he was caried vp into heauen ascendynge as the Psalmist in his lxvii Psalm doth saye Super 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad orientem That is to say Aboue heauens vnto the Easte And the sayd Difciples adorynge hym dyd retourne vnto Ierusalem These thynges beforesaid are speciallye testified by S. Marke in the xvi Chapyter Luke in the. xxiiii Iohn in the. xx by S. Luke also in the fyrst Chapyter of the Actes and by sondry other partes of the scrypture By the way it may be noted that this eleuation of Chryste into Heauen dyd muche differ from hys eleuatyon vnto the Crosse for there as Esay in the. lxiii Chapyter doth saye Chryst alone dyd treade the Presse where here as Dauyd in his lxvii Psalme and S. Paule in the. iiii Chapiter to the Ephesians doth saye Christe ascending into Heauen dyd leade captiuitie captiue with him and gaue gyftes to men Furthermore the eleuation vpon the Crosse was with mooste bytter sorowe and payne where the ascension into heauen was wyth most vnspeakeable ioye and wonderfull gladnes And it is not to be forgotten here that amongest other causes why Chryst would no lenger tarye here vpon earthe but ascende into Heauen there are fiue speciallye noted The fyrst that Chrystes body beynge gloryfyed Heauen and not the Earth was a place conuenyent mete for it to be cōuersaunt in The 〈◊〉 that by the sayde ascension he myght glorifye the humaine na ture whyche before that tyme was neuer admytted vnto heauen The thyrde that ascendyng into Heuen he myght be an aduocate and an intercessoure contynuallye for vs. Hebre. ix i. Iohannis ii The fourthe that so ascendyng he myghte shewe vs the waye and prepare vs a place Michee ii 〈◊〉 iiii The fyste and last that he myght sende the Holy Ghost vn to vs which he sayd he woulde not excepte he departed Ioannis 19. And thus much for the fyrste part of thys Article For the second parte of this article which is that Chryst Sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almyghtye ye shall vnderstand that to sit on the ryghte hande of God the father is not after a carnall and worldely fashion to be vnderstanded as who saith that God the father had like men a right hand and a lefte hand but by the sitting of Christ on the ryght hand of God the father is vnderstand and ment that Chryste hath and euer shal haue communicated vnto hym of God the father glory honoure power felicitie and euerlastynge monarchye gouernaunce rule and dominion ouer all pryncypates potestates powers dominions and ouer all creatures that can be named eyther in thys worlde or in the worlde to come ordeyned to be kynge of all kynges and Lorde of all Lordes and all thynges both in hea uen and also in Earth to ve cast vnder his fete and made subiecte to hym and he appoynted to be the cheife and principall heade of the vniuersall and hole Catholyke Churche which is his misticall Body hauyng vnder hym in his Churche here in Earth suche ministers and after such order and fashion as lyked him to appoynt and ordayne in the same And albeit that Chryste is ascended into Heauen and syttethe on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye yet we maye not as the 〈◊〉 doo gether 〈◊〉 vpō contrarye to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 of Chryst in substaunce is not reallye and truelye in the Sacrament of the Aultare but contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst is bothe God and man and soo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or almyghty and hath by his godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto his manhode taken vp his Body and his 〈◊〉 nitie into heauen which to do is aboue the 〈◊〉 and reach of onely nature to accomplyshe and bryng to passe we ought with the catholyke Churche firme lye and stedfastlye beleue that 〈◊〉 as oure Sauiour Chryste bothe promysed to giue his bodye in a Sacrament and also perfourming his promise did it soo in dede as the 〈◊〉 and S. Paule also dothe testifye and declare the bodye therefore of Chryst doth both sit on the ryght hand of God the father almyghtye in heauen in the visible forme of a man accordyng to this article and is also verely real ly and truely in substannce in the Sacramente of the Aultare vnder the formes of breade and wyne And where in the. vii chapyter of the actes it is wrytten of S. Stephan that he dyd see Iesum stantem a dexteris virtu t is 〈◊〉 That is to say Iesu standing on the ryght hand of the power or vertue of God Whereby some haue gathered a contrarye ie in Scripture 〈◊〉 shall vnderstande that these wordes Christ to sytte or Christ to stand at the ryghte hande of God the father are not to be vnderstanded after the carnal and worldly maner and gesture of man but spiritually to signifye hys equalitie wyth God the father the partycipatyng of all glory with the same 〈◊〉 equalytie and partycipatyon in 〈◊〉 and the catholyke doctours is as well vnderstande by 〈◊〉 as by standyng Thus haue you hard the hole exposi tion of this vi Article conteynynge in effecte howe our Sauiour Iesus Chryst after that he hadde perfectely accomplished and performed the hole mistery of the redemptyon of mankynde by hys incarnation his byrth his passyon his death his buriall his discēdyng into Hell and rysyng agayne from death to life and after he hadde bene here in Earth conuersaunte with his Apostles and Disciples by the space of fortye dayes after his resurrection beyng amongest his Apostles and he in theyr sight assended into heauen in the verye fame his naturall bodye whyche was borne of the blessed vyrgyn hys mother and was cru cified vpon the crosse and so dydde wythdrawe hys accustomed visible conuersation from the presence of his Apostles and from the bodely sight of al other creatures By remembraunce whereof bothe they we should here in earth eleuate and lyfte vp our hole hartes myndes desyres all affections from earthly thynges and from all carnall and worldlye cares towardes heauene and heauenlye thynges and soo shoulde by hys grace prepare our hartes and make oure selues 〈◊〉 and apte to receaue hys spyrytuall gyftes which he sendeth into the worlde Wherfore the thing thus beinge let vs in dede lifte vppe oure hartes and myndes vnto Chryst thus syttynge at the right hand of God the father and there praying cōtynually for vs. And let vs soo in mynde nowe from henceforth dwel in contemplatiō of heuenly things during al the space of this mortal life that we may hereafter for euer dwell with the holy trinitie in glory euerlastyng Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the. vii article of the crede whych is From thence he shall come to ' iudge the quicke and the deade IN this Article two thynges specyally maye be con sidered the fyrst is that Chryste beinge ascended into Heauen Shall come from thense And thesecond is that commyng from thense He shall iudge both the Quycke and the
god it is of two fortes it is to wytte the kyngedome of grace in thys worlde and the kyngdome of glorye in the worlde to come and of the kyngdome of grace S. Paule dothe speake in the. xiiii to the Romaynes in thys wyse Règnum dei est iustitia pax gaudium 〈◊〉 spiritu sancto Qui enim in hoc seruit Christo placet deo probatus est hominibus That is to saye The kyngedome of God is iustyce and peace and ioy in the holy gost for he that in thys serueth Chryste pleasethe God and is allowed with men Lykewyse the sayd Saynt Paule speakynge of thys kyngdome of grace doth in the fyrste chapiter of hys epistle to the Collossenses say thus He hath translated or caried vs frome the power or kyngedome of darkenes into the kyngedome of his derelye beloued sonne in whome we haue redemption and remission of synnes And moreouer we doo reade in the fyfte of the Apocalipse after thys maner Fecisti nos deo nostro regnum That is to saye Thou haste made vs a kingedome vnto our God For doubtles so longe as we remayne in grace god doth raygne in vs as in a spirituall kyngedome and we as his faythfull people doo obeye hym therein And as concernynge the kyngedome of glorye in the worlde to come you shall vnderstand that oure Sauiour in hys second comminge which shal be at dōes day shal giue entrance perpetual possessiō therof to 〈◊〉 elect whēhe shal say vnto them as it is 〈◊〉 Comeye the blessed of my father doo you posselle the kyngedome prepared for you before the creation or beginning of the worlde Nowe concernynge the kyngedome of the Deuyll which is cleane contrarye to the kyngdome of God that in dede is a dominion or rule and souerayntye whych the deuyll hathe in the hartes of the wycked men and women who accordyng to his pernycious wyll and entycynges doo transgresse the commaundementes of God and doo make them selfe bonde and thrass to synne wyllyngly consentynge to the denyles tentations and drawen thereby to hys seruice and holden also therein by concupyscence of the fleshe by concupyscence of the eye and by pryde of life And of thys kyngedome of the deuyll S. Paule Ephe. ii doth speake sayinge He God the father hathe reuyued you al at ones when you were deade thorough your trespasses wherein in tymes past you did walke accordinge to the course of this worlde after the prynce of the kynge dome or power of this ayre the spirite which nowe worketh vpon the children of vnbeleif Accordynge wherevnto oure sauiour also Jhon xii doeth call the deuyll the prynce of thys worlde that is to saye of all euyll and wycked people lyuynge in the worlde And in the. xli chapter of Job the deuyll is called the kynge of al proude men And forasmuche as it is not in oure power to delyuer our selues from the 〈◊〉 of the Deuyll but onelye by Godes helpe For oure perdition and vndoing is of oure selues but oure helpe and faluation is of God as sayeth the Prophete Ozee cap. 13. therefore it is very necessarye for all true christen people to make this petition incessantlye vnto our heauenly father and to beseche hym according to this doctryne of Chryste that by hys grace helpe we may escape the dominion and power of the Deuyll and that we maye be made subiecte vnto hys heauenlye kyngedome Therfore in this petytyon we dysyre God to gyue vs afore all thynges true and constant fayth in him and in hys sonne Jesus Christ and in the holye Ghoste with pure loue and charitie towardes hym and all men to kepe vs also from infidelitie desperation and malyce whyche myghte be the cause of oure destruction and to delyuer vs from dissensions couctuousnes lecherye and euyll desyres and lustes of synne and so the vertue of his kingdom to come to reigne within vs that al our heart 〈◊〉 and wyttes wythall our strength inwarde and outwarde maye be ordered and directed to serue