parte of Christes glorie is impayred Iuell Or that then any Christian man called the Sacrament his lord and God Of calling the Sacrament lord and God ARTICLE XXI Sacramēt tvvo vvayes taken THis word Sacramēt as is declared before is of the fathers taken two wayes Either for the onely outward formes of bread and wine which are the holy signe of the very body and bloud of Christ present and vnder them conteined Or for the whole substance of the Sacrament as it consisteth of the outward formes In sent Prosperi de conse dist 2. lib. 4. cap. 34. and also of the very body and bloud of Christ verely present which S. Augustine calleth the inuisible grace and the thing of the Sacrament And Irenaeus calleth it rem coelestem the heauenly thing as that other rem terrenam the earthly thing Taken the first waie no Christen man euer honoured it with the name of lord and God For that were plaine Idolatrie to attribute the name of the Creator to the creature But taken in the secōd signification it hath alwayes of Christen people and of the learned fathers of the churche ben called by the name of lord and God And of right so ought it to be for elles were it impietie and a denyall of God not to call Christ the sonne of God by the name of lord and God who is not onely in truth of fleshe and bloud in the Sacrament after which maner he is there ex vi Sacramenti but also for the inseparable coniunction of bothe natures in vnitie of person ex necessaria concomitantia whole Christ God and man That the holy fathers called the Sacrament taken in this sense lord and God I might proue it by many places the rehearsall of a fewe may serue for many Origen in an homilie speaking reuerently of this blessed Sacrament sayeth In diuerfos Euangelij locos homil 5. that when a man receiueth it our lord entreth vnder his rooffe and exhorteth him that shall receiue it to humble him selfe and to saye vnto it Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum Lord I am not worthy that thou enter vnder my rooffe S. Cyprian in Sermone de lapsis telleth how a man who had denyed God in tyme of persecution hauing notwithstanding the sacrifice by the priest done priuely with others receiued the Sacrament not being able to eate it nor to handle it opening his hādes fownde that he bare asshes Where he addeth these wordes Documento vnius ostensum est dominum recedere cum negatur By this example of one man it is shewed that our lord departeth awaie when he is denyed The same S. Cyprian in th' exposition of the Pater noster declaring the fourth petition of it Geue vs thys daye our daily bread vnderstandeth it to conteine a desyre of the holy communion in this blessed Sacrament and sayeth Ideo panem nostrum id est Christum dari nobis quotidie petimus vt qui in Christo manemus viuimus à sanctificatione corpore eius non recedamus Therefore we aske our daily bread that is to saye Christ to be geuen vnto vs that we which abyde and lyue in Christ depart not from the state of holynes and communion of his bodye Here S. Cyprian calleth the Sacrament Christ as he is in dede there present really so as in the place alleaged before he calleth it lord And I wene our aduersaries will imbarre the Sacrament of the name of Christ no lesse then of the name of lord or God Onlesse they make lesse of Christ then of lord and God Verely this holy martyr acknowlegeth this sacrament not for lord and Christ onely but also for God by these wordes in his sermon de coena Domini Sicut in persona Christi humanitas videbatur latebat diuinitas ita sacramento visibili ineffabiliter diuina se infudit essentia As in the person of Christ the manhode was sene and the godhed was hydden so the diuine essence or substaunce of God hath infused it selfe into the visible sacrament vnspeakeably Chrysostom doubteth not to call the Sacrament God in this plaine saying Nolimus obsecro nolimus impudentes nos ipsos interimere In priorē ad Cor. Homil. 24 sed cum honore munditia ad Deum accedamus quando id propositum videris dic tecum propter hoc corpus non amplius terra cinis ego sum non amplius captiuus sed liber Let vs not let vs not for gods sake be so shamelesse as to kill our selues by vnworthy receiuing of the sacrament but with reuerence and cleanenesse let vs come to God And when thou seest the sacrament set forth saye thus with thy selfe by reason of this body I am no more earth and asshes no more captiue but free And least this sense taken of Chrysostom shuld seme ouer straunge this place of S. Ambrose who lyued in the same tyme and agreeth with him thoroughly in doctrine may seme to leade vs to the same Quid edamus quid bibamus De ijs qul mysterijs initiantu◠cap. 9. Psal 33. alibi tibi per prophetā Spiritus sanctus expressit dicens gustate videte quoniam suauis est Dominus beatus vir qui sperat in eo in illo Sacramento Christus est quia corpus est Christi What we ought to eate and what we ought to drinke the holy ghost hath expressed by the prophete in an other place saying Taste and see how that our lord is sweete blessed is the man that trusteth in him In that Sacrament is Christ because there is the body of Christ Here S. Ambrose referring those wordes of the psalme to the sacrament calleth it lord and that lord in whom the man that trusteth is blessed who is God Agreeably to this sayeth S. Augustine In collectaneis in 10. cap. prioris ad Corinth in a sermō de verbis Euangelij as Beda reciteth Qualem vocem Domini audistis inuitantis nos Quis vos inuitauit Quos inuitauit Et quis praeparauit Inuitauit Dominus seruos praeparauit eis cibum seipsum Quis audeat māducare Dominum suum Et tamen ait qui manducat me viuet propter me What maner a uoice is that ye haue heard of our lord inuiting and bydding vs to the feast who hath inuited whom hath he inuited And who hath made preparation The lord hath inuited the seruantes and hath prepared him selfe to be meate for them Who dareth be so bolde as to eate his lord And yet he sayeth he that eateth me shall lyue for cause of me In Ioan. lib. 4. cap. 15. Cyrillus accompteth the sacrament for Christ and God the word and for God in this saying Qui carnem Christi manducat vitam habet aeternam Habet enim haec caro Dei verbum quod naturaliter vita est Proptereà dicit Quia ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die Ego enim dixit Ioan. 6. id est
punicall tonge and not the latine tonge as likewise the people of Spaigne named Iberi spake that language which was proper to them let him reade Titus Liuius de bello Macedonico For there he recordeth that when those of Aphrica or of Spaigne and the Romaines came together for parle and talke they vsed an interpreter And Vlpianus the Lawier a great officer about Alexander Seuerus the Emperour at the begynning of Christen Religiō In l fideicommissa ff d. leg 3. writeth that fidei commissa maye be lefte in all vulgare tonges and putteth for examples the Punicall and the Frenche or rather Gallicall tonge This much or more might here be sayde of the language of the people of Gallia now called Fraunce which thē was barbarouse and vulgare and not onely latine and yet had they of that nation their Seruice then in Latine as all the West churche had That the common language of the people there was vulgare the vse of the latine seruing for the learned as we must nedes iudge we haue first the autoritie of Titus Liuius Ab vrbe condita lib. 7. Who writeth that a Galloes or as now we saye a French man of a notable stature prouoked a Romaine to fight with him man for man making his chalenge by an Interpreter Which had not ben done in case the latine tonge had ben common to that nation Nexte the place of Vlpianus before mentioned Then the recorde of Aelius Lampridius who writeth that a woman of the order of the Druides In vita Alexandri Mamaeae cryed out a lowde to Alexander Seuerus Mammaea her sonne the Emperour as he marched foreward on a daye with his armie gallico sermone in the gallicall tonge these wordes boding his death which right so shortly after folowed Vadas nec victoriam speres ne militi tuo credas Go thy waye and looke not for the victorie truste not thy souldier Lastly the witnes of S. Hierom who hauing trauailed ouer that region and therefore being skilful of the whole state thereof In prooemio 2. cōment ad Galatas acknowlegeth the people of Treueres and of that territorie to haue a peculiar language diuerse from latine and greke If all that I haue broughte here touching this matter be well weighed it will seme probable I doubte not that all sortes of people in Aphrica vnderstoode not the Seruice which they had in the latine tonge And no lesse maye be thought of Gallia and Spaigne And so farre it is proued against M. Iuelles stowte assertion that within his syx hundred yeres after Christ some Christen people had their common prayers and Seruice in a tonge they vnderstoode not And thus all his allegations broughte for proufe of his saying in this behalfe be answered the place of S. Paul to the Corinthians excepted Which er I answer I will according to my promise proue The antiquitie of the latine Seruice in the church of England that about nyne hūdred yeres past yea a thousand also and therefore some deale within his syx hundred yeres euen in S. Gregories tyme the Seruice was in an vnknowen tonge in this lande of England then called Britaine and begonne to be called England at least for so much as sithens and at these dayes is called by the name of England Beda an English man that wrote the ecclesiasticall storye of the English nation in the yere of our lord 731. and of their comming in to Britaine about 285. recordeth that S. Augustine and his companie who were sent hyther to conuert the English people to the faith of Christ which the Britons here had professed long before hauing a safe conducte graunted the by king Ethelbert to preache the gospell where they would sayde and song their seruice in a churche buylded of olde tyme in the honour of S. Martine adioyning on the east syde of the head citie of Kent whiles the Romaines dwelt in Britaine The wordes of Beda be these Lib. 1. hist ecclesiast cap 26. In hac ecclesia conuenire primo psallere orare missas facere praedicare baptizare coeperunt In this churche they beganne first to assemble them selues together to synge to praye to saye Masse to preache and to baptise It is plaine that this was the Seruice And no doubte they resorted to it who beleued and were of them baptized wondering as Bede sayeth at the simplicitie of their innocent lyfe and swetnes of their heauenly doctrine In English it was not for they had no skille of that tonge as Bedo sheweth lib. 1. cap. 23. And therefore er they entred the land they tooke with them by cōmaundemēt of S. Gregorie Lib. 1. c. 25. interpreters out of fraunce Which interpreters serued for open preaching and priuate instruction exhortation and teaching In synging and saying the Seruice there was no vse of thē Whereas S. Augustine after that the English nation had receiued the faith and he had ben made Archebishop ouer them hauing fownde the faith being one diuersitie of customes in diuerse churches one maner of Masses in the holy Romaine churche an other in that of Fraunce for this and certaine other purposes sent two of his clergie Laurence and Peter to Rome to be aduertised amongest other thinges what order maner and custome of Masses it liked S. Gregorie the churches of the English nation shuld haue hereunto that holy father answered that what he espyed either in the Romaine or French or any other churche that might be most acceptable to almighty god he shuld choose out and gather together and commēde the same to the churche of England there to be lefte in custome to continewe lib. 1. cap. 27. If it had then ben thought necessary the Seruice of the Masse to be in English or if it had ben translated in to the English tonge it is not to be thought that Bede who declareth all thinges concerning matters of Religion so diligently specially professing to write an ecclesiasticall storye would haue passed ouer that in silence And if the Masse had ben vsed in the English tonge the monumentes and bookes so much multiplied among the churches would haue remained in some place or other And doubteles some mention would haue ben made of the tyme and causes of the leauing such kynde of Seruice and of begynning the newe latine Seruice As certaine of S. Gregories workes tourned in to English by Bede him selfe haue ben kepte so as they remaine to this daye S. Gregorie him selfe is a witnes of right good auctoritie vnto vs that this land of England which he calleth Britaine in his tyme that is almost a thousand yeres past had the cōmon prayers and Seruice in an vnknowen tonge without doubte in Latine much in like sorte as we haue of olde tyme had till now His wordes be these Ecce omnipotens dominus penè cunctarum iam gentium corda penetrauit Expositionis in Iob li. 27. ca. 6 ecce in vna fide Orientis limitem Occidentisque coniunxit
noÌ„ne corporaliter quoque facit communicatione corporis Christi Christum in nobis haebitare what troweth this Ariane heretike perhappes that we knowe not the vertue of the mysticall blessing whereby is meant this sacrament which when it is become to be in vs doth it not cause Christ to dwell in vs corporally by receiuing of Christes body in the communion And after this he sayeth as plainely that Christ is in vs non habitudine solum quae per charitatem intelligitur verumetiam participatione naturali not by charitie onely but also by naturall participation The same Cyrill sayeth in an other place Lib. in Ioan 11. cap. 26. that through the holy communion of Christes body we are ioyned to him in naturall vnion Quis enim eos qui vnius sancti corporis vnione in vno Christo vniti suâ—t ab hac naturali vnione alienos putabit who will thinke sayeth he that they wich be vnited together by the vnion of that one holy body in one Christ be not of this natural vnion He calleth this also a corporall vnion in the same booke and at length after large discussion how we be vnited to Christ not onely by charitie and obedience of religion but also in substance concludeth thus Sed de vnione corporali satis But we â–ª haue treated ynough of the corporall vnion Yet afterward in diuerse sentences he vseth these aduerbes for declaring of the veritie of Christes body in the sacrament naturaliter substantialiter secundum carnem or carnaliter corporaliter as most manifestly in the 27. chapter of the same booke Corporaliter filius per benedictionem mysticam nobis vt homo vnitur spiritualiter autem vt Deus The sonne of God is vnited vnto vs corporally as man and spiritually as God Agayne where as he sayeth there Filium Dei natura Patri vnitum corporaliter substantialiterque accipientes clarificamur glorificamurque c. We receiuing the sonne of God vnited to the father by nature corporally and substaÌ„tially are clarifyed and glorifyed or made glorious being made partakers of the supreme nature The like saying he hath lib. 12. ca. 58. Now this being and remayning of Christ in vs and of vs in Christ naturally and carnally and this vniting of vs and Christ together corporally presupposeth a participation of his very body which body we can not truly participate but in this blessed sacrament And therefor Christ is in the Sacrament naturally carnally corporally that is to saye according to the thruth of his nature of his fleshe and of his body For were not he so in the SacrameÌ„t we could not be ioyned vnto him nor he and we could not be ioyned and vnited together corporally Diuerse other auncient fathers haue vsed the like manner of speach but none so much as Hilarius and Cyrillus whereby they vnderstand that Christ is present in this sacrament as we haue sayde according to the truth of his substance of his nature of his fleshe of his body and bloud And the catholike fathers that sithens the tyme of Berengarius haue written in defence of the truth in this point vsing these termes sometymes for excluding of metaphores allegories figures and significations onely whereby the sacrameÌ„taries would defraude faithfull people of the truth of Christes pretiouse body in this Sacrament doo not thereby meane that the maner meane or waye of Christes presence dwelling vnion and coniunctioÌ„ with vs and of vs with him is therefor naturall substanciall corporall or carnall but they and all other catholike men confesse the contrarie that it is farre higher and worthier supernaturall supersubstantiall inuisible vnspeakeable speciall and propre to this sacrament true reall and in deede notwithstanding and not onely tropicall symbolicall metaphoricall allegoricall not spirituall onely and yet spirituall not figuratiue or significatiue onely And likewise concerning the maner of the presence and being of that body and bloud in the sacrameÌ„t they and we acknowledge and confesse that it is not locall circumscriptiue diffinitiue or subiectiue or naturall but such as is knowen to God onely Or that his body is or may be in a thousand places Iuell or mo at one tyme. Of the being of Christes body in many places at one tyme. ARTICLE VI. AMong the miracles of this bleshed Sacrament one is that one and the same body maye bee in many places at once to witte vnder all consecrated hostes As for God it is agreable to his godhed to be euery where simpliciter propriè But as for a creature to be but in one place onely But as for the body of Christ it is after a maner betwen bothe For where as it is a creature it ought not to be made equall with the Creator in this behalfe that it be euery where But where as it is vnited to the Godhed herein it ought to excelle other bodyes so as it maye in one tyme bee in mo places vnder this holy Sacrament For the vniting of Christes naturall body vnto the almighty godhed duly considered bringeth a true ChristeÌ„ man in respecte of the same to forsake reason and to leane to faith to put aparte all doubtes and discourses of humaine vnderstanding and to rest in reuerent simplicitie of beleefe Thereby through the holy ghost persuaded he knoweth that although the body of Christ be naturall and humaine in dede yet through the vnion and coniunctioÌ„ many thinges be possible to the same now Matt. 14. Luc. 24. Matt. 17. Luc. 24. Act. 1. Matt. 28. Ioan. 20. that to all other bodies be impossible as to walke vpon waters to vanishe awaye out of sight to be transfigured and made bright as the sunne to ascende vp through the clowdes and after it became immortall death being conquered to ryse vp againe out of the graue and to entre through doores fast shutte Through the same faith he beleueth and acknowlegeth that according vnto his worde by his power it is made present in the blessed sacrament of th'aulter vnder the forme of bread and wyne where so euer the same is duly consecrated according vnto his institution in his holy supper and that not after a grosse or carnall maner but spiritually and supernaturally and yet substantially not by locall but by substantiall presence not by maner of quantitie or fylling of a place or by chaunging of place or by leauing his sitting on the right hande of the father but in such a maner as God onely knoweth and yet doth vs to vnderstand by faith the truth of this very presence farre passing all mannes capacitie to comprehend the maner how Where as some against this pointe of beleefe doo alleage the article of Christes Ascension and of his being in heauen at the right hande of God the father bringing certaine textes of scriptures perteining to the same and testimonies of auncient doctours signifying Christes absence from the earth Christes being in heaueÌ„ and in the SacrameÌ„t at one tyme implyeth no coÌ„tradiction it may be-rightly vnderstanded that
the body and bloud of Christ for the people And willeth them to be more regarded then commonly they be now a dayes for this sacrifices sake though otherwise they be of lesse deserte Now for proufe of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ by the doctoures mynde vpon the figure of Melchisedech Lib. 2. epist 3. first S. Cyprian sayeth thus Qui magis sacerdos Dei summi quà m Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui sacrificium Deo patri obtulit et obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedech id est panem vinum suum scilicet corpus sanguinem Who is more the priest of the highest God then our lord Iesus Christ who offered a sacrifice to God the father and offered the selfe same that Melchisedech dyd that is bread and wine that is to saye his owne body and bloud S. Hierome in an epistle that he wrote for the vertuouse women Paula and Eustochium to Marcella hath these wordes Recurre ad Genesim Melchisedech regem Salem Huius principem inuenies ciuitatis qui iam in typo Christi panem vinum obtulit mysterium christianum in Saluatoris sanguine corpore dedicauit Retourne to the booke of Genesis and to Melchisedech the king of Salem And thou shalt fynde the prince of that Citie who euen at that tyme in the figure of Christ offered bread and wine and dedicated the mysterie of Christians in the body and bloud of our Sauiour Here this learned father maketh a plaine distinction betwen th' oblation of the figure which was bread and wine and the oblation of the truth which is the mysterie of Christen people the bloud and the body of Christ our Sauiour Of this S. Augustine speaketh largely in his first sermon vpon the 33. Psalme and in the 17. booke de ciuitate Dei cap. 20. Of all other Oecumenius speaketh most plainely to this purpose vpon this place of S. Paul alleaged out of the Psalme Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum â—rdinem Melchisedech Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech his wordes be these Significat sermo quòd non solum Christus obtulit incruentam hostiam siquidem suum ipsius corpus obtulit verum etiam qui ab ipso furgentur sacerdotio quorum Deus Pontifex esse dignatus est sine sanguinis effusione offerent Nam hoc significat in aeternum Neque enim de ea quae semel a Deo facta est oblatio et hostia dixisset in aeternum sed respicieÌ„s ad praesentes sacrificos per quos medios Christus sacrificat sacrificatur qui etiam in mystica coena modum illis tradidit huiusmodi sacrificij The meaning of this place is sayeth he that not onely Christ offered an vnbloudy sacrifice for he offered his owne body but also that they which after him shall doo the office of a priest whose bishop he vouchesaueth to be shall offer without shedding of bloud For that signifieth the word for euer For concerning that oblation and sacrifice which was once made by God he would neuer saye in aeternum for euer But he sayd so hauing an eye to those priestes that be now by the mediation of whom Christ sacrificeth and is sacrificed who also in his mysticall supper taught them by tradition the maner of such a sacrifice Concerning the prophecie of Malachie for proufe of this oblation though the place of Irenaeus aboue recited may stand in stede of many auctorities yet I will not lette to rehearse the sayinges of a father or two for confirmation of this Article Chrysostom sayeth very plainely In Psal 95 In omni loco sacrificium offertur nomini meo sacrificium purum Vide quâm luculenter quanque dilucide mysticam interpretatus est mensam quae est incruenta hostia In euery place a sacrifice shall be offered to my name and that a pure sacrifice See how plainely and clearely he interpreted the mysticall table which is the vnbloudy sacrifice Saint Augustine hath many euident sayinges touchig this matter in his workes One shall suffise for all which is in a litle treatise he made contra Iudaeos vttered in these wordes Cap. 9. Aperite oculos tandem aliquando videte ab Oriente sole vsque ad Occidentem non in vno loco vt vobis fuit constitutum sed in omni loco offerri sacrificium christianorum non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel Open your eyes at last you Iewes and see that from the rysing of the sunne to the setting not in one place as it was appointed to you but in euery place the sacrifice of the Christen people is offered not to euery God but to him that prophecied of these thinges before the God of Israel And euen so with that protestation which saint Augustine made to the Iewes I ende this tediouse matter consisting in maner altogether in allegations to M. Iuell Open open your eyes at last M. Iuell and see how all the holy and learned fathers that haue preached the faith of Christ from the rysing of the sunne to the setting haue taught this doctrine by word and writing lefte to the posteritie that they which vnder Christ doo vse the ofâ—â—ce of a priest after the order of Melchisedech haue not onely auctoritie but also expresse commaundement to offer vp Christ vnto his father The proufe of which doctrine although it depend of the weight of one place yet I haue thought good to fortifie it with some good number that it may the better appear to be a most vndoubted truth not moued greatly with the blame of tediousnes where no thankes are sought but onely defence of the catholike Religion is intended Or that the priest had then auctoritie to communicate and receiue the Sacrament for an other as they doo Iuell Of the priestes saying Masse for an other ARTICLE XVIII VVhat you would saye M. Iuell I wote not what you saye well I wote The priest receiueth not the SacrameÌ„t for an other Verely we do not communicate ne receiue the Sacrament for an other Neither hath it euer ben taught in the catholike churche that the priest receiue the Sacrament for an other We receiue not the Sacrament for an other no more then we receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme or the Sacrament of penaunce or the Sacrament of Matrimonie one for an other In dede the priest sayeth Masse for others where he receiueth that he hath offered and that is it you meane I gesse In which Masse being the externall sacrifice of the Newe testament according vnto Christes institution the thing that is offered is such as maketh our petitions and requestes acceptable to God as S. Cyprian sayeth In sermone de coena domini In huius corporis praesentia non superuacué mendicant lachrymae veniaÌ„ In the presence of this body teares craue not forgeuenes in vaine That the oblatioÌ„ of the Masse is done for others then for the priest alone
