shewe of woordes and no proofe in dede of that that he alleadged yt for As for the ninthe Canon of the Apostles yt also after the right vnderstanding proceadeth not of necessitie but of condicion For if they or anie of them that attend vpon the Bishoppe in the time of ministracion haue reasonable cause to saie whie they abstein they maie abstein And possible yt might be that when the Bishoppe had but three attendante vpon him or soche like small nōbre they might all haue cause to abstein And so yt ys plain that this Canon geueth vs to vnderstand that wher a nombre ys assembled at the ministracion if all the nombre haue iust cause to astein from the receaving of the Sacrament that the Bishoppe or preist shall neuer the lesse proceade to receaue alone For the sacrifice must be receaued And so by this Canon the preist alone maie receaue though in that place ther be none to communicate with him But whether all or no certen yt ys that some of the attendantes might abstein and so yt foloweth ineuitablie that some might be present and not receaue Priuate Masse vsed in the time of Chrysost And thus ye maie perceaue that wher the Proclamer saieth that he wolde make yt plain to yowe by the most auncient writers that were in and after the Apostles time and by the order of the first and primitiue church that then ther coulde be no priuate Masse yt was a saing more full of ostentacion and bragge then of trueth For though he hath heaped a sorte of places yet ther ys no one sentence in anie of them that prooueth that ther coulde be Jssue ioined with the Proclamer for priuate Masse no priuate Masse And so farre from trueth ys this his saing that in the auncient Churche was no priuate Masse I mene a Masse with sole receauing that in the Masse of Chrysostom ys a plain rule geuen what was to be doen whē the preist receaued alone and what whē the people receaued with the preist But yt ys like the Proclamer had not learned so farre as to knowe this And here to knitte vppe all that he hath saied or can saie in this matter whiche he tearmeth priuate Masses This I saie that if he can bring furthe anie one scripture auncient councell or catholique doctour that saieth that that Masse that ys saied withoute a nombre of Communicantes in the same place ys naught or that yt ought not to be saied except ther be mo then the preist to receaue or that ther ys prohibition for the preist to receaue alone or anie penaltie in anie catholique lawe assigned for the preist that doeth receaue alone or anie like decree forbidding a sicke man to receaue the Sacrament except some receaue with him Let him I saie prooue these or some one of them by expresse woordes in maner aboue saied and I will not onelie subscribe but I will agnise myself his scholer during our two naturall liues TAE ONE AND FOVRTETHT CHAP. PROOueth that the Masse maie be saied and the Sacrament receaued withoute a nombre of communicantes at one time in one place AS yt ys not sufficient for a man to decline from euell but also to doe good the scripture so ioining them together and saing Declina à malo fac bonum decline from euell and doe good So Psal 33. yt ys not sufficient for a man onelie to flie heresie but he must also professe the trueth Wher then I haue in this last chapiter opened the craftie falshed of the Proclamer and solued his argumētes which in dede be not woorthie to be called argumētes for that they haue no force to impugn that that they are forged for and therby geuen occasion as I myself doe flie that wicked doctrine that other men maie doe the like so will Rom. 10. Soche ther be maie nowe in Englond I nowe professe the tueth of that matter that other men maie doe the same Manie in this time of temptacion embrace parte of the saing of S. Paule Corde creditur ad iusticiam but the greater nōbre the more ys the pitie stādeth not to the other part Ore confessio fit ad salutem Thei beleue well in heart but they feare with mouth to confesse the same to saluacion They turne the admonicion of Chryst vppe side downe Chryst saieth Nolite timere eos qui occidant corpus animam autem non possunt occidere sed illum potius timete qui potest Math. 10. animam corpus mittere in gehenuam Feare not them that sleie the bodie but can not sleie the soule But raither feare him who can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire But they saie in their dedes feare him that killeth the bodie and regarde not him that hath power to kill both bodie and soule For lamentable yt ys to saie soche ys the loue of manie to the life of the bodie and to worldlie honour and wourshippe and to the transitorie baggage of this worlde that for the conseruacion of these man ys feared and God the lorde of all power and maiestie neclected God graunt vs to heare the voice of the caller that calleth and saieth Venite filti audite me timorem Domini docebo vos Come ye children and heare me I will teach yowe the feare of our Psal 33. Lorde Yf we feare him and loue him as to our duetie apperteineth we shall neither feare nor be ashamed to confesse him and his holie faith before men S. Paule thought all thinges in the worlde as filth or dunge so that he Worldlie cares kepemen from God might winne Chryst but we are contented to lese Chryst so that we maie wine the worldlie mucke and filth for sauegarde of the which wher Chryst in his last supper instituting the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode to be offred and frequented of his faithfull in the remembrance and for the high and solempn memoriall of his passion and death and we haue heretofore so receaued yt and in heart still receaue yt yet nowe we ioin with them that hate yt we go with them that raill at yt and abandoning yt with them we doe as they doe But mans folie shall come to an ende and the trueth of our Lorde abideth for euer To take awaie this trueh of Chrystes sacrifice Sathan hath taught his Disciples that the Sacrament was instituted to none other ende and pourpose but onelie to be receaued and not to be offred And to make that apparante all their and his endeuoure ys to prooue that yt must be receaued of manie And that that receipt maie be compassed and the sacrifice defaced they exclame against the Masse But when they haue all saied and doen the Masse shall be holie and good and this shall be a trueth that a preist saing Masse or anie other Man godlie disposed sicke or holle maie receaue the holie Sacrament alone For proofe of this first I vse this reason All thinges