GOD to obserue his commaundementes and hys will and not to serue our 〈◊〉 the fleshe the worlde or the Deuyll We desyre also that this kingdome ones in vs begonne maye be daylye cucrcased and goo forwarde more and more so that all subtyll and secrete hate or slouth whych we haue to goodnes be not suffered to rule so in vs that it shall cause vs to loke back againe and to fall into synne but that we maye haue a stable purpose and strenghte not onelye to begynne the 〈◊〉 of innocencye but also to procede ernestly furthe in it and to perfourme accordynge to the sayinge of Saynt Paule Colosse i. where he prayeth that we maye walke worthelye pleasynge god in all thynges beyng fruitefull in all good workes growynge and increasynge in the knowledge of god Also Eph. iiii he doth saye Worke and doo the truth in charite and increase and goo forwarde in Christ. Therefore in this prayer desyrynge the kyngedome of god to come we requyre also that we beynge alredy receyued and entred into the kyngdom of grace and mercye of god may soo contynue and perseuer therein that after this lyfe we may come to the kyng dome of glorye whych endureth for euer and thys is that greate and feruent desyre where with good men beyng mortyfyed from worldely affections haue bene and be alwayes kyndled and enflamed as appeareth by Saynte Paule when he sayd Philip. I woulde be losed from this bodye and be with Chryste and he sayth Rom. eyght We that haue receiued the firste fruites of thy spyryte doo wayle and mourne in our selues 〈◊〉 and loking to be delyuered from the mortalitie miserles of this body into the glory of the children of God 〈◊〉 Thexposition or declaration of the thyrde petition whyche is Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen AFter that in the seconde petition we doo aske of God oure eternall father that hys kyngedome of grace maye come vnto vs in thys worlde that we maye finallye come to hys eternal kyngdome in heauen whyche is the hyghest degree of mans filicitye there doth by ryghte order folowe thys thirde petition wherein we doo aske of God oure eternall father that hys wyll maye be fulfylled here in earthe by the fulfyllynge and kepynge of hys commaundementes whyche is the best and mooste perfecte meanes to procure vnto vs the foresaide highe degree of our felicytie And for the better and playner vnderstandynge of thys thyrde petition you shall note that by disobedience and synne of our fyrst father Adam we be as of our nature onelye without the grace of God vnhable to fulfyll the wyll and preceptes of God and so are enclyned to loue our selues and oure one wylles that we canne not hartely loue neither god nor man as we oughte to doo And therfore we being once chrysten men it is requisite for vs to praye that lyke as the holye aungelles and saynctes in heauen in whome GOD reygnethe perfectlye and holye
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
Uyrgin Mary his mother present with hym nor anye other of his dyseyples saue onely the. xii Apostles whome he appoin ted to be the head ministers of al his misteryes here on the earth and specially to be the ministers of this most blessed sacrament and the iustructours of al other touching the same Now what meneth it that our Sauiour was not content to offer them this sa crament onely but with the offeryng therof he said also vnto them Take eate take and drinke Do mē vse to offer to other meate and drynke for anye 〈◊〉 purpose but onelye that they shoulde eate and drynke thereof but bycause it was hys bodye and hys bloude therefore he fyrste byddeth them take and not feare to eate and drynke the same Besydes this it is to be well noted that that thre Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke did al three agree in the maner of the institution of thys sacramēt they wryting all three their gospels at sō dry tymes as Mathe we eyght yere after the ascencion of our sauiour Chryst. Marke x. yeares Luke xv yeares And where in doubteful speaches of our sauiour Chryst some one or other of that Euangelists euermore openeth playnly the very meaning of the speches yet touchyng these words this is my body no one of them maketh anye declaration vpon the same but they all leue them to be takē of vs as they sound and as of most plaine words they make no exposition or interpretation of them at all Whyche poynt must be well consydered And therefore note th at where Chryst sayde It is impossible for a rich man to entre into the kingdō of heuen bicause that meaning of these wordes may be dyuersly taken thereof S. Marke in his tenth chapyter declareth the very meaning of them saying It is harde for them that trust in there substaūce to be saued Agayne Chryst at another time said to the Iewes loose you this timple in thre daies shal I build it againe Andfor that the sense of these wordes is doughtfull S. Ihon there expoundeth them and sayeth that Chryst by the tēyle ment his body which should be by the Iewes put to death and by him the thirde daye shoulde be raysed from death to lyfe In the viii of Ihon oure sauiour sayeth He that beleueth in me as the scriptnre sayeth there shall ryuers of quyck water flow out of him And because this saing is obscure S. Iohn to make it open sayeth that he spake those wordes of the spirit which they that be leued in him should receyue In the. xii chapiter of S Ihon our sauiour sayth in this maner If I be lyfte vp from the earth I wyl draw al thin ges vnto my selfe And S Iohn by and by geueth vs the exposition saying that hereby he signyfyed what kynde of death he should suffer Manye other lyke places are there in the newe testamente the matter of which places is not so hyghe nor soo nedefull to be ryghtly vnderstanded as that meaning of these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spokē Besides al this we haue in S. Paule in the xi Chapiter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touching thys Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to be leue of it than that there is in it the very body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst. For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of oursauiour euen as the Euangelists do as that he sayd this is my bodye and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuyng of thys Sacramente bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing hereof God plageth cities and cuntryes wyth sondrye greuous plages as with infirmitye with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell dylygentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Chryst be not in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promisse made thereof why dyd he as he dyd in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedlye to be of all chrysten people beleued that in the Sacrameut of the aultare there is the verye body and boulde of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substannce that is in heauen which thyng for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thyng most casye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for hym to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye 'to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in thys heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he myght be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisible vnder the visible 〈◊〉 of bread and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadynge great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he dyd not refuse to suffer death and that the deathe of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst hys wyll who of hys onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for hys wyse dome seynge he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mothere nouryshe her chyldren wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God moste hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewell that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religion so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quite and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the seife same body of our sauiour Christ in sub staūce whych was borne of the Uyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen
euen so it cannot holde vs whiche are by a chrysten fayth the very members body of Chryst but that we shall ryse from deathe and lyue agayne in glorye with hym euerlastynglye yf we order and conforme our wyll in thys worlde to hys preceptes And the onely hope here of shoulde make vs not to feare the aduersities in this world bicause we 〈◊〉 as afore be assured to haue a better and more gloryouse lyfe after this as S. Paule writeth to the Corynthyans the. xv sayenge If we chrysten men had no hope of other lyfe than thys that is present than were we the most miserable of all men But nowe Chryste is rysen agayne from deathe Whereby is declared that there is a lyfe after thys lyfe which all Chrysten men hope to come vnto Accordyng where unto saynt Augustyne sayth All the hope of our fayth stādeth in thys poynt that we shall ryse agayne This made the faythfull and good men of whome S. Paule the. xi to the He brues speaketh to refuse to be preserued from bodyly deathe bycause they looked assuredly for a better resurrection Whych Resurrectyon as it was by many and sondrye apparytions and other infallyble argumentes declared and prouede vnto the Appostles so they being besydes other names perteynyng to their offyce specially called the witnesses of Christes resur rection dyd in all places and at all tymes open and inculcate the same as a special and a cheife artycle of Chrystes doctryne wherin shoulde depend and rest the greate comfort and solace of all trewe and fayth full beleuers in Chryste Fynallye by this article is not onely confirmed vnto vs howe the naturall bodye of man shall after the corporall death and departyng 〈◊〉 of thys presente lyfe rise againe as is before expressed but also by this resurrectiō of our sauyoure 〈◊〉 we be admonyshed that as Christ after his death rose againe so we dyeng from synne should ryse 〈◊〉 and walke in a newe lyfe of spyryt and grace ¶ Thexposition or declaration concernynge the syxt article of the Crede whych is He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty IN thys vi article ii thinges are to be considered the fyrst is that Christ ascended into heauen the second that he sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty Concernyng the fyrst ye shal note that as we by dayly experience do see when an embassadoure is sente from some greate prynce to ac cheue any greate affayre or busynes as for example to conclude and make a peace or any other such lyke