vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes and beleue that the bread and wine be Chrystes bodie and bloode And therfor looking for no soche worldlie kingdom nor kinglie palace of Chryst here vpon the earth Ascendamus cum Domino caenaculum magnum strastum atque mundatum accipiamus ab eo sursum calicem noui testamenti ibiue cum eo Pascha celebrantes inebriemur ab eo vino sobrietatis Let vs saieth S. Hierom go vppe with our Lorde into the great dining chambre allreadie prepared and made clean and ther let vs receaue of him aboue the cuppe of the newe testament and ther with him celebrating the Passouer let vs be satisfied with the wine of sobrietie I can not here withoute sorowe and greif passe these last woordes of S. Hierom but note to thee gentle reader the maliciouse doing of the Proclamer who impugning the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode The Proclaemer cutteth of the woordes of Sain Hierom to deceaue his auditorie in the Sacrament trauaileth to prooue that his wicked doctrine by some of the holie fathers whome he wolde wrest to make them saie that Chryst ys onelie to be adored and honoured in heauen as wherbie yt might appeare that his presence were onelie ther. Among the whiche full euell fauoredlie he bringeth in these last woordes of S. Hierom cuttinge them of from the middest of the sentence and leauing oute that that goeth before whiche as ye haue heard maketh alltogether against him and also that that soloweth whiche as ye shall heare doeth make against him likewise And suatcheth truncatelie these fewe woordes and maketh a false shew with them as well as he can to deceaue his Auditorie Thus yt foloweth in S. Hierom ymmediately woorde for woorde Non enim est regnū Dei cibus potus sed iusticia gaudium pax in Spiritu sancto Nec Moyses dedit Hierō ibid nobis panē verū sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuinium ipse comedens qui comeditur Illius bibimus sanguinem sine ipso potare non possumus quotidie in sacrificiis eius de genimine vitis verae viueae Sorec quae interpretatur electa rubentia musta calcamus nouum ex iis vinum bibimus de regno Patris ne quaquam in vetustate literae sed in nouitate spiritus cantantes canticum nouum quod nemo potest cantare nisi in regno Ecclesiae quod regnum Patris est For the kingdom of God ys not meat and Chryst ys the feaster ād the feast whose blood we drinke in his sacrifices drinke but righteousnesse ād ioie and peace in the holie Gost Neither did Moyses geue vs the true bread but our lorde Iesus for he ys both the feaster and the feast he ys he that eateth and ys eaten His bloode drinke we and withoute him we can not drinke and dailie in his sacrifices of the generacion of the true Vine and of the wine of Sorec whiche by interpretacion ys called chosen doe we presse ruddie newe wines and oute of these we drinke the newe wine of the kingdom of the Father not in the oldenesse of the letter but in the newenesse of the spiritte singing a newe song which no mācan singe but in the kingdom of the church which ys the kingdom of the Father Thus moche S. Hierom. Who in refelling of the Iewish fables declareth that in the kingdom of Chryst shall be no matter of wordlie cheering For saieth he the kingdom of God ys not meate and drinke And returning to the right cheer of Chrystes kingdom he compareth yt with the cheer of Moyses and saieth that Moyses gaue vs not the true bread but our Lorde Iesus Whie did not Moyses geue the true bread seing that the bread that he gaue was a miraculouse bread a bread that came from heauen and the bread that Chryst gaue was no miraculouse bread but yt was common vsuall bread made here by the hand of man vpon earth Yf ye saie that the bread of Chryst was a figure of Chryst so was the other also and more liuely thē this for manie causes whiche in the thirde booke shall be declared But if ye will learn the true cause why our Lorde Chryst gaue the true breade and Moyses did not learn of S. Hierom who teacheth vs that yt ys Cap. 12. bicause Chryst geueth vnto vs not an onelie figure of him self but bothe the figure and him self also For in the feast that Chryst maketh he ys he that both maketh the feast as S. Hierom saieth and also the meat of the feast So thē he geueth him self who in dede ys the verie bread of life he geueth vs the true bread that Moyses coulde not geue For Moyses gaue the figure of yt but he gaue not the thing And therfore he gaue not the true bread Note then that Chryste ys the feaster for he biddeth vs to the feast and saieth Take and eate He ys the meate also of the feast for appoincting the A saing of S. Hierom. opened meat he saieth This ys my bodie And thus ye maie perceaue that S. Hierom ioineth with the woords of Chryst And farder he saieth by expresse woordes comminge to the poinct of the drinking of Chrystes wine in the kingdome of his Father Illius bibimus sanguinem We drinke his bloode But where drinke we yt In sacrificiis eius In his sacrifices Howe come we by this wine Joan. 15. of his whiche ys his bloode In sacrificiis eius de geminine vitis verae rubentia musta calcamus In his sacrifices we presse oute of the true vine the ruddie new wine Who ys the true vine Chryst who saied Ego sum vitis vera I am the true wine Howe presse we oute this newe ruddie wine oute of the generacion of this true wine By speaking the woordes of Chryst as he hath cōmaunded by which as S. Ambrose saieth that that ys in the cuppe ys made the bloode that redemed the people But in what place muste we drinke this newe wine Amb. li. 4 de Sa. ca. 5 Nouum bibimus vinum in regno Patris We drinke this newe wine in the kingdom of the Father For soche as be in this kingdom maie be partakers of Chrystes wine dronken in his sacrifices Other maie not Habemus altare de quo edere non habent potestatem qui tabernaculo deseruiunt We haue an aultar of whiche they maie not eate that serue the tabernacle For they singe not a newe song but remain in the olde letter None can sing this newe sōg but they that be in the kingdom of the Churche whiche ys the kingdom of Hcb. 13. the Father saieth S. Hierom. By this then ye maie perceaue not onelie the answer of S. Hierom to the questiō of Hedibia but also his assertion for the presēce of Chryst in the Sacrament For he saieth not in all this discourse that Chryst geueth vs a figure of the true bread but the true bread
to thinges of like condiciō but whē yt ys cōpared to a thing that ys insinite yt maie not stād in comparison for Finiti ad infinitum nulla est comparatio of a thing finite to a thing infinite ther ys no comparison Wherfore the inconsumptible meat of our lambe in our Sacrament so farre excelleth being infinite that the consumptible meat of the olde lawe being finite maie not stande with yt in comparison Again S. Cyprian calleth our Sacramēt the foode of immortalitie the Paschall lambe of the Iewes was none soche Wherfore our Sacrament by all meanes excelleth that sacramēt of the Iewes S. Cyprian also applieng our Sacrament to the figure of the same vsed by Melchisedech doth most plainlie Cyprian ibidē vide sup li. 1. cap. 39. declare the excellencie of yt Significata olim à tempore Melchisedec prodeunt sacramenta filiis Abrahae facientibus opera eius summus sacerdos panē profert vinum Hoc est inquit corpus meum Manducauerant biberant de eodem pane secun dùm formam visibilem c. The sacramentes signified in the olde time from the time of Melchisedech come nowe furth and the high preist to the children of Abraham doing his woorkes bringeth furth breade and wine This ys saieth he my bodie They had eaten and dronken after the visible forme of the same bread But before those woordes that cōmon meat was profitable onely to nourish the bodie and did ministre helpe to the corporall life Sacrifice propitiatorie But after yt was saied of our lorde This do ye in the in the remembrance of me This ys my flesh and this ys my bloode as often as yt ys don with these woordes and this faith this substanciall bread and cuppe consecrated with the solemne benediction yt doth auail to the health and life of the wholl man and ys both a medicin and sacrifice to heale infirmities and to pourge iniquities Thus moche S. Cyprian But forasmoch as these two sainges are handled in the first booke wher the figure and the thing figured be at large opened I thinke yt not meete anie more of them here to saie then toucheth this present matter whiche they do wonderfullie set furth Yt ys more then manifest that the sacrifices Hebr. 10. The blood of bulls and goates in the olde lawe did not take awaie sinnes but the sacrifice of the newe lawe pourgeth iniquities of the olde lawe were not of that force power and vertue to pourge or take awaie sinnes S. Paule saing Impossibile est sanguine taurorum aut hircorum auferri peccata Yt ys vnpossible sinnes to be taken awaie with the bloode of bulls and goates But this owre sacrifice of the newe lawe whiche ys the flesh and blood of Chryste ys auailable to the wholl mā that ys to the health both of the bodie and soule of man For yt ys a medicin to heale infirmities and a sacrisice to pourge iniquities Yf this then be not a notable excellencie whiche the holie martir Cyprian geueth vnto this gloriouse and blessed Sacrament aboue the excellencie of these figures I knowe not what excellencie ys But the matter requireth to haue other holy Fathers to speake what they thinke in this matter S Ambrose for that he speaking of this matter affirmeth the like operacion and effect of this Sacrament as S. Cyprian did he shall be ioined vnto him Thus he saieth Ipse Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quod corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem Nunquid debemus de eius fide testificatione dubitare Iam redi me cum ad propositionem meam Magnum quidem venerabile quod Manna Iudaeis pluit Li. 4. de sacram cap. 5 è coelo Sed intellige quid est amplius Manna de coelo an corpus Christi Corpus Christi vtique qui author est coeli Deinde Manna qui manducauerit mortuus est qui manducauerit hoc corpus fiet ei remissio peccatorum non morietur in aeternum The Lorde Iesus him self saieth S. Ambrose testifieth vnto vs that we receaue his bodie and bloode awght we of his testificacion and trueth to doubte Nowe come again with me to my proposition Yt ys a great thing trulie and venerable Manna ae creature frō heauen moche inferiour to Christe the authour of heauen that he rained Manna to the Iewes from heauen But vnderstand whiche ys the greater Manna from heauen or the bodie of Chryst The bodie of Chryst trulie who ys the authour of heauē Farder he that hath eatē Manna hath died he that eateth this bodie he shall haue remission of sinnes and shall not die for euer Thus farre S. Ambrose Doest thowe not Reader in this goodly saing see the great excellencie of the Sacrament aboue Manna as thow didest in S. Cyprian aboue the Paschall lambe and the sacrifice of Melchisedec Doest thowe not also note the goodly argrement of these two in cōmending vnto vs the great and woorthie Effectes of the S. Sacr. prouing the excellencie of yt effectes of this Sacrament by the whiche yt doth withoute all controuersie woonderfully excell all the sacramātes and sacrifices of the olde lawe As S. Cyprian applieng the bodie of Chryst to the Paschall lambe called yt the inconsumptible meat wherby yt excelleth the figure whiche was consumed So S. Ambrose applieng the bodie of Chryst to Manna as to his figure saieh that though Manna came from heauen Yet Chryst who ys the authour of heauen ys more excellent As S. Cyprian called the bodie the foode of imortalitie So S. Ambrose saieth that he that eateth this bodie he shall newer die As S. Cyprian saieth that yt ys a sacrisice to pourge iniquites So S. Ambrose saieth that he that eateth this bodie his sinnes shall be remitted These goodly effectes were not in the sacramentes and sacrifices of the olde lawe Wherfore they being in this Sacrament yt excelleth them all Yf thowe aske why or howe these effectes be in this Sacrament I answere bicause he ys ther verily substancially and reallie in quo inhabitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter in whom dwelleth all the fullnesse of the deitie corporally Colloss 2. and vnto whom Non ad mensuram dat Deus Spiritum God geueth not his Spirit by measure Et cui data est omnis potestas in coelo in terra And to whō Joan. 3. ys geuen all power in heauen and in earth whose flesh coniuncta ei quae naturaliter Math. 28. vita est viuifica effecta est being ioined vnto that whiche naturally ys life ys made also able to giue life as S. Cyrill saieth Cyrillus Of this his presence in the Sacrament for that that Chryst him self saieth and testifieth vnto vs that we do receaue his bodie we sholde not neither we aught as S. Ambrose saieth to doubt of his wittnesse and trueth Of the whiche as also of farder testimonie to the proof of the excellencie of the Sacrament he saieth in
bodie our true Paschall lambe In nocte quippe inquit agnum comedimus quia in sacramento modò Dominicum corpus accipimus quando adhucinuicem nostras conscientias non videmus In the night saieth he do we eate the lambe forsomoche as we do nowe receaue our lordes bodie in the Sacrament when as yet we doe not see one an others conscience In this his sainge ys not onelie perceaued the applicacion of the figuratiue Paschall Lambe to the verie true Paschall Lambe but to the full agreement with other holie Fathers before alleaged he doth most plainlie testifie the reall presence bothe by his woordes terming yt the bloode of our Redemer and the bodie of our lorde and also by the maner of the receauinge of yt In the whiche note that he teacheth that the bodie and bloode of Chryst ys receaued by two distincted and diuerse maners of receauinge One maner ys with the mouthe of the bodie whiche argueth the reall presence The other maner ys with the mouthe of the hearte and that ys the spirituall maner of receauing So that the learned men in Chrystes faithe doo teache the good Chrystian man to receaue Chrystes bodie both corporallie and spirituallie But the maliciouse learned man against Chrystes faith teacheth that the good Chrystian man receaueth Chryste but onelie spirituallie and so robbeth him of the other the contrarie of the whiche Doctrine ye see here auouched by sainct Gregorie as yt was also by other before alleaged with whom he well agreeth To this sainct Gregorie shall be yoined Damascen one of the other side of the Parliament house of Chryst that ys of the greke church and of the lowe house but one of the first and cheif in that place as ys before saied a man so excellentlie will seen in the statutes of Chrystes Parliament house that ys to saie in the knowledge of the receaued trueth of Chrystes faithe that he did write foure bookes of the same both learnedlie and godlie and in the fourthe booke of his workes emong other explicacions of matters of faith he declareth also the faithe of the Churche in this matter of the Sacrament at large wher as touching the same matter he saieth thus Natiuitas nobis per spiritum donata est per sanctum dico baptismum Cibus verò ipse Li. 4. de orthod sid c. 14. panis vitae Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui de coelo descendit Nam suscepturus voluntariam pro nobis mortem in nocte qua seipsum obtulit testamentum nouum disposuit sanctis Discipulis Apostolis per ipsos omnibus alijs in ipsum credentibus In coenaculo sanctae gloriosae Sion antiquum Pascha cum Discipulis manducans et implens instrumētum antiquum lauit pedes Discipulorum signum sancti baptismatis praebens Deinde frangens panem dedit illis dicens Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur in remissionem peccatorum Similiter accipiens calicem ex vino aqua tradidit illis dicens Bibite ex eo omnes hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro vobis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Quotiescunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortem filij hominis annunciatis resurrectionem eius cōfitemini donec veniat Si igitur verbum dei viuens est efficax omnia quaecunque voluit Deus fecit Si dixit Fiat lux facta est lux Fiat firmamentum factum est Si verbo Dei coeli firmati sunt spiritu oris eius omnis virtus eorum Si coelum terra aqua ignis aer omnis ornatus eorum verbo Dei perfecta sunt homo ipse vbique diuulgatum animal Si volens ipse Deus Verbum factus est homo c. Non potest panem suum ipsius corpus facere vinum cum aqua sanguinem Dixit in principio Deus Producat terra herbam virentem vsque nunc pluuia facta producit germina diuino coädiuta vigorata praecepto Dixit Deus Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus hoc facite in meam commemorationē omnipotentieius praecepto donec veniat efficitur A newe birth ys geuen to vs by the Spirit and the water I saie by holie Baptisme but the meat ys the verie bread of life our lorde Iesus Christ who descended from heauen For willing to take for vs a willing death in the night in the whiche he offred vppe him self he disposed a newe testamēt to his holie Disciples and Apostles and by them to all other beleuing in him In the parlour Chrystes cuppe cōteined wine ād Water therfore of holie gloriouse Sion eating the olde Passeouer with his disciples and fulfilling the olde lawe he washed the feet of his disciples geuing a sign of holie Baptisme Afterwarde breaking bread he gaue yt to thē saing Take eate This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yowe in the remission of sinnes Likewise taking the cuppe of wine and water he deliuered yt vnto them saing Drinke ye all of this This ys my bloode of the newe Testament whiche shall be shedde for yowe in the remission of Sinnes This do ye in my remembrāce For as often times as ye shall eate this bread ād drinke this cuppe ye shew furth the death of the Sōne of mā ād acknowledge his resurrectiō vntill he come Yf then the woorde of God be liuing ād mightie in operaciō and al thinges whatsoeuer he hath willed he hath doē Yf he saied The light be made and the light was made The firmament be made and yt was made Yf by the woorde of God the heauens were made and all the power of them with the breath of his mouthe Yf heauen earth water fire and the Ayer and al the furniture of them by the woorde of God were made perfect and man himself being euery where a knowen liuing creature Yf God the Sonne himself being willing was made man c. Can not he make breade his owne bodie and wine and water his bloode God saied at the beginning Let the earth bring furth green herbe And vntill this daie being holpen and made strong with Gods commaundement the rain comming Effect of Chrystes woordes of consecraciō yt bringeth furth fruicts God saied This ys my bodie and this ys my blood and this do ye in the remembrance of me And by hys allmightie commaundement yt ys so made and brought to effecte vntill he come Thus farre Damascen Whose saing ys long but as pithie and weightie as yt ys long In the which he hath not onelie declared hys faith but the faith of Chryst receaued in his Churche which ys the wholl matter and onelie argument of hys worke as the title of the same doth purporte And to the matter which we haue in hande he geueth woorthie testimonie declaring the accomplishment of the olde lawe in
the substance of euerlasting life and who soeuer shall eate this bread he shall not die for euer and yt ys he bodie of Chryst Thus farre he What this bread ys that descended from heauen and what the profit and benefitt of yt ys sainct Ambrose hath in this his saing declared the bread ys the bodie of Chryst saieth he whiche bodie ys the meat that the faithfull doth take and the benefite of this so taken ys euerlasting life Wherfor sainct Ambrose being so plain I will bring in his yocke folowe Chrysostome who hath according to the counsell of sainct Paule not caried the yocke with the vnfaithfull but with the faithfull whiche ys the yocke of Chryst whiche as he himself saieth ys sweet Thus he saieth Dicit ergo Qui manducat carnem meam in morte non peribit neque damnabitur Sed non de communi dicit resurrectione siquidem omnes resurgent sed de clara illa gloriosa quae 2. Cor. 6. Math. 11. Homiti 46 in Ioan. praemium meretur Patres vestri manducauerunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum Frequenter idem repetit vt auditorum animis imprimatur Vltima enim haec erat doctrina vt resurrectionis vitae aeternae fidem confirmaret Quocirca post vitae aeternae promissionem resurrectionem proponit postquam illaÌ„ futuram ostendit hoc vnde constat à scripturis ad quaâ— eos semper relegat vt inde erudiantur Cùm autem dare vitam mundo dicit in aemulationem eos adducit vtsi aliorum bono mouentur nolint ipsi excludi Frequenter autem Mannae meminit differentiam conferendo ad fidem allicit Nam si possibile fuit vt quadraginta annos sine messibus frumento aliis ad victum necessarijs viuerent longè magis nunc cùm ad matoâ—… venerint Nam si in illis figuris sine labore expositum colligebant nunc profectò magis vbi nulla mors verae vitae fruitio Vitae autem vbique meminit Nam eius trahunur cupiditate nihil suauius quà m non mori Etenim in veteri Testamento longa vita multi dies promittebantur Nunc verò non simpliciter vitae longitudo sed vita sine fine promittitur He saieth therfor he that eateth my flesh shall not perish in death neither shal be damned But he doth not speake of the common resurrection for all shall rise but of that clere and gloriouse whiche deserueth rewarde Yower fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse and be dead He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer he doth often repete the same that yt might be ymprinted in the mindes of thearers This was the last doctrine that he might confirme the faith of the resurrection and euerlasting life wherfor after the promisse of eternall life he proueth the resurrection after he had shewed that yt was to come And from whence doth his appeare by the scriptures vnto the whiche he doth allwaies send them that from theÌ„ce they might be taught When he saieth yt to geue life to the woorlde he bringeth them to folow that if they be moued with the profit or commoditie of other they wolde not be excluded Often he maketh mencion of Manna and conferiring the difference allureth them to faith For if yt were We cometo greater thiÌ„ges in the Sacr â–ª then the Jewes did in MaÌ„na possible that they shoulde liue fortie years withoute haruestes and other necessares to their liuing moch more nowe when they are comed to greater things For if in these figures they did gather withoute labour the thing settfurth or made ready to their handes nowe truly moche more wher ys no death and the fruicion of true life Of life he maketh mencion euery where For we be drawen with desire therof and nothing ys more pleasaunt then not to die For in the olde Testament long life and manie daies were promised Nowe not simplie lenght of life but life withoute ende ys promised Thus he Albeit Chrysostom in this sentence maketh no great mencion of the Sacrament in open and expresse woordes yet folowing the sense in the beginning of this part of this chapter whiche by his iudgement ys of the Sacrament if yt be well considered he saieth sufficiently as also wher he saieth that yf yt were possible for the Iewes to liue fortie yeare without haruest or corne moche more nowe when we be commed to greater thinges Manna was a great miracle as sainct Ambrose saieth and if they did well receaue yt they did MaÌ„na and the Sacrament compared receaue spirituallie Chryst Then if our SacrameÌ„t be as the Sacramentaries saie a peice of bread whiche ys no like thing to Manna the one being from heauen by miracle the other by common course from the hand of the artificer withoute any miracle or wonder and in the receipt of yt Chryst spiritually receaued as in the receipt of Manna howe then be we comed to greater thinges then the figure of Manna was seing that in both Chryst ys receaued but spirituallie And Manna ys from heauen by God the bread from the earth by the baker Wherfor by these woordes of Chrysostome that we be comed to greater thinges ys signified to vs that the SacrameÌ„t coÌ„teineth a woorthier thing and a thing of greater miracle then Manna was whiche also was a miraculouse thing which thing conteined in the Sacrament ys the very bodie of Chryst of the whiche Manna was the figure of the whiche more shall be saied in the thirde booke But here to be short if the reall presence of Chrystes bodie be not in the Sacrament then ys Manna a woorthier and greater thing then yt by al meanes as by that that ys allready saied yt maie appeare And so shall Chrysostome be reproued of an vntrueth for that we are not comed to greater thinges But I shall sooner refuse the sainges of these aduersaries then I will the sainges of Chrysostome and so I trust will the wise reader THE ONE AND THIRTITH CHAP. PROCEAdeth in the the exposition of the same text by S. Hierom and S. Cyrill LEt vs heare the testimonie of an other coople for the vnderstanding of this text S. Hierom saith Si ergo panis qui de coelo descendit corpus Hieron ad Hedibiq 2 est Domini vinum qùod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui Testamenti qui pro multis effusus est in remissionem peccatorum iudaicas fabulas repellamus ascendamus cum Domino coenaculum magnum stratum atque mundatum accipiamus ab eo sursum calicem noui Testamenti ibiue cum eo Pascha celebrantes inebriemur ab eo vino sobrietatis Non enim est regnum Dei esca potus sed iusticia gaudium pax in Spiritu sancto Nec Moyses dedit nobis panem verum sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui
vs in the mysteries ys not onely a figure of our Lordes bodie but the very flesh of our Lorde For he did not saie The bread that I will geue ys a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh And howe yt cometh to passe that this bread shoulde be the very flesh of Chryst and by whom yt ys so compased and wrought the same Theophilact furthwith Spirituall vnderctanding what yt ys declareth That bread saieth he ys transformed with the secrett woordes by the mysticall benediction and the coming of the holy Gost into the flesh of our Lorde Thys ys the spirituall vnderstanding of Theophilact which ys in dede a spirituall vnderstanding For yf that be spirituall that ys wrought hy the worke of the Spiritt of God and that ys aboue the reason of man and ys not with in the compasse of sensuall knowledge but ys apprehended and knowen onely by faith then ys this a spirituall vnderstanding That yt ys wrought by the Spiritt of God this Authour doth testifie that yt ys aboue naturall reason yt ys manifest For ther ys no naturall mean vsed in the doing of yt That yt ys not within the compasse and the knowledge of the senseis this Authour also doth ther shewe And howe saieth he ys yt that yt doth not appeare flesh to vs but bread That we shoulde not saieth he abhorre from the eating of yt For yf yt shoulde haue appeared flesh we shoulde haue had no pleasure to the Communion But nowe our Lorde condescending to our infirmitie the mysticall meat appeareth soche as we haue ben otherwise accustonmed withall This flesh then of Chryst ys not seen of vs. And so trulie ys yt not perceaued of anie sense And therfor for somoch as yt ys perceaued by no sēse but that faith ys of hearing in that respect yt maie also be called spirituall What Serm. adin fances ys knowen in the Sacrament by senses and what aught to be knowen by faith S. Augustin also teacheth saing Quod videtis in altari panis calix est quod etiam oculi vestri renuntiant Quod autem fides postulat instruenda panis est corpus calix est sanguis Potest animo cuiuspiam cogitatio talis suboriri Dominus Iesus Christus nouimus vnde carnem acceperit de Virgine Maria scilicet nutritus est creuit sepultus est resurrexit coelum ascendit illuc leuauit corpus suum vnde venturus est iudicare viuos mortuos Ibi est modò sedens ad dextram Patris quomodò ergo panis corpus eius vel quod habet calix quomodò est sanguis eius Ista ideo fratres dicuntur sacramenta quia in eis aliud videtur aliud intelligitur Quod videtur speciem habet corporalem quod intelligitur sructum habet spiritualem That ye do see in the aultar yt ys bread and the cuppe which also yowr eyes do she we yowe but that faith requireth to be instructed the bread ys the bodie and the cuppe ys the bloode But in the minde of som A plain saing of S. August for the Proclamer bodie soch a thought maie ryse We knowe from whence our Lorde Iesus Chryste hath taken flesh that ys of the virgen Marie he was nourished he did growe he was buried he did rise he hath ascended into heauen thither he hath lifted vppe hys bodie from whence yt shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Ther ys he nowe sitting at the right hande of the Father Howe then ys the bread hys bodie or that the chalice hath howe ys yt hys bloode Bretheren therfore these thinges be called Sacramentes bicause ther ys one thing seen in them and an other vnderstanded That whiche ys seen hath a corporall forme that which ys vnderstanded hath a spirituall fruit or profyt Thus farre sainct Augustine In the whiche woordes S. Augustin doth plainly open what ys iudged to be in the Sacrament by the iudgement of the senseis and what by Senses and faith iudge diuer selse the iudgement of faith The eyes iudge yt bread and a cuppe of wine but faith iudgeth that that the eyes haue iudged bread to be the hodie of Christ and that that by the senseis ys iudged wine to be the blood of Chryst Then yf the bodie of Chryst be not knowen in the Sacrament by anye other knowledge then by the knowledg of the faith then yt ys no carnall knowledge but a spirituall knowledg yf so then we vnderstande Chrystes woordes spiritually and not as the Capharnaites carnallie as the Sacramētaries do slanderously charge vs but like lowlie subiectes vnto our master Chryst striuing against our naturall knowledge and though euen by faith we cannot comprehende the wholl mysterie yet for that he hath saied yt we beleue yt so to be as Algerus werie well to this pourpose saieth Dum in mysterio quod non est apparet quod est occultatur fidei lucta proponitur vt meritum augeatur Dum contra hoc quod videtur credens quod non videtur de credita intus veritate de suprata exteriùs falsitate duplicem assequitur gratiam Algerus li. 2 ca. 3. Caetera enim Christi miracula cùm sint infidelibus in signum vt conuertantur hoc solùm sidelibus datur ad meritum vt illo erudiantur In illis enim quae Deus in extrinseca materia secit roboratur fides In hoc autem solo quod ex seipso facit fides exercitatur vt victa et inuicta faciliùs coronetur Victa inquam ne comprehendat sed inuicta ne diffidat dum exteriores quidem sensus obiecta panis vini speciem colore odore sapore ipsum quod fuerat mentiendo panem vinum quod non est nituntur instruere Interior autem intellectus ipsum quod est corpus scilicet Christi contemplans uec comprehendere sufficiens non tamen desistit credere While in the my sterie that that ys not appeareth that that ys ys hidden battaill vnto faith ys propownded that meritte maie be encreased while that against yt that ys seen beleuing yt that ys not seen of the beleued inwardly veritie of the ouercomed outward falsitie she getteth duble grace For other miracles of Chryst wher they be to the vnfaithfull for a sign that they maie conuerte this alone ys geuen to the faithfull to merite that by yt thei maie be taught In those miracles that God did make in an owtwarde matter faith ys strenghtned In this alone that he maketh of himself faith ys exercised Faith ouer cōmed and not ouer comed in the misterie of the Sacr. that being ouercomed and vnouercomed she maie be more easilie crowned I saie ouercomed that she can not comprehende vnouercomed that she distrust not while the outward senseis by the formes of bread and wine obiected the coloure the sauour and the taste falsly saing to be yt that yt was doo laboure to affirme yt bread and wine which yt ys not But the inwarde
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
scabellum Dei Et quomodò adorabimus terram cùm dicat apertè scriptura Dominum Deum tuum adorabis Et hic dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Exponens autem mihi quid sit scabellum pedum eius dicit Terra autem scabellum pedum meorum Anceps factus fam timeo adorare terram ne damnet me qui fecit coelmi terram Rursum timeo non adorare scabellum pedum Domini mei quia Psalmus mihi dicit Adorate scabellum pedum eius Quaro quid sit scabellum pedum eius dicit mihi scriptura Terra scabellum pedum meorum Fluctuans conuerto me ad Christum quia ipsum quaero hic inuenio quomodò sine impietate adoretur terra sine impietate adoretur scabellum pedum eius Suscepit eium de terrae terram quia caro de terra est de carne Mariae carnem assumpsis Et quia in ipsa carne hic ambulauit ipsam carnem nobis manducandam ad salutem dedi◠Nemo autem carnem illam manducat nisi priùs adorauerit inuentum est quemadmodum adoretur tale scabellum pedum Domini non solùm non peccemus adorando sed peccemus non adorando Adore ye the footestoole of his feete for yt ys holie But marke ye bretheren what he commaundeth vs to adore In an other place the scripture saieth Heauen ys my seat and the earth ys my footestoole Then he commaundeth vs to adore the earth For he hath saied in an other place that yt ys the footestoole of God And howe shall we adore the earth seing the scripture openlie saieth Thowe shalt adore thy Lorde God And here saieth Adore his footestoole And expowdding to me what ys his footestoole he saieth The earth ys my footestoole I am doubtfull I feare to adore the earth leest he damne me that made heauen and earthe Again I feare not to adore the footstoole of my Lorde bycause the Psalme saieth to me Adore his footestoole Thus wauing vppe and downe I turne me vnto Chryst for I seke him here and I finde howe withoute impietie the earth maie be adored howe withoute The flesh born of the Virgen ys geuen vs to eate whiche we must also adore or ells we do offende impietie his footestoole maie be adored For he tooke earth of earth for flesh ys of the earth and he tooke flesh of the flesh of Marie And bicause he liued here in the same flesh and the same flesh he gaue vs to eate to our saluacion and no man eateth that flesh eycept he first adore yt yt ys perceaued howe soche a footestoole of our Lorde maie be adored And we shall not onely not sinne in adoring yt but we shall offende in not adoring yt Thus haue ye hearde S. Augustine at lenght Yf ye haue marked ye maie perceiue a goodlie and pleasaunt discurse howe he trieth oute the footestoole of God and howe yt maie be adored The footestoole of God at the last he findeth to be the flesh of Chryst the same flesh that he here liued in the same flesh also that he geueth vs to eate This flesh then ys the footestoole of God This footestoole ys to be adored saieth Sainct Augusten that in heauen yt aught to be adored at all times no man doubteth But forasmoche as the same footstoole the same flesh of Chryst ys geuen vs to be eaten we must also remembre our duetie before we receaue yt that we adore yt and honourelyt For yf we do not honour yt omitting then our duetie we offende saieth Sainct Augustine This flesh we receaue in the Sacrament wherfore we must honour yt in the Sacrament Yf Sainct Augustin ment not this adoracion to be doen to the Sacrament he wolde neuer haue spoken of this slesh of Chryst as eaten in the Sacrament but as exalted in glorie and sitting at the right hande of the Father Yt ys an easier waie to induce vs to honour a thing for that yt ys in heauen glorified then for that yt ys here in earth receaued But bicause this adoracion of the Sacrament was in vse among chrystians and gaue him light to vnderstande the Prophet Dauid Therfor he spake of yt That the adoracion was in vse yt appeareth in sondrie places of the whiche I shall bring furth one or two Sainct Augustine declaring the godlinesse of his mother lieng in her Li. 9. confe cap. 13. death bedde saieth thus of her Illa imminente die resolutionis suae non cogitauit corpus sunm sumptuosè contegi aut condiri aromatibus aut monumentum electum concupiuit aut curauit sepulchrum paternum Non ista mandauit nobis sed tantummodò memoriam sui ad altare tuum fieri desiderauit cui nullius diei praetermissione seruierat vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam qua deletum est Chirographum quod erat contrarium nobis qua triumphatus est hostis She when she perceaued the daie of her departinge to be at hand she had no care to haue her bodie sumptuouslie buried or to be spiced with swete spices neither did she couet a speciall monument or cared to be buried in her owne contrie She did not charge vs with those thinges but she desiered that her memorie might be made at thie aultar which she withoute anie daies missing had serued from whence she knewe that The mother of S. Augu. serued the aultar dailie holie sacrifice to be dispensed by the which the obligacion that was against vs was cancelled wherbye the enemie also was ouercomed Thus he In this that Sainct Augustine to the comendacion of his mother before God and the woorlde saieth that she dailie did serue the aultar I Aultar wolde learn of the Proclamer what seruice yt was that she did was yt not the seruice of Chryst her Lorde God and redemer that she did yea trulie And why did she yt at the aultar and not in heauen as the Proclamer wolde that we shoulde onely dooe Bicause she knewe as Sainct Augustine S. August plain against the Proclamer witnesseth that Chryst owre sacrifice was from thence dispensed and ministred So wher this Proclamer denieth the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Sainct Augustine confesseth that same Chryste to be there that cancelled the writing that was against vs and so made vs free And wher the Proclamer discommendeth them and crieth oute against them that honour Chryst in the Sacrament Sainct Augustine writeth yt to the perpetuall commendacion and praise of his Godlie mother The Proclamer wolde yt shoulde neuer be vsed Sainct Augustin declareth that his mother dailie did vse yt And as she so likewise her doinge argueth the vse of the like honowringe and seruing of Chryst amonge and chrystian people Besides this the opnion that manie had of the chrystian people who not knowing the hidden mysterie of Chrystes presence in the Sacrament The fame that the Chrystiās did honour Ceres and Bacchus Proueth their adoracio of the Sacr. in the Primitiue
de caelo descendit corpus est Domini vinum quod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui Testamenti qui pro multis effusus est in remissionem peccatorum Iudaicas fabulas repellamus Yf the bread that descended from heauen be the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his disciples be his bloode of the newe Testament whiche was shedde for manie in remission of sinnes let vs cast awaie Iewishe fables And again a litle after Nec Moyses dedit nobis panem verum sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur Illius bibimus sanguinem sine ipso potare non possumus Neither hath Moyses geuen vs the treu bread but our Lorde Iesus He ys bothe the feaster and the feast He ys bothe the eater and he that ys eaten We drinke his bloode and withoute him we can not drinke Thus S. Hierome For that both these places do applie the figure to the thing figured that ys Manna to the bodie of Chryst the true bread whiche Manna in the sixth of Sainct Iohn ys called the bread from heauen and likewise in diuerse places therfor I thought them meet for this place In the first vnder a condicionall tearme he teacheth a plain assercion that the bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his Disciples ys his bloode whiche ys a plain maner of speache affirming the presence of Chryst and not a figuratiue speache signifieng his absence In that he saieth that our Lorde Iesus bodie ys the bread that descended from heauen he declareth the veritie of Manna the figure to be the bodie of Chryst For when the Iewes had saied to Chryst Owre Fathers did eate Manna in the desert in whiche woordes they spake of the figure Chryst answering ioined them both together and saied Non Moyses dedit vobis panem de coelo sed pater meus dat vobis panem de coelo verū Moyses hath not geuē Ioan. 6. you bread frō heauē But my Father geueth you the true bread frō heauē And after speaking of the bread whiche ys his bodie and applieng yt to the figure he saieth Hic est panis qui de caelo descendit Non sicut manducauerunt patres vestri Manna mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum This ys the bread that descended from heauen Not as your Fathers haue eaten Manna in the desert and be dead He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer Nowe then Sainct Hierom saing that the bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of owre Lorde Iesus He teacheth against the Aduersarie that the sixt of Sainct Iohn speaketh of the Sacrament and also auoucheth that the veritie of the figure Manna ys the bodie of Chryst The like also he doth in the next sentence saing That not Moyses but our Lorde Iesus gaue vs the true bread And that by this true bread whiche Chryst gaue vs he meneth his bodie in the blessed Sacrament yt ys inuinciblie proued by that that he adioined He ys the feaster and the feast yt ys he that eateth and ys eaten As Chryst in his last supper was bothe he that prepared the feast as Cyprian saied Et consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat inconsumptibilem De caena Domini cibum magister apponit Discipulis And when the lambe was consumed whiche the olde tradicion did set furth the master set before his disciples inconsumptible meate and one that did partake of the feast as among diuerse other Chrysostome saieth speaking of the cuppe of his bloode Ipse In 26. Ma. Hom. 83. quoque bibit ex eo ne auditis verbis illis dicerent Quid igitur sanguinem bibimus carnem comedimus ac ideo perturbarentur He also dranke of yt himself leste when they had heard those woordes they shoulde saie What then do we drinke bloode and eate slesh and therfor shoulde be troubled So was he the feast himself I meen the meat of the feast whiche as he then gaue yt sitting at his last supper with his Apostles So geueth he yt nowe For as Chrystome Hom. 30. de prodit saieth he ys nowe present and sanctifieth So that this table that ys dailie ministred ys in nothing inferiour to that table of his last supper Haec enim illa non alia mensa est haec nulla re minor quam illa est This ys euen the same table Hom. 83 in Matty and not an other this ys in nothing lesse then that And as Sainct Augustin saieth that he ys the preist that doth offre and De ciu Dei li. 10. ca. 20 the offring or oblacion that ys offred So ys he he that eateth as Sainct Hierom saieth and he that ys eaten Thus Reader thowe doest not onelie perceaue the euident and strong testimonie of Sainct Hierom against the Aduersarie But also thowe perceauest the goodlie concorde and agreement of the Fathers together so mightilie knit together in the plain confession of Gods trueth that yf a legion of enemies were conspired together they coulde not by all their pulling and wresting drawe them into their parte And yet to fortifie this trueth not for yt self but for the Reader we will nowe heare Sainct Cyrill whome we promissed to ioin with S. Hierom. Cyr. ca 19 in 6. Joan Thus he saieth Non enim prudenter quae ad breue tempus sufficiunt hoc nomine appella buntur nec panis erat ex Deo quem maiores Iudaeorum comederunt mortui sunt Nam si de coelo ex Deo fuisset liberasset à morte participantes Contrà verò corpus Christi panis de coelo est quia aeternam comedentibus vitam largitur Those thinges whiche suffice but for a short time shall not well be called by this name Neither was yt bread from God whiche the elders of the Iewes haue eaten and be dead For yf yt had ben from heauen and of God yt had deliuered the partakers of yt from deathe But contrary wise the bodie of Chryste ys the bread from heauen for yt graunteth euerlasting life of the eaters Thus he Thisys a breif and a plain testimonie in the whiche mencion ys made of the figure that ys of the bread whiche the elders of the Iewes did eate whiche bread was Manna and of the thing figured whiche ys the veritie whiche by expresse woordes he calleth the bodie of Chryst So that agreablie to all that before hath bē spokē he teacheth that the thing figured by Māna was not a sigure or a signe of the bodie of Chryste but the verie bodie of Chryst in dede For as in diuerse places before alleadged oute of the same Cyrill yt dothe well appeare that he ys no figurer but a plain a auoucher of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the blessed Sacrament and that we receaue the same bodie reallie and
made what should yt offend the Proclamer to hear that S. Peter ād S. Paule did make a certain ordre and certain praiers to be vsed in the Masse and so likewise S. Andrew S. Iames S. Dionyse S. Basil and S. Chrysostō and other by reason of whiche ordeinaunces and praiers by them seuerallie made they should be called S. Peters Masse S. Andrews Masse S. Iames Masse and so furth As S. Peter and S. Paule are testified to haue saied Masse So ys S. Andrew the S. Andre as Apost ad Aegeā brother of S. Peter who after he had with moch trauaill and manie miracles preached Chrystes faith in Scythia in Europe which contrie happened to him when the Apostles diuided thēselues to preach throughout the woorld He came to Patras in Grece wher being resisted by Aegeas the Proconsull and by him apprehēded in geuing an accōpt of his doinges saied thus to the same Aegeas Omnipotenti Deo qui vnus verus est Deus ego omni die sacrifico non S. Andrew offred sacrifice dailie thuris fumū nec taurorū mugientiū carnes nec hircorū sanguinē sed immaculatū agnū qnotidie in altari crucis sacrifico cuius carnes postqaam omnis populus credentiū manducauerit eius sanguinē biberit agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseuerat vinus Et cūm verè sacrificatus fuerit verè carnes eius manducatae sint à populo verè sanguis eius sit bibitus tamen vt dixi integer permanet vinus Vnto the Allmightie God which ys one and the verie God euery daie do I sacrifice not the smook of franken cense neither the flesh of roaring bulls nor the blood of kiddes but an vndefiled lābe do I dailie offre in sacrifice in the aultar of the crosse whose flesh after that all the beleuing people haue eaten and haue dronken his bloode the lābe that ys sacrificed doth remain wholl and aliue And when he ys verilie sacrificed and his flesh verilie eaten of the people and his blood verilie dronken yet for all as I haue saied he doth remain wholl and vndefiled and aliue Thus he Although in this saing of S. Andrew here ys no menciō made of the woord Masse what yt ys Masse yet he hath reported himself to haue doē that thing that he should haue doē yf he had saied that he saied Masse For call to remēbrance what we haue saied Masse to be yt ys to consecrate the bodie and blood of Chryste to offre the same in sacrifice and to receaue yt These three S. Andrewe reporteth himself dailie to haue doen. For he saieth that in the aultar he sacrificed the immaculate lambe c. Wherbie declaring the blessed and innocēt lambe Chryste to be on the aultar he declareth the consecracion and saing that he did on the aultar sacrifice yt he doth open the sacrifice and expressedlie also confessing the receipt the wholl three parts of the Masse be confessed to haue ben by him doen. Nowe let not the Aduersarie reiect the saing of S. Andrew as of none authoritie for yt hath ben in the Churche receaued manie hundreth years and written in an epistle by the preistes and deacons of Achaia of the passiō of S Andrewe and to this daie of no catholique to my knowlege reproued To these three Apostles we shall adde one other Apostle S. Iames by name whom with the skoff of somsaie this Proclamer wolde haue made his audien ce beleue that he had neuer saied Masse at Hierusalem as he wolde haue persuaded that S. Peter neuer did at Antioche or at Rome But afterward correcting himself as a man waking oute of a sheape or dreame and better aduised perchaunce not knowing when he preached his sermon that the Masse S. Iames Masse allowed and praised by the Proclamer of S. Iames was a broad in print but before he penned yt coming to knowledge he corrected his Some saie spoken in his dreame and vnaduisedlie ād being now waking and better aduised chaungeth his phrase and saieth that yt ys constantlie affirmed that S. Iames saied Masse at Hierusalem And finallie he himself confessing the same and magnifieng and highlie extolling yt by soche comparison as yt liketh him to make he abaseth depresseth and dispraiseth the Masse of the catholique Church that ys nowe vsed but howe well he handleth the matter thowe shalt hereafter vnderstand Let vs nowe examen the Masse of S. Iames and see whether his maner of consecracion agreeth with ours Dominus Iesus ea nocte qua tradebatur vel potius seipsum tradebat pro vita salute mundi accipiens panem in sanctas immaculatas inculpabiles immortales manus suas in coelum suspiciens ac tibi Deo Patri ostendens gratias agens sanctificans frangens dedit nobis Discipulis suis dicens Accipite comedite S. Iames directed his speache in the cōsecracion to God the Father Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis frangitur datur in remissionem peccatorum Oure Lord Iesus the same night that he was betraied or raither in the which he deliuered himself for the life and saluacion of the worlde taking bread into his holie vndefiled innocent and immortall handes looking vppe into heauen and shewing yt vnto thee God and Father geuing thankes sanctifieng and breaking gaue yt vnto vs his Disciples saing Take eate this ys my bodie which ys broken for yowe and geuen in the remission of Chryst mixed his cuppe with wyne ād water sinnes Then he tooke the cuppe and saied Similiter postquà m coenauit accipiens calicem permiscens ex vino aqua aspiciens in coelum ac ostendens tibi Deo Patri gratias agens sanctificans benedicens implens Spiritu sancto dedit nobis Discipulis suis dicens Bibite ex hoc omnes Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti qui pro vobis multis effunditur datur in remissionem peccatorum Likewise he after he had supped taking the cuppe and mingling yt with wine and water and looking vppe into heauen and shewing yt to thee God and Father geuing thankes sanctifieng blessing filling yt with the holie Gost he gaue yt vnto vs his Disciples saing Drinke ye all of this This ys my bloode of the newe Testament which for yowe and for manie ys shed and geuen in the remission of sinnes This was his maner of consecracion And forasmoche as all the holie Apostles preached one Chryste one faith one religion and did all see Chryste setting furth this one institucion yt ys to be thought in so weightie a matter Chryst before the consecracion of his bodie lifted vppe hiseies and gaue thāks to his Father that they all vsed one forme which maie well be proued to be this for that S. Iames being an Apostle wolde not in this high ministracion varie or dissent from other Apostles but vse the same ordre and maner that they did Nowe then let the Masse