affirmeth the Catholikes to haue nothing for their parte ouer peartly as to sober wittes it semeth egging and prouoking them to bring somewhat in their defence O Mercifull God Iuell In the sermon folio 43. vvho vvould thinke there could be so muche vvilfulnes in the heart of man O Gregorie O Augustine O Hierome O Chrysostome O Leo O Dionise O Anacletus O Sistus O Paule O Christ If vve be deceiued herein ye are they that haue deceiued vs. You haue taught vs those schismes and diuisions ye haue taught vs these heresies Thus ye ordred the holy communion in your tyme the same vve receiued at your hand and haue faithfully delyuered it vnto the people And that ye maye the more meruel at the vvilfulnes of such men they stand this daye against so many old fathers so many Doctoures so many examples of the primitiue churche so manifest and so plaine vvordes of the holy scriptures and yet haue they here in not one father not one Doctour not one allovved example of the primitiue churche to make for them And vvhen I saye not one I speake not this in vehemencie of spirite or heate of talke but euen as before God by the vvaye of simplicitie and truth least any of you should happely be deceiued and thinke there is more vveight in the other syde then in conclusion there shall be fovvnde And therefore once againe I saye of all the vvordes of the holy scriptures of all the examples of the primitiue churche of all the old fathers of all the auncient Doctoures in these causes they haue not one Here the matter it self that I haue novv in hand putteth me in remembraunce of certaine thinges that I vttered vnto you to the same purpose at my last being in this place I remember I layed oâ—â— then here before you a number of things that are nâ—vv in controuerâ—â—e vvhere vnto our aduersaries vvil not yelde And I sayd perhaps boldly as it might then seeme to summe man but as I my self and the learned of our aduersaries theÌ„ selues do vvel knovve syncerely and truly that none of all them that this daye stand against vs are hable or shal euer be hable to proue against vs any one of all these points eyther by the scriptures or by example of the primitiue churche or by the old â—oâ—â—â—â—res or by the auncient generall councelâ—â— Synâ—â— that tyme it hath ben reported in places that I spake then more then I vvas hable to iustifie and make good Hovv be it these reportes vvere onely made in corners and therfore ought the lesse to trouble me Bâ—â— if my sayinges had ben so vveake and might so easely haue than reproued I maruaile that the paâ—ieâ— neuer come to the light to take the aduauntage For my promise vvas and that openly here before you all that if any man vvere able to proue the contrarye I vvould yelde and subscribe to him and he shuld depart vvith the victorieâ— Loth I am to trouble you vvith rehersall of such thinges as I haue spoken afore and yet because the case so requyreth I shall desyre you that haue all ready heard me to beare the more vvith me in this behalf Better it vvere to trouble your eares vvith tvvise hearing of one thing then to betray the truth of God The vvordes that I then spake as neare as I can call them to mynde vvere these If any learned man of all our aduersaries or if all the learned men that be alyue be hable to bring any one sufficient senteÌ„ce out of any olde catholike Doctour or father out of any olde generall councell out of the holy scriptures of God or any one example of the primitiue church vvhereby it may be clearely and plainely proued â–ª Article 1 That there vvas any priuate Masse in the vvorld at that tyme for the space of syxe hundred yeares after Christ Article 2 Or that there vvas then any CoÌ„munion ministred vnto the people vnder one kinde Article 3 Or that the people had theire common prayers then in a straunge tonge that they vnderstoode not Article 4 Or that the Bisshop of Rome vvas then called an vniuersall Bisshop or the head of the vniuersall churche Article 5 Or that the people vvas then taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporalli carnally or-naturally in the Sacrament Article 6 Or that his body is or may be in a thousand places or mo at one tyme Article 7 Or that the priest dyd then hold vp the Sacrament ouer his head Article 8 Or that the people dyd then fall dovvne and vvorship it vvith godly honour Article 9 Or that the Sacrament vvas then or novv ought to be hanged vp vnder a canopie Article 10 Or that in the Sacrament after the vvordes of CoÌ„secration there remayneth onely the accidentes and shevves vvith out the substaunce of bread and vvine Article 11 Or that the priest then diuyded the Sacrament in three partes and aftervvarde receiued him self all alone Article 12 Or that vvho so euer had sayde the Sacrament is a figure a pledge a token or a remembraunce of Christes bodye had therefore been iudged for an heretike Article 13 Or that it vvas lavvfull then to haue xxx xx.xv.x or v. Masses sayd in one churche in one daye Article 14 Or that Images vvere then set vp in the churches to the entent the people might vvorship them Article 15 Or that the laye people vvas then forbydden to reade the vvorde of God in their ovvne tonge If any man a lyue vvere hable to proue any of these Articles by any one cleare or plaine clause or sentence eyther of the scriptures or of the old doctoures or of any old generall councell or by any example of the primitiue churche I promysed then that I vvould geue ouer and subscribe vnto him These vvordes or the very like I remember I spake here openly before you all And these be the thinges that summe men saye I haue spoken and can not iustifie But I for my part vvill not onely not call in any thing that I then sayde being vvell assuted of the truth there in but also vvill laye more matter to the same That if they that seeke occasion haue any thing to the contrary they may haue the larger scope to replye against me VVherefor besyde all that I haue sayde allready I vvil saye farther and yet nothing so much as might be sayde If any one of all our aduersaries be hable clearely and plainely to proue by such authoritie of the scriptures the olde Doctoures and councelles as I sayde before Article 16 That it vvas then lavvfull for the priest to pronounce the vvordes of consecration closely and in silence to him self Article 17 Or that the priest had auctoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father Article 18 Or to communicat and receiue the Sacrament for an other as they doo Article 19 Or to applye the vertue of Christes death and passion to any man by the meane of the Masse Article 20
which king Alexander the great vsed to further the course of his conquestes In vita AlexaÌ„dri Magni Who as Plutarche writeth where as he thought verely that he was begoten of a God shewed him self toward the Barbarians very haute and proude Yet among the Grekes he vsed a more modestie and spake litle of his godhead For they being rude and of small vnderstanding he doubted not but by wayes and meanes to bring them to such beleue But the Grekes whom he knew to be men of excellent knowledge and learning of them he iudged as it proued in dede the matter shuld be more subtyly skanned then symply beleued Right so you M. Iuell persuading your self to haue singular skille in diuinitie among the simple people you vtter the weighty and high pointes of Christen Religion that be now in question in such wise as the protestantes haue written of them and with vehement affirmations with misconstrewed and falsefied allegations and with pitifull exclamations you leade the seely soules in to dangerouse errours But in your writinges which you knew shuld passe the iudgement of learned men the pointes of greater importaunce you coouer with silence and vtter a number of Articles of lesse weight for the more part in respect of the chiefe though for good cause receiued and vsed in the churche I speake of them as they be rightly taken denying them all and requyring the catholikes your aduersaries to prooue them Where in you shew your self not to feare controlment of the ignorant but to mistrust the triall of the learned Likewise in the holy Canon of the Masse you fynde faultes where none are as it may easely be proued thinking for defence thereof we had litle to saye But of the prayer there made to the virgine Mary the Apostles and martyrs of the suffrages for the departed in the faith of Christ in your whole booke you vtter neuer a worde though you mislike it and otherwheres speake against it as all your secte doth And why Forsooth because you know right well we haue store of good authorities for proufe thereof And by your will you will not yet stryue with vs in matters wherein by the iudgement of the people to whom you lene much you shuld seme ouermatched And therefore you serch out small matters in comparison of the greatest such as the old doctours haue passed ouer with silence and for that can not of our part by aunciet authorities be so amply affirmed at least waye as you thinke your self assured And in this respecte you laye on lode of blame contumelies and sclaunders vpon the churche for mainteining of them Where in the marke you shoote at euery man perceiueth what it is euen that when you haue brought the catholike churche in to contempte and borne the people in hand we are not hable to proue a number of thinges by you denyed for lacke of such proufes as your self shall allow in certaine particular pointes of small force which falsely you report to be the greatest keys and highest mysteries of our Religion then triumphing against vs and despysing the auncient and catholike ReligioÌ„ in general you may set vp a new Religion of your own forging a new church of your own framing a new gospell of your own deuise Well may I further saye cathedram contra cathedram but not I trowe as S. Augustine termeth such state of Religion altare contrâ alture For what so euer ye set vp if ye set vp any thing at all and pull not downe onlye all maner of aulters must nedes be throwen downe Now being sorye to see the catholike churche by your stoute and bolde bragges thus attempted to be defaced the truth in maner outfaced and the seely people so dangerously seduced Imbarred of libertie to preache by Recognisance and yet not so discharged in conscience of dutie apperteyning to my calling I haue now thought good to set forth this treatise in writing whereby to my power to saue the honour of the churche which is our common mother to defend the truth in whose quarell none aduenture is to be refused and to reduce the people from deceite and errour which by order of charitie we are bownde vnto For the doing here of if you be offended the coÌ„science of good and right meaning shal sone ease me of that griefe Verely myne intent was not to hurt you but to profite you by declaring vnto you that truth which you seme hytherto not to haue knowen For if you had I wene you would not haue preached and written as you haue Your yeres your maner of studie and the partie you haue ioyned your self vnto consydered it may well be thought you haue not thoroughly sene how much may be sayde in defence of the catholike doctrine touching these Articles which you haue denyed For the maner of doing I am verely persuaded that neither you nor any of your felowes which of all these new sectes by your syde professed so euer he lyketh best shall haue iust cause to complaine The whole treatise is written with out choler with out gaull with out spite What I mislike in you and in them of your syde I could not allow in my self Where truthes cause is treated humaine affections where by the cleare light is dymmed ought to be layd a parte Glykes nyppes and scoffes bittes cuttes and gyrdes become not that stage Yet if I shall perhappes sometymes seme to scarre or lawnce a festered bunche that deserueth to be cut of you will remember I doubte not how the meekest and the holyest of the auncient fathers in reprouing heretikes oftery mâ—â— haue shewed them selues zelouse earnest eager seueâ—â— sharpe and bitter Whose taste so euer loÌ„geth most after such sawce in this treatise he shall fynde small lyking For it is occupyed more about the fortifying of the Articles denyed then about disprouing of the person who hath denyed them Wherein I haue some deale folowed the latter parte of Chilo the wise man his counsaile which I allow better then the first Ama tanquam osurus oderis tanquam amaturus loue as to hate hate as to loue If any man that shall reade this be of that humour as shall mislike it as being colde lowe flatte and dull and requyre rather such verder of writing as is hote lofty sharp and quycke which pleaseth best the tast of our tyme vnderstand he that before I intended to put this forth in printe I thus tempered my stile for these consyderations First where as a certaine exercise of a learned man of fiue or six sheetes of paper spredde abroade in the Realme in defence of some of these Articles by M. Iuell denyed was fathered vpon me which in dede I neuer made sentence of and therefore a storme imminent was mystrusted that by chaunging the hew which many know me by that know me familiarly in case it shuld come to the handes of many as it was likely I myght escape the danger of being charged with it and neuer the lesse satisfye
my frendes request and in some parte also my conscience and doo good Secondly that I thought meeke sober and cold demeanour of writing to be most sitting for such kynde of argument Thirdly and specially that my hart serued me not to deale with M. Iuell myne old acquainted felow and countreyman other wise then swetly gentilly and courteouslye And in dede here I protest that I loue M. Iuell and detest his heresies And now Syr as I loue you right so I am desyrouse of your soule helth which you seme either to forgete or to ê“cure by a wrong waye Bethinke your self I praye you whether the waye you walke in be not the same and you the man that Salomon moued with the spirite of God speaketh of There is a waye Prouer. 26 that semeth to a man right and the ende of it leadeth to damnation Certaine it is you are deceiued and maineteine vntruth as it shall appeare by this treatise Here in you susteine the euill of humaine infirmitie Mary when deceite is by plaine truth detected then to dwell and continewe in errour that procedeth not of humaine weakenes but of deuilish obstinacie But you M. Iuell as many men thinke and I trust are not yet swallowed vp of that gulfe Fayne would I doo you good if I wist how I feare me your sore is putrifyed so farre as oyle and lenitiues wil not serue now but rather vinegre and corosiues You remember I doubte not what Cicero sayth that medicine to profite most which causeth the greatest smarte And what Salomon also Prouer. 27 The woondes of à frend to be better then the kisses of an enemie The best salue any man can minister vnto you verely I thinke is to exhorte you to humilitie and to denying of your selfe For if you could be brought to humble your selfe and to denye your selfe doubtles you shuld see in your selfe that you see not If you were humble you would not be so pufte vp and swell against your mother the churche you would not contemne her whom you ought to honor Genes 9. You would not reioyse like the accursed Cham to shew her vnsemelynesse if by corruption of tymes any perhappes be growen For by auctoritie and publike consent saye what ye will none is maineteined If you would denye your self to be the man you be not you shuld better see who and what you be in dede Denye your self to be so well learned as you seme to esteme your selfe and you will be a shamed to make such straunge crakes and vauntes of your being wel assured of that you haue preached and written touching these Articles where in you are deceiued Denye your selfe to be a bishop though you haue put on the bishop of Salesbury his white Rochet and you shall be content and thinke it meet also to geue a rekening of the doctrine which you preache openly before the high estates and therefore conferre with D. Cole and with meaner men also In the begynning of the first ansvver to D. Cole which more insolently then reasonably you refused to doo And by such conference you shall be aduertised of your errour Denye your priuate iudgement and estimation of your long studie in diuinitie which you acknowledge in your replyes and of your great cunning in the same and you shal euidently see and remember that your tyme hath ben most bestowed in the studie of humanitie and of the latine tonge and concerning diuinitie your most labour hath ben imployed to fynde matter against the churche rather then about seriouse and exacte discussing of the truth and that in coÌ„parison of that holy and learned father B. Fissher and others whom you geste and scoffe at In the sermoÌ„ fol. 3â— and seeke to discredite by fond argumentes of your owne framing vpon them by you fathered you are touching the sownde and diepe knowledge of diuinitie skantly a smatterer Agayne denye your selfe to be so great a man but that you may take aduertisement of a man of meaner calling denye your selfe to be so honorable but that it may stand with your honestie to abyde by your promise in a most honest matter by your owne prepensed offer made you maye easely learne how to redresse that hath ben done amisse you maye see your owne infirmities defectes ouersightes and ignorances plainely as it were in a glasse all selfe loue and blinde estimation of your self set a parte you maye with the fauour of all good men with the wynning of your owne soule and many others whom you haue perelously deceiued and to the glory of God be induced to yelde to the truth to subscribe to the same and to recant your errours Where in you shuld doo no other thing then these Articles which you denye by vs with sufficient proufes and testimonies auouched you haue already freely and largely offred Which thing that it maye be done God geue you the grace of his holy spirite to humble your hart to denye your selfe and to make a greater accompte of your euerlasting saluation then of your worldly interest Thomas Harding BECAVSE M. IVELL OFFERETH TO BE TRYED NOT ONLY BY THE SCRIPTVRES AND EXAMples of the primitiue Churche but also by the Councelles and fathers that were within syx hundred yeres after Christ here is set forth a true note of the tyme of bothe for the most part such as be in this treatise alleaged ABdias about the yere of our lord 50. Anacletus 93. Arnobius presbyter 300. Athanasius 379. Ambrosius 380. Amphilochius 380. Augustinus 430. B Basilius 380. C Clemens Papa 80. Cyprianus 249. Cyrillê° Hierosolymitanus 300 Chrysostomus 411. Cyrillus Alexandrinus 436. D Dionysius Areopagita 96. Dionysius Alexandrinus 255. Damasus Papa 1. 369. E Egesippus 160. Eusebius Caesarien 320. Eusebius Emisenus 350. Ephrem 380. Epiphanius 383. Eutropius 550. F Flauius Iosephus 60. G Gregorius Nyssenus 380. Gregorius Nazianzenus 380. Gelasius 490. Gennadius Massiliensis 490. Gregorius Romanus 590. H Hippolytus 220. Hilarius Pictauiensis 371. Hieronymus 422. Hilarius Papa 448. Hesychius secundum Lycosth 490. secundum alios 600. I Ignatius 111. Iustinus Martyr 150. Irenaeus 175. Iulius Apricanus 220. Iulius primus Papa 340. InnoceÌ„tius primus Papa 470. Isidorus Hispalensis 600. L Leo Papa 1. 442. M Martialis Burdegalensis episcopus 50. Melciades Papa 30â— O Origenes 261. P Pontianus Papa 232. Palladius 420. Prudentius 465. S Sixtus Papa 129. Soter Papa 174. Symmachus Papa 500. T Tertullianus 200. Theodoritus 390. V Victor Vitensis episcopus 500. Concilia Concilium Nicenum 1. 326. Concilium Laodicenum 368. Cancilium AntiochenuÌ„ temporibus Athanasij Concilium Constantinopol 1. temporibus Damasi Papae Concilium Agathense 430. Concilium Ephesinum 1. 433. Concilium Chalcedonen 453. Concilium Constantinopo in Trullo 535. Concilium AntisiodoreÌ„se 613. After these folovved Oecumenius Beda Ioannes Damascenus Theophylactus Bernardus Concilium Nicenum 2. Concilium Constantien Concilium Basileen Concilium Florentin sub Eugenio 4. AN ANSWERE TO MAISTER IVELLES CHALENGE BY D. HARDING IF any learned man of
of the Sacrament being the Institution of Christ and the maner number and other rites of the receiuing not fixed nor determined by the same but ordered by the Churches disposition whether many or fewe or but one in one place receiue for that respecte the ministration of the priest is not made vnlaufull But if they alleage against vs the exāple of Christ saying that he receiued it not alone but did communicate with his twelue Apostles and that we ought to folow the same I answer that we are bounde to folow this example quo ad substantiam nō quo ad externam ceremoniam for the substance not for the outward ceremonie to the which perteineth the number and other rites as is a fore sayde Christes exāple importeth necessitie of receiuing onely the other rites as number place tyme etc. be of congruence and order In which thinges the churche hath taken order willing and charging that all shall communicate that be worthy and disposed And so it were to be wished as oftentymes as the priest doth celebrate this high sacrifice that there were some who worthely disposed might receiue their rightes with him and be partakers sacramētally of the body and bloude of Christ with him But in case such do lacke as we haue sene that lacke commonly in our tyme yet therefore the cōtinuall and dayly sacrifice ought not to be intermitted For sith this is done in remembraunce of Christes oblation once made on the Crosse for the Redemption of all mankinde therefore it ought dayly to be celebrated thorough out the whole churche of Christ for the better keping of that great benefite in remembraunce and that though none receiue with the priest And it is sufficient in that case if they that be present be partakers of those holy mysteries spiritually and communicate with him in prayer and thankes geuing in faith and deuotion hauing their mynde and will to communicate with him also facramentally when tyme shall serue M. Iuell and many other of that syde thinke to haue an argument against priuate Masse of the word Communio as though the sacramēt were called a communion in cōsyderation of many receiuers together So he calleth that a Communion In his sermō fo 41. which is for the whole congregation to receiue together And therefore in his sermon oftentymes he maketh an opposition betwen priuate Masse and communion and alleaging diuerse places where mention is of a communion inferreth of eche of them an argument against priuate Masse But this argument is weake and vtterly vnlearned as that which procedeth of ignorance For it is not so called because many Why the sacramēt is called a cōmuniō or as M. Iuell teacheth the whole congregation communicateth to gether in one place but because of the effecte of the Sacrament for that by the same we are ioyned to God and many that be diuerse be vnited together and made one mysticall body of Christ which is the churche of which body by vertue and effecte of this holy Sacrament all the faithfuls be membres one of an other and Christ is the head Thus diuerse auncient doctoures doo expounde it and specially Dionysius Areopagita Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. where speaking of this sacrament he sayeth Dignissimum hoc Sacramentum sua praestantia reliquis sacramentis longè antecellit atque ea causa illud meritò singulariter communio appellatur Nam quanuis vnumquodque sacramentum id agat vt nostras vitas in plura diuisas in vnicum illum statum quo Deo iungimur colligat attamen huic Sacramento Communionis vocabulum praecipuè ac peculiariter congruit This most worthy Sacrament is of such excellencie that it passeth farre all other sacramentes And for that cause it is alonely called the communion For albe it euery Sacrament be such as gathereth our lyues that be diuided a sunder many wayes in to that one state whereby we are ioyned to God yet the name of cōmunion is fitte and conuenient for this sacrament specially and peculiarly more then for any other By which wordes and by the whole place of that holy father we vnderstand that this sacramēt is specially called the communion for the speciall effecte it worketh in vs which is to ioyne vs nearely to God so as we be in him and he in vs and all we that beleue in him one body in Christ And for this in dede we doo not communicate alone For in asmuch as the whole churche of God is but one house De coena domini as Saint Cyprian sayeth Vna est domus ecclesiae in qua agnus editur There is one house of the church wherein the lambe is eaten and S. Paul sayeth to Timothe ◠Tim. 3. that this house of God is the churche of the lyuing God who so euer doth eate this lambe worthely doth cōmunicate with al christen men of all places and countries that be in this house and doo the like And therefore S. Hierom a priest shewing him selfe loth to contend in writing with S. Augustine a bishop calleth him a bishop of his communion Inter epistolas Augustini epist 14. His wordes be these Non enim conuenit vt ab adolescentia vsque ad hanc aetatem in monasteriolo cum sanctis fratribus labore desudans aliquid contrà Episcopum communionis meae scribere audeam eum Episcopū quem ante coepi amare quâm nosse It is not meete sayeth he that I occupied in labour from my yowth vntil this age in a poore monasterie with holy brethren shuld be so bolde as to write any thing against a bishop of my communion yea and that bishop whom I beganne to loue er that I knewe him Thus we see that S. Hierom and S. Augustine were of one communion and dyd comunicate together though they were farre a sunder the one at Bethlehem in Palestina the other at Hippo in Aphrica Thus there may be a Communion though the communicantes be not together in one place What if foure or fyue of sundry houses in a sicknes tyme being at the pointe of death in a parrish requyre to haue their rightes er they departe The priest after that he hath receiued the sacrament in the church taketh his naturall sustenaunce and dyneth and then being called vpon carieth the reste a mile or two to the sicke in eche house none being disposed to receiue with the sicke he doth that he is requyred Doth he not in this case communicate with them and doo not they cōmunicate one with an other rather hauing a will to communicate together in one place also if oportunitie serued Elles if this might not be accōpted as a lawfull and good communion and therfore not to be vsed th' one of these great inconueniences shuld wittingly be committed That either they shuld be denyed that necessarie vitayle of lyfe at their departing hence which were a cruel iniurie and a thing contrary to the examples and godly ordināces of the primitiue
churche Or the priest rather for companies sake then of deuotion shuld receiue that holy meate after that he had serued his stomake with coÌ„mon meates which likewise is against the auncieÌ„t decrees of the churche Euen so the priest that receiueth alone at Masse doth communicate with all them that doo the like in other places and countries Now if either the priest Necessitie of many coÌ„municants together contrarie to the libertie of the gospell or euery other christen man or woman might at no tyme receiue this blessed Sacrament but with mo together in one place then for the enioying of this great and necessary benefite we were bounde to condition of a place And so the churche delyuered from all bondage by christ and set at libertie shuld yet for all that be in seruitute and subiection vnder those outward thinges which S. Paul calleth infirma egena elementa Galat. 4. weake and beggarly ceremonies after the English Bibles translation Then where S. Paul blamyng the Galathians sayeth Ye obserue dayes and monethes and tymes For this bondage he might likewise blame vs and saye ye obserue places But S. Paul would not we shuld retourne againe to these which he calleth elemeÌ„tes for that were Iewishe And to the Colossians he sayeth we be dead with Christ from the elementes of this worlde Colos 2. Now if we excepte those thinges which be necessaryly requyred to this Sacrament by Christes institution either declared by writteÌ„ scriptures or taught by the holy ghost Similiter calicem misceÌ„s ex vino aqua sanctificaÌ„s tradidit eis diceÌ„s bibite etc. ClemeÌ„s in Canone Liturgiae lib. 8. apostol coÌ„sti c. 17 1. Cor. 3. as bread and wyne mingled with water for the matter the due wordes of Consecration for the forme and the priest rightely ordered hauing intention to doo as the churche doth for the ministerie all these elementes and all outward thinges be subiecte to vs and serue vs being members of Christes churche In consideration whereof S. Paul saveth to the Corinthians Omnia enim vestra sunt etc. All thinges are yours whether it be Paul either Apollo either Cephas whether it be the worlde either lyfe either death whether they be present thinges or thinges to come all are yours and ye Christes and Christ is Gods Againe where as the auncient and great learned Bishop Cyrillus teacheth plainely and at large the meruelouse vniting and ioyning together of vs with Christ and of our selues in to one bodie by this sacrament seing that all so vnited and made one body be not for all that brought together in to one place for they be dispersed abroade in all the worlde thereof we may well conclude that to this effecte the being together of communicantes in one place is not of necessitie His wordes be these much agreable to Dionysius Areopagita a fore mentioned In Ioan. lib. 11. c. 16 Vt igitur inter nos Deum singulos vniret quanuis corpore simul anima distemus modum tamen adinuenit consilio patris sapientiae suae conuenieÌ„tem Suo enim corpore credentes per communionem mysticam benedicens secum inter nos vnum nos corpus efficit Quis enim eos qui vnius sancti corporis vnione in vno Christo vniti sunt ab hac naturali vnione alienos putabit Nam si omnes vnum panem manducamus vnum omnes corpus efficimur diuidi enim atque seiungi Christus non patitur That Christ might vnite euery one of vs within our selues and with God although we be distant both in body and also in soule yet he hath deuised a meane conuenable to the counsell of the father and to his own wisedom For in that he blesseth them that beleue with his own body through the mysticall Communion he maketh vs one body both with him selfe and also betwen our selues For who will thinke them not to be of this natural vnion which with the vnion of that one holy body be vnited in one Christ For if we eate all of one bread then are we made all one body for Christ may not be diuided nor done asunder Thus we see after this auncient fathers learning grounded vpon the scriptures that all the faithfulles blessed with the body of Christ through the mysticall communion bee made one body with Christ and one body betwen them selues Which good blessing of Christ is of more vertue and also of more necessitie then that it may be made frustrate by condition of place specially where as is no wylfull breache nor contempte of most semely and conuenable order Many maye coÌ„municate together not being in one place together Sermon fol. 51. And therefore that one may communicate with an other though they be not together in one place which M. Iuell denyeth with as peeuish an argument of the vse of excommunication as any of all those ys that he scoffeth at some catholike writers for and that it was thought lawfull and godly by the fathers of the auncient churche neare to the Apostles tyme it may be well proued by diuerse good auctorities Irenaeus writing to Victor Bishop of Rome concerning the keping of Easter Ecclesias hist lib. 5. cap. 24. As Eusebius Caesariensis reciteth to the intent Victor shuld not refrayne from their coÌ„munioÌ„ which kepte Easter after the custome of the churches in Asia fownded by S. Iohn th'Euangeliste sheweth that when bishoppes came from forreine parties to Rome the bishoppes of that see vsed to send to them if they had ben of the catholike faith the Sacrament to receiue whereby mutuall communion betwen them was declared Irenaeus his wordes be these Graeca sic habeÌ„t aliter quà m Rufini versio vulgata Qui fuerunt ante te presbyteri etiam cum non ita obseruarent presbyteris ecclesiarum cum Romam accâ—derent Eucharistiam mittebant The priestes by which name in this place bishoppes are vnderstanded that were a fore thy tyme though they kepte not Easter as they of Asia dyd yet when the bishoppes of the churches there came to Rome dyd sende them the sacrament Thus those bishoppes dyd communicate together before their meeting in one place Iustinus the Martyr likewise describing the maner and â—â—der of christen Religion of his tyme touching the vse of the Sacrament sayeth thus Finitis ab eo Apolog. 2. qui praefâ—ctus est gratijs orationibus ab vniuerso populo facta â—cclâ—matione Diaconi quoâ— ita vocamus vnicuique tum temporis prasenti paâ—is et aquae vini coÌ„secrati daÌ„t participationem adeos qui non adsunt deferunt When the priest hath made an lende of thankes and prayers and all the people therto haue sayde amen They which we call deacons geue to euery one then present bread and water and wyne consecrated to take parte of it for their housell and for those that be not present they beare it home to them Thus in that tyme they