thing thys embassadoure hauyng fynyshed hys busynes according to his commission comenli with glad nes and ioye do the returne agayne vnto hym from whome he was sent lyke wyse passyngers by water or by land yea and souldiers to being sent fourthe in warrefare so sone as there busynes is spedde they do returne commonly into there countrye or vnto those that dyd send them fourth Soo lykewyse oure blessed Sauyour Iesus Chryste beynge sente ambassadoure from God his father into thys world vpon an hygh aud notable worthy message that is to saye to take fleshe of the glory ouse vyrgyn S. Marye and by hys passion and death to ouercome the Prynce of thys world and Hell and to remoue and take away all other impedymentes and lettes and fynally to re deme also mankynde who by disobedience and sinne had lost the ioyous possession of Paradyse dyd dylygently and faythfullye trauayle to accomplyshe hys embassade and message and when he had done it he with great tryumphe and ioye dydde ascend 〈◊〉 retourne agayne to God hys father hauyng ouercome the olde enemy by humilitie pacience and obedience Of whom and hys sayd embassade the greate kyng and Prophet Dauyd in hys xviii Psalme thus doth saye Exultauit ad Gigas ad currendam viam That is to saye He meanyng Chryst hath reioysed or benne glade as a gyaunt to runne his course or way And immediately in the same Psalme the sayd Prophet doth farther saye A summo coeloegressio cius occursus cius usque ad sum mum cius That is to saye The goynge furth of hym is from the hyghest heauen and the recourse of hym is to the hyghest of it Accordyng wherevnto verye laudably and iustlye it is vttered in the diuine seruice of the Churche Egressus 〈◊〉 a patre regressus 〈◊〉 adi patrem 〈◊〉 usque ad inferos recure susad sedem Dei That is to saye The goynge furthe of him is from the father the retourne of him is to the father the excourse of hym is euen to the helles and the recourse of him is vnto the seate of God Beyng then conuenient as is aforesayd that Chryst should ascend into heauen as also by this artycle it appeareth he did wel it shal be to declare how and in what forte that ascension was For knowlege whereof you shal vnderstand that our sauiour christ after his resurrection and before he dyd ascende into heauen dyd eate with his Disciples aswell to shewe therein a very sygne and token of harty loue whiche frendes departyng from frendes are accustomed to do as also for to declare vnto them the veritie of hys fleshe after his resurrection which was a thing then very necessarye to be done aswell for that he woulde not afterwarde gyue vnto them any further sygne or token of his resurrection as also for that some of the Disciples not withstandyng that they had sene and felte hym woulde not yet beleue that he was so rysen And therefore s. Gregory in an Homelye made herevpon sayth Christus comedit ascendit ut per effectum commestio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnis That is to say Chryste dydde eate and ascende that by the effecte of eating the veritie of his fleshe myght be manyfested And moreouer after the sayde resurrectiō and before thys sayd ascension our sauiour Chryste dyd rebuke and blame his disciples of theyr incredulitie and 〈◊〉 nes or hardenes of beleuyng the sayde resurrectyon whiche thinge he dydde as 〈◊〉 Gregorye sayeth Vt 〈◊〉 que recidens diceret in corde audientium arctius impressa remanerent That is to saye To thintent that the wor des which he departinge would say myghte remayne in the hart of the hearers more depely imprynted Besides this our sauiour Christ hauing opened theyr wytte or sense to vnderstand the scryptures and hauinge inioyned vnto them the offyce of preachynge the Gospell throughoute the hole worlde to all creatures he went fourth wyth them into Bethany vnto mount Olyuete and lyfting vp his handes he dyd blesse them whiche blessing was well fygured by the Patriarche Iacob who when he shold dye and leaue this worlde did blesse hys chyldre as appeareth Genelis xlix And likewise was it fygured by Moyses who before his death dyd blesse the chyldren of Israell as appeareth Deute xxxiii And thys beynge dooue Chryste in the 〈◊〉 syghte was lyfted vp and a cloude takyng or receyuing him from their eyes
Deade For the profe of whych fyrst parte we haue besides other testymonies of Scrypture the speciall testimonye of Saynt Luke in the fyrst chapyter of the Actes wher he spea king of the Disciples who dyd beholde our Sauiour Chryst when he dyd ascend saieth thus Cunque iutuerentur in coelum euntem illum ecce duo uiri astiterunt iuxta illos in uestibus albis qui et dixerunt uiri Galilei quid statis aspicientes in celum HicIESVS quia assumptus est a uobis in celum sic ueniet quē admodū uidistis eumeuntem in celum That is to say Whenthey dyd beholde or loke vpon hym departing or going into Heauen Lo two men dyd stande by thē in whyte garmentes who also dyd say 〈◊〉 men of Galile what do you stande lokynge vp into Heauen This Iesus who is assumpted or taken vp from you into Heauen shall so come as ye haue sene him goyng or departing into heauen And so ye see that into Heauen he is ascended and from heauen he shall descende or come And here shall ye learne that there are two speciall commings of Chryste into the worlde mentioned and spoken of in scripture and they be very diuers in them selues the fyrst commynge of Chryste into this worlde was to be borne of the virgyn Mary and by his deathe passion to redeme the worlde of which is spoken fully and largely in the exposition or declaration of the thyrde Article of this Crede The second commynge of Chryste into this worlde shal be to iudge bothe the quicke and the deade as is conteyned in this vii article And concernyng the second parte whyche is his comminge to iudge the quicke and the deade ye shall vnderstand that our sauioure and redemer Jesus Chryst beyng ascended as is declared afore into heauen shal come from thence that is to saye from heauen into this worlde and he shall come in his glorye and maiestie and shall then in the verye visyble fourme of his naturall body appeare vnto the bodely eyes of all the people of the worlde in his perfecte manhode and in the selfe same bodye wherein he ascended to the inestimable comforte and reioyse of the good and the extreme terroure and confusion of the wycked Where being accompanied with hys holye Angells his ministers waytynge vpon hym he shall sit openly in the cloudes of the ayre and shal iudge al quicke and deade accordinge to truthe and iustyce accordyng to his holye worde expressed in scrypture that is to saye accordyng to euery mans owne workes and dedes done by him in hys lyfe tyme whyche workes and dedes shal be then examined dyseussed tryed not after menes owne fantasye and inuention wythout aucthoritie and grounde of Scryptur but accordyng to the commaundement of God and the teachyng of Chryste and his Apostles For at that day of iudgement all the people of the worlde quicke and deade that is to say aswell all those whiche shall be founde on lyue in the worlde at that daye as also all those which euer syth the creation of Adam lyued here in thys worlde and dyed before that daye shall come and appeare afore the presence of Christ in their very bodyes and soules And when they shall be so gathered and assembled together oure sauyoure IESVSCHRIST shall pronounce the finall sentence and iudgement of euerlastyng saluation vpon all those persons whyche in theyr lyfe tyme obeyed and confyrmed them selues vn to the wyll of God and excused the workes of righte beleife and charitie and so perseueryng in well doing sought in theyr hartes and dedes honoure glory and lyfe immortall And contrarywyse vpon all those which in theyr lyfe tyme were coutentions and dyd 〈◊〉 agaynst the wyl of God and folowed in iustice and iniquitie rather than truth and vertue our sauiour Chryst shal than and there pronounce the sen tence of euerlastynge punyshment and dampnation In whyche sentence there shal be made a perfect sepa ration or diuision betwene these two sorts of people that is to saye betwene the shepe and the goates the come and the chaffe the good and the badde the blessed and the cursed the members of his bodye and the members of the deuyll and so the good and the blessed being vpon his ryght hande he shall clearely and perfectly delyuer them for euer from the power ma lyce of the wycked and from all paynes and euyll and so take them all vp with him into heauen there to be crowned and rewarded in bodye and soule with honoure and glorye and euerlastyng ioye and peace which was prepared for them from the beginnynge of the worlde And all the other whych shal be iudged to euerlastyng payne and death beyng vpon hys lefte hande he shall send them downe into Hell there to be punyshed in bodye and soule eternallye with fyér that neuer shall haue ende whych was pre pared from the begynnynge of the worlde vnto the Deuyll and his Angels And here it is speciallye to be remembred howe thys article was for great considerations added immediatelye and conioyned vnto the former articles and chiefly to the intent that no man shuld in his life tyme 〈◊〉 vpon the sayde benefites of Chryste or take occasion of carnal liberty or securitie and so liue without feare to transgresse or withoute regarde to obserue the commaundementes of God but rather that euery good christen man shoulde in euerye parte of his lyfe haue a continuall remembraunce and respecte vnto the laste daye of iudgemente and so be in continuall feare to commytte any thyng contrary to the wyll of God for the whiche he myghte deserue to haue the sentence of euerlastynge dampnation pronounced vpon hym For thys is certaynely true that at that daye euery man shal be called to an accompte of his lyfe and shal be than fynally iudged according to his workes good or badde done in hys lyfe tyme that is as S Paule sayeth to them that perseuer in well doing and laboure to attayne glorye honoure and immortalitie shal be gyuen lyfe euerlastyng and to them that be contentious and obey not the truthe but folowe and do iniustice shall come indignation ire afflyctyon trouble and paynes euerlastynge In this article it is further to be noted that like as there is nothynge more certayne vnto vs than that we be all mortall and shall once dye and yet no man 〈◊〉 knoweth the tyme whan he shall dye euen so there is nothyng more certayne than that thys daye of iudgement shal once come and yet the houre and tyme whan it shal be is hydden and kept secret from the knowledge of all men and angels and is reserued to the knowledge of God onely whyche thynge precedeth onely of hys goodnes towardes vs and is done to the intente we should alwayes here in oure lyfe tyme flee from sinne and imploye all our hole stu dy and indeuour to walke in the wayes of God that is to saye in such fayth hope and charitie as God