of religioÌ„ to the maner of the Apostles aÌ„d the primitiue Church whie doeth he not obserue this which he can not denie ther to haue ben obserued and by the Councels of Cartage and Constantinople decreed accordinglie to be receaued But yt ys not the primitiue Church that he trauaileth for to be regarded but yt ys his phantasie and will that he seeketh to be receaued God geue him a better minde This also ys not to be ouerpassed that the Councel of Constantinople testifieng that S. Iames did setfurth in writing the holie mynistracion doth call yt by the name of Sacrifice saing that he did setfurth the mysticall sacrifice Masse called a sacrifice by the Counc of ConstaÌ„tin which name the Proclamer abhorreth But what do I tarie so long aboute the settingfurth of these wittnesses seing ther be diuerse other that testifie the same As Nicolaus Metbonen S. Bernard Algerus Bessarion and other whom for breuitie sake I thinke yt sufficient to haue named Nowe Reader wher the Proclamer in the second place that he speaketh of S. Iames saieth that we constantlie affirme that S. Iames saied Masse I praie thee maie we not so doo and doo truelie And yf he and his complices saie the contrarie shall they not saie falselie we haue wittnesse and good authoritie to maintein that we saie He deskanteth voluntarilie with manie discordes all oute of tune For he singeth without his rule hauing nothing well alleaged to maintein what he saieth Thie parte therfore shall be Reader to lean and cleaue to that side that groâ—ndeth yt self vpon substanciall authoritie and not vpon phantasie and willfull affection But yt ys time that we also see the maner of consecracion vsed in the latime Church in time of the auncient Fathers of the same of the whiche one maie nowe suffice for all whiche one shall be S. Ambrose who thus reporteth yt Vis scire quia verbis coelestibus consecratur Accipe quae sunt verba Dicit sacerdos Fac nobis inquit hanc oblationem ascriptam rationabilem acceptabilem quod est Ambr. li. 4 de sac ca. 5 figura corporis sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi Qui pridie quà m pateretur in sanctis manibus suis accepit panem respexit ad coelum ad te sancte Pater omnipotens aeterne Deus gratias agens benedixit fregit fractumue Apostolis suis Discipulis tradidit dicens Accipite edite ex hoc omnes Hoc est enim corpus meuÌ„ quod pro multis confringetur Similiter etiam calicem postquà m coenatum est pridie quà m pateretur accepit respexit ad coelum ad te sancte Pater omnipotens aeterne Deus gratias agens benedixit Apostolis et Discipulis suis tradidit dicens Accipite et bibite ex eo omnes Hic est enim sanguis meus Wilt thow know that the Sacrament ys consecrated with heauenlie woordes Marke what be the woordes The preist saieth Make this oblacion saieth he Conferre this praier with the Masse book and yt agreeth nere conferre yt with the CoÌ„munion aÌ„d yt dissenteth farre alowed reasonable and acceptable which ys a figure of the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus Chryste Who the daie before he wolde suffer tooke bread in his holie handes and looked vnto heauen to thee holie Father allmightie euerlasting God geuing thankes he blessed yt he brake yt and brokeÌ„ he deliuered yt to his Apostles and Disciples saing Take ye and eate ye of this all For this ys my bodie which shall be broken for manie Likewise also the daie before he wolde suffre he tooke the cuppe after they had supped he looked to heauen vnto thee Father allmightie euerlasting God geuing thankes he blessed yt and gaue yt to his Apostles and Disciples saing Take and drinke ye all of this For this ys my blood Hitherto S. Ambrose hath opened the praier vsed in the Church immediatelie before the consecracion and the consecracion also Which doen he maketh a certain exposition of yt and saieth thus Vide omnia illa verba Euange listae sunt ad Accipite siue corpus siue sanguinem inde verba sunt Christi Vide singula Qui pridie inquit quà m pateretur in sanctis manibus suis accepit panem Antequà m consecretur panis est vbi autem verba Christi accesserint corpus est Christi Denique audi dicentem Accipite edite ex eo omnes hoc est corpus meum Et ante verba Christi calix est vini aquae plenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficitur qui plebem redemit Marke all those woordes be the woordes of the Euangelist vnto these woordes Take either bodie or blood froÌ„ hencefurth they be the woords of Chryste Note enerie thing Who saieth he the daie before he wolde suffer tooke bread in his holie handes Before yt ys consecrated yt ys bread when the woordes of Chryste haue comed to yt yt ys the bodie of Chryste For hear him saing Take and eate ye all of this This ys my bodie And before the woordes of Chryst yt ys a cuppe full of wine aÌ„d water wheÌ„ the woords of Chryst haue wrought ther ys made the blood that redemed the people Now of S. Ambrose ye haue heard the praier preparatiue to the coÌ„secracion Ye haue heard the coÌ„secracion yt self which be the woords of Chryst Ye haue heard the effect of consecracion as yt was beleued of the holie catholique Church before aÌ„d in the time of S. Ambrose aÌ„d of S. Ambrose him self as his owne woordes not onelie here but in diuerse and sondrie other places do declare Who among other expownding the Pater noster saieth thus Memini sermonis mei cùm de sacrameÌ„tis tractareÌ„ dixi vobis quòd ante verba Christi quod offertur panis dicitur vbi Christi verba deproÌ„pta fuerint iam non panis dicitur sed corpus appellatur Ambr. in oratione dominica I remeÌ„bre my saing wheÌ„ I treacted of the Sacr. I saied vnto yow that before the woords of Chryst the thing that ys offred ys called bread when the woords of Christ be vttered now yt ys not called bread but ys called the bodie of Chryst The like woordes hath S. Augustine Now what the maner of consecracion hath ben among the Fathers of the primitiue and auncient Church as we haue learned yt in the last chapter by All one consecracioÌ„ in the Masse vsed by the Apostles their Disciples the Fathers of the primitiue Church aÌ„d of the Churche nowe foure Apostles and S. Paule so in this we haue learned yt by foure Fathers and S. Dionyse the Disciple of S. Paule all which doe well agree that yt maie well be perceaued that Proclus saied that yt ys all one consecracioÌ„ of one Masse varied in shortnesse or lenght in some praiers or extern ceremonies or gesturs onelie for the variacion of the maners of the people but not in the substanciall parts For proof
assured though reason though senses though hell gates wolde arise against yt this ys and shall be a trueth and euer endure a trueth 3 Reg. 18. In the time of Elias the Prophett when God and his holie faith and religion as nowe yt ys with vs was so farre forsaken that none were fownde that openlie for the feare of the king and wicked Iesabell wolde professe the same although some laie in caues and dennes as nowe I trust ther doe some faith fullie seruing God Elias moued by the spiritt of God to haue the religiō and faith of God discerned frō the religion of Baall wolde the triall of the same shoulde be made by somme miracle from heauen Wher vnto the Kinge and the people agreed that if anie miracle were doen on Baalls side he shoulde be taken for God and his religion receaued yf on Elyas side his God and his religion shoulde be embraced The preistes of Baall laied on their sacrifice they called on their God in their maner no fire came from heauen no miracle was doen. After that they had doen Elyas prepaired the saicrifice he called on his God fire came from heauen and burnt the sacrifice Wherupō the people seing the miracle cried Dominus ipse est Deus Dominus ipse est Deus Owre Lorde ys God owre Lorde ys God Euen so nowe the ministers of Baall haue peruerted Chrystes faith and religion The people in outwarde countenance for seare of lawes haue forsaken the same They are nowe taught that Chryst ys not reallie in the Sacrament duelie ministred They are taught that his bodie ther ys not to be honoured They are taught that the blessed Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys nothing auailable either to the quicke or to the deade with soche other Chryst ys not in the sacramentall bread of the newe ministers but he ys in the B. Sacr. duelie ministred by a preist Nowe let them search all histories of antiquitie and shewe anie one miracle that God hath wrought either in the time of Berengarius of Wicleff and Husse of Zwinglius Oecolampadius or of this Proclamer for the confirmacion and declaraciō of that their faith and if they doe we shall saie that their faith ys good Yf theie doe not and we doe let them yelde and saie that owre waie ys good For like yt ys the trueth ther to be wher yt pleaseth God to confirme the same by miracle And like yt ys no trueth to be on the contrarie side wher God doth not vouchsaffe at anie time to commende yt by some miracle Nowe the catholique Church teacheth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament The Aduersarie teacheth no bodie but the figure of the bodie The catholique Church teacheth Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament to be honoured Luther and the Sacramentaries teache that yt ys not to be honoured The catholique Church teacheth that Masse ys to be vsed Luther and the Sacramentaries teache that yt ys to be abhorred Nowe as Elyas willed the preistes of Baall first to confirme their waie with miracles So lett the Lutherans and the Sacramentaries bring furth first some Miracle As for miracles for the confirmacion of their doctrine as touching this matter of the Sacrament I neuer did nor coulde heare or reade of anie but onelie of one which ys a miracle meet for the doctrine Of whiche miracle Luther himself ys the reporter Ionas his disciple being interpretour in his booke of priuate Masse wher he saieth thus Ego coram vobis reuerendis patribus Luther sanctis confessionem faciam date mibi absolutionem bonam quae vobis opto quamminimum noceat Contigit me semel sub mediam noctem subito expergefieri Ibi Sathan mecū caepit eiusmodi disputationem Audi inquit Luthere doctor perdocte Nosti te quindecim annis celebrasse Missas priuatas penè quotidiè Quid si tales Missae horrenda essent Idololatria Quid si ibi non adfuisset corpus sanguis Christi Sed tantùm panem vinum adorasses aliis adorandum proposuisses I will before yowe reuerend and holie Fathers make a confession geue me a good absolucion which I wish maie nothing hurte yowe Yt happened me once at midnight sodenlie to be wakened Sathan appeared to Luther ād disputed with him of priuate Masse Ther Sathan beganne this maner of disputacion with me Hearken saieth he thowe well learned doctour Luther Thowe knowest that by the space of these fiftene years thowe hauest saied priuate Masse all most euerie daie What if soche priuate Masses were abhominable Idolatrie What if ther hath not ben present the bodie and blood of Chryst but that thowe haddest honoured onely bread and wine and haddest sett yt furth to other to be honoured Thus moch Sathan to Luther In which talke Sathan goeth aboute to confirme three pointes of their doctrine that ys that Chrystes bodie and bloode be not in the Sacrament but onelie bread and wine That Chryst in the Sacrament ys not to be adored And that priuate Masses are not to be vsed See ye not nowe what a miracle here ys that Sathan wolde vouchesaf to speake with Lurher at middenight ys not this doctrine moche confirmed nowe that Sathan hath perswaded yt who knoweth not that Sathan perswadeth to heresie not to the right faith to euell not to good to falshoode not to trueth Wherfor chrystian reader if thowe wise be flee that he perswadeth thee vnto and embrace that he diswadeth thee from And thus to a good chrystian this doing of Sathan maie be occasion of confirmacion in faith For wher Sathan disswadeth Luther from the Masse from the beleif of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament from the honouring Ioan. 8. of Chryst ther we maie be certen and sure that the Masse ys good that the presence of Chryste in the Sacrament and the honouring of him ther be holsom and good doctrines For he being as Chryst saieth a liar and 1. Pe. 5. a manisleer from the beginning seketh not to teache vs the trueth nor to helpe to saue ys but raither as S. Paule saieth he being our aduersarie goeth aboute like a roaring lion seking whome he maie deuoure whom God graūt vs stronglie to withstande in faith Thus I saie occasion ys geuen vs to be cōfirmed in that faith from the whiche Sathan wolde disswade vs. But as touching the matters which Sathan wolde perswade by his deuelish apparition to Luther if ther were no more saied a wise reader wolde by these fewe woordes easelie perceaue howe good and true the doctrine of the Proclamer ys which ys soche as Sathan perswaded and euen the verie same This being all the miracles that I can finde of the confirmacion of the Proclamers doctrine I maie thus conclude that forasmoch as this doctrine ys setfurth by the apparition and perswasion of Sathan and not by God that yt ys Sathans doctrine and not gods Nowe for the catholique doctrine let vs see if God hath besides his figures
and dissenteth frō the wicked doctrine of Luther yt ys more manifest then I nede to open yt For Luther reiecteth all cōfession of sinnes which ys our clensing and pourging regardeth not our examinaciō as touching life despiceth and contēnethour praiers ād preparacion onelie a certain faith he wold haue which he saieth sufficeth But this holie Chrysostome as a right Chrystiā mā ought to doe speakinge and writing to Chrystiā mē presupposeth faith Wherfor speaking no woord of yt whollie laboureth to haue Chrystian receauers to be diligent in preparacion of themselues to be chaste in bodie pure in soule clean in conscience vncorrupted in heart in pourpose diuerted frō vice whollie cōuerted to vertue The subtle craft of the Deuell aboute Luther and so in other like This is the doctrin of exhortaciō geuē bi holie fathers of Christs church Wherfor embrace yt reader for yt ys fowded vpō a sure stone As for the doctrine of Luther a father of Sathās Synagog yt ys a doctrin meit to be breathed oute of Sathan For wilt thow see the subtilitie of Sathan Whē he had corrupted the faith of Luther in no small nombre of articles by whiche corruption he was nowe before God as hauing no faith feeringe leest by the doinge of good woorkes doen with godlie zeale and deuocion God might be procured to haue mercie vpon him and reduce him from his heresie as diuerse haue ben thought yt good as he spoiled him of his faith so to spoill him of his good woorkes also and to bringe that to passe he breathed into him that onely faith sufficeth wherby good woorkes neclected and his painted faith being nothing he and his Disciples shoulde be clean destituted and naked both from faith and workes so that nothing should remain in them for God to woorke vpon but that Sathan shoulde be assured of them and haue the wholl possession of them Wherfore reader slie the snares of the deuell and hauinge faith studie to be fruictfull in good woorkes also that thy master and Sauiour maie vouchesafe to come with his Father and the holie Spiritt to dwell and abide in thee THE FIVE AND FIFTETH CHAP. PROCEAdeth vpon the same text by I sicbius and sainct Augustine HAuing in consideracion the detestablenesse of Luthers sainge ād to what licenciousnes yt maketh a redie open waie how lightlie yt entrappeth the sensuall person how directly also yt standeth against S. Paules owne woordes that we haue now in hande how yt swarueth from the doctrine of all holie Fathers and writers I can not contein but I must somwhat more saie in yt that where yt ys sufficientlie confuted by two noble Fathers of the Church yt maie be perceaued by a more nombre more fullie doen. I haue therfor intended to produce an other coople of Chrystes house which be Isichius and S. Augustin by whose testimonie I doubte yt not the matter shall be made verie clere I sichius writeth thus Probet autem seipsum homo sic de pancillo edat de calice Jsich in 26 Leuitic bibat Qualem probationem dicit id est vt in corde mundo atque conscientia poenitentiam corum quae deliquit intendenti participetur sanctis ad ablutionem peccatorum suorum Let a man examine himself and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe What maner of examinacion doeth he speake of yt ys this that in a clean heart and conscience and to him that mindeth to doe penaunce for those sinnes that he hath offended in thee Sacrament shoulde be geuen to holie persons to the washing awaie of their sinnes In this breif saing of Isichius note I praie yowe that asking vpon the woordes of S. Paule what examinacion he wolde we shoulde make He aunswereth that we shoulde be of clean heart and conscience and of minde to doe penaunce for our sinnes before we receaue but of Luthers faith he speaketh no one woorde so that teaching soch examinacion to be made he confowndeth Penaunce clean heart and consciēce necessarie to the receauers of the bless Sacr. clean Luthers doctrine Luther saieth we must make no preparaciō by confession which ys a parte of penaunce this authour saieth that we must doe penaunce for those offences that we haue committed Luther saieth that we maie not search whether we finde ourselues giltie or no this authour saieth that we must be clean in heart and conscience which can not be knowē but by soch search What shall I saie more but that Luthers wicked doctrine ys in euery parte contrarie to the wholsome doctrine of the Fathers euen as a mā wolde of a sette pourpose take a vieue of their sainges and maliciouslie saie the contrarie of all that he findeth them to haue saied Which thinge ye shal more manifestlie perceaue when ye shall heare the saing of S. Augustine also produced for the vnderstanding of S Paule From whom bicause I wil not long detein yowe his saing shall be furthwith ascribed Thus he writeth Ab iis pietas Domini nostri Iesu Christi nos liberet seipsum edendum tribuat qui dixit Ego sum panis viuus qui de coelo descendi Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam in seipso Sed vnusquisque antequam August ad Julian Epist 111. corpus sanguinem Domini nostri Iesu Christi accipiat seipsum probet secundùm Apostoli praeceptum sic de pane illo edat de calice bibat Quia qui indignè mandu cat corpus sanguinem Domini iudicium sibi manducat bibit non diiudicans corpus Domini Quando enim accipere debemus anteà ad confessionem poenitentiam recurrere debemus omnes actus nostros curiosius discutere peccata obnoxia si in nobis senseriserimus cito festinemus per confessionem veram poenitentiam abluere ne cum Iuda proditore Diabolium intra nos celautes pereamus protrahentes celantes peccatum nostrum de die in diem Etsi quid mali aut nequam cogitauimus de eo poenitentiam agamus velociter illud de corde nostro eradere festinemus The greate mercie of our Lorde Iesus Chryst deliuer vs from these things and geue himself to be eaten who saied The receauer of the bless Sacrmust prepare himself by cōfessiō I am the bread of life which came dowen from heauen He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life in himself But let euery man before he receaue the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus Chryst examine himself and so according to the commaundement of the Apostle let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe For he that vnwoorthilie eateth the bodie and blood of our Lorde eateth and drinketh his own condēnaciō making no differēce of the bodie of our lord Therfor when we shall receaue we aught before to haue recourse to confession and penaunce and most diligentlie search all our
nec aperire possunt nisi ille reserauerit qui habet clauem Dauid qui aperit et nemo claudite claudit et nemo aperit In Actis Apostolorum sanctus Eunuchus imo vir sic enim eum scriptura cognominat cum legeret Esaiam interrogatus à Philippo Putà sne intelligis quae legis Respondit Quomodò possum nisi aliquis me docuerit Ego vt de me loquar interim nec sanctior sum hoc Eunucho nec studiosior qui de Aethiopia id est de extremis mundi finibus venit ad templuÌ„ reliquit aulam et tantus amator legis diuinaeque scientiae fuit vt etiam in vehiculo sacras literas legeret et tamen cum librum teneret et verbum Domini cogitatione conciperet lingua volueret labijs personaret ignorabat eum quem in libro nesciens venerabatur Venit Philippus ostendit ei Iesum qui clausus latebat in litera O mira doctoris virtus eâdem hora credit Eunuchus baptisatur et sanctus factus est The heauens were open to Ezechiel whiche to the sinfull people were shette Dauid saith Open thowe mine eies and I shall see the wonderfull thinges of thy lawe The lawe ys spirituall and yt hathe nede of reuelacion that yt maye be vnderstanded and that with open face we maie beholde the glorie of God The booke in the Apocalips ys shewed signed or fastened with seueÌ„ seales whiche if thow geue to a man hauing knowledge of letters that he maye read it he will aunswer I can not For it ys sealed Howe manie nowe a daies thinke Manie nowe a daies holde the booke of scripture scaled them selues learned and do holde the booke sealed neither yet can open it except he onlocke it which shetteth and noman openeth openeth and no man shetteth In the Actes of the Apostles the holie Eunuche yea raither a man for so the scripture doth call him when he did reade Esaie the Prophet being asked of Philippe Thinkest thow thow vnderstandest what thow readest he answered howe can I except some bodie shall teache me As for me that I maie speake somthing of my self I am neither more holie then this Eunuch nor more studiouse whiche came from Aethiope that ys from the furthest coastes of the worlde vnto the TeÌ„ple He left the Courte and was so great a louer of the lawe and godlie Science that he wolde euen in his Chariett read the holie scriptures And yet when he helde the booke and conceaued in his minde the woord of God when he spake it with his tounge and sownded it with his lipps he knew not him whom vnwitting he woorshipped in the booke Philippe came he shewed him Iesus who laie hidde in the letter O great vertue of a teacher The same howre the Eunuch beleued he was baptised and made faithfull and holie Thus farre saincte Hierom. In whose sentence marke well howe many scriptures this holie doctour hath brought forth to declare and proue that the scriptures be obscure and therfore of necessitie require to haue some exercised and learned in them to open and declare them as sainct Hierom declaring the cause whie alleageth these scriptures whiche ye haue heard and immediately addeth and saieth Haec à me breuiter perstricta sunt vt intelligeres te in scripturis sanctis sine praeuio et monstrante semitam non posse ingredi Theise thinges are breiflie touched of me to the entent thow shouldest vnderstande that withoute a leader and one shewing the path thow canst not entre in to the scriptures Not moche vnlike to this declaring the obscuritie and hardnesse of the olde Testament he writeth in his epistle to Algasia Quaestiunculaetuae de Euangelio Hieron ad AlgasiaÌ„ tantum de Apostolo propositae indicant te veterem scripturam aut non satis legere aut non satis intelligere quae tantis obscuritatibus suturorum typis obuâ—luta est vt omnis interpretatione egeat Thy questions propownded onelie out of the gospell and the Apostle doo declare that either thowe hauest not sufficientlie red the olde scripture or ells doest not sufficientlie vnderstand yt whiche ys enwrapped with so manie obscurities and figures of thinges to come that euery parte of yt had nede of interpretacon Thus moche saincte Hierom. Saincte Basill teacheth that all the scriptures are not to be published and made coÌ„mon for that some parte of them semeth to require a scilence or closenesse for their obscuritie Wherfor he diuideth the scriptures into two sortes or partis saieng Aliud est Dogma aliud Praedicatio Dogmata silentur Basil li. de Sp. S. ca. 27 Praedicationes verò publicantur Silentij autem species est obscuritas qua vtitur scriptura ita dogmatum sententiam construens vt aegrè assequi possis The pointes of learning be one thing and morall instruction ys an other Pointes of learning be kept close or secret Morall instructions are published and openlie taught A kinde of scilence also ys the obscuritie whiche the scripture vseth so framing the meening of the secret pointes of learning that a man maye hardlie atteign therto Saint Ambrose also in a fewe woordes saieth moche to this matter calling Lib 7. epist 44. the scripture of God the great sea hauing in yt a depenesse withoute Botome of depe senses and vnderstaÌ„dinges into the whiche manie flouddes doo entre Chrysostom also vpon this text Vae vobis qui clauditis regnum caelorum Wo be Math. 23. Chrysost oinel 44. in Matth. to yow whiche shett vppe the kingdom of heauen saieth thus Regnum est beatitudo caelestis Ianua autem eius est scriptura per quam intratur ad eam Clauicularij autem sunt sacerdotes quibus creditum est verbum docendi et interpretandi scripturas Clauis autem est verbum scientiae scripturarum per quam aperitur homimbus ianua veritatis Adapertio autem est interpretatio vera Videte quia non dixit Vae vobis qui non aperitis regnum caelorum sed qui clauditis Ergo non sunt scripturae clausae sed obscurae quidem vt cum labore inueniantur non autem clausae vt nullo modo mueniantur Propterea dicit Petrus in epistola sua de scripturarum obscuritate quia non sicut voluit homo locutus est spiritus sed sicut voluit spiritus ita locutus est homo Ratio autem obscuritatis multiplex est tamen satisfactionis causa dicimus duas Obscurata est notitia veritatis ne non tam vtilis inueniatur quà m contemptibilis Contemptibilis enim est si ab illis intelligatur à quibus nec amatur nec custoditur The kingdom ys the heauenlie blesse The gates of yt ys the scripture by the whiche we entre into yt The keibearers Preistes are the keiebearers of the scriptures are the preistes vnto whom the woorde ys committed to teache and interprete the scriptures The keie ys the woorde of the knowledge of the scriptures by the whiche