consueuerunt If it be our daily meate sayeth he why takest it but once in the yere as the Grekes are wonte to doo in the East De verbis domini secuÌ„duÌ„ LucaÌ„ ho. 28. S. Augustine vttereth the same thinge almost with the same wordes And in the second booke De sermone Domini in monte the twelfth chapter expownding the fourth petition of our lordes prayer Geue vs this daye our dayly bread shewing that this may be taken either for materiall bread either for the sacrament of our lordes body or for spirituall meate which he alloweth best would that concerning the sacrament of our lordes body they of the Easte shuld not moue question how it might be vnderstanded to be their dayly bread which were not dayly partakers of our lordes supper where as for all that this bread is called dayly bread There he sayeth thus Vt ergo illi taceant neque de hac re sententiam suam defendant vel ipsa auctoritate Ecclesiae sint contenti quòd sine scandalo ista faciunt neque ab eis qui ecclesiis praesunt facere prohibentur neque non obtemperantes condemnantur Wherefore that they holde their peace and stand not in defence of their opinion let them be conteÌ„t at least waye with the auctoritie of the churche that they doo these thinges with out offence thereof taken neither be forbidden of those that be ouer the churches neither be condemned when they disobeye Here we see by S. Augustine that they of the Orient who so seldom receiued the sacrament were holden for all that for ChristeÌ„ people by the autoritie of the churche none offence thereof was taken neither were they inhibited of their custome and though they obeyed not their spirituall gouernours mouing them to receiue more often yet were they not condemned nor excommunicated In 10. cap. ad Hebr. hom 17. S. Chrysostome many tymes exhorting his people to prepare them selues to receiue their rightes at least at Easter in one place sayeth thus What meaneth this The most parte of you be partakers of this sacrifice but once in the yere some twyse some oftener Therefore this that I speake is to all not to them onely that be here present but to those also that lyue in wildernes For they receiue the sacrameÌ„t but once in the yere and peraduenture but once in two yeres Well what then whom shall we receiue those that come but once or that come often or that come seldom Soothly we receiue them that come with a pure and a cleane conscience with a cleane harte and to be shorte with a blamelesse lyfe They that be such let them come allwayes and they that be not such let not them come not so much as once Why so because they receiue to them selues iudgement damnation and punishement The auncieÌ„t doctoures specially Chrysostome and Augustine be full of such sentences Now to this ende I dryue these allegations leauing out a great number of the same sense Although many tymes the people forbare to come to the communion so as many tymes none at all were founde disposed to receiue yet the holy fathers The peoples forebearing the communioÌ„ is no cause vvhy the priest shuld not saye Masse In 10. cap. ad Hebr. homil 17. bishops and priestes thought not that a cause why they shuld not dayly offer the blessed sacrifice and celebrate Masse Which thing may sufficiently be proued whether M. Iuell that maketh him selfe so sure of the contrary will yelde and subscribe according to his promise or no. Of the dayly sacrifice these wordes of Chrysostome be plaine Quid ergo nos Nonne per singulos dies offerimus offerimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius vna est hostia non multae etc. Then what doo we doo we not offer euery daye yeas verely we doo so But we doo it for recording of his death And it is one hoste not many Here I heare M. Iuell saye though against his will I grawnt the dayly sacrifice but I stand still in my negatiue By order of the laste communion booke no coÌ„munioÌ„ may be sayd or had vvith out three doo communicate vvith the minister at leaste of hovv small nuÌ„ber so euer the parrishe bee De coÌ„sec dist 1. can hoc quoque statutuÌ„ that it can not be shewed there was euer any such sacrifice celebrated with out a communion that is as they will haue it with out some conuenient number to receiue the sacrament in the same place with the priest For proufe of this these be such places as I am persuaded with all The better learned men that be of more reading then I am haue other I doubte not Soter Byshop of Rome a bout the yere of our lord 170. who suffred martyrdom vnder Antoninus Verus the Emperour for order of celebrating the Masse made this statute or decree Vt nullus presbyterorum solennia celebrare praesumat nisi duobus praesentibus sibique respondentibus ipse tertius habeatur quia cum pluraliter ab eo dicitur Dominus vobiscum illud in secretis Orate pro me apertissimè conuenit vt ipsius respondeatur salutationi This hath ben ordeined that no priest presume to celebrate the soleÌ„nitie of the Masse excepte there be two present and answer him so as he be the third For whereas he sayeth as by waye of speaking to many our lorde be with you and likewise in the Secretes Praye you for me it semeth euidently conuenient that answer be made to his salutation accordingly Which auncient decree requireth not that all people of necessitie be present much lesse that all so oftentymes shuld communicate sacramentally which thing it requireth neither of those two that ought to be present If of the bare wordes of this decree a sufficient argument maye not be made for our purpose inducing of th'affirmation of that one thing there specified the denyall of that other thing we speake of which maner of argumeÌ„t is commonly vsed of our aduersaries theÌ„ more weight may be put vnto it in this case for that where as the receiuing of Christes body is a farre greatter matter then to answer the priest at Masse if that holy bishop and Martyr had thought it so necessary as that the Masse might not be done with out it doubteles of very reason and conuenience he would and shuld haue specially spoken of that rather then of the other But for that he thought other wise a Ex concilio AgatheÌ„ can 31 Missas die dominico secularibê° totas andire speciali ordine praecipimê° ita vt ante bene dictioneÌ„ sacerdotis egredi populus non praesumat quod si secâ—rim ab Episcopo publicè confundantur he required onely of necessitie the presence of two for the purpose aboue mentioned In a councell holden at Agatha a citie of Fraunce then called Gallia about the tyme of Chrysostome an olde decree of Fabianus Bishop of Rome and Martyr and also of the
councel Elibertine in the tyme of saint Syluester anno Domini 314. was renewed that all secular christē folke shuld be houseled three tymes euery yere at Easter Witsontide and Christmasse It was there also decreed that they shuld heare the whole Masse euery Sunnedaye and not departe before the priest had geuen blessing So they were bownde to heare Masse euery Sunnedaye and to receiue the cōmunion but thrise in the yere The selfe same order was decreed in the b De cōse dist 1. cū ad celebrā das Missas Councell of Orleance Then of like specially in small townes and villages they had Masse without the communion of many together some tymes In that Councell of Agatha we fynde a decree made by the fathers assembled there whereof it appeareth that priestes oftetymes sayd Masse with out others receiuing with them And this much it is in English Cap. 21. If any man will haue and oratorie or chappell abroade in the countrie beside the parrish churches in which laufull and ordinarie assemble is for the rest of the holydayes that he haue Masses there in consideration of weerynesse of the household with iust ordinance we permitte But at Easter Christes Birth Epiphanie the Ascension of our lord Witsunnedaye and Natiuitie of Saint Iohn Baptist and if therebe any other speciall feastes let them not kepe their Masses but in the cities and parishes And as for the clerkes if any will doo or haue their Masses at the a fore sayde feastes in chappelles onlesse the bishop so cōmaunde or permitte let them be thrust out from commnion By this decree we learne that then Masses were commonly sayd in priuat chappelles at home at such tymes as the people were not accustomed to be howseled For when by commaundemēt and cōmon order they receiued their rightes as in the afore named feastes then were the priestes prohibited to saye Masses in priuate oratories or chappelles with out the parish churches And hereof we may plainely vnderstand that in such places priestes customeably sayde Masses of their owne and of the householders deuotion when none of the household were disposed to receiue with them The like decree is to be fownde Cōcilij Aruernensis cap. 14. Concil Constantinop generalis in Trullo cap. 31. Now let vs see what examples of the olde fathers we haue for the priuate Masse Leontius a Greke bishop of a Cirie in the East Churche called Neapolis writing the lyfe of Saint Iohn the holy Patriarke of Alexandria who for his great charitie was cōmonly called eleemosynarius that is th'almose geuer telleth this story whereby it appeareth that at that tyme priuate Masse was vsed Though the translatour through ignorance of the tyme he lyued in tourned this lyfe in to latine of meane eloquēce yet for truthes sake I will not let to recite that which I take for my purpose as I fynde it Malitiam reseruantem quendam industrium contra alium principem audiens hic Magnus Ioannes monuit eum saepè suasit ad concordiam non potuit eum conuertere ad pacem Semel ergo ad eum mittit adducit eum sanctus quasi pro republica facit missas in oratorio suo nullum habens secum nisi ministrum suum Cum ergo sancta benedixisset Patriarcha orationem Dominicam inchoasset coeperūt dicere tantum tres illi Pater noster Et cum peruenissent ad sermonem quo dicitur Dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris Innuit domestico Patriarcha vt taceret Siluit ergo Patriarcha remansit Princeps solus dicens versum dimitte nobis sicut nos dimittimus Et statim conuersus sanctus dicit ei mansueta voce Vide in quà m terribili voce dicas Deo quoniam sicut ego dimitto ita tu dimitte mihi Et tanquā ab igne statim cruciatū ferens praedictus princeps cecidit in faciem ad pedes sancti dicens Quaecunque iusseris domine fafaciet seruus tuus Et reconciliatus est inimico suo cum omni veritate This story soundeth thus in English This great patriarke Iohn hearing that a noble man bare malice to an other noble man warned him oftentymes of it and treated with him to be at accorde but he could not bring him to be at peace Wherefore on a daye this holy father sent for the noble man and causeth him to come to him as though it were about some matter of the common weale At that tyme he sayeth Masse in his chappell hauing none other body with him but his seruant When the Patriarke had consecrated the sacrament and had begonne to saye our lordes prayer they three onely begonne to saye Our father and so foorth When they were come to those wordes Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs the Patriarke made a becke to his seruant to holde his peace then the Patriarke held his peace also and the noble man remained alone saying foorth the verse Forgeue vs as we forgeue Then the holy father tourning him selfe toward him by and by sayeth with a milde voice Cōsider with how terrible wordes thou sayest to God that as I forgeue so sorgeue thou me also Whereat the sayde noble man as though he had felt the torment of fyer foorth with fell downe on his face at the holy fathers feete saying My lord what so euer thou byddest me thy seruant to doo I will doo it And so he was reconciled vnto his enemie with out all dissembling Here M. Iuell I trowe will grawnt that this was a priuate Masse The place was priuate the audiēce not publike nor cōmon the purpose touching the noble man was priuate The cōmunion also priuate I meane for the patriarkes parte alone for besyde that the story maketh no mention of any other communicantes he could not be assured of that noble man to cōmunicate with him For whereas he could by no meanes before bring him to forgeue his enemie he had but a small coniecture he shuld bring it to passe now And agayne though he had conceiued no distrust of his reconciliation vpon this holy policie yet we may doubte whether the patriarke foorth with with out further and more mature probation and examination which Saint Paul in this case requireth 1. Cor. 11. would haue admitted him to receiue our lordes body so vpon the suddeine Now for the seruant it is a streight case that so holy and so great a Patriake and bishop of so populouse a citie as Alexandria was vnderstanding that Masse can not be celebrated with out breach of Christes Institution as M. Iuell holdeth opinion excepte he haue a number to communicate with him in the same place shuld haue none of his spiritual flocke with him at so weightie a matter of conscience but one onely and him his owne houshold seruant He was not so simple as not to thinke that the seruant might be letted from receiuing by some
suddeine pange cōming vpon him or with some cogitation and conscience of his owne vnworthines suddeinly comming to his mynde If either this or any other let had chaunced in what case had the patriarke ben then He had ben like by M. Iuelles doctrine to haue broken Christes Institution and so Gods cōmaundement through an others defecte which were straunge But I iudge that M. Iuell who harpeth so many iarring argumētes against priuate Masse vpon the very word Communion will not allowe that for a good and lawfull communion where there is but one onely to receiue with the priest Verely it appeareth by his sermon that all the people ought to receiue or to be dryuen out of the churche Now therefore to an other example of the priuate Masse Amphilochius byshop of Iconium the head citie of Lycaonia to whom S. Basile dedicated his booke De Spiritu sancto and an other booke intituled Ascetica writing the lyfe of saint Basile or rather the miracles through Gods power by him wrought which he calleth Memorabilia vera ac magna miracula in praefatione worthy of record true and great miracles specially such as were not by the three most worthy men Gregorie Nazianzene Gregorie Nyssene and holy Ephrem in their Epitaphicall or funerall treatises before mentioned among other thinges reporteth a notable story wherein we haue a cleare testimonie of a priuate Masse And for the thing that the storie sheweth as much as for any other of the same Amphilochius he is called Coelestium virtutum collocutor angelicorum ordinum comminister a talker together with the heauenly powers and a felowe seruant with orders of Angelles The story is this This holy bishop Basile besoughte God in his prayers he would geue him grace wisedom and vnderstanding so as he might offer the sacrifice of Christes bloude sheding proprijs sermonibus with prayers and seruice of his owne making and that the better to atcheue that purpose the holy ghost might come vpon him After syx dayes he was in a traunce for cause of the holy ghostes comming When the seuenth daye was come he beganne to minister vnto God that is to witte he sayde Masse euery daye After a certaine tyme thus spent through faith and prayer he begāne to write with his owne hande mysteria ministrationis the Masse or the seruice of the Masse On a night our lord came vnto him in a vision with the Apostles and layde breade to be consecrated on the holy aulter and stirring vp Basile sayd vnto him Secundum postulationem tuam repleatur os tuum laude etc. According to thy request let thy mowth be fylled with praise that with thyne owne wordes thou mayst offer vp to me sacrifice He not able to abide the vision with his eyes rose vp with trembling and goyng to the holy aulter beganne to saye that he had written in paper thus Repleatur os meum laude hymnum dicat gloriae tuae domine Deus qui creasti nos adduxisti in vitam hanc caeteras orationes sancti ministerij Let my mowth be fylled with prayse to vtter an hymne to thy glory Lord God which hast created vs and brought vs in to this lyfe and so foorth the other prayers of the Masse It foloweth in the story Et post finem orationum exaltauit panem sine intermissione orans dicens Respice domine Iesu Christe etc. After that he had done the prayers of Consecration he lyfted vp the bread praying continually and saying Looke vpon vs lord Iesus Christ out of thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie vs that sittest aboue with thy father and arte here present inuisibly with vs vouchesafe with thy mighty hand to delyuer to vs and by vs to all thy people Sancta Sanctis thy holy thinges to the holy The people answered one holy one our lord Iesus Christ with the holy ghost in glorie of God the father Amen Now let vs consyder what foloweth perteining most to our purpose Et diuidens panem in tres partes vnam quidem communicauit timore multo alteram autem reseruauit consepelire secum tertiam verò imposuit columbae aureae quae pependit super altare He diuided the bread in to three partes of which be receiued one at his communion with greate feare and reuerence the other he reserued that it might be buried with him and the third parte he caused to be put in a golden pyxe that was hanged vp ouer the aulter made in forme and shape of a dooue After this a litle before the ende of this treatise it foloweth how that S. Basile at the houre that he departed out of this lyfe receiued that parte of the hoste him selfe which he had purposed to haue enterred with him in his graue and immediatly as he laye in his bedde gaue thankes to God and rendred vp the ghost That this was a priuate Masse no man can denye Basile receiued the sacrament alone for there was no earthly creature in that churche with him The people that answered him were such as Christ brought with him And that all this was no dreame but a thing by the will of god done in dede though in a vision as it pleased Christ to exhibite Amphilochius playnely witnesseth declaring how that one Eubulus and others the chiefe of that clergie standing before the gates of the churche whiles this was in dooing sawe lightes with in the churche and men clothed in white and heard a voice of people glorifying god and behelde Basile standing at the aulter and for this cause at his comming foorth fell downe prostrate at his feete Here M. Iuell and his consacramentaries doo staggar I doubte not for graunt to a priuate Masse they will not what so euer be brought for proufe of it and therefore some doubte to auoyd this autoritie must be deuysed But whereof they shuld doubte verely I see not If they doubte any thing of the brīging of the bread and other necessaries to serue for cōsecration of the hoste let thē also doubte of the bread and fleshe that Elias had in the ponde of Carith 3. Reg. 17. 3. Reg. 19. Let them doubte of the bread and potte of water he had vnder the Iuniper tree in Bersabée Let them doubte of the potte of potage brought to Daniel for his dyner Daniel 14 from Iewerie in to the caue of lyons at Babylon by Abacuk the prophete But perhappes they doubte of the auctoritie of Amphilochius that wrote this story It may well be that they would be gladde to discredite that worthy bishop For he was that vigilant pastour and good gouernour of the churche Theodorit in hist eccles lib. 4. cap. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precatores who first with Letoius bishop of Melite and with Flauianus bishop of Antioche ouerthrewe and vtterly vanquished the heretikes called Messaliani otherwise euchitae the first parentes of the Sacramentarie heresie Whose opinion was that the holy Eucharistie that is the blessed
this behalfe geuen semeth plainely to require go you sayeth he to his Apostles and teach all nations baptizing them etc and yet the church hath not feared to baptise infantes that be with out capacitie of teaching and for the due administration of this Sacrament to many hath thoughte powring or sprinkling of water vpon them sufficient though this be not spoken of I saye it is much to be consydered to this purpose that the Apostles stickte not for a tyme to alter and chaunge the very essentiall forme of wordes with which Christ would this sacrament to be ministred For where as he commaunded them to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne Act. 8. and of the holy ghost thâ—y baptized in the name of Iesus Christ only intending thereby to make that to be of more fame and celebritie So to retourne to the Sacrament of the bodye and bloude of Christ whereof we treate no man can denye but many thinges were at th'institution of it done by the example of Christ and by him commaunded which now be not obserued and yet in that respecte no faulte is fownde Christ washed the Apostles feete and gaue them an expresse commaundement to doo the same with these moste plaine wordes If I that am your Maister and lorde Ioan. 6. haue wasshed your feete you also ought to wash one an others feete For I haue geuen you an example that as I haue done you doo so likewise Which commaundement of Christ according to the outward letter verely bindeth no lesse then these wordes Drinke ye all of this yet this commaundement is not kepte but cleane growen out of vse Though it appeare by Saint Bernard In ser de coena do who calleth it Magnum Sacramentum a great Sacrament and long before by reporte of S. Cyprian In serm de vnctione chrismatis that Christ dyd not onely washe his Apostles feete but commaunded also by solemne request and ordeined that th'apostles afterward should doo the same Whether this ordinance of Christ hath ben abolished for that it should not be thought a rebaptization as it may be gathered of S. Augustine Ad Ianuarium c. 18 or for any other cause it forceth not greatly But this is much to be merueiled at that this so earnestly commaunded is so quietly and with such silence suffered vndone and in the ministration of the Sacrament the vse of the cuppe so factiously and with so much crying out required Neither in many other rites and ceremonies we do not as Christ dyd Christ celebrated this sacrament after that he had supped we do it in the morning and fasting Christ sate at the table with his twelue Apostles neither sytte we at a table neither thinke we it necessary to obserue such number Christ brake the bread we thinke it not necessary to breake the hoste that is to be delyuered to the faithfull participantes Here is to be noted that saint Cyprian rebuking them which thought sprinkling or powring of water not to be sufficient for baptisme declareth that the saraments be not to be estemed according vnto their extreme and rigorouse obseruation or administration of all the externe elementes but rather according to the integritie and soundnes of faith of the geuer and of the receiuer and that diuine thinges vsed in a compendious sorte conferre and geue neuerthelesse to the right beleuers their whole vertue lib. 4. epist 7. Many other coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God concerning outward thinges might here be rehearsed which notwithstanding by litle and litle in the churche haue ben omitted as the forebearing of strangled thinges and bloude which was coÌ„maunded by God in the olde testament and according to the pleasure and aduise of the holy gost decreed by the Apostles in the newe testament yet for as much as concerneth outward thinges both this and many other the like haue in processe of tyme growen out of obseruation and haue with out any scruple of conscience ben abrogated I truste no man will gather of that I haue sayde here that it is none offence to doo against Gods commaundemente My meaning is farre otherwise Neither saye I that this saying of Christ in Mathew Drinke ye all of this or that in Ihon Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shal not haue lyfe in you or other coÌ„maundementes of Christ be not to be kepte but this is that I saye and that euery catholike man sayeth that the vniuersall churche doth better vnderstand which are the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of Christ and how they ought to be kepte then Berengarius Wiclef Hus Luther Zuinglius Caluine Cranmare Peter Martyr or any their scolers and folowers which now be sundry sectes As for example God hath thus coÌ„maunded Matth. 5. Exod. 20. thow shalt not sweare and thow shalt not kylle and if thine eye cause the to offende pull him out and cast him awaye from the. Whereas certaine sectes of heretikes as namely they which be called Waldenses and Picardi by their construction hereof haue mainteined opinion that no othe ought to be geuen or made in no case or respecte lyke wise that in no case or respecte a man may doo an other to death and also that after the outward letter of the gospell sometyme a man is bounde to pull out his eye and cast it from him which thing hath beÌ„ done by some of the Picardes as it is reported as though elles Gods commaundement were not kepte this hath so ben vnderstanded by the catholike churche confessing neuerthelesse these to be gods commaundementes as in tyme in place and in certaine cases a man might and ought without breach of commaundement bothe sweare and kylle and likewise kepe his eye in his head and therein offend God nothing at all So the catholike churche vnderstandeth Drynke ye all of this to be Christes commaundement and of necessitie to be obserued but of priestes onely I meane of necessitie and that when in the sacrifice of the church is celebrated the memorie of Christes death which in that degree be the successours of the Apostles to whom that commaundement was specially geuen when they were consecrated priestes of the new testameÌ„t who so dyd drinke in dede as S. Marke witnesseth Et biberunt ex eo omnes Mar. 14. And they dranke all of it To these onely and to none other the catholike churche hath euer referred the necessitie of that coÌ„maundement Elles if the necessitie of it should perteine to all and because Christ sayde Drinke ye all of this if all of euery state and condition of necessitie ought to drinke of the cuppe how is it come to passe that oure aduersaries them selues who preteÌ„de so streight a conscience herein kepe from it infantes and young children vntill they come to good yeres of discretion specially where as the custome of the primitiue churche was that they also should be partakers of this sacrament as it may playnely be sene in S. Dionyse Cyprian Augustine
