Bloud to be wordes figuratiue For when they call it a Figure they meane not a Figure of Rhetoricke but a misticall Figure and calling it a signe they meane not a naturall signe or token but a misticall signe that is to say a secret and miraculous kinde or token such as the state of the newe Testament requireth the nature whereof is to doe that which it sayeth because Christ the speaker performeth all that by his diuine power and substance which his worde spoken by the mouth of his manhoode in holy Sacraments doth vtter and signifie Now he that woulde the Sacrament of Christ so to be a signe that he shoulde not make that thing to be his Body in deede whereof in worde he saith This is my Body he most wickedly denyeth the godhead of Christ This blessed Sacrament of the Altar is such a signe as is withall a secret miracle for it is a miracle not shewed to Infidels but onlie to the faithfull For as the birth of CHRIST is a signe to the faithfull only who beleeue Christ being God and man trulie to haue beene borne of a Virgin without seede of man by the almighty power of the holy Ghost according to that Ipse Deus dabit vobis signum Esa 7. ecce virgo â—oncipiet pariet c. Right so the supper of Christ is a signe of his Body and Bloud to the faithfull only who beleeue the nature of bread and wine to be turned into his body and bloud without generation or corruption by the only power of the word of Christ who said after bread taken and blessing made This is my Body This is my Bloud doe this thing for the remembrance of me Beholde the making of Christs Body and Bloud for the remembrance of his death that is the signe we speake of this was the memory or the remembrance whereof Dauid said Memoriam Psal 110. fecit mirabilium suorum Our Lorde hath made a remembrance of his meruailous workes c. And thinke we that a remeÌ„brance of meruailous things is made of God without a miracle S. Cyprian Cipr. de Cena do saith the bread to be made fleshe Omnipotentia verbi By the Almightie power of the worde S. Augustine calleth it Aug. manu ca. 11. Chris de Sacerd. Lib. 3. Mirabile Sacrificium S. Chrysostome cryeth out O miracle o the goodnesse of God he that sitteth aboue with the father in the selse-same moment of time is touched with the handes of all men If thou aske howe it is made saith Damascene it is enough Damas de orthod fid Lib. 4 Cap. 14. for thee to heare that it is made by the holy Ghost euen as our Lord made for himselfe and in himselfe a body out of the Virgine Mother of God we knowe no more but that the worde of God is true strengthfull Eus lib. 5. demonst cap. 3. Beda in hom Vidit Iesus Basil in Liturg. Greg. Niss in orat de Pascat Hiero. in Leuit. Niceph. lib. 1. cap. 28. Almighty Eusebius calleth it Admiralem exitum oraculi A meruailous euent of the Oracle S. Bede nameth it A sanstification of the holy Ghost that cannot be vttered by speache The like wordes haue Saint Basil Saint Gregory Nissenus Saint Hierome Nicephorns Thus much I thought good briefly to say concerning the manner howe the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is a signe token mysterie or remembrance euerie worde whereof expounded according to the Gospell and to the state of the newe Testament doth proue the reall presence of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine It is a Sacrament which outwardlye signifieth that which is inwardly wrought it is a figure containing the trueth figured it is a signe meete for the inslitution of Christ whose signes are miraculous it is a secret token knowne onlie to those that beleeue it is the remembrance of Christes death by the presence of the body which died what shall I say more It is the body bloud of Christ couered from our eies reuealed to our faith feeding presently our bodies and soules to life euerlasting When Tertullian and S. Augustine say Christ gaue a figure or signe of his body the Protestant Grammarians vnderstand a Rhetoricall figure as Metonymia or Synechdoche or such a figure as it is set vp at an Ale-house or Wine-tauerne but the Doctors meane a peculiar signe and token miraculously instituted by Christ which conteyneth and giueth to the faithfull the truth which it betokeneth Signes and figures in the Sacraments consist of words and the matter as of Water and I Baptise c. Bread and Hoc est c. of Oyle c. Christs wordes make that which they signifie otherwise neither body nor figure thereof Againe which of the holy Fathers teacheth that Body standeth to signifie the figure of body Many Fathers say the wordes of Christ are plaine manifest true and effectuall but no man telleth of such a strainge taking of the wordes Body Bloud no man witnesseth them to be taken for the figures of body and bloud and no maruell for no man knewe that interpretation They Note well knowe that the true body of Christ giuen after such a sort vnder the formes of bread and wine was a figure of the selfe same body either walking visibly vpon earth or suffering vpon the Crosse or sitting nowe at the right hand of his Father or intending to come to iudgement They coulde tel that a thing present in a secret manner is a token signe and a watch-worde to all the faithfull of an open manner either past or to come in the same thing by this meanes they confessed the Sacrament to be the signe of Christes body and bloud but they knewe no such figure as the SacrameÌ„taries haue deuised they neuer could tell of Synecdoche or Metonymia they knewe sacramentall and not rhetoricall figures mysticall not poeticall holy and not prophane Lâ—t him therfore that wil haue any thing made at al of Christs wordes acknowledge them to be proper to signify somewhat and to make that they signifie which is the true body bloud of Christ vnder those outward ryndes or visible formes of bread and wine For as vnder the visible fleshe of Christ his Godhead lay priuy but yet was truely present and had assumpted his flesh into one person euen so vnder the visible forme of bread the fleshe of Christ is really present in the holy mysteries and therefore we touch that flesh when wee touch the forme of bread as S. Thomas did touch the Godhead wheÌ„ he touched the fleshe of Christ for in each place we touch not either the godhead or the fleshe visibly but by the meane of that thing wherein it is truely present that thing I say receiued of vs doth make his death resurrection to be remembred Hath he not al that euer Christ did presently before his eies who hath Christ himselfe present But take Christ away and afterward it
darknes conquere the world and themselues and win an euerlasting Crowne Chap XIIII of the holy Sacrament of Penance and of the three parts therof and of the necessitie thereof to all sinners after Baptisme But as you see in a dangerous fight a most valiant souldier may sometime take a deadly wound whereunto a plaister and most soueraigne salue is most needfull that so after he may fight more manfully Euen so Christ the good phisition knowing the dangerous warrefare man hath here vppon earth with those most mighty enimies the flesh the world the diuell whereby somtime in soul he may take a deadly wounde that father of mercye then and God of all comfort knowing the weakenes of our vessells and taking compassion of our infimitie to cure our deadly woundes hath ordained a nother most wholsome Sacrament called Penance which Saint Hierome calleth Secundam tabulam post naufragium the second table after shipwrack For euen as if in the Sea a shippe burst there is no other remedy but take some bord swimme out EueÌ„ so in this troublesome Sea of this wretched world which like the Sea is alwaye stormy if a man after Baptisme fall againe to sinne as we be all sinners and need the grace of God then loe there is no other refuge to besaued but only by Penance as our Sauiour teacheth vs Nisi penitentiam Luc. 13. vers 3 egeritis omnes simul peribitis Vnlesse you doe penance you shall altogether perishe which fall of ours by sinne as it especiallye consisteth in three thinges in Thought Worde and Deede So hath Gods mercy ordained this Sacrament of Penance as a remedy which consisteth of three parts that is first of Contrition of heart in beeing sorrowfull for our sinnes with full-purpose to amende secondly of Confession of mouthe in confessing the same to a lawfull Priest as the Vicar of Christ and thirdlye in Satisfaction of workes which bee Fasting Prayer Almes-deedes and the like which the Holye Scripture tearmeth fruites or workes of Penance At this Heretikes when they cannot aunswere scoffe but we proue them by Godes worde and authoritye of the Holie Catholike Church Wee proue then the first part of Penance that is Contrition of heart by many places of Holye Scripture Iâ—â—l â— as where we are commaunded to conuert and turne our selues to GOD in Fasting Weeping and Lamentation And agayne Scindite corda uestra non vestimenta vestra c. Rent your heartes and not your garmentes c. Tolet. sum lib. 2. Cap. 4. conc Trid. sess 14. cap. 4 Which sorrowe of hart is of such force when it is donne in Charitye and pure loue to God that by vertue thereof it some-time may be so great that mans sinnes may thereby be forgiuen Whereupon Almighty God sayeth by his holye Prophet Conuert to me and I will bee conuerted to you And againe In quacunque hora ingemuerit peccator c. At what howre soeuer a sinner lamenteth from the bottome of his heart I vvill heare him But vvhat neede we then saieth the Heretickes to confesse our sinnes to a Preiste I aunswere for diuerse causes first because it is the ordinance of Christ in his Newe Testament who knoweth best howe to Order Mat. 5. 21. Christian iustice I grant far exceedeth that of the Pharisies in moe thinges then one which words declare the perfection of the new testament which to get Confession is a great meanes Rule and Gouerne his people who telleth vs * Wherein is euer vnderstoode Confession included to be made in due time Vnlesse our iustice exceedeth that of the Scribes and Pharisees wee shall not enter into the kingdome of GOD c. For a-fore Christ indeede Penance was not a Sacrament as nowe it is neither were they of the olde Testament that was before Christ bound to confesse all their sinnes Saluo meliori iudicio to the Preist but compunction inward repentance and sorow of hart with amendment and restitution for iniustice done woulde suffise though euen then we read that manye would openly confesse yet in that state when the prophet spake those words we grauÌ„t that in what howre soeuer a sinner with due repentance or contrite sorow and compunction of harte conuerted himselfe to God he would forgiue him yea and moreouer wee graunt the same still now in this law of grace since Christ that when-soeuer a man hath perfecte contrition or sorrow for his sinnes they be forgiuen him but true contrition or perfect repentance with perfect loue and charity to God can no man haue but hee that hath will to keepe Godes Commaundementes and to doe that Christ hath bidden But Christ hath commaunded that we confesse our sins as after I will proue by the Gospell and therfore no man can haue perfect contrition or conuersion to God but he that is sorowful for his sins that assoone as he can meete with a lawful Preist or in due time he wil confesse theÌ„ that so Christs ordinance being fulfilled by meanes of the Preist they may bee forgiuen him But if a man be in danger of death or in such place that hee cannot come possiblely by any meane to coÌ„fession before a Priest then no doubt if he haue perfect contrition and sorow for his sins Christ the high Priest who as I saied before is not so bound to his SacrameÌ„tes but that without them he can giue his grace giueth in such time of necessitye perfect absolution from sinne yea so great the sorow of hart may bee that both sinne yea and paine due vnto sinne in this life and in the next may bee forgiuen And I doubt not but that there be many good men that perhappes come to Confession once euerye weeke that before they confesse to the Preist haue their sinnes forgiuen at Godes hands so great is their loue to God sorowe for their sinnes for that they haue offended him that is chiefly to be be loued yet because of Christes ordinance in their contrition is allwayes Confession included or vnderstood which was plainely signified vnto vs and taught by our Sauiour by two especially of his wonderfull miracles the one was when he had healed the leapers hee had them goe and shewe themselues Luc. 17. 14. to the Preistes whereby wee bee taught that though our sinnes which be leprosie to our soules bee already in Gods sight by perfect sorowe forgiuen yet wee must shewe them by confession to the Preist Gods Vicar because it is Christes holye ordinance who hath lefte that power his father gaue him to his holie Church Againe when Christ raysed Lazarus that was fower dayes deade who signifieth a man deeplye deade in sinne when he was aliue and rose vp hauing yet his handes and feete bound Christ bad his disciples Loose his bandes and suffer him to goe a Iohn 11. 44. way So when Christ by his grace inwardly in mannes hart hath wrought sorow and repentance and so made the sinner aliue agayne in