graciouse presence maketh heauen wher yt pleaseth the same graciouslie to be Yf this place of Chrysostome with the notes of the same be diligentlie weighed yt shall easelie appeare to the reader how vain the glose of Cantorburie Crāmer his glose vpon Chrysostome Li. 4. ca. 8. vpon this and all the like saings of Chrysostom ys wherin of hys absolute authoritie without proofe he saieth that wher Chrysostome saieth that we see Chryst with our eyes we touche him with oure handes we receaue him with our mouthes be not to be vnderstanded of the verie flesh and blood of Chryste but of the bread and wine whiche be the signes of them But for that this glose confowndeth the texte yt ys to be reiected for the woordes of Chrysostom can not beare yt For he saieth not that thowe seist bread and wine but the kinges bodie whiche ys in heauē which ys now sett furthe before thee in earth to be seen Yf we shoulde aske of Chrysostome what we do see in the Sacrament here vpon earth he aunswereth the kinges bodie Yf ye aske again which kinges What ys seen in the Sacrament bodie He answereth the Kinges bodie whiche ys in heauen Yf ye proceade asking where do we see yt he aunswereth before thee So that he maketh no mencion of bread or wine Wherfore I wolde knowe what warrant this Crāmer gloseth withoute warrant man had to geue soche a glose to Chrysostome Yf Chrysostome ment as this man gloseth straunge yt ys that he wolde speake so plain contrary to his mening as to saie yt ys the kinges bodie and ment yt was not Yf the Aduersarie saie the bodie of Chryst cānot be seē No more saie I cā the substance of mā be seen And yet wesaie we see soche a man when we see but the outward accidentes of man we saie we see the king when we see no Obiection Answer parte of him but the garment that he hath vpon him and so of other thinkes when we see ther outwarde formes and consider ther substance we saie Cap. 62. Anignorāt obiection of the Aduersaries and that truly we see the thing But I will speake of this more in the second booke But here the Aduersarie will further obiecte and saie Yf that thing be in the Sacrament that ys woorthie of most high honour as Chrysostom saieth and one parte of that high honour ys to be sacrificed vnto Then Chryste ys not in the Sacrament For as your selues saie Chryst ys your sacrifice Who being in the Sacrament ye offer vnto that thing that ys in the Sacrament And so foloweth this absurditie that the Sacrifice and he to whome the Sacrifice ys offred ys all one This obiection conuinceth the obiectour of ignorance of the faith of the church or ells of malice against the receaued faith of the same For yf he had The answere either red what S. Augustine writeth in this matter or yf he haue red yt he wolde not arrogantly and maliciouslie contemne the same he wolde either not thus obiecte or sooen be by sainct Augustine satisfied To aunswer this thus saieth he Christus vnus manet cum illo cui offert vnum se facit cum illis pro Li. 4. de trini ca. 14 quibus ipse se offert vnus est cum illis qui offerunt vnum cum illo quod offertur Chryste saieth he abideth one with him to whome he offreth and he maketh him self one with them for whom he dothe offer and he ys one with them which do offer and one with that that ys offred Thus S. Augustine Weighe with me gētle Reader eche parte of this sentēce First he saieth Christ doth both offre and ys offred vnto that Chryste abideth one with him to whom he offreth In whiche sainge note that Chryste dothe both offer and ys also he to whome he offreth For Cbryste as man offreth hys owne bodie in sacrifice to him self as God Et tamen Deus homo vnus est Christus as saieth Athanasius And yet God and man ys one Chryste Wherby ys aunswered in fewe woordes the obiection of the Aduersarie In Simbolo For Chryste ys bothe he to whome the sacrifice ys made And he him self also ys the Sacrifice yt self that ys made as the latter parte of sainct Augustines sainge dothe shewe Et vnum est cum illo quod offertur He ys one withyt that ys offred In the whiche saing yow maie perceaue that Chryst ys the preist that offreth he ys the Sacrifice that ys offred and he ys he to whome the sacrifice ys offred Obiectiō Perchance the Aduersarie who seketh by all meanes to impugne And therbie to flee from the truth and his saluacion will saie that sainct Augustin speaketh this of the Sacrifice offred vpon the Crosse and not of the Sacrifice offred in the Masse Answer In case yt so were yet the former maliciouse obiection of him ys not onelie perceaued but also soluted For in dede Chryst making his sacrifice vpon the crosse was bothe the preist the sacrifice and also he to whom the sacrifice was made And therfor falleth that argument that shoulde proue that Chryst ys not in the Sacrament bicause he was the sacrifice that was offred to him self in the Sacrament who as Chrysostome saied ys most woorthie of the highest honoure But that this was spoken of the Sacrifice offred in the Masse the selfe same sentence of sainct Augustin shall declare and proue For first yt ys manifest that no man did offer Chryst vpon the Crosse in consideracion of a sacrifice but he himself But here sainct Augustine speaketh not onelie of the sacrifice of Chryst by him self but by other also as yt ys euident when he saieth Et vnus est cum illis qui offerunt And he ys one withe them that doo offer Now ioining the whol sētēce together ād not taking yt trūcatelie or by peice meall as heretikes doo to maintein there heresies and to deceaue the simple wher ys ther any sacrifice the which ys offred of manie with the which and them that offer and with the Sacrifice offred and with him to whom yt ys offred Chryst ys one but in the Sacrifice of the Masse in the which the Churche being they that doo offer which Churche ys the bodie of Chryst and Chryste beinge the heade of the same bodie be one with yt And therfore Christ is offered of his Church and the Churche of Christ when the Churche dothe offer that sacrifice Chryste as one with yt offreth also And so by this wonderfull connexion of the head and the bodie yt cometh to passe that bothe the Churche ys offred by Chryste and Chryst by the Churche as saincte Augustin doth saie Sacerdos ipse est ipse offerens ipse oblatio Cuius rei sacramentum quotidianum voluit esse Ecclesiae sacrificium cum ipsius corporis ipse sit caput ipsius capitis ipsa sit corpus tam ipsa per
proclamacion whether the bodie of Chryst ys or maie be in a thousand places or mo at one time Whiche albeit in sense yt be coincident to the other before mencioned yet in vtterance yt sheweth a more doubtfull countenance For asking whether Chrystes bodie can be in a thousand places at once he doth both by the woorde thousand moche declare his incredulitie to the misteries of God and by the same persuadeth to his hearers an impossibilitie And for that this maner of questioninge ys a questioÌ„ on incredulitie as the Iewes was and spring bothe oute of vnbeleif I haue thought good to ioin them to gether and after the handling of the one to handle the other And to them bothe to saie As the Iewe remaining with in the coÌ„passe of his carnall vnderstaÌ„ding coulde not atteign to the vnderstaÌ„ding of this matter which was by faith and yet possible So these meÌ„ measuring Chryste and his power by naturall knowledge whiche ys but grosse dregges and suddes to the pure knowledge of faithe they come in doubte and aske a questioÌ„ as of a thinge vnpossible when yet yt ys very possible But perchaunce ye will saie to me yf it be a thinge so verie possible howe Obiection with answer Faith iudgeth yt possible that reason iudgeth impossible dothe yt appeare to this maÌ„ and his likes vnpossible I answere that yt appeareth to them vnpossible bicause they leauing the knowledge of faith are returned to the onelie knowledge naturall and therby will they measure Chrystes doinges in this matter And for so moche as this appeareth vnpossible to that knowledge therfor they also saie that yt ys vnpossible For allthough bycause they wolde seme to builde vpon faith they do sometime alleage the article of our faith that Chryst ascended into heauen an sitteth at the right hand of God to Father yet the grounde of their disputacion the force of their praclamacion yea the shottanker of their refuge in this matter ys naturall reason euen plain naturall philosophie That thowe maist see this gentle Reader I will for example make one of their arguments that Chrystes bodie can not be in the Sacrament Thus they reason He ascended into heaueÌ„ and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Ergo he ys not in the Sacrament Yf the true chrystian saie yt ys no good consequence For though yt be true that Chryst beat the right haÌ„d of the Father yet yt improueth not the presence of Chryst in the SacrameÌ„t For the catholique faith coÌ„fesseth both that Chryst ys preseÌ„t with his Father in heaueÌ„ according to the article of the faithe and also preseÌ„t in the SacrameÌ„t according to his worde wheÌ„ he saied This ys my bodie This ys my bloode This do ye in remeÌ„brance of me So that his presence in heauen denieth not his presence in the Sacrament but he ys present in bothe in maner conuenient to bothe Against this they replie and saie Euery naturall bodie can be but in one place Chryst hath a naturall bodie Ergo yt can be but in one place But yt ys in heaueÌ„ as in a place Ergo yt ys ther and in no other place Marke ye nowe howe they flie to naturall phisolophie as to their great strenght to maintein Sacramentaries cheif growndes be naturall reasons their faithe ys yt not a sure peice of faith that ys builded vpon naturall philosophie and naturall reason and not vpon the scriptures the auncient fathers or the vniuersall receaued faith PerchauÌ„ce yt maie be saied that I reason thus of my self to deface the validitie of their matter Well to auoide this ymaginacioÌ„ I will bring in the verie argument of Oecolampadius the great fownder and prince of this schoole Oecolamp De verbis coenae Domini in our time and the master of this Proclamer in this matter Thus he reasoneth Si dicas panis continet corpus vide quid sequitur ergo panis locus erit vnum corpus erit in multis locis multa corpora in vno loco corpus in corpore etc. Yf thow saiest the bread coÌ„teineth the bodie looke what foloweth theÌ„ the bread shall be a place aÌ„d one bodie shall be in many places aÌ„d manie bodies in one place and one bodie in an other Thus Oecolampadius Doo I nowe feign this maner of reasoning Dothe not Oecolampadius resorte to naturall phisolophie to prooue his heresie and impugne the faith catholique Although in dede the argumeÌ„t proceadeth directlie against Luther who taught the bread in the Sacrament to remain with the bodie of Chryste soche ys the agrement of the Father aÌ„d the SoÌ„ne of the master aÌ„d the scholer of Luther aÌ„d OecolaÌ„padius aÌ„d so of one of theÌ„ with an other yet yt ys also against the catholique faith for yt impugneth the preseÌ„ce of Chryste in the SacrameÌ„t But howe as ys saied by naturall reason And shall I saie why they proue this their doctrin by natural reason In dede bicause yt ys so farre vnknowen to the scriptures that I dare saie they neuer were nor shall be able to bring fruthe anie one scripture to proue yt and so moche to diminish the omnipotencie or allmightie power of God But to aunswere Oâ—colampadius for his naturall reason I thinke the saing of saincte Ambrose to be a good answere Quid hic quaeris naturae ordineÌ„ in Christi corpore De initiaÌ„d myst cap. 9 cum praeter naturam sit ipse Dominus Iesus partus ex virgine What sekest thowe saieth saincte Ambrose the ordre of nature in Chrystes bodie here seing the self same our Lord Iesus besides nature was born of a virgen And to adde to saincte Ambrose saieÌ„g not onelie his birthe was besides nature but manie other his actes as his great learning aÌ„d wisdome declared in his disputacioÌ„ with the doctours in the teÌ„ple wheÌ„ he was but twelue yeares of age his Naturall order had no place in many of Chrystes doinges walking vpon the sea his voluÌ„tarie death in geuing vppe his blessed sowle at his owne pleasure withoute force or violeÌ„ce as yt were to thrust yt oute and to cause vt to departe His resurrection and his ascension withall be as moche against the ordre of nature as his blessed bodie to be in diuerse places and as good argumentes maie the Aduersarie finde in natural philosophie against them as against this Whiche if he do or maie doo shall we therfore denie Chrystes walking on the sea his death his resurrection Mahomets patched religion and the Sacramentaries â—och like and his ascension as theie do his presence in the Sacrament Then shall we make a mingled faith as the Turkes do For as they kepe parte of Moyses lawe parte of Mohometes inuention So we must haue a faith partelie grownded vpon the scriptures partelie on naturall reason But so that wheÌ„ we will scripture shall rule naturall reason and when we list naturall reason shall commaunde and withstand both faith and scripture This ys a madsetled faith Wherfore
their argumeÌ„tes whiche apparantlie confirmed their sainges Yt ys a verie treuth that Chryst ys both God and man and yet ther were that saied he was not God as Ebion and Cerynthus and ther were that saied he was no man as Eutyches and Dioscorus Yt ys a certen trueth that God the Sonne ys God coequall and consubstanciall to the Father yet Arius saied that he was a creature not equall to the Father in deitie power or maiestie Yt ys an infallible trueth that the holie Goste ys God yet Macedonius taught that he was a creature Yt ys a certen trueth that Chryste suffred death for vs yet ther were that saied that yt was Symon Cyrinensis of whome ther ys mencion made in the Gospell that he bare Chrystes crosse These and an innumerable sorte mo haue all apparant argumentes to make a cowntenance that their doctrines be true and do intermingle in August ho. All false doctrine hath some treuth admixed dede some trueth with their falshead as sainct Augustine saieth Nulla porrò doctriâ—a falsa quae non aliqua vera intermisceat Ther ys no false doctrine that dothe not intermingle some treuth therbie the better to vtter their heresie So of this matter of the presence of Chryste in heauen and in the Sacrament apparant argumentes be made by other Aduersaries to deceaue the people which well weighed and examined haue no force nor weight to proue that they intended As for this Aduersarie the Proclamer as yt ys saied made no argumente in his matter for that he wolde haue the people receaue but his onelie bare proclamacion wherfore to him the aunswere ys soen made But his great master Oecolampadius heapeth vppe in dede a great nombre of Scriptures by quotacion onely which he saieth he shall not nede to alleage Scriptures alleaged against the presence by Oecolamp at large bycause yt ys an article of our faithe that Chryste sitteth at the right hande of the Father Of the which scriptures I will alleadge some that the reader maie both knowe them and also perceaue that they be not against the doctrine of Chrystes Churche as touching the reall presence of Chrystes bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament In saincte Iohn his gospell we finde written thus Iesus knowinge that this howre was comed that he shoulde go oute of this worlde to the Father c. And in an Joan. 13. other place thus A litle while saieth Chryste and ye shall not see me and a litle Ibid. 16. while and ye shall see me For I go to the Father And in the same place I went furth from the Father and came into the worlde again I leaue the worlde and go to the Father Jbid. Again in an other place And nowe I am not in the worlde and these be in the worlde and I come to thee And in the Actes of the Apostles This Iesus that ys taken from Act. 1. yow into heauen shall so come as ye haue seen him going into heauen These and all other like scriptures that teache vs of Chrystes going to his Father of his exaltacion aboue all poures and soche other we reuerence theÌ„ Phil. 2. we accept them we beleue them we embrace them For they teache vs that which we doo confesse that Chryste ys God that he ys ascended Arsicle of the Ascension impugneth not Chrystes presence in the Sacr. that he ys in glorie But when we confesse this and beleue this doth this take awaie this treuth that Chryste ys verilie present in the Sacrament No in deed For that standeth still as an vntouched truthe neither impugning the other neither impugned of the other And therfore we consesse both to be true For he that saied Vado ad Patrem I go to the Father saied also Hoc est corpus meum Hoc facite This ys my bodie This do ye Wherbie he bothe consecrated his bodie for as Chrysostome saieth Qui enim dixit Chrystome 51. in Mat. I loc est corpus meum rem simul cum verbo confecit He that saied This ys my bodie made the thing together with the woord and also gaue authoritie to his preistes to do the like Whiche thing Luther denieth not Then forasmoche as Chryste willed that this mysterie shall be continued frequented and vsed vntill his comminge in the whiche mysterie by his power ys his bodie we maie not thinke anie contrarietie or repugnaunce in his woordes but beleue that as he ys the verie truthe So ys yt all treu that he hath spoken And as he ys allmightie So ys he able to performe and make good that he hath saied And therfore aught we to beleue both that he ys in heaueÌ„ and also in the Sacrament forasmoch as by his woorde we learn his presence in bothe Yf this our Sauiour Chryste wher naturall knowledge saieth Omne graue ExaÌ„ples of manie thin ges doen by our Sauiour Chryst aboue and contrarie to nature appetit deorsum euerie heauie thinge ys inclined downward coulde yet by his power make the earthlie bodie of Peter whiche was a mere naturall bodie and therfore heauie contrarie to his nature to walke vpon the sea and when yt pleased him to leaue him to his nature to suffer him to sinke and beginne to drowne can not he at his owne pleasure make that blessed bodie of his which ys so excellentlie conceaued and born and therwith vnited to the Godhead in vnitie of person that although yt be a naturall bodie yet yt doth surmounte and ys aboue all nature and naturall bodies can not he I saie at his pleasure demise lett downe or abase that his bodie to the state and condicion of a verie naturall bodie and again at his pleasure exalte and magnifie the same aboue the state of a naturall bodie He did fast fortie daies and fortie nightes and eate no meat whiche Matt. 4. was aboue naturall ordre In the ende of that fast he was hungrie and Jbid. 17. therin he subiected him self to naturall ordre He was transfigured in the Mounte where as yt pleased him he shewed Ioan. 4. his power and made his face to shine as bright as the Sunne and his garmentes white as snowe whiche was aboue the state of a bare naturall man An other time he was wearie of his iourneie whiche was agreable to the nature of man The Iewes came to apprehend him and with the voice of his mouthe Jbid. 18. Jbid. 19. Mat. 27. he threw them all to the grownde Again he abased him self and suffred him self not onelie to be taken of them whom he had so easilie ouer throweÌ„ but also to be buffited and to be scourged and finallie to be crucified What shall I stand in the rehersall of these thinges whiche be so plentifull in the Gospell Therfore to conclude I will saie with Cyrille we maie not thinke of the bodie of Chryste as of the bodie of a bare naturall man but we must thinke of that bodie as of
the bodie of the Sonne of God Whiche for that yt ys so yt passeth by infinitie degrees the state and condicion of one of our bodies Wherfore methinke the Aduersaries be to streict yea and cruell to the bodie of Chryste that wher for causes aboue saied yt ys so excellent a bodie and yet for our sakes he made himself obedient to death euen to the death of the crosse they will for all this excellencie geue vnto yt no more prerogatiue nor preuilege then they will do to an other bodie whiche ys an iniurie to that blessed bodie I wish that the Aduersaries should not onelie after the counsell of Cyrille thinke that yt ys the bodie of the Sonne of God and leaue yt as a naturall bodie ioined to the Godhead but also consider the singular prerogatiues that yt hathe by the same coniunction to the Godhead And then shall they see howe that bodie maie aboue the comon condicion of other bodies through the power of the Godhead be in sundrie places Although yt be not apperteining to the bodie of a man to geue life yet Cyrill saieth that the bodie of Chryste for that yt ys ioined to that whiche Cyrill in 6. foā ca. 14. ys life yt geueth life Thus he speaketh yt Quoniā Saluatoris caro Verbo Dei quod naturaliter vita est coniūcta viuifica effecta est quādo eā comedimus tunc vitā habemus in nobis illi coniūcti quae vita effecta est Bicause the flesh of our sauiour ioined to the Sonne of God whiche ys naturallie life ys made able to geue life when we eate that flesh then haue we life in vs being ioined to that flesh whiche ys made life See this great prerogatiue that Cyrill geueth to the fleshe of Chryste for that yt ys ioined to the Godliead Yf yt haue prerogatiue to geue life to them that receaue yt can not God geue a lesse prerogatiue to yt to be in diuerse places Obiection Perchaunce yt maie be saied to me that God can thus do but we finde not that he doth yt Answer To the former parte of this obiection I saie that yf the Aduersaries thought that God coulde do yt then the Proclamer was to blame to speake of Chrystes being in a thousand places or mo as therbie to signifie an impossibilitie Again Oecolampadius wolde not laboure to bringe in so manie inconueniences vpon yt yf yt appeared possible to him To the second parte I saie that yt ys sufficientlie shewed allreadie that Chryst caused his bodie to be in diuerse places at one time and that the holie Fathers of Chrystes Churche yea and that a good nombre teach some of them that he ys both in heauen with his Father and also in earth in the Sacrament some that he ys in manie places as yt ys declared in the tenth chapiter And thus although the scriptures alleaged by Oecolampadius seem yf a man will onelie lean to naturall philosophie to be against the faith that the catholique Churche teacheth yet when those scriptures be compared to other scriptures and the Fathers well weighed and vnderstanded and the omnipotencie of God considered and the excellencie of the bodie of Chryste remembred yt shall be perceaued that the Scriptures be not against vs neither we against them For they saie that Chryste ys in heauen and so saie we and yet neuerthelesse we saie that he ys in the Sacrament and so saie they Yf the Scriptures that be alleaged had saied that Chryst ys in heauen onelie and can be in no other place then the Aduersarie might haue triumphed But saing that he ys in heauen withoute anie exclusiues or exceptiues ther ys no deniall implied in that his being to a chrystian man but that he maie be beleued to be also in the Sacrament And this I trust maie suffice to aunswer all the Scriptures that be or can be produced of the being of Chryste in heauen as therby to exclude and denie his presence in the Sacrament Ther ys made an other obiection oute of saincte Augustine who writeth thus Cauendum est ne ita Diuinitatem astruamus hominis vt veritatem auferamus August ad Dardanum corporis Non est autem consequens vt quod in Deo est ita sit vbique vt Deus We must beware that we do not so affirme the deitie of man that we take awaie the veritie of the bodie For yt ys no consequent that that which ys in God shoulde so be euery wher as God ys Again in the same place Iesus vbique per id quod Deus est in coelo autem per id quod homo Iesus by that that he ys God ys euery where by that that he ys man he ys in heauen For aunswere to these places of Sainct Augustin first vnderstand that S. Augustin his place to Dardan declared one Dardanus wrote to Sainct Augustine to dissolue this question whether Chrystes manhead for that yt was vnited to the Godheade in vnitie of person was euerie whear as his Godhead ys For aunswere to whiche question emong other thinges S. Augustin wrote the propositions which Oecolampadius alleageth against Chrystes being in the Sacrament and in heauen for that by his iudgement his bodie can not be in two places at one time Wherfore firste I wish yow to note that S. Augustin in that epistle not speaking of the Sacrament the sentences alleaged make not against the matter And although thys might suffice yet for the better vnderstanding of the matter more shall be saied Wherfore that a thing maie be at one time in manie places vnderstand that yt maie be twoo waies One thing in manie places at one time two waies Hiere 23. Esai 66. The one ys by nature the other by gifte By nature to be in manie or all places at one time yt apperteineth onelie to God who by hys immensitie ys euery where so that ther ys no place in heauen in hel in earth or in the waters in the which God ys not And therfore he saieth Ego coelum terram impleo I fill bothe heauen and earth And again Coelum mibi sedes est terra autem scabellum pedum meorum Heauen ys my seat and the earth ys my foote stoole After this sorte that ys by nature no creature can be in all places but onelie God Wherfore Didymus by this did well make his argument to proue the holie Goste to be God bicause of hys owne nature he ys euery wher and so Didym de Spiritu S. can no creature be The other waie that a thing maie be in manie places not by nature but by the gifte of God maie be in man For nothing being vnpossible to God yt ys then possible to him to geue hys gifte to hys creature that yt maie be in manie and diuerse places at once which maner of being ys in the Manhead of Chryst which man head hath yt not of the own nature to be in manie places at one time but by the
withall we beleue that his Godhead ys euery wher Yt ys not denied but declared aboue also that the bodie of Chryst in whiche he did rise maie be in one place So that we dissent not one title from sainct Augustin For though the bodie of Christe maie be in one place yet yt ys not enforced that yt must of necessitie be in one place Nowe gentle Reader thowe hauest seen the trueth of this matter testified by wittnesses sufficient thow hauest seen the obiections of the Aduersaries â—ullie dissolued I wish thee nowe soche faith as Abraham had wherbie he was iustified Who hearing the promisse of God that his seed shoulde be as the starres of heauen and Sandes of the Sea fainted not in faith nor yet considered Gen. 13. 15. Rom. 4. hys owne bodie whiche was nowe dead euen when he was almost an hondreth yeares olde neither yet that Sara was past childe bearing he staggered not at that promisse of God through vnbelief but became strong in faith and gaue God the praise being full certified that he whiche had promised was also able to make yt good that thow likewise knowing by faith whiche thowe hauest learned of the Fathers as they haue learned the same of the verie woorde of God that Chrystes blessed bodie ys in the Sacrament and also in heauen consider not nowe the naturall ordre of thinges as Abraham did not neither of hys owne bodie neither of hys wieues but become strong in faith and faint not neither stagger at the promisse of God through vnbelief But consider and be fullie certified that Chryste who hath spoken and saied This ys my bodie ys able to make yt Naturall ordre had no place in manie of Chrystes doinges good And he that against the ordre of nature began ths life of man for that he was born of a virgen and against the same ordre withoute enforcement gaue vppe his owne soule and died at his owne pleasure and that crieng with a great voice and likewise contrarie to the same nature rose from death the third daie passing through the stone for that hys monument was â—ast closed aÌ„d the eight daie after as yt ys testified passed through the doores into his disciples and finallie ending hys a boade vpon earth besides nature ascended into heauen that he appointing hys bodie to be here in the Sacrament and in heauen also ys so to be beleued though naturall ordre repeine For seing he hath so appointed yt ys so in verie dede THE THIRTENHT CHAPITER BEGINNETH THE exposition of an other text in the sixt of S. Iohn I Will nowe leaue this matter of Chrystes being in manie places as sufficientlie treacted of and proued and return to the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn and entre the exposition of the text ther ensewing whiche ys this Dixit ergo eis Iesus Amen Amen dico vobis nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis Iesus therfor saied vnto them Verilie Verilie I saie vnto yowe except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke hys blood Ioan. 6. ye shall haue no life in yowe Wheras the Iews through vnbelief thought yt an vnpossible thing for Christ to geue his flesh to be eaten Chryst here aunswering theÌ„ declareth yt to be possible and necessarie to be doen yea and so necessarie that except we eate his flesh and drinke his bloode we shal not haue life For as man concerning his naturall life must haue two thinges necessarie to life that ys birth to beginne and entre life and then foode to nourish and maintein the same with out the whiche yt can not be continued So as concerning the spirituall life man must haue accordinglie his birth and foode birth to be born and entre into that life whiche birth ys baptisme whiche ys of soche necessitie that as he speaketh heare of the necessitie of the foode so speaketh he of the necessitie of this birthe saing to Nicodemus Amen Amen dico tibi nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnuÌ„ Dei Verilie verilie Joan. 3. I saie vnto thee Except a man be born again of water and the holie Gost he can not entre into the kingdom of God Nowe when man by Baptisme ys born in to the spirituall life and hath begon yt he must nedes haue foode to sustein the same or ells he shall not continewe life whiche foode ys the bodie and blood of Chryste a foode by Chryste himself appointed whiche yf we take not we can not liue And therfore he saieth Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke hys bloode ye shall not haue life in yowe Hitherto the Aduersarie will agree with me expownding all that ys saied in his sense of spirituall eating and drinking of the flesh and blood of Chryste with whoÌ„ I will thus farre agree also that soche as be of mature age and Corporall eating with out the spiritual eating auaileth not haue atteigned to the yeares of discrecion except they eate the flesh of Chryst and drinke hys bloode spirituallie they shall not liue For the corporall eating withoute the spirituall eating ys not auailable But both these together nourishe life in man and make him lustie and stronge in God But that this texte extendeth not the necessitie therin mencioned to the corporall eating and drinking of Chrystes flesh and blood also which thys Aduersarie affirmeth that ys vntrue He wolde haue no other receauing of Chryste but the spirituall receauing bicause he wolde haue no other presence but the spirituall presence but that this texte speaketh also of the corporall eating and receauing of the reall and substanciall bodie of Chryste in the Sacrament the connexion and dependence of the Scriptures do proue For the first sainge of Chryste whiche we haue allready expownded that the bread whiche he wolde geue ys hys flesh c. speaketh of Chrystes naturall flesh to be geuen in the Sacrament as ys allready declared and sufficientlie proued And this texte speaketh of the same flesh as the connexion well proueth Wherfore Chryste here speaketh also of the corporall eatinge of hys flesh in the Sacrament The necessitie of whiche eating ys soche that yf we contemne that eating of yt being as ys saied of mature age and discrecion we shall not haue life But that yt maie appeare that the Church through oute all ages hath eueÌ„ thus vnderstanded this texte as I do I will conuerte me to the ordre that I haue prescribed to my self to heare the great auncient men and learned Fathers of both sides of Chrystes Parliament house both of the greke and of the latin Churche And although yt might suffice for the vnderstanding of all that ys here spoken of the Sacrament for thatthey vnderstoode the first text of the same to proue that therfore the rest whiche apperteineth to the same matter must be euen so vnderstanded