wyne in his house then for as much as Egesippus who was not long after him witnesseth of him that he neuer dranke wyne but at our lordes supper But because perhappes oure aduersaries will caste some myste ouer these allegations to darken the truth with theire clowdy gloses which be cleare ynough to quiet and sobre wittes that geue eare to the holy ghost speaking to vs by the mowth of the churche I will bring forth such witnesses and proufes for this purpose out of auncient fathers as by no reason or Sophisticall shifte they shall be hable to auoyde Many of the places that I alleged in the article before this for priuate communion may serue to his purpose very well and therfore I will not lette to recite some of them here also Milciades that constant martyr of Christ and bishop of Rome ordeined that sundry hostes prepared by the consecrating of a bishop shuld be sent abroade among the churches and parishes that christen folke who remayned in the catholike faith might not through heretikes be defrauded of the holy SacrameÌ„t Which can none other wise be taken then for the forme of breade onlye because the wine can not conueniently be so caryed abroade froÌ„ place to place in small quantitie for such vse much lesse any long tyme be kepte with out corruption The councell of Nice decreed Can. 14. that in churches where neither bishop nor priest were present the deacons them selues bringe forth and eate the holy communion Which lykewise can not be referred to the forme of wine for cause of sowring and corruption if it be long kepte Where oftentymes we finde it recorded of the fathers that christen people in tyme of persecution receiued of the priestes at church in fyne linnen clothes the sacrament in sundry portioÌ„s to beare with them and to receiue it secretly in the morninge before other meate as their deuotion serued theÌ„ for the same cause and in respectes of other circumstances it must of necessitie be taken onely for the kynde or forme of breade The places of Tertullian and saint Cyprian be knowen Lib. 2. ad vxorem Tertullian writing to his wife exhorteth her not to marye agayne specially to an infidell if he dye before her for that if she doo she shall not be hable at all tymes for her husband to doo as a christen womaÌ„ ought to doo Will not thy husband know sayeth he what thou eatest secretly before all other meate and in case he doo know it he will beleue it to be bread not him who it is called-Saint Cyprian writeth in his sermon de lapsis that when a woman had gonne aboute with vnworthy handes to open her cofer wher the holy thing of oure lord was layde vp she was made affrayde with fyre that rose vp from thence as she durst not touch it Which doubteles must be taken for that one kynde of the Sacrament The examples of keping the holy Sacrament vnder the forme of bread onely to be in a redines for the sycke and for others in tyme of danger that they might haue their necessarie vitaile of lyfe or viage prouision with them at their departure hence be in maner infinite Here one or two may serue in stede of a number For though M. Iuell maketh his vaunt that we haue not one sentence or clause for proufe of these articles which he so defaceth with his negatiue yet I will not accumulat this treatise with tediouse allegation of auctorities S. Ambrose at the houre of death receiued the communion vnder one kynde kepte for that purpose as it appeareth by this testimonie of Paulinus who wrote his life And because it may be a good instruction to others to dye well I will here recite his wordes At the same tyme as he departed from vs to oure lorde from about the eleueÌ„th howre of the day vntill the howre that he gaue vp the ghost stretching abroade his handes in maner of a crosse he prayed We sawe his lippes moue but voice we heard none Horatus a priest of the churche of Vercelles being gonne vp to bedde heard a voice three tymes of one calling him and saying to him aryse and haste the for he will departe hence by and by Who going downe gaue to the sainte oure lordes bodye which taken and swalowed downe he gaue vp the ghost hauing with him a good voiage prouision so as the soule being the better refreshed by the vertue of that meate maye now reioyse with the companie of Angelles whose life he leade in the earth and with the felowship of Elias Ecclesias hist lib. 6. cap. 44. Dionysius Alexandrinus aboute the yere of oure lord 200. as Eusebius Caesariensis reciteth manifestly declareth how that an olde man called Serapion was houseled vnder one kinde at his ende This Serapion after that he had layen speacheles three dayes sent for the Sacrament The priest for sickenes not hable to come him selfe gaue to the ladde that came of that errant a litle of the sacrament commaunding him to weate it and so being moisted to powre it in to the oldes mannes mowth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this much is expressed by the wordes there as the greke is to be constrewed The ladde being retourned home moisted with some liquour that diuine meate to serue the olde man with all lying now panting for desyre to be dimissed hence and to haste him awaye to heauen and powred it in to his mowth For that this old mannes mowth and throte had long ben drye by force of his sikenes the priest who had experience in that case prouidently gaue warning to moyste the Sacrament with some liquoure and so together to powre it in to his mowth Which was so done by the ladde as Dionysius expresseth Now if the forme of wine had then also ben brought by the ladde to be ministred there had ben no nede of such circumstance to procure the olde man a moisture to swallowe downe that holy foode And that this was the maner of ministring the Sacrament to old men at their departing it appeareth by record of Theodoritus who wryteth in his ecclesiastical storye how one Bassus an archepriest ministred vnto an olde maÌ„ called Simeones of great fâ—me for his holynes Bassus sayeth he as he visited his churches chaunced vpoÌ„ holy Simeones that woonder of the world lying sicke who through feblenes was not hable to speake nor moue When Bassus sawe he shuld dye he geueth him his rightes before But after what sorte it is to be marked Spongia petita Simeoni os humectat atque eluit ac tum ei diuinum obtulit Sacramentum He calleth for a sponge sayeth Theodoritus and therewith moysteth and washeth Simeones mowth and then geueth him the holye Sacrament If at that tyme the receiuing of the sacred cuppe had ben in vse such procuring of moisture for the better swallowing downe of the SacrameÌ„t vnder the one kynde had ben needles Amphilochius that worthy bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia of
in the syxth booke natural histor cap. 2. declareth that with in the circuite of that land were three greke nations onely Dores Iones Eoles and that the reste were barbarous amongest whom the people of Lycaonia was one who in S. Paules tyme spake before Paul and Barnabas Act. 14. in the Lycaonical tonge The scripture it selfe reporteth a diuersitie of language there and thereabout as it appeareth by the second chapter of the Actes Where the Iewes gathered together in Ierusalem for keping of the feast of Pentecoste wondering at the Apostles for their speaking with so many sundry tonges emonges other prouinces different in language they rekon Pontus and Asia Cappadocia Phrygia and Pamphylia Which two prouinces are of all attributed vnto the lesser Asia Which maketh a good argument that all Asia the lesser had not one onely the greke tōge and therefore so many of them as were of other language hauing the Seruice in greke had it in a tonge they vnderstode not They that will seme to serche the cause why that land had so great diuersitie of languages impute it to the often chaunge of conquestes for that it was ouercome and possessed of diuerse nations of which euery one coueted with enlarging their Empyre to bring into the countries subdued their lawes their customes and their language Now this being proued by good and sufficient auctoritie that in Asia of xvj nations three onely were Grekes it foloweth that the other thirtene hauing their Seruice in greke had it not in their owne but in a straunge tonge For elles if they had all naturally spoken greke why shuld not they haue ben called grekes Thus we see it is no newe thing proceding of a generall corruption in the churche some peoples to haue the Seruice in an vnknowen tonge Here perhappes M. Iuell or some other for him replyeth and sayeth that the people of Asia commonly besyde their owne proper language spake the greke tonge also and alleageth for that purpose S. Hierome In prooemio 2. lib. cōment epist ad Galatas who sayeth Galatas excepto Sermone Graeco quo omnis Oriens loquitur propriam linguam eandem habere quam Treuiros That the Galathians besyde the greke language which all the Orient or the East speaketh haue their owne peculiar tonge the very same that they of Treueres haue Lo sayeth this replyer S. Hierome affirmeth all the Orient to speake the greke tonge Ergo the Seruice in greke to them was not straunge and vnknowen To this I answere S. Hierome meaneth that some of all countries of the Orient or east spake greke as the learned men gentle men merchantes all of liberall education and such other as had cause to trauaile those countries To be shorte it was with out doubte very common as being their only learned tonge for all sciences and the tonge that might best serue to trauaile with all from countrie to countrie with in the East right so as the Latine tonge serueth to the like intentes for all nations of the West And he meaneth not that all and singular persons of what degree or condition so euer they were all vplandish people tillers of the grownde herdmen and women spake greke For if it had ben so then had they not had peculiar and proper tonges For it is not for their simple headdes for the most parte to beare a waie two languages In that S. Hierome calleth the Galathians tonge propriam linguam a proper and peculiar tonge to that nation he doth vs to vnderstād the same to perteine to all in particular that is to euery one of that prouince and the greke to all in generall in respecte of other nations there so as not of necessitie it be vnderstanded of euery one S. Augustine speaking of the title written by Pilate on the crosse sayeth thus It was in Hebrew Tracta in Ioan. 117. Greke and Latine Rex Iudaeorum For these three tonges were there in preeminence before all other Hebraea propter Iudaeos in Dei lege gloriantes Graeca propter gentium Sapientes Latina propter Romanos multis ac penè omnibus iam tunc gentibus imperantes The Hebrewe for the Iewes that gloried in the lawe of God the greke for the wise men of the gentiles the Latine for the Romaines bearing rule at that tyme ouer many and almost ouer all nations Now where he sayeth here that the greke tonge was in preeminence propter gentium Sapientes for the wise men of the gētiles he discusseth fully the doubte that might seme to rise of S. Hieromes saying and sheweth that the greke tonge was common not to all the vulgare people of the whole Orient but to the wise men onely and that for the atteyning of learning And for this it is to be noted that the scripture reporteth the vulgare tong of the Lycaonians to haue ben vttered in hearing of Paul and Barnabas not by the Magistrates or other the chiefe but by the vulgare people Turbae leuauerunt vocem suam Lycaonicè dicentes etc. Act. 2. And so S. Hierome is to be vnderstanded to speake in that place not of all men of the nations of the East but rather of a great number and of some persons of all nations For elles if all the East had spoken greke the souldiers that buried Gordianus the younger Emperour apud Circeium Castrum at Circey castle neare to the land of Persie would not haue written his title of honour vpon his sepulchre in greke and latine in the Persians Iewes and the Egyptians tonges vt ab omnibus legeretur that it might be read of all In Gordij◠as Iulius Capitolinus writeth Which is an argument that all the East spake not ne vnderstoode not the greke tonge As likewise that Epiphanius writeth Lib. 2. haeresi 66. where he sayeth thus Most of the Persians after the persicall letters vse also the Syrianes letters As with vs many nations vse the greke letters yea where as in euery nation in maner they haue letters of their owne And others some much esteme the most profownde tonge of the Syrians and the tonge that is about Palmyra both the tonge it selfe and also the letters of the same Bookes also haue ben written of Manes in the Syrianes tonge Agayne if all the East had spoken greke sundry the holy fathers would not haue ben so enuiouse to the common weale of the churche as to hyde their singular workes from the reading of all which they wrote in barbarouse and vulgare tonges to the commoditie only of their brethren that vnderstoode the same Antonius that wrote seuen notable epistles to diuerse monasteries Lib. de ecclesiast script of apostolike sense and speache as S. Hierome witnesseth in the Egyptian tonge Likewise holy Ephrem of Edessa Bardesanes of Mesopotamia who wrote very excellent workes in the Syriacall tonge Euen so dyd Isaac of Antioche and Samuel of Edessa priestes write many goodly workes against the ennemies of the churche in
heape of keyes Praesat in Psalmos that be to open the dores of euery house of a great citie layed together Amōg whō it is hard to fynde which keye serueth which locke and without the right keye no dore can be opened S. Augustine lykeneth the people of Aphrica synging the Psalmes which they vnderstoode not to owselles popiniayes rauens pyes and such other byrdes which be taught to sounde they knowe not what and yet they vnderstoode the tonge they sang them in And therefore he exhorteth them to learne the meaning of them at his preaching least they shuld syng not with humaine reason as is before recited but with voyce onely as byrdes doo The reste of the scriptures whereof the Seruice consisteth is though not all together so obscure as the psalmes yet veryly darker and harder then that the common peoples grosse and simple wittes may pearce the vndestanding of it by hearing the same pronounced of the minister in their mother tonge And by this reason we shuld haue no Seruice at all gathered out of the scriptures for defaulte of vnderstanding And whereas of the Seruice in the vulgare tōge the people will frame lewde and peruerse meanings of their owne lewde senses So of the Latine Seruice they will make no constructions either of false doctrine or of euill lyfe And as the vulgare Seruice pulleth their mindes from priuate deuotion to heare and not to praye to litle benefite of knowledge for the obscuritie of it so the latine geuing them no such motion they occupie them selues whiles the priest prayeth for all and in the person of all in their priuate prayers all for all and euery one for him selfe Such natiōs as vse church Seruice in their ovvne tōge continevve in schismes In epistola ad graecos The nations that haue euer had their Seruice in their vulgare tonge the people thereof haue continewed in schismes errours and certaine Iudaicall obseruances so as they haue not ben reckened in the number of the catholike churche As the Christians of Moschouia of Armenia of Prester Iohn his land in Ethiopia Bessarion asking by waye of a question of the Grekes his countrie men what churche that is against the which hell gates shall neuer preuaile answereth him selfe and sayeth Aut Latina aut Greca est Ecclesia tertia enim dari non potest Siquidem aliae omnes haeresibus sunt plenae quas sancti patres generales Synodi condemnarunt Either it is the Latine or the Greke churche for there is no thyrd that can be graunted For all other churches be full of heresies which the holy fathers and generall councelles haue condemned Wherefore of these churches no example ought to be taken for Seruice in the vulgare tonge as neither of the churches of Russia and Morauia and certaine other to whom aboue syx hundred yeres past it was graunted to haue the Masse in the Sclauons tonge through speciall licence thereto obteined of the See Apostolike by Cyrullus and Methodius that first conuerted them to the faith Which maner of seruice so many of them as be catholike for good causes haue lefte and vse the Latine as other Latine churches doo Concerning the reste yet keping their Sclauon tonge besyde other errours and defaultes for which they are not herein to be estemed worthy to be folowed we maye saye of them the wordes of Gregorie Nazianzene Priuilegia paucorum non faciunt legem communem The priuileges of a fewe make not a thing laufull in common Wherefore to conclude seing in syx hundred yeres after Christ the Seruice of the churche was not in any other then in the Greke and Latine tōge for that any man is able to shewe by good ptoufe and the same not vnderstanded of all people seing the auctorities by M. Iuell alleaged importe no necessary argument nor directe cōmaundement of the vulgare tonge but onely of plaine and open pronouncing and that where the tonge of the Seruice was vnderstanded seing the churche of the Englishe natiō had their Seruice in the Latine tonge to them vnknowen well near a thousand yeres past seing the place of S. Paul to the Corinthians either perteineth not to this purpose or if it be so graunted for the diuersitie of states of that and of this our tyme it permitteth a diuersitie of obseruation in this behalfe though some likenes and resemblance yet reserued seing great profite cometh to the faithfull people hauing it so as they vnderstand it not Finally seing the examples rehearsed herein to be folowed be of small auctoritie in respecte either of antiquitie or of true Religion As the bolde assertion of M. Iuell is plainely disproued so the olde order of the Latine Seruice in the Latine churche whereof England is a prouince is not rashly to be condemned specially whereas being first committed to the churches by the Apostles of our countrie and the first preachers of the faith here it hath ben auctorised by continuance almost of a thousand yeres without controll or gaynesaying to the glory of God the welth of the people and procuring of helpe from heauen alwayes to this land And to adde hereunto this much last of all though it might be graunted that it were good the Seruice were in the vulgare tonge as in Englishe for our countrie of England yet doubteles good men and zelouse kepers of the catholike faith will neuer allowe the Seruice deuysed in king Edwardes tyme now restored agayne not so much for the tonge it is in as for the order it selfe and disposition of it lacking some thinges necessary and hauing some other thinges repugnant to the faith and custome of the catholike churche Or that the bishop of Rome was then called an vniuersal bisshop or the head of the vniuersall churche Of the Popes Primacie ARTICLE 4. BY what name so euer the bishop of Rome was called within syx hundred yeres after Christes ascension this is cleare that his Primacie that is to say supreme power and auctoritie ouer and aboue all bishops and chiefe gouernement of all Christes flocke in matters perteining to faith and Christen religion was then acknowleged and confessed Which thinge beinge so whether then he were called by either of those names that you denye or no it is not of great importance And yet for the one of them somewhat and for the other an infinite number of good authorities may be alleaged But thereof hereafter Now concerninge the chiefe point of this article which is the Primacie of the Pope Peters successour First it hath ben set vp and ordeined by God so as it standeth in force Iure diuino by gods lawe and not onely by mans lawe the scriptures leadinge thereto Nexte cōmended to the worlde by decrees of councelles and confirmed by edictes of Christen emperoures for auoidinge of schismes Furthermore confessed and witnessed by the holy fathers Againe fownde to be necessary by reason Finally vsed and declared by the euente of thinges and practise of the church For proufe of
it easely sene vpon how good grownde this doctrine standeth whereby it is affirmed that the bishop of Rome his Primacie hath his force by gods lawe and not onely by mannes lawe much lesse by vniust vsurpation The scriptures by which as well these as all other holy and learned fathers were leadde to acknowledge and confesse the Primacie of Peter and his successours were partly such as Anacletus and Gregorie here alleageth and Cyprian meaneth as it appeareth by his third treatise De simplicitate praelatorum and sundry mo of the newe testament as to the learned is knowen of which to treate here largely and piththely as the weight of the matter requyreth at this tyme I haue no leisure neither if I had yet myght I conueniently performe it in this treatise which otherwise will amount to a sufficiēt bignes and that matter throughly handeled will fill a right great volume Wherfore referring the readers to the credite of these worthy fathers who so vnderstoode the scriptures as thereof thei were persuaded the Primacie to be attributed to Peters successour by God him selfe I will procede keping my prefixed order The 2. proufe coūcelles Whereas the preeminence of power and auctoritie which to the bishop of Rome by speciall and singular priuiledge God hath graunted is commended to the worlde by many and sundry councelles for auoiding of tediousnesse I will rehearse the testimonies of a fewe Amonge the canons made by the three hundred and eighten bishops at the Nicene Councell which were in number 70. and all burnt by heretikes in the East church saue xx and yet the whole number was kepte diligently in the church of Rome in the originall it selfe sent to Syluester the bishop there from the councell subscribed with the said 318. fathers handes Vide Frācisc Turrianū lib. 3. charact dogmat the 44. canon which is of the power of the patriarke ouer the Metropolitanes and bishops and of the Metropolitane ouer bishops in the ende hath this decree Vt autem cunctis ditionis suae nationibus etc. As the patriarke beareth rule ouer all nations of his iurisdiction and geueth lawes to them and as Peter Christes vicare at the beginning sette in auctoritie ouer religion ouer the churches and ouer all other thinges perteining to Christ was Maister and ruler of christen princes prouinces and of all nations So he whose principalitie or chieftie is at Rome like vnto Peter and equall in auctoritie obteineth the rule and souerainetie ouer all patriakes After a sewe wordes it foloweth there If any man repine against this statute or dare resist it by the decree of the whole councell he is accursed Iulius that worthy bishop of Rome not long after the councell of Nice in his epistle that he wrote to the 90. Ariane bishops assembled in councell at Antioche against Athanasius bishop of Alexandria reprouing them for theire vniust treating of him saith of the canons of the Nicene councell then freshe in their remembrance that thei commaunde Non debere praeter sententiā Romani pontificis vllo modo concilia celebrari nec episcopos damnari That without the auctoritie of the Bishop of Rome neither Councelles ought to be kepte nor bishops condemned Againe that nothing be decreed without the Bishop of Rome Cui haec maiora ecclesiarum negotia tam ab ipso domino quà m ab omnibus vniuersorum conciliorum fratribus speciali priuilegio contradita sunt To whom these and other the weighty matters of the churches be committed by speciall priuiledge as well by our lord him selfe as by all oure brethren of the whole vniuersall councelles Among other principalle pointes which he reciteth in that epistle out of the Nicene councelles canōs this is one Vt omnes episcopi etc. That all bishops who susteine wronge in weighty causes so often as nede shall require make their appeale freely to the See Apostolike and flie to it for succour as to their mother that frō thence they may be charitably susteined defended and deliuered To the disposition of which See the auncient auctoritie of th'Apostles and their successours and of the canons hath reserued all weighty or great ecclesiasticall causes and iudgementes of bishops Athanasius and the whole companie of bishops of Egypte Thebaida and Libya assembled together in councell at Alexandria complaining in their epistle to Felix the Pope of the great iniuries and griefes they susteined at the Arianes alleageth the determination of the Nicene councell touching the supreme auctoritie and power of that See Apostolike ouer all other bishops Similiter à supradictis patribus est definitum consonanter etc. Likewise saie they it hath ben determined by common assent of the foresaide fathers of Nice that if any of the bishops suspecte the Metropolitane or theire felowbishops of the same prouince or the iudges that then they make their appeale to your holy See of Rome to whom by our lord him selfe power to binde and louse Matt. 16. by speciall priuiledge aboue other hath ben graunted This much alleaged out os the canōs of the Nicene councell gathered partly out of Iulius epistle who wrote to them that were present at the making of them which taketh awaye all suspicion of vntruth and partly out of Athanasius and others that were a great parte of the same councell For further declaration of this matter it were easy here to alleage the councell of Sardica the councell of Chalcedon Ca. 4. ca. 9 certaine councelles of Aphrica yea some councelles also holden by heretikes and sundry other but such store of auctorities commonly knowen these may suffise The Christen princes that ratified and confirmed with their proclamations and edictes The 3. proufe Edictes of Emperours the decrees of the canons concerning the Popes Primacie and gaue not to him first that auctoritie as the aduersaries doo vntruly reporte were Iustinian and Phocas the Emperours The wordes of Iustinianes edicte be these In authēt de Eccles tit Sancimus secundum canonum definitiones sanctissimum senioris Romae Papam primum esse omnium sacerdotum We ordeine according to the determinations of the canons that the most holy Pope of the elder Rome be formest and chiefe of all priestes About three score and ten yeres after Iustinian Phocas the Emperour in the tyme of Bonifacius to represse the arrogancie of the bishop of Constantinople Lib. 4. historiae lōgobardicae cap. 36. as Paulus Diaconus writeth who vainely and as Gregorie sayeth contrary to our lordes teachinges and the decrees of the canons and for that wickedly tooke vpon him the name of the vniuersall or oecumenicall bishop and wrote him selfe chiefe of all bishops made the like decree and ordinance that the holy See of the Romaine and Apostolike church shuld be holden for the head of all churches The 4. proufe doctoures Of the doctours what shall I say verely this matter is so often and so commonly reported of them that their sainges laide together would scantly be