let him bee accursed to you Shall wee not bee well occupied if we leaue the plaine vvorde of God to come and see whether Ambrose and Augustine teach two Sacramentes or moe Saint Paule teacheth Matrimonye to bee a Sacrament and shall we goe from him to Ambrose and Augustine to se whether it be one or no was euer such a practize hearde of as to brag of Scriptures to bost of holy writt to crie vpon vs for coming to the word of God and now that we are comen thither to call vs from all Prophets and Apostles yea from Christ himselfe to Ambrose and Augustine is this the way to the holy Scriptures can this fault bee excused can this hypocrisie be tollerated To winne the itching eares of the inconstant multitude to gett them the applause of licentious libertines in the pulpit they call to the worde of God and when they haue gotten them within their netts they teach them out of Ambrose and Augustine yea woulde God they did so at the least but what if wee proue they deceiue the people in fathering that vpon Ambrose and Augustine which they neuer wrote nor taught The Protestants say Saint Augustme nameth but two sacraments but besides twaine I will bring other two named of him as plainly as possibly may bee in his booke de bono coniugali Cap. 24. these be his wordes The good saith S. Augustine which riseth of mariage through all nations and men consisteth in the cause of begetting children and in the faith of chastity And in so much as appertaineth to the people of God it consisteth allso in the holnes of the Sacrament through which it is vnlawful yea though diuorce come between to mary an other whilest her husband liueth not so much as for the very cause of bringing forth of children Which though alone it be the cause why marriages are made yet band of marriage is not loosed vnlesse the husband dye albeit that thing followe not for the which marriage is made Much-like as if to bring the people together some of the Cleargie should be ordered or consecrated with holy orders for although the meeting of the people doe not ensue Yet Sacramentum ordinationis the Sacrament of giuing orders abideth in them that be ordered and if for any faulte any man be remoued from the office he shall not lacke the Sacrament of our Lord which is once put vpon him although it remame to his damnation Thus farre S. Augustione in which wordes he declareth that amonge Christian men there are other two Sacramentes of Preisthood and of Matrimony beside Baptisme and the Euchraist and each of them so great and so strong that they cannot bee loosed and taken away but only by death of the party although the chiefest cause ceasse why the Sacrament was giuen In another place S. Augustine Cont. Donat. Lib. 5. Cap. 2. speaketh plainly of the water of Baptisme Oyle the Eucharist the Imposition of hands al signed with the seale of the Crosse S. Ambroso likewise confesseth moe Sacraments then Baptisme and the Fucharist lib. 1 de penitentia cap. 7. these bee his wordes Cur baptizaris si per hominem peccata dimittinon licot c. why art thou Baptised if it be not lawfull sinnes to be forgiuenes by man truly in Baptisme ther is forgiuenes of all sin what skilleth it whether Preists chalenge this right of forgiving sinnes to be given them by Penance or by Baptisme the mistery or Sacrament is one in both But thou wilt say that in Baptisme the grace of the misteries worketh what in Penance doth not the grace of God work Here is the same vertue and name of a mistery or Sacrament giuen to Penance which is giuen to Baptisme vvhereby Saint Ambrose taught there was as well a Sacrament of Penance as of Baptisme These few placeshaue I brought out of S. Ambrose and Augustine to shew as it were to your eyes if you will not be willfully blinded how the Protestantes crie out vppon the worde of God till they haue with sweete wordes wonne fauour amonge the miserable number of these vnstable men that alwaies harken for newes but wheÌ„ they haue them fast then is the word of God cleane forgotten and in stead thereof Ambrose and Augustine are I am vrged to speake it falselye alleadged For the truth is they that sett naught by the word of God cannot long esteeme Ambrose Augustine who with al their harts imbraced the word of God and expounded the same according to the auncient Tradition of the Church To what end then doe our new masters runne truly to sett vp an Idoll of their owne making in place of the word of God to set vp I say a phantastical religion of their owne deuising But if they should crie to the people come come bow downe to the I doll that wee haue deuised for you the people would not come as being feared with the infamous name of an Idoll therefore they saye come to the worde of God come to the holy Scriptures come to the true Gospell of Iesus Christ they say exceeding well you see we are come and it quitâ— hath and will ouerthrowe them S. Dionisius and Hierotheus disciples of Christ Dionis de Hierarch â—ccle cap. 3. and S. Paul call the Eucharist the sacrament of Sacraments which they neuer woulde if there had beene no more but two See S. Dionis Chap. 4. 5. 6. Dâ— Ecclesiast Hierarch howe he teacheth moe Sacraments But to returne to my purpose I wil not omit to opeÌ„ one subtil shift of the heretike whereby like a bugge or fox with a mans visard of his face he oft deceiueth the simple and vnwarye with faire blessings and gaye tearmes which vnlearned men cannot iudge of nor descerne He will tell you their communion is a holy sacrament and that therby you â—ate Christ as he sitts at his fathers right hand in faith spirit and that you must â—ate that heauenly bread sorsooth that they giue you as the body and bloud of Christ and then no doubt you receiue Christ and the like But aske the heretike whether that bread he giueth to the people be the very body of Christ or no and that properly it can be no more called bread in that it is called transubstantiate and verily turned into the very body and bloud of Christ in deed then you shall perceiue the foxe pull of his maske and shew his eares as I hard of a good fellowe a minister did who giuing to a gentleman bread from their communion table and said The body of our Lorde Iesu c. by chaunce he let a peece fall the gentleman esteeming it to be some holy thing aboue other bread sanctified by Godes word would haue taken it vp againe no no said the minister Sir lett it alone here is more enough yea said the gentleman is it not worth the taking vp trulye quoth heâ— then none of it at all shall come into my belly and so
malecontent went his way This minister you see in his action declared what their communion bread is nothing but bare bakers bread in deede speake they neuer so gloriouslye of it to deceaue the simple and so bad that it is not worth the taking vp vvheras I haue proued to you before by most sure authority that the Blessed Sacrament that Christ left vs is no more bread but his very body and bloud in deed But they say you must receiue it in faith spirit how in faith spirit they speak a thing that neither they themselus nor any man els vnderstaÌ„deth for to say the truth there Communion is such a minion that they know not what to define or make of it or what to affirme such is the blindnes of heretikes when they haue once lost the high way for was there euer any that hard how a maÌ„ could eat Christ in a peece of bread nothing but breade or may we thinke them so strong in faith and spirit that with S. Paul they bee alwaies rauished when they come to their comunioÌ„ to the third heauen that so they may â—ate Christ at his fathers right hande but these slender â—uasioÌ„s be shifts for simple babes ouer childishe sauing that they wante not malice to bee answered Truthe it is the holye Catholicke Church teacheth two kinds of receauing the one is Sacramentall that is wheÌ„ we receiue the body bloud of Christ not with hart only earnest desire but also really truly and substantially in the B. Sacrament Christ god maÌ„ which euery christiaÌ„ is bound to do at due times when he can come to it Another manner of receiuing is with spirit feruent desire wheÌ„ a man caÌ„not or is not prepared sacramentally to receiue of this kind of receiuing S. Aust saith Crede manducasti beleiue thou hast eaten Now heretikes coÌ„found both these maÌ„ners of receiuing sacramental spirituall together so that when the holy Fathers speake of spirituall receiuing by ChristiaÌ„ charitable faith desire which euery good christiaÌ„ maÌ„ as oft as he think eth of this B. Sacrament or is present at it ought to haue that so more morâ— he may be fast lincked vnited and incorporate with Christ then do they either ignorantlye or maliciouslye vnderstand and peruert the holye Fathers as though they speake of Sacramentall receiuing and so in brabling of receiuing Christ by faith alone would exclude him out of the holy Sacrament contrary to his institution and so in that Sacrament by denying of Christ wherein our faith is cheifly excercised they lost both Christ therein yea faith deuotion religion and all But the holy Fathers which heretikes seldome reade or if they doe little vnderstand or not beleiue them when these blessed men I say spake of spirituall receauing as oft they doe they not onlye teach vs the great and stedfast faith earnest desire we ought to haue to this blessed Sacrament but the due preparation we ought to make worthely to receiue the same which is by innocent life and pure conscience remaining in Christ by feruent loue charity which is spiritually to receiue Christ that so he may remaine in vs we in him with this preparation if a man could not come to receiue sacrameÌ„tally the blessed Sacrament al the dayes of his life yet no doubt he should be saued for that thus spiritually he eateth Christ In like maner the holy Doctors namely Saint Augustine tearme this B Sacrament a signe or figure which we deny not for euery Sacrament is a figure of signe otherwise it could not be a Sacrament but in that the heretikes call it a bare signe as it were or an only figure and signe that by the holy Fathers doctrine we vtterlie denye and by Gods worde proue the contrary For the Sacrament of the Altar is both a signe or figure and yet the thing it selfe also which it signifieth or figureth as for example you see a loafe of bread stand before the bakers shopp to be sould it is both a signe that bread is there to be sould and yet very bread it selfe so the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is a signe of Christes body and yet his very body it selfe How a signe of Christs body will you say Marry a figure and signe of Christes body dead broken crucified in an other quality then we receiue him in the blessed Sacrament For in the blessed Sacrament wee receiue Christes bodye though a very true and naturall bodye yet not subiect to those alterations and qualities our bodies bee and therfore wee receiue him with al if I might so tearme it which is verelie naturall a supernaturall bodye an impassible bodye a glorified body though in very deede before his Passion also hee gaue to his Disciples the very same bodye we nowe in the same Sacrament receiue giuing his owne body in his owne handes to his Disciples by his mighty diuine power vnited to that body to which power nothing is impossible So that as saith a late famous writer wee verely teach beleene the figure and the truth to stand together the supper of our Lord to bee the signe of Christs body and to bee his owne bodye the weaker parte is the signe the greater is the truth but both doth not only stand together in one Sacrament but furthermore the true nature of euery Sacrament of Christ is to haue both that is to say to haue one certaine truth and one certaine signe of the same truth the truth is hidden vnder the signe the signe is witnesse of the truth which once being declared you shall se the vaine doctrine of the Protestants The signes and miracles Christ wrought outwardly were tokens of his Godhead hidden from our eyes likewise the supper of Christ is both a signe of his body also his true body a signe outwardly and the true bodye inwardly a signe by the sound of words when it is first made and a truth by the inwarde working of the holy Ghost by consecration So that Christ intending to leaue certaine holy misteries vn to his Church thereby to conuey vnto her the fruit of his Passion and death as well for regard of his owne self in whose person two natures were vnited as for regard of vs who consist of bodye and soule made the said holy Sacraments to bee of a double sorte and nature so that the one parte thereof might appeare to the sences the other should lye priuye and onlie bee seene by faith Saint Chrisostome in an Homely of the treason of Iudas saith Sacerdotis ore c. that is The wordes are spoken with the Priestes mouth and by the vertue and grace of God the thinges set before our eyes are consecrated This is saith he my Body by this worde the thinges proposed be consecrated It is to be noted that how many Fathers soeuer call the Sacrament a Figure yet none of them all teacheth these words This is my Body and This is my