bloode of Chryst for yf the signe or figure be taken awaie the verie substance must nedes be in place the other parte that the Aduersaries denie ys by this authour affirmed and what by the Aduersaries ys affirmed by this Authour yt ys denied Thus gentle Reader thow maist perceaue the doctrine of the Aduersaries to be directly contrarie to the doctrine of the holie Fathers Whiche thing when I consider in the Proclamer me semeth to see before me hym vpon whom this curse of God ys fallen Wo be vnto them that call euell good and good euell which make darknesse light and light darkenesse which make sowre sweet and sweet sowre Wo be vnto them that are wise in their own seight Esay 5. and thinke them selues to haue vnderstanding For the Proclamer and hys complices teaching obedience to the catholique Church to be euell and disobedience to the same to be good trueth to be darknesse and falshead to be light penitent life to be sowre and sensuall life to be swete are they not vnder this curse Dothe not the Proclamer take the seconde curse vpon hym also thinking himself wise in hys owne conceat Dothe not he thinke himself wise and to haue vnderstanding that contemneth all the learned men that haue ben this thousand year Standeth not he in hys owne conceat that stoutely derideth skoffeth mocketh and wickedlie abuseth the learning not of one or two but of manie not of soche as be obscure but of soche as be famouse and haue ben of the Chrystian church reputed and esteemed as learned And finallie ys not he accursed that saieth heresie ys trueth and trueth heresie that trueth ys darknesse and heresie light hys owne phantasies truethes and the truthes of the Fathers phantasies that saieth yea when they saie naie and naie when they saie yea But whether go I. Though grief wolde yet again carie me awaie I will staie here and return to my matter THE SIXTENTH CHAPITER ENDETH THE EXposition of this text in hand by the Ephesine Councell HAuing sufficientlie proued by the sentences and iudgementes of diuerse learned and holie Fathers that the saing of our Sauiour Chryst in the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn Nisi manducauer c. Except ye eate the flesh c. ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacramēt nowe to knitte vppe and ende my processe of the same texte I thought good to alleage the epistle of the Ephesine Councel sent to Nestorius in the which this text being alleaged yt maie be perceaued by the iudge ment of cc. By shoppes both grekes and latines how the saied text ys to be vnderstanded Which as Leo did alleage against Eutiches So do these Fathers expownd the same against Nestorius As Eutyches denied the nature of man to Nestorius and Eutiches their heresies remain in Chryst So did Nestorius denie the nature of God to be incarnate Eutyches saied that he was but one person for that he was onelie God and not man Nestorius saied that both the natures of God and man remained distinctlie as to seuerall persons the Godhead not incarnated the Manhead not deitated as Gregorie Nazianzen termeth yt and so implied he that Chryst born of the virgen was onelie man and not God Against the whiche blasphemouse heresie the Councell sent him the epistle before saied and in the same they write thus Necessariò hoc adijcimus annunciantes Exepist Ephes Concilijad Nestoriū enim sicut secundùm carnem mortem vnigeniti filii Dei id est Iesu Christi re surrectionem eius in coelis ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentam pariter celebramus in ecclesiis sacrificij seruitutem sic ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus sanctificamur participes sancti corporis preciosi sanguinis Christi omnium nostrûm Redempto riseffecti non vt communem carnem percipientes quod absit nec vt viri sanctificati verbo coniuncti secundùm dignitatis vnitatem aut sicut diuinam possidentis habitationem sed verè viuificatricē ipsius verbi propriam factam Vita enim naturaliter existens vt Deus quia propriae carni vnitus est viuificatricē eam professus est Et ideò quamuis dicat ad nos Nisi manducaueritis carnē filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinē non habebitis vitā in vobis non tamē eam vt hominis vnius ex nobis existimare debernus Quomodò enim secundùm naturā suā viuificatrix esse caro hominis poterit Sed vt verè propriā eius sactā qui propter nos et filius hominis factus est vocatus Necessarelie therfore this also we putte to shewing furth the death after the flesh of the onelie begottē Sō ne of God that ys of Iesus Chryst and confessing also the resurrection and ascension of him into the heauens we do celebrate in the churches an vnbloodie seruice of Sacrifice So also do we come vnto the mysticall benedictions and be sanctified being made partakers of the holie bodie and preciouse Ephesine Councellvn derstandeth this text Except ye cate c. of the Sacrament and so did Nestorius also blood of Chryste the Redemer of vs all not taking yt as comō flesh which God forbidde neither as of a sanctified mā and ioined to the Sōne of God after the vnitie of dignitie or as possessing the diuine habitacion but truly quickning or geuing life and made the propre flesh of the Sōne of God For being naturallie life as God bicause he ys vnited to hys owne propre flesh he hath professed yt to be geuing life And therfor although he saieth to vs Verilie verilie I saie to yow except ye eate the flesh of the Sōne of mā ād drinke bys blood ye shall haue no life in yow Yet we should not esteem yt as of a mā that ys one of vs for how can the flesh of man after hys owne nature be a quickning flesh or geuing life but as made hys own propre flesh who for vs was made the Sonne of man and so called Thus the Councell Do ye not here see howe that this holie Coūcel which ys one of the four famouse generall Coūcells wold that we should not take this text of S. Iohn as Nestorius did to be spokē of the flesh of Chryst as of the flesh of a pure mā but of the flesh of Chryste as the verie owne propre flesh of God and that yt so taken and eaten doth geue life being able so to doe not for that yt ys of the nature of man but bicause yt ys the flesh of God Nowe maie yt not be saied that this ys to be vnderstanded spūallie For Nestorius that saied that Chryst was but a verie man and grownded hymself moch vpon this text Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and cōcluded ther fore that he was but the Sonne of man did not take the matter so finelie that the flesh of Chryst was in the Sacramēt but merelie spirituallie who had cōceaued so grosse an opinion of
comeditur Yf therfor the bread that descended from heauen be the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his Disciples be his blood of the newe Testament whiche was shed for The bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lorde manie in remission of sinnes let vs repell and cast from vs Iudaicall fables and let vs ascende with our Lorde in to the great parlour paued and made clean and let vs from aboue take of him the cuppe of the newe Testament and ther celebrating with him the Passeouer let vs be satisfied of him with the wine of sobrietie For the kingdom of God ys not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioie in the holy Gost Neither did Moyses geue vs the true bread but our Lorde Iesus he ys the feaster and he ys the feast he ys he that eateth and ys eaten Thus farre S. Hierom. By these woordes we are after the vnderstandinge of S. Hierom fullie Chryst ys the feast and the feester enstructed what the bread ys that our Sauiour Chryst speaketh of when he saied This ys the bread that descended from heauē Yt ys saieth S. Hierom the bodie of our Lorde and the wine ys the bloode that was shed for manie in the remission of sinnes By the which woordes he doth not onelie teache vs that this scripture ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament but by the same also he hath testified with other holie Fathers the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament For in the beginning he saied that the bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lorde and to shewe vs wher he ment yt to be in the ende he saieth that not Moyses did geue the true bread but our Lorde Iesus he ys the feaster and the feast he ys he that doth eat and ys eaten Wherby he well sheweth that that bread ys the bodie of our Lorde which ys in that holie feast wher our sauiour Chryst ys the feaster and he him self also ys the meat and drinke of the feast and so the wholl feast In the whiche as he doth in his membres being the head of them eate the blessed meat of that holie feast So yt ys euen he euen his very dodie and bloode that ys ther eaten and dronken Wherfor soch a noble feaster being present and so holie meat being ther eaten the Church right well with goodlie concorde and consent singeth O sacrum conuiuium in quo Christus sumitur O holie feast in the which Chryst ys receaued But the prolixitie of this matter if yt shoulde be woorthilie folowed calleth me backe and moueth to staie and heare the other that ys ioined to saincte Hierom whiche ys S. Cyrill who saieth thus Non enim prudenter quae ad breue tempus sufficiunt hoc nomine appellabuntur nec panis erat ex Deo quem maiores Iudaeorum comederunt mortui sunt Nam side coelo ex Deo fuisset liberasset à morte participantes Contrà verò corpus Christi panis de coelo est quia aeternam comedentibus vitam largitur Those thinges which for a short time suffice shall not wisely be called by this name Neither that bread which the elders of the Iewes did eate and be dead was of God For if yt had ben from heauen and of God yt had deliuered the partakers of yt from death Contrary wise the bodie of Chryst ys the bread from heauen For yt graunteth the eaters eternall life As S. Hierom saied that the bodie of Chrystes ys the bread that descended from heauen So by like woordes saieth S. Cyrill here And that we shoulde knowe what he meneth he applieth the figure of yt eaten by the elders of the Iewes whiche did not giue life whiche was Manna vnto the bodie of Chryst whiche being eaten doth giue life eternall Wherfor Manna being a figure of Chrystes bodie eaten in the Sacramēt yt must nedes folowe that he vnderstandeth this scripture of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament of the whiche no man that hath redde Cyrill can doubte whose wholl processe ys so plain in the matter THE TWO AND THIRTETH CHAP. ENDETH THE exposition of this text by saincte Augustin and Theoph. NOwe let vs heare as breifly one coople mo and then we shall leaue this text S. Augustin saieth thus Hic est panis qui de coelo descendit vt illum man ducando viuamus quia aeternam vitam ex nobis habere non possumus Non sicut inquit manducauerunt patres vestri Tract 26. in Joan. Manna mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aetenum Quòd ergo illi mortui sunt ita vult intelligi vt non viuant in aeternum Nan temporaliter profectò hi moriuntur qui Christum manducant sed viuunt in aeternum quia Christus est vita aeterna This ys the bread that descended from heauen that we eating him maie liue For we can not of our selues haue eternall life Not saieth he as yower Fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer That they then be dead thus he wolde yt shoulde be vnderstanded that they liue not for euer For tēporallie these truly shall also die which do eate Chryst but they liue for euer For Chryst ys eternall life Thus farre he What gloses the Aduersaries do here vpon S. Augustins saing inuent I leaue them to their the same inuencion But forsomoche as Chryste him self and S. Augustin expownding Chrystes saing doth applie the figure of Manna and the eating of yt to this bread that came from heauen and Manna by all the Fathers iudgementes ys the figure of the holie Sacrament yt ys manifest that therfor this scripture ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament Whiche Theophilact who at this present ys ioined with S. Augustin will Jn 6. Ioan. by expresse woordes declare Patres vestri comederunt Manna in solitudine Hoc saepe multum versat in ore vt persuadeat hominibus Nan si possibile fuit quadraginta annis sine messe semente pasci homines conseruari illorum vitam multòmagis nunc conseruabitnaturam spiritualem meliori pane Dominus carne sua quae absque semine viri ex virgine constituta est Yower fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse Thys saieth Theophilact oftē and moche he speaketh that he might perswade men For yf yt were possible men to be fedde and their liues to be conserued fortie yeares withoute sowing or haruest moche more nowe shall our lorde with a better bread that ys his flesh which without the seed of man ys made of a virgen conserue our spirituall life Thus he Obserue as ys before noted that the applicacion of the figure argueth the thing figured here to be spoken of which thing ys the Sacrament And for the veritie of the same yf this authour had nothing spoken here expresselie yet that whiche he hath hitherto vpon this part of the sixt
doen yt ys a thing vnpossible and who can abide to heare yt But yf they wolde as Theophilact saieth vnderstand aboue the senses that ther ys the very reall body of Chryst which ys yet a spirituall meat and not take yt so grosslie and carnallie but yet verilie and spiritually they should not be grosse deuourers of flesh but yet eate the verie flesh of Chryst not with teeth percing and hurting that which ys liuing impassiblie and yet with the mouth receauing that flesh faithfullie THE FOVR AND THIRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of this text Si ergo videritis c. by sainct Augusten and sainct Cyrill OWre Sauiour perceauing some of hys owne Disciples and other who heard him so plainlie speaking of the eating and drinking of his flesh and bloode to be offended bicause thei phansied that he wolde haue them groslie to deuoure his flesh ād drinke his blood to lead and bring them from this ther grosse vnderstanding he saied doth this offended yowe Si ergo videritis filium hominis ascendentē vbi erat prius What Joan. 6. and if ye shall see the Sōne of man ascēde vppe thither wher he was before Or we entre to shewe the exposition of this text as to know to what pourpose or wherfore Chryst spake these woords to the Iewes and how he doth aunswer their in credulitie to his woordes or dissolue their errour this ys to be examined how Chryst doth saie that the Sonne of man shall ascend wher he was before Yt ys knowen to all that professe Chryst being of discrecion that Chryst as man was born of the Virgen in earth and was neuer in heauen before he spake these woordes Howe then doth he saie that the Sonne of man shall ascende wher he was before As I haue learned of S. Augustine howe to dissolue this doubte So do I Aug. tract 27. in Ioan thinke yt mete that ye do for that his authoritie ys great and his saings be weightie In this matter thus he reasoneth Illud non negligenter praetereundum est quod ait Si ergo videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius filius hominis Christus ex virgine Maria. Ergo filius hominis hic coepit esse in terra vbi carnem assumpsit ex terra vnde propheticè dictum erat Veritas de terra orta est Quid ergo sibi vult quod ait Cùm videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius Nulla est quaestio si ita dixisset Si videritis filium Dei ascendentem vbi erat prius Cum verò filium hominis dixit ascendentem vbi erat prius nunquid filius hominis in coelo erat priusquà m in terra esse coepit Hic quidem dixit vbi erat prius quasi tūc non ibi esset quando haec loquebatur Alio autem loco ait Nemo ascendit in coelum nisi qui descendit de coelo filius hominis qui est in coelo Non dixit erat sed filius inquit hominis qui est in coelo In terra loquebatur in coelo se esse dicebat Quò pertinet nisi vt intelligamus quod etiā pristino sermone commendaui charitati vestrae vnam personā esse Christu Deum hominē non duas ne fides nostra non sit Trinitas sed Quaternitas Christus ergo vnus est Verbum anima caro vnus Christus filius Dei filius hominis vnus Christus filius Deisemper filius hominis ex tempore tamen vnus Christus secundùm vnitatem personae in coelo erat quando in terra loquebatur Sic erat filius hominis in coelo quemadmodum filius Dei erat in terra filius Dei in terra in suscepta carne filius hominis in coelo in vnitate personae That ys not necligently to be ouerpassed that he saieth What and yf ye see the Sonne of man ascending wher he was before The Sonne of man Chryst of the Virgen Marie Therfore the Sonne of man began How christ the Sone of man was in heauē whē he spake in earth here in earth wher he tooke flesh of the earth Wherfor yt was spoken by the Prophet Trueth shall spring oute of the earth What meneth then that he saieth when yow shal see the Sonne of man ascende wher he was before Ther were no question yf he had saied What yf yow shal see the Sōne of God ascēd vppe wher he was before but when he saied the Sonne of man to ascende wher he was before was the Sonne of man in heauen before he begā to be in earth Here he saied where he was before as though he were not then ther when he spake these woordes In an other place he saieth No man ascendeth vppe to heauen but he that came down from heauen euen the Sonne of man which ys in heauen He did not saie which was but the Sonne saieth he of man which ys in heauen He spake in the earth and he saied he was in heauen To what powrpose yt ys but that we maie vnderstand which I haue alreadie declared to yowr charitie that Chryst God and man ys one person not two least our faith be not a trinitie but a quaternitie Chryst therfor ys one The Sonne of God the soule and the flesh one Chryst The Sonne of God and the Sonne of man one Chryst Chryst the Sōne of God euer the Sōne of mā in time Yet for al that one Chryst after the vnitie of persō was in heauen when he spake in earth The Sonne of man was so in heauē as the Sonne of God was in earth The Sonne of God was in the earth in the receaued flesh the Sonne of man was in heauen in the vnitie of person Thus farre sainct Augustine Although this sentēce be somwhat lōg yet if ye weigh yt wel yt shall not repētyow of the reading of yt For in yt ye maie see the doubt fullie dissolued for the being of Chryst the Sōne of mā in heauē who thē presentlie spake in earth and howe he was before in heauē who was born in time in the earth Nowe this doubt being dissolued let vs seke the vnderstanding of the scripture why Christ made mencion of hys ascension in the vi of S. John we haue to expownde which in a great parte we shall do yf we knowe wherfor Chryst here made mencion of his ascension into heauen seing he was now in setting furth howe his bodie should be eaten in earth The cause why he maketh here mencion of hys ascension ys declared by the same S. Augustine who vpon this text saieth thus Quid est hoc Hinc soluis illos quos nouerat Hinc aperuit vnde fuerant scandalizati hinc planè si intelligerent Illi enim putabant eum erogaturum corpus suum Ille autem dixit ascensurum se in coelum vtique integrū Cùm Tract 27. in Ioan. videritis filiū hominis ascendentē vbi erat prius certè vel
tūe videbitis quia nō eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suū Certè vel tunc intelligetis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus What if yow see the Sōne of man ascend vppe wher he was before what ys this saieth S. Augustine By this he solued them whom he had knowen By this he hath opened wherby they were offended by this plainly if theywold vnderstand For they thought that he wolde deale furth hys bodie but he saieth that he wolde ascende into heauen and that wholl When ye shall see the Sōne of man ascende vppe wher he was before certenlie euen then shall ye see that not after that maner that ye thinke he geueth oute his bodie certenlie euen thē shall ye vnderstande that his grace ys not consumed by morsels Do ye not here see the cause why Chryst spake of his ascension S. Augustin hath opened yt vnto yow They thought that Chryst wolde haue geuen his bodie in lumpes or peices among them Therfor to plucke thē frō that grosse and carnal vnderstanding he telleth them before that he wil leaue no part nor peice of his bodie behinde but he will whollie ascende into heauen with an wholl bodie But let not now the Aduersarie neither the weake man take anie occasiō of errour wher none ys iustly geuen that bicause S. Augustin saieth that the Disciples thought that he wolde geue his bodie emōg thē and Chryst saied he wolde ascend vppe wholl that therfor by no means Chryst geueth hys bodie vnto vs in the Sacramēt For if by no means then he geueth yt not spirituallie neither and so were the doctrine of the Aduersaries ouerthrowen But that he geueth not his verie real bodie in the Sacramēt although the Aduersaries wolde haue yt so onely to be vnderstanded yet yt doth not so meē but as S. Augustin saieth non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum not after soch maner as yowe thinke he geueth oute his bodie So that he denieth not the geuing oute of Chrystes bodie but the maner of the geuing oute of hys bodie And what maner doth he denie that maner that the grosse Disciples thought which maner S. Augustin more plainly declareth in an other place saing Tunc autem quando Dominus hoc commendans de carne sua locutus erat dixerat Nisi quis manducauerit carnem meam non habebit in se vitam aeternam scandalizati Jn Psalm 98. sunt quidam ex septuaginta dixerunt Durus est hic sermo Quis potest eum intelligere recesserunt ab eo ampliùs cum eo non ambulauerunt Durum illis visum est quod ait Nisi quis manducauerit carnem meam non habebit vitam aeternam Acceperunt illud stultè carnaliter illud cogitauerunt putauerunt quia praecisurus esset Dominus particulas quasdam de corpore suo daturus illis dixerunt Durus est hic sermo Then saieth S. Augustin when our Lord setting furth thys had spoken of his flesh and had saied Except a man eate my flesh he shall not haue Capharnaites how thei vnderstood Chryst carnallie in himself life euerlasting Certain of the seuentie Disciples were offended and saied This ys an hard saing Who can vnderstand yt And they went from him and walked no more with him Yt semed harde to them that he saied Except a man eate my slesh he shall not haue in himself life euerlasting They tooke yt foolishlie carnallie they thought yt And they thought that our Lord wolde cut certain peices from hys bodie and geue to them and they saied This an harde saing Thus S Augustin Here ye perceaue after what maner the Disciples thought that Chryst wolde geue them his bodie to eate and this maner doth sainct Augustin denie not the maner that the Chrystian faith teacheth but onely that maner that the grosse Disciples thought and therfor S. Augustin saith Non co modo quo putatis not after that maner that yowe thinke so that S. Augustine 2. Arg. detu◠th not the geuing furth of Chryst 〈…〉 reallie but thegrosse maner conceaued of the Disciples Obiection out of S. Aug. aunswered in this place dothe neither denie the geuing oute of Chrystes bodie verilie ād reallie to be receaued nor yet the maner cōuenient to the geuing oute of the same which now the catholique Church throughout the world vseth Wherfor let neither the weake man wauer for thys neither the Aduersarie triumphe thinking his heresie to be confirmed and himself to haue gotten the victorie Ne ante victoriam canat triumphum Least he make a triumphe before the victorie But yet the Aduersaries will saie that S. Augustin doth not teache here the presence of Chrystes bodie reallie but spiritually that ys by grace for he saieth plainlie that then when the Sonne of man ys ascended vppe wher he was before we shall perceaue that his grace ys not consumed with morsells Wher he teacheth the presence of Chryst by grace not by reall presence This reason or argument ys as good here as yt ys in some other places of S. Augustins workes wher bicause he speaketh of the spirituall receauing of Chryst therfore ye will clean expell the reall receauing of hys bodie And thus might some other Heretique contrarie take some other place of S. Augustin where he speaketh of the reall presence and therby contend against yow that ther ys no spirituall presence But an vppright reader shall as ys before saied finde in S. Augusten both maners of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament that ys a reall presence and a spirituall presence and agreablie therunto a reall receauing of the same bodie and a spirituall But that the reader maie perceaue that this ys true that I haue saied that S. Augustin teacheth the reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament harken howe sainct Augustin taught as yt were the yonge Aug. serm ad Neoph. Aplain place of S. Aug for M. Juel scholers in the faith of Chryst in this matter Thus he taught them Hoc accipite in pane quod pependit in cruce Hoc accipite in calice quod effusum est de latere Christi Erit enim illi mors non vita qui mendacem putauerit Christum Take ye this in the bread that did hang on the crosse Take this in the chalice that was shedde oute of the side of Chryst He shall haue death not life that thinketh Chryst a Lyar. What ys ther to be thought here but that S. Augustine teaching yonge scholers wolde speake in plain woordes and plain sentence that the yong learners might perceaue the thing to be as yt ys spoken and not vse to them obscure figures and tropes For in these do not they vnderstand what ys to be beleued Yf therfor Chryst were in the Sacrament but as in a figure then wolde sainct Augustin haue taught these yong ones thus Take ye this bread as a sign token or figure of Chrystes bodie and
