here for he is rysen as he sayd come and see the place where the Lord was layde Behold my handes and my feete for it is euen I my selfe handle me and see for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands his fete And while they looked stedfastly vp to heauen as he went behold two men stode before them in white apparell which also sayd ye men of Galyle why stand ye gasing into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene him goe into heauen Also whom the heauen must contayne vntill the time that all thinges be restored That we ought not to take from the lay people the wyne of the supper Gelasius Pope of Rome of consecration in the seconde distinction chapter Comperimus c. We haue vnderstoode that some men receyuing only the bodye of the Lorde doe abstayne themselues from the Cup who forasmuch as they sinne by superstition ought to be constrayned and compelled to receyue the Sacrament wholy or else to reiect it altogither For the diuision of this mysterie cannot be without great sacriledge Iesus Christ commaunded in his supper and sayde Drinke ye all of this For this is my bloude of the newe testament The Counsaile of Basile hath ordeined that the laye people shoulde communicate the supper in two kindes Saint Cyprian in his Sermon of penitent sinners Howe shall we exhort the people to shed their bloude for the confession of Christ if we doe denie vnto them the bloude of him when they ought to fight Or howe can we make our selues capable to drinke the cuppe of Martyrdome except that we suffer our selues firste to drinke of the cuppe of the Lorde That we ought not to keepe the breade of the supper nor to carie it here and there Saint Clement in his 2. Epistle to Iames. And of the consecration in the 3. Distinction Chapter tribus c. So many hostes ought to be offred at the Aulter as shall be sufficient for the people And if any remaine we ought not to keepe it vntill the next day but through the diligence of the clarkes with feare and trembling ought to be receiued and eaten Origen vpon the 7. chapter of Leuiticus The Lorde hath not ordayned or commaunded that the bread should be kept vntill the morrowe the which he gaue vnto his disciples but sayd vnto them take ye and eate c. And in this he commaunded not to carry the bread by the wayes it may be that by the same is conteyned a mysterye that is to say that alwayes thou oughtest to bring forth the newe breade of the worde of God whiche thou bearest within thee Iesus Christ sayth Take and eate In which sense we ought to vnderstand the auncient Doctors when they haue sayde we offer we sacrifice in calling the supper a sacrifice S. Augustine writing against Faustus the 8. Chapter The Hebrues sacrificing the brute beastes did exercise themselues in the prophecie of the sacrifice which Iesus Christ hath offered And nowe the Christians in the oblation and communion of the bodie of Iesus Christ doe celebrate the memorie of the sacrifice already ended Chrysostome in his first tome vpon the 8. Chapter of Saint Mathew in the 16. homily For this cause these reuerende and salutarie mysteries which we celebrate in all the congregation of the Church are called Eucharistiae that is to saye a giuing of thankes for they are the remembrance of many benefites and doe shewe the verye heade of the heauenly loue towardes vs and doe make vs alwayes render thankes vnto God. The Prophet Dauid in the 50. Psalm Offer vnto God thanks giuing c. Irenaeus in his 4 booke against the heresies Chap. 32. 33 34. He hath willed that we shoulde offer often the gift at the aultar and without intermission The aultar then is in heauen for thither our prayers and oblations are addressed and directed to the temple as S. Iohn saith in his Apocalips And the temple of God was open and the tabernacle For beholde sayth he the tabernacle of God in the whiche I doe dwell with men S. Cyprian in his 2. boke of Epistles the 3. Epistle vnto Cecill We must not welbeloued brother that any man thinke that one ought to followe the custome of some men whiche haue thought or iudged that we must offer the water only in the Lordes cuppe we must aske of those whō they haue for example For if in the sacrifice which is Christ we must followe none but Christ truly then we must heare and doe that which Christ hath done and commaunded to be done Inasmuch as he sayth in his Gospell if you doe whatsoeuer I commaunde you I will call you no more seruauntes but my frendes And that Iesus Christ ought to be onely hearde the father himselfe doth witnesse it from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Wherefore if Christe ought to be only hearde we ought not to regarde that whiche another before vs shall thinke good to be done But that he who is before all that is to saye Christ hath done first For we must not followe the custome of man but the veritie of god forasmuche as he sayeth by his Prophete Esay They worshippe me in vayne teaching doctrines whiche are but mens preceptes And the Lorde himselfe repeateth the same in the Gospell saying ye doe reiect the commaundement of God for to establishe your owne tradition But yet he hath sayde in another place Whosoeuer shall break one of these least commandements teacheth men so to doe he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen Then if it be not lawfull to breake the least of all the commaundementes of God howe much lesse shall it be lawfull to breake these so greate so excellent and so properly appertayning to the Sacrament of the passion of the Lorde and of our redemption Or to chaunge it thorow the ordinance and tradition of men to an other thing than to that to the which it hath ben godly instituted For if Iesus Christ be the very souereygne Priest of God the father and if he hath bene the first offered sacrifice to God his father and hath commaunded to doe this in remembraunce of him he shall doe truly the office of Christ which shall followe that which Christ hath done And if he doe begyn to offer in the Church to God the father according as he shall see that Christ him selfe hath offered then he shal offer vnto God a full and whole sacrifice Furthermore if one kepe not that faithfullye which is spirituallye commanded the discipline of all religion and truth is ouerthrowne S. Augustine in his booke of fayth vnto Peter Chap. 16. In that sacrifice which we doe vse there is giuing of thankes
of time they will become rotten and corrupt and that ours shall dwell and abyde in the immortall soule as long as it shall haue any reasonable soule dwelling in it S. Cyprian wryting agaynst Demetrius first Treatise What beastlynesse of mynde is it or rather what blynde foolishe rage of madde men is it not to go from darkenesse for to come vnto the light And when those which are tyed and bounde with the bonds of eternall death will not receiue the hope of immortalitie and not to feare God threatening and saying that hee that doth sacrifice vnto anye Gods saue vnto the Lorde onely let him die without redemption Also They haue worshipped those which their hands haue made and fashioned and man did prostrate and humble himselfe before it and I will not pardon them Wherefore doest thou humble and bowe thy selfe before the false Goddes Wherefore doste thou bowe thy wretched body before Images that are filthye and that haue no vnderstanding and before the workes of the earth God hath made thee right and straight in comparison of other crooked creatures making them to looke downe on the earth Thou hast a hie looke and a face to beholde thy God beholde him fixe thine eyes on him seeke God on hie that thou mayst be exempted from the lowe hell lyft vp thine heart vnto celestiall and heauenly things Wherefore doste thou cast thy selfe agayne to the grounde in the fall of death with the serpent whom thou honourest why doste thou fall headlong in the ruine of the diuell throughe him Keepe the highnesse in the whiche thou art borne perseuere and continue to be such a one as thou wast made of God lyft vp thy hearte with the stature of thy bodye and the shape of thy visage that thou mayest knowe God knowe thy selfe first leaue and forsake Idols which mans error hath founde out Turne vnto God who will assist and helpe thee after when thou shalt call vpon him Beleeue in Iesus Christ whome the father hath sent for to quicken and amende vs c. Confounded be all they that worship Images and delite in their Idols Howe agreeth the temple of God with Images God did expressely forbid in the old lawe Images saying thus Thou shalt haue none other Gods in my sight Thou shalt make thee no grauen Image neyther any similitude that is in heauen aboue eyther in the earth beneath or in the waters that are beneath the earth See that thou neyther bowe thy selfe vnto them neyther serue them for I the Lorde thy God am a iealous God. Ezechias king of Iuda ordeyned that the Image of Christ shoulde bee burned that is to saye the brasen Serpent that God commaunded to be made in the wildernesse bicause that when it was borne about by the people they did burne sacrifice vnto it and honoured it yet the sayde Serpent was the image of Christ prefiguring him as he himselfe hath said in the Gospell Notwithstanding Ezechias brake it in peeces bicause that they abused it And he was greatly praysed for it of the Lorde Obiection The Canon lawe in the Chapter which beginneth Praelatum of consecration distinct 3. That which the Scripture doth vnto the readers the very same doth the payntor vnto the gasing fooles or Idiotes For in the same the ignorant people doe see that which they ought to followe in the same those doe reade which doe not know any letters Aunswere The Prophet Abacuc in his .2 chap. aunswereth to the same Canon What helpeth then the grauen images for the workeman hath left it it is molted and an image a thing shewing dreames and lyes Gregory writing vnto the Byshoppe Marsill in his .4 Epistle We had praysed thy doing if thou haddest forbidden to worship images which haue bene set in the Temple not for to worship but onely for to instruct the spirites of the ignorant c. The Prophet Ieremye in his .10 Chap. aunswereth vnto Gregory In that onely poynt they are altogither brutish and doe folishly for the wood is an instruction of vanitie Iesus Christe saith In vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines the commaundementes of men For ye laye the commaundement of God aparte and obserue the tradition of men S. Ierome vpon the Prophet Esay 57. Chapter There was not a place that was left vndefiled with the filthinesse of Idolatrye in such sort that behind the doores and postes of their houses they haue set vp images whom they doe call their priuye and familiar Gods. And by and by after he saithe The Cities of many countreys and prouinces are in that error and doe keepe that wicked custome of the elders Yea and Rome the mistres of the worlde doth the like honouring the image of Ceres as their sauegarde through out euery house with torches and candels to the ende that they haue memorialls which should admonish them of their inuented error aswel in the comming in as at the going out of the house c. O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whom Iesus Christ before was descrybed in your sight and among you crucified Epiphanius the good Doctor in the Epistle written vnto Iohn Byshoppe of Ierusalem and afterwarde translated by S. Ierome out of Greeke into Latine Beside that that I haue heard saith he that some did murmure against me for asmuche as when we did goe vnto a holye place which is called Bethel to the ende that I might make there with thee some prayer according to the ecclesiastical custome and after that we were arryued to the village which is called Anablatha I sawe in passing by a Lampe burning and after I demaunding what place that was one aunswered to me it was a Temple And when I was entred in for to praye I found therein a vayle hanging at the gate painted hauing the image of Iesus Christ or of some kind of Saint For I doe not well remember whose image that was Then as I sawe in the churche of Iesus Christe an image of a man hanging against the authorytie of the holy Scriptures I did teare and rent it in peeces and gaue counsell vnto the keepers of the sayd place rather to wrappe some poore deade body in it and to carry it awaye They did murmure against me saying if he woulde haue cut it of were it not reasonable that he should giue an other vayle in change I hearing the same promised to giue one and to send it incontinent But there was a little time betweene them whilest that I searched for a certayne vayle of price for to sende in steade of the other For I dyd thinke that I must sende one of Cypres but nowe I haue sent one such as I could finde and I desire thee that thou doeste commaund the priestes of the saide place to receiue this vayle of this bringer which is sent from vs And to commaunde fromhenceforth in the Churche of Christe that they doe hang