amongeste diuerse other his notable sayinges ye shal fynde these wordes folowinge Illud etiam quod circa baptizandos in unluerso mundo sancta ecclesia siue sunt paruulisiue iuuenes uniformiter agit non ocioso contemplemur intuitu quod cū ad regenerationis ueniunt sacramēium non prius fontem uite ingrediuntur quā exorcismis et exufflacionibus clericorum spiritus ab eis immundus abigatur That is to saye This thyng also whiche the holye Churche through the hole worlde uniformelye dothe practyse in persones that are to be baptyled whether they be litle children or yong folke let vs not with idell consideration beholde howe that when they do come to the Sacra ment of regeneration or baptisme they doo not enter into the funt of lyfe before that the unclene spirite be dryuen awaye by the exorcisines and exsufflations of the clerkes or mi nisters Agreable wherevnto S. Austyne in his second boke De gratia Christi And in hys xl chapiter doth say thus Ipsa sancte ecclesie sacramenta que tam prisce traditionis authoritate concelebrat satis indicant paruulos a partu etiam recētistimos per gratiam CHRISTI de diaboliseruitio liberari excepto enim quod in peccatorum remissionem non fallaci sed fidcli misterio baptizantur etiā prius exorcizatur in eis et exufflatur potestas contraria cui etiam uerbis eorum a quibus portantur se se renunciare respondent that is to say The very Sacramentes of the holy Church which she by so olde or auncient tradition to gether with other doth celebrate sufficiently do declare yonge chyldren euen most newly or freshely cummen from byrthe to be by the grace of Chryst deliuered from the seruyce of the deuyll For besides that they be baptised not with the deceatefull but with the true misterye there is also fyrst in them exercised and exufflate the contrary power meanynge there by the Deuyll which contrary power the childre by the wordes of them that did bere thē make aunswere that they do renounce it The same S. Augustine also in the. iiii boke xxiiii Chapyter of his worke intituled De baptismo contra Dona tistas wryteth in this maner Et sicut in illo latrone quod exbap tismi sacramento defuerat compleuit omnipotentis benignitas quia non 〈◊〉 perbia uel contemptu sed necessitate defuerat Sic in infantibusqui baptiza timoriuntur eadem gratia omnipotētis implere credenda est quod nō exa impiauoluntale sed ex etatis indigentia nec corde credere ad institiā possunt nec ore confiteri adsalutem ideo aliipro eisrespondent ut impleatur erga eos celebratio sacramenti ualet utique ad eorum consecrationem quid ipse respondere non possunt That is to saye And as the be nignitie of the almyghtye dyd fulfyll in the these specyally mentioned in the xxiii of S Luke that thyng which wanted as touchyng the sacramente of Baptisine because it wanted not of pryde nor of contempte but of necessitie So the same grace of the almighty must be beleued to fulfyll that thyng in infantes who do dye beyng baptised which they not of wycked or noughtye wyll but of lacke of age neyther with hert were able to beleue to iustice nor with mouth confesse to saluation by reason wherof other do aunswer for them that the celebration of the sacrament meaninge Baptysme maye be fulfylled towardes them whiche in dede is auaylable to theyr sanctification because they cannot aunswere Nowe thys sacrament of Baptisme being instituted and ordeyned by oure Sauiour CHRISTE in the newe testament and the effecte and vertue of the same being the forgeuenes of synnes and it hauinge with it the grace of the holy ghoste and fynally it not onely apparteynyng to all such as haue the vse of reason who thereby haue all kynde of synnes both originall and actuall committed and done before they re baptysine clearelye taken awaye from them but also ap pertaynynge and beinge offered vnto infantes who being borne in originall synne haue nede to be chrystened and beinge offered in the faythe of the churche do both receue the forgeuenes of theyr synne and also such grace of the holy ghost that yf they dye in the state of theyr infancy they shall by the sayd baptisme be vndoutedlie saued Ye shall note touchynge thys oryginall synne in infantes that as the said infantes do take of theyr parentes theyr original and natural qualities euen so they receyue from them oryginall synne by whyche they are made the chyldren of the yre of God and by the same haue a natural inclinati on to synne by lustes and desyres whyche in fnrther age and tyme sensibly doo moue and styrre them to wyckednes For althoughe the parentes be neuer so clene purged and pardoned of theyr oryginall synne by baptisme and grace geuen in the same yet neuerthelesse the chyldren of them begotten be conceyued and borne in original synne Example we maye take of corne whiche thoughe it be neuer so cleane wynowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the grounde and sowen the newe whiche spryngeth of it is ful of chaffe againe vntyl it be also winowed and cleansed So likewise the children of christen mē be ful of the chaffe and corruptyon of originall synne vntyll that by baptysme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were AND althoughe certayne heresies haue rysen vp and spronge in our dayes agaynst the Chrystenynge of infantes yet as the auncient fathers and holy 〈◊〉 of the church do testify the vniuersal consent of the churches in all places and of all tymes vsynge and frequentynge the Chrystenynge of infantes is a sufficient witnesse and profe that thys custome of the Churche in baptyzing of infantes was vsed by Chrystes Apostles them selues and by them geuen vnto the churche and in the same hath been alwayes continued euen vnto these daies And this custome and perpetual vsage of the churche euen from the begynning is agreable with the saying of S. Paule Ephe v. Chryst loued his Churche and hath geuen hym selfe to the deathe for his Churches sake to sanctifye her and make her holye in cleansynge her by the fountayne of water in hys worde c. So that no man is nor canne be of thys Churche but he whych is clensed by the Sacrament of Baptysme Lyke as the texte before alledged sheweth where Chryste sayethe Whosoeuer is not borne againe of water and the holy Gost shall not enter into the Kyngedome of Heauen Wherefore seing that out of the churche nether infantes nor no man els cā be saued they must nedes be christened and clensed by baptysme and soo incorporated into the Churche And as the infancy of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the olde testamente dyd not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefytte geuen in Circumcision Euen so in the newe Testament the infancye of Chyldren doth not let but that
Chryst the same so to be And here do you note that the aforesaide working of Chryst and ministerye of the preist here touchynge the Sacramēt of the aulter is and hath alwayes in the catholyke churche bene called Consecration Of whyche consecration S. Ambrose aboue an eleuen hundred yeare agoo wryteth mooste notablye and fully in his fourth boke Desacramentis Cap. iiii saying after this maner Tu 〈◊〉 dicis meus panis est 〈◊〉 sed panisiste panis est autem uerbasacramentorum ubi accesserit consecratio de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caro Christ 〈◊〉 igitur astruamus Quomodo potest qui panisest corpus esse Christi consecratione Consecr atio igitur quibus uerbis est et cuius ser 〈◊〉 Domini Iesu Nam 〈◊〉 omnia 〈◊〉 dicuntur laus deo 〈◊〉 oratione petitur propopulo pro regibus pro 〈◊〉 Vbiuenitur ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacran entū iam non suis sermonibus sacerdotes fed 〈◊〉 sermonibus Christi Ergo seruo Christihoc conficit saeramentum That is to saye Peraduenture thou Chrysten man wylte saye my breade is vsuall or common breade But I 〈◊〉 before the wordes of the Sacrament it is breade but when the cōsacration cometh of the breade there is made the fleshe of Chryste Let vs then proue howe that which is breade can by 〈◊〉 become to be the bodye of Chryst. And by what wordes then and by whose sayinges is consecration by the wordes of oure Lorde Iesus meanyng there by as he doth declare in the chapiter folowinge these wordes Hoe est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus c For in all other thynges that are sayde prayse is geuen to God and petition by prayer is made for the people for the kynges and for other but when it is come to that poynte that the blessed Sacrament muste be made then the preist doth not vse hys owne wordes but he vseth the wordes of Chryste The speache therefore or sayinge of Chryste doth make this Sacrament And by and by after the 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose doth conclude aunsweryng to the former question as foloweth 〈◊〉 ut respondeam Non erat corpus Christi ante consecrationem sed post 〈◊〉 dico tibi quodiam corpus est Christi ipse dixit 〈◊〉 est ipse mandauit creatumest That is to saye Nowe to make answere vnto thee it was not the body of Christe before the consecration but after the consecration I tell the that nowe it is the body of Chryst He that is to saye Chryste sayde it and done it is he commaunded and made it is In these two places of S. Ambrose oute whole processe hether to made of thys sacrament that is to wytte concernyng the reall presence of the verye body of Chryst in the sacrament concernyng also the trāsubstanciation or chaunge of breade and wyne into the body and bloud of Chryst and fynally cōcerning the consecration continuallye ministred by the preist is moste euydentely confyrmed and proued And to the selfe same purpose doth Eusebius 〈◊〉 write in his fyfte 〈◊〉 or sermon De pascha where amongest othere 〈◊〉 of the sacrament he saieth thus Inuisibilis 〈◊〉 uisibilis creaturas insubstantiam corporis 〈◊〉 sui uerbo suo secreta potestate conuertit it a dicens A ccipice commedite hoc est enim corpus meum sanctisicatione repetia Accipite 〈◊〉 bibite 〈◊〉 est sanguis 〈◊〉 Argosicutad nutum praecipient is domine repente ex 〈◊〉 substit erunt excelsa coelorum 〈◊〉 uasta 〈◊〉 paripotentia inspiritualibus Sacramentis verbi praecipit uirtus seruit effectus That is to saye The inuisible preist dothe tourne or conuerte the vifible creatures into the substaunce of hys dodye and bloude by his word thoroughe his secrete power thus saying Take ye and eate thys in dede is my bodye and the sanctification or consecratyon 〈◊〉 repeted he sayeth take ye and 〈◊〉 this is my bloude