in auncieÌ„t stories haue forsaken the church of Rome twelue tymes and haue ben reconcilied to the same againe Thus hauing declared the supreme auctoritie and primacie of the Pope by the common practise of the churche I nede not to shewe further how in all questions doubtes and controuersies touching faith and religion the See of Rome hath alwayes ben consulted how the decision of all doubtefull cases hath ben referred to the iudgement of that See and to be shorte how all the worlde hath euer fetched light from thence For the proufe whereof because it can not be here declared briefly I remitte the learned reader to the ecclesiasticall storyes where he shal fynde this matter amply treated Now for a briefe answere to M. Iuell who denieth that within six hundred yeres after Christ the bishop of Rome was euer called an vniuersall bishop or the head of the vniuersall church and maketh him selfe very suer of it Although it be a childish thing to sticke at the name any thing is called by the thing by the name signified being sufficiently proued yet to th' intent good folke may vnderstand that all is not truth of the olde gospell which our newe gospellers either affirme or denie The Pope aboue a thousand yeres sithens called vniuersall bishop and head of the vniuersall churthe I will bring good and sufficient witnes that the B. of Rome was then called both vniuersall bisâ—op or oecumenicall patriarke which is one to witte bishop or principall father of the whole world and also head of the church Leo that worthy B. of Rome was called the vniuersall Bishop and vniuersall patriarke of syx hundred and thirty fathers assembled together from all partes of the world in generall councell at Chalcedon Which is both expressed in that councell and also clearly affirmed by S. Gregory in three sundry epistles to Mauricius the Emperour to Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria and to Anastasius Patriarke of Antioche Thus that name was deferred vnto the Pope by the fathers of that great councell which by them had not ben done had it ben vnlawfull In very dede neither Leo him selfe nor any other his successour euer called or wrote himselfe by that name as S. Gregorie sayeth much lesse presumed they to take it vnto them But rather vsed the name of humilitie calling them selues ech one Seruum seruorum Dei the seruant of the seruantes of God Yet sundry holy martyrs bishops of Rome vsed to calle them selues bishops of the vniuersall church which in effecte is the same as the fathers of Chalcedon vnderstoode So did Sixtus in the tyme of Adrianus the Emperour in his epistle to the bishops of all the world So dyd Victor writing to Theophilus of Alexandria So dyd Pontianus writing to all that beleued in Christ before 1300. yeres past So dyd Stephanus in his epistle to all bishops of all prouinces in the tyme of S. Cyprian And all these were before Constantine the great and before the councell of Nice which times our aduersaries acknowledge and confesse to haue ben without corruption The same title was vsed likewise after the Nicene councell by Felix by Leo and by diuerse others before the first six hundred yeres after Christ were expired Neither did the bishops of Rome vse this title and name onely theÌ„ selues to theire owne aduauncemeÌ„t as the aduersaries of the churche charge theÌ„ but they were honoured therewith also by others as namely InnoceÌ„tius by the fathers assembled in councell at Carthago and Marcus by Athanasius and the bishops of Egypte Head of the churche Concerning the other name Head of the church I meruell not a litle that M. Iuell denyeth that the bishop of Rome was then so called Either he doth contrary to his owne knowledge wherin he must nedes be condemned in his owne iudgement and of his owne coÌ„scieÌ„ce Peter and consequeÌ„tly the Pope Peters successour called head of the church both in termes equiualeÌ„t and also expresly Matth. 10. or he is not so well learned as of that syde he is thoughte to bee For who so euer traueileth in the reading of the auncient fathers findeth that name almost euery where attributed to Peter the first B. of Rome and coÌ„sequeÌ„tly to the successour of Peter that name I saie either in termes equiualeÌ„t or expressely First the scripture calleth Peter primuÌ„ the first among the Apostles The names of the twelue Apostles sayeth Matthew are these Primus Simon qui dicitur Petrus First Simon who is called Peter And yet was not Peter first called of Christ but his brother Androwe before him as is before saide Dionysius that auncient writer calleth Peter sometyme De diuinis nominibus c. 3. supremuÌ„ decus the highest honour for that he was most honorable of all the Apostles sometime summum sometime verticalem the chiefest and the highest Apostle Origen vpon the beginning of Iohn sayeth Let no man thinke that we set Iohn before Peter Who may fo doo for who shuld be higher of the Apostles then he Lib 1. epistola 3. who is and is called the toppe of them Cyprian calleth the church of Rome in consideration of that bishops supreme auctoritie Ecclesiam principaleÌ„ vnde vnitas sacerdotalis exorta est The principall or chiefe church froÌ„ whence the vnitie of priestes is spronge Eusebius Caesariensis speaking of Peter sent to Rome by gods prouidence to vanquish Simon Magus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth him potentissimum maximum Apostolorum reliquorum omnium principem the mightìest of power and greatest of the Apostles and prince of all the reste Augustine commonly calleth Peter primum apostolorum first or chiefe of the Apostles Hierome Ambrose Leo and other doctours Prince of the Apostles Chrysostome vpon the place of Iohn cap. 21. sequere me folowe me among other thinges sayeth thus Homil. 87 If any would demaunde of me how Iames tooke the see of Ierusalem that is to saie how he became bisshop there I would answere that this he meaneth Peter Maister of the whole worlde made him gouernour there In Matth. homil 55. Ierem. 1. And in an other place bringing in that God saide to Ieremie I haue set thee like an yron pillour and like a brasen walle But the father sayeth he made him ouer one natioÌ„ but Christ made this man meaning Peter ruler ouer the whole worlde etc. And least these places shuld seme to attribute this supreme auctoritie to Peter onely and not also to his successours it is to be remembred that Irenaeus and Cyprian acknowledge and call the churche of Rome chiefe and principall And Theodoritus in an epistle to Leo calleth the same in coÌ„sideration of the bishop of that See his primacie orbi terrarum praesideÌ„tem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 president or bearing rule ouer the worlde Ambrose vpon that place of Paul 1. Timoth. 3. where the church is called the pillour and staie of the truth saieth thus Cum totus mundus Dei sit ecclesia
verely and substantially And by Sacramental vnion the breade is the body of Christ and the breade being geuen the body of Christ is verely present and verely deliuered Though this opinion of Bucer by which he recanted his former Zuinglian heresie be in sundry pointes false and hereticall yet in this he agreeth with the catholike churche against M. Iuelles negatiue assertion that the body and bloud of Christ is present in the sacrameÌ„t verely that is truly and really or in dede and substantially Where in he speaketh as the auncieÌ„t fathers spake long before a thousand yeres past Let Chrysostome for proufe of this be in stede of many that might be alleaged His wordes be these Nos secum in vnaÌ„ vt ita dicam massam reducit In 26. ca. Mat. hom 83. neque id fide solum sed re ipsa nos corpus suum efficit By this sacrament sayeth he Christ reduceth vs as it were in to one loumpe with him selfe and that not by faith onely but he maketh vs his owne body in very dede reipsa which is no other to saye then Really The other aduerbes corporally Carnally Naturally be fownde in the fathers not seldom specially where they dispute against the Arianes And therefore it had be more conuenient for M. Iuell to haue modestly interpreted them then vtterly to haue denyed them The olde fathers of the greke and latine churche denye that faithfull people haue an habitude or disposition vnion or coniunction with Christ onely by faith and charitie or that we are spiritually ioyned and vnited to him onely by hope loue religion obedience and will yea further they affirme that by the vertue and efficacie of this sacrameÌ„t duely and worthely receiued Christ is really and in deede communicated by true coÌ„munication and participation of the nature and substance of his body and bloud and that he is and dwelleth in vs truly because of our receiuing the same in this sacrameÌ„t The benefite whereof is such as we be in Christ and Christ in vs â—oan 6. according to that he sayeth qui manducat meaÌ„ carneÌ„ manet in me ego in illo Who eateth my fleshe he dwelleth in me and I in him The which dwelling vnion and ioinyng together of him with vs and of vs with him that it might the better be expressed and recoÌ„mended vnto vs they thought good in their writinges to vse the aforesayde aduerbes Hilarius writing against the Arianes alleaging the wordes of Christ 17. Iohn Vt omnes vnum sint sicut tu pater in me ego in te vt ipsi in nobis vnum sint that all maye be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs going about by those wordes to shewe that the sonne and the father were not one in nature and substance but onely in concord and vnitie of will among other many and long senteÌ„ces for proufe of vnitie in substance bothe betwen Christ and the father and also betwen Christ and vs De Trinitate lib 8. hath these wordes Si enim verè verbum caro factum est nos verè verbum carnem cibo Dominico sumimus quomodo non naturaliter manere in nobis existimandus est qui naturam carnis nostrae iam inseparabilem sibi homo natus assumpsit naturam carnis suae ad naturam aeternitatis sub sacramento nobis communicandae carnis admiscuit If the word be made fleshe verely and we receiue the word being fleshe in our lordes meate verely how is he to be thought not to dwell in vs naturally who bothe hath taken the nature of our fleshe now inseparable to him selfe in that he is borne man and also hath mengled the nature of his owne fleshe to the nature of his euerlastingnesse vnder the sacrament of his fleshe to be receiued of vs in the communion There afterwarde this word naturaliter in this sense that by the sacrament worthely receiued Christ is in vs and we in Christ naturally that is in truth of nature is sundry tymes put and rehearsed Who so listeth to reade further his eight booke de trinitate he shall fynde him agnise manentem in nobis carnaliter filium that the sonne of God through the sacrament dwelleth in vs carnally that is in truth of fleshe and that by the same sacrament we with him and he with vs are vnited and knitte together corporaliter inseperabiliter corporally and inseparably for they be his very wordes Gregorie Nyssene speaking to this purpose sayeth In lib. de vita Mosiâ— Panis qui de coelo descendit non incorporea quaedaÌ„ res est quo enim pacto res incorporea corpori cibus fiet res verò quae incorporea non est corpus omnino est Huius corporis panem non aratio non satio non agricolarum opus effecit sed terra intacta permansit tamen pane plena fuit quo famescentes mysterium virginis perdocti facilè saturaÌ„tur Which wordes reporte so plainely the truth of Christes body in the sacrament as al maner of figure and signification must be excluded And thus they may be englished The bread that came downe from heauen is not a bodilesse thing For by what meane shall a bodilesse thing be made meate to a body And the thing which is not bodylesse is a body without doubte It is not earing not sowing not the worke of tillers that hath brought forth the bread of this body but the earth which remained vntouched and yet was full of the bread whereof they that waxe hungry being thoroughly taught the mysterie of the virgine sone haue their fylle Of these wordes may easely be inferred a conclusion that in the sacrameÌ„t is Christ and that in the same we receiue him corporally that is in veritie and substance of his body for as much as that is there and that is of vs receiued which was brought forth and borne of the virgine Mary Cyrillus that auncient father and worthy bishop of Alexandria for confirmation of the catholike faith in this point In Ioan. lib. 10. cap. 13. sayeth thus Non negamus recta nos fide charitateque syncera Christo spiritaliter coniungi sed nullam nobis coniunctionis rationem secundum carnem cum illo esse id profecto pernegamus idque à diuinis scripturis omnino alienum dicimus We denye not but that we are ioyned spiritually with Christ by right faith and pure charitie but that we haue no maner of ioyning with him according to the fleshe which is one as to saye carnaliter carnally that we denye vtterly and saye that it is not aggreable with the scriptures Againe least any man shuld thinke this ioyning of vs and Christ together to be by other meanes then by the participation of his body in the Sacrament in the same place afterward he sayeth further An fortassis putat ignotam nobis mysticae benedictionis virtutem esse Quae cum in nobis fiat
he is verely bothe in heauen at the right hande of his father in his visible and corporal forme very God and mā after which maner he is there and not here and also in the Sacrament inuisibly and spiritually bothe God and Man in a mysterie so as the graunting of the one may stande without denyall of the other no cōtradiction fownde in these beinges but onely a distinction in the waye and maner of being And how the aunciēt fathers of the churche haue confessed and taught bothe these beinges of Christ in heauen and in the sacrament together contrarie to M. Iuelles negatiue by witnes of their owne wordes we may perceiue Basile in his liturgie that is to saye seruice of his Masse sayeth thus in a prayer Looke downe vppon vs lord Iesus Christ our God from thy holy tabernacle Qui suprà cum patre sedes hic inuisibiliter versaris and from the throne of glorie of thy kingdom and come to sanctifie vs which sittest aboue with thy father and art conuersant here inuisibly And vouchesaufe to imparte vnto vs thine vndefyled body and pretiouse bloude and by vs to all thy people S. Chrysostome prayeth with the very same wordes also in his Liturgie or Masse Where we read further that the priest and the deacon doo adore and worship saying three tymes secretly Et populus similiter oēs cū pietate adorant God be merciful to me a synner and that the people doo all likewise deuoutly adore Now sith he will adoration to be made he acknowlegeth Christ present whom he graunteth to be also at the same tyme in heauen Wich he vttereth more plainely in these wordes Chrysost de Sacerdotio l. 3. O miraculum o Dei benignitatem c. O miracle o the goodnes of God who sytteth aboue with the father at that very instant of tyme is handeled with the handes of all and geueth him selfe to those that will receiue and imbrace him And that is done by no crafty sleightes but openly in the sight of all that stande about How sayest thou seme these thinges to thee no better then to be contemned and despysed By which words of S. Chrysostome we may see that Christes being in heauen maketh no proufe that he is not in earth sith both these verities may well stāde together Christes body in many places at once Hom. 2. The same father confesseth the body of Christ to be in diuerse places likewise in his homilies ad populū Antiochenum most plainely alluding to Elias Elias sayeth he melotem quidē discipulo reliquit filius autem Dei ascendens suam nobis carnem dimisit sed Elias quidē exutus Christus autem nobis reliquit ipsam habens ascendit Elias when he was caried vp in the fyery chariot lefte to his disciple Eliseus his mātell of sheepes skynnes but the sonne of God when he ascēded lefte to vs his fleshe but Elias dyd put of his mātel and Christ bothe lefte his fleshe to vs and also ascended hauing it with him Nothing can be spoken more plainely whereby to shewe that we haue the same fleshe here in earth that was receiued into heauen which Christ hath not put of to geue it to vs. By which doctrine of S. Chrysostome we are taught to beleue that Christes fleshe or his body is bothe in heauen and also in the earth in how many places so euer this blessed Sacrament is rightely celebrated And whereas many measuring all thinges by the common order and lawes of nature beleue nothing can be done aboue nature and therefor thinke that the body of Christ for as much as it is of nature finite can not by power of God be in many places at once of which opinion M. Iuell semeth to be him selfe it shall not be besyde the purpose though the places alreadie alleaged proue the contrarie to recite the testimonies of an olde doctour or two wherein they confesse most plainely that which by this article is most vntruly denyed Saint Ambrose hath these wordes In Psal 38 Et si Christus nunc nō videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quādo Christi corpus offertur Imò ipse offerre manifestatur in nobis cuius sermo sanctificat sacrificium quod offertur If Christ now be not sene to offre yet he is offered in earth whē the body of Christ is offered yea it is manifest that him selfe offereth in vs whose worde sanctifieth and consecrateth the sacrifice that is offered Now if Christes body be offered in earth as this father affirmeth and that of Christ him selfe in respecte that the sacrifice which is offered is by his word cōsecrated then it foloweth Christes bodie to be in so many places as it is offered in Where by the waye this may be noted that the sacrifice of the churche Sacrificiū incruentū viuificum is not thākes geuing as our newe Maisters doo teache but the body of Christ it selfe which of the fathers is called an vnbloudy and quikning or life geuing sacrifice We fynde in Chrysostome a most manifest place for the being of Christes body in many places at once so as though he be offered in many places yet is he but one Christ not many Christes his wordes be these Vnum est hoc sacrificium In epist ad Heb. homil 17. alioquin hac ratione quoniam multis in locis offertur multi Christi sunt nequaquam sed vnus vbique est Christus hic plenus existens illic plenus Vnum corpus Sicut enim qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora ita etiam vnum sacrificium This sacrifice is one elles by this reason sith it is offered in many places bee there many Christes Not so but there is but one Christ euery where being both here fully and there fully also one body For as he that is offered euery where is but one body and not many bodies so likewise it is but one sacrifice By this place of Chrysostome we see what hath ben the faith of the olde fathers touching this article euen the same which the catholike church professeth at these dayes that one Christe is offered in many places so as he be fully and perfitely here and fully and perfitely there And thus we perceiue what force their argumentes haue in the iudgemēt of the learned fathers by which they take awaie from Christ power to make his body present in many places at once Sermo in coena Domini S. Bernard vttereth the faith of the church in his tyme agreable with this in these wordes Sed vnde hoc nobis pijssime Domine vt nos vermiculi reptātes etc. From whēce commeth this most louing lord that we seely wormes creaping on the face of the earth yea we that are but duste and asshes be admitted to haue thee present in our hādes and before our eyes which all and whole sittest at the right hande of thy father
adoration of christes bodie in them present And thus for the Eleuation or holding vp of the sacrament we haue sayde ynough Or that the people did then fall downe and worship Iuell the Sacrament with godly honour Of the vvorshipping or adoration of the Sacrament ARTICLE VIII IF the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aulter were no other then M. Iuell and the rest of the Sacramentaries thinke of it then were it not well done the people to bowe downe to it and to worship it with godly honour For then were it but bare bread and wyne how honorably so euer they speake of it calling it symbolicall that is tokening and sacramentall bread and wyne But now this being that very bread which god the father gaue vs from heaueÌ„ as Christ sayeth Ioan. 6. This bread being the fleshe of Christ which he gaue for the life of the world this being that bread and that cuppe 1. Cor. 11. whereof who so euer eateth or drinketh vnworthely shall be gylty of the body and bloud of our lord in this Sacrament being conteined the very reall and substantiall body and bloud of Christ as him selfe sayeth expressely in the three first euangelistes and in S. Paul this being that holy Eucharistia which Ignatius calleth the fleshe of our Sauiour Iesus Christ In epistola quadaÌ„ ad Smyrnenses vt citatur à Theodori to in Polymorph Lib. 4. coÌ„trà haereses ca. 34. that hath suffered for our synnes which the father by his goodnes hath raysed vp to life againe This being not common bread but the Eucharistia after consecration consisting of two thinges earthly and heauenly as Irenaeus sayeth meaning by the one the outward formes by the other the very body and bloud of Christ who partely for the godhed inseparably thereto vnited and partly for that they were conceiued of the holy ghoste in the most holy virgine Mary are worthely called heauenly This being that bread which of our lord geuen to his disciples not in shape but in nature chaunged by the almighty power of the word In Ser. de coena do is made fleshe as S. Cyprian termeth it This being that holy mysterie wherein the inuisible priest tourneth the visible creatures of bread and wyne in to the substaÌ„ce of his body and bloud by his word with secrete power Homil. 5. de Pascha as Eusebiê° Emisenus reporteth This being that holy foode by worthy receiuing whereof Christ dwelleth in vs naturally that is to witte is in vs by truth of nature and not by concorde of will onely Lib. 8. de trinitate as Hilarius affirmeth Againe this being that table whereat in our lordes meate we receiue the worde truly made fleshe of the most holy virgine Mary as the same Hilarie sayeth This being that bread which neither earing nor sowing nor worke of tyllers hath brought forth but that earth which remained vntouched and was full of the same that is the blessed virgine Marye as Gregorie Nyssene describeth Lib. de vita Mosis cap. 48. CoÌ„stitut Apostol li. 8. c. vlt. In Leuit. lib. 1. ca. 4. This being that supper in the which Christ sacrificed him selfe as Clemens Romanus and as Hesychius declareth Who furthermore in an other place writeth most plainely that these mysteries meaning the blessed sacrament of th'aulter are sancta sanctorum the holiest of all holy thinges because it is the body of him selfe of whom Gabriel sayd to the virgine Luc. 1. the holy ghost shall come vpon the and the power of the highest shall ouershaddowe the therefore that holy thing which shall be borne of the shall be called the sonne of God and of whom also Esaie spake Holy is our lord and dwelleth on high verely euen in the bosome of the father On the holy table where these mysteries are celebrated the lambe of God being layed and sacrificed of priestes vnbloudely as that most auncient and worthy councell of Nice reporteth Briefly in this highest SacrameÌ„t vnder visible shape inuisible thinges soothly the very true reall liuely natural and substantiall body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ being conteined as the scriptures doctoures councelles yea and the best learned of Martin Lutheres schoole doo most plainely and assuredly affirme This I saye in conclusion being so as it is vndoubtedly so we that remaine in the catholike churche and can by no persecution be remoued from the catholike faith whom it liketh M. Iuell and his felowes to call papistes beleue verely that it is our bownden duetie to adore the Sacrament and to worship it with all godly honour By which word Sacrament notwithstanding in this respect we meane not the outward formes that properly are called the sacrament but the thing of the sacrameÌ„t the inuisible grace and vertue therein conteined euen the very body and bloud of Christ And when we adore and worship this blessed Sacrament we doo not adore and worship the substance it selfe of bread and wine because after consecratioÌ„ none at all remaineth Neither doo we adore the outward shapes and formes of bread and wine which remaine for they be but creatures that ought not to be adored What Christen people adore in the Sacrament but the body it selfe and bloud of Christ vnder those formes verely and really conteined lowly and deuoutly doo we adore And therefore to speake more properly and according to skill least our aduersaries might take aduaÌ„tage against vs through occasion of termes where right sense onely is meant we proteste and saye that we doo and ought to adore and worship the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament And here this much is further to be sayde that in the Sacrament of the aulter the body of Christ is not adored by thought of mynde sundred from the word but being inseparably vnited to the word For this is specially to be considered that in this most holy Sacrament the body and bloud of Christ are not present by them selues alone as being separated from his soule and from the godhed but that there is here his true and lyuing fleshe and bloud ioyned together with his godhed inseparably and that they be as him selfe is perfite whole and inseparable Which is sufficiently confirmed by sundry his owne wordes in S. Iohn I am sayeth he the bread of lyfe Againe this is bread comming downe from heauen that if any eate of it he dye not I am the liuely bread that came downe from heauen if any eate of this bread he shall lyue euerlastingly And to shewe what bread he meant he coÌ„cludeth with these wordes And the bread which I shall geue is my fleshe which I shall geue for the life of the world By which wordes he assureth vs plainely that his fleshe which he geueth vs to eate is full of lyfe and ioyned with his godhed which bringeth to the worthy receiuers thereof immortalitie as well of body as of soule Which thing fleshe and bloud of it selfe could not performe as our lord him selfe declareth plainely where he
sayeth as there it foloweth It is the spirite that quikneth or geueth lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothing The vvordes vvhich I haue spoken to you bee spirite and life As though he had sayde thus The fleshe of it selfe profiteth nothing but my fleshe which is full of godhed and spirite bringeth and worketh immortalitie and life euetlasting to them that receiue it worthely Thus we vnderstand in this blessed Sacrament not onely the body and bloud of Christ but all and whole Christ God and man to be present in substāce and that for the inseparable vnitie of the person of Christ and for this cause we acknowledge our selues bownden to adore him as very true God and man For a clearer declaration hereof I will not let to recite a notable sentence out of S. Augustine where he expoundeth these wordes of Christ In Ioan. tractat 27 Then if ye see the sonne of man go vp vvhere he vvas before There had ben no question sayeth he if he had thus sayde if ye see the sonne of God go vp where he was before But whereas he sayde the sonne of man go vp vvhere he vvas before what was the sonne of man in heauen before that he beganne to be in earth Verely here he sayde where he was before as though then he were not there when he spake these wordes And in an other place he sayeth No man hath ascended in to heauen but he that descended from heauen the sonne of man vvhich is in heauen He sayde not was but the sonne of man sayeth he vvhich is in heauen In earth he spake and sayde him selfe to be in heauen To what perteineth this but that we vnderstand Christ to be one person God and man not two least our faith be not a trinitie but a quaternitie Wherefore Christ is one the worde the soule and the fleshe one Christ the sonne of God and the sonne of man one Christ The sonne of God euer the sonne of man in tyme yet one Christ according to th'unitie of person was in heauen when he spake in earth So was the sonne of man in heauen as the sonne of god was in earth The sonne of god in earth in fleshe taken the sonne of man in heauen in vnitie of person This farre saint Augustine Herevpon he expoundeth these wordes it is the spirite that quikneth or geueth life the fleshe auaileth nothing thus The fleshe profiteth nothing but the onely fleshe Come the spirite to the fleshe and it profiteth very much For if the fleshe shuld profite nothing the word shuld not be made fleshe to dwell amongest vs. For this vnitie of person to be vnderstanded in bothe natures sayeth the great learned father Leo we reade that bothe the sonne of man came downe from heauen Epist ad Flauianū Constantinopolitanū epis cap. 5. when as the sonne of god tooke fleshe of that virgine of whom he was borne and againe it is sayde that the sonne of god was crucified and buryed whereas he suffered these thinges not in the godhed it selfe in which the onely begotē is coeuerlasting and consubstantiall with the father but in the infirmitie of humaine nature Wherefore we cōfesse all in the Crede also the onely begoten sonne of god crucified and buryed according to that saying of th'apostle For if they had knovven 1. Cor. 2. they vvould neuer haue crucifyed the lord of Maiestie According to this doctrine Cyrillus writing vpon S. Iohn sayeth In Ioan. li. 4. ca. 15. he that eateth the fleshe of Christ hath lyfe euerlasting For this fleshe hath the word of god which naturally is lyfe Therfore he sayeth I vvill rayse him againe in the last daye For I sayde he that is my body which shall be eaten will raise him againe For he is not other then his fleshe I saye not this because by nature he is not other but because after incarnation he suffereth not him selfe to be diuided in to two sonnes By which wordes he reproueth the heresie of wicked Nestorius that went about to diuide Christ and of Christ to make two sonnes the one the sonne of god the other the sonne of Marye and so two persones For which Nestorius was condemned in the first Ephesine councell and also specially for that he sayde we receiue in this Sacramēt onely the fleshe of Christ in the bread and his bloud onely in the wine without the godhed because Christ sayde he that eateth my fleshe and sayde not he that eateth or drinketh my godhed because his godhed can not be eaten but his fleshe onely Which hereticall cauille Cyrillus doth thus auoyd Vide Anathematismum xi Item ad Theodos de recta fide li. 2. ad Reginas de recta fide Although sayeth he the nature of the godhed be not eaten yet we eate the body of Christ which verely may be eaten But this body is the Wordes owne proper body which quikneth althinges and in as much as it is the body of life it is quikning or lyfe geuing Now he quikneth vs or geueth vs lyfe as God the onely fonteine of lyfe Wherefore such speaches vttered in the scriptures of Christ whereby that appeareth to be attributed to the one nature which apperteineth to the other and contrary wise according to that incomprehēsible and vnspeakeable coniunction and vnion of the diuine and humaine nature in one person are to be taken of him inseparably in as much as he is both god and man and not of this or that other nature onely as being seuered from the other For through cause of this inseparable vnion what so euer is apperteining or peculiar to either nature it is rightly ascribed yea and it ought to be ascribed to the whole person And this is done as the learned diuines terme it per communicationem idiomatum And thus Cyrillus teacheth how christ maye be eaten not according to the diuine but humaine nature which he tooke of vs and so likewise he is of Christen people adored in the Sacramēt according to his diuine nature And yet not according to his diuine nature onely as though that were separated from his humaine nature but his whole person together God and man And his pretious fleshe and bloud are adored for the inseparable cōiunction of bothe natures into one person which is Iesus Christ God and man Whom God hath exalted as S. Paul sayeth and hath geuen him a name Philip. 2. vvhich is aboue all name that in the name of Iesus euery knee be bovved of the heauenly and the earthly thinges and of thinges beneathe and that euery tonge confesse that our lord Iesus Christ is in glory of God the father that is of equal glory with the father Heb. 10. Psal 96. And vvhen God sayeth S. Paul bringeth his first begoten in to the vvorld he sayeth and let all the Angelles of God adore him S. Iohn writeth in his reuelatiō that he heard all creatures saye blessing honour Apoc. 5. glory and power be to him which sitteth