in thee are like rauishing wolues to shead bloude and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre There is not a godly man vpon earth there is not one righteous among men they labour all to shead bloud and euery man hunteth his brother to death Iesus Christ saith The time shal come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God seruice If ye wist what this meaneth I require mercy and not sacrifice ye would not haue condemned innocentes Right deare in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his saintes The earth shall discouer the bloud that shee hath deuoured shee shall neuer hyde them that shee hath murthered The Lord sayd vnto the faithfull who so toucheth you shall touch the aple of his owne eye Iesus Christ sayd vnto those that persecuted the faithfull Fulfill ye likewyse the measure of your fathers ye Serpentes ye generation of vipers how should ye escape the damnation of hell wherefore beholde I sende vnto you prophetes and wyse men and Scrybes and of them ye shall kill and crucifie and of them shall ye scourge in your sinagoges and persecute from citie to citie That vpon you may come all the righteous bloud that was shead vpon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abel vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whome yee slewe betweene the Temple and the Aulter Verily I saie vnto you al these things shall light vpon this generation Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent vnto thee The Iudges and gouernors willing to please and fulfil the wicked desire of Iezabel condemned the innocent Naboth to be put to death Augustine vnto Boniface 182. Epistle To doe well and not to let and forbyd the things which are vnlawfull is a verye consenting vnto error Origen in the 3. Homilie vpon Leuiticus Let vs take heede that we doe not consent vnto other mens sinnes I saye consent not only in doing the lyke things but also in holding our peace or winking at things that are euill done The Lorde hateth as well him that iustifieth the vngodly as him that condemneth the innocent The righteous considereth the cause of the poore but the vngodlye regardeth no vnderstanding The seate of the king that faythfullye iudgeth the poore shall continue sure for euermore With thy mouth defende the thing that is lawfull and right and the cause of the poore and helpelesse Many there be that seeke the Princes fauor but euerye mans iudgement commeth from the Lorde Moyses hath written what the Magistrates ought to be They must be sayth he vertuous men fearing God men of truth hating auarice and couetousnesse c. Chrysostome in his imperfect worke Chapter .23 vpon that text And say if we had bene in our fathers dayes we woulde not haue bene their cōpanions to shead the bloud of the Prophets When thou shalt heare any man saye that the doctors of the olde time be blessed proue and trye what good will or zeale he hath towardes those doctors for if he doe honor and reuerence those with whom he liueth without doubt he would also haue honored the other if he had liued with them In the same place he sayth moreouer the Iewes haue alwayes bene worshippers of the Saintes that be past and dead and condemners of those that be present and a liue S. Ierome in his .4 Tome in the rule of Monkes It is very true that the truth can be kept in and bound but it cannot be vanquished whiche is content with hir little number and is not a frayde of the great number of hir enemies Saint Ierome vpon Ieremie .5 Tome Chapter .26 When the congregation of the people were assembled togither the Priestes and false Prophetes accused Ieremie and the Priestes and false Prophetes would haue destroyed and killed the Prophete if the Iudges had had the power of iudgement By that we doe vnderstande that they which seeme to be altogither ordayned for religion being moued with enuie with the holynesse of the Prophet were more cruell than they that had the charge of publike necessities In the same Chapter he saith moreouer If at anye time for the commaundement of God and for the veritie of the fayth the Priestes or false Prophetes or the foolish people are angry with vs let vs not esteeme nor make any account of it but let vs execute the sentence of God not thinking on the euilles that are presente but beholding the goodnesse to come Wo be vnto you that make vnrighteous lawes and deuise things which be to hard to keepe thorow which the poore be oppressed on euery side and the Innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement the wydowes may be your pray and that ye may rob the fatherlesse What will ye doe in time of the visitation and destruction that shall come from farre To whom will ye run for helpe or to whom will ye giue your honour that yee maye keepe it that ye come not among the prisoners or lye among the deade After all this shall not the wrath of the Lord cease but yet shall his hande bee stretched oute styll It is verily a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you whiche are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angelles in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not knowe God neyther obey vnto the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christe Whiche shall be punished with euerlasting damnation from the presence of the Lorde and from the glorye of his power At the daye of iudgement saythe the booke of wisedome the righteousnesse shall stand in great stedfastnesse agaynst such as haue dealt extreamely with them and taken away their labours when they see it they shal be vexed with horible feare and shall wonder at the hastinesse of the sodayne health Groning for very distresse of minde and shall say within them selues hauing inward sorowe and mourning for very anguish of minde These are they whom we sometime had in derision and iested vpon We fooles thought their life very madnesse and their ende to be without honor But loe howe they are counted among the children of God and their porcion is among the saintes Therfore we haue erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined vnto vs and the sonne of vnderstanding rose not vp vpon vs We haue weried our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction Tedious wayes haue we gone But as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowen it What good hath our pride done vnto vs or what profite hath the pompe of riches brought vs all those thinges are passed away like a shadowe And towardes the ende of the Chapter he sayth his cruell wrath shall hee sharpen for a speare and the whole compasse of the worlde shall fight with
Poet flourished in the time of Maximilian the first and Alexander the .6 Pope Marcus Antonius Coccius Sabellicus borne in the dominion of Venice a bishop flourished the yere 1501. vnder Maximilian Emperour and Pius the 3. Pope He wrate a large historie from the creation of the worlde to the yeare 1504. whiche is augmented by Gaspar Hedio Gesner Simler The order of the Councelles according to Pantaleon AT Carthage once very famous now ruinous and cleane destroyed a Citie in the kingdome of Tunes vnder the Turkes dominion were celebrated sixe Councelles The first in the yeare 360. Galienus being Emperor 32. in succession and Stephen the first Pope The seconde the yere 413. Honorius being Emperor The thirde in the yeare 429. vnder Theodosius the 2. The fourth fifth in the yeare 437. vnder the same Emperor The sixt by 217. Byshops in the yeare 459. vnder Martianus At Anticyra in Galatia was celebrated a Councell by Vitalis Bishop of Antioche the yeare 295. Diocletian being Emperour At Nice a Citie in Bithynia nowe called Nichea in Asia the lesse vnder the Turke were celebrated two Councels The first against the Arians the yeare 326. vnder Constantine the great where was established the Nicene Creede The seconde the yeare 781. vnder Constantine the sixt The Councell of Gangra nowe called Cangri in Asia the lesse was celebrated the yeare 333. vnder Constantine the great At Elyberis or Illyberis nowe called Granado in Spayne was celebrated a Coūsell in the yere 337. vnder Constantine the great by xix Bishops At Ariminum now called Rimino in the territorie of Flaminia nowe Romandiola in Italie was celebrated a Councell the yere 362. vnder Iulian the Apostata The Councell of Laodicea in Syria was celebrated the yeare 368. vnder Iulian the Apostata At Constantinople in Thrace sometime called Byzantium builded by Constantine the great nowe the chiefe seate of the Turke and called in his language Stambola were celebrated eyght Councelles The first the yeare 383. by 180. Bishops vnder Gratian the Emperour The seconde the yeare 448. vnder Theodosius the seconde The thirde in the yere 546. vnder Iustinian the first The fourth the yeare 576. vnder Iustine the seconde The fift the yeare 681. by 289. Bishops vnder Constantine the v. The sixt the yeare 695. vnder Iustinian the seconde The seuenth the yeare 726. by 330. Byshoppes vnder Leo the thirde Emperor The eyght the yeare 870. vnder Basilius Macedo Emperor of the East and Lewes the seconde of the West At Toledo in Spayne were celebrated 13. Councelles The first the yeare 393. vnder Arcadius and Honorius by 18. Byshops The seconde the yeare 470. vnder Leo the first The thirde the yeare 615. vnder Heraclius by 62. Byshoppes The fourth the yeare 632. vnder Heraclius The fifth and sixt the yeare 639. vnder Constantine the thirde The seauenth the yere 680. But according to Phrygio 640. by 30. Bishoppes vnder Constantine the fourth The eyght the yeare 666. by 59. Bishoppes vnder Constantine the fourth The ninth and tenth the yeare 675. by 16. Bishoppes vnder Constantine the fourth The xi xii xiii the yeare 692. vnder Constantine the fourth The Councell Mileuitan was celebrated at Mileuita in Aphrica against the Pelagians the yeare 418. vnder Honorius The Councell of Ephesus nowe called Epheso in Ionia in Asia the lesse was celebrated the yeare 430. by 200. Bishops agaynst the Pelagians and Nestorians vnder Theodosius the 2. At Orenge in France but excepted from the dominion of the Frenche Kings hauing a seuerall Prince were helde two Councelles The first the yeare 451. vnder Theodosius the seconde and Valentinian The seconde the same yere vnder the sayde Emperors The Councell of Chalcedon in Bythinia nowe called by the Turkes Scutari situated right ouer against Constantinople was helde the yeare 453. agaynst the Eutychians Manichees and Dioscorus by 600. Byshops vnder the reygne of Theodosius the 2. and Valentinian the 3. At Orleans in Fraunce were helde fiue Councelles The first the yeare 518. vnder Iustinus the first by 33. Bishops The seconde the yeare 550. vnder Iustinian the great The thirde the same yeare vnder the same Emperor The fourth the yeare 567. vnder Iustinus the second The 5. the yeare 572. vnder the sayde Emperour At Bracara now called Braga in Spain were helde three Councelles The first the yeare 555. vnder Iustinian the great The seconde and thirde the yeare 583. Martianus being Emperor The Laterane Councelles were seauen The first by Stephan the 3. the yere 767. vnder Leo. The seconde by Nicolaus the seconde the yeare 1058. vnder Constantine the 12. of the East and Henrie the 4. of the West The thirde by Innocentius the 2. the yeare 1138. vnder Caloioannes of the East and Lotharius the 2. of the West Emperors The fourth the yeare 1167. by Alexander the 3. vnder Emanuel of the East and Frederike of the West The fift the yeare 1205. by Innocentius the thirde in the