion In the first beginning of Sainct Iames masse franckincense is burned with a prayer thereunto appertaining how doth this sauour in yowr noses tell the truth Further in that masse the priest goeth vp solemnely with deuoute praying the Deacon in the meane tyme singing Againe in an other place the Deacon biddeth that none of them come in presence of the misteries which be yet to lerne the faith or which can not praie with the faithfull such he meaneth as haue not fullfilled their penaunce and he commaundeth the dores to be kept But how agreeth this with that law of yours which receyueth in all sortes without examination and constrayneth other which wold not to come in and be present Then yet againe in that masse the priest saieth O Lorde allmighty king of glory c receiue of our handes which be sinners this perâ—ume as thou hast receiued those thinges which Abel Noe Aaron and Samuell and all thy holy ones haue offred vnto the. Further yet in that masse the priest maketh the signes of the crosse ouer the giftes saying vnto him selfe Glory be to God on highe and in earth peace vnto men good will three times and after two other sentences with bowing him selfe on this side and that side he sayeth Magnifie you oure Lorde with me and lett vs exalt his name together Also there is in Sainct Iames masse a secret praier for the priest when he entreth with in the curteynes further after the consecration and secret praiers he saieth Hayle Marie full of grace our Lord is with the. c. At the last he
⧠A confutation of a sermon pronouÌ„ced by M. Iuell at Paules crosse the second Sondaie before Easter which Catholikes doe call Passion Sondaie Anno DnÌ„i M.D.I.X. By Iohn Rastell M. of Art and studient in diuinitie Miror quòd tam citò transserimini ab eo qui vos vocauit in gratiam CHRISTI in aliud Euangelium c. I maruell that yow be so sone caried awaie from hym which called yow vnto the grace of Christ in to an other Ghospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mores antiqui obtineant Lett old customes preuaile Imprinted at Antwerp by Aegidius Diest 21. Nouemb. Anno. 1564. CVM PRIVILEGIO REgiâ— Maiestatis priuilegio permissum est Iohanni Rastello artium Magistro sacrae Theologiae candidato vtiper aliquem â—ypographorii admissorum impunè ei liceat imprimi curare per omnes suae ditionis regiones distrahere librum inscriptum A confutation of M. Iuelles sermon c. Et omnibus aliis inhibitum ne eundem absque eiusdem Iohannis consensu imprimant vel alibi impressum distrahâ—t sub poena in priuilegio contenta Datum Bruxellae .xvij. Nouemb. Anno. 1564. Subsig Facuwez A PREFACE TO THE READER TO testifie my duetie and seruice which I owe to the Churche and my countrey and to satisfie my freÌ„des in these quarters whose iudgmentes I haue not to discredit to confute M. Iuell in sundrie poyntes whose challenge ys so gloriouse and generall and to geue faire warning to the negligent that false Prophetes doe not deceaue them to coÌ„tynue the memorie of the challenge which neuer can be honestlie mainteyned to moue a further expectation which part first shall shewe her weaknesse to take the present tyme of speaking euen as there hath ben tyme of sileÌ„ce or recompense the formar slacknesse by reasonable and faithfull diligeÌ„ce to proue that M. Iuell may be answered by a meane scholar in diuinitie that he neede not to prouoke the best of the Catholykes which at this daye are anywhere lyuinge to shewe that all thowgh we be kept downe and oppressed yet we perish not for all that nor be vtterlie confounded I send that furth now after fower yeres which so long before was made by me and I make that now commoÌ„ to frindes and to foes which at the first I prepared for one frind alone to auoyde feare of foes He that lyketh this let hym thaÌ„ke God and helpe me with his praiers He that findeth fault lett hym shame the dyuele and tell me of it hardelie If any iust one shall be founde vnseen of me and others I trowe it will be omission in leauing of some thinges vnanswered Yet doe I answer euerie matter concerninge the whole some of it marie I was not so diligent as to examine euerie witnesse And whether I am bound so to doe I am not yet ful perswaded but euer I thowght that it was free to wryte and fight after my fasshion Especiallie where the number ys great and euerie one readie with his weapon so that the enemie be beaten downe the captaine aloweth their labors Yet all they dyd not strike one waye but as they should see their aduantage so would they vse or downe right blowes or foynes or some other inueÌ„tions Some writers of these our dayes men of great contynuance and studie doe late full lode owt of scriptures and councells iust vpon the pates and backes of owr common aduersaries Other some be more sparer in alleaginge of old authorities and rather folowe a sensible fasshion of reasoning withowt boke against them Againe some will persequute the enemie so narowlie that sentence by sentence thei examyn his trueth and fidelitie but some againe doe so thinke vpon the cheife poynt of the question that for hast sake thei let much escape which perchaunse was well worth the noting Lett one example stand for all M. Iuell here in his sermon to proue that the people dyd coÌ„municate and receiue togeather with the preist all the first six hundred yeres after Christ beginneth with owr Saluyor and cummeth to the blessed Apostle goinge downe by S. Clement Denyse Iustine and other fathers vntill he stayeth at S. Gregorie whom yet he rekoneth for a wittnesse But to what purpose and conclusion to proue forsoth that sole receiuinge ys not to be suffered emong Christians bycawse he findeth by so manie testimonies that of old tyme there were made communions VVell then goe ye to if this be all the matter it ys not hard or cuÌ„berouse to geue M. Iuell an answer Yet trulie he shall not be answered after one manner by all men but lyke as leisure zeale and lerninge abundeth or lacketh in any one for the purpose so more or lesse will be browght against hym and he that saieth lest of all will yet be good inough for hym For the lest is this to grawnt his authorities and onlie to denie his argument bicawse sole receiuinge might be vsed in a thowsand chappells notwithstandinge the dailie communion which was then or may be now ordinarilie had in parissh Churches On sondaies also or solempne feastes all might be charged to coÌ„municate â–ª and when the people on other daies are other wise occupied the preist might right well doe his office if none but the parishe clerke were present to serue hym But some other Catholike is not fullie satisfyed by ending this matter so quicklie and therefore he goeth further in tryinge M. Iuells places which serue yet vnto no purpose although thei were truelie alleaged And he obiecteth agaynst Iuell forgetting to call hym Maister that the Apostle vnto the Corinthians meaneth not literallie so as Iuell taketh hym For Tariâ— ye one for an other which are the true wordes of the Apostle are not properlie he will say to be referred to the Sacrament but those other suppers of coÌ„mon meates which then emonge the Corinthians were not charitablie or discreetlie ordered He will tell hym also that he mistaketh Calixtus and would say perchaunce Anacletus and that he speaketh onlie of the clergie to communicate and not as M. Iuell reporteth generallie of all the people and so furth in other testimonies Now some third one will passe these two and shewe by manie examples that sole receiuinge was not vnknoweÌ„ in the best tymes and most awncient For which purpose he will bringe owt TertulliaÌ„ S. Ciprian Serapion and Satirus with manie other which in this place I neede not tell of VVhat then shall we saye Trulie as S Paule was gladd to see Christ much sett furth and preached Siue per occasionem and for an other purpose Siue per veritateÌ„ that is vprightlie and sincerelie so should an honest mynd be well contented when a false preachers vaine tale is confuted be it done either lernedlie abundantlie and deeplie or meanelie sufficientlie and by light passing ouer hym Therefore to coÌ„clude â–ª as I wrote this for my frind intelligiblie and familiarlie so I leaue it vnto the Reader nothinge alteringe
thinges are reuealed and opened which ar knowen to be vnderstode of no other besides vnder the soun O mischeuous prid great madnes furor of vaine glory wisedom of the deuill which mightely hath inuaded their most wicked mindes The exposition of Scriptures which the welbeloued of God hath made did nothing feare them from their purpose the agreable reuerence which their felow ministers vsed towardes Christ did nothing tame their wildnes Thus thē loe the Arrians being so much selfe minded what better remedy might the reuerēd fathers of Nice haue against them then to bring furth the former receaued doctrine and māner to establish that with their decree For if natural reason shall preuaile the Christian faith can not be so wel perswaded or rather it can not be perswaded at all If by Scriptures only the treuth shalbe decided then shal ther neuer be found any end wher both parties alleage the wordes of Scripture for them selues Only therfor tradition custome and māner is that thing which killeth the heretikes hartes and therfore they will not be iudged but by expresse Scripture only and it is the thing which defendeth the Catholike Christians and therfore gladly doe they folow the waies of the auncient fathers VVhich thing is plainly proued by this honorable Coūcell of Nice about which our talke is For as it appeareth by the actes of the same Councell after long disputatiō and learned betwene certaine philosophers hired of purpose by Arrius in defence of his cause and most excellent fathers inspired with the holy ghoste for the vttering of the truth It pleased saieth the history all the fathers vnto one that like as it was deliuered from the holy fathers and successors of the Apostells so they should decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wich is to say the equality of substance in God the Sonne with the Father and prouide it to be put in the Crede of the Church Against which worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and decree