owre minde we maie not doubte of yt in anie point We haue hearde what S. Cyrill with all his felowbishoppes gathered together in Ephesus dothe beleue what Grece doth with them What Aegipt and also Sainct Hierom the preist And therfore although some maie erre of ignorance ther ys no man yet hitherto that openlie against saieth this so to be whiche the worlde dothe beleue and confesse Wherfore derely beloued doubte nothing in this mystery which Chryst the trueth hath of him self graunted vnto vs. For although Chryst sitteth in heauē and yet ys dailie sacrificed by the preist he sitteth at the right hande of his Father in heauen he disd meth not dathe by the handes of the preist in the Sacrament as a true sacrifice not vntrulie to be sacrificed Thus farre Paschasius See ye not the faith of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament stande vntouched and not shaken with anie heresie against saing yt openlie vntill the time of this writer Perceaue ye not Sainct Hilarie Sainct Ambrose Sainct Augustine Sainct Cyrill with all the Bishopps in the Councell at Ephesus whiche were foure hundreth and eightene Sainct Hierom also all Grece and Aegipt and finallie that the wholl worlde in this writers time did so beleue and so confesse The cause why the Proclamer denieth the Sacrament to be adored ys that he The Proclamer impugneth adoraciō of the Sacr. bicause he beleueth not reall presence denieth also Chrystes bodie and bloode to be ther. But yf that blindenesse of heresie taken from his heart he coulde by pure and clere faith see that blessed bodie ther ther ys no doubte but he wolde adore yt Euen so forasmoche as all the worlde with godlie confession acknowledged Chrystes presence in the Sacrament euen the same that was born of Marie as Sainct Ambrose saieth whiche Chryst ys of all Chrystians humblie to be adored and honoured who can doubte but that they wher they beleued him to be ther they honoured him Before this Authour was Leo more then foure hundreth yeares For he liued aboute the yeare of owre Lorde 452. and so more then eleuen hundreth yeares agone in whose time what the faith of Chrystes Churche was in the matter of the blessed Sacrament ye shall heare him reporte Separentur buiu smodi a sanctis membris corporis Christi neque sibi catholica libertas infidelium Leo Epi. 22 ad Costant iugum patiatur imponi Extra enim domum diumae gratiae extra Sacramentum habendi sunt salutis humanae qui negantes naturam nostrae carnis in Christo Euangelio contradicunt Symbolo reluctantur Nec sentiunt se in hoc praeruptum sua obcaecatione deduci vt nec in passionis Dominicae nec in resurrectionis veritate consistant quiae vtrumque in saluatore vacuatur si in eo nostri generiscaro non creditur In quibus isti ignorantiae tenehris in quo hactenus desidiae torpore iacuere vt nec auditu descerene nec lectione agnoscerent quod in Ecclesia Dei in omnium ore tam consonum est vt nec ab insantium linguis veritas corporis sanguinis Christi inter communis Sacramenta fidei taceatur quia in illa mystica distributione spiritualis alimontae hoc impertitur hoc sumitur vt accipientes virtutem caelestis cibi in caruem ipsius qui caro nostra factus est transeamus Let soche maner of men be diuided from the holie membres of Chrystes bodie neither let the catholique libertie suffre the yocke of infidelitie to be Eutyches and Diose their heres putte vpon yt Theie are to be accompted oute of the house of Gods grace and oute of the Sacrament of mans health whiche denieng the nature of our flesh in Chryst do bothe speake against the Gospell and striue against the Symboll Neither do they perceaue them selues through their blindenesse to be brought into soche daunger that they can not abide in the veritie neither of our Lordes passion neither of his resurrection For both these be voide in our Sauiour yf the flesh of our kinde be not beleued in him In what darkenesse of ignorance in what sluggishnes of sloothe hath these men hitherto lien in that neither by hearing they coulde learn neither by reading they coulde knowe that in the Churche of God in the mouthe of all men ys so agreablie spoken that not asmoche as of the tounges of infantes the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst among the Sacramentes of the common faithe ys vnspoken of For in that mysticall distribution of the spirituall foode this bodie ys geuen furth this bodie ys receaued that receauing the vertue of that heauenly meate we maie be made his flesh who was made our flesh Thus Leo. Of this Authour also being both auncient and holy ye perceaue yt testified Veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst st◅en of by the tounges of babes that the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament was so certenly beleued and so commonlie receaued that yt was not onelie confested by the mouthes of all men but also yt was spoken by the mouthes of babes And here with all note that this Authour doth merueill at Eutyches and Dioscorus and their adherentes howe they coulde denie Chryst to be a verie man seing that all Chrystian people confessed the naturall bodie of Chryst God and man to be in the Sacrament For confessing the veritie of his bodie and bloode which thinges be not of the nature of the godhead yt must nedes folowe that they confesse the nature and bodie of his manheade and so Chryst to be very man Thus ye maie perceaue that the prefence of Chrystes verie bodie and The reall presence so certenlie beleued that auncient Fathers made argumēt therof to cōfute heresies bloode in those daies was reputed esteemed and beleued so certen so sure and so vndoubted a matter of faith that learned men did vse yt as a stronge argument to confute and conuince diuerse heresies For as this Authour did vse yt against the heretikes of his time So did Irenaeus and Hylarius whiche were long before him against the heretiques of their times Whiche they wolde neuer haue doen yf in their times also the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament had not ben a clere matter oute of all controuersie and receaued of all aswell heretiques as catholiques as a substanciall poinct of their faithe whervpon an argument might be well grownded Nowe ye haue hearde the presence of Chrystes bodie testified to haue ben receaued of all the chrystian Churche from this our time to the time of Leo and before his time as by Paschasius yt ys aboue reported to the time of Sainct Hilary And so to the time of Irenaeus who was the Jn catolog script disciple of Polycarpus as Sainct Hierom witnesseth which Polycarpus was disciple of Sainct Iohn the Euangelist so neare was this man to the Apostles time This discourse haue