presence of 7. Archbishoppes 412. Bishops 1300. Prelates vnder Henrie the 6. of the West and Balduine the first of the East The sixt the yeare 1446. by Eugenius the 4. vnder Frederike the 3. The seauenth the yeare 1510. by Iulius the 3. vnder Maximilian the first At Chalons in Fraunce were helde two Councelles The first the yeare 670. vnder Constantine the 4. The seconde the yeare 805. vnder Charles the first Emperour of the West and Nicephorus of the East At Wormes in Germany were 5. Councelles The first the yeare 868. vnder Lewes the seconde of the West and Basilius of the East Emperours The second the yere 1067. vnder Romanus the second of the East and Henrie the fourth of the West The thirde the yeare 1494. vnder Maximilian the first The fourth the yere 1520. vnder the sayde Emperour The fift the yeare 1536. vnder Charles the fifte FINIS The summe of the common places contayned in this Booke OF the Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ Pag. 1. Of confession to God and of auricular confession Pag. 40. Of the power to binde and lose Pag. 46. Of free will. Pag. 51. Of merites and of good workes Pag. 70. and iustification by fayth Pag. 107. Of the Lawe Pag. 133. Of Purgatorie Pag. 147. Of the honouring of Saintes Pag. 174. Of one onely Mediator Pag. 191. Of Images whether they be lawfull in Churches of Christians or no. Pag. 201. Of fasting and meate Pag. 228. Of Mariage Pag. 243. Of Vowes Pag. 254. Of the Church and howe it may be knowen and the authoritie thereof Pag. 258. Of holy Scripture and that it is lawfull for all men to reade it Pag. 293. Of the assemblies and congregations of the faythfull Pag. 340. Of constraining no person to beleeue Pag. 347. Of persecuting Magistrates which vnder shadowe of religion doe persecute the faythfull and their torments of eternall paynes Pag. 368. Finis The Staffe of the Christian Faith. Of the holy Supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ. I Am that liuing breade which came downe from heauen If any man eate
properly in their being doe demonstrate vnto vs that onely Christ abydeth altogither wholy and in his veritie The Councell of Nice Let vs not staye here belowe on the breade and wyne whiche are sette on the Lordes table but let vs lift vppe our spirites on high through fayth Let vs consider that the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the world is in that holy table the whiche is not offered in sacrifice by the Priestes after the manner of beastes And in taking his precious bodie and his bloude let vs beleeue that they are the signes and tokens of our resurrection And for the same cause we eate not much but a little to the ende we may know that the same is not ordeyned for to fill our bellye withall but for to serue to sanctitie and holynesse c. Saint Ambrose in his booke of those which are dedicated to the mysteries Before the consecration one kinde or likenesse is named but after the consecration the body of Christ is signified Christe sayth that his bloud before the consecration is called an other thing but after the consecration is signified the bloud of Christe c. S. Ciprian in his sermon of penitent sinners Speaking of the mayd which did vomit out the Sacrament The drinke sanctified in the bloud of the Lord issued out of the polluted entrailes Chrisostome wryting to Caesar the Monke Before the consecration of the breade we doo call it bread but when the grace of God hath sanctified it by the priest it is deliuered from the name of bread and is exalted to the name of the body of the Lorde although that the nature of the bread abydeth alwayes and is not called two bodyes but one body of the sonne of GOD. Augustine vppon S. Iohn in his 80. homelye Iesus Christ sayth not that you are cleane bicause of the baptisme by the which you haue ben washed but he sayth it bycause of the word which I haue sayd vnto you That is for none other cause but that the word doth wash and clense you in the water If one doo take away the word what shall the water be but water Which if the word be ioyned to the element it shall be made a Sacrament and the word it selfe is made as visible from whence commeth so great vertue to the water that in touching the body it washeth the hart but by meanes of the word Not alwayes bicause that the word is pronounced but bicause that one beleeueth For in the worde it selfe truly there is a difference betwene the sound passing and the vertue abyding The Rubrycke wrytten in redde letters whiche is called cautela Missae If the body of the Lord be found within the armorye or pyxe to be rotten or mustye through to great moystnesse of the armorye or through to great negligence in not changing it If none can be founde which wyll receiue it that the sayd body of the Lorde be burned and the asshes put in a certayne halowed place Item if the sayd body of the Lorde be found within the sayd armorye to be eaten parte of it with Myce or Spiders if none can bee found which wyll receiue it that it be burned and the asshes put in a halowed place Item if any that is sicke who hauing receiued the sayd body of the Lord and through the infirmitie of his stomacke is constrayned to vomite it vp agayne if none can be found which wyll take that refection that the sayd body of the Lorde be burned and the asshes put into an halowed place S. Peter aunswereth to the same in his sermon Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption S. Paule sayth asmuche in his sermon that he made to the people of Antioche saying He whome God raysed agayne sawe no corruption also God hath raysed him from death for to returne no more to corruption How our Lord Iesus Christ according to his Humanite cannot be but in one place S. Ambrose wryting vpon S. Luke in his 10. booke We ought not to seeke thee vpon earth nor in the earth nor according to the flesh if we wyll finde thee For we may not knowe now Iesus Christ after the fleshe S. Stephen did not seeke him vpon earth who did see him at the right hand of god But Mary which sought him in the earth had not the power to touche him Stephen hath touched him for he sought him in heauen Augustine in his 2. Quinquagesima psalme 54. Vntill such time as the heauen shal end the Lord shall be alwayes on high but the truth of the Lord is here with vs For it must nedes be that the body with which he rose agayne be in one certayne place but his truth is spread abroad euery where Augustine wryting to Dardanus in the 67. Epistle Doubt not that Iesus Christ as touching his manhod is not there where we doe looke for him And doe remember that which we confesse in our crede That he rose agayne and ascended into heauen and that he shall come from thence and not from any other place to iudge the quick and the dead And he shall come according to the witnesse of the Angell as they haue seene him ascend in that same visible form and in the same substance to the which he hath giuen immortalitie But he hath not taken frō him his nature according to the forme and substance of his body we must not think that he is dispersed euery where for we must take heede so to affirme his deytie that we destroy not his humayne nature Therefore it followeth not that all which is in God is God. Augustine vpon S. Iohn in his 30. treatyse The body of Christ is raysed vp from death and it must needes be that it is in one place If ye then be rysen agayne with Christ seeke those thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the righ hand of god Thinke on the thinges which are aboue but not on those which are on earth Iesus Christ sayth I am yet a little while with you and then goe I vnto him that sent me Also the poore ye haue alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes My little children yet a little whyle am I with you ye shall seeke me and as I sayd vnto the Iewes wheither I goe thither can ye not come Again I go to prepare a place for you I wyll returne agayne and receiue you euen vnto my selfe that you may be there where I am also I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away For yf I goe not away that comforter wyll not come vnto you But if I depart I wyll send him vnto you I came out from my father and came into the world Againe I leaue the world and goe to my father Also the Angell sayde vnto the women I knowe that ye seeke Iesus whiche was crucified he is not
iustifie him Euen as Dauid sayth Blessed is the man whome the Lorde accepteth and iustifieth without workes and how is he iustified But forasmuch as he receiueth of God righteousnesse and what righteousnesse the righteousnesse of fayth the which God giueth without any good workes preceeding but not without good workes following after for righteousnesse of fayth profiteth not if after the fayth receiued man doth not exercise him selfe in all good workes In the same I doe not account thy workes good what soeuer they be if they doe not proceede from the good roote of fayth In the same God doth not giue vnto thee the payne and punishment whiche thou hast well deserued but he doth giue vnto thee the grace not deserued nor due He oweth vnto thee punishment and he giueth vnto thee mercie and doth pardon thee Begin then to be in fayth through the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes Gregorie vpon Ezechiel the first boke homilie 7. Then our iust aduocate doth defende vs for iust at the iudgement bicause that we shoulde acknowledge our selues and accuse our selues as vniust Let vs not then trust in our weepings nor in our works but in the allegation of our aduocate Augustine in his booke of meditations Chap. 14. This is lyfe eternall that they knowe thee to be the only very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ through a right fayth and through workes worthy of fayth For thy inestimable loue exceedeth all knowledge the which thou hast shewed vnto vs throughe thy pietie and goodnesse vnto vs whiche are vnworthy For thy sonne our God in no sort toke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham being made like in all things vnto vs without sinne This is verily all my hope and all my trust for the porcion of euery one of vs is to the same Iesus Christ our Lorde that is to saye the fleshe and the bloude and so where my porcion doth reygne there I doe beleeue that I shall reygne there where my flesh is glorified there I doe know my selfe to be glorified there where my bloude doth beare rule there I doe knowe that I shall rule Although I be a sinner yet I doe not distrust of the communication of this grace and if my sinnes do hinder or let it my substance doth require and aske it And if my offences doe shut me out the communion of the nature doth not dryue me backe but our Lord God is meeke and lowly and loueth his fleshe and his members and his bowels in himselfe which is God and in Iesus Christ our Lorde most meeke and louing and gentle in whome we are raysed vp and are already ascended into heauen and already sitting in the celestiall place Our fleshe doth loue vs and we haue in him the prerogatiue of our bloude for we are his members and his fleshe and finally he is our heade of whome all the bodie doth depende as it is written bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh and they shall be two in one fleshe this mysterie here is great I saye in Christ and in the congregation sayth the Apostle Augustine in his manuel Chap. 22. All my trust and hope is in the death of my Lorde his death is my merite my refuge my helth my life my resurrection my merite is the mercy of god I am not poore of merite so long as the Lorde of mercie shall be in being if the mercies of the Lorde are great I am great in merites the more puissant he is for to saue so much the more am I assured Augustine in his manuel Chap. 23. I haue committed a great sinne and do feele my selfe culpable of a great many of sinnes and yet I will not despayre For where sinnes haue abounded grace hath more abounded He which hopeth not to haue pardon of his sinnes he denyeth that God is mercifull he doth great iniurie vnto God which distrusteth of his mercy as much as he can he denyeth that God hath loue truth and strength in whiche things consisteth all my hope that is in the loue that he hath towards me to make me his adoptiue sonne in the veritie of his promise and in the puissaunce of his redemption Let my foolishe thought nowe thinke and murmure as long as it will saying but what art thou and what is this glorie and by what merites thinkest thou to haue it Then I doe aunswere in good fayth I doe knowe verye well vnto whom I submit my selfe and that through great loue he hath made me his adoptiue sonne and is true in his promises and of power to fulfill them and it is lawfull for him to doe all that pleaseth him I cannot then bee afrayde of the multitude of my sinnes if I doe remember the Lordes death S. Ambrose in the booke of Iacob and of blessed life Euen as Iacob hauing not of his meate the eldershippe hid him selfe vnder the habite of his brother and apparayled him selfe with his coate the which did giue a most sweete sauour and in this manner presented him selfe vnto his father to receiue to his profite the blessing vnder the person of another so it is necessary that we doe cloth our selues and put on the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ through fayth and that we doe hide our selues vnder the deuine purite of our eldest brother if wee will be accepted and taken for righteous before God And truly the same is the true verytie for yf we doe appeare before God not clothed with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ without doubte we shall be iudged worthy of eternall damnation S. Ambrose vpon the .4 chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines They are manifestly blessed vnto whom without laboure or without any workes iniquities and wickednesse are pardoned and the sinnes couered not requiring of them any works of penance but that they doe beleeue onely Ambrose vpon the 3. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines They are iustified freelye throughe his grace bicause that not doing anye thing and not rendring the lyke by onely fayth they are iustified through the gift of God. Augustine in his boke of 50. homilies Homilie 14. The Lord will giue vnto me the crown as a iust and righteous iudge For hee which beholdeth after that he hath beheld the worke cannot deny the reward I haue fought a good fight that is a worke I haue fulfilled my course that is a worke I haue kept the fayth that is a worke There remayneth for mee the crowne of righteousnesse that is the rewarde But thou doest nothing to the rewarde and in the worke thou hast not wrought alone thou hast the crowne of him but the work is of thee and yet it is not but throughe the ayde of him I haue fought I haue ended and fulfilled my course I haue kepte the fayth He doth rewarde the goodnesse but what goodnesse Such as he hath giuen Hath not he giuen vnto thee to fight a good
vnto me al ye that are wearye and laden and I will ease you While we haue time let vs doe good vnto all men S. Ambrose vpon the fyrst Epistle to the Romans fyrst Chapter Men haue of custome vsed a miserable excuse saying that by them men may goe vnto God euen as men come vnto kinges by the earles and lordes Is there anye man so mad and so obliuyous of his safety which doth attrybute and giue the honor of a king vnto an earle or lorde for if any such be found which dare saye the same they are worthely condemned as culpable of his maiestie And yet those doe not hold those men gyltye or culpable which doe attrybute the honor of the name of God vnto the creatures And in forsaking the Lord And in forsaking the Lord they doe worship those whiche are seruantes with them As though the seruing of God were worldly gaines For the same cause men doe finde to haue accesse and comming vnto the king by the meanes of the earles and lordes bicause that the king is a man and doth not well knowe whom he ought to truste of his common wealth But for to winne and obtayne the fauor of God vnto whome nothing is hydde for he knoweth the hearts of all men we haue no neede that any doe entreat for to present our supplication but with an humble and lowlye heart Of images Whether it be lawefull to haue them in the temples of the christians MOyses saide Take heede vnto your selues therefore that ye forget not the appoyntment of the Lord your God whiche hee made with you and that ye make you no grauen image of what soeuer it be that the Lorde thy God hath forbidden thee For the Lorde thy God is a consuming fire and a ielous god If after thou haste gotten children and childrens children and hast dwelt long in the land ye shall marrye your selues and make grauen images after the likenesse of what soeuer it be and shall worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord thy God to prouoke him I call heauen and earth to record vnto you this daye that ye shall shortlye perishe from the lande c. Againe The Lord spake vnto you out of the fire and ye heard the voyce of the wordes but sawe no image but hearde a voyce onely And he declared vnto you his couenante which he commaunded you to doe euen tenne verses and wrote them in two tables of stone And the Lorde commaunded me the same season to teach you ordinances and lawes for to doe them in the lande whyther ye goe to possesse it Take heede vnto your selues diligentlye as pertayning vnto your soules for yee sawe no manner of image the daye when the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the fire least ye marre your selues and make you grauen images after whatsoeuer likenesse it be whither after the likenesse of man or woman I my selfe whose name is the Lorde which giue my power to none other neyther mine honor to the Gods. Thou shalt worshippe no strange God for the Lorde is called ielous bicause he is a ielous God c. Thou shalt make thee no Gods of mettall To whom then will ye liken God or what similytude will ye set vp vnto him shal the caruer make him a carued image and shall the goldsmith couer him with golde or cast him into a forme of siluer plates c. Knowe ye not this hearde ye neuer of it hath it not bene preached vnto you sence the beginning c. To whom nowe will ye liken me and to whom shall I be like saith the holy one lift vp your eyes on hie and consider who hath made those thinges Whome will ye make me like in fashion or image that I may be like him ye will take out siluer and golde out of your purses and waye it and hyre a goldsmith to make a God of it that men may kneele downe and worshippe it yet must hee bee taken on mens shoulders and borne and set in his place that he many stand and not moue Alas that men should crye vnto him which giueth no aunswere and deliuereth not the man that calleth vpon him from his trouble Consider this well and be ashamed Goe into your owne selues O ye runnagates Remember the things which are paste sence the beginning of the worlde that I am God and that there is els no God yea and that there is nothing like vnto me No man can make a God like vnto him for seeing he is but mortall him selfe it is but mortall that he maketh with vnrighteous handes He him selfe is better then they whom he worshippeth for he liued though he was mortall but so did neuer they The Lord hath saide ye shall make you no Idolles nor grauen image neyther reare you vp any pillers neyther ye shall set vp any images of stone in your lande to bowe your selues thereto for I am the Lorde your God. Beware that your heartes deceiue you not that ye turne aside and serue strange Gods and worshippe them Cursed be the man that maketh any carued image or image of mettall an abhomination vnto the Lorde the worke of the handes of the craftesman and putteth it in a secret place and all the people shal aunswere and say Amen The Images of the people are but siluer and golde euen the worke of mens handes The Lorde God sayde ye shall ouerthrowe their aultars breake downe their pyllers cut downe their groues and burn their grauen images with fire For thou art an holye Nation vnto the Lorde thy God. They hewe downe a tree in the woode with the handes of the workeman and fashion it with the axe they couer it ouer with golde or siluer they fasten it with nayles and hammers that it moue not c. All these things are the works of the craftie workeman But the Lorde is a true God a liuing God and an euerlasting king Ieroboam sayde Beholde your Gods O Israel which brought you out of the lande of Egypt And he put the one in Bethel and the other in Dan. And that doing was a cause of sinne Nowe then feare the Lorde and serue him in purenesse and truth and put away the Gods which your fathers serued on the other side of the floude and in Egypt and serue the Lorde But if it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lorde then choose you this daye whome you will serue c. And the people aunswered and sayd God forbyd that we shoulde forsake the Lorde and serue straunge Gods. The honoring of abhominable Images is the cause the beginning and ende of all euill We ought not to thinke that the Godheade is lyke vnto golde siluer or stone grauen by craft and imagination of man. When they counted themselues wyse they became fooles for they turned the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image
thinges that which was secrete is declared and that which is hid is made knowen without any kinde of pryde which is no sacriledge not hauing a necke puffed vp with pride without any contention or enuye with holynesse humilitie with the catholicke peace with christian charitie Irenaeus in his .3 booke .4 chap. What would it be if there were any disputation or debate moued of anye lighte question must wee not haue our recourse vnto the moste auncient churches whiche were in the time of the Apostles and to take of them that which is cleare and certayne for to resolue the debate or question put foorth S. Augustine of baptisme against the Donatistes .3 booke .9 Chapter Honoratus Attuca hath saide forasmuch as Christe is the truth we ought rather to followe the truth then custome The Byshop Castus in the 5. Chapter He that presumeth to follow custome in condemning the truth eyther he is enuyous or wicked towardes the brethren vnto whom the truth is reueled or he is ingratefull towardes God through whose inspiration the church is instructed Trust not in false lying wordes saying here is the Temple of the Lorde here is the Temple of the Lorde here is the temple of the Lorde c But take heede howe ye doe trust in coūsels that beguile you and doe you no good God hath witnessed of his sonne saying This is my deare sonne in whome I delight here him The Lorde hath saide But the prophet which shall presume to speake ought in my name whiche I commaunded not to speake and he that speaketh in the name of strange Gods the same prophet shall dye Moyses saide ye shall doe after nothing that we doe here this daye euery man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes Moyses saide ye shall doe afer nothing that we doe here this daye euery man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes Ye shall put nothing vnto the word which I commaunde you neyther doe oughte there from that ye may keepe the commaundementes of the Lorde your God which I commaunde you Beholde I haue taught you ordinances and lawes such as the Lorde my God commaunded me S. Augustine writing vnto Orosus against the Priscillanistes and Originistes .11 Chapter The doctrine of man seemeth to haue reason so long as it is not compared vnto the heauenly knowledge but when the lye approcheth to the truth it is by and by deuoured and destroyed as a sparke of fire and all the teachinges of faulshod and lyinges the whiche nowe are called Idolles Forasmuch as they are made they shal be altogither broken He that commeth from an hie is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earthe he that commeth from heauen is aboue all And what hee hath seene and heard that he testifieth but no man receiueth his testimony howbeit he that hath receiued his testimonye hath sealed that God is true For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. Iesus Christ saith And his wordes haue ye not abiding in you for whom hee hath sent him ye beleeue not Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me If anye man will doe his will hee shall knowe of the doctrine whither it be of God or whither I speake of my selfe He that speaketh of him selfe