of the fathers what did Arrius or any of his sect afterwardes alleage to the reprouing therof And you in the meane time my welbeloued frind N. thinke it not long which is not vnprofitable and chose out the tyme to reade that quietly which the cause requireth that I should write plainly What did the Arriās then sayd I argue against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what was their chefest best reason for soth this onely that it was not in Scripture O M. Iuell that your eloquence had not ben born at those daies you would haue stode greatly against them with your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let old customes and manners win and preuail But yet you may doe good seruice in these daies to perswade with the multitude of them which take them selues wiser then all other which haue ben these nine hundred yeres and which will beleue nothing but the writen worde and bare letter that olde customes must be regarded and preferred also I mislike not the saying but it agreeth not with your person as I beleue Catholikes may all the company of them alleage truly both scripture and custome heretikes doe pretend Scripture onely and that yet not truly but custom they can neuer alleage at all This we haue receaued from the Apostells and their successors saith the Councell of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not in all the scripture saieth the heretike And as euery cuntry is distincted one from a nother by proper and peculiar language so doth the Catholike euer speake after the voice of the Churche and the heretike bableth onely after the letter of the boke Reade you the fifth Chapter of the Tripartite history the fourth boke There it is plaine that Constantin the great did put a chaplaine of his in trust for the deliuery of his testament to Constantius his sonne which chaplaine being in deede an Arrian and hauing accesse to the Emperor and acquaintance with him by occasion of the testament perceauing also the yong Emperor his mind to be vnstable and wauering what persuasion did he vse first of all as you think He saied as Theodoretus testifieth they were to blame which had put the worde Consubstanciall among the articles of the faith And why so which worde saieth he is not writen in all the Scripture Loe here is his greatest reason and such in deed as becometh heretikes most of all Let vs goe yet forward and seke whether any mo heretikes will vse that reason And where shall you more plainly find this matter then where the very pack of them is gathered together In a cōfession of a faith which was made at Sirmium Constātius him selfe being present with to many Arrian Bishoppes after other thinges this decree foloweth As for the worde substance bicause being simply put furth by the fathers it is not knowē of the common people and it maketh a scandalum and offence and bicause neither the Scriptures haue this worde in them it pleaseth vs it should be abrogated and hereafter no mention at all to be made of substance in God bicause the Scriptures diuine do in no place make mentiō of the substāce of the father and the sonne You may see what great price they made of this argument it is no Scripture ergo no matter of faith bicause that in so few lines they doe twise repete the selfe same reason Which vndoutedly was then and is now the very principall but not most surest stay of all vnconstant mindes As in the same boke againe see what a nother cōpany of scismatikes do speake for them selues against the Coūcell of Nice VVe say they which are gathered together in Seleucia which is in Isauria we haue yesterday which was the fifth before the Kal. of Octobre geuen all diligence according to the Emperor his will to kepe straitly the ecclesiastical peace and to thinke earnestly vpon the faith as our welbeloued Emperor Constātius hath cōmaunded according to the sainges of the prophetes and Ghospells and to bring furth nothing besides the Scriptures in the matter of the faith Ecclesiastical This againe doth proue my purpose that it is propre to the heretikes to appeale to the scriptures onely bicause they are quickly condemned by tradition custome and manner To conclude therfor this place Arrius being so proud as we haue said hauing many textes of Scripture for him as he vnderstood them which toke him selfe to be best learned the Councell of Nice defining the cōsubstantiality of God the Sonne with the Father bicause they had so receaued it from the Apostells by their successors the same Councell being allwaies reproued of heretikes for that it defined that matter as an article of faith which was not in Scripture I aske now what it is like that the Councell did meane when it should say Let old customes and manners preuaile Can it well be vnderstood otherwise if the wordes be taken generally as you M. Iuell doe alleage them then after this sort that for as much as heretikes can
alleage for them selues Scripture and will not be brought down from their priuat sense to vnderstand those Scriptures as old blessed fathers haue interpreted them that herefor to make an end and to stopp the moâ—thes of all arrogant persons we will and define that old fassions old customes auncieÌ„t interpretatioÌ„s and so furth shal preuail For the question here in this CouÌ„cel was not of custome custome traditioÌ„ traditioÌ„ which should preuaile for the ArriaÌ„ did medle with no tradition or former custome or vsage Neither was the questioÌ„ in coÌ„paring former vsage with some late writers inuention for Arrius would alleage no one mans writing taking him felfe to be better learned theÌ„ all other and if he would haue alleaged his owne authority only that had ben so folishe and diueliâ—he that it was to be reserued for Luther or some other of the priuy couÌ„sell of Antichrist Wherin then was the strife not in those two pointes which I haue named but in this onely that wheras Arrius would be tried by scriptures only and plentifully brought them out for a shew of his defence and wheras vnder the letter of the scripture he vttered his blasphemous sprit and went against the plain traditioÌ„s and lessons of the Apostells and fathers of Christ his Church therfore saieth the Councell Let old customes and maÌ„ners preuaile which is to say we alow scripture and we alleage scripture but after that sort that we must not ne will admit any thing contrary vnto the Apostolike faith receaued for as concerning your text Sir Arrius where you say The father is greater then I am And againe God made me in the beginning of his waies with such like they must be vnderstood as our â—decessors maisters and fathers haue deliuered vnto vs. neither must you bring you in neuer so many places of the old or new testameÌ„t think therfor that you may conclud a sense and meaning contrary to the old faith Away with this pride of yours submit your vnderstanding to the faith of the Churche leue of your new termes of extaÌ„tibus and non extantibus receaue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and coÌ„substancialitie which word although it be not expressed in Scripture yet it is in tradition Consent and agree with the Councell of the whole world These wordes loe and such like doe expresse truly what the fathers should meane in saing Let the old customes preuaile And this being proued to be the very meaning of that worthy sentence what hath M. Iuell doon in setting it before his sermon in the first shew therof is it put there to be laughed at or to be folowed and regarded If to be laughed at the CouÌ„cell of Nice is not so simple a thing If to be folowed why are the Catholikes reproued then for defending auncient traditions and why are the heretikes honored which will haue nothing but â—he bare text onely together with their priuat comment vpon it If customes manners fashions vsages call it as you will if they must preuaile wherfore doe we all this while contend with the Protestantes vpon verities writen and vnwriten vpon traditions and vses of the Catholike Churche Euery boke almost which is of common places hath the question of Scripture and traditioÌ„ moued therin which nedeth no more to be any question you being so well acquainted M. Iuell with the Protestantes and hauing so great credit among them as they lightly can geue to such a person For at one worde you shall end the whole matter perswading them that old customes and fashions must preuaile which in my minde I thinke to be impossible but nothing is hard perchaunce to you for this is clere euen in sight the last and third communion is preferred before the second the second better estemed then the first and if a new one come furth you shall I warrant you see it plainly proued that quite against your will and against the Councell of Nice the old fashions shall not be preferred And this much hitherto I haue saied as coÌ„cerning old customes supposing and graunting that the CouÌ„cell of Nice might vse that senteÌ„ce as M. Iuell alleageth it for a generall conclusion and determination whereas in very dede those wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ar onely mentioned in the beginning of the sixt Canon as concerning one especiall matter about the prerogatiue of the sees of the Bishopp of Antioch and Alexandria and should not therfore be drawen vnto a generall sentence But we shall meet again with M. Iuell vpon this point before the end I thinke and therfore now will I turne ouer the lease and coÌ„sider his sainges and apply som answers and infer so well as I can som obiections against him VVhen so euer any ordre geuen by God is brokeÌ„ or abused the best redresse therof is to restore it againe into the state that it first was in at the begnining If you take the paines leisurly to consider the illation of this conclusion you shall perceaue the wordes of the blessed Apostle vnto S. Timothe the first epistle chapter to haue in these our daies the persons vnto whom they may and must be applied The end of the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is charite which cometh out from a pure harte and good conscience and vnfained faithâ— from which certen men wandering a side are turned vnto vaine talke coueting to be teachers of the law not vndersâ—anding yet neither the thinges which they speake neither vpon what thinges they make affirmatioÌ„s M. Iuel here in the wordes which I haue recited maketh mention of an ordre geuen by God and of ordre broken and of redresse of the same by retorn to the first institution In whiche sainge can he tell what he speaketh or what and wherfore he affirmeth what ordre geuen by God did he talk of before to bring in the wordes thus when anye ordre geuen by God is broken c. In the third leafe he saith that S. Paule had appointed the Corinthias as touching the Sacrament that they shold all eate and drink together Doth he call this the ordre geuen by God I beleue verely that what soeuer S. Paule appointed the same did come from God as the principall gouernour of his churche But for all that there is great difference betwixt the coÌ„maundmentes expressely geuen by God ordres set by men as ministers of God For with the one kind non can dispence withowte especiall licence froÌ„ God and in the other kinde the heades of the church haue the power in ther owne handes without further question to sett and remoue plant and pull vp as they shal see it profitable for the present state of the churche Wherfore although the blessed Apostle did neuer make such ordres vpon his own head as did not agree with the will of almighty God yet properly to speak an ordre geuen by God is so to be taken that without all exception it must be kept and folowed without speciall reuelation for the