Diuel and all his members and to our vnspeakable comfort and endlesse ioy in heauen that whereas here vvee nowe truly receaue CHRIST in this vnspeakeable misterie there wee may bee fedde and enioy his presence in that endlesse glorie vvhich hee onr LORD IESVS graunt who bee blessed for euer But yet moreouer one thing is to bee considered touching the manner of receauing this blessed Sacrament vvhich is that although CHRIST gaue this blessed Sacrament vnto his Apostles vnder both kindes that is his body and bloud apart and although both Bishops and Priests as oft as they celebrate Masse according to Christs institution are to receaue vnder both kinds yet the holy Church vpon most weighty consideration giueth the lay people but only one kind that is the holy Host Christs body and that which the Priest or Clarke giueth them after in the Chalice or in a glasse is but wine to washe their mouthes lest any of the holy Host shoulde be left behinde or sticke in the mouth neither are lay persons in this receauing vnder one kinde defrauded of the bloude of Christ nay they receaue in that one kinde as fully and perfectly Christ as the Priest that may liuely represent Christs Passion and shedding of his bloud as the publicke Minister of the Church receaueth both For though his body be consecrated apart and his bloud apart in mistery to signifie the effusion thereof and his death in his Passion yet Christ is not deuided and therefore whosoeuer receaueth his bodye likewise receaueth hys bloud as being nowe inseperably ioyned together For although through the force of the words of the Sacrament by consecration the body and bloud be seuerally present vpon the Altar yet by the concommitance naturall and inseparable vnion betwixt them it necessarily followeth that where the body is there also is the bloud and where the bloud there likewise the body Yet sor feare of inconueniences that might chaunce if the common people should receaue vnder both kindes yea and for conseruation of vniformity in receauing this B. Sacrament the knot of peace in all persons and places of the worlde and for other iust causes the holy Church who hath to dispose of this B. Sacrament as of the rest according to time and place for the most edifying of the people giueth it them vnder one kinde only knowing that Christ hath promised as much grace and saluation to the one kinde as to both For he that said the 6. of S. Iohn Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man drink his bloud you shall not haue life in you hee likewise in the same chapter saide He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer yea he our Sauiour likewise as appeareth the 24. Chap. of S. Luke gaue it two of his disciples vnder one kind when he tooke bread blessed and gaue to them and their eyes were opened and they knewe him which was that bread as manye learned fathers vnderstand that bread of life I saye that came downe from heauen Christ himself his blessed body which would GOD the heretickes in true faith and charitye would dispose them selues with vs yea and the Disciples of Christes to receaue then no doubt their eyes would bee opened to see and bee partakers of the truthe whose eyes alas infidelity pride and other sins haue so blinded that whereas at first some of them began to contend for the cup the bloud of our Lord in breaking vnity charity in departing from the church they haue of Gods hea uy iustice and iudgement who in obstinat sinners suffereth one sinne to bee the punishment of an other lost both body bloud the price of their redemption al. Likwise as it appeareth in the acts of the Apostles they also themselus Act. 2. 42. ca. 20. 7 sometimes gaue it the people vnder one kinde as the Church now vniuersally doth through the whole world practise and vse and of most auncient time the people receaued vnder one kind as by many testimonies miraculous examples when in the Primatiue Church this B. Sacrament vnder one kinde as now was reserued caried about and giuen to the lay people if leasure and time would permit me I could shewe most euidently proue The Arke of God also carried about the wales of Hierico with solemnity of trumpets whereby the munitions of the impious fell downe betokening this B. Sacrament the Arke of the liuing God with all honour solemnly carried in Procession with all jubely of harts melody of voyces grauity of the Ecclesiasticall and noble personages adorned with most precious attire and riche ornaments assisted vvith troupes of the deuout people of both sectes euerye one occupied in their degree some hanging the streetes and wales with cloath of their best Tapestrie and Aurice like the true Israelites that furnished the tabernacle and adorned Salomons temple with their riches and Iewells others with the deuout companies of the Iewes spread their garments in the waies and strew the streats with rushes herbes flowers palme boughs and fragment blossomes others like valiant souldiers of that worthye Gedeon carry vvith exultations torches and lightes in their handes and sound out with great solemnity and pleasant harmony the sacred bells materiall trumpets of Christ his Church and other musicall instruments others with holy Ioseph Nichodemus and those deuout woemen couer as is meete the most maiesticall and venerable Sacrament the most blessed bodye of our Lorde with their white and finest sindons and most precious Iewells others with all or with the greatest parte of their riches and posessions chiefly in the honour hereof haue erected Altars of the best marble siluer golde and precious sâ—ones and haue builded most magnificent temples in diuers nations of the world litle inferour to Salomons temple in greatnes but farre excceding it in true honor and glory by the pure gratfull and sincere worship of God in that healthfull Sacrisice In temples this diuine mistery is reserued in guilt tabernacle with lampe and light to the comfort of the faithfull and health of the sicke from hence in solemne procession it is caried in holye vessell and sacred hands through Church princely street and couered path young olde of all states degrees prostrating themselues in body and mind singing with ioyfull harts sweet coÌ„sent in voice with those deuout children of God Hosanna filio Ioh. 12. 13. Dauid blessed be he that commeth in the name of our Lord. And so the deuout army of God carying the banners displaied with the triumphant ensigne and standerd of the Crosse beseech him for Christ his sonnes sake there present al of one hart and accord that the rocks of sinne and walles of Satan may be pulled down that the people of God may haue true libertye the weedes of iniquitye may be rooted out true vertue may be exalted iustice executed God chieflye honoured and gloryfied in his people that so Christ resting in his sacred tabernacle remayning in his holy
in such like daunger of death nor to such as are presently to be executed but only to the sicke in whome is oft a great fault that they neuer send for the Priest til others doe for them till they be at the last gasp so that theÌ„ they can neither receaue this holy Sacrament with such deuotion nor fruit as being in perfect reason they might The sick then ought to desire this Sacrament which manie fondly do not thinking if then they do they can liue no longer not coÌ„sidering one fruit effect thereof which is that if God see it expedieÌ„t it is a meane they may the more spedely recouer their former health The second and chiefe fruit and effecte thereof is that it forgiueth all such sinnes we could not remember in ConfessioÌ„ as appeareth by the words likwise of Saint Iames who saith If the sick be in sinne it shal be forgiuen him Lesser sinnes then and defects yea greater too if we could not remember theÌ„ bee herein forgiuen VVherefore our good Lorde Iesus is euer to bee blessed that by this Sacrament thus maketh perfect the worke of our Saluation For by meanes hereof in that last hovver of death wheÌ„ tentations commonly be diuers most great dangerous the Diuell most busy to get his pray then lo I say by this Sacrament our tentations be infeebled made lesse our souls more strengthned and comforted that we be not dasled with temptations nor ouercome but may ioyfully in God passe this life For as in the olde time ChampioÌ„s before the combat had wont with oyle to annoint their naked bodies that theyr aduersaries might take lesse hold so by meanes of this SacrameÌ„t the outward matter whereof is oyle the soule being inwardly annointed by the grace of the holye Ghost that subtill aduersarie the Diuell canne take lesse holde of it that so it may passe out of the troublesome warfarre of this life to that enlesse glory where it shall receaue a crowne of endlesse reward for euer This Sacrament is ministred vpon those outward sences wherby we most vsually offend and vvhereby sinne is drawne into our soules as by our eyes handes and the like The forme of the holy words vsed is By this holy anointing and his most pittifull mercy our Lord pardon and forgiue thee vvhat thou hast sinned by the eyes mouth and so forth is said of the rest of the members that maye vvith decency be named VVhereby you see hovv fitlye and accordinge to the Apostles Doctrine this SacrameÌ„t is ordeyned ministred First instituted by Christ both prayer and the holy matter concurring togither yet this holy Sacrament though none vnder paine of damnation may despise it but euery one in time ought to desire it yea often times if the party fall sicke and recouer againe it may be giuen yet I fay it is not of such necessity if a man cannot with desire and sufficient meanes made haue it but he may be saued without it by the speciall mercy and grace of God Author and Institutor of all these seauen Sacraments and giuer of all grace to whome be all honour and glory Chap. XXXIX Touching briefly by the way the matter of Iustification and by whome and howe we be iustified THus you see good Sir I haue touched briefly all the Sacraments which that good Samaritane curing the sicke and wounded by powâ—ing in wine and oyle that is Iesus Christ full of mercy and justice ordeyned as vesselles of grace and committed to Priests and Pastors of his Church to be dispenced and bestowed by them on his people for their saluation These seauen Sacraments I say haue I briefly touched and the grounds thereof prouing euery one by the very and expresse worde of God tradition and generall consent of the whole Church which may suffice any simple or vnlearned maÌ„ desirous to know the truth for in behalfe of such like especially I haue taken these paines with as much plainenesse and simple stile as possibly I might in so high matters neither was it my intent to giue any full doctrine of these matters but only to touch the principall groundes If any desire morefull and large discourse I referre him to the bookes of the learned wherein he shall finde many treatises in all tongues of some one Sacrament or other and of euery matter almost or altogither at large by me here briefly touched and so passed ouer But because the Sacraments be for the most part the principall points of our religion next to the B. Trinity Incarnation and Passion those briefly for your sake because you desire to know the truth for your saluation I thought good to touch For as God almighty by Christ Iesus our meritorious Sauiour is the chiefe efficient cause of our justification So his Sacraments be the ordinary meanes and instrumentall causes whereby a man in receauing theÌ„ if he be well disposed by the grace of God and put no let of his part of a sinner and childe of the Diuell is made a iust man and the childe of God renewed and raysed vp againe in Baptisme especially from Orjginall sin by Christ the second Adam as he was vitiated and fell from originall iustice by Adam our first father And though God worketh commonly his grace in matter disposed yet he it is that so preuenteth disposeth and freely giueth the grace first to dispose a mans selfe So that when man first receaueth Gods grace whereby ex impio fit iustus that is of a wicked man and vessell of perdition hee is made a iust man which is called justification and the first grace preuenting a man that I say by grace of God is wrought of his meere loue and goodnesse vvithout any worke meritte or desert of man for otherwise grace should not be grace which is first giuen without any desert or merit of our part wherby wee bee so made iust And hereof the holy Scripture saith as from Gods ovvne mouth Quia dilexite ideo attraxite miserans Ier. 31. 3. because I loued the therefore said God to man I haue drawen thee vnto mee hauing mercy and pity vpon thee by the which loue of his he chose man before all worldes But vnderstand me well I pray you when a man hath first of gods goodnes thus receaued his first grace the true foundation and meritte of all our good workes then lo by mans true faith hope charity good workes and endeuours being thus first preuented and after holpen by God hee may and must if euer hee will bee saued not only conserue that first grace of God wrought in him by his goodues by fleeing sinneand imbracing vertue but also in so doing greatly increase Gods grace in him once receaued whereby hee is rightly said to meritte and deserue his saluation and in this respect it is said Qui iuscus est iustisicetur Apocalip 22. 11. adhuc hee that is iust let him yet be more iust VVee once then by Christ our Sauiours grace