as I also wolde be ashamed to wryte theÌ„ yf they were not scripture He speaking of an harlotte writeth thus Like as one that goeth by the waie and ys Ecclesiast 62. thristie so shall she open her mouth and drynke of euerie next water that she maie gette By euerie hedge shall she sitte her downe and open her quoiuer to euerie arrowe What trifeling what iestyng what pastime I haue heard and seen vpon the reading and reherfall of this texte and what vnseemlie and vnchaist woordes haue fallen oute by occasioÌ„ of the same yt ys vnmeete in this place to be rehersed But this I will reporte for that as trulie as God liueth I knowe yt to be true This texte was spoken in the presence of a good vertueouse gentlewoman and one that feared God and she misliking the same yt was auouched to her to be scripture The booke was turned the place was red she exclamed and saied that yf the scripture had soche bawdie woordes she wolde no more beleue the scripture for yt was naught with mo soche like woordes which nowe memorie reteyneth not Maye not this grieue a christian heart that the scriptures Gods holie woorde shoulde be thus blasphemed And what ys the cause of yt verilie bicause they be made common to their handes that vnderstande them not That this place was not vnderstanded of them that handeled the same as ys afore saied yt ys more manifest then I nede reporte For the effecte well proueth yt Nowe to put a conclusion to this that ys here saied litle dothe yt awaill them to reade the scriptures that vnderstand not what they reade But raither as Origen saieth they maye as well take occasion of euell as of good by reading the scriptures and not in their true sense and meeming vnderstand them whose sentence for the better declaracion therof I haue here noted Opera carnis diuinorum voluminuÌ„ historia continet non valde eos iuuans qui sic eam intelligunt vt scripta est Quis enim non docebitur scruire luxuriae fornicationem habere Origen 10. li. Strom. pro nihilo cum Iudam ad meretricem legerit ingredientem Patriarchas multas pariter habuisse vxores Quomodo non ad idololatrian prouocabitur qui sanguinem taurorum caeteras Leuitici victimas non plus quà m in litera sonat putauerit indicare Gene. 38. Quod autem inimicitias in aperto positus scripturae sermo doceat ex hoc loco probatur Filia Babylonis misera beatus qui retribuet tibi retributionem quam retribuisti nobis Psal 136. Psal 100. Beatus qui tenebit allidet paruulos suos ad petram Et exillo In matutino interficiebam omnes peccatores terrae et ex ijs similibus de contentionibus videlicet aemulatione ira rixis dissentionibus Ad quae si non altius aliquid sentiamus prouocant nos magis historiae exempla quà m prohibent Haereses quoque magis de carnali scripturae intellectu quam de opera carnis nostrae vt plurimi aestimant substiterunt Nec non ebrietates et inuidiam per legis literam discimus Inebriatur Noë post Diluuium et Patriarchae apud fratrem Ioseph in AEgypto The histories of Gods books saieth Origen contein the workes of the flessh whiche historie dothe not moche helpe them whiche dooso vnderstande yt as yt ys written For who shall not be taught to serue voluptuouse pleasure and to accompte fornycation for nothinge when he shall reade Iudas to haue taken an harlotte and the Patriarkes to haue had manie wifes at once Howe shall he not be prouoked to Idolatrie who shall thinke the blood of Bulls and other Leuiticall sacrifices no more to shewe vnto him then the letter sowndeth That the plain sainge of the scripture teacheth enemities yt ys proued both by this place Daughter of Babilon thowe shalt come to myserie thy self yea happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thowe hauest serued vs. Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and throweth them against the stones And also by that place I shall soon destroie all the vngodlie that are in the lande And by soche other like vnto theise as of contencion enuie wrathe brawlinges dissentions vnto the whiche yf ye vnderstand not some higher thing the examples of the histories do more prouoke vs then forbidde vs. Heresies also Diuerse histories of Scripture literallie taken doe more prouoke sinne than forbidde yt haue ben more by the carnall vnderstanding of the scriptures then by the worke of our flesh as manie do thinke We learn also by the letter of the lawe dronkennes and enuie Noë after the flood was dronken And the Patriarkes also were droncken being with their Brother Ioseph in AEgypte Thus Origen Nowe then as in this chapiter ye haue heard a nombre of bookes and places of scripture recited whiche well proue the obscuritie and hardnesse of the same So yn the ende ye haue heard Origen declaring his minde that to vnderstand but the carnall sense of yt ys raither hurtfull to edificacion then profitable Peraduenture some will graunte that the olde Testament ys darke and hard but the newe Testament they will saie ys easie and plain But that this likwise ys not easie for euerie man to vnderstande the chapiter folowing shall declare THE THIRDE CHAPITER TO DECLARE the newe Testament not to be easie to be vnderstanded bringeth diuerse obscure places of the same THAT the newe Testament ys hard to be vnderstanded yt ys sufficientlie proued in the frist chapiter Neuerthelesse that the Reader maie haue some experieÌ„ce of that that by Authoritie ys saied I shall laie before hym certain places whiche shall enforce hym to confesse that by his owne iudgement to be true whiche by the scriptures he hath allreadie heard taught and affirmed And first let him beginne with the Genealogie of Chryste described vnto vs by two Euangelistes Matthew and Luke And let them be compared together and triall made whether yt be esaie to concile them or no. Matthewe beginneth at the elders as at Abraham and so descendeth to Chryste Luke beginneth at Chryste and ascendeth vppe to the elders euen vnto AdaÌ„ and so to God In the whiche Genealogie Luke saieth that Chryst The Euangeâ—istes Mathew and Luke seem to varte in the genealogie of Chryst was the supposed sonne of Ioseph and that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli Matthewe saieth that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Mary of whoÌ„ was born Iesus whiche ys called Chryste So that Luke saieth that Iosep was the sonne of Heli and Matthew saieth he was the sonne of Iacob Which dysagrement Iulianus Augustus the Apostata as saincte HieroÌ„ saieth obiected vnto vs. Which obiection al though it be solued by saincte HieroÌ„ yet ther remaineth a great difficultie howe these Genealogies shoulde be true and both pertain to Chryste seing that from Ioseph to Dauid ther ys none agrement betwixt theÌ„ as by comparing of the EuaÌ„gelistes