discontinewing of the same ordre And ordres which men appoint may be chaunged again by men What then meaneth M. Iuell by these wordes VVhen any ordre geuen by God is broken and let him plainly also shew wherin the ordre consisted and who did break it The ordre was this as it appeareth by the learned coÌ„mentaries of the blessed fathers vpon that .xj. chapter of the first to the Corinthians On their holy daies and appointed feastes according to an old custome of the Churche the Corinthians did vse riche and poore altogether in coÌ„mon to eate drink and that of common meates and drinkes Which meetinges and suppers were called in the Grek tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as other do write bicause of their charitable sitting and eating together Now as S. Austen writeth after the supper ended they did receaue the SacrameÌ„t But as S. Chrisostom thinketh they did first receaue the Sacrament and then sett them selues to supper But were the SacrameÌ„t receaued after or before and to come to Theophilactus again afterward saieth he Dissentions arising among them that meruelous or excellent manner which had much charitie and not a litle Christian philosophy in it was taken away kept no longer of the Corinthians How was it taken away Bicause they did now sitt a sondre as â—che by them selues or kindredes with kindredes or by families or other waies deuided wherby the poore folkes which before did put their handes freely in the riche mens disshes whiles they sat Christianlike at one table together they now poore sowles in deede hungrie were caused to â—itt by them selues had no benefit of their euen Christians plentie With which singularitie of the riche men S. Paule was iustly offended and saied VVhen you com together in one this is not it to eate our Lord his supper For euery one of you doth take his owne supper before and eate In which wordes our Lord his supper is vnderstood as Theophilactus writeth that meeting and eating together of theirs which was instituted and receaued as in folowing of that reuerend and worshipfull supper of our Lord in deed Here vpon now S. Paule studying for the redresse of this ordre among other argumentes by which he would persuade them quietly and without disdaine or murmur to sitt together as they were wont to doe he bringeth in for one principall argument the doinges of our Sauior in his last supper saying I haue receaued of our Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you and so forth As if he should haue saied more plainly my frindes you doe vse in your meetinges together to kepe separate tables and to put away the poore from you throwgh a certaine coÌ„tempt perchaunce or disdaine of them Which you are much to blame to doe For seing our Sauior in his last supper geuing his owne body to be eaten did not make partes thereof and vnequall diuision that som should haue al and other should goe without and wheras you also do receaue at these present suppers of your owne that very body of his it is to absurd that towardes your neighbours and brothers you should vse this straingenes as though they were not worthy to eate of your bocherly fleshly meate with you or com nigh vnto your tables which aâ— made partakers with you of the body of our Sauior and of the heauenly table Thus then you may see how the wordes of S. Paule depend orderly one vpon an other and what the ordre was with the breakinge of whiche he was offended And wher vpon then doe these wordes of M. Iuell folow I haue receaued of the Lord c. But let vs now yet debate this matter more plentifully The ordre once receaued was that they should make ther common supper all togethâ—r of such meates as they would bring and either before as S. Chrisostom his opinion is or after as S. Austen vnderstandeth it they should receaue the Sacrament Well this ordre is broken But why did you break it o ye Corinthians why did ye lett either enuie disdaine pride glotome or any other vncleane thought so to entre into your hartes and so to take place there that wheras before to the maintenaunce of charitie your tables in the church were common now to the discomforting of the simple and poore ye make to your selues priuate and singular banketes If you seeke onely for good chere you haue howses of your owne meeter for that purpose then the church But if nedes you wil supp in the church after the old fasshion let your meates be common vnto the rest which shalbe there gathered as the old fasshion was We see a manifest disordre and most lameÌ„table som be dronken bicause of to much other be fainte bicause of to litle Do ye coÌ„temne the church of god Do ye coÌ„found make to blushe others which haue nothing But what remedie Mary saith M. Iuell let vs bring the matter to the first ordre geuen correct the abuse by reducinge of the case vnto the first vse thereof Doe so then as you say amend this disordre of the Corinthians tell them what they haue to folow shew forth the trew fasshion and ordre which must be vsed I haue receaued of the Lorde saieth M. Iuell that thing which I also haue deliuered vnto you that is that the Lorde Ihesus in the night that he was betraied toke bread c. But to what purpose is this we haue shewed before that the disordre among the Corinthians consisted cheifly in this that they did one coÌ„temne another and would not sitt together as the old fashion was but make straunge one of another for a redresse herof sayeth M. Iuell in the third leafe S. Paule calleth them back to the first originall and to the institution of Christ from whence they were fallen If this be so tell me I pray you what one worde is ther sownd â–ª in the institutioÌ„ of Christ which maketh for sitting together or sitting a sondre for eating at church or eating at home for particular banket or common supper Christ his institution doth here in consist that He tooke breade he brake breade he gaue it vnto his disciples and saied take ye eate ye this is my body which shalbe deliuered for you doe ye this in remembraunce of me But our talke is about the reforming of a custome which is broken and I aske you how you will amend this separate manner of eating and drinking which the Corinthians doe vse in the churche I know that Christ did take bread did breake it did geue it But answer me how the good Christians were wont to meet together and how they did vse to sitt and eate wheras the Apostle doth â—ind fault with the Corinthians for their disordre of eating in the churche not eating onely of our Lord his body which if they did mistake then the wordes which you alleage of the institution of Christ would serue well for that
purpose but eating of their owne supper which they brought to churche with them When you speake of reducing thinges to their originall and when it is clere that the Corinthians in their meetinges together did not kepe the old custome and manner I looked to heare of you not the institution of Christ what that was but the old fasshions which the Corinthians should kepe as for those wordes of the institution of Christ which S. Paule reherseth they are writen of him not as the originall patern of the reforming the Corinthians disordre but in way of argument as Theophilactus saieth to proue his principall purpose that bicause Christ did not spare to geue his owne body vnto his disciples and folowers therfore the riche CorinthiaÌ„s should not disdaine to admitt the poorer sort of Christians their brethern vnto their table for therin was the blessed Apostle occuped to correct the stoutnes singularitie which the CorinthiaÌ„s vsed then otherwise then it was receaued emoÌ„g ChristiaÌ„s And therfore S. Paule being mindful of his inteÌ„t principal matter he coÌ„cludeth the chapter with these wordes therfor my brothers saith he when ye com together to eate tary and looke one for another If any one be hungry let him eate at home Shortly therfore to conclude this matter truth it is that when any disordre is com into the churche the first ordre from which the fall was made should be reduced The disordre amonge the Corinthians was that they did not charitably coÌ„municate together in their suppers let this be amended the Apostle doth it properly saing Therfore when ye com together to eate tary one for another For so was it at the beginning that the Christians did meere and sitt altogether and eate one of an others meate in their Churches and either after such their meales receaue the SacrameÌ„t or before them All this agreeth well But let M. Iuel amend the disordre and sett euery man in his place Let them be called backe again saieth he to the first originall and to the institution of Christ. Which answereth as rightly to the question proponed as if in a deliberatioÌ„ how the beggars needy persons of England