when ye see yt broken remembre that Chrystes bodie was broken vpon the Crosse for yowe And likewise take thys wine as a sign or token of Chrystes bloode shedde for yowe vpon the Crosse But vnderstande that yt ys not in verie dede the bodie and blood of Chryst but signes and tokens of them Thys were a maner of speache mete to teache yong ones yf the trueth of the thing were agreable but bicause the trueth ys not so therfore S. Augustin taught them by soche plain speache as the truth wolde beare that ys that they wolde take in the Sacrament that bodie that hanged vpon the Crosse and in the cuppe that blood that was shedde oute of Chrystes side Yea and that they shoulde so take he addeth a cōminaciō that they should Chryst ys made a liar when his woord ys not beleued take death and not life which think Chryst a lyar Why What saied Chryst Take eate thys ys my bodie He then that dothe not beleue Chryst herin but saieth yt ys not his bodie but a figure of hys bodie he ys the Aduersarie of Chryst the reprouer of Chryst And he maketh Chryst a lyar as S. Augustin saieth and therfor shall haue death and not life In time therfor take hede yf thow beest in errour thow cannest not make Chryst a lyar but thow thy self shalt be fownde a lyar And therfore thowe shalt not be admitted to the blessed companie of the master of the trueth but to the cursed and damnable companie of the Father of lyes Repēt thee therfore of thine heresie and embrace the trueth that by yt thowe maist atteign to the true life Nowe to this learned Father shall be ioined S. Cyrill who saieth thus Ca. 22. sup 6. Ioann Ex imperitia multi qui Christum sequebantur verba ipsius non capientes pertur babantur Nam cùm audissent Amen amen dico vobis Nisi comederitis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis Ad immanes ferarum mores vocari se à Christo arbitrabantur incitariue vt vellent crudas hominis carnes manducare sanguinem bibere quae vel auditu horribilia sunt nondum enim mysterij huius formam dispensationem pulcherrimam cognouerant Illud etiam adhoc cogitabant Quomodò caro huius hominis aternā nobis vitam largietur aut quomodò ad immortalitatē adducere poterit Quae cùm intelligeret is cuius oculis omnia nuda sunt atque aperta alia eos re mirabili ad fidem impellit Frustra inquit o vos propter verba mea conturbamini Quòd si credere non vultis vitam vobis à meo corpore dari quid facietis quando in coelum me volare conspicietis Non enim ascensurum me solummodò profiteon ne rursus quomodò id fieri possit quaeratis sed oculis etiam ita fieri vestris cernetis Quid ergo hoc videntes dicetis Annon erit hoc magnum Capharnaites howe thei vnderstood Chryst. Joan. 6. vestrae dementiae argumentum Si enim putatis carnem meam vitam vobis afferre non posse quomodò tanquam volucris in coelum ascendet quomodò per aëra volabit hoc enim similiter generi humano impossibile est Quod si praeter naturam caro mea in coelum conscendet quid probibet ne similiter praeter naturam viuificet For lacke of knowledg manie that did folowe Chryst not vnderstanding his woordes were troobled For whē they heard verily verelye Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke hys blood ye shall not haue life in yowe They thought themselues to be called of Chryst to the cruell maners of wilde beastes and to be moued that they shoulde eate the rawe flesh of a man and drinke hys bloode whiche thinges are horrible euen to heare They had not yet knowen the goodly forme and dispensacion of this mystery Moreouer also they thought Howe should the flesh of this man graunt vs eternall life or howe can yt bring vs to immortalitie Whiche thinges when he did vnderstand vnto whose eyes all thinges are naked and open with an other merueilouse thing he driueth them to the faith O yowe saieth he vainlie are ye troobled for my woordes For yf ye will Chrystes flesh besiae nature ascendedin to heauen beside nature yt geueth life in the Sacra not beleue life to be geuen yow of my bodie what will ye do when ye shall see me flie vppe into heauen I do not saie that I will onely ascende into heauen least yow aske again howe that maie be doen but ye shall euen so see yt with yowr eyes What therfore wil ye saie seing this shal yt not be a great argument of yowr madnesse Yf ye thinke that my flesh can not bring life vnto yow how shall yt as a slieng thing ascende into heauen howe shall yt flie by the ayer for this likewise ys vnpossible to mankinde Then yf my flesh shall go vppe into heauen beside nature what dothe let that yt likewise beside nature maie not geue life Thus moche S. Cyrill Yow maie in this goodlie and liuely expositiō perceaue two vain thoughtes that the grosse Disciples had one that they shoulde after the cruel maner of wildes beastes eate the rawe flesh of Chryst as yt were tearing yt or cutting Two vain thoughtes of the Capharn yt oute by peices and so Chrystes blessed flesh as other thinges that be eaten to be consumed The other vain thought was how that flesh which they accompted but as the flesh of a naturall man onely and not as the flesh of God ioined to the Godhead in vnitie of person and therfor supposed yt to be a mortall and a corruptible flesh howe I saie that mortal and corruptible flesh coulde geue vnto them immortalitie and incorruption Nowe to answer bothe these vain thoughtes and to reforme thē Chryst saied what yfye see the Sonne of man ascende vppe wher he was before By which one saing he answereth bothe their thoughtes and teacheth as concerning the first that wher they thought that his bodie shoulde be cutte or torne in peices that they had an euell vnderstanding For yt shoulde ascende vppe into heauen and that wholl as S. Augustine saied And that they might the better beleue yt they shoulde see yt as S. Cyrill here saieth The other vain thought ys also answered in that he saieth his bodie shall ascend vppe to heauen which ascension ys aboue the order of nature Therby instructing them that as his bodie aboue the course of nature shoulde ascende So yt aboue the course of nature shoulde geue life How the flesh of Chryst shoulde geue life S. Cyrill heretofore hathe declared vpon the sainges of Chryst that yt ys by the eating of Chrystes flesh And therfor he saied of the power of Chrystes flesh Non verbo solùm verumetiam tactu mortuos excitabat vt ostenderet corpus quoque suum viuificare posse Quodsi
solo tactu suo corrupta redintegrantur quomodo In 6. Joan cap. 14. non viuemus qui carnem illam gustamus manducamus Reformabit enim omnino adimmortalitatem suam participes sui Ne velis iudaicè quomodò quaerere sed recordare quamuis aqua naturaliter frigidior sit aduentu tamen ignis frigiditatis suae oblita aestuat Chryst did not with his woorde onelie but also with hys touching he did rase dead men that he might shewe that his bodie also coulde geue life Yf then with his onely touching corrupted things are made sownde again how shall not we liue which taste and eate that flesh He will withoute all doubte reforme the partakers of him to this immortalitie Neither do thowe after the Iewes maner aske howe but remembre that though the water naturallie be colde yet by the coming of the fire to yt hauing forgotten her coldnesse waxeth hote So that by S. Cyrill here yowe maie perceaue that the flesh of Chryst which the vnbeleuing Disciples did thinke coulde not geue life doth geue life to them that receaue and eate yt Let not the Aduersaries nowe cast in ther comon glose that Cyrill speaketh of the spirituall receauing and eating of Chrystes flesh For he teacheth more then in one place that we are ioined to Chryst not onely spirituallie but also after the flesh by the eating of the same verie flesh And to this pourpose also tendeth this his disputacion in this sentence last alleadged that he wolde proue the flesh of Chryst to geue life by the corporall touching of yt and therfor yt geueth life to vs that corporallie do tast and eate the same And therfor let not the Sacramentarie aske howe For as Chryst ascended aboue the course of nature of man So he geueth him self in the Sacrament to be eaten aboue the order and course of the nature of man And nowe ye maie perceaue wher the Aduersaries haue abvsed this scripture to proue that ther ys no reall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament by cause they saie that Chryst by this text minded onelie to pluck the Disciples from their grosse thought of the carnall eating of him to a spirituall maner of eating and therfor here ys no reall flesh to be eaten Wherupon they The Sacramentaries sifte the Sacra so fine that they leaue nothing but the brā for themselues charge vs not onely with the name but also with the grosse erroure of the Cpharanaites that we like as they did do go farre wide from the true mening of the scripture But they are so busie in charging vs with the grosse carnalitie of the Capharnaites and so curiouse in sifting of their spiritualytie which they sifte so long and so finely that they let all the fine flower of Chrystes heauenlie bread fall from them and kepe nothing but the bare branne of the signifieng sign in their owne hande which in dede ys the grosse bread they feed on For as ye haue heard neither S. Augustin nor S. Cyrill do so expownde yt that ther ys no reall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament but that Chrystes minde was onely to remoue the carnall and grosse maner of eating whiche the Capharnaites had conceaued of the whiche maner bothe these fathers haue made mencion But as for the maner of our eating ys no soche grosse and beastlie maner as Chryst wolde remoue from the Capharnaites but yt ys soche a maner as ys bothe reall and yet spirituall taught vnto vs by our Sauiour Chryst himiself and testified by his holie Churche and set furth by the holie Fathers of the same as yowe maie perceaue by S. Austen and S. Cyrill who although they reproue the maner of the Capharnaites yet they commende to vs the maner vsed and receaued in the Churche THE FIVE AND THIRTETH CHAP. PROCEADETH in the exposition of the same text and endeth yt by Euth and Petrus Cliniacen NOwe hauing heard one coople of the elder house expownding this text we will heare one coople mo onely expownde the same and Jn 6. Ioan. so ende yt and passe to the next Euthymius expownding this scriptute writeth thus Si ergo videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius quid dicetis Loquitur de futura sui in coelum assumptione Ascendentem quoad humanitatem vbi prius erat quoad diuinitatem Qui enim potest hanc carnem reddere coelestem potest vtique ipsam cibum hominum efficere What yf ye see the Sonne of As easiefor Chryst to make his flesh meat in the Sa. as to make it to ascēd man ascende vppe wher he was before what will ye saie saieth Enthymius He speaketh of the assumption of him self in to heauen to come what if ye see him ascending Ascending vppe as touching his humanitie where he was before as touching his deitie For he that can make his flesh heauenly can also make the same meate of men Note I praie yowe that this authour by the possibilitie of the worke of Chryst to make his flesh heauenly concludeth the possibilitie to make the same the meat of men not grosslie after the rude phantasie of the Capharnaites but verilie and reallie after the pleasure of Chryst And that this authour meneth of the reall flesh of Chryst to be the meat Argument of the ascēsion vsed by Chryst Jo. vi ys vain to proue the spirituall eating but good to proue the reall eating of his flesh of men yt do the most euidenlie appeare by his argument deduced wpon the possibilitie of Chryst in making his flesh heauenlie For yf he had spoken of Chrystes flesh to be eaten spirituallie ther neded no soche argument vpō possibilitie to be made vpon his verie reall flesh For the flesh of Chryst was spirituallie the meate of the holie fathers in the olde lawe Wherfor that neded not to be proued possible which so manie yeares had ben in vse but that was nedefull to be proued to be possible which before was not in vse whiche was that the verie flesh of Chryst shoulde be eaten of men reallie Yf the saing and mening of Chryst had ben that the Iewes shoulde haue eaten his flesh spiritually onelie as the Aduersaries wolde haue yt this argument of his ascension shoulde not haue neaded but he might haue saied to them As I gaue yower fathers Manna from heauen that they eating yt shoulde also spiritually eate me in a figure that I was then to come So nowe ye shall eate a peice of bread and drinke a cuppe of wine in a figure and for the remembrance of me that I am comed and haue suffred for yowe This maner of eating of Chrystes flesh as yt was vsed of the good and beleuing Iewes and well knowen to them both in Manna and in the Paschall lambe So if Chrystes mening had bē to no further matter of eating his flesh but in soche sort they wolde neuer haue staied and sticked so moche at yt But he ment the receipt of his flesh
we read ther Qni supra vnà cum Patre sedes hic vnà nobiscum inuisibiliter Chrysâ—an Liturg. versaris Dignare potenti manu tua nobis impartiri impolutum corpus tuum preciosum sangninem tuum per nos toti populo Deinde sacerdos adorat Diaconus in eo in quo est loco ter secretò dicentes Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori Et populus similiter Omnes cum pietate reuerentia adorant Thowe that sittest aboue with the Father and also arte with vs here inuisiblie vouchesaif with thy Preist deacon and all the people adored the Sacr. in Chrysaime mightie hand to geue vnto vs thy vndefiled bodie and thy preciouse blood and by vs to all the people This ys his praier After this praier he geueth this rule Then the preist adoreth and the Deacon also in the place that he ys in thrice saing God be mercifull vnto me sinner And all the people likewise with godlinesse and reuerence doo adore Perceaue ye not in this saing Chryst both to be aboue with his Father and also here with vs See ye not the rule of Chrysostome that the preist the Deacon and all the people did adore before they receaued the Sacrament These places might suffice to anie man that ys not contenciouse But that the Reader maie see plentie of matter to staie him and to confounde the Proclaimer that so vntreuly reporteth of the holie Fathers we will heare one place more of Chrysostom whiche ys this Christus suam carnem dedit Homi l. 24 10. 1. Cor. vobis vt ea saturemur quo nos in sui amorem plurimum allexit Ad eum igitur cum feruore accedamus dilectione quà m vehementissima ne grauius subeamus supplicium Quanto enim maius beneficiuÌ„ accipimus tanto magis puniemur quaÌ„do eo indigni apparebimus Hoc corpus in praesepireueriti sunt Magi viri impij barbari longo itenere confecto cum timore et tremore plurimo adorauerunt Imitemur igitur barbaros nos qui caeloruÌ„ ciues sumus Illi enim cùm id praesepe tugurium tantùm neque eorum quidquam quae tu nunc intueris viderent summa accesserunt reuerentia horrore Tu verò non in praesepi id sed in Altari non mulierem quae in vlnis teneat sed sacerdotem praesentem Spiritum per abundè super proposito diffusum sacrificio vides Nec simplex vt illi corpus vides sed et eius potentiam omnem agnoscis administrationem nihil eorum quae per ipsum facta suntignoras diligenter initiatus es in omnibus Excitemur horrescamsque maiorem quam barbari illi prae nobis feramus pietatem Chryst gaue vnto vs his flesh that with yt we might be fedde wherby he moche alleured vs into his loue Let vs therfor with feruencie and most vehement loue come vnto him leest we suffre a more greuouse condemnacion The greater benefit we take the Chryst hath geuen vs his flesh to feede vpoÌ„ more shall we be punished yf we be fownde vnwoorthie of yt This bodie did the wise men and men without God and barbarouse reuerence and woourshippe And after they had ended a long iourneie with moche feare and tremblinge did adore yt Let vs therfor at the leest folowe the example of these barbarouse we that be the cittizens of the heauens for they when they sawe that maunger and cottage onelie and did not see anie of these thinges whiche thowe doest nowe beholde they came with great reuerence and horrour But thowe seest not that bodie in the maunger but in the aultar thowe seest not a woman that holdeth yt in her armes but thowe seest the preist present That same body on the aultar that was in the maunger and the Spirit plentifullie powred vpon the proposed sacrifice Neither doest thowe see a bare bodie as they did but thowe knowest all his power and rule and thowe art ignoraunt of nothing that ys doen by him But thowe art diligently instructed in all poinctes Let vs be stirred vppe and feare and let vs declare a more godlinesse then those barbarouse men Thus moche Chrysostom Nowe haue we hearde three testimonies of Chrysostom In the first we were taught his faith as touching the honouring of the Sacrament whiche he saieth to be so honourable that not onely men But also Angells doo honoure yt In the second he declared the practise or execution of the honouring of the Sacrament by him self his ministers and his people before the receipt of the same Sacrament In the thirde he geueth generall exhortacion to all men to do the same And therunto prouoketh by the example of the three wise men that came to honour Chryst at his birth teaching vs that we honour the same bodie in the aultar that they did in the maunger These places being plain enough let vs leaue them and heare Sainct Ambrose who saieth thus evpownding a verse of the Prophet Dauid Per seabellum terra intelligitur per terram autem caro Christi quam bodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus quà m Apostoli in Domino Iesu vt suprà diximus adorarunt Neque Amb. despiritu S. li. 3. ca. 12. We adore the flesh of Chryst in the mysteries enim diuisas est Christus sed vnus By the footestoole ys vnderstanded the earth by the earth ys vnderstanded the flesh of Chryst whiche nowe also we adore in the mysteries whiche the Apostles as before we haue saied did adore in our Lorde Iesus Neither ys Chryst diuided but one what thinke you gentle Reader doth not Sainct Ambrose plainlie enough testifie and teache the adoracion of Chryst who that ye shall not be caried awaie with the wicked gloses of heretiques which to robbe Chryste of his honoure in the most holie and blessed Sacrament saie that thowe must adore Chryst in heauen teacheth you by expresse woordes that the flesh of Chryst ys to be adored and honoured in the Sacrament whiche he calleth the mysteries wher he affirmeth the same flesh to be that the Apostles did adore in our Lorde Iesus Nowe after S. Ambrose we will heare S. Augustine who in diuerse places teacheth vs to adore Chryst in the Sacrament But yt shall be best first to laie before you that place of Sainct Augustine at the lenght whollie and plainly whiche this Proclamer with sleight doth truncately and by peice meale touche that yt might appeare to his readers and heares that that place of Sainct Augustine nothing impugned his doctrine whiche in deed doth plainlie ouerthrowe yt This ys the wholl place of Sainct Augustine Adorate scabellum pedum eius quomam sanctum est Sed videte fratres quid nos iubeat adorare Alio loco scriptura dicit Coelum mihi sedes est terra Aug. in Isal 98. autem scabellum pedum meorum Ergo terram iubet nos adorare quia dixit alto loco quod sit
owre minde we maie not doubte of yt in anie point We haue hearde what S. Cyrill with all his felowbishoppes gathered together in Ephesus dothe beleue what Grece doth with them What Aegipt and also Sainct Hierom the preist And therfore although some maie erre of ignorance ther ys no man yet hitherto that openlie against saieth this so to be whiche the worlde dothe beleue and confesse Wherfore derely beloued doubte nothing in this mystery which Chryst the trueth hath of him self graunted vnto vs. For although Chryst sitteth in heauē and yet ys dailie sacrificed by the preist he sitteth at the right hande of his Father in heauen he disd meth not dathe by the handes of the preist in the Sacrament as a true sacrifice not vntrulie to be sacrificed Thus farre Paschasius See ye not the faith of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament stande vntouched and not shaken with anie heresie against saing yt openlie vntill the time of this writer Perceaue ye not Sainct Hilarie Sainct Ambrose Sainct Augustine Sainct Cyrill with all the Bishopps in the Councell at Ephesus whiche were foure hundreth and eightene Sainct Hierom also all Grece and Aegipt and finallie that the wholl worlde in this writers time did so beleue and so confesse The cause why the Proclamer denieth the Sacrament to be adored ys that he The Proclamer impugneth adoraciō of the Sacr. bicause he beleueth not reall presence denieth also Chrystes bodie and bloode to be ther. But yf that blindenesse of heresie taken from his heart he coulde by pure and clere faith see that blessed bodie ther ther ys no doubte but he wolde adore yt Euen so forasmoche as all the worlde with godlie confession acknowledged Chrystes presence in the Sacrament euen the same that was born of Marie as Sainct Ambrose saieth whiche Chryst ys of all Chrystians humblie to be adored and honoured who can doubte but that they wher they beleued him to be ther they honoured him Before this Authour was Leo more then foure hundreth yeares For he liued aboute the yeare of owre Lorde 452. and so more then eleuen hundreth yeares agone in whose time what the faith of Chrystes Churche was in the matter of the blessed Sacrament ye shall heare him reporte Separentur buiu smodi a sanctis membris corporis Christi neque sibi catholica libertas infidelium Leo Epi. 22 ad Costant iugum patiatur imponi Extra enim domum diumae gratiae extra Sacramentum habendi sunt salutis humanae qui negantes naturam nostrae carnis in Christo Euangelio contradicunt Symbolo reluctantur Nec sentiunt se in hoc praeruptum sua obcaecatione deduci vt nec in passionis Dominicae nec in resurrectionis veritate consistant quiae vtrumque in saluatore vacuatur si in eo nostri generiscaro non creditur In quibus isti ignorantiae tenehris in quo hactenus desidiae torpore iacuere vt nec auditu descerene nec lectione agnoscerent quod in Ecclesia Dei in omnium ore tam consonum est vt nec ab insantium linguis veritas corporis sanguinis Christi inter communis Sacramenta fidei taceatur quia in illa mystica distributione spiritualis alimontae hoc impertitur hoc sumitur vt accipientes virtutem caelestis cibi in caruem ipsius qui caro nostra factus est transeamus Let soche maner of men be diuided from the holie membres of Chrystes bodie neither let the catholique libertie suffre the yocke of infidelitie to be Eutyches and Diose their heres putte vpon yt Theie are to be accompted oute of the house of Gods grace and oute of the Sacrament of mans health whiche denieng the nature of our flesh in Chryst do bothe speake against the Gospell and striue against the Symboll Neither do they perceaue them selues through their blindenesse to be brought into soche daunger that they can not abide in the veritie neither of our Lordes passion neither of his resurrection For both these be voide in our Sauiour yf the flesh of our kinde be not beleued in him In what darkenesse of ignorance in what sluggishnes of sloothe hath these men hitherto lien in that neither by hearing they coulde learn neither by reading they coulde knowe that in the Churche of God in the mouthe of all men ys so agreablie spoken that not asmoche as of the tounges of infantes the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst among the Sacramentes of the common faithe ys vnspoken of For in that mysticall distribution of the spirituall foode this bodie ys geuen furth this bodie ys receaued that receauing the vertue of that heauenly meate we maie be made his flesh who was made our flesh Thus Leo. Of this Authour also being both auncient and holy ye perceaue yt testified Veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst st◅en of by the tounges of babes that the veritie of the bodie and bloode of Chryst in the Sacrament was so certenly beleued and so commonlie receaued that yt was not onelie confested by the mouthes of all men but also yt was spoken by the mouthes of babes And here with all note that this Authour doth merueill at Eutyches and Dioscorus and their adherentes howe they coulde denie Chryst to be a verie man seing that all Chrystian people confessed the naturall bodie of Chryst God and man to be in the Sacrament For confessing the veritie of his bodie and bloode which thinges be not of the nature of the godhead yt must nedes folowe that they confesse the nature and bodie of his manheade and so Chryst to be very man Thus ye maie perceaue that the prefence of Chrystes verie bodie and The reall presence so certenlie beleued that auncient Fathers made argumēt therof to cōfute heresies bloode in those daies was reputed esteemed and beleued so certen so sure and so vndoubted a matter of faith that learned men did vse yt as a stronge argument to confute and conuince diuerse heresies For as this Authour did vse yt against the heretikes of his time So did Irenaeus and Hylarius whiche were long before him against the heretiques of their times Whiche they wolde neuer haue doen yf in their times also the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament had not ben a clere matter oute of all controuersie and receaued of all aswell heretiques as catholiques as a substanciall poinct of their faithe whervpon an argument might be well grownded Nowe ye haue hearde the presence of Chrystes bodie testified to haue ben receaued of all the chrystian Churche from this our time to the time of Leo and before his time as by Paschasius yt ys aboue reported to the time of Sainct Hilary And so to the time of Irenaeus who was the Jn catolog script disciple of Polycarpus as Sainct Hierom witnesseth which Polycarpus was disciple of Sainct Iohn the Euangelist so neare was this man to the Apostles time This discourse haue