any other creature shall be able to departe vs from the loue of God whiche we haue in Chryste Iesus our Lorde Nowe vnder an othe he saieth I saie the treuth in Chryste and lie not my conscience also bearing me wittnesse by the holie Gost that I haue great heauinesse by continuall sorowe in my heart For I haue wished my self to be cursed from Chryste for my brethren my kinsmen after the flesh Yf he be of so great loue to God that neither for feare of death neither for the hope of life neither for persecution hungar nakednesse perill nor swoorde he maye be separated from his loue And if Angells also and powers and thinges present and thinges to come and all the strenght of the heauens and if the heightes also and the dephts with the vniuersall creature shoulde come against him whiche can not be yet wolde he not be seperated from the loue of God whiche he hath in Iesus Chryst what ys this great mutacion or chaunge yea rayther a wysdom neuer heard of before that for the loue of Chryst he wolde not haue Chryst And least peraduenture we shoulde not beleue him he sweateth and confirmeth yt by Chryst and calleth the holie Gost to wittnes of hys conscience that he hath no light nor small but great and incredible heauinesse not sorowe that stingeth or vexeth for an howre but that continuallie abideth in his heart Whether tendeth this heauinesse to what auaileth this incessant sorowe He wisheth to be cursed from Chryste and to perish that other maie be saued Thus moche saincte Hierom. In the whiche woordes he openeth a great doubte that saincte Paule who so feruentlie loued Chryst that nothing either in heauen or in earthe coulde separate him from Chryste nowe semeth to wish for the loue he bare to the Iewes to be diuided from Chryst Whiche might be an argument that he loued the Iewes aboue Chryst As this after the sentence of saincte Hierom ys a great doubte So ys ther an other by the same Algasia moued vpon the same epistle to the Romans Hieron ad Alg. qu. 7. In what sense saieth she ys that to be taken that sainct Paule writeth to the Romās Vix enim pro iusto quis moritur Nā pro bono forsitan quis audet mori For skarce will any man die for the righteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durst a man die This sentence semeth so plain and the natiue sense therof so easie to be perceaued that saincte Hierom saieth for lacke of the true vnderstanding of Two contrarie heresies grownded vpō one scripture Marcion yt two horrible heresies being diuerse and vnlike in sentence but like in impietie and wickednesse tooke here moche occasion Marcion by this maketh two Gods one the iust God and creatour of the Lawe ād the Prophetes The other the good God which ys the God of the Gospell and the Apostles whose Sonneys Chryste For the iust God saieth he fewe or none haue died But for the good God whiche ys Chryst ther haue been innumberable Martyrs Arrius the other heretike saieth saincte Hierom contrariwise calleth Chryst the iust God and for his so saieng alleageth scripture oute of the Psalmes Arrius wher Dauid prophecieng of Chryst saied Geue the king thy iudgementes to God and thy righteonsnes vnto the kinges Sonne The good God he Psalm 71. calleth the Father of heauen of whom saieth he Chryst him self saieth what Luc. 18. callest thow me good ther ys none good but one God the Father As theise heretikes for the obscuritie of this sentence of saincte Paule for yt ys a darke maner of speache in dede to saie for a iust man scarce a manwildie But for a good man a man will peraduenture die as though ther were a great difference betwen the iust and the good mā through theyr wicked rashnesse and headinesse haue vpō yt mainteined two notable and abhominable heresies manifestlie repugnant So likewise haue some in this oure time through their arrogant willfullnes vpon one sentence fownded two conttarie heresies as moche repugnant as these But leauing the further opening of this to a more conuenient place I will proceade in that ys here appoincted to the doen. Amandus a preist writeth to sainct Hierom desiring to be resolued in foure Amādus questions Of the whiche one ys vpon the epistle of saincte Paule to the Corinthians wher disputing of the resurrection he cometh to this place He must reign till he hath put al his enemies vnder his feet The last enemie that 1. Cor. 15. shall be destroied ys deathe For he hath put all thinges vnder his feet But when he saieth all thinges are put vnder him yt ys manifest that he ys excepted whiche did put all thinges vnder him When all thinges are subdued vnder him then shall the Sonne also himself be subiect vnto him that put all thinges vnder him that God maie be all in all Besides manie doubtes whiche maie be moued vpon this scripture this ys one verie notable for the mainteining of the Arrians heresie wher he saieth that when all thinges be subdued then shall the Sonne himself also be subiecte vnto him as though the Sonne of God in Godhead were subiecte to God the Father Whiche maner of saing for somoche as the holie catholique faith confesseth that he ys equall to the Father ys to be taken Hila. li. 11. de Trinita detestable heriticall This proposition ys learnedlie handeled and treacted of by saincte Hillarie in his eleuenth booke against the Arrians and this doubte ther dissolued Yt were to tediouse and all most vnpossible for me to rehearse all the darke places of the epistles Therfor one or two mo and so an ende To the Collosians Saincte Paule writeth thus Nowe ioye I in my suffringes Colloss 1. for yowe and fulfill that whiche ys behind of the passions of Chryste in my flesh for hys bodies sake whiche ys the churche In the which sentence he semeth to make the passion of Chryste insufficient in that he saieth that he fulfilleth that that wanteth of the passions of Chryst To the Hebrues he hath this sentence For yt can not be that they which Hebr. 6. were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenlie gifte and were become partakers of the holie Goste and haue tasted of the goodwoorde of God and of the promisse of the worlde to cōme yf they fall awaie and as concerning themselues crucifie the Sōne of God a fresh and make a mocke of him that they shoulde be renewed again by penaunce And again in the same epistle he saieth For if we sinne wilfullie after that we haue receaued the knowledge of the truthe ther remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearfull Ibid. 1◠looking for iudgement and violēt fire whiche shal deuour the Aduersaries Theise two sentences yf they had no fauourablier interpretacion thē they seem to beare in their grammaticall sense all Chrystendome might wail and mourne For the