might be prouided for som great clerke wold stand vp solemly declare vnto vs vnto what valew of our currant mony the three huÌ„dred pence would com vnto for which the oyntment that was poured vpon our Sauior his head might haue ben sold for according vnto Iudas his estimation Or as it is more familiar with Englishe eares which is the way to London A potte full of pluÌ„mes Yet doe they glory still vpon the institution of Christ as though those wordes Take eate this is my body doe this in remembraÌ„ce of me did appoint both time and place and vesture and nombre of coÌ„municantes and all thinges which they vse in ministring of their what shal I cal it treuly I can not tell and which the trew catholike churche hath or may vse in the ministring adorning or defensing of the SacrameÌ„t But let it be graunted which is to far absurd that S. Paule did reduce the CorinthiaÌ„s from their disordre vnto the first originall institutioÌ„ of Christ and that he vpon the originall of Christ his institutioÌ„ did coÌ„clude that one should tary for another when they cam to eate How doth it now then so fal out that according to the redresse which the Apostle made after the originall of Christ his institutioÌ„ Christian men bring not their meates to the church and the riche tarieth not for the poore and he which aboundeth geueth not gladly vnto him which lacketh And when they are wel refresshed with coÌ„mon meates then receiue the SacrameÌ„t Yea rather you which appeale so lowdly and rudely to the institutioÌ„ of Christ why do ye not washe one anothers feete which haue so expresse euident a text for it Where is now your originall and where is the institution of Christ if both kindes be not receaued of the laye people O then institution of Christ how far ar we departed from the say they And the same Christ saing I haue geuen you an example that like as I haue done so should you do and washe one anothers feete they are content herein to let institution and originall both goe And so like as bells do sound in diuers mens eares diuersly and diuersly in one selfe same eare as the mind is affected so Scripture and custome are made to sound in these mens fancy euen as their 〈◊〉 is to haue this or that opinion to goe forward When it pleaseth them 〈◊〉 the bells shall goe VVith customes of pâ—â—matiue churche examples of good men testimonies of blessed Doctors And when so great a sound doth troble their studie then loe it pleaseth them to haue one bell onely to ring VVith nothing is to be beleued without expresse worde of Scripture But now let vs goe further It was to be hoped for so much as the glorious light of the Ghospel of Christ is now so mightely and so far spred abrode that no man would lightly misse his way as aâ—ore in the time of darknes and perisshe wilfully I could not but note this senteÌ„ce bicause it conteineth so great a bost and so small treuth in it For where is the glorious light of the Ghospell now so mightely and so far sprede abrode and what calleth he the darkenes of the time afore many new found landes the wild Indians are come to the faith of Christ in our daies but had protestantes and heretikes the ministery therof or els religious men monkes friers with other such of the catholike church how many partes of Italie of Spaine of FrauÌ„ce of Germany of â—laundres of other contries of Europe doe acknowlege this glorious light which he talketh of Yea what one city can he name in the which it is mightely blased abrode Frankford doth it wholie agree within it self in one faith Geneua is it wholy ouershadowed with this counterfaict light In England or London or in Sarum vnder his owne preachinges is the Ghospell gloriously and mightely spred abrode The kingdom of the Ghospell of Christ is in mens hartes and then of how many hartes is M. Iuell assured of those very contries which are taken to incline to the new lerninges three partes or more shalbe â—ownd in harte and will Catholikes And yet graunt him that any one citie is alâ—ogether turned from Christ and his church so that no one Papist in harte shal there remaine by by is the Ghospell mightely and far spred abrode There is no more but one Ghospell but of Ghospellers more then sixe kindes in euery contrie which the glorious light of the Ghospell hath now oueruewed M. Iuell him self doth he know any one to be of the same faith of which he him self is if he agree in all pointes with any other how cometh that to passe either thei haue one master which kepeth them both vnder correction
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
action and gesture which might seem to cōmend this bread vnto vs and you haue rather chosen to leaue owt all māner of blessing then you would be bound to ceremonies and come within order and canons But whether this agreeth with your crakes and bostinges that you haue brought the supper of the Lord vnto his first order and perfection which you for all that do not blesse the bread as you should haue lerned by Christ his example and paterne lett any man iudge which hath but meane reason and vnderstanding Further more it is in S. Luke that lykewyse also the chalice vnderstand Christ gaue Which word likewyse I note bycause it importeth that there was a certaine especiall manner which our Sauior vsed in taking and geuing of bread the which he obserued in taking and delyuering of the chalice And reason vndoubtedlie geueth it that he which at other tymes vsed most solempne and reuerend gestures as in the feeding of fyue thousand with fyue barley losses and two fisshes and in the raysing of Lazarus he vsed blessing lifting vp of eies and lowd speakyng would not in such a tyme and towardes such a purpose either vse a common attentiō either a cōmon expressing of his intention especiallie where as the disciples with whom he turned in at Emaus knew him in the breaking of bread bycause he did it after such a diuine and solempne ceremonye as was not vsed of any other such was his grace therein and his ordenance O Lord how affectuouslie did he take that bread from the rest which was vpon the table of the which bread he appoynted to make his owne pretiouse bodye How reuerentlie did he looke vpp to heauen How hartelie did he thank his father How abundantlie did he blesse and halow the bread either by vsinge the playne signe of a crosse or by some other expressing of his goodnes which he woulde to come vpon that creature How attentiuelie did he break it How hartelie did he bid them to take it How louingelie did he geue them to eat it how mightelie and vnspeakablie did he turne and conuert it Lyke wyse also he toke and gaue the calice Surelie if there had ben no matter in the taking and handeling of it neither the bread I beleue neither the wyne was so far frō him but that he might haue poynted vnto them with his finger or looked at the least way vpon them saying Take ye and eate ye this is my bodye this is my bloudd Yet to declare the singulare working of his which is doone in the bread and wyne and to make vs the more attent and close in mynd by the folowinge of his owtward gestures he toke it separating it as it were from the reste of the lyke graine he blessed it by some speciall signe or sanctification such as is not for our common meates he brake it to represent misticallie the visible tearing of his bodie which the next day after folowed He gaue it to make thē one togeather with hym not by faith onlie and charitie but in verye flessh allso and bodie He saied This is my bodie this is my bloud to teach them a true faith in those misteries and to confirme and establish vs against the obiections which either heretikes or our senses doe make to the discrediting of the Sacramēt and to cōclud he said Doe this in remembrance of me by which he gaue full authoritie of consecrating vnto Priestes and willed them to folow his example But can you now M. Iuel proue that you keepe all these thinges in your communion Remember I pray you the order of it and consider that the bread and wyne are layed downe vppon your table where it pleaseth the sexten or the parish clark to sett them And when the tyme of consecration if all thinges dyd procede rightlie cummeth your booke apointeth no takyng no blessing no directing of the mynd to the bread But lyke as a man should tell a tale so the minister reciteth onlie the wordes of the Apostle and when all is quicklie doone he taketh the vncōsecrated bread hymselfe and geueth it to other willing them to be thankfull and to feed vpon Christ in their hart In so much that if a straunger should come in the meane tyme whiles you be at your cōmunion he might wonder why at the end you make so much of that bread and cupp of wyne with which all the seruice long before you seemed to haue had so litle to doe or nothing For neither by taking neither blessing neither direct and intentyue lookyng it appereth that you work any thing in the bread And all this not withstandyng haue you browghte back the cōmunion vnto that state and perfection in which Christ delyuered it vnto his Apostles May you not be ashamed of your vanitie which crake of the folowing of Christ and condempne his holie Catholike church your selues neither takyng neither blessing neither cōsecrating the bread and wyne as Christ hymselfe did in his last supper shew vnto vs Well M. Iuell this is one fowle lie of yowres Ther foloweth an other namely that you haue the same ordre which was practised by the Apostles But it appeareth not either in the Actes of the Apostles or any of their epistles what ordre of cōmunion they had In the Actes of the Apostles it is writē that they did breake bread in their houses and agayn that after the Apostles had fasted and sacrificed they sent furth S. Paule and Barnabas to fulfill the holy ghostes cōmaundement and to preache abrode the Ghospell But of the ordre which they vsed in breaking their bread or in their sacrifices nothing is declared precisely Again vnto the Corinthians the blessed Apostle writeth what he receaued of our Lorde and testifieth therin the verity of the sacramēt but of the ordre which is to be obserued he speaketh so litle that he endeth that matter with these wordes As for the rest when I come my selfe I wil set in ordre here be loe two foule ones past ther foloweth the third which hath many other vnderneth it And that lie is that the holy cōmunion is restored to the same ordre which hath been cōtinewed by the holy doctors fathers one for the space of .v. or vjC yeres two through out all the whole Catholike church of Christ three without exception or sufficient example to be shewed to the cōtrary fower yet are there some this daye q he that refuse it which is also the fifthe lye if he take this worde some for a small some Bicause in dede ther be very many persons which do refuse it and would gladlie runne to masse if there were anye But now to shame all these lies I will bring furthe a few exceptions by which I shall euidently proue many thinges yet to lacke in the Cōmunion of the ordre which in the primitiue church was vsed First of all you should torne your face