seeketh his owne prayse but he that speaketh his prayse that sent him the same is true and no vnrighteousnesse is in him He that sent me is true and I speake in the world those thinges which I haue hearde of him If ye continue in my wordes then are ye my disciples and shall know the truth the truth shall restore you to libertie c. I speake that I haue seene with my father and ye doe that which ye haue seene with your father Verily verily I saye vnto you if a man keepe my saying hee shall neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they followe me I haue not spoken of my selfe but the father which sent me gaue me a commandement what I shoulde saye and what I shoulde speake And I knowe that this commaundemente is lyfe euerlasting Whatsoeuer I speake therefore euen as the father bade me so I speake The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe If ye loue me kepe my commaundements He that hath my commaundements and keepeth them the same is he that loueth me He that loueth me not keepeth not my sayings and the wordes which ye heare are not mine but the father which sent me Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this booke These are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue lyfe through his name Though that wee or an aungell from heauen preach vnto you other wayes than that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him as accursed As we sayd before so say I nowe agayne if any man preache vnto you other wayes than that yee haue receyued holde him accursed The woman that was a Samaritane sayde vnto Iesus I wote well Messias shall come which is called Christ when he is come he will tell vs all things I haue kept nothing backe but haue shewed you all the counsell of God. Chrysostome in the first homilie vpon the Epistle vnto Titus The Gospell doth contayne all things the things present and things to come honor pietie and fayth c. Saint Hilarie vpon Saint Mathew 14. Canon Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be plucked vp by the rootes that is to say all mans traditions ought to be plucked vp by the fauor of the whiche they haue transgressed the commaundement of the lawe And therefore he called them the blinde leaders promising the waye of euerlasting lyfe the which they see not themselues and sayth that the falling hedlong of those blind leaders and their conductors is common S Augustine vpon S. Iohn .49 treatise .9 Chapter Although that the Lorde Iesus Christe hath done many things which haue not bene written as also his owne Euangelistes doe witnesse it that the Lord Iesus Christ hath sayde and done many things whiche are not written neuerthelesse the things haue bene chosen to be written whiche were thought sufficient for the saluation of the beleeuers Of the holy scripture and howe it is lawfull for all men to reade it HAppie is he that readeth and happie are they that heare the wordes of this Prophecie and keepe those things which are written therein for the tyme is at hande Iesus Christ sayeth Happie are they that heare the worde of God and kepe it Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes Gods worde in the
torment Be ye ioyfull and reioyce to be enrovvled in their bande for to beare vvith them the yoke of Iesus Christ perseuere valiantly in the doctrine that you haue already receiued for no man can hurt you Ought vve not greatly to reioyce of this that the persecuting tyrantes can doe our bodyes no more hurt then a vvolfe or theefe of the vvoods vvhich can but murther or kill vs Let vs reioyce for our names are vvritten in heauen VVe haue yet this good turne thankes be vnto our good God therefore that the persecutors can do vnto vs no vvorse then to to put and place vs vvith our good God in the company of Angelles and all the blessed soules in heauen VVhat is he that vvould not desire to goe playe vvith so happy a company eternally and vvithout ende Yea to be in glory vvhich the eye hath not seene and eare hath not heard neyther hath entred into mans minde the thinges vvhich God hath prepared to such as loue him Againe forasmuch as they esteeme and court vs so vvicked and abhominable and crye so spitefully after vs as after the vvickedest people of all the vvorld to make vs and our doctrine odious vnto the people They commaund them not to heare or harken vnto vs they make the simple people beleeue vvhen they haue them vnder confession that if they doe not accuse vs they shall be damned Their craft subtiltye and enuye agaynste the truth is to be maruayled at In the meane time I vvould vvillingly that they vvould accord and agree vvith vs to conferre their doctrine vvith ours their crosse and persecution vvith ours their lyfe vvith ours theyr church vvith ours By that means vve should plainly see vvhether they be the childrē of God or vve First of all haue not vve the baptisme purely administred as vve doe reade that the Apostles haue administred it vvithout any inuentions of men but onely according to the vvord of God Let one reade the Scriptures and he shall see vvho it is that hath added to the Sacramentes eyther vve or they Furthermore let men behold the persecutions that they suffer for their doctrine the number is soone counted for there is not one vvhich hath suffred death for their doctrine neuerthelesse Iesus Christ hath promised that his church shal haue persecution in the vvorld saying ye shall be hated of all men for my name Hovv can they be hated of all men sith that they be in all places the best vvelcome Hovv commeth it that one shoulde thinke to doe sacrifice vnto God in putting them to death I did neuer knovve any I doe accord and agree in this that they are often times taken prisoners but it is in the good feastes and bankettes and in the best seates of the table and vvhereas the children of God are burned vvith fire they here are burned throughe the heate of VVine Their innocent fleshe is hevven and cut in peeces but it is at the table vpon their treachers They are rotten and consumed vvith the Goute of Naples insomuch that they fall in peces They are melted and melted againe many times in a yeere Besides all the dangers they put them selues into both day and night to runne after other mens vvyues in great danger of their life And yet some vvill say that they are not persecuted It appeareth that they be for one shall see a great many more among them to dye Martyrs of the paines that vve did speake of euen novv then of their naturall diseases or sicknesses They are then Martyres no man can denie yea but it is of the diuell and vvhat is he that doubteth of it And as concerning their life it is knovven vvell inough and manyfested vnto all men Their good vvorkes and godly fruites vvhat it bringeth in all places destroying and corrupting all the vvorlde asvvell spiritually as corporally This I am sure of that forasmuch as I haue touched and medled but vvith the doore of their kitchin they vvill say I am a vvicked Hereticke But vvhat then Shoulde I hold my peace for their menaces and iniuries No no God forbid but rather I vvill crye vvith open mouth after them bicause they haue so corrupted and destroyed the Lordes Vineyard Alas alas my God vvhat is he that ought not but to lament and vveepe vvith bloudy teares seeing all the vvorld to be so led into the bottome of hell so many poore soules led to perdition O Lord regard thy poore people haue some pitie and compassion on them for vvhom thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ hath offred to thee his body and bloud in a sacrifice and suffer not that thy poore sheepe be so put as a pray for to be deuoured of al beastes For vve are dayly assaulted vvith so many ennemyes that sathan riseth agaynst vs for to make vs forsake and abandon our Lord Iesus Christ and to renounce his Gospell One day vve haue vvarre agaynst the Heretickes Anabaptistes an other day agaynst Libertines Epicures Arians Dauidistes and agaynst dissemblers and consequently against the vvorshippers of the fathers through vvhose zeale the children of God are put to death Haue not vve then great neede of vveapons It appeareth yea if vve vvould not be taken in their snares as many at this day are through the iust iudgement of God. Therefore if there be any time to pray or to vvatch it is novve Let vs then vvatch and praye to the end vve may auoyde all those dangers and perseuer and continevve to the ende You haue bene the first of your citie dearely beloued I also doe hope in the Lord you shall not be the last But as you haue bene vntill novv the example and myrror of the poore ignorant people to dravve them to the true light of the spirite I doe hope through the grace of God that nothing shall hinder you to continevve vnto the end on so holy a vvorke For the poore ignorant people seeing the peace and vnitie and the promptnesse and good courage that is in you to receiue the holy doctrine are constrayned through your holy life and conuersation to come vnto the knovvledge of Iesus Christ and consequently to saluation Forasmuch then as the Lord doth vnto you dayly so much good or shevveth vnto you so much of his grace shevving vnto you from day to day his maruaylous vvorkes set to so your handes in the vvorke of the Lord so long as he giueth you time and life that you doe not leaue for your children that shall come after you an euill example of life but instruct them in that holy doctrine that you haue receiued to the ende they may knovve after your death that they had fathers and mothers that feared God and vvell instructed in his vvord and that they haue not receyued the gospell in their mouthe onely but also in their handes And that they vvere not dissemblers but true confessors of the name of God. Dispose and bestovve then vvhilest you haue time so vvell your affayres and
of this breade hee shall liue for euer the breade that I will giue is my fleshe which I will giue for the life of the worlde c. That which I deliuered vnto you I receyued of the Lorde to wit That the Lorde Iesus the same night in whiche he was betrayed tooke breade and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and sayd Take ye eate ye this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe ye in remembrance of me After the same maner also he tooke the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the newe testament in my bloude this doe as ofte as ye drinke it in remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke this Cuppe yee shewe the Lordes death till he come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this breade and drinke this Cuppe of the Lorde vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this breade and drinke of this Cup. Is not the Cup of blessing whiche we blesse the Communion of the bloude of Christe Is not the Breade which wee breake the Communion of the bodie of Christ Bicause that we whiche are manye are one breade and one bodie in as muche as wee are all partakers of one breade Our fathers haue all eaten the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ I am the breade of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth on me shal neuer thurst c. This is that breade which commeth downe from heauen that he whiche eateth of it shoulde not die Augustine in his 2. Quinqua vpon the 96. Psalme When the Lorde commaunded this he spake of his fleshe and sayde He that eateth not my fleshe shall not haue eternall lyfe And sayd The words that I speake vnto you are spirite and life Vnderstand spiritually that which I haue sayde vnto you you shall not eate that bodie whiche you do see you shall not drinke the bloud which shall be shedde by them which will crucifie me Augustine vpon Saint Iohn in the 27. treatise vpon the 6 Chapter If ye shoulde see the sonne of man ascend vp where he was before What is this By that he resolueth those whom he hath knowen of that he manyfested the thing whereby they haue ben offended For they did thinke that he would giue vnto them his body but hee sayth that hee will ascend vp into heauen all whole saying when yee shall see the sonne of man ascend vp where he was before at the least you shall see then that he doth not giue his bodie in the same maner as ye thinke and iudge at the least you shal then vnderstand