of doubte or an opinion but a sure and certen matter of faith and beleif for he saieth Credimus immutari we beleue yt to be chaunged into the bodie of our lorde so Haymo when he had saied that the bread ys chaunged into the flesh of Chryst and the wine into his bloode saieth Credimus quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter sanguis we beleue that in verie dede yt ys the flesh of Chryst and likewise his blode So that ye maie perceaue not onely a concorde and consent of doctrine betwixt them but also an imitacion And here I wish these wooordes well to be noted that the vnstablenesse Faith howe yt ys decaied in these daies of men in their faith might be takē awaie For the more ys the pitie so moch hath the Deuell gotten by the worke of his ministres that diuerse men in these daies be not ashamed to saie we can not tell what to beleue Other some will saie I will beleue none of them all vntill they agree better as though yt were sufficient for them to liue withoute faith and that they might be saued without the profession of their faith forgetting the saing of S. Paule Sine fide imposibile est placere Deo withoute faith yt ys not possible to please God And again Corde creditur ad iusticiam ore autem confessio fit ad salutem The hearte beleueth vnto righteousnes but the confession of faith by Hebr. 11. Rom. 10. mouthe ys doen to saluacion Let them vnderstande that this time ys a time of probacion a time of triall who will abide by their faith and who will be caried awaie from yt But although yowr teachers in this time saie Non credimus immutari This time a time of probacion we beleue not the bread and wine by the woorde of God to be chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryste yet turne yowr eies to the olde auncient churche haue yowe recourse thither and see Gregorie Nis sen and after him Haymo saing Credimus immutari We beleue that the bread and wine be chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst and they be nowe in verie dede the flesh of Chryst and likewise his bloode and so abide in the faith of the auncient churche what soeuer ys nowe taught yowe to the contrarie By this conference ye maie perceaue that Haymo agreeth with the auncient elders as concerning the chaunging of the bread and wine into the Sacramentaries denie that the fathers affirme and affirme that they denie bodie and bloode of Chryst Yf ye will conferre him in that he saieth that this chaunge ys not doen by figure or shaddow but in verie dede yowe haue Euthymius and Damascen at hand which both denie the Sacrament to be onely a figure Yf ye will conferre the doctrine of the Aduersarie to the do-doctrine of these Fathers ye shall perceaue that what the Fathers affirme the Aduersarie denieth and what the Fathers denie the Aduersarie affirmeth The holie Fathers affirme that the bread and wine be chaunged the Aduersarie denieth yt The holie Fathers denie that the Sacrament ys onlie a figure the Aduersarie saieth that yt ys a figure onely See yowe not then that the Aduersarie ys directlie contrarie to the holie Fathers What hope of true learning then ys ther to be had wher and of whome the fathers of trueth are denied contraried and against saied But to conclude for the matter that ys here sought this authour speaking these woordes as an exposition vpon the woordes of Chryst and teaching vs that the bread and wine be chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Cryste and that by no figure nor shadowe but in verie dede yt ys manifest that these woordes of Chryste be to be vnderstanded withoute figure and that they teache vs that in the Sacramēt ys the verie bodie and the verie bloode of Chryste in verie dede Wherfor leauing this as a most plain matter we will call an other coople THE SIXTETH CHAP. PROCEADETP IN the exposition of the same text by Theophilact and Paschasius OF this coople that shall nowe geue ther testimonie for the true vnderstanding of Chrystes woords Theophilact as he ys the seniour so shall he be the first that geueth testimonie Expownding the woordes Theoph. in 26. Math. of Chryst thus he writeth vpō the same woords Dicens Hoc est corpus meum ostendit quod ipsum corpus Domini est panis qui sanctificatur in altari non respondens figura Non enim dixit Hoc est figura sed hoc est corpus meum Ineffabili enim operationc transformatur etiāsi nobis videatur panis Quonia infirmi sumus abhoremus The bread sanctified on the aultar ys the verie bodie of Chrystād not onelie a figure crudas carnes comedere maximè hominis carnem ideo panis quidem apparet sed caro est Saing This ys my bodie he doeth declare that the bread which ys sanctified in the aultar ys the verie boodie of our Lorde and not a figure answering to yt For he did not saie This ys a figure of my bodie but this ys my bodie For yt ys transformed by an vnspeakeable operacion although yt appeare bread For asmoche as we be weake and doe abhorre to eate rawe flesh speciallie the flesh of a man therfor yt appeareth bread but yt ys flesh Thus Theophilct As they that be obstinate in this heresie against the blessed Sacrament when they reade this exposition their consciences be I dare saie touched Foure thinges plainlie auouched by Theoph. against the Sacram. and pressed with the same to their great greif euen so doe I merueill that they be so solde ouer to voluntarie and maliciouse blindenesse in heresie that seing not onelie the true faith and exposition taught so clerelie and euidentlie that they be not able with any good apparant answere to auoide will yet stubburnlie to their greuouse damnacion persist and abide still in their heresie But let vs veiue the saing of Theophilact In him we finde these foure thinges taught First the presence of Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament For he saieth that the bread that ys sanctified in the aultar ys the very 1. Reall presence affirmed bodie of our Lorde The second ys a flatt and a plain deniall of the figuratiue speache that the Aduersarie wolde haue in the woordes of Chryste For this authour saieth 2. Figure denied that Chryst did not saie This ys a figure of my bodie but my bodie and so the figure ys denied that so stoutlie and with violence shoulde be here thrust in Thirdelie here ys taught howe the sanctified breade ys made the body of Chryst yt ys transformed saieth he by an ineffable operacion although Trāsubstātiacion anouched yt appeare bread vnto vs. In these fewe woordes he teacheth vs three thinges first that the bread ys trasformed whiche ys all one as if he had saied transubstanciated for in the bread ther be two formes