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
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
in reasoning as your yea For although the coÌ„meÌ„dation of some person hath made you a Bishopp And by order of the church I am a simple priest yet as good the legges of a larke as the body of a kyte If we goe to craking in dede it is not good but this yet they would constraine many to do I wil yeld nomore vnto his auctoritie then reason will require Yet I may iustly crake not in my selfe but vnder the churches auctoritie and in the name of S. Cyprian and Tertullian Was that say you an abuse to carye the SacrameÌ„t home at those dayes and receaue it before other meates I vnderstand what greueth you in this example of the primitiue churche For it proueth plainly against you that euen in so nigh daies vnto Christ ther was no necessitie to receaue the Sacrament vnder both kindes And wheras the persequutioÌ„ and hatred of Christians was then so great that they could not frely meete together in any common and open place and so quietly serue God and receaue his benefices as they desired can ye blame them yf the clergie were coÌ„tent to let the Christians cary home with them that present comfort of their soule which is the body of Ihesus Christ to haue it alwaies in redinesse and to strengthen their weaknes therwithall if sodenly they were called vnto martyrdom Be you wiser then S. Cyprian and he writing not his priuate fashion and maÌ„ner which might be well inough corrected by greate counsell but writing of a certain fact of a woman which reserued the Sacrament in her chest wherby the custome of that tyme and most vndoutedlye the faith of that tyme may be gathered doe you reproue the odre of the primityue church and haue you forgotten so sone that old customes must preuaile where haue you readen in any old father or doctor or in any generall councell or how can you shew it by any treu example of the primitiue church that the carying home reseruing of the Sacrament was an abuse but let vs heare what S. Cyprian writeth in his sermoÌ„ de Lapsis He proueth Wherin I confesse he did vilye and damnablye misvse the people and coÌ„trary the church But it is to be noted that this Marcus went about to winne vnto him selfe an estimation aboue all other priestes which could not but folow when that at his coÌ„secrating the people should see the wyne turned as it were in to bloud and that the like did not appeare when other Priestes did consecrat And note that except the faith of the church in those dayes had ben that the very bloud of Christ was in the mysteries of the Christians he could neuer haue made any to reuerence hym the more for that practise but rather to haue brought him before the officers of the church and examined him saying We doe beleue that we receaue Christ onely by faith which faith goeth vp to heauen and eateth him as he sitteth at the right hand of his father but this man sheweth vs very plaine bloud in the chalice which is against our belefe And wheras this Necromanser did turne his craft to the pleasing of the people and so made bloud to appeare in the chalice it foloweth that the whole people of the church did reioyce in the bloud of Christ which thei beleued to be in the mysteries and so he craftely serued their faith an deuotion that he might winne their praise and fauor and that he might be pointed vnto with loe there goeth a good priest and a blessed man But will yow heare more abuses Som take the Sacrament for a purgation against slaunder som hang it before their brestes for a protection S. Benet sayeth he ministred the communion vnto a woman that was dead Ergo what doth folow Ergo the sacrament may be abused I graunt it may be as when wicked and false coniures doe make it a meane to binde the diuell or when heretikes or infidells tread it vnder foote or cast it in the fire or pricke it with kniues to proue whether God his worde be trew that this is his body which was deliuered for vs. But none of your premisses almost doth inferre rightly that conclusion For wherby shew you that S. Benet did abuse the Sacrament in ministring it vnto a woman that was dead All your argument is this Christ did not appoint that the Sacrament shold be hanged about ones necke or put in chest or geauen to dead women ergo these be great abuses Is this in deed good reason that what soeuer Christ hath not expressely willed that may not be vsed Sir Christ did not bid vs that if ther were not present three at the least which would receaue ther should be therfore no communion that daye Christ did not bid vs knele downe and say Lorde we doe not presume to com to this thy table trusting in our owne merites Christ did not bid vs when one chalice is supped vp to fill it again out of the whole potle or quart potte Christ did not bid vs cary home with vs the pieces of bread or cantells therof and doe what we would with it Ergo these be great abuses in the coÌ„munion boke no Sir no the truth must be tryed by other argumentes then these rhetoricall repetitions and negatiues of Christ did not appoint this ergo it is an abuse especially whereas to many doe thinke that Christ will be content with no other thinges but such onely as are writen as though the holy ghost the spirite of truth were idle in the church all this while how dare you to iudge of S. Benet his fact the like vnto which S. Gregory doth alleage for a miracle and for a notable matter S. Austen so wise and blessed a man wheras he disputeth in his boke De Ciuitate Dei of deathes which som haue vsed towardes them selues and wheras he well remembred that the precept of God was Thou shalt not kill also remembred that the church doth honor for martyrs certain which did runne into the waters and to kepe their virginitie lost their liues in this so doubtfull a case wherin the church seamed to stand against God and the precept of God to be contraried by the holye daye of the church he dared not rashely to conclud but stoode herein that the precept of God must haue his force and with what conscience and prayse those virgins drowned them selues that must be left vnto the working of God the holy ghost and not curiously serched of men for what if they did so sayeth he not deceaued as women may be but commaunded by God neither â—rring therin but obeying As of Sampson it is not lawfull for vs to thinke any other thing And we therfore sayeth he afterwardes come to the conscience by hearing but of secret thinges we take not vpon vs the Iudgement Thus Sir it did becom you to doe for asmuch as you confesse Sainct Benet for a Sainct and wheras
vnto the Corinthians speaking of the giftes of the holy ghost and comparing them together correcteth therby a certain vaine glory of the Corinthians emong whom some were prowd for the gift of tongues and thowght it a ioyly matter to speake in a strainge language But sayeth the holy Apostle Folow ye spirituall thinges and rather couet ye for the gift of prophecying which was to expownd and open the Scriptures And then afterwardes he doth not dispraise the speaking with tonges but he preferreth the gift of interpretation and of preaching the Scriptures which is most trew in deed as S. Paule doth proue it most manifestly by the similitude of instrumeÌ„tes and trumpettes For if one were neuer so cunnyng in Hebrew Greke and Latin and would shew a copy of those tonges in open sermon and exhortatioÌ„ an other were more worthye praise and should bring more profit vnto the hearers which knew but his natiue tongue onely and would preach therin vnto his coÌ„trie men then he the thrise better learned man whom none of the cumpanie could vnderstand wherfor properly against such vaine glorious men is the meaning of Saint Paul which seeke rather to shew theyr cunnyng in vsing of diuers tongues then to profitt the church of God in expounding the scriptures in that tongue which is knowen vnto the audience But yf a parish priest say his seruice in the Latin tongue which none of the parish besides doe vnderstand is this priest in danger of S. Paules wordes which he speaketh concerning the vse of a strainge language no truly For it is written in the same chapter of S. Paule that he which speaketh with toÌ„gues speaketh not vnto men but vnto God And again He which speaketh with tongues aedifieth him selfe and again if one doe blesse and praise God with his tongue and voice yea although his felow be not edified therby yet he him selfe doth well in geuing of thankes Which thing being so they be to folish and scrupulous which do admit no other prayer bokes but such as are onely in the vulgar tongue And wher now is this great fault what so euer is done in the congregation saieth M. Iuell must be so done as the hearers may take coÌ„fort therof And yet say I one may be in the congregation and speake vnto God and praise God in a tongue vnknowen vnto other and be owt of blame therfor As S. Paule sayeth that he whiche speaketh in tongues aedifieth him selfe and doth well to geue thankes altowgh another be not aedified And in the end of the forsayed chapter if ther be not an interpretor let him which hath knowlege in tongues hold his peace in the church and speake vnto him self and vnto God But where then is the fault onely in this truly if in such matters as appertein vnto the instruction of the people an vnknowen strange tongue