ys this Qui duxit viduam aut diuortio separatam à viro aut meretricem aut ancillam aut aliquam quae publicis sit mancipata spectaculis Episcopus presbyter Canon 18. aut Diaconus aut demque ex consortio sacerdotali esse non potest He that hath married a widowe or a woman diuorced from her husbande or an harlott or a bond maiden or a anie that ys accustomed to plaie in enterludes can neitherbe Bishoppe preist nor Deacō nor be of the cōpanie of the preistes By this breif discourse ye maie perceaue the Fathers of the later times made decrees of that was in vse in the Apostles time wher vnto they were enforced by the wickednesse and licenciouse life of men in their times not to make newe deuises but to cause the olde auncient lawes to be obserued and kept Ther be decrees made in these later daies for the fasting of Lent bothe Lent fast commaunded by Councells and Popes As for example to produce one In the eight Councell of Tolett thus we finde declared Illis qui ausu temerario quadragesimae dies contemnunt nec voracitatis ingluuiem frenant quod peius est Paschalia festa Concilium Toletā 1. illicitorum esuum perceptione profanant ex hoc adeò acerrimè interdicitur vt quisquis sine ineuitabili necessitate atque fragilitate euidenter languore seu etiam impossibilitate aetatis diebus quadragesimae esuin carnium praesumpserit attentare non solùmreus erit resurrectionis Dominicae verumetiam alienus ab eiusdem diei sancta communione Et hoc illi cumuletur ad poenam vt ipsius anni tempore ab omni esu carnium abstineat quia sacris diebus abstinentiae oblitus est disciplinam Vnto them that presumptuouslie contemne the daies of Lent neither do refrein the excesse of their greadinesse and that which ys woorst of all do prophane the Easter solemnities with the eating of vnlaufull meates from hencefurth we straightlie commaunde that whosoeuer withoute ineuitable necessitie and weaknesse and euident sicknesse great weakensse of age shall presume in the daies of Lent to eate flesh he shall not onely be giltie of the resurrection of our Lorde but shall be also excommunicated from the holie Communion of that same daie And thys shal be added to his farther pain that that yeare he shall abstain from all eating of flesh bicause in the holy time of Lent he forgotte the discipline of abstinence Thus the Councell In the which Councell the fast of Lent ys commaunded as ye perceaue but this proueth not that yt was but then begonne and that yt ys a newe deuise For S. Hierom who liued moch aboue twoo hūdreth years Hieron aduersus Mōtan before that Councell saieth thus Nos quadragesimam secundùm traditionē Apostolorum ieiunamus We fast the Lent according to the tradition of the Apostles But this fast of Lent not withstanding that yt ys the tradicion of the Apostles hath ben in diuerse Councels since the Apostles and long after their The queen that nowe ys commaūded Lent to be fasted and yet yt was in vse before time commaunded bicause in processe of time the deuociō of the people decaied as yt doth to moch in these our daies Wherbie the decrees of the Apostles being contēned as nowe also they be yt was necessarie by a newe cōmaundement to reuiue and confirme the same and so cause them to be continued which ells had ben omitted Euen so Honorius perceauing the deuociō of the people to be decaied and their regard of the blessed Sacrament through the wicked doctrine of Berengarius which yet as yt maie be thought late smoldering in putrified and rotten postes and stickes to be moche abated to reuiue that that so long had continued he gaue commaundement to honoure the Sacramēt as the like maie be doē whē the catholique faith shal be resumed in Englōd Thus ye maie perceaue both how fōd and weake the argument of the Proclamerys and therwith howe false and vntrue After this yt liketh him to dallie and solace himself in alleadging certain scholastical doctours as S. Thomas Dunce Durande Holkot and other not in reprouing Mocking and skorning easie kindes of confutacion their learning by learning which he can not doe but reprouing yt with mocking and skorning which ys in deed easie to doe The Summe of all that long disputacion ys onely to make the matter appeare to the worlde that yt ys a daungerouse thinge to honour the Sacrament for that the people can not discerne the accidentes or the outwarde formes of the Sacrament from the bodie of Chryste and therfore maie soen committe idolatrie in honouring the outward formes in the stead of Chrystes bodie Yt ys a woorld to see thys man that when he hath no substācial argument to make against the matter derectlie he seketh oute daūgers to bring himself ād the people into more daūger For wher yt ys our duetie to honour our sauiour Chryst whersoeuer we know him by faith to be to auoide his inuēted daunger he wold haue vs by omissiō of owr duetie to rūne into a certē daūger ād to auoide soch abuse as he imagineth to take away the thing yt self as Licurgus did who seing wine to be abused for that mē took excessiuelie of yt caused all the vines in the contrie to be cutte dowen that ther shoulde be no wine So this man for an abuse that he phantasieth he wolde take awaie the thing By like phantasie he might also moue vs not to honoure Chryst in heauen Like Phantasie ioined with auarice pulled down all Abbeis in England But moche more yt might seem to haue moued the Apostles and other that were conuersaunt with Chryst in the flesh and beleuing in him honoured him What daunger were they in that seing the humane bodie of Christ and percase not sufficientlie discerning the humanitie from the deitie nor fully perceauing the vnition of these two natures in the vnitie of person neither yet well vnderstanding how the bodie of Chryst ys to be adored and howe yt ys not howe the deitie was in that person of Chryst and howe to be considered and yet did adore him Al these poinctes as yt maie be gathered by the peticion of Philippe were not well vnderstanded of the Apostles themselues For when he saied Domine ostende nobis Patrem et sufficit nobis Lord shewe vs the Father and yt ys enough for vs yt semeth that he had not that consideracion of the Deitie that faith required And further by the aunswer of Chryste yt semeth that the Apostles didnot yet knowe Chryst For he saied Tanto tempore vobiscum sum non cognouistis me Haue I ben so long time with yowe and haue ye not knowen me Yf they that had ben so long conuersaunt withe Chryst and so long traded in the schoole of Chryste did not know Chryst how did the three wise men of the east the woman of Chananie the man born blind
the elder Fathers I will call a companie of them both that their doctrine maie be conferred with the elders before alleadged and so to be approued and also that by them we maie know the enacted trueth of the true vnderstanding of The Proclamer mocketh holie ād learned fathers Chrystes woordes in the lower house of Chrystes Parliament wherby the Aduersarles heresie maie be more manifestlie confuted and the faith of the good Chrystian more confirmed and staied And although yt liked the Proclamer in his high pride to solace himself with the mocking of the learning of Siluester Isidore Innocentius the thirde Gerson Durand Holkot S. Thomas Dunce Fisher and other and made their argumentes as foolishlie as he listed therbie to commende himself and his doctrine to soche as were light whiche yet was and ys discommendable to them that be graue sobre and wise yet in the ende ye shall see that these men shall confute him and ouerthrowe him in the iudgement of them whome gods grace hath not A lamentable time to see preachers in pulpittes mocke Sainctes in heauen forsaken For who ys he that ys wise and as the wiseman saieth hath his eies in his heade that seith not to moche arrogancie in that man that taketh vpon him in open audience to deride mocke and skorne holie auncient learned men of which some of them be Sainctes in heauen some of them liued with great fame of learning aboue a thousand yeares agon some eight or nine hundreth years agon some three hundreth years agon or ther aboute All which are but babes and punies in his seight But I will not intermedle this worke of the heigh and great matter of the Sacrament with soche vain toies of mockeries but they shall be reserued to some other more meit place as either to a Christenmasse skaffold and so a plaier by a plaier or ells to the Paruise in Oxforde a paruise toie by a paruise boie to be aunswered Wherfore conuerting my self to the matter I wil produce Damascen as the first and eldest of this companie of the lower house whiche I haue selected and chosen among all other to expownde vnto vs Chrystes woordes This Damascen although he be placed in the lower house as in consideracion that the aduersarie doeth not accept or regarde hys authoritie yet he liued more then eight hundreth yeares agon and therfore ys woorthie to be hearde Thus he writeth vpon the woordes of Chryst Propositionis panis vinum aqua per inuocationem aduentum sancti Spiritus supernaturaliter Damascen li. 4 ca. 14. transmutantur in corpus sanguinem Christi non sunt duo sed vnum idem The shewe bread the wine and the water by the innocacion and the coming of the holie Gost are supernaturallie transmuted into the bodie and bloode of Chryst and they be not twoo but one and the verie same And after a fewe woordes of exhortacion in the same matter he saieth thus of the same breade and wine Non est figura panis vinum corporis Bread and wine not a sigure of the bodie and blood of Chryste sanguinis Christi absit enim hoc credere sed ipsum corpus Domini deificatum ipso dicente Hoc est meum non mei corporis figura sed corpus non figura sanguinis sed sanguis Et ante hoc ipsis Iudaeis Quoniam nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Proinde omni cum timore conscientia pura indubitabili fide accedamus The bread and wine ys not a figure of the bodie and blood of Chryst God forbidde we shoulde beleue that but yt ys the verie bodie of our Lorde deified himself saing This ys not a figure of my bodie but my bodie not a figure of my bloode but my bloode And before this he saied to the Iewes that except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloode ye shall haue no life in yowe My flesh ys verilie meat and my bloode ys verilie drinke Therfore with all feare and pure conscience and vndoubted faith let vs come vnto yt In these fewe woordes of Damascen ye see foure thinges taught The transubstanciacion The presence of Chrystes verie bodie and bloode with a plain deniall of the aduersaries figure The applicacion of the sixt chap. of sainct Iohn to these woordes of Chryst And finallie an exhortacion for owre due coming to the receipt of the same bodie and blode Of transubstanciacōn we haue allreadie spoken and that by the authoritie also of this man amonge other Fathers wherfore I will not tarie vpon yt onely I wolde that the reader shoulde be aduertised that though the Aduersarie doe so moche exclame against the thing yet the learned Fathers according to the catholique faith of Chrystes Church doe plainlie and agreablie teache the same and therfore I wolde wish that by repeticion of the same yt maie remain in memorie wherbie as meit yt ys their authouritie declaring the trueth with great agreement and consent maie be regarded and esteemed and the arrogant falsheade of the Aduersarie teaching vntrueths and heresie maie be vtterlie condemned and forsaken and thus ouerpassing this matter as not principallie here sought I will come to that that ys here cheislie intended For the whiche I wish yt to be well noted that this Authour expownding the woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie the seking of the exposition of Figuratine expositions of the Sacr. slatlie denied whiche woordes ys our trauaill doeth plainlie by expresse woordes denie refuse and reiect the fonde exposition of the Aduersarie and teacheth that these woordes are to be vnderstanded in their propresense And therfore saieth that yt ys not a figure mening that yt ys not a bare figure of a thing absent in substance and onelie present in figure but yt ys saieth he the verie bodie And this ys not to be ouerpassed that to this exposition he addeth these woordes God forbidde that anie man shoulde so beleue whiche maner of woordes we vse in matters that be perilouse daungerouse and horrible and matters to godwarde wher the thing ys moche offending God and prouoking his heauie displeasure yre and indignaciō Wherbie maie be perceaued the great daunger that ys ensewing to them that so beleue and the great necessitie of the right beleif that ys to beleue that the Sacrament ys not a bare figure but the verie bodie of Chryst Thus once again to aduertise yowe ye see that wher the Aduersarie saieth This ys my bodie that ys saieth he a figure of my bodie This learned authour saieth God for bidde yowe should so beleue Yt ys not saieth he a figure of the bodie of Chryst but his bodie not a figure of the blood of Chryst but his blood in deed This exposition as yt ys dissonaunte and repugnaunte to the
writing vpon this text thus Cùm dixisset Chryso in 10. 1. Cor. quòd potum spiritualem bibebant addidit Bibebant enim de spirituali consequente eos petra adiunxit Petra autem erat Christus Non enim ipsius petrae natura aqua inquit scaturiebat Siquidem anie etiam scaturiisset sed alia quaedam spiritalis petra omnia operata est hoc est Christus qui praesens vbique omnia fecit miracula Ideo dixit consequente When he had saied that they dranke spirituall drinke he added They dranke of the spirituall rocke that folowed them and ioined to yt That rocke was Chryste For not the nature of that stone saieth he flowed oute water for then yt wolde haue flowed oute before that time but an other certain spirituall Chryste was the spirituall not the materiall rock ād therfor no figure ys in S. Paules saing stone wrought all these thinges that ys Chryst being present euery wher did all the miracles and therfore he saied that folowed Hitherto Chrysostome Whose woordes geue plain testimonie to the woordes of sainct Paule Chryst was the roke not the materiall rocke for than Oecolampadius trope must nedes haue taken place But he saieth that Chryste was that spirituall rocke of the whiche they dranke and therfore no trope can be admitted here And to proue that sainct Paule ment that Chryst was that spirituall rocke Chrysostome noteth sainge Ideo dixit Consequente Therfor saied Paule whiche folowed as who might saie for so moche as sainct Paule saieth that the Iewes dranke of a spirituall rocke whiche spirituall rocke was soche one as did folowe them But no other rocke did folowe them saue Chryst wherfore Chryste was the spirituall rocke so that we maie conclude that this proposition ys to be vnderstanded grammaticallie or literallie and not tropicallie or figuratiuelie Yf then Oecolampadius laie his fundacion of his building to proue the woordes of the Lordes supper to be figuratiue vpon a wrong vnderstanding Scriptures alleaged by Oecolāp to proue his figuratiue speache of the scriptures will he not trowe ye make his building of the same nature that ys that these woordes of Chryst shal be wrong vnderstanded also Which thing I doubte not but ye will credite when ye shall perceaue how wel he frameth other scriptures to his building Proceading in his profe he saieth that yt ys comō in the scriptures that the figures of thinges shall be named with the names of the thinges of whiche they be figures To proue this he bringeth in the fierie tounges which appeared vpon the Disciples The doue whiche appeared vpon Chryst at hys Baptism The breathing of Chryst vpon his Apostles and the saing of Chryst that Iohn was Helias al whiche he saieth be figures as the fierie tounges the doue and the breathing of Chryst were tokens or figurs of the holy Gost and Iohn a figure of Helyas Wher first note howe he abuseth the scripturs and laboureth to blinde Oecolamp his abusing of the scriptures opened and deceaue the reader For wher he pretending to proue this saing of Chryste This ys my bodie to be figuratiuely spoken bringeth in these rehersed places ther ys not one of them that hath the like enunciacion or maner of speache as the saing of Chryst hath Neither ys the fiery tounges the doue or the breathing of Chryst named in the scriptures to be the holie Gost as the other thing ys named to be the bodie of Chryst And that this maie manifestlie appeare I will simplie bring in euery of the scriptures of these places The first ys in the Actes of the Apostles where we reade thus Factus est repentè de coelo sonus tanquam aduenientis spiritus vehementis repleuit totam domum Act. 2. vbierant sedentes apparuerunt illis dispartitae linguae tanquam igms seditue super singulos eorum And sodenly ther came a sownde from heauen as yt had ben the cominge of a mightie winde and yt filled all the house wher they satte And ther appeared vnto them cloauē tounges like as they had ben of fire and yt satte vpon eche of them This ys the text Note nowe what Chrysostome shall saie vpon this this text Visae sunt inquit illis dispartitae linguae velut igneae Rectè vbique Jn. 2. Act. additum est velut ne quid sensibile de Spiritu suspicareris velut igneae inquit velut flatus Nec enim ventus erat simpliciter per aerem diffusus Ac tamen cum Ioanni deberet innotescere Spiritus velut columbae specie in caput Christi venit Nunc verò cum tota Fierie tounges are not saied to be the bolie Gost. multitudo conuertenda esset ad fidem venit in specie ignis And ther were seen saieth he to them cloauē tounges as fiery Yt ys in euery place added as that thow shouldest suspecte nothing sensible of the spirit As fiery saieth he and as a winde Neither was yt the winde simplie diffused by the aier And also when the holy Gost wolde be knowen to Iohn he came in the forme of a doue vpon the headde of Chryste but nowe when all the multitude was to be conuerted to the faith he cam in the shape or forme of fire Thus Chrysost Now albeit he hath in the ende of his sentence resolued vs for the maner of the coming down of the holie Goste in the likenesse of a doue yet will we heare the scripture that the agrement of the doctour and the scipture manie appeare together S. Luke saieth Iesu baptisato orante apertum est coelum descendit Spiritus sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum When Iesus was Luc. 3. baptised and did praie the heauē was opened ād the holie Gost came down in a bodilie shape like a doue vpon him In this text as ye perceaue that the holie Gost came downe like a doue but neither that the doue was the holie The doueys not saied to be the holie Gost Gost neither the holie Gost the doue so ye perceaue that Chrysostome agreeth ād saieth nothing cōtrario to the scripture But as the scripture saieth that the holie Gost came down like a doue ād that the sownd was as yt had bē the coming of a mightie winde ād the cloauē toūges as thei had bē of fire So Chrysostom noteth in euery place to be this woord as wherbie ys taught raither the likelihead of the thinges ther to be then the very things thēselus The thirde thing that Oecolampadius reherseth ys the breathing of Chryst vpon his Apostles In the Gospel of S. Iohn we read that Chryst thus saied to Joan. 23. his Apostles As my Father sent me euen so I sende yowe also And when he had saied those wordes he breathed on them and saied vnto them Receaue ye the holie Goste In whiche facte of Chryst although the holie Gost to the fullnesse of his giftes were not geuen for that Chryst
again perceaue how wickedlie he Oecol hys wresting of S. Ambrose opened hath abused S. Ambrose in wresting him to his wicked pourpose In this fame sermon wher these woordes be written which as yeperceaue be very plain and of that force that they coulde not well be wrested by the craftie engines of Oecolampadius immediatelie after folowe other woords whiche he perceauing that he might wrest left oute all this that ys before alleadged and tooke onely this that foloweth whiche when yt ys applied to this that ys before rehersed then iudge Reader whether yt be not violentlie wrested from the true mening of sainct Ambrose or no. Thus he alleadgeth Mihi ille panis Dei descendat de coelo qui dat vitam huic mundo Non Iudaeis non Synagogae descendit sed Ecclesiae descendit sed populo minori Nam quomodò Iudaeis descendit Ambr. ibid. panis cùm omnes qui illum manducarunt hoc est quem Iudaei putarunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Quomodò Synagogae descendit cùm omnis Synagoga interierit aeterno ieiunio fidei defecerit Denique si accipissent panem verum non dixissent Domine semper da nobis panem hunc Quid petis Iudaee vt tribuat tibi Panem quem dat quotidie dat semper in teipso est vt accipias hunc panem Accede hunc panem accipies eum De hoc pane dictum est Omnes qui se elogant à te peribunt Si elongaris ab eo peribis Si appropinquaris viues Hic est panis vitae Qui vitam manducat mori non potest Quomodò enim moritur cui vita cibus est Quomodò deficiet qui habet vitalem substantiam Accedite ad eum satiemini quia panis est Accedite ad eum potate quia fons est Accedite ad eum illuminemini quia Lux est Accedite ad eum liberemini quia vbi Spiritus Domini ibi libertas Accedite ad eum absoluimini quia est remissio peccatorum Qui sit iste quaeritis Audite ipsum dicentem Ego sum panis vitae qui venit ad me non esurâ—et qui credit in me non sitiet vnquam Audistis eum vidistis eum non credidistis ei ideo mortui estis That bread of God descend vnto me from heauen whiche geueth life to the worlde He hath not descended to the Iewes not to the Synagoge but he hath descended to the Church he hath descended to the inferiour people For howe hath that bread descended to the Iewes seing that all that haue eaten yt that ys whome the Iewes thought to be Manna in the wildernesse are dead Howe hath he descended to the Synagog seing that all the Synagog hath perished and with the hungar or fast of faith hath failed or decaied Yf they had receaued the trewe bread they had not saied Lorde geue vs allwaie this bread What doest thowe aske O Iewe that he shoulde geue vnto thee The bread whiche he geueth to all whiche he geueth dailie whiche he geueth alwaies yt ys in thy self that thow maist take that bread Come vnto this bread and thowe shall receaue yt Of this bread yt ys saied All that make themselues farre from thee shal perish Yf thow make thy self farre from him thow shalt perish yf thow drawe neer to him thowe shalt liue This bread ys the the bread of life He that eateth life can not die Howe can he die vnto whome life ys meate Howe shall he faill that hath that liuelie substaÌ„ce Come vnto him aÌ„d be filled for he ys the foode Come vnto him and drinke for he ys the well Come vnto him and be lightned for he ys the light Come vnto him and be made free For wher the Spirit of God ys ther ys fredome Come vnto him and be absolued for he ys the remission of sinnes Who thys ys do ye aske Heare him saing I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall not bungar and he that beleueth in me shall not thirst at anie time Ye haue heard him ye haue seeÌ„ him aÌ„d haue not beleued him Therfor ye are dead Thus moche of S. Ambrose ys alleaged of Oecolampadius whiche for that yt hath none of those expresse woordes which be in the rest of S. Ambrose which I haue before alleadged Therfor he tooke this part of S. Ambrose that he might the better wrest yt and left that whiche I haue alleaged bicause he could not so well blind the eie of his reader with the wresting of yt Nowe what wolde ye thinke of a man that so vseth anie holie authour as to bring him against a matter or raither as seming to speake against a matter who in dede speaketh nothing against yt but in the next line speaketh so manifestlie and so plainlie with yt that the wrester ys ashamed and dare not bring him furth and reporte that that there he saieth but knowing that he ys for the trueth will bring him furth as though he were against the trueth There ys no other thing but that he ys an Angell of Sathan transforming himself into the Angell of light and by swete woordes entrappeth the heartes of the simple and of soche as be not ware and circumspecte And therfore yowe must thinke that yt ys necessarie to be vigilant and by earnest prayer to desire the Lord of all Spirittes to geue yowe grace to discern betwixt spirittes I meen betwixt the spirit of trueth and the spirit of errour and so to flie the euell and cleaue to the good And when ye see soche wicked wresters so to abuse the authours thinke as ye haue iust cause that their matter ys naught who seke by soche naughtie meanes to maintein yt Nowe I wish that yf the reader be learned he wolde read these two allegacions in sainct Ambrose yf he be not learned reade them as they be here alleaged For so moche as Oecolampadius alleadgeth foloweth in sainct Ambrose immediately after that that I alleadged euen as yt doth here Nowe ioin them together as one as they be in dede and then iudge yf they teach not the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament and Manna to be a figure of the same howe soeuer Oecolampadius wolde wrest yt to the contrarie This also by the waie ys to be noted that where this and the rest of the Aduersaries of Gods trueth teache that ther ys no difference betwxit the Difference betwene Manna aÌ„d the blessed Sacrament Sacramentes of the olde lawe and the newe as touching anie more excellencie or woorthinesse in the one then in the other but that the one signified Chryst to come the other as comed that sainct Ambrose here noteth a more difference saing that Manna was not the true bread but our bread ys the true bread that was a shadowe our the very thing that gaue not life our geueth life Be not these differences shewing the one more excellent then the other Did not Origen