Chrystes Churhe And for that these Aduersaries when they knewe the trueth wolde not abide in the trueth and when they knewe God wolde not glorifie him as God but they haue vanished awaie in their owne thoughtes and saing them selues to be wise they are become verie fooles So that as their likes the people of the host of Syria were striken with blindnesse so obscuratum est insipiens cor eorum their Rom. 1. foolish heart ys blinded So that nowe blinder then Moll 's they saie light ys darknesse and darknesse light And thus being blinde are contented to be caried in to the handes of their enemies as the Syrians were But God of his mercie woorke mercifullie with them that they perish not in the handes of their enemies in the end but that yt maie please him that they maie be deliuered by the charitable mean of the Prophet of God by the ministerie of the catholique preacher and that for his persecucō they maie sustein no other affliction but that they maie eate in the middest of the cittie the bread of the Israelites the bread of the true chrystians the bodie of Chryste in the holie Sacrament and so ceasse anie more to persequute Israell but to become one with thē in that sorte that Multitudinis credentium fiat cor vnum anima vna in Domino Of the multude of them that beleue Acto 4. ther be but one heart and one soule An ende they shall haue for to continue God will not suffre them and if their demerites so require as nowe ours do to be afflicted with them God will withholde that mercie from them that they maie not come to that ende which before I haue desiered for them Oh Lorde howe miserable then shall be the ende Wherfore Chrysten reader be of good cheer and feare not For though they haue worldlie might and power on their side yet they can not preuaill against vs. For ther be mo on our side then on theirs All the holie writers be with us of which thowe hauest hearde a good nombre and yet thowe shalt heare moo which shall not speake in darke maner so as thowe maist be doubtfull what they meen or howe they be to be taken and vnderstanded thowe shalt heare them in so clere maner testifie the trueth that yt shall be easie to saie this ys their meening and thus they are to be vnderstanded And for triall herof here ys first the testimonie of Oecomenius to be hearde Which ys this vpon the text of S. Paule nowe treacted of Vnus panis vnū corpus sumus Nam ex vno pane omnes participamus Ratiouem addit quomodò corpus Christi efficiamur Quid enim inquit est panis corpus nempe Christi Quid autem efficiciuntur Oecum iudeci 1 Cor. hi qui participant Corpus sanè Christi Nam participantes corpus Christi nos quoque illud efficimur Quoniam vnus panis est Christus Ex multis namue grauis vt exempli gratia loquamur vnus panis factus est nos multi ex ipso vno participantes efficimur Note howe Oecum foloweth the woordes of Chrysostom before alleaged saing what ys the bread and answereth the bodie of Chryste vnum corpus Christi Quontam enim vetus nostra caro corrupta est sub peccato opus nobis fuit noua carne We are one bread and one bodie for we do all partake of one bread He addeth a reason saieth Oecumenius howe we are made the bodie of Chryst What saieth he ys the bread Verilie the bodie of Chryst. And what are they made that do partake truelie the bodie of Chryst For we partaking the bodie of Chryst are also made the same For Chryst ys one bread for of manie granes As for example we maiespeake one bread ys made and we being manie partaking of that one are made one bodie of Chryste forasmoche as our olde flesh was corrupted vnder sinne we had nede of a newe flesh Thus he In my iudgement I nede not anie thinge vpon this exposition to saie as wherby to make yt clere or plain for that yt ys so plain of yt self but yet in consideracion that I write not to the learned but to helpe the vnlearned to whom nothing can be to plain I will somwhat saie therbie at the leest to ministre occasion to the reader the better to note what this authour doth saie S. Paule immediatelie before this text had saied that the bread whiche we breake ys a communicacion of the bodie of our lorde by the whiche woordes as also Chrysost did note S. Paule wolde teach that neer coniunction and vnion of vs to and with Chryst whiche ys no lesse then that we be made the bodie of Chryst Then S. Paule proceading to this text which we haue nowe in hande this authour saieth that wher before he had saied that we be made the bodie of Christ Herehe geueth a reason howe we are made the bodie of Chryst Among philosophers yt ys accompted vnsemelie to affirme anie thing without a reason the scripture also willeth vs to be readie to geue an answere to euerie one that asketh vs a reason of that hope that ys in vs. So when S. Paule as this authour implieth had taught that we be made the bodie of Chryst here he geueth a reason howe we be made the bodie of Chryst And that this reason of S. Paule maie the better appeare vnto vs the authour first openeth the partes of yt to vs. For wher S. Paule in his reason saieth that we do all eate of one breade to open what that bread ys he asketh a question saing what ys the breade he solueth the question furthwith and saieth verilie yt ys the bodie of Chryst 1. Pet. Note this then Reader that the bread whiche S. Paule speaketh of here ys the bodie of Chryste And note farder that he saieth not yt ys a figuratiue bodie but he saieth yt ys the bodie of Chryst verilie Wherbie the Aduersaries signes and figures are cutte of and in this sentence of S. Paule ther ys no place for them For yf yt be verilie the bodie of Chryst yt ys not figuratiuelie his bodie Yf the Aduersarie wolde seke some shifte to helpe to hide and couer his falshoode and wickednesse and saie that the bread whiche this authour asketh this question of and solueth yt to be the bodie of Chryst ys the congregacion of the faith full whiche he will graunt to be the very bodie of Chryst misticall This glosse will not serue him but raither declare him to be The reall bodie of Chryste partaken the misticall bodie the partakers a violent wrester of this authour as he ys of manie other mo For this authour speaketh of the bread that ys partakē and receaued and not of vs which do partake and receaue yt For when he had declared the bread to be the bodie of Chryst then immediatelie he asketh what be they made that dopartake yt