be vsed as in Sermons which are to be made vnto them and exhortations As for mattins and masse what so heinous crime is committed if the people vnderstand not all thinges which are spoken If the commons of any shere would obteine of the Counsel of the realme a certen benefite and bicause it were to much for all the whole shere to ride vp to London if they did appoint out half a skore of honest men to trauell in the coÌ„mon case would not the matter be browght vnto a good end except euerye plowghman should heare what those halfe skore did say vnto the Counsell Or if emong those halfe skore two were chosen by consent of the rest and those two should declare their whole mindes were all the matter dasshed and marred if those two mâ—ns tales were not heard of the other eight And yet this is but a temporall matter and it is done by them which may errâ— and browght before them which doe not see the hart but iudge of the externall wordes and deedes And yet no vprore is made althowgh two men declare the message and take to their charge the cause of the whole shere How much more then is all safe when the people send their priest to almightye God and mainteine him with their costes that he should applye their sute and speake for them diligently Shall a Carter or a Gentleman bicause he is best in the parish shall he com to the priest and say now Sir Ihon let vs heare what ye pray We will vnderstand whether you say well or no we will prompt you if you say amisse and you shall not deceaue vs with an vnknowen tongue Wheras if the priest were neuer so vnlerned neuer so vnreuerent neuer so 〈◊〉 or distracted with cares the deuotion of the people and their good will is considered of God and he for his infinite mercy and wisedom doth take the priest his praiers in as great and harty a sence as any of the parish doth wish These thinges being true is ther any hastinesse to haue all the seruice in Englishe Doth not god consider the harâ—is not the priest the embassadeur betwixt the people God and the Angell or messenger of God vnto the people shall any more then Moyses goe vp to the hill to talke with God should not the rest stand at the fote of the hill trembling and quaking lest perchaunce they be to malepert and draw to nigh O what a worlde haue we here is a fault found that the Canon of the masse is not in English which if it were possible for the reuerence of our misteries should be in such a kind of tongue that none but priestes might vnderstand it not bicause disdain is taken that lay men should vnderstand as much as priestes do but bicause the breaking of many arrogant fooles hart were to be prouided for in barring of their curiositie Yet Let all thinges be doone in the congregation sayeth M. Iuell that they maye be vnderstanded of the people yf all were reasonable men yet for reuerence sake many thinges were to be reserued from them or rather for them But now som be vnclean before whom pretious stones were not to be cast som be sucklinges which can not yet receaue hartie strong meate other be deintye which can not away with common seruice many moe diuersites there are to be found and yet as though all were one without distinction of age time or person it is not well except all thinges be doon in a common tongue But how is that proued Mary bicause S. Paule saieth that he had rather speake fiue wordes that other may be instructed therby then ten thowsand in a strange an vnknowen tongue Truth it is and yet S. Paule speaketh not of all seruice of the church but of that part onely which apperteineth vnto the instruction of other in which the strainge tongue is not alowed For if the speaking in tongues according to S. Paule is to be vnderstanded of daily seruice and praier why doth he appoint two or three at the most to speake in tonges and
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
owr Sauior the verie tradition meaninge the Pater noster which he hym selfe dyd make But how so eueâ— it be he which reporteth that Gregorius tertius made the Canon might well inowgh write so according to his knowledge and when it is writen by S. Gregory that one Scholasticus or a disciple of Christs was the auctor therof this is nothiÌ„g falsified by him which wrot afterwardes And likewise it may stand that it cam from the Apostles as InnoceÌ„tius tertius writeth for all that an other saieth that it cam from Gregorius except perchaunce yow will say that one may not read more then an other an one see further then an other bothe speaking according to their knowledge euideÌ„ces But whosoeuer were the first deuiser of it it forceth not sayeth M. Iuell Yes mary Sir for this being proued by more auctorites of writers that the Canon did come from the Apostles or that it was extaÌ„t within vjC yeares after Christ theÌ„ it can be disproued to be of so great antiquity great sham it is for vs not to mainteine so auncient an order of the masse and great forgetfulnes in you M. Iuell to iest at that which is found to haue ben receaued within the compasse of six hundred yeres after Christ of which yeres you make your selfe so sure that for so long space you say all went with you without exceptioÌ„ But now if it forceth not who made the Canon wheras before you made the matter so great that it was against the scriptures bicause of S. Paule which saieth Sciocui credidi I know whoÌ„ I haue beleiued as though Catolikes had not a church to beloue but should hang vpon the report of historiographers well seing then now it forceth not who made the Canon what fault haue you found in the substaÌ„ce and meaning of the Canon First the preist in the Canon desireth God to blesse Christs bodie as though it were not sufficient lie blessed all readie First you make a shamefull he that the priest desireth God to blesse Christ his bodye Beare it well awaye I pray you and remember it that I charge you with makyng of an open lie euen at your first begynning which you make agaynst the Canon It is not I saye in owr Latin and common Canon that the priest desireth God the Father to blesse Christ his bodye And I dare sweare for it althowgh you may do much in Sarum that no missall after the vse of Sarum hath the lyke as you doe speake in the begynning of the Canon Also if it should be saied so as you report in any part of the whole Canon can you proue that the Catholikes haue prayed so for this cause as thowgh Christ his bodye were not sufficientlie blessed alreadiâ— What a Ioannes diuisar be you to make so wicked and vyle disâ—urses vpon that which either is not sayed at all or hath ben spoken with much reuerence and great humilitie of the parties In deed such lyke wordes haue ben vsed of the Grecians euen after the consecration perfected as appeareth by their wrytinges But what cause alleage they for it Marie thosâ— say they which are in great desire of any thing vse to speake of that which is most sure as thowgh they were not sure of it nothing thereby mistrusting the effect but declaring the vehemencie of theyr desire As the Prophete Dauyd when he had sayd God my ryghtuousnes hearde me when I called vnto hym yet in the same verye Psalme and verse folowing he addeth Haue mercye vppon me O Lord and heare my prayer Loe sayeth Theodoritus The iust man is not satisfied in prayer but making his petitions and obteyning them yet continueth â—e styll in prayer by which yow see how farr a Christian and good commentator would be from such deuyses as yow M. Iuell doe make vpon holye sayinges But the Latin Canon hath no such wordes at all neyther before nor it after consecration that I meane God shoulde blesse Christ his bodye In the beginnyng of the Canon the priest desireth God to accept and blesse those giftes and presentes and sacrifices or oblations of bread and wyne which may receiue encrease of sanctification and are in deede made most holyâ— when they are turned in to the bodye and bloud of Christ. Also after consecration the priest desireth God to loke meâ—cifullie downe vpon those pretiouse thinges which are there present But how not as they are in them selues mosâ— acceptable but as they are offered for who can saye that his hart is chast and pure and who knoweth whether God wil not punishe vs when we are not prepared rightlie to do that office Considering therfor the holines of God and vilenes of man the church desireth God to accept owr offering of Christâ— bodie owr Lord â–ª or in other wordes to saye it to accept that bodye and those giftes offered But of that place M. Iuell speaketh afterward I conclud therefore vpon his present wordes that he maketh an open lie and maniâ—est And if hymselfe was not the maker of it lett hym tell of what author he borowed it Further the priest saieth that he offereth and presenteth vp Christ vnto his father True it is and that you may wonder the more not the priest onely but all the whole church doth offer Christ daily to his father For as concerning the priest either tâ—ere is no priest among vs at all or we be no sinners or we must haue a daily sacrifice to make our God fauorable vnto vs. A sacâ—ifice not of thankes geuing onelye which the law of nature teacheth vs to offer to our cheif Lord and Creator neither of calfes and shepe as the old law did appoint it but a sacrifice proportionable to a new law and a sacrifice worthy and meete for a new testameÌ„t of Ihesus Christ. What say you then good Sir if the priest of the new law and testament offereth Christ vnto his father it is say you open blasphemy So say they which worship false Godes which they haue made to them selues by licentious vnderstanding of the Scriptures and by cutting hewing and pecing together of the veritie For wherin consisteth this blasphemye doe you which are of the church by outward shew of your degree and maÌ„ner of behauiour think priesthod to be a pelting base office as the worldly people doe But Chrisostom saieth That priesthod so far passeth kingdom as the soule passeth the body and we ought to reuerence priestes not only more then kinges and princes but to set them forth with more honor then our owne fathers Or think you that Christ in his last supper did not ofâ—er vp him selfe to his father But the Prophet saieth yea rather God not onely saieth it but bindeth it with an othe and it shall not repent him therof that Christ is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Can you saye for all this that priestes haue no authority to offer him But Chrisostom