that his grace is not consumed by morsels c. Augustine in his Sermon of the Sacramentes of the faithfull in the 2. ferie of Easter And for this cause as also the men of God haue vnderstoode it before vs our Lorde Iesus Christ hath recommended his body and his blood to the thinges which of many are reduced and brought into one thing For also the one of many Graynes is confecte and made into one and the other of many Grapes is reduced into one he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Then to eate this meate and to drink this drinke is to dwell in Christ and to haue our dwelling in him And so hee that dwelleth not in Christ and in whome Christ doth not dwell without doubt hee eateth not the flesh and drinketh not the bloud although that he eate and drinke the Sacrament of so great a thing to his iudgement Augustine in his .3 booke of the christian doctrine If you eate not sayth he the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke not his blood you shall haue no life in you It seemeth that he doth commaund an vnlawful thing or a fault That is then a fygure commaunding that it must be communicated to the passion of our Lorde and gentlye and profitablye to put in memorye that his fleshe hath bene wounded and crucified for vs. Augustine of the words of the Apostle in his .2 sermon Saith If ye eate not my flesh and drinke not my blood ye shall haue no life in you c. The disciples were offended not all truly but many of them saying within themselues This is an harde saying who can abide the hearing of it What doth this signifie Doth this offende you Did you thinke that of this bodie here whiche you doe see I ought to make peeces and that I shoulde deuyde in peeces my members for to giue them vnto you What and if you shoulde see the sonne of man ascende vp where he was before Truly he which is ascended vp all whole cannot be consumed c. What is it to drinke this thing but to liue Eate the lyfe drinke the lyfe thou shalte haue lyfe and thou shalt be the whole lyfe And then this shall be that is to saye that the bodie and bloude of Christ shall be the lyfe of euerye one if that which they do take visibly in the sacrament be in dede spiritually eaten and drunke For we haue hearde the Lorde himselfe saying It is the spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profiteth nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and life Augustine in his Decrees of penance in the 2. distinction Chapiter of Charitie To eate the breade and drinke the wyne that is to beleeue in Christ and in louing him to giue our selues vnto him Bede in his Collection These are also the wordes of Saint Augustine in his sermon made to the children at the aultar of the Sacrament The Cuppe of blessing c. That which ye see in the Aulter ye haue also seene it the night past But you haue not yet vnderstoode what it doth signifie and howe it conteyneth a Sacrament of a greate thing That then whiche ye haue seene is bread and wine the which your eyes doo demonstrate vnto you But that which your faith desireth to be instructed in the bread is the body of Christ and the wine the blood And that truly is brefly sayde in asmuch peraduenture that it suffiseth the fayth but the fayth desireth to be instructed for the Prophet sayth If ye beleeue not you shall not vnderstand Yee may then say vnto me thou hast commanded that we should beleeue expound it to the ende that we may vnderstand it For such cogitacion and thought may enter into the mindes and vnderstanding of euery one we doo know very well from whence our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken his flesh that is to say of the Virgin Mary he was nourished vp in his infancie he was brought vp he became great and came to the age of a young man He
memory of thy conscience and then finally haue hope to haue mercie And vpon the .51 psalm in the .2 Tome Confesse thy sinnes to the end thou doe put them away If thou art ashamed to tell vnto an other that thou hast sinned tell it alwayes vnto thy soule I doe not saye that thou shouldest confesse thy selfe vnto one like vnto thy selfe for to rebuke and checke thee of them tell them to God which wyll heale them But when thou wilt not tell them is God ignorant when thou doest them He is there present when thou committest them he knoweth them very well wyll not he that thou shouldest acknowledg them Thou wast not ashamed to sinne and art thou ashamed to confesse them Confesse them in this worlde that you may haue rest in the other Chrysostome in his sermon of penance and confession the .6 Tome It is not necessary to confesse it before witnesses only make the acknowledging in thine heart this examynation doth not require witnesses it suffiseth that God only doe see and heare thee Chrysostome in the 5. homilie of the incomprehensible nature of God agaynst the Anomians I doe not call thee before men for to discouer thy sinnes vnfolde thine owne conscience before God shewe thy wounds and strypes vnto the Lorde who is the Phisition and pray him to remedie it he it is which doth not checke and whiche gently healeth the poore sicke persons In the historie tripartite in the 9. booke and 35. Chapter It is sayde that auricular confession was vsed at Constantinople vntill suche time that a woman making as though she woulde be confessed was founde that she tooke that cloke for to lye with one of the Deacons of the same Church Bicause of which euill fact Nectarius bishop of the sayd place a man renoumed in holynesse and of great learning abolished that obseruance of confession The hystories doe declare that there was no lawe or constitution before the time of Innocent the thirde touching auricular confession Chrysostome in his 4. Tome of Lazarus I would not that thou shouldest confesse thy selfe vnto a man who afterward may rebuke or checke thee or defame thee in telling thy faultes but shewe thy griefe vnto God who is the good phisition Afterwarde he bringeth in God speaking in this maner I do not compell thee to come in the open assembly confesse to me onelye thy sinnes that I maye make thee whole The Church of Rome doth commaunde to confesse all our sinnes not exceptnig any Answere Dauid sayth Who can tell howe oft he offendeth O clense thou me from my secret faultes Saint Ambrose of the repentance of S. Peter in his .46 sermon Peter poured forth teares not praying in voyce I doe finde that he did weepe lament but I doe not find what he hath sayde I doe reade of his teares but I reade not of satisfaction Chrysostome in the 12. homilie of the Cananite Iesus Christ did heale him that had the Leprosie and sayde vnto him Go shewe thy selfe vnto the Priest and offer that which Moyses commaunded in the lawe for thy healing O thing neuer hearde the Lorde healed the disease yet neuerthelesse he did sende them to the lawe of Moyses Wherefore did he so For none other cause but that the Iewes might not reproue him as a transgressor of the lawe S. Ambrose in his 3. sermon vpon the 119. Psalme Go and shewe thy selfe vnto the Priest who is the true Priest but he which is the euerlasting Priest S. Cyprian in his 5. sermon of penitent sinners The seruant cannot pardon that whiche is committed agaynst the Lorde Ambrose in his booke of Cain and Abel The sinnes are pardoned by the worde of God of the which the Leuice is the expositor and as an executor Chrysostome in his 7. Tome in the homilie of repentance This is the place of healing not of iudgement Tell vnto God onely thy sinne who will giue no punishment but the remission of sinnes Of the power to bynde and vnbynde or loose Augustine in the 50. homilie vpon S. Iohn If the figure of the Church had not bene in Saint Peter the Lorde woulde not haue sayde vnto him I will giue vnto thee the keyes For if the same be spoken to Peter only the Church hath not the keys if the Church hath them it was figured in the person of S. Peter Augustine in the 11. homilie and in the 124. homilie Although it be that all were asked Peter alone aunswered thou art Christ and it is sayde vnto him I will giue vnto thee the keyes as though the power to bynde and loose had bene giuen vnto him onely But as he answered for all so he receyued the keyes with all as bearing the person of vnitie He is then named alone for all forasmuche as there is betweene them vnitie Augustine vpon S. Iohn in the 124. treatise Chapter 21. The rocke is not sayd of that name Peter but that name Peter is named of the rocke So Christ is not called Christ of a christian but the christian is called christian of Christe And therefore also the Lorde sayde vpon this rocke I will build my Church bicause that Peter had sayd thou arte Christ the sonne of the liuing God vppon this rocke then which thou hast confessed I will builde my churche and the rocke was Christ vpon the which foundation also Peter himselfe hath bene builded For other foundation can no man laye than that which is layde whiche is Iesus Christ The church then whiche is builded vpon Christ hath taken the keyes of the kingdome of heauen of Christ in Peter that is to say the power to bynde and loose Theophilact vpon Saint Iohn the 8. Chapter It belongeth to God onely to pardon sinnes therefore sayeth he whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne you are then seruāts for you be all sinners Saint Hilarie in his 6. booke of the Trinitie The father hath reuealed vnto Peter who sayth thou art the sonne of GOD wherefore the building of the congregation is vpon that rocke of confession that faith is the foundation of the church that fayth hath the keyes of the kingdome of heauen All that whiche this fayth shall bynde and loose in earth is also bounde and loosed in heauen This fayth is the gift of the fatherly reuelation Augustine in his first booke of retractation the 22. Chapter In the booke where I haue before time affirmed in a certayne place of S. Peter the Apostle that in him as in the rocke the church is builded The which sense also is song of many in the verses of Saint Ambrose there where he speaketh of the cocke But I doe knowe very well that oftentimes afterwarde I haue thus expounded it Thou art Peter and vpon that rocke that is to say the rocke affirming thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Origen vpon Saint Mathew the 2. homilie
those whiche doe reste in Christe we desire thee that thou wylt giue them place of comforte through the same Christe our Lord amen Aunswere In the 4. of the sentences Distinction 45. and the 13. glose Iniuriam facit martyri qui or at pro martyre That is to say he which prayeth for a Martyr doth iniury and wrong vnto the Martyr S. Cyprian in his .4 booke of baptisme and the maister of the sentences 4. distinct .4 Chapter If all the deaths and all the tormentes that all men the Patryarckes Prophets Apostles Martyrs and confessors haue euer suffered should be put togither they shall not be sufficient to put out the leaste sinne of the world Knowe ye not that the vnrighteous shal not inherite the kingdome of God Bee not deceiued neyther fornicators neyther idolaters neyther aduouterers neyther wantons neyther abusers of them selues with the mankinde neyther theeues neyther couetous neyther dronkardes neyther euill speakers neyther extorcioners shall inherite the kingdome of god And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirite of our God. Christe loued the church and gaue him selfe for it to sanctifie it and clensed it in the washing of water through the worde To make it vnto him selfe a glorious church without spot or wrincle or anye such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Iesus Christ sayth verely verely I doe saye vnto you except that a man be begotten of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Saint Iohn Baptist sayde of Iesus Christe he shall baptise you with the holy Ghoste and with fire which hath his fanne in his hand and will make cleane his floure and gather the wheate into his garner but will burne the chaffe with vnquencheable fire Iesus Christ saith nowe are ye cleane through the wordes which I haue spoken vnto you Also Peter saide vnto Iesus thou shalt neuer washe my feete Iesus sayde vnto him if I doe not washe thee thou shalt not haue parte with me