Therefore 〈◊〉 as at the becke of oure Lorde geuynge commaundemente sodenlye of nothynge the beyghtes of the heauens had there being and also the dep thes of the wateres or fluddes and the large nes or greatnes of the earth so by the lyke power in spirituall Sacramentes the vertue of the worde doth commaunde and the effecte doth serue or is obedient 〈◊〉 And more ouer the sayde Eusebius Emissenus in the sayd homyly doth saye thus Sicut quicunque ad fidem Christineniens ante uerba 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 est ucteris debiti hijs uero memoratis moxexuitur omni face peccati ita quando 〈◊〉 uerbis 〈◊〉 creatura 〈◊〉 altaribus imponuntur ante quam inuocatione sui 〈◊〉 consecrantur substantia illic est panis uini post verba 〈◊〉 Christi corpus sanguis est Christi Quid autem mirum est siea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potuit crerare uerbo possit creata conuertere imo iam minoris uidetus esse miraculi siid quod de uihilo agnoscitur condidisse iam 〈◊〉 in me lius uale at commutare That is to saye Lyke as whosoeuer comming to the fayth of Chryste before the wordes of baptisme is as yet stil in the bonde of the olde debte but after the wordes of Baptysme be spoken he by and be is delyuered or 〈◊〉 of all the 〈◊〉 or vncleanes of synne so when the creatures be layde or put 〈◊〉 the holye Aultats to be blessed wyth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ther is before they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Chrystes name the substaunce of breade and wyne but after the wordes of Chryste there is the bodye and Bloude of Chryste And what maruayle is it yf those thynges whyche by hys worde he coulde 〈◊〉 of nothyng that those thynges so created he may by hys worde conuerte or chaunge Nay no we it semeth to be of a lesse miracle yf that which he is knowen to haue made of nothinge he be able to tourne or chaunge into better beynge alreadye made To these before rehearsed testimonyes we maye adioyne two other testymonyes of Saynte Chrysostome whereof the one is in hys 83 Homelye vpon Saynte Mathe we where he wryteth in thys maner Non sunt humane uirtutis haec opera quae tunc in illa coena 〈◊〉 ipse nunc quoque operatur ipse perfecet ministorum nos ordinem tenemus qui uero hec sanctificat et 〈◊〉 ipse est That is to say These wordes Meanynge of theose workes which Chryst dyd at hys maundye are not of mās vertue or power those thinges which in that supper or feast he then dyd he also nowe it is that 〈◊〉 worke or do thys matter we doo kepe the order or place of mynysters but he it is meanynge Chryste that sanctifyethe these thinges and chaungeth them The same saynct Chrysostome in 〈◊〉 homyly De proditione Iude. sayeth also in thys maner Et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est CHRITVS qui illam ornauit mensam ipse istam quoque consecrat Non enim homo est qui proposita de consecratione mensae domini corpus faciet sanguinem sed ille qui 〈◊〉
Counsayle of Ephesus this same difference noted in whiche Counsayle Saynte Cyryll at that tyme was presidente and that difference or distinctyon is 〈◊〉 agayue by the same 〈◊〉 in his treatyse agaynst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undecimo and in the generall counsayle kepte at 〈◊〉 there is vsed in the Canons thereof the same distinction whyche is before specyfyed Nazianzen lyke wyse in his verses to the byshoppes and in his firste 〈◊〉 agaynst Iulian hath the same distinction And so haue sondrye other ryght 〈◊〉 fathers And passynge from thys distinction to declare vnto you the effecte and fruite that cōmeth of the dew oblation of the body bloude of Christ in the sacrifice of the masse ye shal vnderstād that nothinge beinge so acceptable vnto the father of heauē as is the body bloud of our sauiour Christ his sōne the catholike churche therfore in al the cōclusiōs of praiers petitions that are made vnto the father is accustomed commonlye to saye 〈◊〉 Christum Dominum nostrum that is to saye Throughe or for the sake of our Lorde Chryste or suche lyke wordes tendynge euer to the same purpose nothynge doutynge but that the thynge whiche is so asked in his name shall the soner be attayned in asmuche as Chryste hym selfe both learned vs so to doe and adioyued thereto the promyse of obreynyng the same as maye appeare in the. xvi of Iohn where Chryste sayeth thus Si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit uobis that is to saye 〈◊〉 ye aske my father any thinge in my name he will geue it vnto you Nowe the Catholyke churche doeth in the sacrifice of the masse not onelye praye in the name of Chryste as in other her prayers but wyth prayer doeth also offer vppe and exhibyte therein vnto the father in heauen the bodye bloude of hys dearelye beloued sonne oure 〈◊〉 Iesus Chryste by that meane as beyng the very 〈◊〉 and iucomparable meane passynge all other meanes to obteyne most frutefully most habundantlye moste assuredly all the merites and benefytes of Chrystes deathe to be applied vnto vs and that suche prayers as are made in the time of the masse and the sacryfyce thereof are specyall and aboue all other effectnall S. Augustyne proueth by scrypture dicuslynge mooste exactly thys place of S. Paule in the second chapter of hys fyrst epystle to Timothe where Saynt Paule thus wryteth Obsccro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes 〈◊〉 tioncs postulatioms gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus et ommbus qui in 〈◊〉 consti uti sunt ut quietam et tranquillam uitam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omni pietate et chastitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bonum est et acceptum coram saluatore nostro 〈◊〉 qui omnes homines uult saluos fieri et ad 〈◊〉 nem ueritatis uenire That 〈◊〉 to saye I besech you therefore aboue all thynges that obsecrations 〈◊〉 supplications and thankes geuyng be made or had for all men for kynges and for all thē whyche are in high aucthoritie that we may lyue a quiet and a peasable lyfe in all godlynes and honestye For that is good and acceptable before GOD our Sauioure whose wyl is all men to besaued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth Upon whych place S. Augustyne discoursynge very dilygentlye in his 〈◊〉 epystle wrytten vnto Paulinas doeth saye that by those foure seuerali wordes of Saynt Paule it is to wite obsecrations obtestations supplications and thankes geuynge are mente the foure seuerall partes frequented in the hole Catholyke Churche in the diuine celebration whyche is done at Goddes borde As by the fyrst worde obsecrations to be vnderstand al that whych is sayde at the altar before that the breade and the chalyce set vpon the aultare be blessed By the second worde Whiche is ob testations to be mente all those prayers whyche be sayde from thence vnto the fractions of the hoūe in declaration of whyche parte Saynt Augustine doth expresly call thys sacrament the 〈◊〉 of the holye Aultare And by the thyrde worde Supplications to be vnderstanded that part wherein the byshoppe after the foresayd fractions doth turne vnto the people and blesse them and wherein also the sacramente is receyued And fynally by the fourth worde Which is thankes geuyng to be ment the very end and conclusion of the diuine celebration All whyche thynges concernyng the mynde of S. 〈◊〉 vpon those foure wordes of S Paule 〈◊〉 maye more at 〈◊〉 synde in the foresayde epistle of S. Augustine So then this place of Scripture thus vnderstanded doth most manifestly and euidently declare the great fruite and commoditie of the masse and the oblation of the same for immedyatlye in S. Paule foloweth that these foure partes should be executed to the ende Vt quietam et tranquillam uitam 〈◊〉 in omni 〈◊〉 chastitate That is To the ende that we mighte liue or leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honestie Where is to be noted that when saynct Paule gaue thys exhortation to Tymothy chrysten men euery where dyd lyue vnder the domynion of heathen princes and yet S. Paule would these foure partes to be amonge the Chrysten menne frequented and vsed yea for the sayd heathen princes that they eyther shoulde perfectlye be conuerted there by or at the least some what relent from theyr soo out ragious and cruell 〈◊〉 wyth the chrysten men beynge theyr subiectes But nowe farther to procede in declaration of the inestimable 〈◊〉 and fruyte whych commeth of thys sacryfyce of the masse it shal be necessarye here to note vnto you that the fruyte thereof doth not onely extende it selfe to people beyng yet here vpon the earth lyuynge to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vuto them hauing good harte minde to take and receyue the profitte thereof grace and mercy at gods handes but it is also fruitefull vnto as manye as departyng thys presente lyfe are not vtterlye excluded from the fauour of God and the hope of the fruityon of the godheade 〈◊〉 asmuche as suche are membres of Chrystes mysticall bodye hauynge buylded vppon Chryste the foundation not onelye golde syluer and precyous stones but tymber hey and stubble also whyche by fyre must be consumed before they can enter into the kyngdome of heauen where is all puritie cleanenes and perfection And that these sortes maye by the sacrifice of the Masse be releaued and the soner deliuered oute of theyr paynes and therevpon be receaued into eternal ioye there are besyde the verye Scryptures of God infinite authorities of the most auncient fathers of Chrystes Catholyke Churche of which authorities we here nowe alledge certeyne of the mooste notable vnto you And fyrste we wyll brynge in Sainte Chrysostome in hys 96. homilye ad 〈◊〉 antiochenum where he wrytethe in thys maner Non temere ab apostolis hec sancita fuerunt ut in tremendis mysteriis defunctorum agatur commemoratio Sicunt enim illi sinde multum contingere lucrum utilitatem multam Stante sequidem