it seeme bread to vs it changed by vnspeakable operation because we are weake and abhorre to eate raw flesh specially the flesh of man ther fore it seemeth bread but in deede it is flesh If these wordes can be glosed with a figure theÌ„ I know not what shal escape the hands of these figure makers They In apol 2. that acknowledge a change of the substance of bread into Christs body must needes meane a reall presence of that body whereinto the chainge is made When Iustinus the Martyr denieth vs to take the things consecrated as common bread and drinke shewing also that we haue learned them to bee not onely sanctified in quality but to bee the flesh and bloud of Christ which is another substance hee doth vs to vnderstand that he meaneth them not to bee after consecration the substance of common bread and wine but to bee the substance which Christ toke of his mother when the worde was made flesh S. Cyprian sheweth the bread which Cena Domini our Lorde gaue to the Disciples to bee changed not in shape but in nature ther fore the substance is changed S. Ambrose It is not that which nature De iis qui initiat cap. 9. formed but that which the blessing hath consecrated if nature formed the substance of common bread the words of blessing pronounced be This is my body it is not afterwarde any more the substance of bread but of Christs body grace is affirmed with the deniall of nature This argument is in manner at large and that of the reall presence but who so listeth to see more therein let him reade Gregorius Nissenus in oratione catechetica Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus in catechesi mistagogica 4. Eusebius Emissenus in orat 5 in pasch Hysichius in Cap. 6. Leuit. Theophilact Euthymius in Euangelia Damasceâ— lib. 4. Cap 14. All that affirnie the externall sacrifice of Christes body and bloud must needes teach the reall presence thereof sith that thing which is absent cannot externally be sacrifised S. Dionisius Areopagita De Eccl. hierar cap. 3. Luc. 22. Dial. 3. saith The Bishoppe excuseth himselfe for that he offereth a Sacrifice aboue his worthinesse or power crying out decently thou O Lorde saidst make this thing for remembrance of me Heretickes admit no Eucharist or offerings saith S. Ignatius in Theodorete because they doe not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of the Sauiour A maÌ„ would haue thought this had bin in our time against the Sacramentaries it agreeth with olde heretickes so much Eusebius Pamphili We offer a sacrifice Lib. 1. demonst Eâ—ang cap. 10. Can. 18. Lib. 4. C. 32. Lib. 2. ep 3. ful of God dreadful most holy we sacrifice after a new manner according to the new Testament a cleane sacrisice or host Concil Nicenum Lett vs vnderstand by faith the Lambe of God who taketh away the sinnes of the world being situated in that holy table to be offered vp bloudely of the Preists and that wee take indeede his pretious Body and Bloud And againe neither rule or custom hath deliuered that they who haue no power to offer sacrifice should deliuer the Body of Christ to them who offer Hereof S. Ireneus S. Ciprian S. Augustine De ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 20. and all the rest may be reade for it is a known mater haÌ„dled of the fathers most frequently What shall Isay that the fathers teach that the Sacrament ought to be adored with godly honor as I shewed before That they teach that euil meÌ„ doe receiue and touch the body bloud of Christ and thereby be guilty of them as Iudas was That they teach our bodies to bee nourished with Christs flesh and bloud which cannot be nourished with a thing absent That they teach vs to be naturally vntied to Christ whilst he dwelleth Chrysost hom 24. in 1. Cor. Cypr. de cena doâ— coâ—porallye in vs That they affirme Christs body to be vpon the Altar vpon the holy table in the handes in the mouthes and the bloud to be in the cup That they giue it such names as onely may agree to the substance of Christ calling it Saluation Light Life Lorde Christ an Offering wholy burnt a Sacrament which quickneth maketh vs liue for euer That they teach euery man to receiue the same substance one measure equall proportion which is true neither of spirituall nor of corporall guifts but only of the flesh of Christ reallye present vnder the forme of bread That they vse Cyp. de ce na dom Hier in 26. Mat. 6 Aug de ciâ—i li. 10 cap. 5. in psal 39. Chry hom de prodiâ— Iude. in sheweing howe it is sanctified the verbes creating making working consecrating representing or making present such like which are not verefied of a matter only spirituall or abseÌ„t in sub staÌ„ce That they speak of it couertly saying Nornnt fideles The faithfull knowe because if they should plainly declare the truth therof then Infidles would mocke at it as now the heretickes doe for it is a misterye aboue all reason of man Which scoffing were not to bee feared Angli confes 9. ca. 13. Cypr. li. 1. ep 9. Aug de ciu li 17. ca 20. if it were but a mere figure for al kinds of religion haue ceremonies and figures That they applied it to the helping of soules departed as being the very selfe same substaÌ„ce which ransaked hell That they haue taught it to bee truthe which hath succeeded in place of olde figures That they haue vsed by the knowne truthe thereof to proue that Christ had true fâ—eash and true blood in a visible maner and two natures in one person against the olde heretickes That they Ieren li. 4. ca. 34. Theodore in dial 20. Ciril Catech mistag 4. Act. 5. haue so far preferred it before Baptisme and the other Sacramentes that no crumme mighte bee suffered to fall downe or to bee lost which was not so in the water of Baptisme for men were Baptized in the running water of the flood That the Catecumeni who were admitted to the preaching of the Gospell which is an excellente signe of Christes flesh and blood yet might not Disonise in Eccles. hierarch cap. 3. see the Euchariste because it was also the truthe it selfe vnder a signe that no man might eat it vnlesse he were first baptized and kept the commandements and yet the Cathecumeni had a sanctified bread also giuen to them which was a signe of Christ as S. August doth witnes Lib. 2. cap. 26. de pecc mor et remis Lett now the discreet reader weighe vprightly this doctrine so grounded in holy scriptures and ancient fathers and hee shall perceaue that whatsoeuer our adversaries bring for the other side it may proue the Sacrament to be a figure which we deny not but it cannot disproue the reall presence of Christs bodie and blood vnder that figure which is the thing that we stand
in against them When Protestantes to couer their heresies about the Sacrament giue it honorable tearms we may say to them Lib. 8. de Trim. as Saint Hillarye saied to the Arrians who called Christ Lord Dominum licet nuncupes c. Albeit you name him Lord Yet you meane him not to bee the Lord because he is a Lord to you rather by a common kinde and familiar name then by nature Euen so pretende what honorable opinion or doctrine the Protestants list of Christs supper yet as long as by nature and substance they thinke not that externall gifte to be his body which himselfe called so they rather sooth it by a better name than meane it to be any better thing than a bare signe or figure Ebion although he denied Christs Godhead Epiphan Her 30. yet as Epiphanius telleth he affirmed him to rule Angells and all that euer was made by God and his scholers called him a Prophet and the Sonne of God which notwithstāding forsomuch as they beleeued him not to be God by nature the Catholikes neuer doubted to say that they taught him to be Nudum hominem A naked bare man Right so whatsoever holinesse bee annexed to bread and wine be it the signe of neuer so great a vertue and efficacy be it neuer so much called the body and bloud of Christ yet if it remaine still in the former substance if the trueth which it is appointed to signifie be absent it is bare bread and bare wine and a bare token of Christs Body and Bloud Some signes containe the trueth they signifie as a loaf set out that bread is there is to be solde another kind of signes signify the trueth absent as the Iuy-bushe doth wine The latter signe is a bare signe but not the first The Catholickes say the best and richest kinde of seales is in the sacrament because there is Christs body really present to signifie and as it were by seale to witnesse his owne death and Passion The bloudy sacrifices of the olde Lawe did better signifie Christs Passion than Protestants bread wine beeing but a bare signe Melchisedeche likewise had besides his bread wine the reall body of Abraham present whō he offered to God in him Iesus Christ his seede and so that also farre more excellent than bakers bread The body of Christ vnder the forme of bread is of it selfe both the thing and also a figure of the mystical vnity of the Church Res Sacramenti that is the thing of the Sacrament is the grace of God The substance of Christ vnder the forme of bread is the signe For Christ commeth in his own corporall presence to seaze and to endue vs with his grace Hence it commeth that S. Augustine so ofte calleth this Sacrament a figure because the body it selfe is heere not for it selfe but to put vs in possesion of so great a grace as the vnion with God is Moreouer those that say the bodye of Christ is eaten by faith only and no otherwise bee against the Gospell that affirmed Christ gaue his bodye with his owne handes beeing present and not at his fathers right hand But faith is Heb. 11. an argument of thinges to bee hoped for not appearing If in S. Iohn spirituall eating by faith bee only spoken of why is it said Dabo I will giue wheras sprituall eating was already giuen to all that euer beleued and therfore it was not to come but the bread which Christ will giue is his flesh and the guift therof is to come therfore it is more then a spirtuall eating by faith which was both past and present Note that the place in S. Iohn which Ioh. 6. heretiks take to make most for them in very deede maketh most against them What saith Christ If you see the Sonne of man ascending c. Whereby is declared the power of our Sauiours Godhead whereby onlye hee ascended which if the Capharnaits and heretikes woulde perfectly beleeue they woulde then neuer doubt of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament which through the omnipotencie of his godhead hee is able to performe Consider also against the heretikes these figure makers that it standeth well together the Eucharist to be a signe the truth as Christ is the Image of God and yet also God the higher euery signe or Image is the lesse it differeth from the truth and therefore the figure of Christs bodye and bloud differeth in forme but not in substance from Christ him selfe and so although the Sacrament be a figure yet the words This is my Body be not tropicall or vnproper Hoc that is the word This signifieth not bread but that is contained vnder bread Hoc facite doe this the making of the sacrificed substāce also must needes be a Sacrifice not only suffering himselfe to be seene of those that desire him as saith S. Chrysostome but also to In Iohn hom 45. be toucht eatē teeth to be fastned in his flesh al to be filled with desire of him Besides the reall presence sacrifice Christes body also hath a locall being in vs in respect that the substance of Christ occupieth the same place vnder the forme of bread which the substance of bread did occupie before when we haue that kinde of bread in vs euen so Christs beeing is locall in vs. Moreouer as Christ at his Incarnation came not from heauen by forsaking his glorie but by asumpting fleshe of the Virgin so nowe at the time of the Consecration his bodye commeth not downe from heauen but the bread is changed into his body by that meane his body is present with vs. And as after his resurrection hee ascended into heauen so after the communion the formes of bread and wine being consumed Christ ceasseth to be corporally with vs to the end wee should againe desire his presence well knowe these Note wel two cheife points of our beleife the one that the ende of the conioyning consisteth in spirit rather thā in flesh the other that the flesh of Christ really eaten is the means whereby we haue accesse to the spirite of God with trust confidence Now Christ cannot bee better present in spirite and grace then if hee bee present in his selfe therein to conuert to vs his spirite and grace for the cause of his taking flesh was to make his flesh an instrument to deliuer his spirite grace to our flesh to the end that no meane of prouiding for our saluation might be omitted by so louing a father In consideration wherof S. Ambrose saith Thou that Lib. 6. de Sacram. Cap. 1. takest his flesh art made pertaker of his diuine substance in that foode Note that the spirite and substance of God commeth to vs by taking Christes flesh Chap. XXIIII Of the excellency of the most blessed Sacrament and in what respect it is called a Sacrament signe or figure and yet is the very thing it selfe which it betokeneth IT