birth of his manheade in his owne contrie did not Ibidem Faith howe necessarie yt ys ther manie miracles for that the vnbeleif of the people whiche shoulde haue comed to him by beleif did let him and staie For saieth the Euangelist Mathew Nonfecit ibi virtutes multas propter incredulitatem illorum he did not manie miracles ther bicause of their vnbeleif But wher faith Math. 13. was ther Chryst wroght his miracles bowntifullie Wherfor when the Centurio came vnto Chryst as an humble and faithfull suiter for the health Math. 8. of his seruant that laie sicke of a palsie and vpon the mercifull answere of Chryst who saied that he wolde come and cure him The Centurio strong in faith saied Lorde I am not woorthie than thowe shouldest entre vnder my roofe but Wherfaith ys there God woorketh onelie saie the woorde and my seruant shall be holle Chryst was so delighted with his faith that he did not onely praise yt saing I fownde not so great faith in Israell But also for the health of the sicke man he saied to the Centurio Go thy waies as thowe hauest beleued so be yt vnto thee and his seruant was healed in the self same howre The woman also that had the bloodie flixe was so strong in faith that she saied with in her self yf I maie touche but the hemme of his vesture onelie Math. 9. I shall be wholl whervpon immediatelie she bothe receaued the benefett of health at Chrystes hāde and also the praise of her faith Chryst saing to her be of good comforte daughter thy faith hath made the safe Chryst also beholding Math. 15. the faith of the womā of Canaan did not onelie praise the same sainge O woman great ys thie faithe But also for the health of her daughter saied vnto her Be yt vnto thee as thowe hauest desiered and her daughter was healed euen at the same time What shall I stand in this large campe of faith and in the woorthinesse therof of the which the wholle bible from Genesis to Heb. 11. The force of faith the last of the Apocalips doth continuallie make mencion wherfor I wil with S. Paule conclude in fewe woordes saing with him The holie faithfull by faith haue subdewed kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obteined the promisses stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire eschaped the edge of the swoorde oute of weaknesse were made stronge waxed valiaunt in fight turned to sleight the armies of the alientes the wemen receaued their dead raised to life again Thus maie we see howe necessarie faith ys withoute the which man cannot come to God Thus maie we see howe bowntifullie God woorketh wher faith ys Thus maie we finallie see the great might and power of faithe which ys soche that yt maketh all thinges possible to the Math. 17. beleuer For to him that beleueth nothing ys vnpossible saith Chryst Nowe as faith woorketh these wonders so the lacke of faithe hyndereth all these wonders The Apostles attempted to deliuer a man that was possessed Want of faith howe yt hindereth good effects Marc. 9. of a Deuell and coulde not wherupon the Father of him brought him to Chryst saing Master I brought my Sonne to thie Disciples and they coulde not cast the Deuell oute of him When Chryste had cast the Deuell oute the Disciples came secretlie to him saing Whie coulde not we cast him oute Iesus saied vnto them bicause of yowr vnbeleif Vnbeleif then was the hinderance of this great worke that might haue ben doen by the Apostles Faith made Peter walke vpon the sea vnbeleif made him sinke wherupon he heard at Chrystes mouthe Modicae sidei quare dubitasti O thow of litle faith wherfor didest thow doubte Vnbeleis so moche displeaseth Chryste that after the resurrection he rebuked the two Disciples that went from Hierusalem to Emaus and with sharpe woordes saied vnto them O ye fooles and slowe of heart to beleue al that the prophetes haue spoken S. Marke also saieth that Chryst appearing to the eleuen as they satte at meate cast their vnbeleif in their teeth and rebuked Matth. 14 Mar. 16. the hardnesse of their heart bicause they beleued not them whiche had seen that he was risen from the dead To thus moch the Arrian the Nouatian the Pelagian the Berengarian the Wycleffest the Lutheran the Oecolampadian the Caluiniste and the Anabaptist will agree and euerie one of these will saie that faithe must be had and eche of them will saie that he hath that faith that pleaseth God and yet being all voide of vpright faith they varie in faithe as did the Phariseies and Sadduceis that ys hauing some peice but missing the wholl This faith therfor wolde be knowen as also of whome yt shoulde be learned The catholique faith described Yf ye will knowe this faith in fewe woordes yt ys the faith that we call Apostolique and catholique Apostolique descending by continuall succession from the Apostles as yt were from to hand hand euen vnto vs that now liue Catholique as vniuersallie receiued professed and beleued throughoute the chrystian orbe not reigning in one corner or in one realm by the priuate inuencion of one priuate brain and mainteined by the priuate affection of one prince but generallie and vniuersallie of all Chrystian princes of all Chrystian Realmes of all Chrystian men and that not for twentie or fortie years as the new faith in Germanie and in Englond but in all times not nowe receaued and now disproued as the Lutherans doctrine but euer without interruption continued This faith maie not be deuised newly inuented or vpon affection appoincted but yt must be learned Fides ex auditu faith cometh by hearing saieth Paule beinge called to be the singular vesell of God was yet sent by Chrystes commaundement to Ananias to learn of him what he shoulde doe Hic dicet tibi quid te oporteat facere He shall tell thee what thow must doe Cornelius a godlie man Act. 9. and fearing God although he might haue ben taught of the Angell that appeared vnto him yet he was not but by the same Angell was willed to sende to Ioppe for S. Peter to come to him And he saieth the Angell shall tell thee what thow oughtest to doe Marke learned of S. Peter Luke of S. Paule of the which a longer discourse ys made in the first book So that this faith I saie Cap. 7. must by Gods ordeinaunce be learned of the elders not deuised by newe inuentours The faith if yt maie be so tearmed which Luther taught wher learned he yt was there anie elder at that daie in all the worlde that taught him that Wher learned Luther and his rable their faith phantasticall faith did he not of his owne priuate head newlie skowre some of the heresies of Wicliff and Husse and some deuised neuer hearde of before Who in all the Christian orbe when Luther had griffed as he saied a right a true and