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
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
euen according vnto them which thowght good that the sacrament be worshipped vnder this coÌ„dition if consecration were performed But according to the truth there is no daunger at all As I wil proue which yet neadeth not because dauÌ„ger or daunger not adoration ys due vnto the host trulye coÌ„secrated yet for the more plaines I will shew the people to be safe without all question for the vulgar and true Catholykes allthowgh vnskilfull in knowledg yet stedfast in faith when thei beleue once that our Sauyor left his bodie vnto his welbeloued church in forme of bread and gaue the power vnto priestes of consecrating the same his bodie or if the people be not able to make such distinction yet if they beleue what so euer the church teacheth and if they agree to the ordinances of her then loe they in hearing of masse and adoring the Sacrament are not bound to make serch of the intention of the priest but vnder this faith that all is well done in the Catholyke church and that Christ is to be worshipped vnder forme of bread their deuotion is harmeles vnto them and acceptable vnto God If thy eye be simple sayeth owr Sauior all thy whole bodye is lightsome and therfor the intentioÌ„ of the people being good directed vnto that first veritie that Christ our Sauior hath left his bodie vnto vs in forme of bread what so euer knauerie or dyuelishnes be wrought of man in some particular host it hurteth not the pietie of the good and denote people And god which is the sercher of the hartes doth receaue vnto him selfe that honor which they haue apointed for him in the SacrameÌ„t For they see the priest to reuest hym selfe to goe to the altar to make crosses and signes to kneele downe to shew vnto them the Sacrament they see the forme of bread and what shold they do then but worship the SacrameÌ„t Except perchauÌ„ce any man wil require more then a man his knowledge in a man For I wold aske the question of that scrupulouse conscience which feareth where no cause of feare is and say to hym Good felow why doest thow not kneele doune at sacring and worship the body of Christ It appeareth by thy plain countenance and apparel that thow fearest not hurting of thy knee or breaking of thy hose as some strayt pointed gentilmen do leane vnto a pillar of the church for such lyke causes but some ernest matter there is which moueth the â–ª Yea for sothe Sir for and if it please you a litle to come a side I heard a preacher once say that some priestes do mock the people and do not coÌ„secrate the bread And theÌ„ if there be no coÌ„secration I heard the same preacher say there is no adoration due vnto it which thing he also proued owt of I can not tell what old doctors lerned mens bokes If I were therfor sure that the priest doth coÌ„secrate I wold then trulie worship my maker How then wilt thow be sure hath he not vestmeÌ„tes vpoÌ„ hym is he not at the altar doth he not al thinges as good priestes shold do Yes but I wold know his inteÌ„t and meaning by his owne word Why wold his worde quiet the or might not he thinke one think and speak an other Mary therefor as the preacher noted it were good neuer to worship Christ in the Sacrament for feare least thorough the priest his dissimulatioÌ„ I shold haue nothing els there but bread and so commit idolatrie Nay good felow that was not the wysest preacher that euer thow hast heard because sure I am thow honorest they father and mother with all obedience and seruice if they be a lyue and with thy dailye praier if they be departed but art thow sure that they are thy father and mother which are sayd to be what discretion hadest thow before thow were begotten how sayest thow then if that preacher shall rule the not onlie not thow thy selfe but no man at all shall worshipp any man or woman for father or mother Bycause we are not otherwyse sure of them but that we beleue the whole parishe which doth testifie it And then if authoritie shall preuaile the whole world testifyeth that in the masse tyme Christ is present in forme of bread so that thow needest not to make any more question hereof then whether thy father be thy father or no. And this I speak to declare that as long as we be in the world we should seeke for no further profe of thinges than may be gathered of heering seeing and other senses And therefor perceauing by all externall signes that any priest at masse doth as the church hath appoynted I should not desyre to creepe in to his bosome and to withstaÌ„d or withhold the worshipping of the Sacrament which the church teacheth me vntill I know the priest his thowght and intention Well Sir yet â–ª would the felow saye albeit I must beleue that in the Sacrament Christ his bodie is present and sould require no further profe thereof then the authoritye of Christ and his church yet me thinketh the case with vs poore people is harde when we worship Christ in the SacrameÌ„t if he be not in the SacrameÌ„t because of the leudenâ—â— of the priest which made no consecration â–ª No no good felowe 〈◊〉 harme is done at all vnto the. For suppose this which is possible inowght that there werâ— one so lyke thy owne father that 〈◊〉 could not be discerned which of the two were thy true father in dâ—â—d Yf thow shouldest honor the counterfayte thinkyng hym to be thy true father might thy naturall father trowest thow iustlye be offended there withall or bicause thou couldest not haue any certayn marke in this doubtefull case wouldest thow honor no father at all They which stand behind a pillar in the church or behind their neighbours backes or which at the tyme of eleuatioÌ„ looke downe vpon the grownd doe not they worshipp if theyr mynd be good Christ in the SacrameÌ„t And yet they behold not that host which is present ne bind themselues vnto those singular formes whiche they myght behold for the looking vp but simplie and plainely they worship the true bodye of Christ which is vnder the forme of visible bread when it is rightly consecrated as they take the host vppon theyr parish church to be And if it be otherwise it is a pryuate and deadlye synn of the priest and a particular error of theires nothing hurting or letting the proper obiect and staie of their fayth vnto which their deuotion ys caryed And to lett hym goe now with whom I seemed to talke all this whyle and to returne vnto M. Iuell the lerned men dyd in deed make obiection as thowgh there might be dawnger in worshypping of an host vnconsecrated And therefor sayeth Master Iuell they gaue warning of it whichâ— wordes import so much as if the scholemen should saye take heede good people what yow
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
which hauing no religion yet of their owne haue idlenes and liceÌ„tiousnes inowgh to find fault with others pietie they may be well compared to the wanton dame Michol which lookyng owt at a window vpon the kyng Dauid her husband and mislyking much his daunsing before the arke of God allmightie O quod she tauntinglie how worshippfull was my Lord this daye discovering hym selfe before his handmaydens And sayeth the scripture she dispised hym in her hart by likelihode bycause he had a white lynen cloth as rochett or surplesse vpon his backe like a priest And so these now from the windowe of their high contemplation or despection rather of other when they behold good and blessed men to daunce before the arke of God and to make in their turninges and returnynges the scriptures pleasantlie to allude vnto the ornamentes of the sacrifice and the true manna which is the bodie of Christ and perchaunse thorough libertie of spirite excesse of ioye shew a litle their bare O saye these daughters of Saul what goodlie doctors are these and how cleane is their religion See what golden cuppes and altars of stone and fyne lynen clothes and rowndnes of hostes and wasshinges of haÌ„des and sighthinges of hart and what reasons thei haue Behold the Sonn and the Moone doe rule daie and night and againe two swordes be here ergo the Pope ys better then an Emperor and may sitt iudge ouer spirituall and temporall matters How gloriouse loe say thei be these young fathers and lordes of the church But what sayeth the trueth for Catholikes Marye bycawse God hath chosen vs to be rulers of his church and hath preferred vs before the stowtnes of the Protestantes and bycause in owr arke and church the law and the Ghospell ys conteyned with the authoritie to correct miscreantes which is the rodd of Aaron and the pott of heauenlie Manna which ys the bodie of owr Sauyor therefor if owr discouering of owr selues doth greene yow we will not onlie not be ashamed of the applications of scriptures which we haue vsed but we will hereafter be more studiouse in reading in vsing in expownding of the scriptures that no historie prophecie battell name of person place or countrye no hill floud field nothing at all shall escape vs but we will bring it vnto some good sense allegoricall morall or analogicall we all knowe that Theologia mystiâ—a non est argumentis apta and that the sense misticall ys not of sure strength in reasonyng but owr arke being sure and the growndes of owr religion being well setteled and owt of dawnger for the rest we maye sing and plaie and be ioyfull and harpe vpon the scripture In vsing of which if a curiouse 〈◊〉 shal see vs discouered or in part naked it is not owr thowght whether all thinges sitt abowt vs so well and fynelie that heretikes and quarellers doe not or can not carp at vs but that the arke of God be safelie conducted in to Syon and placed within Hierusalem And if this text of the old law Thow shallt not bynd vpp the mowth of thi oxe which treadeth owr thi corne doth not proue that thei which labor in seruyng the altar must lyue by the altar yet as long as church altar priesthode sacrifice and such other thinges of weight remaine we will not stryue vpon the misticall sense of euerie chapiter in the law