this respect of the representation of Christs Passion and knitting togither of his members with him the very and most B. Body of our Lorde giuen vs at his last supper is called a signe or Sacrament and yet neuerthelesse the thing it selfe that is his B. Body and Bloud not figured or signified by bread and wine but giuen vnder the formes or likenes of bread and wine For that which before consecration was bread wine is now by Christs wordes transubstantiate or wholy turned into the Body and Bloud of Christ as I declared before though to our outwarde eyes and carnall sences there seemeth no other thing then before yet by our faith we be taught farre otherwise as that it is most certainly without all doubt the very Body and Bloud of Christ without which diuine Sacrament a reall coniunction betwixt his fleash the fleash of man cannot be made by faith spirit and vnderstanding only for that is the coniunction of minde but not of fleash and bones as the man and wife by consent of mariage caÌ„not be one body vnlesse they come togither neither doth Christ come from his Fathers right hand corporally to be ioyned with our flesh but bread by consecration is turned into Christs flesh to the intent it may be receiued and made one with our flesh to the end we may be Concorporei as the auncient Fathers tearme vs one fleash and body with Christ Chap. XXV Declaring how it implieth not contradiction that Christ is in heauen and in the Sacrament in many places at once but only declareth an infinite and Almighty power of God that Diuine honor is due hereunto YOu see nowe in some maner and sort by this which is said in the former Chapter the excellencie of this most diuine mystery as our infirmity is able to declare to you and in what respect this B. Sacrament is called a signe or figure and yet the very thing it selfe wherefore you se the heretikes doe most pitifully and wickedly abuse the poore people to both their damnations that contrary to Christ the receiued faith of the Church and al auncient doctors would haue the B. Sacrament but onlie a bare peece of bread in signe figure Reade the holy Fathers and Doctors and when they speake of the Sacramentall receiuing of this B. Sacrament they so plainly without all tropes signes and figures call it verely really and substantially his bodye and bloud so often so pithylie with so firme reasons and so plainly that if they had spoken against the Sacramentaries heretickes of our time they could haue spoken no more plainly For what wordes can be playner then those of that most famous Councell of Nice wherein Arrius the enemy to the sonne of God by more then three hundred holy Fathers was condemned The wordes of the Nicene Councel to our purpose are these Iterum etiam hic diuina mensa c. Againe here also in the holy table let vs not basely attend the bread and cuppe set before vs but lifting vp our minde let vs vnderstand by faith that Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Situm â—sse to be put and laid on that holy table Incruente a sacerdotibus immolatum to bee vnbloudely Sacrificed of the Preistes and that wee vere truly and in deed taking his owne pretious Bodye and Bloud doe beleeue this to be the misticall tokens of our redemption For this cause wee take not much but little that wee might knowe wee take not to fill vs but for holinesse Thus farre the Councell The blessed noble and most glorious Martyr S. Ciprian Decena Domini of the supper of our Lord is as plaine Panis iste c. That Bread saith hee which our Lorde gaue to his Disciples being changed not in outward forme but in nature through the almighty power of the word is made flesh And because mans heart is not quiet till it rest in God and because nothing can truly fil or content man saue only God therefore S. Hillary that strong pillar of Gods Church againste the Arrians teacheth vs in his 8. booke of the Trinity how Christ in this holy Sacrament naturally dwelleth in vs. St vere â— if the worde sayeth hee bee verely made flesh and wee verely take or receiue the worde flesh in our Lordes meate howe is he esteemed not to dwell naturally in vs Seeing then God is by nature the only euerlasting meate which perisheth not and seing he must be giuen to vs in his owne nature and wee are not able to receiue him as he is a spirit hee hath done for vs as good mothers and nources doe for their babes the mother eateth bread and by her eating turneth it into milke and that milke shee giueth to the infant and by that meanes the infant eateth bread and milke In the reall fleshe of Christ is the substance of God only made meate to bee eaten of man Faith is a great gift of God but yet a creature only wherein the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth not and therefore it is not able to attaine to the vnion of Gods nature and much lesse able to giue it by eating of Christ we corporally haue and carry God in our bodies corporally no otherwise in the worlde can be deuised for it As for the figure of bread it is the only true figure because it is a figure without substance of bread For whereas S. Augustine in his third booke sixteene chapter de doctrina Christiana vpon these wordes Nisi manducaâ—eritis c. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of â—an and drinke his bloud c. saith videtur facinus c. how Christ seemeth to commande a heynous act or sinne it is a figure therefore saith he but vnderstand you of the Passion of our Lord commanding vs sweetly to rest in Christ c. These wordes are to be vnderstood of the maner of eating not as a dead carcase is torne in peeces in the shambles but Christ is to be eaten in a mistery and a Sacrament though verely and really yet after a spirituall maner Eor as the figure which was in that Paschall Lamb did not diminish the reall killing and eating thereof but only did refer it to a higher truth so the figure which is in eating Christs flesh doth not diminish the true eating thereof but only declareth the eating to be a figure because it is referred againe to a higher truth both in Christ whose flesh that once died is now eateÌ„ in vs who eate it not so much for to eate it corporally as to feede spiritually of God him selfe who maketh that flesh profitable August in Iohn tract 26. 27. that S. August though so it is euident by his owne words vpon S. Iohn Ye know not what is this maner of eating this flesh but except yee eate it Lo the maner of eating was secrete but the thing that shoulde bee eaten was naturall flesh these also be his wordes to the same
to S. Paul on earth and yet at that present sat at his fathers right hand in heauen To be briefe such a glorified deficate body to whome by power of his diuinity vnited thereunto nothing is impossible this I say if Heretickes woulde beleeue with vs then to them the flesh of Christ would profit much This is my Body this is my Bloud said Christ the pronounâ— This pointeth to body or bloud and not to bread and wine as appeareth by the genders contrary God prouided of purpose that the article This therefore shoulde neither agree with bread nor with wine but only with body bloud or with the Chalice wherin the bloud is conteyned and therefore this to be true that Christs very body and bloud is in the B. Sacrament of the Altar as being most expresse and plaine by the very words of christ we are bound to beleue though to declare the maner how excedeth mans reason because he said it to whom nothing is impossible And therefore for ignorant vnlearned meÌ„ especially when heretikes aske the reason how it is possible for Christ to be here there in many places at once it is not fit for theÌ„ to reasoÌ„ but to haue recourse to faith which is aboue reason plainly say I beleeue Christ that said This is my body to whose power nothing is impossible and let the heretike demand scof or flout neuer so much go you nofurder with him but leaue him to the more lerned that caÌ„handle him better For with his whyes how 's he deceueth the simple souls as the serpent did Eue who begaÌ„ first with the woman the weaker vessell whereby diuines vnderstand the sensual part or inferior part to reason proposed things that seemed delectable reasonable and good and so in the end drew reason and all awry making her to consent by answering first doubtfully and so made her doe the things vnlawfull but if shee neuer had stood to haue reasoned or answered the wily serpeÌ„t but had fled him at first she had neuer bin ouercome The diuel theÌ„ in like maner against the simple childreÌ„ of Gods Church taketh the bodies of heretiks his members speaketh in theÌ„ as in paradise he spake in the body of the serpent so poore simple soules listning to his wily crafts he deceiueth vnder pretence of good casteth them out of paradise Christs kingdome that is his holy Church wherefore flie you alwaies the whispering of that olde serpent in heretikes that you be not deceiued with theÌ„ For heresy creepeth as a canker and the diuels deceipts be diuers many somtimes he armeth hiÌ„ selfe against the people of God with the word of God euill vnderstood to ouerthrow the truth of Gods word in this SacrameÌ„t other misteries of our redeÌ„ption as wheÌ„ Christ saith poore men shal you Ioh. 12. 8. alwaies hauâ— c. meaning passible in forme of pouerty but not by withdrawing himself from vs by his corporal preseÌ„ce in this B. Sacram. as wheÌ„ it is said he is risen asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ we must vn derstand he is neuerthelesse in his sacred flesh meat indeed in this miraculous mistery and so in spirit truth with vs all daies euen to the end of the worlde For Christ ascended into heaueÌ„ there sitting at the right hand of his father and leauing vs the beliefe thereof as a chiefe article of our faith Christ made his owne supper saying This is my Bodye and commaunded his Apostles and their successors to make the same saying doe and make this thing for the rememberance of me Therfore neither the making of Christs bodye neither the beleefe thereof can be contrary to the sitting of Christ at the right hand of his father Againe sith nothing is impossible to God albeit that which implieth contradiction in it selfe be therefore impossible because it repugneth to the truth it felfe which is God is it not possible to God Christ shoulde both be in heauen after one visible sort and in the Sacrament after a misticall sort It were impossible for the body of Christ both to be in heauen and not in heauen or to be in the Sacrament and not to bee there in the same respect but to bee in heauen and in the Sacrament or to bee in many places at once that maketh no contradiction but only sheweth an allmighty infinite power in him who worketh it In somuch as Christ is allmighty to sitt at the right hand of God he is able to performe his owne word gift in the Sacrament of the Altar and therefore in the sixt of S. Iohn when hee spake of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which he would giue he also declared that he would go vp into heauen in his man-hoode where hee was before in his god-head And that thing hee spake as S. Cirillus hath noted to declared that he was God and therfore able to worke that which hee spake of in so much as his wordes were Spirit and Chris de sacerdotiâ— lib. 3. Life For this cause S. Chrysostome crieth out O miraculum O dei benignitatem O miracle O goodnes of God hee that sitteth aboue with the Father in the same very momente of time is touched with the handes of men and deliuereth himselfe to those that will receaue and imbrace him seeme these thinges worthy to bee despised and neglected thou shalt perceaue our holye things not only to bee wonderfull but also exceed all wondring and astonying of the mind Thus saith S. Chrisostome This Blessed Sacrament then thus miraculously instituted by Christ for a perfect memorye of his death and pleadge of his infinite loue with all reuerence and honor is to bee vvorshipped and vvith gratefull memories and pure hartes to bee receaued of vs seeing hee coulde shevv vs no greater token of vnmeasurable loue then this by giuing himselfe wholy vnto vs nor deuise any more excellent way to declare the same For as a man that in fight is wounded with a scarre in his face for his friendes sake comming with that in his face putteth his frend in more perfect memorye of his loue then if hee left or sent him an hundreth other tokens so Christ for our loue taking a deepe vvounde to death coulde leaue vs no more perfect memory thereof then his ovvne bodye in an vnspeakable mistery whereby his death is shewed vntill hee come to iudgment at the end of the vvorlde For euen as the noble actes vvhich other men haue donne bee written vpon their sepulchers so in this memorie of Christ his actes are daylie shewed and rehearsed Then his Incarnation is beâ—okened most mistically vvhen breade is made fleshe as the vvorde was before made fleshe and that Incarnation is represented in outvvarde shevv also by singing of the Angells hymne Glory bee to God in the highest Then See here how in the B. Sacrament at Masse the whole life death and resurrection of Christ is represented the going before of