maners of the Corinthians and not by their euell faith was moued to entre the treactise of the Sacrament S Paule corrected the maners of the Corinth and not their faith wherfor therin he correcteth their maners and not their faith S. Paule then trauailing to remoue dissension and to plant concorde to remoue glottonie and to plant temperance to remoue pride whiche the riche had in the shewe of their great suppers and to plant humilitie to remoue lacke of mercie whiche was in the riche they being dronke while their poor were right hongrie and to plant pitie to remoue disdain and contempt and to plant seemly regarde saing also that these vices being in place the supper of our Lorde coulde not well and as yt ought be eaten did he not prepare the Corinthians and in them all chrystians to the woorthie receipt of the Sacrament did he not herein folowe the example of his master Chryste goinge aboute to wassh awaie the filthinesse of their feet that ys of their earthlie and carnall affections But what stand I so long in so open a matter Finallie wher Luther saieth that if we haue faith that we shall receaue grace ther that grace alone maketh vs pure and woorthie receauers First I maie aske him by what rule he speaketh this wher ys his scripture for yt Might the Corinthians trowe ye being in the case that they were in and hauing as they had faith might they I saie receaue grace Yf they might then S. Paule was not true that saied they shoulde receaue condemnacion But to looke somwhat nearer to this saing of Luther yt wolde haue ben desined and determined seing ther be so manie faiths nowe a daies by whiche faith a man shoulde receaue this grace Yf he saie by the faith that he him self hath framed the Carolstadins Zwinglians and Oecolampadius will denie that Yf OecolaÌ„padius will saie by his faith that he hath deuised the Swenck feldians who denie all Sacramentes denie that Yf Caluine will chalenge yt to his faith that he hath inueuted the Anabaptistes will not abide that Thus leauing vs in vncertenties as manie others of his likes doe in other matters he concludeth nothing In the ende forasmoche as the Apostle speaketh of the vnwoorthie receauer signifieng therby that ther ys a woorthie receauer yt apperteineh to owre Woorthie or vnworthie reteauers of the bless Sacr. who be pourpose to discusse yf anie man maie be a woorthie receauer yt ys plain that a sinner ys no woorthie receauer And S. Iohn saieth Yf we saie that we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and ther ys no trueth in vs yea so manie be our sinnes that the Prophet Dauid saieth Yf thowe Lorde will be extreame to marke what ys doen a misse oh Lorde who maie abide yt as who might saie no man can abide yt And therfor concluding all liuing men vnder sinne saieth In thie seight o Lorde shall no man liuinge be iustified yf no man liuinge can 1. Joan. 1. be iustified then no man liuing vs woorthie to receaue this blessed misterie Psal 130. What nowe then shall we faie to S. Paule that appointeth woorthie receauers Yt ys the minde of S. Paule to pronownce who ys an vnwoorthie receauer but he describeth not the woorthie receauer For in dede speaking of woorthinesse in the propre significacion of yt no man that liueth be he neuer so iust no though he were an Angell yea if he were an Archanngell yf he were of the highest of the Angells as of Cherubines and Seraphines can be accompted woorthie in that maner to receaue this high and heauenlie misterie Woorthinesse proprelie what yt ys For proprelie that man ys woorthie of an other thing when he him self or his desertes be equiualent and doe fullie aunswere the goodnesse of the thinge wherto yt ys referred as in our coÌ„moÌ„ speache we saie that foure pence be woorth a grote And the woorkman ys woorthie his wages in this kinde of woorthinesse no man ys or can be woorthie An other kinde of woourthinesse ys by reputacion or acceptacion when one ys accepted as woorthie wheÌ„ in very dede he ys not As a queeÌ„ to maririe a lowe subiect A noble womaÌ„ to marrie her seruaÌ„t betweÌ„ whoÌ„ wheÌ„ coÌ„parison ys made ther ys neither birth nor honour nor liuing nor dominioÌ„nor richesse in the maÌ„ that can cownteruaill the womaÌ„ yet for somoch as yt liketh her so to accept him by her acceptacioÌ„ he ys made nowe woorthie of her who of himself before was not EueÌ„ so our mercifull Lorde God in power wisdome aÌ„d goodnesse infinite betwixt whoÌ„ and vs sinfull creaturs ther ys no coÌ„parison makinge through his great mercie of sinners iust meÌ„ and of vnwoorthie woorthie when he seith vs in our weake maner endeuour ourselues to accomplish his holie will when he beholdeth howe we prepare and adonrne the tabernacle of owre hearte being holden with moche desire ther in to receaue him yt liketh him though we maie still crie Lorde I am not woorthie that thowe shouldest come vnder my roofe yet he accepteth vs vpon soche preparacion as woorthie to his mercifull contentacion and to our health and saluacion Thus the text in part opened and the detestable heresie of Luther somwhat touched I shall for the farder exposition of the one and the stronger confutacion of the other after my accustomed maner repair to the holie Fathers and vnderstand also therin their mindes THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of the Fathers vpon the same text with sainct Hierom and Chrysostome IN the allegacion of the Fathers that nowe shall be produced to geue vs the vnderstanding of this text bicause manie be alleaged vpon the last scripture and this dependeth vpon that and so the one fullie expownded the other ys the easier to be perceaued I shall be the shorter both in the nombre and also in the abiding vpon them The first coople that commeth to my hande ys S. Hierom and Chrysostom S. Hierom expownding the epistles of S. Paule for the exposition of this text hath thus moche Siâ—jn lintheum vel vas sordidum non illud mitterè audet quanto magis in corde polluto quam immundiciam Deus super Hieron in 11. 1. Cor. omnia execratur quae sola iniuria est eius corpori Nam Iosephille iustus propterea sindone munda inuolutum in sepulchro nouo corpus Domini sepeliuit praefigurans corpus Domini accepturos tam mundam mentem babere quà m nouam Yf a man dare not putte that bodie into a filthie vessell or cloath howe moche more in a defiled S. HieroÌ„ expowndeth S. Paule to speake of the bodie of our Lord. heart which vncleannesse God aboue all thinges detesteth as which ys the onelie wronge that nowe can be doen vnto his bodie For therfor did Iosph also the righteouse wrappe the bodie of our Lorde in a clean sheet and so buried yt in a newe Tumbe prefiguring that they that shoulde