is not to be ouercomed or stayed or letted by anye worldelye pleasures or vanities The offyce of Fortitude or strength is not to omytte or leaue vndone any good thynge whyche ought to be done for 〈◊〉 worldely grieues or troubles And by the way we do here note that these foure Prudence temporance iustice and fortitude are commonly called Cardinall vertues for asmuch as they are the pryncipall and doo conteyne vnder them many other vertues Now concerning the eyght beatitudes forasmuch as they are moste playnelye and orderly sette furth in the. v. chapter of S. Mathew we wyl here rehearse the same vnto you as they of hym are rehearsed desi 〈◊〉 you seriouslye and ofte to mediate the same as whereby you maye bothe knowe wherin felicitie dothe consist and howe also to attayne and comme vnto the same And concernynge thys matter of the beatitudes S. Mathewe in the sayd v. chapyter doth thus 〈◊〉 forth the processe thereof Videns autem 〈◊〉 turbas ascendit in montem cum sedisset 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 discipull cius apericns os 〈◊〉 docebat 〈◊〉 dicens Beati 〈◊〉 spiritu quoniam ipsorum est 〈◊〉 celorū 〈◊〉 mites 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 terram Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur 〈◊〉 quiesuriunt 〈◊〉 iustitiam 〈◊〉 ipsi saturabuntur Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 consequentur 〈◊〉 mundi corde quoniam ipsi deum uidebunt Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filij dei uocabuntur Beati qui 〈◊〉 patiuntur propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsorum est regnum celorum That is to saye And Iesus 〈◊〉 the multitude did go vppe vnto a hyll and whan he was set hys dysciples came vnto him and he openynge hys mouthe did teache them sayinge Blessed are the poore in spirite for theires is the kyng dome of heauen Blessed are the meke for they 〈◊〉 possesse the earthe Blessed are they that doo mourne for they 〈◊〉 receaue comforte Blessed are they who doo hunger and thryste the iustyce for they 〈◊〉 fylled Blessed are the mercyfull for they 〈◊〉 obtayne or gette mercye Blessed are the pure or cleane in harte for they shall see God Blessed are the peace makers for they shal be called the sonnes or children of GOD. Blessed are they whoo doo suffer persecution for iustice sake for theirs is the 〈◊〉 of heauen And thus nowe hauinge for the tyme donne so muche as one man with this chapleynes and frendes coulde doo and wisshynge that it were muche more better and more exactlye doone then it is fynallye submyttynge the whole vnto the iu gemente of the catholyke churche and the see Apostolyke in all poyntes I wyll nowe adde herevnto certayne Collectes to be sayde and rehearsed dayelye by the preistes in their Masse concernynge both oure holye father the Pope with his mooste reuerende Legate the Lorde Cardinall poole and also concernynge the kynges and Quenes most excellent maiesties whose health and wealth are our great sauegarde and assuraunce And yet ouer and besydes thys a speciall collecte or prayer seuerallye for the kynges prosperouse iorneye bothe in goynge in tarienge and in well retournyng to be had whyche the holye Tryny ye the father the sonne and the holye Ghost mercifullye doo graunt and brynge to passe Unto whom be all honoure prayse and glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the most holy father the Pope DEus omnium fidelium pastor rector famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem ecclesie tue precesse uoluisti propitius respice da ei que sumus uerbo exemplo quibus pre est proficere ut ad uitam una cūgrege sub credito per ueniat sempiternam Per. Secreta Oblatis quesumus domini placare muneribus famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti assidua protectione guberna per. Poctcommunio Hec nos quesumus domini diuine sacramenti perceptio protegat famulum tuum Paulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti una cum commissio sibi grege saluat semper muniat per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the mooste reuerend Lorde Cardynall Poole REge quesumus domini famulum tuum Reginaldum Polum Cardinalem sacro sancte sedis apostolice a latere legatum intercedente beata dei genitrici Maria cum 〈◊〉 sanctis tuis gratiae tue in eo dona multiplica ut ab omnibus liberetur offensis temporalibus non destituatur auxiliis 〈◊〉 ternis gadeat at institutis per. Secreta Suscipe quesumus domini tibi munus oblatum intercedente beata dei genetrice Maria cum omnibus sanctis tuis famulum tuum Reginaldum 〈◊〉 Cardinalē sacro sancta sedis apostolicae a latere legatum tua propitius ubique miseratione 〈◊〉 at que ab omnibus quas 〈◊〉 aduersitatibus redde securum ut tranquillitate precepta ab omnium uisibilium inuisibilium inimicorum 〈◊〉 liberatus deuota tibi menta de seruiat Per. Post communio Subiectum 〈◊〉 famulum tuum Reginaldum Polū Cardinalem sacro sanctae sedis Apostolicae a latere legatum quesumus domine inter cessione beatae deî genetricis Mariae cum omnibus sanctis tui propitiatio celestis amplificet ut presentis uitae periculis 〈◊〉 perpetuis donis firmetur Per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the kynge and Quenes maiesties and theyr counsaylers Oratio DEus in cuius manu sunt corda regnum qui eis humilium consolator at fidelium fortitudo et protector omniū in te sperantium da regi uostro Philippo reginae nostrae Mariae eorumque consilitatis populo Christiano triumphū uirtutis tue scienter excolere ut perte semper reparentur ad uenian Per. 〈◊〉 Suscipe quesumus domine precis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tuae quas pro salute samili tui regis nostri Philippi Regine nostrae Mariae eorum que 〈◊〉 rum ac protectione fidelium populorum tuae maiestati offerimus sut plicantes ut antiqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ope rante miracula super at is inimicis secura t. bi 〈◊〉 Christianorum libertas Per. Postcommunio Presta quesumus omnipotens deus ut per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steria sancta quae sumpsimus rex noster Philippus regina nostra Maria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac populus Christianus 〈◊〉 rationabilia meditantis que tibi placita sūt dictis 〈◊〉 ātur factis Per. ¶ The three collects or orations for the prosperous voyage and safe retourne of our moste noble kyng Phylyppe Oratio primo APesto domine supplicationibus nostris uiam 〈◊〉 ac pij famuli tui Philippi regis nostri et omnium 〈◊〉 qui in eius sunt comitatu in salutis tuae prosperitate dispone ut inter omnes 〈◊〉 uitae 〈◊〉 marietatis tuo semper protegantur auxilio Per Secreta Propitiare domini supplicationibus nostris has oblationes quas tibi offerimus pro deuoto 〈◊〉
stande in Who is there almoost emongest vs but that vncharitably calleth hys neighbour fole or som like euyl name yea who is ther in maner that doth not far passe thys degree of vncharitablenes And yet our sauiour nameth no mo degrees partely bicause the payne of thys thyrde degree beinge hell fyre no greater payne coulde be named for suche as should passe the same degre partly because the Chrystyan man should at the least be soo wary circumspecte in kepyng brotherlye loue and charitie that thoughe he dyd perchaunce so farre forgette hymselfe as to call hys brother foole vucharitably yet fardar than so he should not so much as thinke thoroughout his whole lyfe It is written of one Solon an infidell but yet a very polityke man howe when he made lawes for the gouernmēt of that famous citie of Athēs he in all hys lawes appoynted no punyshment for a parricide that is for suche a one as shoulde kyll hys father or mother and when he was demaunded why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he verely thought and beleued that no one beynge brought vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at any tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speketh but of those fore saide three degrees of 〈◊〉 for that it is not lykely chrysten men beinge traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at any tyme proced in the violatyng of 〈◊〉 charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauioure hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise anye man may soo doo but therby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For answere to thys questiō it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs al kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els For asmuch then as in that third of Mathewe S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scribes and pharisies adders brode and S Paule calleth the Galathians fooles and men without vnderstā ding in the second chapyter of his epistle writtē to them yea Chryst hymselfe in the. xxiiii of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and 〈◊〉 of belefe and the thing which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must say that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassoures offenders therby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that this kind uf rebuking is lawfull and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst. But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth ne good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wyshed hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharita ble mynde doth thou hym or tush at him or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him fole ideot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs let al accustomed tancour and malice from henceforth be vtterly banyshed from emongest vs that we dwelling in cha ritie may dwell in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen wyth hym for euer which graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste to whome be all honor and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London 〈◊〉 An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce that inestimable good nes of almyghtye God and his inesti mable mercye towards vs nothing deseruing the same yf there be any spot of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankfulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fall downe in body soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his trāsgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of god you haue a sufficiente and moste euident declarati on in these godly and deuout homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation redemption of man Neuerthelesse for your further instruction gostlye comfort in this behalfe I haue thought good to lett you vnderstand an other hye benefytte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauyng perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenly benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whi che our deare and dreadefull Sauiour both before and after his paynefull deathe dyd ordeyne and ap poynt to be for euer to vs a moost louinge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyller of truth in all our doutefull daungers Which churche forsomuch as he hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that manye more is the pitie had separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue rune astray beynge ledde and caried with euerye waue and wynde of newe lerning I purpose by Godes grace to open shortly to you what this churche is what maner of church it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professyng one faith of God and one vse of all the holy sacraments whi che churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe it is most derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent na mes as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum celorum c. that is to say The body misticall of Chryste the spouse of Chryst the kyngdome of heauen For S. Paule speakyng of Chryste sayeth That he hath appointed sundry officers to maintaine the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the bodi of Christ. And kyng Salomon taught by the holy ghost dyd forsee the dignitie and beutye of his holye Churche and sayde in the name of GOD thereby 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 mea perfectamea That is to saye One is my doue and my perfyte one Wyth many other such louing words as my sister my spouse c. And Saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue theyr wyues euen as Chryst loued the church Lykewyse in the holy Ghospell our sauiour Chryst doth compare the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 thinges vnder the name of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as vnto a kyng whych made o mariage for his sonne somtimes to tenne Uyrgynes and many such other by al which names callings we may learne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and derely beloued to almyghty God who for his churche sake did gyue hys onely sonne to most vyle death for that whiche also he hath prepared the kingdome of heauen Nowe