in the throne and to the lambe for euer And the fouer and tvventie elders fell dovvne on their faces and adored him that lyueth vntill vvorldes of vvorldes But it shall be more tediouse then nedefull to recite places out of the scriptures for proufe of th'adoratiō of Christ there may of thē be fownde so great plentie Contrarietie in the first diuisers of the nevve gospell Yet because Luther was either so blinde or rather so deuilishe as to denye th'adoration where notwithstāding he cōfessed the presence of Christes true and natural body in the Sacrament I will here recite what the Sacramentaries of Zurich haue written against him therefore What saye they is the bread the true and natural body of Christ and is Christ in the supper as the Pope and Luther doo teache present Wherefore then ought not the lord there to be adored where ye saye him to be present Why shall we be forbydden to adore that which is not onely sacramentally but also corporally the body of Christ Thomas toucheth the true body of Christ raysed vp from the dead and falling downe on his knees adoreth saying My God and my lord The disciples adore the lord as well before as after his Ascension Matth. 28. Act. 1. And the lord in S. Iohn sayeth to the blinde man Ioan. 9. beleuest thou in the sonne of God and he answered him saying Lord who is he that I may beleue in him And Iesus sayed to him Thou hast bothe sene him and who speaketh with thee he it is Then he sayeth lord I beleue and he adored him Now if we taught our lordes bread to be the natural body of Christ verely we would adore it also faithfully with the papistes This much the Zuinglians against Luther Whereby they prooue sufficiently th'adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament and so consequently of Christ him selfe God and man because of the inseparable coniunction of his diuine and humaine nature in vnitie of persone so as where his body is there is it ioyned and vnited also vnto his godhed and so there Christ is present perfitely wholly and substantially very god and man For the cleare vnderstanding whereof the better to be atteined the scholastical Diuines haue profitably deuised the terme concomitantia plainely and truly teaching that in this Sacrament after consecration vnder the forme of breade is present the body of Christ and vnder the forme of wine his bloud ex vi sacramenti and with the body vnder forme of bread also the bloud the soule and godhed of Christ and likewise with the bloud vnder the forme of wyne the body soule and godhed ex concomitantia as they terme it in shorter and playner wise vttering the same doctrine of faith which the holy fathers dyd in the Ephesme councell against Nestorius Whereby they meane that where the body of Christ is present by necessary sequell because of the indiuisible copulation of bothe natures in the vnitie of person for as much as the Word made fleshe neuer lefte the humaine nature there is also his bloud his soule his godhed and so whole and perfite Christ God and man And in this respecte the terme is not to be misliked of any godly learned man though some newe Maisters scoffe at it who fill the measure of their predecessours that likewise haue ben offended with termes for the apter declaration of certaine necessary articles of our faith by holy and learned fathers in generall councelles holesomly deuised Of which sorte ben these homousion humanatio incarnatio transubstantiatio etc. Now here is to be noted how the Zuinglians whom M. Iuell foloweth in th'article of adoration confute the Lutherans as on the other syde the Lutherans in th'article of the presence confute the Zuinglians As though it were by gods speciall prouidence for the better staye of his churche so wrought that bothe the truth shuld be confessed by the enemies of truth and also for vttering of vntruth the one shuld be condemned of the other that by the warre of heretikes the peace of the churche might be established and by their discorde the catholike people might the faster grewe together in concorde Now hauing sufficiētly proued by the scriptures and that with the Zuingliās also adoration and godly honour to be due vnto Christes body where so euer it please his diuine maiestie to exhibit the same present let vs see whether we can finde the same doctrine affirmed by the holy and auncient fathers What the Apostles taught in their tyme concerning this Article we may iudge by that we reade in Dionysius that was S. Paules scholer and for that is to beleued He adoreth and worshippeth this holy mysterie with these very wordes Ecclesias hierarch cap. 3. Sed ò diuinum penitus sanctumque mysterium etc. But ô diuine and holy mysterie which vouchesafest to open the cooueringes of signes layd ouer the vtter thy light to vs openly and plainely and fill our spirituall eyes with the singular and euident brightnes of thy light Origen teacheth vs how to adore and worship Christ in the Sacrament before we receiue it after this forme of wordes Hom 5. in diuersos Euangelij locos Quādo sanctum cibum etc. when thou receiuest the holy meate and that vncorrupt banket when thou enioyest the bread and cuppe of lyfe thou eatest and drinkest the body and bloud of our lord then our lord entreth in vnder thy roofe And therefor thou also humbling thy selfe folowe this Cēturion or captaine and saye Lord I am not vvorthy that thou enter vnder my roofe For where he entreth in vnworthely there he entreth in to the condemnation of the receiuer What can be thought of S. Cyprian but that he adored the inuisible thing of this Sacrament which is the body and bloud of Christ seing that he confesseth the godhed to be in the same nolesse then it was in the person of Christ which he vttereth by these wordes In Ser. d◠coena do Panis iste quem dominus discipulis porrigebat etc. This bread which our lord gaue to his disciples chaunged not in shape but in nature by the almighty power of god is made fleshe And as in the person of Christ the manhode was sene and the godhed was hydden euen so the diuine essence hath vnspeakeably infused it selfe into the visible sacramēt Chrysostom hath a notable place for the adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament in his commentaries vpon S. Paul In 10. cap. prioris ad Corinth where he affirmeth also the real presence and the sacrifice Let vs not let vs not sayeth he be willing impudently to kill our selues And when thou seest that body set forth saye with thy selfe for cause of this body I am no lenger earth and ashes no lenger captiue but free This body fastened on the Crosse and beaten was not ouercome with death After this he exhorteth all to adore and worship our lordes body in the Sacrament This body sayeth he the wise men worshipped
in the stalle and hauing takeÌ„ a long iourney being bothe wicked and aliantes with very great feare and trembling adored him Wherefore let vs folowe at least those aliants vs I saye that are citizens of heauen For they whereas they sawe but that stalle and cabben onely and none of all the thinges thou seest nowe came notwithstaÌ„ding with the greatest reuereÌ„ce and feare that was possible But thou seest it not in a stalle of beastes but on the aulter not a woman to holde it in her armes but a priest present and the holy ghoste plentyfully spredde vpon the sacrifice This father in his Masse maketh a prayer in presence of the blessed Sacrament almost with the same wordes that S. Basile did AtteÌ„de domine Iesu Christe Deus noster etc. Looke vpon vs o lord Iesus Christ our God from thy holy habitacle and from the throne of the glory of thy kingdom and come to sanctifie vs who sittest on high with the father and art here inuisibly with vs and make vs worthy by thy mighty haÌ„de that we may be partakers of thy vnspotted body and pretiouse bloude and through vs all the people In the same Chrysostomes liturgie or Masse a most euident testimonie of adoration of the SacrameÌ„t is thus vttered Sacerdos adorat et diaconus in eo in quo est loco ter secretò diceÌ„tes Deus propitius esto etc. The priest adoreth and the deacon likewise in the place he standeth in saying three tymes secretly God be mercifull to me a synner So the people and likewise all make their adoration deuoutely and reuerently In the same father is an other prayer which the greke priestes doo vse to this daye at their adoration of Christes body in the Sacrament and it is expressed in these wordes Domine non sum dignus etc. Lord I am not worthy that thou enter vnder the filthy roofe of my soule But as thou tookest in good parte to lye in the denne and stall of brute beastes and in the house of Simon the leprouse receiuedst also a harlot and a synner like me comming vnto thee vouchesafe also to enter into the stalle of my soule voyde of reason and into my fylthy body being dead and leprouse And as thou dydst not abhorre the fowle mowth of a harlot kissing thyne vndefyled feete So my lord God abhorre not me though a synner but vouchesafe of thy goodnesse and benignitie that I maye be made partaker of thy most holy body and bloude S. Ambrose after long serche and discussion De spiritâ— sancto li. 3. cap. 12. Psal 96. how that saying of the prophete might be vnderstanded Adore and worship ye his footestoole because it is holy At length concludeth so as by the footestoole he vnderstandeth the earth because it is written Esa 66. Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole And because the earth is not to be adored for that it is a creature by this earth he vnderstaÌ„deth that earth which our lord Iesus tooke in the assumption of his fleshe of the virgine Marye and hereupon he vttereth those plaine wordes for testimonie of the adoration Iraque per scabellum terra intelligitur per terraÌ„ autem caro Christi quam hodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus quam Apostoli in domino Iesu adorarunt And thus by the footestoole earth may be vnderstanded and by earth the fleshe of Christ which euen now adayes also we adore in the mysteries and the Apostles adored in our lord Iesus S. Augustines learned handling of this place of the psalme adore ye his footestoole because it is holy maketh so euidently for this purpose that of all other auctorities which in great number might be brought for prouse of the same it ought least to be omitted The place being long I will recite it in English onely His wordes be these Adore ye his footestoole In Psal 98 because it is holy See ye brethren what that is he byddeth vs to adore â—sa 66. In an other place the scripture sayeth heaueÌ„ is my seate and the earth is my footestoole What doth he then bydde vs adore and worship the earth because he sayde in an other place that it is the footestoole of God And how shall we adore the earth whereas the scripture sayeth plainely Deut. 6.10 Thou shalt adore thy lord thy God and here he sayeth adore ye his footestoole But he expouÌ„deth to me what his footestoole is Matth. 4. and sayeth And the earth is my footestoole I am made doubtefull afrayed I am to adore the earth least he damne me that made heauen and earth Againe I am afrayed not to adore the footestoole of my lord because the Psalme sayeth to me Adore ye his footestoole I seeke what thing is his footestoole and the scripture telleth me The earth is my footestoole Being thus wauering I tourne me to Christ because him I seeke here and I fynde how without impietie the earth may be adored For he tooke of earth earth because fleshe is of earth and of the fleshe of Marye he tooke fleshe And because he walked here in fleshe and that very fleshe he gaue vs to eate to Saluation and no man eateth that fleshe excepte first he adore it it is fownde out how such a footestoole of our lord may be adored and how we not onely synne not by adoring but synne by not adoring Doth not the fleshe quicken and geue lyfe Our lord him selfe sayde when he spake of the commendation it selfe of that earth Ioan. 6. it is the spirite that quikneth but the fleshe profiteth nothing Therfore when thou bowest thy selfe and fallest downe to euery such earth beholde it not as earth but that holy one whose footestoole it is that thou doest adore for because of him thow doest adore And therefore here he added Adore ye his footestoole because it is holy Who is holy he for whose loue thou adorest his footestoole And when thou adorest him remaine not by cogitation in fleshe that thou be not quikned of the spirite For the spirite sayeth he quikneth and the fleshe profiteth nothing And then when our lord commended this vnto vs he had spoken of his fleshe and had sayde Excepte a man eate my fleshe he shall not haue in him lyfe euerlastyng Againe S. Augustine sheweth the maner and custome of his tyme touching the adoration of Christ in the Sacrament writing thus ad Honoratum Epist 120. cap. 21. vpon the verse of the xxj psalme Edent pauperes saturabuntur that is the poore shall eate and be filled and vpon that other Manducauerunt adorauerunt omnes diuites terrae all the riche of the earth haue eaten and adored It is not without cause sayeth he that the riche and the poore be so distincted that of the poore it was sayde before the poore shall eate and be fylled and here of the riche they haue eaten and adored all that be the riche of the earth For they haue beÌ„ brought to
est corpore Christi etc. This is that we saye sayeth he which by all meanes we go about to proue that the Sacrifice of the church is made of two thinges and cōsisteth of two thinges of the visible shape of the elemētes which are breade and wine and the inuisible fleshe and bloude of our lord Iesus Christ of the Sacrament that is the outward signe and the thinge of the sacrament to witte of the body of Christ etc. By this we vnderstand that this word Sacrament is of the fathers two waies taken First for the whole substance of the Sacrament as it consisteth of the outward formes and also with all of the very body of Christ verely present as saint Augustine sayeth the Sacrifice of the Church to cōsist of these two Secondly it is taken so as it is distincte from that hydden and diuine thing of the Sacrament that is to saye for the outward formes onely which are the holy signe of Christes very body present vnder them conteined Hovv the fathers are to be vnderstāded callīg the Sacrament a figure signe token etc. Whereof we must gather that when so euer the fathers doo call this most excellent Sacrament a figure or a signe they would be vnderstanded to meane none otherwise then of those outward formes and not of Christes body it selfe which is there present not typically or figuratiuely but really and substātially onlesse perhaps respecte be had not to the body it selfe present but to the maner of presence as sometymes it happeneth So is Saint Basile to be vnderstanded in Liturgia calling the sacrament antitypon that is a sampler or à figure and that after cōsecration as the copies that be now abroade bee founde to haue So is Eustathius to be taken that great learned father of the Greke churche who so constantly defended the catholike faith against the Arians cited of Epiphanius in 7. Synodo Albe it concerning S. Basile E◠4. c. 14. in caput Matth. 26 Damascen and Euthymius likewise Epiphanius in the second Nicene councell actione 6. and Marcus Ephesius who was present at the councell of Florence would haue that place so to be taken before consecration As S. Ambrose also calling it a figure of our lordes body and bloud lib. 4. de sacram cap. 5. And if it appeare straunge to any man that S. Basile shuld call those holy mysteries antitypa after consecration let him vnderstand that this learned father thought good by that word to note the great secrete of that mysterie and to shewe a distincte condition of present thinges from thinges to come And this consideration the church semeth to haue had which in publike prayer after holy mysteries receiued maketh this humble petitiō vt quae nunc specie gerimus Sabbato 4. tēporū mēsis Septemb certae rerū veritate capiamus that in the lyfe to come we may take that in certaine truth of thinges which now we beare in shape or shewe Neither doo these wordes importe any preiudice against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament but they signifie and vtter the most principall truth of the same when as all outward forme shape shewe figure sampler and coouer taken awaie we shall haue the fruitiō of God him selfe in sight face to face not as it were through a glasse but so as he is in truth of his Maiestie So this word antitypon thus taken in S. Basile furthereth nothing at all the Sacramentaries false doctrine against the truth of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament And because our aduersaries doo much abuse the simplicitie of the vnlearned bearing thē in hand that after the iudgement and doctrine of th' auncient fathers the Sacrament is but a figure a signe a token or a badge and conteineth not the very body it selfe of Christ for proufe of the same alleaging certaine their sayinges vttered with the same termes I thinke good by the recitall of some the chiefe such places to shewe that they be vntruly reported and that touching the veritie of the presence in the Sacrament they taught in their dayes the same faith that is taught now in the catholike churche Holy Ephrem in a booke he wrote to those that will serch the nature of the sonne of God by mannes reason Cap. 4. sayeth thus Inspice diligenter quomodo sumēs in manibus panem benedicit ac frangit in figura immaculati corporis sui calicemque in figura pretiosi sanguinis sui benedicit tribuit discipulis suis Beholde sayeth he diligently how taking bread in his handes he blesseth it and breaketh it in the figure of his vnspotted body and blesseth the cuppe in the figure of his pretiouse bloude and geueth it to his disciples By these wordes he sheweth the partition deuision or breaking of the Sacramēt to be done no otherwise but in the outward formes which be the figure of Christes body present and vnder them conteined Which body now being gloriouse is no more broken nor parted but is indiuisible and subiect no more to any passion and after the Sacrament is broken it remaineth whole and perfite vnder eche portion Agayne by the same wordes he signifieth that outward breaking to be a certaine holy figure and representation of the crucifying of Christ and of his bloude shedding Which thing is with a more clearnes of wordes set forth by saint Augustine in Sententijs Prosperi Dum frangitur hostia De consecrat dist 2 can dum frangitur dum sanguis de calice in ora fidelium funditur quid aliud quám Dominici corporis in cruce immolatio eiusue sanguinis de latere effusio designatur Whiles the hoste is broken whiles the bloud is powred in to the mowthes of the faithfulles what other thing is thereby shewed and set forth then the sacrificing of Christes body on the crosse and the shedding of his bloud out of his syde And by so dooing the commaundement of Christ is fulfylled Doo this in my remembraunce That it may further appeare that these wordes figure signe image token and such other the like sometymes vsed in auncient writers doo not exclude the truth of thinges exhibited in the Sacrament but rather signifie the secrete maner of th'exhibiting amōgest all other the place of Tertullian in his fouerth booke contrâ Marcionem is not to be omitted specially being one of the chiefe and of most appearaunce that the Sacramentaries bring for proufe of their doctrine Tertullianes wordes be these Acceptum panem distributum discipulis suis corpus suum illum fecit hoc esse corpus meum dicēdo id est figura corporis mei The breade that he tooke and gaue to his disciples he made it his body in saying this is my body that is the figure of my body The double taking of the worde Sacrament afore mentioned remembred and consideration had how the sacramentes of the Newe testament comprehend two thinges the outward visible formes that be figures signes and tokens and
serche of the truth By these places it is made cleare and euident that these names figure image signe token sacrament and such other the like of force of their significatioÌ„ doo not allwaies exclude the truth of thinges but doo onely shewe and note the maner of presence Wherefore to conclude this matter that is somewhat obscure to senses litle exercised the figure of the body or the signe of the body the Image of the body doth note the coouertnesse and secretnes in the maner of the exhibiting and doth not diminishe any whitte the truth of the presence So we doo accorde with M. Iuell in this article touching the forme of wordes but withall we haue thought it necessary to declare the true meaning of the same wich is contrary to the doctrine of the Sacramentaries Iuell Or that it was lawfull then to haue xxx xx.xv.x or .v. Masses said in one church in one daie Of pluralitie of Masses in one church in one daye ARTICLE XIII AS M. Iuell here desceÌ„deth by diuerse proportions and degrees from .xxx. to .v. first by taking awaie .x. the third parte of the whole and then .v. from the reste three tymes So it might haue pleased him also to haue taken awaie three from lyue the last remanent and so to haue lefte but two in all Which if he had done then shuld we so haue made vp that number as in this audiâ—e he might not other wise doo in regarde of his owne free promisse but allowe our accompte for good and sufficieÌ„t For that number we are well able to make good And what reason hath moued the auncient fathers gouernours of the churche to thinke it a godly and a necessarie thing to haue two Masses in one churche in one daie the same reason in cases either hath or might haue moued them and their successours after them likewise to allowe three or fouer Masses and in some cases fyue or mo Now if that rekening could duely be made of our parte M. Iuell perhappes would then saye as coÌ„monly they saye that confesse their errour in numbring that he had mistolde him selfe Albe it here it is to be marueiled that he appointeth vs to proue a number of Masses in one churche in one daie that vtterly denyeth the Masse and would haue no Masse in any church any daie at all And standing in the denyall of the whole so peremptorely as he doth it may seme straunge that he shuld thus frame this Article For what reason is it to chalenge vs for proufe of so great a nuÌ„ber sith he taketh awaie all together It appeareth that being not vnwitting how good proufes we haue for the Masse it selfe he thinketh to blanke vs by putting vs to the proufe of his number of xxx xx.xv.x or .v. Verely this kinde of meÌ„ fareth with the church much like vnto stroÌ„g theeues who hauing robbed an honest welthy man of all his moÌ„ney saie afterwardes vnto him vncourteously ah carle how camest thou by so much olde golde Lydford lavve vsed by the gospellers Or if it like not them to be compared with theeues in regard of the Rome they haue shuffled them selues into they may not vnfittely be likened to a Iudge of the Stemerie at Lidford in Deuonshire who as I haue heard it commonly reported hanged a felone among the Tynners in the forenoone and sate vppoÌ„ him in iudgemeÌ„t at afternoone And thereof to this daye such wrongfull dealing in a coÌ„mon prouerbe is in that countrie called Lidford lawe Sith that you M. Iuell and your felowes that now sitte on the benche require of vs the proufe of mo Masses in one church in one daie as it were a verdite of twelue men of equitie and right ye shuld haue heard our verdite er ye had geuen sentence and condemned the Masse Pluralitie of Masses in one church in one daye Now touching the number and iteration of the Masse first we haue good and auncient auctoritie for two Masses in one church in one daie That eloquent and holy father Leo the first writeth thus to Dioscorus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria Volumus illud quoque custodiri vt cuÌ„ solennior festiuitas conuentuÌ„ populi numerosioris indixerit ad eam tanta multitudo conuenit quae recipi basilica simul vna noÌ„ possit Sacrificij oblatio indubitanter iteretur ne ijs tantuÌ„ admissis ad hanc deuotionem qui primi aduenerint videatur ij qui postmoduÌ„ confluxerint non recepti CuÌ„ plenum pietatis atque rationis sit vt quoties basilicaÌ„ in quae agitur praesentia nouae plebis impleuerit toties sacrificiuÌ„ subsequeÌ„s offeratur This order we will to be kepte that when a number of people coÌ„meth to church together at a solemne feaste if the multitude be so great as maye not well be receiued in one churche at once that the oblatioÌ„ of the Sacrifice hardely be done againe least if they onely shuld be admitted to this deuotion who came first they that come afterward maye seme not to be receiued for as much as it is a thing full of godlynesse and reason that how oftetymes the church where the seruice is done is filled with a newe coÌ„panie of people so ofteÌ„tymes the Sacrifice there eftesones be offered By this father whoÌ„ the great General Councell of Chalcedon agnised for supreme gouernour of the churche of Christ and honoured with the singular title of the Vniuersall Bishop it is ordeined that if anywhere one churche could not conuenieÌ„tly holde all the people together at one time they that came after the first coÌ„panie shuld haue their deuotioÌ„ serued by hauing an other Masse celebrated againe And least perhappes some might doubte wether that were laufull so to be done or no or be cause theÌ„ some doubted thereof as now likewise some seme to doubte of it to put the matter out of doubte he sayeth assuredly Sacrificij oblatio indubitanter iteretur Let them not sticke to iterate or doo againe the oblatioÌ„ of the Sacrifice that is to saie let the Masse be celebrated againe indubitaÌ„ter without casting perill without sticking staggaring or doubting In that epistle he sheweth two great causes why mo Masses then one maye be done in one churche in one daie The one is least the aftercoÌ„mers shuld seme reiected noÌ„ recepti not receiued the other is that the one parte of the people be not defrauded of the benefite of their deuotioÌ„ â–ª As him selfe sayeth Necesse est auteÌ„ vt quaedaÌ„ pars populi sua deuotioÌ„e priuetur si vnius tantuÌ„ Missae more seruato sacrificiuÌ„ offerre non possint nisi qui prima diei parte conuenerint It must nedes be that a parte of the people be berefte of their deuotioÌ„ if the custoÌ„ of hauing one Masse onely kepte none maye offer the sacrifice but such as came to church together in the morning or first parte of the daye Now the people may neither be reiected whoÌ„ God hath chosen nor sparkled abroade whom our lord