shewed him by most graue authoritie which was said to be Christ if such thing had beene taught him he for his part was so obedient to beleeue so willing to adore Christ that he woulde haue done any thing which had beene commaunded him vnder the name of Christ or of his religion Is this a fault why the poore man should be condemned no surelye seeing the prophet Dauid saith Vt iumentum Psal 62. factus sum apudte I am become as it were a beast before thee It is laudable saith Enthymius that in the sight of God we take our selues as beasts which being so I can deuise no fault in this poore and simple man who if he be deceaued he is deciued by Christ by his forefathers by diuers Catholicke and vertuous preachers by the vertue of humility of obedience and of pure loue towardes God But on the other side if Christ call one of them before him who denieth his reall presence and aske him why hee did not beleeue the Sacrament of the Altar to bee the body of Christ what will he answere for himselfe will he say Sir I beleeued your body to sitt at the right hand of God the father and therefore that your body was not in the Priests hande Why then thinkest thou that I am not able to make the same which is at the right hand of my father to be also present vnder the forme of bread Sir whether you are able or no I can not say But I haue heard many preachers tell that one bodye cannot be at one time in diuers places O how dreadfully would Christ answere in this case Did not those preachers whome thou pretendest to follow say alwayes they preached to thee the sincere worde of God did they not by that colour ouerthrow Monastaries Churches Altars Images of Saints and mine owne Image and Crosse Did they not deny the sacrifice of the Masse Praying for the dead such like auncient vsages only for pretence of the word of God nowe se how inexcusable they and thou art I saide Take eate This is my Bodye I said this to twelue men I gaue each of them my body bad make that thing as it is written in the Gospell I shewed at Capharnaum that I was signed of my father and equall with him in power they them selues beleue that I made all creatures places times of nothing nowe is it doubted how I am able to make my body present vnder the forme of bread in diuers paâ—ces Yea to mainteine the better the argumeÌ„t against my almighty power they say I entred not into my Disciples the dores being shutt but either preuented the shutting of them contrary to the wordes of my Gospell or came in by the windowe as theeues do or by some hole as creepers do yea any thing is sooner beleeued theÌ„ my diuine strength and working thou Hypocrite seeing the worde of God hath it written fower times in the newe Testament This is my body how coÌ„mest thou to talke with me of my sitting in heaueÌ„ as though one of my workes were contrary to the other if in deed thou hadst bin humbly perswaded that I were god thou wouldest not measure my almighty power by thy simple witt Thou art twice condemned first for deniall of a truth and againe for denying it against my expresse worde which thou pretendest to esteeme and pronouncest it false If the poore man say he knewe not so much nor sawe not the falsehood of that argument and begin to accuse the false preachers who deceaued him Christ may well say that he was not deceaued for before these false preachers began their false doctrine he had said This is my Bodye and This is my Bloud and all the world beleeued and taught the reall presence of Christs body and bloud fiftene hundred yeares togither what cause now hadst thou to beleeue a newe Gospel and newe preachers thereof forsooth Sir they said the Bishop of Rome had deceaued vs. If in this case Christ tell him that the Bishop of Rome were the successor of Saint Peter and so his Vicar hauing promise by him not to erre in faith and yet that he alone taught not that Doctrine but that all the Bishoppes Doctors and Preachers of the whole Church taught the same from the beginning and that Christ himselfe had said the same that all the Euangelists and the Apostle Saint Paul had written the same that all faithfull men beleeued the same what excuse can hee haue who forsooke CHRIST the Apostles the Bishopps the Fathers the Preachers and the whole Church to follow an vpstart renegate Frier who began his doctrine so ambitiously and proudly who liued so euill and died so terribly that his very abhominable dealing with great princes his shamefull incest and horrible death might make any good man weary to thinke vpon him much lesse shoulde any haue followed him To be short answere the poore man for himselfe what he may yet he cannot deny but that both Christ said This is my body and the Church taught the same yet beleeued he not this to be the body of Christ and therefore is one of them who beleeue not and without faith which is but one there is no saluation no pleasing of God no part in the kingdome of heauen which thing if they that be aliue will consider they may returne againe to the Catholicke faith and Church and so be made liuely members of Christs body whereof Christ is the Sauiour O but the Hereticke still vrgeth if I eate Christ really then I feede not of him spiritually I answere it is the fondest kinde of reasoning in the worlde by one truth to deny an other seeing both stande togither Is my faith the lesse because Christ was bodely seene in earth howe is then my spirituall feeding the worse because the foode of life is in my mouth Doth not Tertullian say the flesh is fedde De resurrect cor with the body and bloud of Christ to the ende the soule may be made fat with God and yet will the Heretickes say Christ in his last supper left vs but a figure of his body Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man is in deede a figure and the speaking thereof is figuratiue because it was not meant that a man should be visibly eaten as flesh is at common tables but yet that he shoulde be really eaten albeit the maner of eating be figuratiue as we knowe S. Augustine then as I said before calling those wordes except yee eate my flesh figuratiue referreth the figure to the manner of eating but not to the substance which is to be eaten for else if by no meane the flesh of Christ might be eaten it shoulde not be eaten by faith but if it may so be eaten it may be eaten by mouth also in that pure manner as it is giuen vs. The whole man must eate as well in body as in soule because the whole is taken and assumpted of Christ the
Church Hierico being ruinated destroyed and quite razed downe the wales of Hierusalem may bee builded vp Then may we sing exultantibus animis with Psal 50. ioyfull harts Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae oblationes holocausta tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos Then O Lorde we purified by grace in hart and soule from sinne with due composition also and decency of body wholy offering our selues to thee as thou offeredst thy selfe farre more bountifully for vs in contrite and humble hart by Christ here our high Priest the only pure and most acceptable Sacrifice vvee I say vvill offer to thee O God and thou for IESVS thy sonnes sake Shalt accept our sacrifices of prayers and thanksgiuing oblations of iustice the due sincere and vpright charitable dea ling to vard our neighbours with whole burnt offerings of burning heauenly desires with feruent loue aboue measure to our louing L. aboue then vpon the Altar of our hartes with incensed and diuine affections kindled with deuotion shall we make a feast to God and his Angels who delite to rest and dwell with pure soules deuout oft and worthy receauers of this blessed Sacrament then shall wee in thy Church militant here in earth ouer all nations triumpth in true and souud faith then with constant patience the Lady of wisdome and procurice of true honour shall we in all aduersities expect ioyfully thy B. comming Then for thy loue with armes of loue and charity shall wee imbrace both friend and foe fructifying in good workes wishing and procuring to our power the good of all men then shall christ enter into vs with diuine presence and holy grace and we rest and repast our selues of and in him by his bountefull sauour Then shall we enter and repose in him by tasting his sweetnes and go forth contemplate his mighty power and goodnes in all creatures and superabundantly find within and without which none can tell but he that hath found it repast and refection of his loue his sweetnes his power maiesty bounty glory and goodnes So reliquie cogitaticnum c. the remnant of spirituall and pure thoughts conceaued by the deuout tasting and most sweet meditation of this diuine mistery shall refresh vs and make in our harts a festiual day a healthful banquet an immortall and most delightfull supper full of all ioy and gladnes Then shall we be so enamored with his loue that vvith his svveete spouse in her Canticles wee burst out and say Fasciculus Mirrhe Cap. 1. dilectus meus mihi c. My beloued to me is a poesie of Mirrhe of svveete odoriferous and fragant flowers I will imbrace him and he shall rest betweene my breasts in my very hart Tenui nec demittam Cap. 3. eum I haue kept him c. I will hold him fast I will hold him fast and neuer let him goe Thus exulting to GOD here vpon the Altars of our hartes and soules thus offered in his sight farre better pleasing God then oblations sacrifices of thousands of those bloudy sacrifices of calues bulls Then finally in that glorious triumphant Church a boue shal we laud and glorify almighty god through christ Iesus his most sweet and only sonne that pure and innocent Lambe daily offered here in sacrifice vpon the Altar in a mistery and sitting at his Fathers right hand in a supereminent glory who to our bodies soules is the true foode of grace and glory that perisheth not but remayneth to life euerlasting who be blessed and honoured of all creatures for euermore Amen Chap. XXXI Of holy Order what it is by whome it was ordeyned and of hoâ—e many degrees it consisteth and that no man rashly without due consideration ought to take vpon him the same THE fift Sacrament is holy Order as then in Baptisme we be newe regenerate or borne in Christ in Confirmation strengthned in Penance after our woundes and faults healed and raised vp againe in the holy Sacrament of the Altar most abundantly fed to make vs liuely Souldiers of Christ and that we may last out to our iorneys ende like royall Souldiers obtaine the victory so by this holy SacrameÌ„t of Order christs kingdome and common weale his holy Church as a most valiant army set in most mighty noble order is prepared to triumph ouer those Princes of darknes perpetuall enemies of mankinde this wretched worlde For if all things God hath ordayned bee well ordered much more his holy Church so dearely beloued of him that not only all thinges he created in heauen and in earth tend to the saluation of it but he himselfe shed his bloud for it For euen as God in his triumphaÌ„t Church in heauen hath some higher some lower orders of Angels euen so in his Church militant here in earth there be diuers degrees in holy order all teÌ„ding to the due seruice of God as Bishops Priests Deacons and other inferior orders wherof some succeed the Apostles others the Disciples of Christ and coadjutors of the Apostles al lawful messengers and workmen of Christ ad Ephes 4. 12. consummationem sanctoruÌ„ in opus ministerit dulie to administer and execute his woâ—ke to bring his elect seruants to perfection Order then being instituted by Christ giuen by imposition of hands as appeareth by holy Scripture is a Sacrament you see ordeyned by Christ whereby his Church is well disposed gouerned yea and defended against all foraine incursions Nowe this holy order which is chiefly principally called Priesthood consisteth of many orders I meane the other inferior orders appertayning to it Foure inferior orders Other inferior orders euery one in their degree bee also properly called Order but chiefly Priesthood whereunto the other inferior be long there be which be preparatioÌ„s to Priesthoode which though they binde not to chastity as the 3. higher orders do yet it is not coÌ„nuenient that any take theÌ„ but such as haue mind to be Priests yet ther is first a preparation to these 4. inferior orders which we call the first tonsure whereby a man before he enter to take holy orders is taught by thus cutting of the haire to shake of all worldly cares to cut of al superfluous desires and transitory thinges that may hinder him from heauenly contemplation and the due seruice of almighty God The first of these lower orders is called the Ostiary that is the dore keeper that hath by vertue of that office giuen him which the keyes the Bishop giueth him doth betoken power to keepe and shutte the Church dores to keepe out heretickes and infidels and preserue enclosed from prophane handes the holy vestures and sacred vessels of Christ The second order is the Reader that by the booke which the Bishoppe giueth him may reade holy lessons of holy Writ in the Church The third order is called an Exorcist which hath power giuen him to expell and cast out Diuels not by witchcraft and superstition as Southsayers Conjurers and