whether it proueth owr conclusion that which we think worth the alowing These wordes as I trust are reasonable and this ys the plaine trueth of the matter Not to make more ieopardie then the church requyreth neither to faine vpon the Catholikes as that if a Cardinall tredd a wrie vpon his purple sandales or the priest at the altar remember not the theife which hanged on the crosse by Christ and sigth at the remembrance thereof that all owr religion ys quyte ouerturned And this much hitherto for the answering of that common place of M. Iuells where he thowght by gathering of certaine absurd argumeÌ„tes if the people be iudge and by lowd and bold crying owt that these were the secrete misteries of owr religion and that loth he was to rip them vp he thought to bring owr whole religion in to contempt and obloquie And now lett vs consider his last matter which he promysed to touche It can not be denyed sayeth he but Christ in his last supper ordeyned a communion and shewed no manner taken of priuate masse But what calleth M. Iuell a priuate masse He craketh much of the primitiue church as who should saye all antiquity were with them And oftentymes he asketh the question where we can fynd a priuate masse and will not heare vs answer that we vpholde no priuate masse and that this terme of priuate hath ben inuented but of the heretikes them selues For the masse in deede is a common function and office to be done of a priest which is the legate of the people vnto God and God his messenger vnto them In which offices he speaketh for their necessities bringyng vnto God the most noble ryche present of Christ his owne body the soner to obteyne mercy and grace at the which not onlye the visible parties present but all Angels and blessed sowles either in heauen or in the way thytherward be assistants and doe accompany the priest If .20 men be standyng by is it common and if thousandes of heauenly hostes replenysh the place .19 of the men lackyng is it priuate yf it be sayd in the open church is it common and yf it be browght vnto a litle chappell is it priuate what meaneth he by this word priuate I would fayne vnderstand And they answer that when one alone receiueth then it is priuate But is that all their reason why then yf the matter hangeth vpon the nomber of the communicantes we shall haue as many diuisions of common masse as they haue prety definitions of a priuate masse Three sayeth the order of the communion boke myndyng to receaue do make a coÌ„munion as three make a colledge as I haue heard with the lawiers but one alone maynteyneth it a colledge by the selfesame lawiers ergo that masse is not priuate but common and yet common of the least because yf one lacked there could be no coÌ„munion well then yf three skore will coÌ„municate the nombre encreasyng the state of the masse is altered and therfore let this be called a masse of the common of the more Now yf yow make vp three hundred that must nedes be a coÌ„mon of the greater yf three thousand a coÌ„mon of the more greater so that we shall haue no end of coÌ„mon of the more and common of the lesse How much more better is it proued euery masse to be equally coÌ„mon because the priest is a coÌ„mon officer the prayers be common the answerer in the peoples behalfe common the thing offered coÌ„mon the table common the thankes geuyng is common and as it was
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
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
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
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
sayeth he afterwardes he was not called vniuersall Bishopp Wherfor vnto M. Iuells question yf the name of vniuersall Bishopp was not in the primitiue church yet the thing it self was as 〈…〉 shewed so that the name it selfe 〈…〉 haue been vsed in that sense as it 〈…〉 Bishopp which hath charge 〈…〉 and of all the Catholike 〈…〉 But as it signifyeth hym which 〈…〉 other Bishop but hym selfe 〈…〉 there neither was 〈…〉 Bishopp vniuersall 〈…〉 people were then tawghte to 〈…〉 Christes 〈◊〉 ys reallye 〈…〉 carnailâ—e or 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 â—ome of God is not in wordes but in power and strength and allbeyt owt of hand it could not be fownd to bryng a writer so auncient as yow require for euery one of those termes yet is the cause nothing the worse so that it may appere by any meanes that in the Sacrament is his verye body For I think it would be very hard to find in any writing of old and holy doctor with in vjC yeares of Christ all these wordes that he take râ—all substantiall corporall carnall naturall flâ—shâ— of the virgin Marie and yet they were instructed perfectlie to beleue that Christ toke owr verye flesh and not a figure onlye therof as the Maniches did euill report And so yf I could noâ— bring example of all the termes which yow would haue proued yet yf I can coÌ„clude that the verye body and not a fantasticall supposed bodye is in the sacrament for the wordes of carnall reall corporall substanciall and naturall I need not be woefull In the sacrament sayeth S. Ierome vnto Hebidia the verye bodyâ— of Christ ys of which bodye sayeth Isichius in Leu. lib 6. Cap 22. S. Gabriel did say vnto the virgin the holie ghost shall com vpon the. It is called of S. Cyrill lib. 3. in 10. Cap. 37. lib. 10. Cap. 13. the body of lyfe it selfe or of naturall lyfe Of Origene the bodye of the worde Of S. Chrisostome the body which is partaker of the diuine nature 1. Cor. Cap. 10. Of S. Augustine Psal. 33. the verye crucifyed bodye in the which he suffered so greate thinges Of Chrisâ—stome againe 1. Cor. Cap. 10. the body which was nayled vpon the crosse beaten wounded with spere which was not ouercoÌ„med with death What will a Christian man aske more and what neede to bring owt the wordes of carnall reall corporall naturall wheras the bodye of Christ being present and that body which was borne of the virgin Marye it foloweth that it is reall and naturall or els we are fallen from owr fayth in which we beleue that he toke reall flesh of the blessed virgin And here also where fynd you not onelye within vjC yeares of Christ but within .vj. and .vj. hundred and take three more vnto them that the people were taught to beleue that the body of Christ is onlye figuratiuelye sacrameÌ„tallie significatiuelye tropicallie imaginatiuelie in the Sacrament to the denyall of all presence and realitie S. Damascene a notable father writing purposelye of the sacrament of the altar sayeth that it is not simple bread or fode but vnited vnto the diuinitie Also hread and wyne sayth he is not a figure of the bodye and bloud of Christ God forbed but it is the very deisyed body of owr Lorde where as he hath sayed him selfe this is my body not a figure of my body and not a figure of my bloud but my bloud But M. Iuell appealeth vnto the vjC yeres next after Christ Vnto those vjC doth he appeale Vnto those vjC he that be browght And I require hym to shew furth where it was euer tawght with in vj. C. yeares after Christ that Christes bodie was in the sacrament figuratiuelye onely Lett one sentence example aucthoritye worde or sillable be browght furth of a bodye onelye figuratiue and significatiue and he shal haue the victorye Yea but sayth he the reall corporall carnall naturall presence was not preached or tawght at those dayes ergo a figuratiue bodye onelye was beleued And thus whiles we stryue vpon termes onely we spend the tyme in a questioÌ„ not necessarie and he will not consider the truth in it self as it is Christ sayd this is my bodye which shalbe delyuered for yow Saye the truth Is not this playne inowgh what yf he had sayd this is my naturall body should all mysbeleife on yowr part haue ceased I thinke not for these wordes which shalbe deliuered for yow do as playnely expresse what bodye he meaneth as yf he had vsed the worde naturall or corporall what difference is in these poyntes M. Iuell and the named Bishopp of Sarum and he which in the yeare of owr Lorde 1561. preached at Paules crosse the second sonday before Easter and after this sort yf I would proced further what difference were there or how many persons myght I be thowght to haue named in the iudgement of them which know the state of this world what oddes is there betwene fowre pens and a grote what difference betwixt the very body of Christ and the reall bodye the body borne of the blessed virgin and the naturall bodye the corporall bodye and his very flesh the carnall bodye and the bodye which was delyuered vnto death and hanged on the crosse for vs This is not childisshnes onely but very wantonnes to aske for the terme of a corporall and reall body and not to be coÌ„tent with such a bodye which dyed for vs to beleue owr eyes yf we should see hym and to discredite his voyce when we doe here hym not to be able to deny but this is the bodye which was delyuered for vs and yet to require whether it be his naturall bodye or no And yet bycause the church owr mother which in her selfe is strong doth condescend vnto the infirmitie of those which once the browght furth I will shew in one testimony that euen in playne worde corporallie Christ his body is geuen vnto the faythfull And yf copye of wordes delite M. Iuell I will proue also that he is naturally in his faithfull S. Cyrill a blessed and auncyent father in reprouyng and confutyng a certen Arrian which vpon those wordes of Christ I am the vyne and my father is the husbandman wold inferr that Christ and God the father were not of one substance no more then a vyne and a husbandman are which Arrian also sayde that those wordes I am a vyne c. apperteyned vnto the diuinitie and not the humanitie of Christ. S. Cyrill I saye in confuting this reason hath these wordes VVe doe not denye but we are ioyned spirituallie vnto Christ by right fayth aâ—d syncere charitie but yet that there is no waye of the ioyning of vs togeather with hym accordyng to the flesh that trulie we doe veterly denye And we say that to be altogeather besides the Scriptures For who hath doâ—ted Christ euen after this fashion vnderstand according to the flesh to be the vyne and vs to be
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