Peter saide vnto him Lord not my feete only but also my hands and my head Iesus sayd vnto him he that is washed needeth not saue to washe his feete but is cleane euery whit He shall put downe our wickednesse and caste all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Raymonde sayth Gratia magna dei veniamnon dimidiabit Aut nihil aut totum propitiando dabit That is to say God doth not pardon the moytie or halfe but his great mercye pardoneth all or nothing Moyses and Saint Paule doe say our God is a consuming fire The Pope in his Canons in the Glose of Baptisme and of his effect Chap. which beginneth maiores Causas Larga dei pietas veniam non dimidiabit Nam nihil aut totū te lachrymante dabit That is to say the great goodnesse of God wyll not giue pardon for the moyte for when thou commest vnto him with teares and weepings he will giue thee all or nothing Moyses saith The workes of God are perfect O Lorde thou forgiuest all our sinnes Chrysostome in the .2 homily vpon the 50. psalme When one demandeth mercy that is that he might not be examined of his sinne to the end he should not be handled according to the rigour of righteousnesse and to the ende that all punishment may cease for where there is mercie there is no more hell fire neyther rigour nor paine Chrysostome in his sermon of penance and confession The Lord doth punish vs for our sinnes not for to take anye recompence of oure sinnes but for to aduise vs of things to come S. Ambrose vpon S. Luke of repentance first distinction Chapter which beginneth Petrus Peter was sorowfull and did lament for he hath transgressed as man I doe not finde what he sayde I doe knowe verye well that he hath wept I doe reade of his teares and not of his satisfaction The Priestes doe sing in the beginning or prose of those that be deade such wordes Rex tremendae maiestatis qui saluandos saluas gratis salua me fons pietatis That is to saye O redoubtable king in maiestie whiche doest saue freely those which ought to be saued saue me O fountayne of goodnesse Blessed are the deade which hereafter die in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite For bicause they rest from their labours and their works followe them Of a truth he onely taketh away our infirmitie and beareth our payne yet wee shall iudge him as though he were plaged and cast downe of God where as he notwithstanding shall be wondred at for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse For the payne of our punishment shall be layde vpon him and with his wounds shal we be healed As concerning the place of S. Paule 1. Cor. 3. That euery one shall be saued as it were by the fire S. Augustine in his boke of the Citie of God the 21. booke Chapter .26 And in his treatise of fayth and of workes Chapter .16 And in his Enchiridion Chapter 28. expoundeth it of the fire of tribulation and of the crosse and persecutions of this worlde by the which the Lorde examineth those that be his Gregory vpon Iob the .29 Chapter And in his morals the .28 booke the .17 chap. And in the .16 distinct Chap. whith beginneth Canones glossae atque As touching the bookes of the Machabees the church doth not hold them for canonicall saying we doe nothing vnorderly if we bring in the examples of the bookes which although that they be not canonicall yet neuerthelesse doe serue for the edification of the churche S. Augustine of the citie of god .18 booke 36. Chapter And of christian doctrine .2 booke .8 chapter Speaking of the number of the times which haue bene sithence the returne from Babilon vntill the comming of Iesus Christe the count and computation of them are not found in the holy Scripturs which are called canonical but in the other among whom are the bookes of the Machabees S. Ierome in the Epistle written vnto Chromatius and Heliodorus bishops And also in the Byble before the booke of the Prouerbes The Churche doth reade the bookes of the Machabees but it doth not receiue them as canonicall Also although that the Church doth reade the bookes of Iudith Tobie and of the Machabees yet neuerthelesse the Church doth not receyue them as Canonicall scripture And so the Church may read these two bokes for the edification of the people but not for to confirme ecclesiasticall doctrine Ierome in his Prologue Galeatus which is set before the booke of the Kings Sayth that he hath neuer founde the seconde booke of the Machabees in the Hebue tongue but he hath founde it in the Greeke tongue And writing against the Pelagians The seconde booke of the Machabees is written by Iosephus the Historiographer
Councell of Pope Martin hath ordayned as much Pope Elutherius hath ordayned that none sholde keepe himfelfe through superstition from eating of any meates whiche are agreable to mans nature Let no man therefore condemne you about meate and drinke or for a peece of an holy day or of the newe Moone or of the Saboth dayes which are nothing but shadowes of things to come but the bodie is in Christ Let no man wilfully beare rule ouer you by humblenesse and worshipping of Aungels aduauncing himselfe in those things which he neuer sawe rashlye puft vp with his fleshly minde c. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ and are free from the ordinances of the worlde Why as though ye yet liued in the worlde are ye yet burdened with traditions of them that say touch not taste not handle not which all peryshe with the vsing of them and are after the commaundementes and doctrines of men Which things haue in deede a shewe of wisedome in voluntarie worshipping and humblenesse and in not sparing the bodie yet are of no value but appertayne to those thinges wherewith the flesh is crammed The bodily exercise profiteth little but godlynesse is profitable vnto all things In the first booke of the historie tripartite Chap. 10. The holy Bishop of Cypres Spiridion sayth that freely he dare eate fleshe in Lent when others doe abstayne from it bicause he was a Christian sayth he Let vs not therefore iudge one another any more but vse your iudgement rather in this that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers waye I knowe and am fully certified through the Lorde Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him that iudgeth it to be vncleane to him it is vnclean But if thy brother be grieued with thy meate nowe walkest thou not charytably Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ dyed Cause not your commoditie to be euill spoken of For the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy ghoste c. But why doest thou iudge thy brother or why doest thou despise thy brother for we shal be all brought before the iudgement seate of Christ He that eateth eateth to the Lorde for he giueth God thankes And he that eateth not eateth not to the Lorde and giueth God thankes Meate maketh vs not acceptable to God for neyther if we eate are we the richer neyther if we eate not are we the poorer But take heede least by any meanes this liberty of yours be an occasion of falling to them that are weake c. Wherefore if meate offend my brother I will eate no fleshe while the world standeth bicause I will not offend my brother The Lord sayd vnto the Prophet Esay crye nowe as loude as thou canst Leaue not of lift vp thy voyce like a Trompet and shewe my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes For they seeke me dayly and wil knowe my wayes euen as it were a people that did right and had not forsaken the statutes of their god They argue with me concerning right iudgemente and will pleade at the lawe with their god Wherefore faste we saye they and thou seest it not We put our liues to straitnesse and thou regardest it not Beholde when ye fast your luste remayneth stil for ye doe no lesse violence to your detters Loe ye faste to strife and debate and to smyte him with your fyste that speaketh vnto you Ye faste not as sometime that your voyce might be heard aboue Thinke ye this faste pleaseth me that a man shoulde chasten himselfe for a daye and to writhe his heade about like a hoke in an heary clothe and to lye vpon the earthe Should that be called fasting or a daye that pleaseth the Lorde But this fasting pleaseth not me tyll the time be thou loose him out of bondage that is in thy danger that thou breake the othe of the wicked bargaynes that thou let the oppressed goe free and take from them all manner of burthens It pleaseth not me till thou deale thy breade to the hungrye and bring the poore fatherlesse home into thy house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hyde not thy face from thine owne fleshe Origen vpon Leuiticus 10. homely 16. Chapter If thou wilt faste as Christ commaundeth thee and humble thy soule it is conuenient that thou doe it all the time of the yeere yea doe the same all the dayes of thy life for to humble thy soule neuerthelesse if thou haste learned of the Lorde our Sauiour that he is gentle and lowly of hearte then if thou wilt faste after the commaundementes of the Gospell and keepe in thy fastinges the euangelicall lawes the which the Sauiour hath commaunded to faste in such manner But if thou do fast annoynt thine head and wash thy face c. Wilt thou that I doe shewe vnto thee what fasting thou must faste fast from all thy sinnes take no meate of malyce take no meate of pleasure be not to hotte with the wine of luxurye fast from doing euill abstaine from euill wordes keepe thy selfe from euill thoughtes touch not the breade of thefte of wicked doctrines couete not the meates of false Philosophy which doe seduce thee from the truth Such fasting pleaseth God but to abstaine from meates which God hath created for the faithfull to take with giuing of thankes and to doe the same with them which haue crucified Iesus Christ it cannot please god The Pharyses were offended with Christe bicause that his disciples did not faste vnto whom he aunswered that the wedding children cānot mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them Those then doe faste which haue lost the brydegrome we which haue with vs the bridegrome cannot faste but therefore we saye not this that we woulde let slacke the brydle of christian abstynence This is verily the Christian libertye to faste alwayes not through supersticion of obseruance but by vertue of continencye For howe can they keepe them selues chaste and not defiled and marred if they bee not holpen and sustayned through the ayde of continencye Howe shall they vnderstand the Scriptures Howe shall they studye in knowledge and wisedome Shall not that bee through the continencie of the bellye and of the mouth howe shall euery one make himselfe chaste for the kingdome of heauen if he doe not cut awaye the affluence of these meates The Christians then haue that reason to fast Augustine in the .86 Epistle written to Lasulanus In the diuine and Apostolicall scriptures and also throughout the newe testament in feruentnesse of courage beholding it I doe see fasting to bee commaunded but I do not finde it to be defined by Gods commaundement or of the Apostles in what time or day we must fast or not fast wherefore by this I doe vnderstande that the commaundement to fast