fruit of Christs Passion of such infinite value is bounde to doe This satisfaction and paines I say Saint Paul did not only for himselfe but for all the faithfull people the misticall boof Christs Church that so they mightfully be pertakers of Christs merits and passions of such infinite value and so be released quite from sinne and payne due thereunto These satisfactory paines of S. Paul and other holy Saints who satisfied and did more penance for sinne then euer they deserued as I saide before be properly called the treasure of the Church in which Church because we be members all of one body that is as we beleeue there is a communion of Saints so therefore we by Gods grace be pertakers of the merits and prayers of I meane this participation taketh effect in such as be in state of grace For according to our due dispositiō euery one is pertaker of anothers good actions merits prayers the Saints in heauen as we in earth be pertakers of an others good actions and prayers and they in Purgatory of our merits and of the merits and prayers of Saints in heauen because there is a communion of Saints in Gods Church and being all members of one body vnder Christ our head we thus mutually helpe one another wherevpon it is I say that these satisfactory paines putte into the treasure of Gods Church not only help vs to release vs and satisfie our paines due vnto sinne which perhaps we are not able of our selues in this life to satisfie but also bee a release by meanes of suffrage for those in Purgatory Chap. XLVI By what meanes Pardons may be applyed to our soules and that we must iustly doe that which is appointed vs to be pertakers of the same NOw the Pope as hauing the keyes of this spiritual treasure giueth out thereof to all faithfull people so they apply it to themselues or the departed by such ordinary meanes as by him is ordained as by fasting prayer almesdeedes pilgrimage or the like as for example to those that be contrite confessing and receauing and saying but only our Ladies Psalter or the Beades once ouer or the 7. Psalmes or Letanies hauing but only a token on them as it were from the Pope that is a Crosse holy graine a bead sanctified or blessed or the like that bead o◠Crosse is a signe and certaine token to the party so disposed and doing that the Pope graunteth he hath so many daies or yeares of Pardon yea perhappes a full Pardon for all his sinnes past that is the paine due vnto sinne for as I said the eternall trespasse of sinne is forgiuen before in Confession which debt or paine is to be paied either in this life or in Purgatory The heretikes slaunder the Pope and the Church and say he graunteth Pardon to such for mony but they bely him for most commonly Pardons be graunted to such as deuoutly confesse receaue and say certaine godly prayers for the Popes intent and benefit of the whole church If any almesdeed be at any time required it is not for the Popes coffers as being God be blessed that so exalteth his Church spite of all infidels heretikes an absolute Prince of himselfe needing no such matter but rather maintayning as a generall father poore people children of the Church of al nations in the world but if any almes be giuen as very seldome is when pardons be graunted the Pope assigneth the parties to giue it with their owne handes to their poore neighbours or to the building of some notable ornament to all Christendome as to S. Peters Church or for the defence of Christendome against our great enemy the Turk and the like These Pardons Stations and the like how frequent or much vsed they were in S Gregories time a thousand yeares agoe it appeareth to those that be conuersant in his workes and other mens holy writings of olde and though in the primatiue Church they were not so needfull then when men were more charitable and feruent in Gods loue the bloud of Christ being yet warme in their harts and because when any offended they of themselues did such penance as might suffice yet in the very Apostles time these Pardons were giuen For S. Paul after excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian whome he gaue to Satan in body 1 Cor. 5 5 to be punnished that his soule might be saued after a time when he sawe his sorrowe and amendment least the enemy might haue too much power ouer him and least with sadnesse hee might be ouerwhelmed gaue him pardon remitting his paine for the rest of his penance due saying To whome you pardon 2. Cor. 2. 20. or forgiue any thing I likewise did the same who if I pardoned any thing I did it in the person of Christ What other thing was this then giuing of pardon Chap. XLVII Of Excommunication and how dreadfull a thing it is how heretikes being excommunicated in the highest degree their excommunication of others is ridiculous contemptible BY which words not only appeareth the value and practize of Pardons euen in the Apostles time but the heauy rod of Excommunication the heretikes so little feare by which excommunication the Diuell had power ouer the Corinthians body to torment it as he hath ouer the heretikes soules that despise it who though they feele not the smart in this life and by miracle to the terror of others as they did in the primatiue Church yet doubtlesse it is a leprosie which will sticke to their soules in the next life farre more fearefull then any torment can be here to the body For all Heretickes and Schismatickes be excōmunicate that is cut off from all grace of God the Sacraments good deedes and prayers of the Church and bee in the handes of Satan Heretickes that woulde doe like Catholickes as Apes would be like men they forsooth being excommunicate themselues would excommunicate others but they haue no authority their excommunication is nothing feare it not a straw a happie thing it is to be excluded out of their Sinagogue to be out of their company with whome in prayers diuine seruice none ought to conuerse seare excommunication of the Church in deede obey her truly and care not for any censure of the wicked Church of Satan Chap. XLVIII Of some abuses about Pardons and of the late reformation of the same and of the couetous humors of English Ministers BVt for these Pardons I spake of before I deny not but some abuses might be in those that carried them vp and downe called Pardoners some of them seeking their owne gaine but the Pope or Pardones ought not to be blamed for that but the abuses and faults taken away the good vses ought to be left still for nothing is so good but it may be abused yea the very Sunne in the firmament by light whereof as good men vse to worke good works and their Saluation so euill men a buse it to the workes of darkenesse
no difference betweene the Catholicke Seruice and their hereticall ministerly prating prayers betweene the olde religion and the newe the olde seruice and the newe as they tearme it but if you marke well which I haue said you may see there is as much difference as betweene heauen and hel truth and falshood For the heretickes either deny or with their foule handes defile almost euery article of the christian faith and religion and yet forsooth they bragge Oh nowe you haue the light in that forsooth they haue the Bible and yet dismembred and very much corrupted translated into the english tongue and that they haue the Lords prayer seruice in the english tongue O haue you so but I will proue by your light as you tearme it you bring in all darknesse and in making a shewe of the truth you be very imposters or juglers Haue you not heard of some A Similitude jugling companion that could vvith his familiar Diuell cast such a mist in some Parlour before mens eyes that ships there as in the Sea should seeme to be sayling men rowing the Sunne glistering vpon the waues and yet neither Sea ship man nor Sunne in deed but only by knauery their sences deluded But a worse jugling of heretickes is this in deede by how much the worthinesse of mans soule exceedeth the body For juglers deceaue and blinde the eyes of the body but these imposters heretickes blinde and deceaue the eyes of mans soule and true vnderstanding whereby they be depriued froÌ„ the sight of God light of grace and saluation For whereas the holy Catholike Church instructed and taught by her Master and her Pastor S. Peter doth acknowledge 2. Pet. 3. 16. as he saith that there bee some thinges in holy Scripture heard to be vnderstood which the vnlearned and vnstable doe depraue as the rest of the Scriptures to their owne damnation therefore nowe she as a tender Mother ouer her children knowing hard meat not fit for all but that some as infants are to be fed as it were with milke and other such light meats more easie to be digested knowing also that too much light dazeleth mans eye but a competent light is comfortable therfore she I say as a prudent Mother letteth her childreÌ„ see no more light of the Scriptures then their weak sences vnaccustomed to such high misteries can well coÌ„ceaue or beare nor giueth their soules no harder places to feeâ—e vpon then their infirme conceipts and â—â—omaâ—kes be well able to digest as the holy Apostle did when he said As to 1. Cor. 3. 2. little ones in Christ I gaue you milke not strong meat eueÌ„ so the holy Church guided euer by the wisdome of God seing the infirmity of her children knowing the Scriptures to be good yet not fit for euery mans reach giueth to euery one thereof in measure according to their capacities Wherefore shee most commonly hath reserued and kept it vncorrupt from other writings in the three most auncient and sacred tongues as in the Hebrew Greeke and Latin appointing learned men alwaies to instruct the simple out of that learned booke with such histories holy lessons as might be most fit to edefie and helpe them esteeming it sufficient for them to know there euer was is and shall bee one God in Trinity that made and woulde saue them that kept his lawe and Commandements and that Christ the sonne of God was borne of a Virgin dyed on the Crosse rose againe and that they receaue his very body in the B. Sacrament for the health and food of their soules So the Church thought it sufficient for ignorant men to know and beleeue the articles of the Creede to know they were bound to keep the Commandements of God vnder paine of deadly sinne and damnation to confesse and bee sorry when they fell with full purpose of amendment to say their Pater noster Aue and Creede and to leaue other high misteries to learned Diuines But nowe these newe iuglers set the Scriptures to be read heard and iudged vpon of young olde learned and vnlearned of all sorts and so they say they haue brought in the lighte but appose the ignorante when they haue read and heard them what they then conceaue of such and such parables of the Gospell such places of holy Scripture you shall finde them so variabâ—e among them-selues to haue such foolish phantasticall and fleshly yea childish conceits thereof that whereas they bragge of the light alas simple soules you shall finde nothing in their mindes but ignorance errour and darknesse they thinke they see a ship and it is but a phantasticall shape they enter in deed into a whole Sea of the depth of Godes inscrutable misteries but alas they know not how to rowe therein and so be drowned and ouerwhelmed with the floodes thereof they thinke they see men in steed of trees they imagine they see the light of the sunne and they imbrace darknes Heereof commeth such innumerable opinions such proud and blind arrogancy such monstrous heresies such horrible sinnes vices for that euery simple soole would bee a tamperer with Gods booke which they vnderstand not but by mistaking of the text goe about to defend what they list yea what humor they bee most giueÌ„ to Vppon these many moe weighty considerations the holy Church keepeth the scriptures in the latin toÌ„gue for the most part so likewise vppon the like consideratioÌ„s that euery saucy presumptuous fellow should not deride the misteries he vnderstandéth not if they were spokeÌ„ in the playn vulgar english termes therfore the church vseth at masse in her prayers publike seruice the latin toÌ„gue that I say the holy Sacraments should not grow into coÌ„tempt being made coÌ„mon to euery base rogne to descaÌ„t vpoÌ„ thinking that it is sufficient the ignorant sort take the fruit thereof though they know not the mistery yet the Church doth not disalow any to pray any godly Catholick prayer what hee will yea the Pater noster Aue Creede in the english tongue so he do it not in dispight of the Church coÌ„demning others that they do not well that pray in the latyn toÌ„gue yea though they vnderstaÌ„d it not For often times it may bee that the poore plough maÌ„ that saieth his pater noster not vnder staÌ„ding the wordes may pray with more deuotion please God better then the greatest doctor that can make a sermoÌ„ of euery petition of the same for God in prayer doth not so much atteÌ„d to mans word but to his wil affectioÌ„ lifting vp of mans hart to God which is properly prayer Nay what doctor is so learned when he readeth the Psalmes though he can english them neuer so well that vnderstandeth them to the depth yea of some verse or senteÌ„ce perhaps he knoweth noe one perfect sence yet though hee vnderstand them not perfectly hee prayeth of them neuertheles knowing God vnderstandeth them his deuout meaning therein as