iudgement of our senses shoulde make vs once to doute of any one trueth in Chrystes religiō were it neuer so contrarye to the course of nature neuer so farre aboue our capacities and neuer so absurde to the appearaunce of our outwarde senses But forasmuch as through the iniquitie of these later euyll yeares diuers haue hadde sondrye fonde dowtes and scruples put into theyr heades especyally agaynst the presence of Chrystes body bloud in the Sacrament of the aultare and through such dowtes haue swarued from the true belefe therein therefore here shall folowe aunsweres and solutyons to such dowtes as haue ben most commen that from hence for the no man shal nede to be seduced by them or other lyke ¶ Fyrst it hath bene obiected that our sauiour Christ immediatlye after that he had instituted and delyuered to his Apostles the sacramente dyd say vnto them Do this in remembraunce of me Upon which wordes some haue concluded that the bodye of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament ¶ But let vs duely waye that words and meaning of the same and we shall moost plainly perceaue theyr erroure and mysvnderstandyng Sainct Paule in hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians and in the. xi chapter of the same Epistle intreating of the institu tion of the Sacrament of the aultar and there ope nyng the true sense of that commaundemente of Chryst sayth in this maner As oft as you eate of that breade and drinke of that cup you shall shew forthe the Lordes death vntil he come So then the remembraunce whych oure sauyoure there requirethe of vs is the remembraunce of hys death which is past and not presente and therefore after most proper maner of speache may well be remembred Now this remembraunce can in no wise possibly be so lyuely and so effectually worke in our hartes as when we most certenly beleue that in that sacrament of the aultare is verely the selfe same bo dy in substaunce which died for vs and therefore that Prophet Dauid foreseyng in spirit this so excellēt a memory sayeth in his 〈◊〉 Psalme Oure mercyfull gratious Lord hath made a memori of all his marueylous workes and by by decla 〈◊〉 in what maner he maketh that memori he addeth those wordes he hathe geuen a foode to suche as feare hym This fode which 〈◊〉 Prophet sayeth that Christ should leaue in remembraunce of al his maruelous workes that is of his incarnatiō his passion his ascension and glorye in heauen and other lyke workes most chiefely is to be verefied of the body and bloud of our sauyour Christe in the sacrament of the aultare Besydes thys the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ as it is in the sacramēt vnder the fourmes of breade and wine may in that respecte also very weli be a remembraunce of it selfe as it honge on the crosse in the vysyble fourme of a mortal man and as it is nowe in heauen in the forme of an immortall man Farthermore when our sauiour sayd Do this in the remembraūce of me he ment they should do the whol ministratiō which he then dyd in remembraunce of hym which whole ministration cannot be accordynglye doone otherwyse but that there must nedes be present the very body and bloude of our sauyoure Christe ¶ Another common obiection there is gathered of the wordes of Christ. Mathew xxvi when he sayd Poore men ye shal haue alwayes with you but me shal ye not alwayes haue with you Some haue vpon these wordes concluded that the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament of the aulter for then say they Christ should be alway with vs whereof hymselfe saythe the cōtrary ¶ But yf those mē so concludyng wold no more but confer sainct Marke and sayncte Ma thew together tonchynge the foresayde wordes of Christ and by that the one Euāgelist sayeth would sincerely iudge what the other ment they should sone perceue this ther obiectiō to be of no force or strēgth at al to proue that they thereby goo about to proue For sainct Marke iu his xiiii Chapiter fyrst telleth the story of the woman whych cam to Chryste and brought with her an Alablaster boxe of moost precious oyntment and poured the ointmēnt on his head next he telleth how certene of the disciples did murmure and grudge at that facte of the woman and sayd What meaneth this losse and waste of oyntment Might it not haue bene sold for more then three C. pence geuē to the pore Thyrdely he telleth howe oure sauioure beynge offended wyth the dysciples for theyr murmurynge agaynst the woman and how withall he allowing and commendynge her facte dyd say iu this maner Let her alone Why are ye greuouse vnto her she hath done a good dede for alwayes shal you haue poore men amongest you and when ye shal please you may bestowe your charitie on them but me shal ye not haue alwayes amongest you This woman hath bestowed on me that she had and she hathe preuented to anoint my bodi against it shal be 〈◊〉 By this processe of S. Marke it is euydent that our sauiour in al that his talke had a respecte to the charitie whiche that womau then shewed vpon hym when she poured the precious oyntmente on hys heade the lyke whereof he sayethe no man should be able to shew on him in tyme to come meaning that when he should once ryse from death to lyfe and haue an immortall bodye that then he woulde not looke to 〈◊〉 the lyke at anye mannes handes but that then men myght at their pleasure bestowe on the poore who alwayes are in the worlde in the mortall estate and maye by charity of good folke be releued and comforted In such sorte in dede oure sauiour is not nowe amongest vs but the beynge of his body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aulter is atter another sorte For in the Sacrament he is to fede vs with his body and bloude and not vysyble to shewe him selfe vnto vs as he thē did to his apostles nor to haue ointment poured on hym as he then had ¶ Another obiection is there gathered partely of S. Paule in the. x. of hys firste Epystle to the Corinthians where he speakethe of a spirituall meate and spyrytuall drynke partelye of Christes wordes in the. vi of Ihon where he sayeth that It is the spirite whych geueth lyfe and that the fleshe 〈◊〉 nothing partely vpon the common maner of speakyng vsed of the Catholyke churche which calleth the Bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Chryste in the sacrament of the aul tar a spirituall meate and a spirituall drynke ¶ For aunswere to which obiection it is syrste to be vnderstanded that one selfe thing may be bothe spirituall and yet neuerthelesse of a corporall substuunce to As for example the bodye of man after the 〈◊〉 shall as S. Paule wytnessheth in the. xv chapeter of hys fyrst
the surest pyller that men maye lene vnto be they learned or vulearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are othere obiectyons vpon iii. partyculer artycles of our crede whyche are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the ryght hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Whych articles yet being ryghtly vnderstanded shoulde rather confyrme vs in the true catholyke belefe of the presence of christes body in the sacrament of the aultare For as it is aboue nature for a manes bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of manes nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glorie with God the father and fynallye as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternall deathe and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastlye beleueth al these supernatural powers in Christ touching hys manhed bycause he is both God and man and to god nothyng is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowinge that Christ is omnipotent credite all othere thinges done or spoken by Chryst and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in apearaunce to our reason yet in very dede they agree and stand ryghte well with those foresayd iii. articles of our crede that though we cannot by oure wittes conceaue howe Chryst is ascended and is neuertheles in the Sacra ment also yet they must nedes be bothe beleued bycause gods worde doth affyrme them bothe and the catholyke churche dothe beleue them bothe whyche churche hath alwayes taught that Chryst is in heauen in the visyble fourme of a man and in the sacrament vnder the 〈◊〉 fourmes of bread and wine hys wysdome so ordeyning that wyth oure hartes we woulde beholde hys golry as he syttethe in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on hys very body in the sacrament to re ceaue the more grace and there vpon so to be gouerned wyth hys spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutyons myghte suffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all othere common 〈◊〉 made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the symple people by there folye in crediting euyll and per nicious schole maysters to theyr destructyon wher giuing credite to the catholyke churche they myght auoyde all 〈◊〉 and meryte a great deale yet to open further the 〈◊〉 and noughtines of the heretique teachers in our tyme and howe glad willinge they are to 〈◊〉 the symplicitie of the vnlerned people ye shall haue here added some moo obiections and solutions geuē to