the priest offereth on the aulter Nexte the truth and reall presence of the body and bloud of our lorde in the sacrifice offered Then aulters which this councell calleth diuine or holy for the diuine and holy thinges on them offered the body and bloud of Christ Furthermore the multitude of Masses in one daye for they speake of many sacrifices that is many Masses plurima sacrificia Lastly priuate Masses For the wordes nec ipse sacrificans rightly cōstrewed and weighed importe no lesse For where as no worde in this decree is vttered whereby it maye appeare the people to be of necessitie requyred to receiue if the priestes had receiued them selues at euery Masse no faulte had ben fownde And if the people had receiued without the priestes in this case it had ben reason this decree shuld other wise haue ben expressed And so it is cleare that at that tyme priuate Masses were sayde and done Now if M. Iuell refuse and reiecte the auctoritie of the churche represented in that councell then he geueth vs a manifest notice what marke we ought to take him to be of Then may we saye vnto him the wordes of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. Nos talem confuetudinem non habemus nec ecclesia Dei We haue no such custome neither the churche of God hath not to condemne the churche And in this case he must pardon vs if according to the precepte of Christ Matth. 18. for that he will not heare the churche we take him for no better then a hethen and a publican Or that Images were then set vp in the Churches Iuell to the intent the people might worship them Of Images ARTICLE XIIII THat Images were set vp in churches within syx hundred yeres after Christ it is certaine but not specially either then or sithens to the intent the people might worship them The intēt and purpose hath ben farre other but right godly as shall be declared Wherefore the imputing of this entēt to the catholike church is both false and also sclaunderouse And because for the vse of images these newe maisters charge the church with reproche of a newe deuise breache of Gods cōmaundemēt and idolatrie I will here shewe first the Antiquitie of Images and by whom they haue ben allowed Secondly to what entent and purpose they serue Thirdly how they maye be worshiped without offence Concerning the Antiquitie and originall of images they were not first inuented by man Antiquitie of Images but commaunded by God brought into vse by tradition of the Apostles allowed by auctoritie of the holy fathers and all councelles and by custome of all ages sith Christes being in the earth When God would the Tabernacle with all fourniture thereto belonging to be made to serue for his honour and glorie he commaunded Moses among other thinges to make two Cherubins of beaten golde Exod. 25. so as they might couer bothe sydes of the propitiatorie spreading abroade their whinges and beholding them selues one an other their faces tourned toward the propitiatorie that the Arke was to be couered with all Of those Cherubins S. Paul speaketh in his epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 9. Exod. 37. Which images Beseleel that excellent workeman made at the commaundement of Moses according to the instructions by God geuen Againe Moses by the commaundement of God made the brasen Serpent Num. 21. and set it vp on high for the people that were hurt of serpentes in wildernes to behold and so to be healed In the temple also that Salomon buylded ◠Reg. 6. ◠Paral. 3. were images of Cherubins as the scripture sheweth Of Cherubins mention is made in sundry places of the scriptures specially in Ezechiel the prophet cap. 41. Iosephus writeth of the same in his third and eight booke antiquitatum Iudaicarum The image of Cherubins representeth angels and the word is a word of angelical dignitie as it appeareth by the third chapter of Genesis where we read that God placed Cherubins before paradise after that Adam was cast forth for his disobedience It were not much besyde our purpose here to rehearse the place of Ezechiel the prophet Ezechi 9. where God commaunded one that was clothed in lynnen and had an ynkhorne by his syde to go through the myddes of Hierusalem and to prynt the signe of Tau In cōmētar in Ezechielem The signe of the Crosse cōmēded to men by gods prouidence that is the signe of the Crosse for that letter had the similitude of the Crosse among the old Hebrewe letters as Saint Hierom witnesseth in the foreheddes of the men that moorned and made moue ouer all the abominations of that citie Touching the signe Image or figure of the Crosse in the tyme of the new testament God femeth by his prouidence and by speciall warninges in sundry reuelatiōs and secrete declaratiōs of his will to haue commended the same to men Euseb eccles hist lib. 9. ca. 9 that they shuld haue it in good regard and remembraunce When Constātine the Emperour had prepared him selfe to warre against Maxentius the tyraunt casting in his mynde the great daungers that might thereof ensue and calling to God for helpe as he lookte vp beheld as it were in a visiō the signe of the crosse appearing vnto him in heauen as bright as fyer and as he was astonied with that straunge sight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozomen tripart hist lib. 5. cap. 50. he heard a voice speaking thus vnto him Constantine in this ouercomme After that Iulian the Emperour had forsaken the profession of Christen Religion and had done sacrifice at the temples of painyms mouing his subiectes to doo the like as he marched forward with his armie on a daye the droppes of rayne that fell downe out of the ayer in a shewer fourmed and made tokens and signes of the crosse both in his and also in the souldiers garmentes Eccles histor lib. 10 in fine Rufinus hauing declared the straunge and horrible plages of God whereby the Iewes were frayed and letted from their vaine attempte of buylding vp againe the temple at Hierusalem leaue thereto of the Emperour Iulian in despite of the christians obteyned in the ende sayeth that least those earthquakes and terrible fyers which he speaketh of raysed by God whereby as well the work houses and preparations toward the buylding as also great multitudes of the Iewes were throwē downe cast abroade and destroyed shuld be thought to happen by chaunce the night folowing these plages the signe of the crosse appeared in euery one of their garmētes so euidētly as none to cloke their infidelitie was able by any kynde of thing to scowre it out and put it awaye Histo tripart li. 9. Cap. 29. When the temples of the painims were destroyed by the christians in Alexandria about the yere of our lord 390. in the chiefe temple of all which was of the Idol Serapis the holy and mysticall letters called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to S. Paul the Apostle as he vnderstoode his face by viewe of his picture Gregorie Nyssene S. Basiles brother writing the lyfe of Theodorus the martyr bestoweth much eloquence in the praise of the church where his holy relikes were kepte commending the shape of lyuing thinges wrought by the keruer the smoothenes of marble poolished like syluer by the mason the liuely resemblaunce of the martyr him selfe and of all his worthy actes expressed and excellently set forth to the eye in imagerie with the image of Christ by the paynter In which images he acknowlegeth the fightes of the martyr to be declared no lesse then if they were described and written in a booke Paulinus the bishop of Nola in his booke that he made in verses of the lyfe of Felix the martyr prayseth the church which the martyrs bodye was layed in In decimo Natali for the garnishing of it with painted images in bothe sydes of bothe kindes men and women the one kinde on the one syde and the other kinde on the other syde Where he speaketh expressely by name of the Images of scabbed Iob and blynde Tobye of fayer Iudith and great quene Hesther for so he nameth them Athanasius hath one notable place for hauing the Image of our Sauiour Christ which is not cōmon where he maketh Christ and the church to talke together as it were in a dialoge in sermone de sanctis patribus prophetis The greke may thus be translated Age inquit dic mihi cur oppugnaris Oppugnor inquit Ecclesia propter doctrinam Euangelij quam diligēter accuratè teneo propter verum firmum Pascha quod agito propter religiosam puram imaginem tuam quam mihi Apostoli reliquerunt vt haberem depictam arram humanitatis tuae in qua mysterium redemptionis operatus es Hic Christus Si propter hoc inquit te oppugnant ne grauiter feras nève animum despōdeds cum scias si quis Pascha neget aut imaginem me eum negaturum coram patre meo electis angelis Rursus verò qui compatitur mecum propter Pascha conglorificaturum an non audisti quid Moysi praeceperim Facies inquam mihi duos Cherubinos in tabernaculo testimonij scilicet ad praefigurandam meam imaginem etc. The English of this Latine or rather of the Greke is this Come on quoth Christ to the church tell me wherefore art thou thus inuaded and vexed declare me the matter Forsooth lord quoth the church I am inuaded and vexed for th'exacte obseruing of the gospell and for the keping of the feast of the true and firme Easter and for thy reuerent and pure Image which thy holy Apostles haue lefte to me by tradition to haue and kepe for a representation of thine incarnation Then quoth our lord if this be the matter for which thou art inuaded and set against be not dismayed be of good confort in hart and mynde being assured hereof that who so denyeth Easter or my * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleane image I shall denye him before my heauenly father and his chosen Angels And he that suffereth persecution with me for keping of Easter the same shall also be glorified with me Hast not thou heard what I commaunded Moyses the lawegeuer to doo Make me sayd I two Cherubins in the tabernacle of the testimony to be a prefiguration or foretokening of my image etc. Of all the fathers none hath a playner testimonie bothe for the vse and also for the worshipping of Images then S. Basile whose auctoritie for learning wisedom and holynes of lyfe besyde antiquitie is so weighty in the iudgement of all men that all our newe maisters layed in balance against him shall be fownde lighter then any fether Citatur ab Adriano Papa in epistola Synodica ad Constātinū Irenen Touching this matter making a confession of his faith in an epistle inueghing against Iulian the renegate he sayeth thus Euen as we haue receyued our Christian and pure faith of God as it were by right of heretage right so I make my confession thereof to hym and therein I abyde I beleeue in one God father almighty God the father God the sonne God the holy ghoste One God in substance and these three in persones I adore and glorifie I confesse also the sonnes incarnation Then afterward sainct Mary who according to the fleshe brought hym foorth callyng her Deiparam I reuerence also the holy Apostles Prophetes and Martyrs which make supplication to god for me that by their mediation our most benigne god be mercifull vnto me and graunt me freely remission of my synnes Then this foloweth Quam ob causam historias imaginū illorum honoro palà m adoro hoc enim nobis traditum à sanctis Apostolis non est prohibendum sed in omnibus ecclesijs nostris eorum historias erigimus For the which cause I doo both honour the stories of their images and openly adore them For this being delyuered vnto vs of the holy Apostles by tradition is not to be forbidden And therefore we set vp in all our churches their stories Lo M. Iuell here you see a sufficient testimonie that Images were set vp in the churches long before the ende of your syx hundred yeres and that they were honoured and worshipped not onely of the simple christē people but of bishop Basile who for his excellent learning and wisedom was renoumed with the name of Great Now that there hath ben ynough alleaged for the Antiquitie orginall and approbation of Images Three causes vvhy images hauen ben vsed in the church it remayeth it be declared for what causes they haue ben vsed in the church We fynde that the vse of images hath ben brought into the church for three causes The first is the benefite of knowledge For the simple and vnlearned people which be vtterly ignorant of letters in pictures doo as it were reade and see nolesse then others doo in bookes the mysteries of christen Religion the actes and worthy dedes of Christ and of his sainctes What writing performeth to them that reade the same doth a picture to the simple beholding it Ad Serenū episcopū Massilien li. 9. epistol 9. sayeth S. Gregory For in the same the ignorant see what they ought to folowe in the same they reade which can no letters therefor Imagerie serueth specially the rude nations in stede of writing sayeth he To this S. Basile agreeth in his homilie vpon the forty martyrs Bothe the writers of stories sayeth he and also paineters do shewe and set forth noble dedes of armes and victories the one garnishing the matter with eloquence the other drawing it lyuely in tables and bothe haue styrred many to valiant courage For what thynges the vtterāce of the storie expresseth through hearing the same doth the stille picture set forth through imitatiō In the like respecte in olde tyme the worke of excellēt poetes was called a speaking picture
godly thinges neither behoofull the same be done in all tymes and places nor that all thinges touching God be medled withall Which aduertisement taketh no place where all be admitted to the curiouse reading of the scriptures in their owne vulgare tonge And the scripture it selfe saye they sheweth plainely that of couenience the scriptures ought not be made common to all persons For Christ affirmeth the same with his owne wordes where he sayeth to his Apostles Lucae 8. Vnto you it is geuen to knowe the secretes of the kingdom of God but to other in parables that when they see they shuld not see and when they heare they shuld not vnderstande They to whom it is geuen to knowe these secretes be none other then the Apostles and their successours or disciples They to whom this is not geuen but must learne parables be they for whom it were better to be ignorant of the mysteries then to knowe them least they abuse them and be the more grieuously condemned if they sette litle by them which we see commonly done among the common people Vide Hilarium in Psal 2. It is reported by sundry auncient writers of great auctoritie that among the people of Israel the seuenty Elders onely could reade and vnderstande the mysteries of the holy bookes that we call the Bible For whereas the letters of the Hebrewe tonge haue no vocalles they onely had the skill to reade the scripture by the consonantes and therby the vulgare people were kepte from reading of it by speciall prouidence of God as it is thought that pretiouse stones shuld not be caste before swyne that is to saye such as be not called thereto as being for their vnreuerent curiositie and impure life vnworthy Here I nede not to spende tyme in rehersing the manifolde difficulties of these holy letters through which the reading of them to the simple and vnlearned people hauing their wittes exercised in no kynde of learning their myndes occupied in worldly cares their hartes caryed awaye with the loue of thinges they luste after Bernard Super cātica is not very profitable As the light shyneth in vaine vpon blinde eyes sayeth a holy father so to no purpose or profite is the labour of a worldly and naturall man taken for the atteining of thinges that be of the spirite Verely emōges other this incōmoditie is sene by dayly experience hereof to procede that of the people such as ought of right to take lest vpon them be now becomme censours and iudges of all despysers of the more parte and which is common to all heretikes mockers of the whole simplicitie of the churche and of all those thinges which the churche vseth as pappe or mylke to nourrishe her tender babes withall that it were better for them not to reade then by reading so to be pufte vp and made insolent Which euill cometh not of the scripture but of their owne malice and euill disposition The dangers and hurtes which the common peoples reading of the scriptures in their owne lāguage bryngeth after the opinion of those that reproue the same be great sundry and many I will here as it were but touche a fewe of them leauing the whole matter it selfe to the iudgemēt of the churche First seing the poyson of heretikes doth most infecte the common people and all heretikes drawe their venyme out of the Bible vnder pretence of gods worde it is not thought good by these men to lette euery curiouse and busie body of the vulgar sorte to reade and examine the Bible in their common language Yet they would not the learned discrete and sober laye men to be imbarred of that libertie Againe if heresie spring of wrong vnderstanding De trinitate li. 2. not of the scriptures as Hilarius sayeth heresie is of vnderstanding not of scripture and the sense not the worde is a crime who shall sooner fall into heresie then the common people who can not vnderstande that they reade verely it semeth a thing hard to beleue that the vnlearned people shuld vnderstande that which the best learned men with long studie and great trauaill can scarcely at length atteine Whereas Luther would the scriptures to be translated into euery vulgare tonge for that they be lyght and easie to vnderstande he is confuted by the scripture it selfe For both S. Peter and also S. Paul acknowlegeth in them to be great difficulties by occasion whereof some misconstrue thē to their owne damnation 2. Pet. 3. 1. Tim 1. 2. Cor. 4. some vnderstande not what thinges they speake nor of what thinges they affirme and to some the gospell that S. Paul preached is hydden euen to them which perishe If the scriptures were playne how erred Arius how Macedonius how Eunomius how Nestorius how many mo men of great learning specially seing they all tooke occasion of their errours of the scripture not rightly vnderstanded Luther sayeth that S. Hierome was ouerseen in the vnderstanding of the scripture that S. Augustine erred in the same that S. Ambrose Cyprian Hilary Basile and Chrysostome the best learned doctours of Christes churche were oftentymes deceiued And yet in the preface of his booke de captiuitate Babilonica he speaketh of them very honorably and graunteth that they haue laboured in the lordes vineyarde worthely and that they haue employed great diligence in opening the scriptures If these being of so excellent learning after long exercise in the holy letters after long studie and watche after long and feruent prayer after mortification of them selues and purgation of carnall affections were deceiued as he witnesseth how can he saye they are cleare plaine and easye to be vnderstanded And if these worthy fathers were deceiued in one pointe or two is it not likely the common people may be deceiued in many specially their diligēce and study not being comparable to theirs and their lyues not being such as the cleannesse of their inward affectes might lighten their vnderstāding and the annointing of god might teach them And least all the vnlearned laye people shulde seme hereby vtterly reiected from hope of vnderstanding gods worde without teaching of others it may be graunted that it is not impossible a man be he neuer so vnlearned exercised in long prayer accustomed to feruent contemplation being brought by God into his inward cellares may from thence obteine the true vnderstanding and interpretation of the holy scriptures no lesse then any other alwaies brought vp in learning Of what sorte S. Antony that holy and perfecte man the Eremite of Egypte was Who as saint Augustine writeth Prologo in libros de doctrina Christiana without any knowledge of letters both canned the scriptures by hart with hearing and vnderstode them wisely with thynking And that holy man whom S. Gregorie speaketh of who lying bedred many yeres for siknes of body through earnest prayer and deuout meditation obteined helth of mynde and vnderstanding of the scriptures neuer hauing learned letters so as he was able to
expounde them to those that came to visite him who comming vnto him with pretence to bring conforte through his heauenly knowledge receiued conforte But among the people how great number is there of lewed loselles gluttoÌ„s and dronckerds whose bealy is theire God who folowe their vnruly lustes is it to be thought this sorte of persones may without meditation and exercise of prayer pearse the vnderstanding of the scriptures and of those holy mysteries which god hath hidden as Christ confesseth from the learned and wise men Matth. 11. The gospellers diuided in to coÌ„trarie sectes And whereas learned men of our tyme be diuided into coÌ„trarie sectes and write bitterly one against an other eche one imputing to other mistaking of the scriptures if amongest them who would seme to be the leaders of the people be controuersies and debates about the vnderstanding of the scriptures how may the common people be thought to be in safe case out of all danger of errours if by reading the Bible in their owne tonge they take the matter in hande If any man thinke I sclaunder them for that I saye they be diuided into coÌ„trary sectes let him vnderstaÌ„d their owne countrie men I meane them of Germanie and speciall setters forth of this newe doctrine report it in their bookes and complaine lamentably of it Namely Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his booke intituled Publica confessio purae doctrinae euangelij etc. Also Nicolaus Gallus in his booke of Theses and Hypotyposes who acknowlegeth the strifes and debates that be amongest them to be not of light matters but of the high articles of christian doctrine For euen so be his wordes in Latine Non sunt leues inter nos concertationes de rebus leuibus sed de sublimibus doctrinae Christianae articulis de lege euangelio etc. The same man in the last leafe of his forsayde booke with great vehemendie reporteth haereses permultas esse prae manibus plerasque etiamnùm hâ—rere in calamo that very many herelies be allready in hande and many as yet sticke in the penne as though he meant they were ready to be set forth Of late there haue ben put out in printe two great bookes one by the Princes of Saxonie the other by the Erles of Mansfeld chiefe maineteiners of the Lutheranes in which be recited eleuen sectes and the same as detestable heresies condemned they are conteined in this cataloge or rolle Anabaptistae Seruetiani Antinomi Iesuitae OsiaÌ„drini MelaÌ„chthonici Maioristae Adiaphoristae Suencfeldiani Sacramentarij Albeit the Iesuites haue wrong to be numbred among them This much is confessed of the sectes and controuersies of our newe gospellers by their owne princes that stande in defence of the confession of Auspurg and by two of the Lutherane superintendentes No man hath so exactly declared to the world the number and diuersitie of the sectes of our tyme Fridericê° Staphylê° which hath sprong of Martin Luther as Fridericus Staphylus a man of excellent learning one of the Emperours counsaile that now is who might well haue knowledge herein for as much as he was a diligent student ten yeres at Wittenberg among the chiefe doctors of them and for that tyme was of their opinion and afterward by consyderation of their manifold disagreeinges and conteÌ„tions within theÌ„ selues induced to discredite theÌ„ and through the grace of God reduced to a whole mynde and to the catholike faith and now remayneth a perfecte member of the churche This learned man in his Apologie sheweth that out of Luther haue sprong three diuerse heresies or sectes the Anabaptistes the Sacramentaries and the Confessionistes Protestantes who made confession of their faith in open diete before the Emperour Charles the princes and states of Germanie at Auspurg anno domini 1530. and for protestation of the same there are called Protestantes Now he proueth further by testimonie of their owne writinges that the Anabaptistes be diuided into syx sectes the Sacramentaries into eight sectes the Confessionistes and they which properly are called protestaÌ„tes Protestantes diuided into tvventy Sectes into twenty sectes euery one hauing his proper and particular name to be called and knowen by This lamentable diuision of learned men into so many sectes in the countries where the gospell as they call it hath these forty yeres and is yet most busely handled may be a warning to the gouernours of Christendome that they take good aduisement how they suffer the rude and rashe people to haue the scriptures common in their owne tonge The perill of it is knowen by sundry examples bothe of tymes past and also of this present age For out of this roote hath sprong the secte of the Valdenses Valdenses otherwise called Pauperes de Lugduno For Valdo a merchant of Lyons their first author of whom they were named Valdenses being an vnlearned laye man procured certaine bookes of the scripture to be traÌ„slated into his owne language which when he vsed to reade and vnderstoode not he fell into many errours Of the same wellspring yssued the fylthie puddels of the sectes called Adamitae or Picardi Begardi and Turelupini and of late yeres besyde the same secte of Adamites newly reuiued also the Anabaptistes and Suenkfeldians Wherfor that edicte or proclamation of the worthy Princes Ferdinando and Elizabeth kyng and Quene of Spayne is of many much commended by which they gaue streight commaundement that vnder great penalties no man shuld traÌ„slate the Bible into the vulgare Spanish toÌ„ge and that no man shuld be fownde to haue the same translated in any wise These and the like be the reasons and consyderations which haue moued many men to thinke the setting forth of the whole Bible and of euery parte of the scripture in the vulgare tonge for all sortes of persons to reade without exception or limitation to be a thing not necessary to saluation nor otherwise conuenient nor profitable but contrarywise dangerous and hurtefull Yet it is not meant by them that the people be kepte wholly from the scripture so as they reade no parte of it at all As the whole in their opinion is too strong a meate for their weake stomakes so much of it they may right holesomely receiue and brooke as that which perteineth to pietie and necessary knowledge of a christen man What partes of the scriptures apperteine to the people to knovve Wherein they would the examples of the olde holy fathers to be folowed S. Augustine hath gathered together into to one booke all that maketh for good lyfe out of the scriptures which booke he intituled SpeculuÌ„ that is to saye a myrrour or a looking glasse as Possidonius witnesseth in his lyfe S. Basile hath set forth the like argument almost in his fouerscore moral rules perteining all together to good manners S. Cyprian also hath done the like in his three bookes ad Quirinum Such godly bookes they thinke to be very profitable for the simple people to reade But how much and what partes
and marked them selues with the same The second were such as notwithstanding they had ben christened yet for the inconstancie of their mynde were vexed with vncleane sprites The third sorte were they who for their synnes committed had not yet made an ende of doing their open penaunce All these were iudged by the gouernoures of the churche at the begynning vnworthy to be present at these holy mysteries Now if this great reuerence towardes the ho y thinges in them was iustly praised the admitting of all sortes of people not onely to be present and to beholde the same but also to heare and vnderstande the wordes of consecration that hath thus allwaies ben honoured with silence and secretnes can not seme to wise zelouse and godly men a thing commendable specially in these tymes in which the holy Christen discipline of the churche is loosed and vtterly shaken of and no difference nor accompte of any diuersitie made betwen the perfite and godly people and them that ought to doo open penaunce that be possessed with deuilles and be infamouse for heynouse and notoriouse crimes committed Where as in olde tymes when by holesom discipline the faithfull people were kepte in godly awe and obedience that prayer also which was sayde ouer the oblation before consecration was pronounced closely and in silence and therefore it was called of the latines secreta of the Grekes mystica oratio meaning thereby that it ought not to be vttered openly and made common Iuell Or that the priest had then authoritie to offer vp Christ vnto his father Of the priestes auctoritie to offer vp Christ to his father ARTICLE XVII Threefold oblation of Christ CHRIST is offered vp to his father after three maners figuratiuely truly with bloud shedding and sacramentally or mystically In figure or signification he was offered in the sacrifices made to God bothe in the tyme of the lawe of nature and also in the tyme of the lawe written And therefore Saint Iohn calleth Christ the lambe which was killed from the begynning of the world meaning in figure The sacrifices of Abel Agnus occilus est ab origine mudi Apoca. 13. Heb. 10. Lib. 6. ca. 5 Noe and Abraham and all those of the people of Israel commaunded by the lawe of Moses figured and signified Christ For which respecte chiefly the law is reported of Saint Paul to haue the shadowe of the good thinges to come S. Augustine writing against Faustus the heretike sayeth Testamenti veteris sacrificia omnia multis varijs modis vnum sacrificium cuius nunc memoriam celebramus significauerunt All the sacrifices of th' olde testament signified by many and sundry waies this one sacrifice whose memorie we doo now celebrate And in an other place he sayeth De fide ad Petrū diaconum cap. 16. that in those fleshely sacrifices there was a signification of Christes fleshe which he shuld offer for synnes and of his bloude which he shuld shedde for the remission of our synnes Truly and with bloude shedding Christ was offered on the Crosse in his owne persone where of S. Paul sayeth Christ gaue him selfe for vs Tit. 2. Ephes 5. that he myght redeme vs from all iniquitie And againe Christ hath loued vs and hath delyuered him selfe for vs an oblation and sacrifice to God into a swete sauour Sacramentally or in mysterie Christ is offered vp to his father in the dayly sacrifice of the churche vnder the forme of breade and wine truly and in dede not in respecte of the maner of offering but in respecte of his very body and bloude really that is in dede present as it hath ben sufficiently proued here before The two first maners of the offering of Christ our aduersaries acknowledge and cōfesse The third they denye vtterly And so they robbe the churche of the greatest treasure it hath or may haue the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ once offered vpon the crosse with painefull suffering for our redemption and now daily offered in the blessed Sacrament in remembraunce For which we haue so many proufes as for no one point of our Christen religion moe And herein I am more encombred with store then straighted with lacke and doubte more what I may leaue then what I may take Wherefor thinking it shall appeare to the wise more skylle to shewe discretion in the choise of places rather then learning in recitall of number thoug we are ouer peartely thereto prouoked by M. Iuelles vaunting and insolent chalenge I intend herein to be shorte verely shorter then so large a matter requireth and to bring for proufe a fewe such autorities I meane a fewe in respecte of the multitude that might be brought as ought in euery mannes iudgement to be of great weight and estimation The scripture it selfe ministring euident proufe for the oblation of Christ to his father by the priestes of the newe testament in the Institution of this holy Sacrament in the figure of Melchisedech and in the prophecie of Malachie the prophete the autorities of the fathers neded not to be alleged were not the same scripture by the ouerthwarte and false interpretations of our aduersaries wrested and tourned to a cōtrary sense to the horrible seducing of the vnlearned For where as the holy Euangelistes reporte that Christ at his last supper tooke breade gaue thankes brake it and sayde this is my body wich is geuen for you Luc. 22. Againe this is my bloude wich is shedde for you in remission of synnes By these wordes being wordes of sacrificing and offering they shewe and set forth an oblation in acte and dede though the terme it selfe of oblation or sacrifice be not expressed Albe it to some of excellent knowledge datur here sowndeth no lesse then offertur or immolatur that is to saye is offered or sacrificed specially the additiō pro vobis withall cōsydered For if Christ sayde truly as he is truth it selfe and guile was neuer fownde in his mowth then was his body presently geuen and for vs geuen at the tyme he spake the wordes that is at his supper For he sayde datur is geuen not dabitur shall be geuen And likewise was his bloude shedde in remissiō of synnes at the tyme of that supper for the texte hath funditur is shedde But the geuing of his body for vs and the shedding of his bloud in remissiō of synnes is an oblatiō of the same ergo Christ offered his body and bloude at the supper And thus datur signifieth here as much as offertur Now this being true that our lord offered him selfe vnto his father at his last supper hauing geuen cōmaundement to his Apostles to doo the same that he there dyd whō then he ordeined priestes of the newe testament saying doo this in my remembraunce as Clement doth plainely shewe lib. 8. Apostolicarum cōstitut cap. vltimo the same charge perteining no lesse to the priestes that be now the successours of the Apostles in this behalfe then to