Ghost to reproue the people of their sinne and false worshippe and to acknowledge worshippe the liuing God as the glorious profession of his name in the middest of the flame with that angelicall Society well declareth Secondly this matter was talked of and debated by certaine great learned men at the counsell of Trent and was founde most vnlawfull both by the law of God and the Church therefore no power on earth no not the Pope can dispence with any to goe to the heretikes church no more then he can dispence with any to kill steale comit fornication or the like neither was it needeful to make any new canon or decree of this matter because in former generall councelles yt was euer holden vnlawfull yea an expresse canon of the Apostles forbiddeth al Christians to goe to heretiks churches or seruice much lesse to receiue with them or coÌ„municate with them in their Sacraments If any say Cardinall Allen thought it not such great sinne to goe to heretiks church it is most false impudent as his letters and writinges wel vnderstood yea his life and death declareth and as the liues and deaths of his schollars which if I may so terme it bee vere signuÌ„ Apostolatus sui make most manifest to the world and he that holdeth it lawful to goe to Church of heretiks coÌ„demneth well neere a hundred of B. Martirs in our daies that might haue liued if they once would haue yeeldeth to haue gone to Church Thirdly the Pope himself and all learned diuines of our time vtterly deny it in any sort to be lawfull and no doubt his holines if in any sorte it could haue bene tollerated of his commisseration and fatherly pitty of our affliction would most willingly haue dispenced with vs surely the Apostolike father the Pope alone his iudgeÌ„t ought to satisfi any true Catholik Christian in the world Fourthly goeing to heretikes Church is most dangerous for feare of infection can a man touch pitch and it not defile him can he lye by a Serpent and she not sting him then then may he conuers with an heretik much and be not infected or corrupted with him and therefore S. Paul exhorteth vs to flie the heretik man because his heresie creepeth as the caÌ„ker it hath bene noted in great learned men that in reading of heretikes bookes haue bin thereby inclyning to heresie how much more dangerous then is it for lay persons Yea simple vnlearned men to heare their voice in sermons prayers and the like wherefore heretiks bookes also vnder paine of excommunication be forbidden to all to be read For feare of infection vnlesse they haue lawfull authority or faculty graunted them Fiftly as wee read in the Ecclesiasticall histories true Christians euermore abhorred the Churches conuenticles and companies of heretiks yea Saint Iohn the Euangelist would not bath himself where Cerinthus the enemie of the truth had bene before lest the bath should fal vppon his head and exhorteth vs not to salute the heretike which wee ought not to do in any sort to fauour his heresi though to wynne heretiks to God and true religion The church in this time permitteth vs to eat drinck and traffick with heretiks and schismatiks in temporall matters only as our B. Sauiour and his Apostles conuersed eat and drank with sinners to winne theÌ„ to his fathers kingdome yea to conuerse with heretiks was so odious a thing so well knowne in the primitiue church to be vnlawful that the people would not say Amen or abide in the Church whilst the Arrian Bishop was amongst them nay that which is strange the very childreÌ„ made a conscience to play with the ball with out expiacion before that ranne vnder the heretiks horses feete what should I say blessed Martirs of old yea tender Virgins and Women accounted it nolesse then very denial of Christ who said Hee that denyeth mee before men I will deny him before my father in heauen either to goe to churches of heretiks or temples of Idolaters which be in effect one For as Idolaters worship the workes of their handes so do heretiks their fond opinions and imaginations and Idolatry a great deale worse then that of the gentiles If these blessed Saints of old I say would but haue yeelded to the tyme in but once putting vp the fingar to the wicked demaunds of the persecutors to haue gone to their churches and seruice then had wee wanted many glorious Martirs in heauen which those sharpe tymes of persecution most fruitfully afford vs. Sixtly this dissimulation in being present at heretiks seruice is scandalous and offensiue to the infirme and weak in faith inducing other to sinne do the like which sinne of scandall is one of the greatest and most generall in the world and shal be most seuerely punished against which Christ thundereth that most terrible woe affirming it were better one with a mill-stone about his neck were cast into the sea then to scandalise one of such litleweaklings in christ and religion Whereuppon the holy Apostle affirmed he would neuer eat flesh rather then offend his weake Brother Yea old Eleazarus a Iew before Christ which may be a confusion to many Christians would rather suffer death then but only seeme to do against the law for feare of drawing weaklinges and younglinges to do the same Seauenthly and last for it is my purpose to be briefe and referre you to more large and learned substantiall treatises writen of this matter in goeing to heretikes Churches or being thus present at their prayers Sacramentes or seruice in any place conuenticle or congregation of theirs be a man neuer so Catholick in minde yet in so doing he becommeth a schismatike excommunicate person which is a thing more terrible then the two edged sword or any torment in this life For thereby a man is cut from God Christ and all the Sacraments prayers merits of Saints in heaueÌ„ the prayers good deedes of all good men in earth so is exposed to the Deuill and damnation For as said S. Augustme to Peter the Deacon holde stedfastly and doubt in no wise not only al Paynims Iewes but also al heretiks schismatiks that dye without Christs Catho Church shall goe into euerlasting fier prepared for the Deuill his Angells a terrible token whereof God shewed yea euen in this life of schismatiks as Chore Dathan Abiron that were of the same religion Moyses was yet because they deuided themselues from Moyses Aaron offring sacrifice of theÌ„selues not being lawfully called thereunto fire consumed them from heaueÌ„ their adhereÌ„ts Yea the earth swallowed them downé quick to hell therefore S. Augustine biddeth feare nothing so much as diuision separation that is schisme for what â—â— schisme but a cutting of and diuision from the whole so that such Christians as in all points beleeue as the church doth and yet in their action do contrary to their beliefe as such dissemblers do that
his holy waies yea so louing bountifull and gratious is God and so desirous of mans saluation that it is not the worst person in the world but somtimes he shall haue good motions and holy inspirations to amend his life and the more a man hath and yet followeth them not but is hardened and dyeth in sinne the greater shall bee his damnation Marke then O man whosoeuer the motions and stirrings of thy hart and noli contristare spirituns doe not as it were make sadde the holy Ghost by ingratefully repelling his most blessed and holy instincts beware you put not backe Gods holy motions nothing falleth on the earth without Gods will and holy disposition no not the very bird neither can any thing bee done without his permission whereof if we may make good and therefore nothing can happen to vs in this life good nor ill but if we will we may take occasion thereof to remember our ende and and dispose our selues more and more to our saluation and therefore I say to you especially for whome I haue taken this labour to write this treatise it ought to be a more euident and effectuall motiue and sufficient warning for the perfect amendment of your life by your reconciliation to GOD vvho because it is he that as hee straightly commandeth vs to keepe his commandements and followe his holy waies so without his grace and helpe wee cannot fruitfully doe nor execute the same For whether Paul or Apollo plant or water yet Deus incrementum dèdit God is he that euer hath and must giue the increase And therefore seing vpon this ground S. Augustine said vnto GOD good Lord giue that which thou commandest and command what thou wilt Let vs then followe his counsaile who said Aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke it shall be opened vnto you Let vs therefore not cease to knocke humbly and instantly to craue grace and mercy at his hands that the sweete and seasonable raine of his gratious fountaine may bee plentifully instilled into our harts yea let vs make instance at least to obtaine one droppe of grace to mollifie and strengthen our hard weake harts Open then the eies of our soules O Lord and they shall be opened water them with the dewe of thy heaueuly grace strike our harts vvith thy feare and loue that wee euer may be so watchfull ouer our soules that we neuer preferre any pleasure of the flesh any worldly riches credit or honour before thy true seruice and euerlasting glory Let vs then worke busely our saluation as the matter of greatest importance whilst this life indureth for as saith our Sauiour the night will come when no man can worke from which darke night of sinne hell death and eternall damnation CHRIST the euerlasting truth of his infinite mercy deliuer you and vs all conuert all heretickes and poore deceaued soules make vs all members of one body his deare spouse the Catholicke Church that as heretofore by diuersity of minds a number haue beene deuided from Christ so knitting our selues altogither in the knot of peace vnity and charity in Christs holy Catholicke Church here on earth wee may then once enioy his endlesse glory altogither in his triumphant and most glorious Church in heauen where all errors sadnesse sorrowes paynes lamentations and mournefull teares shall quite cease and passe away where more ioy felicity and true happie blessednesse then euer eie hath seene eare hath heard or mans hart can imagine or conceaue whereunto hespeedely bring vs our Lord and Sauiour CHRIST IESVS To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour and glory A SHORT TREATISE AGAINST ADIAPHORISTS NEVTERS SVCH AS SAY THEY MAY be saued in any sect or religion would make of many diuers sects one Church AMongst many shiftes of Heretickes and Schismatikes which by the example of their Master that old wily Serpent be commonly versipelles one is that they would beare Catholikes in hand they be of one Church with them still that so more easely they may draw the simple into their nettes perdition For the Maiesty of the church is so great that the very name thereof maketh the enemy appalled either to seeme to resist it or to liue with out it for though oftentimes in their pulpittes writinges especially amōgst themselues heretiks wil not stick most impudētly to affirme the visible Church especially was decayed for a thowsand yeeres and more glory that they be the men sent from God to restore it againe Yet when they be pressed by the learned to shew their vocation who sent them because as I declared before they haue neither extraordinary vocation by miracle nor ordinary by succession as is plaine and so euidently to all learned men shew thēselues false Prophets not sent of god for no man according to the Apostles doctrine ought to preach vnlesse he be sent by lawfull authority which the Heretikes perceiuing so plaine by Scriptures they cannot deny diuers shiftes they haue vsed some to shewe their vocation like the Apostles extraordinarie by miracle As Luther that by miracle would haue expelled the Diuell out of one possessed but in his exorcismes was driuen to such hard shiftes as hardly he could get honestly out of the place himselfe cleane a merry iest but scarce honest to be reported so Caluin killed a man which he hyred to faine himself dead and to rise at his call to confirme his Apostleshippe who by GODS iudgement falling dead indeede his wife bewrayed with exclamation the matter therefore these two new Apostles hauing no better successe for their mission and extraordinary calling Beza Caluins successor deuised another shift for his lawfull embassage and ordinarie calling and election For in that great and solemne meeting and most famous dispute in Fraunce betwixt Catholickes and Hugonots at Poissee Cardinall Guise being In conuētu Poissiaceno lib. 1. de stat religionis in Gallia sub Carolo 9. part 1. lib. 3. moderator himselfe asked Beza who sent him from whence come you but Beza being not able to answere he fell to this shift and most seely refuge that hee was lawfully called and chosen of those people that chose him to bee their Pastor leauing so Luther and Caluin his forefathers in the lurtch who were chosen neither of the Clergie nor people to preach hauing none to preach to and therefore intruded themselues first not sent like theeues that by violēce enter into another mans house or the adulterer that by stealth ascending another mans bedde corrupteth his wife so corrupteth these false Apostles Luther and Calum the Churches they inuaded the seely poore people the flock and spouse of Christ in some particular countries and citties with adulterous and false doctrine so sending themselues before they could be chosen and receiued of the people which Beza Calums honest successor said he was called of But such a calling as this is both Marcion Ebion Arrius Photinus Sabellius Pelagius