them to thys ende that if the sayde symple people haue bene infected with the sayd obiections or such lyke they maye be wel satisfied in their conscience therevpon adhere vnto the catholyke faythe maynteyned and obserued in the catholique churche out of whych there is no saluation And to prorede herein this is one othere common obiection that much troubleth the ig noraunt people it is to wite ¶ How can that bodi and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst be in the blessed sacrament of the aultar seing that not only euyll men do many tymes receue the same but fyre also maye consume it and other like chaunces may happen vn to it ¶ For 〈◊〉 to whyche obiectiō it is fyrst principally to be sayd that this obiection procedethe of a vayne curiositie of them whyche rather delyte fondly to talke of thys high mystery theu to prepare themselues to receaue the same accordyngly Sure we are that our Sauiour Chryste is nowe man incorruptible and impassible nether by fyre nor by ought els can suffer violence and therefore where it pleaseth hym of hys tender mercy and goodnes for our great comforte and soule helth by hys omnipotent word to tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into hys most prerious body and bloud in the sacramente of the aultare and yet so to make thys turne that neuerthelesse he sufferethe the fourmes sensible qualities of the breade and wine to remaine in there nature as they were before the consecratyon it is to be vnderstauded that the vyolence or force that is or in ye be 〈◊〉 to thys sacramente is done onely to the fourmes and qualities sensible which in dede are subiecte to passibilite corruption but in no wise to the vncorruptible bodi bloud of oure sauiour Chryst vnder them conteyned Doo we not read I pray you in the fourthe of Mathew how that our sauyour suffered the deuyll to take hym and carye hym vp into the pynacle of the temple afterward to the toppe of an high mountayne and yet who doth not know that he suffered no vilany therby at al The sonne beames also many tymes do shyne on thynges impure vncleane yet are they no whit thereby defyled The bodye of mā is with a greter vnion ioyned to the soule then are the fourmes of bread and wine to the body and bloude of our sauionr Chryst in the Sacrament of the aultar and yet we know that 〈◊〉 putrifaction and other such lyke thynges chauncynge to our body the soule hath in it no suche passion for that it is immortall The very Godhed of oure sauiour Chryst was in vnitie of personne vnited to hys manhod yet none of the passiōs paines or griefes which he sustayned in hys manhod broughte vyolence alteration or chaunge to hys godhed For the godhed is in alterable vnpossible The simplicity of Chrysten people in the primatyue churche was suche that they beleuynge mooste certenly the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryste to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the fourmes of bread and wine dyd without al curious talke of the fourmes accidentes bende thē selues to be 〈◊〉 at masse where in the myghtye woorke of consecratyon is wrought bi god and wherin our sauiour Christ also is in fourmes of bread and wyne offered vp to the heuenly father by the preist for the soner obteinyng of mercy and fauoure towardes vs and the sayde people beyng at masse they wyth moost feruent deuotion dyd praye and did honour the blessed sacrament of the aulter the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe and besydes this they dyd oftentimes wyth feare and tremblynge prepare them selues to the worthy teceyte therof and by suche theyr godly behauiour they dyd purchase to them selues greate aboundaunce of grace wher we by the cōtrary and moost vnchristian behauiour prouoke gods wrath dayly more and more vpon our selues and that whole realme For nothyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to auengeaunce then the presumption of such as 〈◊〉 curiously enter into hys hidden secretes and thervpon doo contempne all that whyche by theyr feble wyttes they are not
as the excel lent prelate and notable great clerke the Lord byshop of winchester nowe most worthy Lord chauÌ„celet of England in hys learned boke of confutacioÌ„ of heresies against the sacrament of the aulter doth prudeÌ„tly aduertise vs clerly affirme in the doctrine preceptes of the now militaÌ„t church al thinges of our religion fayth ought to be taken simply plainely And in very dede if in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter were not the true bodi of Christ but a figure a significatioÌ„ onely of it thaÌ„ the sacrameÌ„ts of the new testameÌ„t shold haue nothing more but rather lesse theÌ„ the sacra meÌ„ts of the old testameÌ„t had which is against the catholyke doctrine of the churche against al good reasoÌ„ ¶ An other obiection is this Christ at hys last supper takyng the chalice or cup into hys handes dyd after that he had blessed it saye Thys cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud And seing these woordes must nedes as they say be taken fyguratiuely inasmuch as the very material cup it selfe was neyther the newe testamente ne yet the bloude of Christ therefore lykewyse these wordes also whych Christ takiÌ„g bread into his haÌ„des blessiÌ„g it saying This is my body must nedes be takeÌ„ figuratiue ly ¶ For answer whervnto we may say as we did say before to the same obiection that this argument is noughte very euyl framed for though we dyd admit a figure to be herein the cuppe yet it foloweth not therby that we must nedes take the other speche touchiÌ„g the body to be fyguratyue also especially for that in the one spache it is to wit touchyng the body al the circuÌ„st aÌ„ces of the texte course of scripture do enforce vs to take the speache properlye wherein the other speache touching the cup al the circumstances of the texte and course of scripture doth importe the contrarye ¶ An other obiection is that Chryste hath but one true natural body nowe say they one true natural body can not truely be but in one place therefore say they seyng Christes body is truely in heauen it can not be truely also in the sacrament of the aulter ¶ For aunswere whereunto maye be sayde that in dede it is true that Christ hathe but one true naturall body and where they saye that one true naturall body can not be but in one place it is also true after one the selfe same maner of beyng but after diuerse maners of being one body maye be sondrye wher yea and at one tyme to it is to wyt in heaueÌ„ in the visible fourme and maner of man and in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the forme and maner of breade and wyne and in eueryche of them really and truely to in those respectes God beyng therein the doer who is omnipotent ¶ Ther is also another obiection and that is thys GOD can make man but man cannot make God now say they if the true bodye of Christe were really and in dede in the sacrament of the aulter then the priest which is a man should therby make God but maÌ„ cannot make God therefore in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter ther is not the very true body of Christ ¶ For aunswere whervnto is to be sayd that this obiectioÌ„ procedeth of a great ignoraunce for he that maketh this obiection taketh that the priest saying masse and pronouncing the woordes of coÌ„secracion doeth make God where in very dede the priest goeth aboute no suche thinges and yf he dyd nether be ne yet god himselfe câ—n make God but the truth is that the preist being the minister of God and god beyng ther the worker with hys worde by the preist pronounced there is caused the very body of Chryst to be ther present wher it was not ther before yet no new body ther made but that bodye ther presente which loÌ„g ago was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary the same I say in substaunce is there present onely vnder the formes of breade and wyne ¶ An other obiection there is and that is thys S. Luke in the. xvii chapiter of the actes doeth testifye that S. Paule beyng at athens and in mars strete before the councell there dyd saye amongest other wordes that God doeth not dwell in temples made with handes where vpon the 〈◊〉 vnlernedly doth gather that seyng the material temple is made with handes and the sacrament of the aultar is in the sayd materiall temple it foloweth say they that the body and bloude of Chryste can not be in it because God doth not dwell in temples made with handes And thys obiection hath bene soo muche iiked and commended amongest the procedyng prechers abusing the ignoraunt that they thought it ineuitable therfore abusyng the sayd people they caused it to be sette vp and paynted for a gaye shew in the temples ¶ For aunswere whervnto this is to be tolde you that ther is a great dyfference betwene beyng dwellyng in a place for a greate manye of you I 〈◊〉 not haue bene both in the 〈◊〉 syde in Paules churche yarde yea and Paules churche to wher ye haue not with moost due reuerence vsed and behaued your selues and yet I am sure that ye dwell not there In dede God is properlye sayde to dwell in heauen because he ther doth shew and manifest his great glorye and in the hartcs of iust and good peo ple he is also sayd to dwell by grace but as for other places he is in them beyng but not dwelling And as concernyng the beyng of God in the sacrament of the aultare forasinuch as there is the very substaunce of chrystes naturall and true body and bloude taken of the Uyrgyn Mary and that the di uinitie is in vnitie of persoÌ„ inseperably vnited and ioyned to the sayd bodye and bloude therefore we must saye and beleue that the godhed of Christ is in the sacrameÌ„t of the aultar with his humanitie in a very specyall sorte and dothe not thereby dwell in the sayde sacramente and soo this obiection is not worth a 〈◊〉 butten for all the bragges that hath bene made of it Other fond and folishe obiections ther are which are not worthy to be answered vnto and therfore are not nedefull to be touched exhortyng you therfore in Chryst 〈◊〉 and stedfastly to beleue the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 church herein and so shal you auoyde daunger please God profyt your selfe and lyuyng wel come at the last to ioy euerlastyng which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be honoure and glory for euer AMEN Tetrastichon in immodicam praesentis temporis plâ—uiam Obsecro quid sibi â—â—lt ingensque ab aethere nymbus Noctes atque dies sic sine fine ruit Mortales quoniam â—olunt sua criminia flerâ— Coelum pro nobis soluitur in lacrimas A Dialoge betwene man and the Ayre of like effecte Man These 〈◊〉 showres and ragyng 〈◊〉 that