figurabatur de coelo certè Manna veniebat Attende quem figurabat Ego sum inquit panis vinus qui de caelo desceÌ„di Nowe saieth S. August the light being brought in let vs seke what the other thinges do signifie What the clowde the sea and Manna do meen For these thinges he hath not expownded But what the stone was he hath shewed The passing through the sea ys Baptisme But bicause Baptisme that ys to saie the water of health ys not of healthe excepte yt be consecrated in Chrystes name who shed his blood for vs the water ys blessed with his crosse and that Manna from heauen ys plainlie expownded of our A figure geueth not life but the blessed Sac. geueth life ergo yt ys more then a figure Lorde himself Your Fathers saieth he haue eaten Manna in the Wildernesse and they be dead When shoulde they liue A figure maie prenunciate life but yt can not be life They haue eaten saieth he Manna and be dead that ys to saie Manna that they did eate coulde not deliuer them from death not that Manna was death vnto them but bicause yt deliuered not from death He shoulde deliuer from death who was figurated by Manna The Manna trulie came from heauen Marke whom yt figured I am saieth â—e the liuing bread whiche came downe from heauen Thus farre S. Augustine In whose woordes ye see a goodlie applicacion of the figures to the thinges figured Howe well and aptelie the redde sea figured Baptisme whiche ys made redde in vertue by the bloode of Chryst Sainct Augustine most godlie hathe declared And he hath doen no lesse in the applicacion of Manna to Chryste in the Sacrament Marke saieth he whom Manna did figure Yt figured him who saied I am the bread of life whiche came downe from heauen That Chryst spake these woordes ther ys no doubte But whether he spake them of his bodie in the Sacrament the Sacramentarie will make a doubte But that S. Augustine meent that the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament ys the thing figured by Manna he himself doth so plainlie open in an other place that we are deliuered from doubte therof Thus he saieth Manna typus est escae spiritualis quae resurrectione Domint veritas facta est in Eucharistiae mysterio Manna ys a figure of that spirituall meat whiche in the resurrection Lib. quest 〈…〉 test quest 65. of our Lorde was made the veritie in the Sacrament In whiche woordes ye see the iust applicacion of the figure to the thinge sigured Manna ys the figure the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament ys the thing figured and the veritie Let yt not trooble the Reader that he calleth yt the spirituall meat as though therby were not affirmed the verie reall presence But remembre that MaÌ„na howe yt was called a spiritual meat and the water of the rock a spiritual drinke S. Paule calleth Manna a spirituall meat although yt were corporall and the water also he calleth spirituall althoug yt were likewise corporall not that he wolde so teache them to be spirituall that they were not in very dede corporall but bicause they were miraculouslie and wonderfullie not by the ordinarie power and worke of God whiche he dailie worketh in the producing and conseruing of his creatures but by a speciall and vnwonted maner geuen to the people of Israell Wherfore yt liked S. Augustin as he might very well to call yt beinge the veritie a spirituall meate as Manna the figure was called spirituall meat Wherby the one better answereth the other And in dede as Manna was sent to the Iewes beside the course of nature So was Chryst sent to vs beside the course of nature And as yt was made meat to them merueillouslie So ys the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament made meat for vs merueillously And thus both these be spirituall The bodie of Chryst in the Sacr. howe yt ys called a spirituall meat meates although the bodie of Chryst more spirituall both for that after his resurrection his bodie was glorified and indewed with the giftes of immortalitie agilitie impassibilitie subtilitie and claritie and also for that in the Sacrament yt ys beholden by faith and not by senses whiche ys a spirituall maner Thus then yt appeareth very manifestly that the bodie of Chryst ys and maie be called for diuerse consideracions a spirituall meat and yet be neuer the lesse a corporall substance That thus in this place yt ys to be vnderstanded to be a spirituall meate and not after the maner that the Aduersarie wolde haue yt wrested the very woordes of Sainct Augustin enforce For he saied that this spirituall meat ys in the mystery or Sacrament The spirituall maner that the Aduersarie wolde here violentlie intrude and thrust in ys not nor can not be in the Sacrament but in the receauer who by faithe and charitie receaueth after that spirituall maner whiche faith and charitie be not in the Sacramentall bread as they tearme yt but in the man the receauer of yt Of the whiche spirituall meat the bread ys a signe or a figure as they teache saing that as they receaue that bread to nourish the bodie So they spiritually receaue Chryst to nourish the soule So that that spirituall meat of the whiche they speake ys not in the Sacrament Therfor yt ys to be concluded that he speaketh of the naturall meat of Chrystes bodie whiche ys according to the minde of this holy Father and the doctrine of the catholique Churche verilie really substanciallie in the Sacrament and yet neuer the lesse spirituallie in maner aboue declared In this matter diuerse other places might be brought in but for that I wolde not wearie the Reader but raither delight him with the hearing of some other and that conuenient place might be had for Oecumnnius we shall ceasse with thus moche of Sainct Augustine and heare the said Oecumenius Oecumen 1. Cor 10. vpon the same text of Sainct Paule Thus he writeth Comederunt nempe Manna sicut nos corpus Christi Potum spiritualem hoc est aquam è rupe siue petra seaturientem biberunt quemadmodum nos sanguinem Christ They haue saieth A plain saing for the Procla Oecumenius eaten Manna as we the bodie of Chryst They heaue dronke a spirituall drinke that ys water running oute of a rocke or a stone as we the bloode of Chryste Thus he This ys but a breif exposition but yet wonderfull weightie and mightie to ouerthrowe the enemie Methinke I shoulde nothing saie here to opeÌ„ the matter wher all ys so plain but to declare that I wonder that men will or can be so deluded in a matter so clerely taught as yt ys here I merueill also howe malice can preuaill or howe yt self against so manie fast a trueth by soche expresse woords vttered that no mistes or clowdes of wicked glose can wrest but in soche wise as yt maie very well be perceaued But to come to the pourpose this ys
speaketh plentifullie of yt We read in no place of S. Iohns Gospell that he speaketh plentifullie of Chrystes bodie and blood in the Sacrament but in the sixt chapiter Wherfor S. Augustine vnderstandeth the sixt chapter of S. Iohn to speake of the bodie and bloode of Chryst In these woordes also of S. Augustin yt ys not to be ouerpassed but by the waie to be noted that he saieth not that S. Iohn speaketh of the Sacrament figure or sign of the bodie of Chryst but plainlie he calleth yt the bodie and bloode of Chryst and saieth that S. Iohn speaketh of them in the sixt chap. This then being certen and euident that the woordes of Chryst in the sixt of S. Iohn as by Chrysostom and Euthymius by S. Augustin and Teophilact they are distincted be spoken and vnderstanded of his bodie and blood according to the distinction we shall bring in the woordes of Chryst for the proof of this that ys here to be prooued Thus Chryst saieth Non sicut manducauerunt patres vestri Manna mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum Not as yowr Fathers did eat Ioan. 6. Manna and be dead he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer In the whiche saing of Chryst we are taught two thinges The first that Manna ys a figure of our heauenly Manna I meen of Chryst in the Sacrament our most pleasant foode as the comparison of the one to the other made by Chryst him self doth well proue and as at large yt ys testified by the testimonie of manie Fathers in the. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. and tenth chapiters of this booke Thexcellēcie of the B Sacr. aboue Manna The second thing ys the excellencie of our Manna the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament the thing figured by the other Manna Whiche excellencie Chryst very manifestlie declareth when he saieth that the eaters of Manna are dead but the eaters of this Manna in the Sacrament shall not onely liue but they shall liue for euer As life in naturall thinges ys moch more excellent then death so that which geueth naturall life ys moche more excellent then that whiche geueth yt not life As betwixt life and death ther ys no iust cōparison both for that inter ens non ens nulla est comparatio betwixt some thing and nothing ys no comparison and also for that no comparison can be grownded wher ys no positiue so betwixt temporall life and eternall life ys no comparision for that as S. Gregory saieth Temporalis vita aeternae vitae comparata mors est potius dicenda quà m vita The temporall life compared to the eternall life ys raither Gregorius to be called death them life Then the eternall life so farre passing the temporall life as life doth death how moch then surmounteth the Manna Māna the figure gaue but tēporal life Māna the thing eternall life of the chrystians the Manna of the Iewes wher as this geueth but temporall life the other eternall as saieth S. Augustin Manna de coelo apertè ab ipso Domino exponitur Patres vestri inquit manducauerunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Quādo enim viuerent Figura vitam praenunciare posset vita esse non posset Manducauerunt inquit Manna mortui sunt id est Manna quod manducauerunt non illos potuit de morte liberare non quia ipsum Manna mors eis fuit sed quia à morte non liberauit Ille enim liberaturus erat á morte qui per Manna figurabatur De coelo certè Manna veniebat Attende A figure maie fore the we life but yt can not be life quem figurabat Ego sum inquit panis vinus qui de coelo descendi Manna from heauen ys plainly expownded of our lorde himself Yowr fathers saieh he haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse and are dead for when shoulde they liue A figure maie foreshewe life but yt can not be life They haue saieth he eaten Manna and are dead that ys to saie Manna which they haue eaten could not deliuer them from death not that that Manna was death vnto them but bycause yt deliuered them not from death He shoulde deliuer them from death who was figured by Manna Certenlie that Manna came frō heauen Take hede whom yt did figure I am saiethe he the liuing bread whiche descended from heauen Thus farre S. Augustin Seing then that Manna the figure whiche rained to the Iewes coulde not deliuer from death as here yowe haue heard S. Augustin testifie and Manna the bodie of Chryst the thing figured and conteined in our Sacramēt doth Our Sacr. geuing lise sarre excelteth Māna that gaue got life deliuer from death and therfor of consequent geueth eternall life as Chryst him self also auoucheth in the text alleaged yt can not otherwise be concluded but that our Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys incomparablie excelling Manna and anie other sacrament that in the olde lawe did figure Chryst As here by the comparison which Chryst hath made betwixt Manna and his bodie the excellencie of the one aboue the other ys easie to be discerned so nowe shall we see the like handling of the figure and the veritie by the holy fathers Holy Cyprian sheweing the meting and applicacion of the olde Paschall lābe which was a figure of our new Paschall lābe declareth most plainlie the excellencie of the one aboue the other Caena disposita inter sacramentales epulas obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua Et consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat Cyprian de cana Do. inconsumptibilem cibum magister apponit Discipulis Nec iam ad elaborata impensis arte conuiuia populi inuitantur sed immortalitatis alimoniae datur à comunibus cibis differens corporalis substantiae retinens speciem sed virtutis diuinae invisibili efficien tia probans adesse praesentiam The supper being ordined emong the Sacramentall The inconsumptible 〈◊〉 geuē to the Apostles both conteined the presēce of diuine power and also reteined the forme of corporall substance meates ther mett together the newe and the olde ordinances and the lambe which the olde tradiciō did sett furth being consumed the master sett before his disciples inconsumptible meate Neither are the people bidden to feastes prepared with charges and conning but the foode of imortalitie ys geuen differing from comon meates reteining the forme of corporall substance but prouing by inuisible woorking the presence of the diuine power to be present Thus S. Cyprian As in this sentēce ye see the applicaciō of the ordinaūces of the old law to the newe so maie ye easilie perceaue that the one farre excelleth the other The meat whiche was geuen according to the olde ordeinaunce was consumed but the meat whiche was geuen according to the new ordeinance was inconsumptible That that ys of a limited power and finite yt maie haue a certain degree of excellencie cōpared
and other Disciples did in the Masse make oblacion and offre sacrifice as the Apostles did This man S. Clement I meen euen as S. Iames did immediatelie after the holie consecracion praied thus Memores igitur passionis eius mortis resurrectionis reditus in coelos futuri eius secundi aduentus in quo veniet iudicaturus viuos mortuos redditurusque cuique secundùm opera sua offerimus S. Clemens in Missa vt refert Methon ibi Regi Deo secundùm eius institutionem panem hunc hunc calicem gratias tibi per eum agentes quod nos dignatus fueris astare coram te tibi sacrificare Being therfor mindefull of his passion death resurrection ascension into heauen and of his second coming in the whiche he will iudge both quicke and dead and will geue to euerie one according to his workes We offre vnto the King and God according to his institucion this bread and this cuppe geuing thee thanks by him that thow hauest vouchsafe vs to stand before thee and to offre sacrifice to thee Thus S. Clement Let not the good Chrystian be dismaied nor the Sacramentarie triumphe S. Clement offred Chrysts bodie and blood in sacrifice that he saieth we offre this bread but let them both vnderstand that as our Sauiour Chryste in the vi of S. Iohn and S. Paule in the x of the first to the Corinth whiche ys allreadie declared and in the xi of the same whiche here shall be declared doo call the bodie of Chryste bread So doth S. Clement here For proofe wherof haue recourse to the praier of S. Clement in the last chapter before and see his faith what he beleued to be in the Sacrament wher ye shall finde him desiering that the holie Gost maie be sent who maie make the bread the bodie of Chryste and the wine the blood of Chryste Yf then the bread by the worke of the holie Gost be made the bodie of Chryst then ther ys no other bread there after consecracion to be offred in sacrifice but the bread of the bodie of Chryst and the cuppe of his blood Neither can the Sacramentarie with all his wresting malice vnderstand this of materiall bread For this that ys here offred ys offred according to the institucion of Chryste but as the Sacramentarie can not but confesse Chryste neuer instituted materiall bread to be offred in sacrisice Wherfor yt can not be vnderstanded of materiall bread Yt ys euident then that S. Clement offred Chrysts bodie and blood the verie true bread and true wine in sacrifice This being made plain we shall descende to S. Basill and see what he did whether he offred in his Masse or no. He as S. Clement immediately after S. Basill offred the like sacrifice to S. Ja. ād S Clem. the consecracion continued his holie taulke to God saing on this wise Memores ergo Domine nos salutarium eius passionum viuificae crucis triduanae sepulturae ex mortuis resurrectionis in caelum ascensionis in dextra tua Dei Patris sessionis gloriosae ac terribilis secundae eius praesentiae tua ex tuis tibi offerimus We also therfor o Lorde being mindfull of his holsom passions liuelie crosse three daies buriall his resurrection from the dead his ascension into hauen his sitting at thie right hand God and Father and of his gloriouse and terrible second presence we offre thine to thee oute of thine Thus he See ye not here as in S. Iames and S. Clement an oblacion of the bodie and bloode of Chryste whiche be thinges of God consecrated of his creaturs bread and wine and so offred vnto God Hitherto then ye see the holie Fathers to haue offred Chrystes bodie and blood and therfor in their woordes and writings not to haue abhorred the tearmes of offring or making oblacion and sacrifice as the newe brothers do But for farder proofe of the practise of the Sacrifice we will procede and see what Chrysostom did in his Masse For he keping the order before mencioned immediatelie vpon the consecracion addeth this praier Memores igitur salutaris huius mandati omnium eorum quae pro nobis facta sunt crucis sepulchri Chrysostome offred sacrifice in Masse resurrectionis ad caelos ascensionis sessionis ad dextram secundi gloriosi rursus aduentus tua ex tuis tibi offerimus Remembring therfor this holie commaundement and all those thinges that haue ben doen for vs as the crosse buriall resurrection ascension into heauen sitting at the right hand the seconde and gloriouse coming again we offre thine vnto thee of thine owne Thus ther. Yt can not be that they that so iustlie agree in woordes and sentēce shoulde varie and dysagree in sence and vnderstanding Wherfor Chrysostom as the other did did in his Masse offre sacrisice I labour not here to seke the deapt of this matter for that I haue done allreadie in diuerse places of this worke but I cheiflie seke by the woordes of these Fathers to declare that all S. Ambrose and the church that he liued in offred sacrifice in the Masse they did offre sacrifice What they offred and to what effect yt ys and shal be declared and as yt maie for this place suffice by S. Ambrose yt shall be made euident what he and the auncient Church in his time did offre Wherby also we shall be assured what the former Fathers did offre this being certen that holie Ambrose did nothing contrarie to the holie faith of the primitiue Church Thus he reporteth of the practise of the auncient Church of his time and before Sacerdos dicit Ergo memores gloriosissimae eius passionis ab inferis resurrectionis in coelum ascensionis offerimus tibi hanc immaculatam hostiam rationabilem hostiam incruentam hostiam hunc panem sanctum calicem vitae aeternae Being therfor mindful of thie most gloriouse passion and resurrection frō death ād ascension into heauen we offre vnto thee this vndefiled sacrifice reasonable sacrifice vnbloodie sacrifice this holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting Note here what maner of sacrifice was offred in the Masse Doo ye not here see by the testimonie of S. Ambrose that the preist did offre sacrifice in the remēbrance of Chrysts passion resurrection and ascension But note and marke well what maner of sacrifice An immaculate or vn defiled sacrifice a pure sacrifice What sacrifice ys yt that man can offre to God that he maie boldlie so tearm and call No pure man dare so farre presume of his owne doings of offrings to God This pure and vndefiled sacrifice then can be none other but that pure and innocent lambe of God that purifieth and clenseth vs by taking awaie the sinnes of the worlde euen Iesus 1. Joan. 1. Ibid. 6. Chryste his verie bodie and blood Which maner of vnderstanding the later woordes of this offring sentence doeth also enforce vs to take determining
faithfull and wise stewardes ād that we maie finde grace and mercie in that fearfull daie of the iust and good rewarde Thus moch S. Iames Masse Not minding to tarie vpon the beginniug of the praier wher ye maie perceaue that like maner of praier ys vsed as in the last chapter ys spokē of namelie that this sacrifice maie be receaued gratefullie acceptably c. Whiche I doe but touche wishing yt to be noted the better to perceaue the malice of the Proclamer who as ye haue heard reproueth and skorneth that in the Church that was vsed of the Apostles I minde not I saie to tarie but to hast me to note these thinges that now we haue to speake of namely that the sacrifice of the Masse ys auailable both to the quicke ād the dead which both be here testified whē the Apostle praieth that this sacrifice maie be pleasing and acceptable vnto the remissiō of sinnes ād to the rest of the soules of thē that sleape before vs. Doe not these woordes teach vs that S. Iames took this for a sacrisice propiciatorie whē he desiereth that the sacrifice maie be accepted to the propiciaciō of our sinnes And did he not thinke yt auailable to the dead whē he praieth that yt maie be to the rest of the sowles of thē that be dead The woordes be so plain that yt can not be deuied And as Caiphas though he were an euel Bishoppe spake one trueth of the S. James Masse ys full of knowlege euē by the iudgement of the Proclamer death of Chryst so the Proclamer though he be an euell mā spake one trueth of S. Iames Masse For he saieth that S. Iames Masse ys full of knowledge Yf yt be full of knowledge by the testimonie of the Aduers thē feare thowe not whether thow be catholike or other to saie that this ys good knowledg that the sacrifice of the Masse ys aualeable to the quick ād the dead For soch ys the knowledge in S. Iames his Masse And that thow maist be farder assured that the Apostles taught praier and the Masse to be profitable to the dead harken first what Dionyse the Disciple to sainct Paule saieth for the one and what Chrysostome testifieth for both S. Dionyse describing the maner Dionys eccles Hier. cap 7. parte prim of the buriall and exequies vsed in his time and before his time in the churche for parte of yt saieth thus Accedens venerandus Antistes precem sacram super mortuum peragit precaturue diuinam clementiam vt cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto eumue in luce statuat in sinibus Praier for the dead vsed in S. Dionyse time Abrahae Isaac et Iacob in loco vbi aufugit dolor et tristicia et gemitus The reuerēde Bishoppe coming maketh holie praier vpon the dead and praieth the goodnesse of God that he wold forgiue the dead person al hys sinnes which he hath through infirmitie committed and that he will place him in the place of light in the Bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the place frō whēce flieth sorowe heauinesse ād morning Thus moch S. Dynise See yowe not praiers here made for the Sinnes of the dead See yowe not peticion made for him that he maie come to the place of light to the place wher he maie feell neither sorowe nor heauinesse Yf this maner of praier was vsed in the time of the Apostles in whose time this Dionyse liued what shall we thinke but that S. Iames being one of them praied for the dead as the other Apostles did Obiection Perchaunce yt maie be saied that yf the Apostles had thought yt necessarie to praie for the dead they wolde haue left yt writtē in some of their epistles To this I saie that yt neaded not For first amōg the Iewes yt was before the coming of Chryst in vse to praie and offre sacrifice for the dead as the secōd booke of the Machabies doeth testisie Which booke although the Aduersarie doeth reiect yet S. Augustin saieth yt ys in the Canon of christē men And August de cura promortu Lib. vniuers fid Indaeorum Antonius Margarita one conuerted frō a Iewe to a Chrystian man in a booke that he made of the faith of the Iewes declareth the praier that they made for the dead which ys not moch vnlike to this praier of S. Dionyse And ouer he saieth that they haue a booke wherin be written the names of them that be dead which thrice in a yeare be redde and so praied for Which order ys yet amongest them so that then neaded not As for the Gētiles although they vsed funerall obsequies yet for that they were vngodlie after the heathē maner the Apostles gaue thē commaundement by tradicion to burie their dead and to praie for thē after the chrystiā maner Of the which cōmaundement S. Clement maketh mēciō how yt was geuē by S. Peter And so doth Chrysostome that yt was doē by the Apostles Clemens epist 1. Hom. 3. Philip. pri For he saieth thus Non frustra ab Apostolis sancitū est vt in celebratione venerandorū mysteriorū memoria fiat corū qui hinc decesserunt Nouerunt illis multū hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis Stante siquidē vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu itē sacer dotali verendoque posito sacrificio quomodò Deū non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not but to good pourpose decreed of the Apostles that in the celebracion of the honourable mysteries wherby he meneth the Masse a memorie or remē The Apostles decreed that the dead should be praied for in the Masse brance should be made of thē that haue departed hence They knew that moch commoditie shoulde come from thence to thē and moch profit For all the people standing and holding vppe their hāds into heauē the cōpanie also of preistes and the fearfull sacrifice being settfurth how shall we not appease God praing for these Thus Chrysostome As before ye haue seen the praier of the Apostle S. Iames praing for the dead so now ye see yt testified by Chrysostome that the Apostles cōmaūded the dead to be praied for in the celebraciō of the holie mysteries whiche ys the Masse wher the holie and blessed bodie and blood of Sauiour Chryst ys setfurth in the seight of the Father wherby his passiō ād death being liuelie remēbred ād hūble peticiō in the presence therof and for the meritte therof by the preistes ād people being made yt cā not be saieth Chrysost but that God will be appeased ād mercie for the soules obteined For as S. Cypriā saieth In huius praesentiae nō superuacuè mēdicāt lacrimae veniā nec vnquā patitur cōtriti cordis holocaustū repulsam In the presence of this vnderstād sacrifice teares doe adsurediebegge pardō neither doeth the sacrifice of acōtrite heart at anie time suffre repulse Ther for in this sentēce Chrysostome doeth