Bennet the .8 appeared damned after his death in a monstruous and horrible likenesse hauing an heade and tayle like vnto an Asse and the residewe of the body like vnto a Beare saying that he did shew himselfe after such sorte bicause that being Pope he hath liued beastly The yeere 457. The counsell of Carthage was holden in which S. Augustine ruled In the same a lawe was made vpon the appellations in Ecclesiasticall iudgement The Pope required that it might be lawfull to euery one that woulde to appeale vnto his seate And to the end that he might obtayne that which he demaunded did committe falshode in alledging a decree of his owne inuenting the which sayd that it was made in the counsell of Nice After that the lye of the Pope was knowen through the doublenesse of the Councelles brought from Constantinople the request of the Pope was refused denied The counsell of Ariminum or Rimino which was holden by .60 Byshops was generall condemned the counsell of Nice And did erre with Arius who was before condemned by the word of God in the said counsell In like manner the .2 counsell of Ephesus hath erred with Eutyches and Dioscorus The counsell of Carthage in which that holy man Cyprian was present with .86 Byshoppes that is to saye almost all the Byshoppes of Africa Numidia and of Mauritania decreed that Baptisme ministred by the Heritickes ought not to take place but that those which haue bene baptised by them should be baptised agayne The whiche sentence was afterwardes condemned as it appeareth in the .5 distinction chapter Quare S. Augustine writing against Maximian bishop of the Arians Lib. 3. Chapter 14. I ought not to preferre the Councell of Nice nor of Ariminum as though I shoulde preferre them before the Scriptures For by the authoritie of the same I am not bounde neyther thou likewise by the other But by the authorities of the holy Scriptures and not of men what soeuer they be But witnesse vnto both a lyke as the thing with the thing the cause with the cause reason with reason c. We ought also to obserue the decrees of Pope Alexander the 3. of Gelasius of Nicholas the 2. of the Councell of Illyberis of Toledo of Carthage of Chalons of Calcedonia the Lateran the which haue forbidden to take money and gyftes for the satisfaction of sinnes for baptisme for the temples for the sacramentes and giftes of god And haue ordayned that none shoulde be promoted and ordained in the Church by money and rewardes and that he shoulde be holden for an Apostate and not for an Apostolike which shall obtayne the seate of Rome eyther with money or fauour The Councell of Orleans hath determined that the poore the sicke and the weake shoulde bee nourished and clothed by the Bishoppes and that the Monkes shoulde possesse nothing of their owne Iohn Gerson in his first part of the examination of doctrines The first veritie shoulde be so sure that euery simple man not authorised might be so well instructed in the holy Scriptures that one ought rather to beleeue his assertion in the cause of teaching than the doctrine of the Pope For it appeareth that rather we should beleeue the Gospell than the Pope If then such a man doe teache any veritie which is contayned in the Gospell there where the Pope cannot greatly erre it is manifest of whether one ought to preferre the iudgement By and by afterwardes he sayth If it shoulde happen that there shoulde be a generall Counsell assembled in which such a man were present which is well instructed in case the greatest part should declyne through malice or ignorance to the opposition of the Gospell such a lay man may be obiected agaynst the sayde generall Counsell Panormitan in his Chapter Significasti extra de electionibus who was present at the Counsell of Basill and of Constance In matters which concerne the fayth the saying of a lay man ought to be preferred before that of the Pope if his saying be more probable by better authoritie eyther of the olde or newe Testament than that of the Pope Thomas of Aquino in the somme 3. parte 46. addition 6. article Bicause that the church is buylded vpon faith and the Sacramentes it appertayneth not vnto the ministers of the church to make new articles of the faith or to make newe Sacramentes or to chaunge or take awaye those that are made for that is the excellency and puissance which appertayneth onely vnto Iesus Christe which is the foundation of the churche The counsell of Gangres in Galatia doth curse those which abide not in the faith of the Lorde and which doe make euery day newe constitutions The Canons and Decretals of the Popes in the .9 distinction chapter Noli and chap. Ego and chap. Negare and .24 Q. 1. chapter Non afferamus We must holde our selues vnto the holy Scripture and not vnto the sayinges of men how holy soeuer they be Origene vpon the Prophet Ieremy in the first homilye It is necessary for vs to call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for vnto our senses and allegations without those one ought not to beleeue S. Ierome vpon S. Mathewe That which is spoken without authorytie of the Scriptures through the like facilitie may be despised as it is saide Saint Augustine vpon S. Iohn 46. treatise Chap. 10. Verily in sitting vpon Moyses seate if they doe teache the lawe of God it followeth that God teacheth by them but if they will teach that which is theirs heare them not neyther do them For truly such people do seeke the things which are their owne and not of Iesus Christ S. Cyprian vnto Cecill 2. booke of his Epistles 3. Epistle If you doe whatsoeuer I commaunde you I will not call you seruauntes but frendes and also that Christ ought to be onely hearde the father hath witnessed it from heauen saying this is my deare sonne in whome I delite heare him Wherefore if it bee so that Christ alone ought to be hearde we ought not to haue regarde what that is that others before vs haue thought good to be done but that which Christ which is before all hath don For we must not followe the custome of men but the veritie of God forasmuch as the Lorde speaketh by Esaye the Prophet saying They doe prayse me highly with their lippes teaching the commaundements and doctrine of men And againe in the Gospell ye haue made that the commaundement of God is without effecte through your tradition And therfore dere brethren if any of our predecessors either through ignorance or through simplenesse hath not obserued and kept that which the Lorde hath taught vs to doe by his example or doctrine the same maye be left of through the simplicitie therof and it may be pardoned him through the mercie of the Lorde But it cannot be pardoned vs which are now admonished and instructed of the Lorde
that vvhich vve cannot doe Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 4. The Pelagians say that they haue loue of them selues 1. Cor. 8. 1. Iohn 4. Galat. 3. Leuit. 18. Rom. 10. Ezec. 20. God knovveth verye vvell that vve cannot do that that he commandeth but to keepe vs in humilitie Titus 3. 2. Tim. 1. The lavve doth not giue righteousnesse Iohn 1. Iohn 7. The lavve giuen to the ende that sin abounde Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 3. The lavv by the vvhich vve cannot be iustified is the lavv of the tvvo tables and not the ceremoniall lavve Deut. 5. Rom. 4. Heb. 1. Ephe. 1. Col. 1. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Iohn 1. Apoc. 1. Heb. 9. Esay 43. Rom. 8. Titus 3. VVe are saued by gods mercie and not by the fire of purgatorie Esay 1. Act. 15. Rom. 8. VVe cannot go into purgatorie vncondemned Iohn 5. Mar. 16. Mat. 7. There is but tvvo vvayes Math. 5. Luc. 12. Mat. 1. Psal. 110. Act. 2. Heb. 1. Mat. 12. Mar. 3. Secret thinges not to be reuealed Luc. 16. Sapien. 4. Sapien. 3. Deut. 33. Luc. 8. Luc. 23. Eccles 12. Psal. 146. 1. Thes 4. S. Paul speaking of the dead maketh no mention of purgatorie The gloser Gratian vppon those vvords saith as much Iesus Christ is our purgatorie 1. Tim. 2. Men are not seperated from God but through sinne Rom. 8. Sinnes not purged in the fire of purgatorie Repentance hath no place but in this life 2. Tim. 2. Luk. 19. VVhile vve be here in this life vve haue good hope but after there is no place for to vvash purge sinnes Eccle. 9. As long man liuâ— he may profite but not after he is deade There is no hope to bee gone from this life vvhere it is not giuen to put of sinnes Psal. 39. Philip. 1. Iob. 10. The counsel of Toledo doth forbid prayer for the deade Canti 2. Nothing can profite after death Luke 16. Black vvedes not to bee vvorne in funerals Nothing common vvith the deade Luc. 16. No place for buriall ought to be sought 1. Thes 4. 2. Sam. 12. 1. Cor. 7. The diuell is ouercome through the confession of Christ To offer is here taken for giuing of thankes The Priests doe here agaynst their doctrine in praying for the virgin Marie and for all the Apostles Martyrs vvhich are departed vvith the signe of fayth 1. Cor. 6. Ephe. 5. Iohn 3. Marke vvell he sayth not of fire Math. 3. Iesus Christ purgeth his and not the fire Iohn 15. Iohn 13. Mich. 7. Heb. 12. Deut. 4. The Pope sayth that God doth not giue pardon to the moytie and so there is no purgatorie Deut. 32. Oseas 14. VVhere ther is mercie there is no more hell fire rigour nor payne The Priests vvoulde be saued thorovve grace according to their song Apoc. 14. Esay 53. Iesus Christ taketh avvay our infirmities he pardoneth then the fault the payne 1. Cor. 3. Hovve saint Augustine expoundeth this place the 1. of the Cor. 3. Gregorie sayth that the bookes of the Machabees are not canonicall That our religion be not after our fantasie Our religion is not the veneration of dead men The Aungelles the Saints vvold not that vve should honour them but God. Apoc. 19. Esther 13 Act. 10. Act. 14. VVe ought not to doe sacrifice vnto the saints nor to offer vnto them for they are but men The Saints giue no ayde vvhere God hateth The iudgement of god cannot be auoyded in building of Churches VVe cannot bee made blessed by Saints nor by Angels Psal. 87. Reade Lactantius Firmianus of his heauenly institutions 2. booke 7. chapter VVe ought not to vvorship the virgin Marie The saints vvhich are in heauen haue no knovvledge of our affaires Psal. 27. Esay 63. It is not possible that the dead can in any thing helpe the liuing 2. Reg. 22 The soules departed see not the things vvhiche are done in this life VVe ought to put our trust in no Saints but in God only Ierem. 17. Psal. 146. Genes 22. Galat. 3. Act. 4. Esay 55. Ioel. 2. Rom. 10. Rom. 10. In the olde time there vvere christians vvhich committed idolatrie to the deade bodies as also novve in our time Luc. 2. Iude. 1. Deut. 34. The sepulchre of Moses is vnknovvne Mat. 14. Iohn vvas not put in a reliquâ—rie bvt in a sepulchre Act. 8. Genes 3. The faithful cannot forsake Iesus Christ and adore saints Mat. 23. The Gospel profiteth no thing to be hanged aboute our necke nor vvritten in a booke but in the heart Act. 19. Hovve vve must vnderstande that Paule gaue his partlets for to heale the diseased Act. 3. Esay 42. God hath taken fleshe of the holye virgin not to the ende that the virgin shoulde be vvorshipped 1. Iohn 2. S. Iohn did put himselfe in the number of sinners that he maye haue Christ for an aduocate Prou. 17. Iam. 4. Collo 4. 2. Thes 3. Some men vvold shevv Iesus Christ by sight those doe deuide the Church Mat. 24. Iesus Chist is the true and onely mediator If Paule vvere a mediator the other Apostles shoulde be also and so there vvere many mediators 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Our sinnes are not pardoned vs in the name of S. Paule nor of S. Peter 1. Cor. 1. Mat. 15. The Cananite prayed not the Apostles but only Christ Iesus Mat. 15. God vvill giue vnto vs rather or soner that vvhich vve desire vvhen vve pray thaÌ„ vvhen other praye for vs. It is not nedefull to haue patroÌ„s vvith God. Mat. 15. Luc. 7. Luc. 23. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Heb. 7 â–ª Iohn 14. Iohn 10. 3. Reg. 8. Psal. 44. Luk. 16. Mat. 11. Galat. 6. Men forsake God and do vvorship the seruants Deut. 4. We ought to make no Images Deut. 4. Those are greatly deceyued vvho vvoulde figure God being inuisible by visible things Esay 42. Exod. 34. Esay 40. Vnto vvhoÌ„ shall vve liken God he is a spirite incomprehensible Esay 46. Sapien. 15. Leuit. 26. Deut. 11. Deut. 27. The caruers of Images are accursed Psal. 115. Psal. 135. Deut. 7. Exod. 34. Iere. 10. 3. Reg. 12 Iosua 24. Sapien. 14 Act. 17. Rom. 1. The foolish men vvould resemble God to a man. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Iohn 5. 1. Cor. 8. Those vvhich doe graue Images for to represent God doe vvicked things Religion is not vvhere there are Images Reade the 3.4 and 5. Chapters Men doe adore images in the honor of God vvhich is against God The honor of the image of god Mat. 25. It is great infidelitie to receyue the goodnesse of God and to render thaÌ„ks vnto the Images of vvood or stone Adoration apertaineth only vnto the true God. VVe ought not to seeke God by the Images Images doe dravve the senses of the vveake vnto vayn things Eutropius of the dedes of the Romanes Images forbidden in Temples Those are reiected froÌ„ the Church vvhich vvill not abstaine froÌ„ Images Apoc. 8. Psal. 141. A recital for to make suche Images vvhiche are pleasing vnto god Rom.