Iuell denyeth Irenaeus receiued the same from Saint Iohn the Euangelist by Polycarpus Saint Iohns scoler He declareth it with these wordes Eum qui ex creatura punis est accepit gratias egit dicens Libro 4. cap. 32. Hoc est corpus meum Et calicem similiter qui est ex creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo De quo in duodecim prophetis Malachias sic praesignificauit Non est mihi voluntas in vobis dicit Dominus exercituum Malac. 1. munus non suscipiam de manu vestra He tooke that which by creation is bread and gaue thankes saying this is my body And likewise the cuppe full of that creature which is here with vs and confessed it to be his bloud and thus taught the newe oblation of the newe testament which the churche receiuing of the Apostles doth offer to God through the whole worlde whereof Malachie one of the twelue prophetes dyd prophecie thus I haue no lyking in you sayeth our lord almighty neither will I take sacrifice of your handes because from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same my name is glorified among the nations and incense is offered to my name in euery place and pure sacrifice for that my name is great among the nations What can be vnderstanded by this newe oblation of the newe testament other then the oblation of that which he sayde to be his body and confessed to be his bloude And if he had offered bread and wine onely or the figure of his body and bloud in bread and wine it had ben no newe oblation for such had ben made by Melchisedech long before Neither can the prophecie of Malachie be vnderstanded of the oblation of Christ vpon the crosse for as much as that was done but at one tyme onely and in one certaine place of the world in Golgoltha a place without the gates of Ierusalem neare to the walles of that citie Concerning the sacrifice of a contrite and an humbled heart and all other Sacrifices of our deuotion that be mere spirituall they can not be called the newe oblation of the Newe testament for as much as they were done as well in the olde testameÌ„t as in the newe neither be they all together pure Wherefore this place of Irenaeus and also the prophecie of Malachie wherewith it is confirmed must nedes be referred to the sacrifice and oblation of the body and bloud of Christ dayly throughout the whole world offered to God in the Masse which is the externall Sacrifice of the churche and proper to the newe testament which as Irenaeus sayeth the church receiued of the Apostles and the Apostles of Christ Now let vs heare what S. Cyprian hath written to this purpose Because his workes be common Lib. 2. epist 3. to be shorter I will rehearse his wordes in English If in the Sacrifice which is Christ none but Christ is to be folowed soothly it behoueth vs to obey and doo that which Christ dyd and coÌ„maunded to be done For if Iesus Christ our lord and God very he him selfe be the high priest of God the father and him selfe first offered sacrifice to God the father and coÌ„maunded the same to be done in his remeÌ„braunce verely that priest doth occupie the office of Christ truly who doth by imitation the same thing that Christ dyd And then he offereth to God the father in the church a true and a perfite sacrifice if he begynne to offer right so as he seeth Christ him selfe to haue offered This farre S. Cyprian How can this Article be auouched in more plaine wordes he sayeth that Christ offered him selfe to his father in his supper and likewise coÌ„maunded vs to doo the same Here we haue proued that it is lawfull and hath alwaies from the begynning of the newe tâ—stament ben lawfull for the priestes to offer vp Christ vnto his father by the testimonies of three holy martyrs two Grekes and one Latine most notable in sundry respectes of antiquitie of the rome they bare in Christes churche of learning of constancie of faith stedfastly kepte to death suffred in places of fame and knowledge at Paris at Lions at Carthage Our aduersaries crake much of the sealing vp of their newe doctrine with the bloud of such and such who be writteÌ„ in the booke of lyes not in the booke of lyfe whom they will nedes to be called martyrs Verely if those Moonkes and freres Apostates and renegates wedded to wiues or rather to vse their owne terme yoked to sisters be true martyrs then must our newe Gospellers pull these holy fathers and many thousandes mo out of heauen For certainely the faith in defence of which either sorte dyed is vtterly contrary The worst that I wishe to them is that God geue them eyes to see and eares to heare and that he shut not vp their hartes so as they see not the light here vntill they be throwen awaye into the owtward darkenes Matt. 15. where shall be weeping and grynting of teeth Leauing no small number of places that might be recited out of diuerse other doctours I will bring two of two worthy bishops one of Chrysostome the other of S. Ambrose confirmig this truth Chrysostomes wordes be these Pontifex noster ille est qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerimus nunc Chrysost in epist ad Heb. Homil 17. quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest Hoc autem quod nos facimus in commemorationem fit eius quod factum est Hoc enim facite inquit in mei coÌ„memorationem He is our bishop that hath offered vp the hoste which cleanseth vs. The same doo we offer also now which though it were then offered yet can not be consumed But this that we doo is done in remembraunce of that which is done For doo ye this sayeth he in my remembraunce S. Ambrose sayeth thus In Psalm 38. Vidimus principem Sacerdotum ad nos venientem vidimus et audiuimus offerentem pro nobis sanguinem suum sequamur vt possumus Sacerdotes vt offeramus pro populo sacrificium etsi infirmi merito tamen honorabiles sacrificio Quia etsi Christus non videtur offerre tamen ipse offertur in terris quando Christi corpus offertur We haue sene the prince of priestes come to vs we haue sene and heard him offer for vs his bloud Let vs that be priestes folowe him as we maye that we may offer sacrifice for the people being though weake in merite yet honorable for the sacrifice Because albeit Christ be not sene to offer yet he is offered in earth when the body of Christ is offered Of these our lordes wordes which is geuen for you and which is shedde for you and for many Here S. Ambrose exhorteth the priestes to offer
which celebrateth it may sufficiently be proued by an hundred places of the fathers the matter being vndoubted two or three may suffise First Chrysostom writeth thus in an homelie vpon the Actes In Acta homil 21. Quid dicis in manibus est hostia omnia proposita sunt bene ordinata adsunt angeli adsunt archangeli adest filius Dei cum tanto horrorè adstant omnes adstant illi clamantes omnibus silentibus putas simpliciter haec fieri Igitur alia simpliciter quae pro ecclesia quae pro sacerdotibus offeruntur quae pro plenitudine ac vbertate absit Sed omnia cum fide fiunt What sayest thou hereto the hoste is in the priestes handes and all thinges set forth are in due order The Angels be present the Archangels be present the sonne of God is present Whereas all stād there with so great feare whereas all they stand there crying out to god and all other holde their peace thinkest thou these thinges be done simply and without great cause Why then be those other thinges done also simply bothe the thinges which are offered for plentie and abundaunce God forbydde but all thinges are done with faith Saint Ambrose in his funerall oration made of the death of Valentinian the Emperour calling the Sacrament of th'aulter the holy and heauenly mysteries and the oblation of our mother by which terme he vnderstandeth the church sayeth that he will prosecute the godly soule of that Emperour with the same This father writing vpon the 38. Psalme exhorteth priestes to folowe Christ that as he offered for vs his bloud so priestes offer sacrifice for the people his wordes be these Vidimus principem sacerdotum etc. We haue sene the prince of priestes cōming vnto vs we haue sene and hearde him offering for vs his bloud Let vs that be priestes folowe as we can so as we offer sacrifice for the people though weake in merite yet honorable for the sacrifice etc. That the oblatiō of the Masse is profitably made for others S. Gregorie witnesseth very plainely homilia 37. expounding the place of S. Luke cap. 14. alioqui legationem mittens ea quae pacis sunt postulat Elles he sendeth forth an ambassade and sueth for peace Hereupon he sayeth thus Mittamus ad Dominum legationem nostram flendo tribuendo sacras hostias offerendo Singulariter namque ad absolutionem nostram oblata cum lachrymis benignitate mentis sacri altaris hostia suffragatur Let vs send to our lord our Ambassade with weeping geuing almose and offering of holy hostes For the hoste of the holy aulter that is the blessed Sacrament offered with teares and with the mercifull bountie of our mynde helpeth vs singularely to be assoyled In that homilie he sheweth that the oblation of Christes body in this Sacrament present which is done in the Masse is helpe and cōfort not onely to them that be present but also to them that be absent bothe quycke and dead which he proueth by examples of his owne knowledge Who so listeth to see antiquitie for proufe hereof and that in the Apostles tyme bishops and priestes in the dredfull sacrifice offered and prayed for others as for euery state and order of men and also for holesomnesse of the ayer and for fertilitie of the fruites of the earth etc. Let him reade the eight booke of the constitutions of the Apostles set forth by Clement Iuell Or that the priest had then auctoritie to applye the vertue of Christes death and Passion to any man by the meane of the Masse Of the application of the benefites of Christes death to others by meane of prayer in the Masse ARTICLE XIX THe vertue of Christes death and passion is grace and remission of synnes the appeacing of Gods wrath the recōciliation of vs to God delyueraunce from the deuill hell and euerlasting damnation Our aduersaries imputing to vs as though we sayde and taught that the priest applyeth this vertue effecte and merite of Christes death to any man by the meane of the Masse either belye vs of ignoraunce or sclaunder vs of malice Verely we saye not so Neither doth the priest applye the vertue of Christes passion to any man by the meane of the Masse vvhat applyeth the priest vnto vs in the Masse He doth but applie his prayer and his intent of oblation beseching almighty God to applye the merite and vertue of his sonnes death the memorie whereof he celebrateth at the Masse to them for whom he prayeth It is God and none other that applyeth to vs remission of synne the priest doth but praye for it and by the commemoration of his sonnes death moueth him to applye So as all that the priest doth is but by waye of petition and prayer leauing all power and auctoritie of applying to God which prayer is to be beleued to be of most force and efficacie when it is worthely and deuoutly made in the Masse in the which the priest beareth the person of the whole churche and offereth his prayer in the sacrifice wherein the churche offereth Christ and it selfe through Christ to God Which his prayer and deuout seruice he besecheth to be offered vp by the handes of Angelles vnto the high aulter of God in the sight of the diuine maiestie Sermon◠de coena Domini Of what strēgth prayer made at the Masse is the holy bishop and martyr S. Cyprian witnesseth where he sayeth In the presence of this Sacrament teares craue not in vayne and the sacrifice of a cōtrite harte is neuer denyed his request Or that it was then thought a sounde doctrine Iuell to teache the people that the Masse ex opere operato That is euen for that it is sayde and donne is able to remoue any parte of our sinne Of opus operatum vvhat it is and vvhether it remoue synne ARTICLE XX. IN dede the doctrine vttered in this Article is false and derogatorie to the glorie of our Sauiour Christ For thereby the honour of Christes sacrifice whereby he hath once satisfied for the synnes of all shuld be trāsferred to the worke of the priest which were great wickednes and detestable blasphemie And therefore we will not requyre M. Iuell to yelde and subscribe vnto this Article For we graunt this was neuer thought a sounde doctrine within syx hūdred yeres of Christes Ascensiō nor shall be so thought within syx thousand yeres after the same of any man of sounde beleefe Neither hath it ben at any tyme taught in the catholike churche how so euer it liketh our aduersaries to charge the scolasticall doctours with the sclaunderous reporte of the contrary For it is Christ onely and none other thing that is able to remoue our synnes and that hath he done by the sacrifice of his body once done vpon the crosse Of which sacrifice once performed vpon the crosse with shedding of his bloud this vnbloudy sacrifice of the aulter which is the daily sacrifice of
the churche cōmonly called the Masse is a samplar and a commemoration in the which we haue the same body that hanged on the crosse And whereas we haue nothing of our selues that we maye offer vp acceptable to God we offer this his sonnes body as a most acceptable sacrifice beseching him to looke not vppon our worthynes our acte or worke but vpon the face of Christ his most dere sonne and for his sake to haue mercie vpon vs. Hovv the Masse is vaileable ex opere operato And in this respecte we doubte not this blessed sacrifice of the Masse to be vaileable and effectuall ex opere operato that is not as M. Iuell interpreteth for that the Masse is sayde and done referring opus operatum to the acte of the priest not so but for the worke wrought it selfe which god him selfe worketh by the ministerie of the priest without respecte had to his merite or acte which is the body and bloud of Christ Which when it is according to his commaundement offered vp to god is not in regard of our worke but of it selfe and of the holy Institution of his onely begoten sonne a most acceptable sacrifice to him both for quicke and deade where there is no stoppe nor lette to the cōtrarie on the behalfe of the receiuer The dead I meane such onely as through faith haue recommended them selues to the redēptiō wrought by Christ and by this faith haue deserued of God that after their departure hēce as S. Augustine sayeth this sacrifice might profite them But to speake of this matter more particularly and more distinctly the terme Masse maye be taken two wayes Masse taken tvvo vvayes Either for the thing it selfe which is offered or for the acte of the priest in offering of it If it be taken for the thing it selfe that is offered which is the body of Christ and is in this respecte of the scolasticall doctours called opus operatum no man can iustly denye but that it remoueth and taketh awaie synne For Christ in his fleshe crucified is our onely sacrifice our onely price our onely redēption 1. Cor. 6 et 7. Tit. 2. Apoc. 14. 1. Ioan. 2. In 3. cap. ad Romanos whereby he hath merited to vs vpon the crosse and with the price of his bloud hath bought the remission of our synnes and S. Iohn sayeth he is the propitiatiō for our synnes So Oecumenius sayeth Caro Christi est propitiatorium nostrarum iniquitatum The fleshe of Christ is the propitiatiō for our iniquities And this not for that it is offered of the priest in the Masse specially but for that he offered it once him selfe with sheddīg of his bloud vpon the crosse for the redemption of all Which oblation done vpon the Crosse is become a perpetuall and continuall oblation not in the same maner of offering but in the same vertue and power of the thing offered For since that tyme the same body of Christ appearing alwaies before the face of God in heauen presenteth and exhibiteth it selfe for our reconciliation And likewise it is exhibited and offered by his owne commaundement here in earth in the Masse where he is both priest and sacrifice offerer and oblation though in mysterie and by waie of commemoration that thereby we may be made partetakers of the reconciliation performed And so it is a sacrifice in very dede propitiatorie not for our acte or worke but for his owne worke already done and accepted To this onely we must ascribe remission and remouing of our synnes If the terme Masse be taken for the acte of the priest in respecte of any his onely doing it is not able to remoue synne For so we shuld make the priest gods peere and his acte equall with the passiō of Christ as our aduersaries doo vniustly sclaunder vs. Yet hath the Masse vertue and effecte in some degree and is acceptable to god by reason of the oblation of the sacrifice which in the Masse is done by the offerer without respect had to Christes institution euen for the faithfull prayer and deuotion of the partie that offereth which the scoole doctours terme ex opere operantis For then the oblation semeth to be most acceptable to god when it is offered by some that is acceptable Now the partie that offereth is of two sortes The one offereth immediatly and personally the other offereth mediatly or by meane of an other and principally The first is the priest that consecrateth offereth and receiueth the Sacrament who so doth these thinges in his owne person yet by gods auctoritie as none other in so offering is concurrent with him The partie that offereth mediately or by meane of an other and principally is the churche militant in whose person the priest offereth and whose minister he is in offering For this is the Sacrifice of the whole churche The first partie that offereth is not alwayes acceptable to God neither alwaies pleaseth him because oftentymes he is a synner The second partie that offereth is euermore acceptable to God because the churche is alwayes holy beloued and the onely spoose of Christ And in this respecte the Masse is an acceptable seruice to god ex opere operantis and is not without cause and reason called a sacrifice propitiatorie not for that it deserueth mercie at gods hand of it selfe as Christ doth who onely is in that principall and speciall sorte a sacrifice propitiatorie but for that it moueth god to geue mercie and remission of synne already deserued by Christ In this degree of a sacrifice propitiatorie we may put prayer a cōttite harte almose forgeuing of our neighbour etc. This may easely be proued by the holy fathers Origens wordes be very plaine In Leuit. Hom. 13. Si respicias ad illam commemorationem de qua dicit Dominus Hoc facite in meam commemorationem inuenies quòd ista est commemoratio sola quae propitium faciat Deum If thou looke to that commemoration whereof our lord sayeth Doo this in my remembraunce or in commemoration of me thou shalt fynde that this is the onely commemoration that maketh god mercifull Saint Augustine sayeth thus Nemo melius praeter martyres meruit ibi requiescere vbi hostia Christus est sacerdos scilicet vt propitiationem de oblatione hostiae consequantur Sermone 11. de Sāctis No man hath deserued better then the martyrs to reste there where Christ is bothe the hoste and the priest he meaneth to be buried vnder the aulter to the intent they might atteine propitiation by the oblation of the hoste But here to auoyd prolixitie in a matter not doubtefull I leaue a number of places whereby it may be euidently proued that the Masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie in this degree of propitiation bothe for the quicke and the dead the same not being specially denyed by purporte of this Article And this is the doctrine of the churche touching the valour of the Masse ex opere operato whereby no
corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum Non enim alius ipse est quà m caro sua c. He that eateth the fleshe of Christ hath lyfe euerlasting For this fleshe hath the word of God which naturally is lyfe Therefore sayeth he that I will raise him in the last daie For I quoth he that is to saye my body which shall be eaten shall raise him vp agayne for he is no other then his fleshe c. No man more expressely calleth the Sacramēt by the name of God then S. Bernard in his godly sermon de coena Domini ad Petrum presbyterum where he sayeth thus Comedunt angeli Verbum de Deo natum Comedunt homines Verbum foenum factum The angels eate the Word borne of God men eate the Word made haye meaning hereby the sacramēt which he calleth the Word made haye that is to witte the Word incarnate And in an other place there he sayeth Haec est verè indulgentia coelestis haec est verè cumulata gratia haec est verè superexcellens gloria sacerdotem Deum suū tenere alijs dando porrigere This is verely an heauenly gyfte this is verely a bountifull grace this is verely a passing excellent glorie the priest to holde his God and in geuing to reache him forth to others In the same sermō speaking of the meruelouse sweetnes that good bishopes and holy religiouse men haue experience of by receiuing this blessed Sacrament he sayeth thus Ideo ad mensam altaris frequentius accedunt omni tempore candida facientes vestimenta sua id est corpora prout possunt melius vtpote Deum suum manu ore cōtrectaturi For this cause they come the oftener vnto the bourd of the aulter at all tymes making their garmentes that is to saye their bodyes so white as they can possibly as they who shall handle their God with hand and mowth An other place of the same sermon for that it cōteineth a holesom instruction besyde the affirming of our purpose I can not omitte I remitte the learned to the Latine the English of it is this They are meruelous thinges brethren that be spoken of this Sacrament faith is necessarie knowledge of reason is here superfluous This let faith beleue let not vnderstanding require least that either not being fownde it thinke it incredible or being fownde out it beleue it not to be singuler and alone And therfor it behoueth it to be beleued symply that can not be serched out profitably Wherefore serche not serche not how it maye bee doubte not whether it bee Come not vnto it vnreuerently least it bee to you to death Deus enim est quanquà m panis mysteria habeat mutatur tamen in carnem For it is God and thoug it haue mysteries of bread yet is it chaunged into fleshe God and mā it is that witnesseth bread truly to be made his fleshe The vessell of election it is 1. Cor. 11. that threatneth iudgement to him that putteth no difference in iudging of that so holy fleshe The selfe same thing thinke thou o Christen man of the wyne geue that honour to the wine The creatour of wine it is that promoteth the wine to be the bloud of Christ This farre holy Bernard Here let our aduersaries touching this Article consyder and weigh with them selues whether they be Lutheranes Zuinglianes or Geneuians what english they can make of these wordes vsed by the fathers and applyed to the Sacramēt in the places before alleaged Dominus Christus ▪ Diuina essentia Deus Seipsum Verbum Dei Ego Verbum foenum factum Deum suum The number of the like places that might be alleaged to this purpose be in maner infinite Yet M. Iuell promyseth to geue ouer and subscribe if any one may be fownde Now we shal see what truth is in his word In the weighing of this doctrine of the churche litle occasion of wicked scoffes and blasphemies against this blessed sacrament shall remaine to them that be not blinded with that grosse and fond errour that denyeth the inseparabilitie of Christ but affirmeth in this mysterie to be present his fleshe onely with out bloud soule and godhed Which is confuted by plaine scriptures Christ raysed from the dead now dyeth no more Rom. 6. He suffereth him selfe no more to be diuided 1. Cor. 1. Euery sprite that looseth Iesus this is Antichrist 1. Ioan. 4. Hereof it foloweth that if Christ be verely vnder the forme of bread in the Sacrament as it is other wheres sufficiently proued then is he there entier and whole fleshe bloud and soule whole Christ God and man for the inseparable vnion of bothe natures in one person Which matter is more amply declared in the Article of the adoration of the sacrament Or that the people was then taught to beleue Iuell that the body of Christ remayneth in the Sacrament as long as the Accidētes of the bread remayne there with out corruptiō Of the remayning of Christes bodye in the sacrament so long as the accidentes be entier and vvhole ARTICLE XXII THese fiue articles here folowing are Scoole pointes the discussiō whereof is more curiouse then necessary Whether the faithfull people were then that is to saye for the space of six hundred yeres after Christ taught to beleue concerning this blessed Sacrament precisely according to the purporte of all these articles or no I knowe not Verely I thinke they were taught the truth of this matter simply and plainely yet so as nothing was hydden from them that in those quiet tymes quiet I meane touching this point of faith was thought necessary for them to knowe If sithēs there hath ben more taught or rather if the truth hath in some other forme of wordes ben declared for a more euidence and clearnesse in this behalfe to be had truth it selfe alwaies remayning one this hath proceded of the diligence and earnest care of the churche to represse the pertinacie of heretikes who haue within these last syx hundred yeres impugned the truth herein and to meete with their peruerse and froward obiectiōs as hath ben thought necessary to finde out such wedges as might best serue to ryue such knotty blocket Yet this matter hath not so much ben taught in open audience of the people as debated priuatly betwen learned men in scooles and so of them set forth in their priuate writinges Wherein if some perhappes through contention of wittes haue ben either ouer curiouse or ouer bolde and haue ouershotte the marke or not sufficiently cōfirmed the point they haue taken in hāde to treate of or through ignoraunce or fauour of a parte haue in some thing swarued from reason or that meaning which holy churche holdeth it is great vncourtesie to laye that to our charge to abuse their ouersightes to our discredite and to reproue the whole churche for the insufficiencie of a fewe Now concerning this Article whether we are able to auouche it by such authorities as M.